1 . What’s the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of wheat straw? Most people would probably just see it as a pile of waste in a farmer’s field. However, Wu Cui, an intangible cultural inheritor, can turn the straw left over from harvested wheat into beautiful and eye-catching functional artworks.

The earliest straw-weaving (草编的) products were discovered at Hemudu Cultural Ruins, a Neolithic cultural site located in eastern China’s Zhejiang province. The Book of Rites, one of the classical works of Confucianism, also records that there were already mats made of cattail grass and professional straw-weaving craftsmen during the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256 BC).

Straw weaving is a method of manufacturing daily items or artworks. It was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2008.

Wu explains the process of straw weaving: selection of materials is the first step of a complicated, time-consuming and labor-intensive process that can take weeks, or even months, to complete. You need to sketch (素描) the piece on paper, which requires drawing skills. Next comes weaving, shaping and preserving of the work. Even by finishing that process, it does not mean that you will always create a good piece of work, and the hardest part is to make it vivid.

In the past, woven straw items could be found almost in every household in the countryside, such as straw hats and straw shoes, because they were practical in everyday life. But due to the impact of industrialization, manufactured goods have replaced such products, which produce low profits, and there are only about 100 individuals engaging in the work across the country. “The world has changed, and craftsmen need to transcend practicality and seek the beauty and artistry of straw culture to help the craft survive and develop,” Wu says.

As far as she is concerned, straw weaving should respond to people’s needs and preferences, while still drawing inspiration from traditional culture. “Craftspeople should make a great effort to grasp the trends and opportunities of the times to create new and relevant products,” she says. When asked about her plans, Wu says she wants to dig deeper into local traditional culture and create cultural creative products by developing the straw-weaving technique.

1. What does paragraph 2 mainly tell us about straw-weaving products?

A．Their major uses.	B．Their cultural value.
C．Their historic origins.	D．Their manufacturing process.

2. Which is the most difficult part for straw-weaving craftsmen according to Wu Cui?

A．Making the artworks lifelike.	B．Drawing sketches on paper.
C．Selecting suitable materials.	D．Preserving finished products.

3. What does the underlined word “transcend” in paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Rely on.

B．Turn to.

C．Throw away.

D．Go beyond.

4. What can we learn from Wu Cui’s opinion according to the last paragraph?

A．Straw-weaving products are out of favor with customers.

B．Seeking fashion should be the first task for craftspeople.

C．Local people benefit a lot from the straw-weaving techniques.

D．Craftsmen should create the craft based on traditional culture.

4 . Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal, or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.

Different cultures emphasise the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example,business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work,it is necessary to spend a lot of time in“small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries—like the UK or France—people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.

Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realised that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.

Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.

People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a better chance to us to understand and learn from each other.

1. What’s the benefit of eating together at restaurants in some countries according to this passage?

A．People can develop closer relations.	B．People can share the same culture.
C．People can get to know each other.	D．People can keep each other company.

2. Why does the author mention his experience in Thailand?

A．To show the English prefer to make long speeches.

B．To show too many words are of no use.

C．To show people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature.

D．To show even talk and silence can be culturally different.

3. According to the text, how can people from different cultures understand each other better?

A．By sharing different ways of life.	B．By accepting different habits.
C．By recognising different values.	D．By speaking each other’s languages.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Multicultural Environment	B．Cross-cultural Differences
C．How to Understand Each Other	D．How to Build up a Relationship

5 . Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day.     1    

Buy Nothing Day is on November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping.     2    

The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia.     3     In California, parents and children get together to read stories, sing songs, and paint pictures. The children talk about why they don’t need a lot of toys. This year, in Manchester, England, people dressed up in costumes to tell people that we buy too much.

In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day.     4     They made posters and talked to other students about it. The dinner was a big success, and many students agreed not to buy anything on November 29. The students at high schools liked the idea of this new tradition.     5    

A．They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day.

B．Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day.

C．Many people think highly of the idea of Buy Nothing Day.

D．They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food.

E．Buy Nothing Day has successfully persuaded people not to buy anything.

F．At this time, we see ads in newspapers and on TV telling us to “Buy! Buy! Buy!”

G．Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day.

6 . Here are a few interesting facts about Teachers’ Day around the world：

China celebrates Teachers’ Day on September 10. The tradition began in the 1980s to improve teachers’ lives and status and encourage everyone to respect teachers.

In India, Teachers’ Day is celebrated on September 5 in honor of Dr. Radhakrishnan. He was India’s second president and a person who believed in good education. Traditionally on this day, the teaching is done by the senior students while the teachers get a much­deserved break from their work.

The United Nations has made October 5 World Teachers’ Day. This special day was started to let the world see what teachers have done and listen to the teachers’ worries and the things they want to change.

In the United States, National Teachers’ Day is always on the Tuesday of the first week of May, so the actual date is different every year. The history of celebrating this day goes back to 1944.

In Germany, Teachers’ Day is celebrated on June 12 every year. People will express their respect to teachers with many activities. Teachers always receive prizes, presents, beautiful cards and other things.

Teachers’ Day is celebrated in Brunei(文莱) on September 23.

January 15 is Teachers’ Day in Venezuela(委内瑞拉)．

North Korea celebrates Teachers’ Day on September 5.

1. How many countries mentioned in the passage have their Teachers’ Day?

A．7.	B．8.
C．6.	D．9.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A．Radhakrishnan was the first president of India.

B．Radhakrishnan attached great importance to education.

C．On Teachers’ Day the teachers in India are still working hard.

D．Teachers’ Day is celebrated on September 5 in India.

3. Which of the following countries makes September Teachers’ Day besides China according to the passage?

A．India, Brunei and North Korea.

B．Venezuela, North Korea and Brunei.

C．Germany, North Korea and India.

D．India, Brunei, North Korea and the United States.

4. What purpose did the United Nations create World Teachers’ Day for?

A．To encourage everyone to respect and honor teachers.

B．To let the world realize teachers’ contributions and encourage people to care about and help teachers.

C．To see what teachers have done in the year.

D．To have a dialogue with teachers.

9 . Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar(日历).

In western countries, people usually celebrate the new year at midnight on December 31st—January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal clothes, and they may drink champagne at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to greet the new year with the first light of the sunrise.

Many cultures also do special things to get rid of bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and that the new year can start afresh(重新). Other common traditions to keep away from bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.

Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year’s Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the year. In France, people eat oysters(牡蛎) on New Year’s Eve. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck—but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The meaning of “Happy New Year!”.

B．Several different New Year traditions.

C．What to eat on New Year’s Day.

D．Why people dress up nicely on New Year’s Day.

2. Why do people throw things into rivers or the ocean in some cultures?

A．To bring good luck.

B．To keep away from bad luck.

C．To forget everything.

D．To plan for the next year.

3. To have a happy new year,　　　.

A．friends talk to each other in special ways

B．families make big dolls filled with old clothes

C．some people get up early to watch the sunrise

D．Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year’s Day

10 . The Sanxingdui Museum in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province enjoyed huge popularity during the three-day Qingming Festival holidays by receiving nearly 20,000 visitors on the peak day, after the new archaeological(考古的) discoveries brought international attention.

According to media reports, the museum saw over 15,000 visitors on Saturday, the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays, breaking its record for daily visitors. And on the next day, more visitors swarmed into the museum to exceed 19,800. To cope with the large flow of people, on Sunday afternoon, the official Weibo account of the Sanxingdui Museum released a message to remind visitors of avoiding rush hours or rescheduling their visiting time.

The Sanxingdui Museum showcases various kinds of precious cultural relics unearthed at the site, such as the 2.62-meter-tall standing statue, 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask, and 3.95-meter-high bronze tree. Earlier on March 20, Chinese archaeologists announced some new major discoveries made during the 37th excavation (挖掘) since its last excavation 35 years ago. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1920s and first excavated in 1934. More than 500 important cultural relics have been unearthed in the six newly-found pits. Since the new discoveries were known to the public, the number of people visiting the Sanxingdui Museum has increased sharply.

The museum said although it was open as usual, the newly-found pits had not opened to the public yet and the newly-excavated cultural relics were still under restoration and couldn’t meet the public currently. But a hall for cultural relic conservation and restoration would be in pilot operation in April and officially opened on May 18. Visitors to it can see how the relics are restored, according to Zhu Yarong, vice director of the Sanxingdui Museum.

Dating back about 3,000 years, the Sanxingdui Ruins have shed light on the ancient Shu civilization and cultural origins of the Chinese nation, and have been regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.

1. What mainly brought about a surge in tourists visiting the Sanxingdui Museum?

A．Tourists’ enthusiasm.

B．Sichuan Province’s policy.

C．The Qingming Festival holidays.

D．New archaeological discoveries.

2. What is TRUE according to the text?

A．The Sanxingdui Ruins were first discovered in 1934.

B．Newly-excavated cultural relics on display attracted tourists very much.

C．The Sanxingdui Museum reacted immediately to the large flow of tourists.

D．Tourist numbers reached the peak on the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays.

3. What does the underlined word “pilot” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Trial.

B．Private.

C．Official.

D．Personal.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．The Sanxingdui Museum gives tourists insights into Chinese history.

B．Chinse people make full use of the Qingming Festival holidays to travel.

C．The Sanxingdui Ruins are a perfect tourist attraction over the Qingming Festival holidays.

D．New discoveries make the Sanxingdui Museum more popular during the Qingming Festival holidays.