1 . Culture can affect not just language and customs, but also how people experience the world on surprisingly basic levels.

Researchers, with the help of brain scans, have uncovered shocking differences in perception(感知) between Westerners and Asians, what they see when they look at a city street, for example, or even how they perceive a simple line in a square, according to findings published in a leading science journal

In western countries, culture makes people think of themselves as highly independent entities(实体) .When looking at scenes, Westerners tend to focus more on central objects than on their surroundings. East Asian cultures, however emphasize inter-dependence. When Easterners look at a scene, they tend to focus on surroundings as well as the object.

Using an experiment involving two tasks, Dr Hedden asked subjects to look at a line simply to estimate its length, a task that is played to American strengths. In another, they estimated the line's length relative to the size of a square, an easier task for the Asians.

The level of brain activity, by tracking blood flow, was then measured by Brain Scanners. The experiment found that although there was no difference in performance, and the tasks were very easy, the levels of activity in the subjects’ brains were different. For the Americans, areas linked to attention lit up more, when they worked on the task they tended to find more difficult--estimating the line's size relative to the square. For the Asians, the attention areas lit up more during the harder task also--estimating the line's length without comparing it to the square. The findings are a reflection of more than ten years of previous experimental research into east-west differences

In one study, for instance, researchers offered people a choice among five pens, four red and one green. Easterners were more likely to choose a red pen while Westerners were more likely to choose the green one.

Culture is not affecting how you see the world, but how you choose to understand and internalize(使内化) it. But such habits can be changed. Some psychological studies suggest that when an Easterner goes to the West or vice versa, habits of thought and perception also begin to change. Such research gives us clues on how our brain works and is hopeful for us to develop programs to improve our memory, memory techniques and enhance and accelerate our learning skills.

1. According to the passage, Chinese people are most likely to_________.

A．emphasize independent thinking more

B．always focus more on their surroundings

C．focus on the context as well as object

D．think of Westerners as highly independent entities

2. We know from the passage that people's brains will be more active when_________.

A．the task is much easier

B．the blood flow is tracked

C．people begin to choose colors

D．the task is more difficult

3. What do the findings of the experiments mentioned in the passage indicate?

A．They indicate that culture has a great impact on the way people talk and behave.

B．They show that Easterners and Westerners have great differences in perceiving the world

C．They suggest that people's habits of thought and perception can be changed in different cultures.

D．They make it clear that Easterners and Westerners lay emphasis on different things

4. It can be inferred from the passage that_________.

A．Easterners prefer collectivism to individualism

B．East Asian cultures lay more emphasis on independence

C．It took over ten years to find out how to improve our brainpower

D．Americans will change their habits of perception when they're in Britain

2 . "The firefighters of Paris told me they are very hopeful about saving the northern tower, " French Junior Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said on Twitter late Monday, adding that the firefighting efforts would continue for hours.

The Notre Dame Cathedral(巴黎圣母院)， one of the most famous landmarks in the French capital， was engulfed in flames Monday evening as a catastrophic fire tore through the historic structure， collapsing its spire as fire officials raced to save the monument from total destruction.

Video and photos posted on social media showed flames engulfing the cathedral, thus both the ceiling and the 90-meter spire came crashing down. The fire spread to one of the cathedral's towers, but French officials said late Monday that firefighters were optimistic they could save both towers.

French President Emmanuel Macron said a national fundraising campaign would be launched on Tuesday and called on the world's "greatest talents" to assist in the effort. "We will rebuild, Macron told reporters. "We will rebuild Notre Dame because this is what the French expect, because this is what our history deserves.

Officials said there were no deaths in the fire. Jean-Claude Gallet, chief of the Parisian fire department, said one firefighter was injured while responding to the flame. Two-thirds of the cathedral's roof was destroyed,   Gal let   said. The fire broke out just before p. m. minutes after the cathedral, which has been partly rebuilt, closed to the public. Around 30 000 people visit the church daily.

Despite its long history and many treasures the Cathedral needed the help of a writer to become truly famous. Victor Hugo's 1831 novel, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, presented the building to a wide audience of readers. The book's ugly lead character, Quasimodo, serves as a symbol for Paris forgotten   Gothic architecture. Hugo wrote the book to remind people of it, with hope they would work to protect the beautiful old buildings of Paris. The loss of cultural relics will never come again if they are lost only once.   This is a painful loss of world civilization.

1. The following issues are wrongly stated in the text except________________.

A．the Notre Dame Cathedral was totally destroyed

B．firefighters were pessimistic because they couldn't save both towers

C．a national fundraising campaign would be launched to rebuild the cathedral

D．the Cathedral became truly famous for its long history and many treasures

2. What does the underlined word" engulfed" in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Flooded.	B．Swallowed.
C．Disappeared.	D．Constructed.

3. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A fire broke out in the Notre Dame Cathedral

B．The mystery of the Notre Dame Cathedral

C．A national fundraising campaign

D．The rebuilding of the Notre Dame Cathedral

3 . While both Europe and the United States of America are considered the Western world, it’s good to know there are some differences in culture. If you are considering moving to a European country, you will find the information below helpful as you plan your move.

One cultural difference is how the countries perceive（感知）time and space. For example, a house in the United States that is 200 years old would be considered ancient. This is probably because America is a fairly young country. However, in Europe, something would not be considered ancient unless it was at least 2,000 years old. However, perception of distance seems to be the opposite. While Europeans would consider 100 kilometers a long way to drive, Americans would think twice. This could be due to the fact that Europe is smaller and more heavily populated. In fact, the United States is over twice the size of Europe.

Cars are another factor that differs greatly between Europe and the United States. American automobiles usually have automatic transmissions（传动）while European cars generally have manual gears（手动变速器）. European automobiles are smaller and more round-shaped, while American cars are larger and more square-shaped. Trucks and limousine are vehicles that American enjoy. In Europe, however, these types of vehicles are hardly seen, as they prefer smaller cars due to parking and traffic congestion.

The view of education is another cultural difference between the European countries and the United States. In America, parents may save for many years and even go into debt to pay for their children to attend college. Most schools and universities in Europe, however, are free of tuition. In fact, it is just expected for children to attend college there and not a privilege（特权）, as in the United States.

1. The author wrote the first paragraph mainly to ________.

A．tell the differences between Europe and America

B．advise people to travel to Europe and America

C．introduce the topic of this passage to the readers

D．persuade people to live in a European country

2. Which of the following shows the Americans’ perception of time?

A．An ancient house has a history of 200 years.

B．Europe has been at least 2,000 years old.

C．A hundred kilometers is a long way to drive.

D．It is proper to drive a speed of 100 kilometers.

3. It can be concluded from the last paragraph that ________.

A．Americans are richer than Europeans

B．Americans work harder than Europeans

C．the children in Europe needn’t go to school

D．it costs Americans a lot of money to go to college

4. The author develops this passage by ________.

A．arguing	B．persuading
C．comparing	D．doubting

4 . Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for family, health, and life in general. However, Black Friday has turned it into a business.

Traditionally, the true value of Thanksgiving lies at home not the shopping centers. However, Black Friday has nowadays allowed society to ignore this as individuals(个人) long for something that they do not need or even truly want. Shopping on Black Friday becomes a sign of a shift into a culture that values material wealth（财富） over spending time with loved ones. People are willing to force their way through the crowds in their desperate search for marked-down sweaters and necklaces.

In recent years, Thanksgiving has become a pre-Black Friday holiday for many families. They are devoted to mapping out shopping routes and making organized schedules for which stores to hit first. By drawing individuals out to shopping centers with "matchless savings", businesses encourage this behavior of ignoring Thanksgiving. Many families take their home-cooked meals while camping out at the door of shopping centers. With each new year, Thanksgiving is becoming victim to over-commercialized（过度商业化）society—changing from a meaningful time for family to a day devoted to products and shopping.

Black Friday has shown that with current common standards(标准), people cannot even set aside a single day to appreciate what they already have without immediately buying more. Families have lost sight of what is truly important in life, and have found reasons in debating between a low cost HD television and an appreciation for what they already have. Remember, Thanksgiving should be a day in which people are grateful for all that they have.

1. What does the underlined word "this" in paragraph 2 probably refers to?

A．The sign of a shift.	B．The true value of Thanksgiving.
C．The shopping crowd.	D．The material wealth.

2. In recent years, what will many families do when thanksgiving comes?

A．They’ll visit some newly-opened shopping centers in advance.

B．They’ll choose a big store for their first visit.

C．They’ll make full preparations for the Black Friday shopping.

D．They’ll go camping at the gate of shopping center for a good deal.

3. In the last paragraph, the author mainly intends to tell us that we should ______.

A．appreciate what we've possessed with our families

B．stay with our families as long as we can

C．try to spend less to get low cost products

D．set aside a single day to buy more

4. What's the author’s attitude towards the present ways people celebrate Thanksgiving?

A．puzzled	B．unconcerned
C．happy	D．worried

5 . Tea drinking was common in China for nearly one thousand years before anyone in Europe had ever heard about tea.People in Britain were much slower in finding out what tea was like,mainly because tea was very expensive.It could not be bought in shops and even those people who could afford to have it sent from Holland did so only because it was a fashionable curiosity.Some of them were not sure how to use it.They thought it was a vegetable and tried cooking the leaves.Then they served them mixed with butter and salt.They soon discovered their mistake but many people used to spread the used tea leaves on bread and give them to their children as sandwiches.

Tea remained scarce and very expensive in England until the ships of the East India Company began to bring it direct from China early in the seventeenth century.During the next few years so much tea came into the country that the price fell and many people could afford to buy it.

At the same time people on the Continent were becoming more and more fond of tea.Until then tea had been drunk without milk in it,but one day a famous French lady named Madame de Sevigne decided to see what tea tasted like when milk was added.She found it so pleasant that she would never again drink it without milk.Because she was such a great lady her friends thought they must copy everything she did,so they also drank their tea with milk in it.Slowly this habit spread until it reached England and today only very few British people drink tea without milk.

At first,tea was usually drunk after dinner in the evening.No one ever thought of drinking tea in the afternoon until a duchess (公爵夫人) found that a cup of tea and a piece of cake at three or four o clock stopped her getting “a sinking feeling” as she called it.She invited her friends to have this new meal with her and so,tea-time was born.

1. Which of the following is true of the introduction of tea into Britain?

A．British people were the first people in Europe who drank tea.

B．It was not until the 17th century that British people had tea.

C．British people got expensive tea from India.

D．Tea reached Britain from Holland.

2. What does this passage most probably talk about?

A．It talks about how British people got the habit of drinking tea

B．It talks about how tea became a popular drink in Britain

C．It talks about the history of tea drinking in Britain

D．It talks about how tea-time was born

3. People in Europe began to drink tea with milk because       .

A．tea with milk stopped people getting a sinking feeling

B．people followed the way a French lady drank tea

C．tea with milk was then a fashionable curiosity

D．tea with milk tasted much more pleasant

4. We may infer from the passage that the habit of drinking tea in Britain was mostly due to the influence of      .

A．the upper social class	B．the ancient Chinese
C．a famous French lady	D．people in Holland

6 . Family traditions are things that families do together regularly.     1    They can be repeated daily, weekly, monthly or once a year. It is important for families to follow their traditions even as their children get older. Here are reasons:

Family traditions create good feelings and special moments to remember. They are fun things to do.     2    And they are the memories that will last a lifetime.

    3    Being a part of a family is more than living in the same home or having the same last name. It is about relationships and family bonds. Since family traditions are something you do together, they create a stronger sense of belonging to the family.

Family traditions help teens a lot when they are trying to figure out who they are, which job teenagers often do. A family encourages a teen to be a part of it and its traditions provide a strong base for teens to stand on.    4    

    5    Every day teens face some very difficult issues. Knowing that they are secure and have a family to turn to is a powerful tool to use when they are in trouble.

A．Family traditions give teens a sense of security.

B．Family traditions help parents inform their children of the family’s values.

C．These things can be enjoyable activities or a certain food that a family likes

D．Family traditions give every member of the family a strong sense of belonging.

E．Enjoying them together as a family will create positive feelings in each member.

F．Old family traditions are important but easily forgotten in today’s society.

G．It’s very important when they’re looking for their sense of self.

7 . February 14^th is Valentine’s Day! In China, it is only a day for young boyfriends and girlfriends. But my teacher and friends in America told me that Valentine’s Day is a public day.

This was my first Valentine’s Day in America. I didn’t understand the customs(风俗) clearly. Maybe I didn’t need to send any gifts. I watched others to see what they did, so next time I can understand.

On that day, when we began the reading class, Mr. Peters gave every student some chocolates and said, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” I was very happy the teacher gave his students gifts and blessings. I never saw that in China. Maybe American teachers are very different. I didn’t buy a gift for the teacher, so I owed(欠) a gift to the teacher. Anyway, I want to say, ”Thank you, Mr. Peters, and I’m sorry.”

When we had a break, one of my classmates gave me a Pokemon card. It was very funny and I felt thankful, but I thought I owed a gift again.

When we were coming to our grammar class, suddenly I heard someone calling me. ”Shelly!” I stopped. Another classmate who had only been in our class one day gave me some chocolates. She said, “These are for you and your friends. Have a good day!” I was looking at her leaving and thinking that we were in the same class only one day, but now we are friends. That’s very great, but I owed a gift again.

When I came home, my Chinese friend sent some roses and chocolates. I was surprised and happy because I had never received roses in my past life, but I hoped it was the last gift. I didn’t want to owe more gifts.

1. Before the writer left China, she thought Valentine’s Day _______.

A．was a day for the young

B．was different in America

C．was a festival for all the people

D．was a holiday for the students

2. By saying “I never saw that in China,” the writer would like to tell us that in China _________.

A．the students gave gifts to the teachers

B．the teachers didn’t like the students at all

C．the students never received any gifts and blessings

D．the teachers wouldn’t give their students any gifts

3. The writer felt sorry probably because she ________.

A．made a mistake in class

B．didn’t like chocolate

C．had no gift for Mr. Peters in return

D．had no money to buy gifts

4. What was the first gift the writerreceived from his classmates?

A．A toy.

B．A card.

C．Some chocolates.

D．Some roses.

8 . Food serves as a form of communication in two fundamental ways. Sharing bread or other foods is a common human tradition that can promote unity and trust. Food can also have a specific meaning, and play a significant role in a family or culture's celebrations or traditions. The foods we eat—and when and how we eat them—are often unique to a particular culture or may even differ between rural (农村的) and urban areas within one country.
Sharing bread, whether during a special occasion (时刻) or at the family dinner table, is a common symbol of togetherness. Many cultures also celebrate birthdays and marriages with cakes that are cut and shared among the guests. Early forms of cake were simply a kind of bread, so this tradition hits its roots in the custom of sharing bread.
Food also plays an important role in many New Year celebrations. In the southern United States, pieces of corn bread represent blocks of gold for prosperity (兴旺) in the New Year. In Greece, people share a special cake called vasilopita. A coin is put into the cake, which signifies (预示) success in the New Year for the person who receives it.
Many cultures have ceremonies to celebrate the birth of a child, and food can play a significant role. In China, when a baby is one month old, families name and welcome their child in a celebration that includes giving red-colored eggs to guests. In many cultures, round foods such as grapes, bread, and moon cakes are eaten at welcome celebrations to represent family unity.
Nutrition is necessary for life, so it is not surprising that food is such an important part of different cultures around the world.
1. According to the passage, sharing bread______.

A．indicates a lack of food

B．can help to develop unity

C．is a custom unique to rural areas

D．has its roots in birthday celebrations

2. What does the coin in vasilopita signify for its receiver in the New Year?

A．Trust.	B．Success.
C．Health.	D．Togetherness.

3. The author explains the role of food in celebrations by______.

A．using examples	B．making comparisons
C．analyzing causes	D．describing processes

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The custom of sharing food.

B．The specific meaning of food.

C．The role of food in ceremonies.

D．The importance of food in culture.