1 . Little New Year usually falls a week before the lunar New Year. It is also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God, the deity (神) who oversees the moral character of each household. Here are six things you should know about the Little New Year, another sign of the start of spring.
1. Offer sacrifices to Kitchen God
One of the most distinctive traditions of the Little New Year is the burning of a paper image of the Kitchen God, who will report on the family’s conduct over the past year. The offerings to the Kitchen God include pig’s head, fish, sweet bean paste, melons, fruit, boiled dumplings, barley sugar, and Guandong candy. Most of the offerings are sweets of various varieties. It is thought that this will seal the Kitchen God’s mouth and encourage him to only say good things about the family when he ascends to Heaven to make his report.
2. House cleaning
According to Chinese folk beliefs, during the last month of the year ghosts and deities must choose either to return to Heaven or to stay on Earth. It is believed that in order to ensure the ghosts and deities’ timely departure people must thoroughly clean both their persons and their houses, down to every last drawer and cupboard.
3. Eat Guandong candy
Guandong candy, a sticky treat made out of glutinous millet and sprouted wheat, is a traditional snack that Chinese people eat on the Festival of the Kitchen God.
4. Paste paper-cuts to windows
In the Little New Year, old couplets and paper-cuts from the previous Spring Festival are taken down, and new window decorations, New Year’s posters, and auspicious (吉利的) decorations are pasted up.
5. Bath and hair-cut
As the old Chinese saying goes, whether they’re rich or poor, people often have a haircut before the Spring Festival. The activity of taking bath and haircut is often taken on the Little New Year.
6. Preparations for the Spring Festival
People start to stock up necessary provisions for the Spring Festival since the Little New Year. Everything needed to make offerings to the ancestors, entertain guests, and feed the family over the long holiday must be purchased in advance.
1. What is the most unusual tradition in the Little New Year?| A．Offering sacrifices to the Kitchen God. |
| B．Burning a paper image of the Kitchen God. |
| C．Preparing the necessities for the New Year. |
| D．Cleaning houses and people themselves. |
| A．Collecting the information of the man’s world. |
| B．Protecting the character of each home. |
| C．Gathering sacrifices for other Gods in Heaven. |
| D．Watching out for the moral people in the world. |
| A．Because the Kitchen God loves sweet foods. |
| B．Because it is the traditional custom. |
| C．Because people hope the God says good for them. |
| D．Because sweets are the best sacrifices. |
| A．Little New Year always falls in February. |
| B．House cleaning is to welcome the New Year. |
| C．In the Little New Year only paper-cuts are pasted up. |
| D．People will make full preparations for the coming New Year. |
2 . The annual celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is coming soon to the Canton Tower. St. Patrick’s Day is an Irish cultural and religious celebration occurring annually on March 17. The festival celebrates the life of St. Patrick, who helped the poor and taught the Irish people good things.The Canton Tower has become one of the premier(最初的) party sites for this international and lively event. As part of the celebration, the tower will brighten the night with brilliant light shows. Participants are sure to enjoy the festive atmosphere.
As in the past years, camping lovers will gather to spend a night beneath the Canton Tower. The time for the camping adventure will be from 3 p.m. on March 17 to 9 a.m. on March 18. The event offers people a great chance to enjoy this special and free camping site.
Artists will perform a range of music with instruments played typically in Irish folk music, featuring tin whistles and wind pipes. Foods will also be a treat, as the taste of traditional Irish food will surely attract everyone.
To celebrate this festival, dancers dressed in Irish green, the colour of Ireland, will pop up around the Canton Tower. The parade will go along the main streets and thousands of people will watch, waving flags. Good luck if you meet these “green spirits”.
1. What can we infer about the Canton Tower from the passage?| A．It lies in the birthplace of St.Patrick in Ireland. |
| B．It’s decorated with brilliant lights at night. |
| C．It’s been a place to celebrate St.Patrick’s Day for long. |
| D．It was first built on March 17 as a cultural site. |
| A．Artists waving flags. |
| B．Cooks making Irish food. |
| C．Pop stars singing songs. |
| D．People in green. |
| A．A group of people marching for celebrations. |
| B．A traditional holiday that is held every year. |
| C．A historical place where people often gather. |
| D．A programme specially designed by local people. |
| A．The Canton Tower |
| B．St.Patrick’s Day |
| C．The Life of St.Patrick |
| D．The Irish Tradition |
3 . People usually celebrate their traditional festivals. The Spring Festival is celebrated not only in China but also in other parts of the world. The traditional holiday is the most important to Chinese both at home and abroad.
The United Kingdom
Celebrations for Spring Festival in the UK started in 1980, with the first evening party held in 2002. Every New Year, people get together and have a lot of activities. They sing songs, dance to music, share photos with friends or enjoy films in a cinema.
The United States
Spring Festival is an important time for Chinese living or working in the US. They join in a large evening party to welcome the traditional New Year. It is a good chance for people to feel that they are not alone because they share the same culture.
Australia
On Chinese New Year, many people across Australia come to Sydney’s Chinatown. They enjoy fireworks, lion dances, dragon boat races and many other traditional activities. The celebrations are also a bridge towards better understanding between Chinese and nonChinese.
Singapore
The family dinner on New Year’s Eve is an important tradition for Chinese. They put traditional food on a table as an act of remembering their past.Then the whole family enjoys their dinner together. They usually have it at home because having it in a restaurant takes away the meaning of the tradition.
1. Celebrations for Spring Festival in the UK started in ________．| A．1890 | B．1980 |
| C．2000 | D．2002 |
| A．fireworks | B．lion dances |
| C．playing cards | D．dragon boat races |
| A．they were born in Singapore |
| B．they moved there from other places |
| C．the restaurant is far away |
| D．they want to keep Chinese tradition |
| A．all parts of the world celebrate Spring Festival |
| B．the Chinese New Year is celebrated only in China |
| C．only four foreign countries celebrate Chinese Spring Festival |
| D．Chinese around the world have a strong feeling towards Spring Festival |
4 . It may seem as if Mother’s Day was invented by a company named Hallmark, but people have been taking time on the calendar to give a shout-out to their mums for a long time. The Greeks and Romans had mother goddess festivals—although their celebrations didn’t involve the menfolk taking their underappreciated mothers out to dinner. A more recent tradition was Mothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday of Lent(大斋节), young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.
Mother’s Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers’ Work Days” to promote health and hygiene(卫生) at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, furthering the cause by bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers and promoting a Mother’s Day holiday.
Jarvis’ work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe published her “Mother’s Day Proclamation”, which envisioned the day not as appreciation of mothers from their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother’s Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade she stopped footing the bill and the tradition faded away.
It was Jarvis’ daughter Anna Jarvis who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died in May 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremonies on the anniversaries and conducting a tireless PR campaign to have the day made a holiday. In 1908 she succeeded in enlisting the support of John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia department store magnate and advertising pioneer, and by 1912 West Virginia and a few other states had adopted Mother’s Day. Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution declaring the second Sunday in May a national holiday.
It wasn’t long, though, before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under a number of greeting cards and candies. By the 1920s Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had been instrumental in creating. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.
1. Who played the most important role in developing Mother’s Day?| A．Ann Jarvis. |
| B．Julia Ward Howe. |
| C．Woodrow Wilson. |
| D．Anna Jarvis. |
| A．Because it was an emotional day. |
| B．Because the festival was not profitable. |
| C．Because the celebrations went against the original spirit. |
| D．Because the day was buried under greeting cards and candies. |
| A．The Objection to Mother’s Day |
| B．The Argument on Celebrating Mother’s Day |
| C．The Story Behind the Creation of Mother’s Day |
| D．Different Forms of Celebrations on Mother’s Day |
5 . Here are some Chinatowns for those outside of China wishing to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
London
Although it may not be as large or as long-built as others, having only become a center for the Chinese community during the 1950s, London’s Chinatown is a perfectly formed firework that knows how to present itself with a bang. Decorated with red lanterns, previous years have seen shows with acrobatics(杂技), martial arts, dances and operas nearby.
San Francisco
San Francisco’s Chinatown is perhaps the most famous in the USA. The city was the main entry-point for the Chinese who had crossed the Pacific to the USA during the early 19th century. Between Grant Avenue and Stockton Street, this historic area is a local treasure, attracting more visitors per year than the Golden Gate Bridge.
Bangkok
With an about 100-year-old history, the Thai capital’s Chinatown contains complex streets offering all kinds of tasty food, clothes and toys. Sunday Market days are such a good time to get the full atmosphere of the neighborhood. The area is also famous for its gold dealers, and there are lots of gold shops along the road.
Port Louis
Found in Port Louis, this Mauritian Chinatown shows the island nation’s rich multicultural diversity. Built in the early years of the 20th century by settlers from China, its tiny shops and restaurants serve locals and visitors. During the Spring Festival, the most exciting sight is the dragon dances on Rue Royale when Chinese musicians and dancers perform the traditional dragon dances through the streets.
1. Which of the following has the longest history?| A．London’s Chinatown. |
| B．San Francisco’s Chinatown. |
| C．Port Louis’ Chinatown. |
| D．Bangkok’s Chinatown. |
| A．It is crowded with Chinese restaurants. |
| B．It is the major entrance for the Chinese. |
| C．It is well-known for its gold business. |
| D．You can enjoy fireworks there. |
| A．Rue Royale in Port Louis | B．Sunday Market in Bangkok |
| C．Grant Avenue in San Francisco | D．the Chinese community in London |
6 . A fun way to learn about the people in the destinations you travel to around the globe is to drop into a friendly local bar off the beaten tourist track and enjoy a sip of something the region is famous for. To help you have fun, we’ve rounded up how to say “Cheers!” around the world.
Who doesn’t dream of living the good life in France? The food alone is well worth the trip since the French basically invented fine cuisine. They also invented a little golden liquid called the Champagne! Just before your first sip, look at your friends in the eyes and simply say their “cheers”: avotresante!
Is it just us, or is the Italian treat called prosecco sweeping the nation by storm? It’s lovely anytime: brunch, to celebrate something, or just to slowly sip while catching up with a dear friend. It originated in Italy’s Veneto region but is now available all over the world. When in Italy, the most common toast is “salute” or “cincin” (pronounced ChinChin), which has its origins in China. However, do not use this as a toast in Japan. It is what could get you kicked out of a bar or possibly the entire country. If you find yourself in the land of the rising sun, stick with “Kampai!” which means, “Cheers!”
If you haven’t been to Ireland — what are you waiting for? It’s the friendliest place, and one of the funniest on the planet, and the pubs are full of stories, where locals and visitors gather to lift a glass of Guinnessor. The Irish language can be a bit tricky for visitors to grasp but, again, practice makes perfect. Simply say, “SlainteItsw,” pronounced Slawn (to rhyme with pawn) cha (as in cha cha cha). Bottoms up!
1. What does the underlined word “It” in Paragraph 3 refer to?| A．An Italian wine. | B．A toast from China. |
| C．A Japanese custom. | D．A french expression. |
| A．It is famous for food. |
| B．Its language is simple. |
| C．It makes perfect wines. |
| D．It is well worth visiting. |
| A．Ways of making friends in bars. |
| B．World famous wines that can’t be missed. |
| C．Suggestions on drinking regionally. |
| D．Some famous tourist destinations. |
7 . Working or learning in a foreign country can be a difficult experience, both professionally and personally, due to the cultural shock.
The hardest part of working abroad isn’t to find a place to stay or learn the language but to overcome the cultural shock. The anthropologist (人类学家) Kalvero Oberg first put forward the term “culture shock”. He reported that it was caused by the “anxiety” that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of communication while living and working in another culture.
These things are part of daily life, and include gestures, facial expressions and customs. When we enter a new culture, these signs are usually so different that they’re no longer comprehensible (可理解的) to us. “When an individual enters a strange culture”, wrote Oberg, “all or most of these familiar signs are eliminated. He or she is like a fish out of water, however broad-minded he or she may be.”
This is what happened to Lara, a young IT consultant from America who began to work in southern Europe last year. Three weeks after arriving in Europe, she sent a desperate e-mail begging to return home. “The people are so rude,” she wrote. “They eat at strange hours and I’m starting to feel appetizing to local food. I can’t get anything done because their way of doing business is so efficient. I just want to be home.”
What Lara and other IT consultants meet on their work abroad is a culture shock. While we can’t prevent it from happening, we can still take steps to weaken its effects.
1. What is the most challenging for a worker living abroad for the first time?| A．Learning the new language. |
| B．Finding a place to stay. |
| C．Adapting to the new culture. |
| D．Earning a high income. |
| A．Removed. | B．Accepted. | C．Questioned. | D．Challenged. |
| A．Life abroad is always in a mess. |
| B．Colleagues abroad aren’t easy-going. |
| C．Working abroad isn’t a wise choice. |
| D．Culture acceptance matters much for a foreigner. |
| A．Measures taken to further understand culture shock. |
| B．Measures taken to explore the causes of culture shock. |
| C．Measures taken to reduce the influences of culture shock. |
| D．Measures taken to rid the influences of culture shock. |
8 . Traveling abroad is becoming increasingly popular these years. Some people are afraid of making linguistic (语言的) mistakes while traveling. Actually, cultural mistakes may be more serious, which can lead to serious misunderstanding.
●Touching Someone
In Thailand, the head is considered sacred — never even pat a child on the head.
●Talking over Dinner
In some countries, like China, Japan and some African nations, food is important, so don’t start chatting about your day’s adventures while everyone else is digging into dinner.
●Removing Your Shoes or Not
Take off your shoes when arriving at the door of a London dinner party and the hostess will find you rude, but fail to remove your shoes before entering a home in Asia, Hawaii, or the Pacific Islands and you’ll be considered disrespectful. So, if you see a row of shoes at the door, start undoing your shoelaces.
Once you are on the ground of a different country, remain highly sensitive to native behavior.
| A．If not, keep the shoes on. |
| B．You’ll be likely to meet with no response. |
| C．Never be completely surprised by anything. |
| D．Personal spaces are different among countries. |
| E．As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” |
| F．Watch out for the following cultural mistakes and try to avoid them. |
| G．The linguistic mistake means that someone is not fully expressing his idea. |
9 . Liverpool, my hometown, is a unique city. It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage Site.
I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist(薄雾), Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of seabirds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history.
As if to stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries than most cities in Britain. At the Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain’s No.1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the River Festival Liverpool attracts thousands of visitors, making the city a place of wonder.
As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to end, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub. It is a monument(纪念碑) to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.
Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of Outstanding Universal Value. It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore.
1. What can first catch visitors’ attention in Liverpool?| A．Charming banks. |
| B．Famous museums. |
| C．Wonderful palaces. |
| D．Attractive buildings. |
| A．By analyzing causes. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following the order of time. |
| D．By providing different examples. |
| A．To show Liverpool is a well-known city for its restaurants. |
| B．To prove Liverpool is an impressive place full of attractions. |
| C．To explain a pub is a wonderful place for visitors to relax themselves. |
| D．To stress a pub is a perfect choice for visitors to end their journey. |
| A．The universal value of Liverpool. |
| B．The beautiful historic sites of Liverpool. |
| C．The special cultural atmosphere of Liverpool. |
| D．The author’s exciting experience in Liverpool. |
10 . Living in two different cultures has its benefits and challenges. Although I was born in America, my parents emigrated (移民) to the US from Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an island off the coast of India. The customs, traditions, and culture are the same in India as it is in Sri Lanka. When my parents came to the US, they continued to perform their customs and hold onto their beliefs and traditions. This has influenced me in several ways.
I have learned to speak three languages, including English. I eat a variety of foods and celebrate different holidays that have to do with my religion and culture. It is very fun when I get to interact with people of my nationality and speak to them in a different language. It is also a benefit because I get to celebrate with all my family and have different foods and learn new things about my culture. Sharing my culture and information about my nationality to others is very important to me. I feel that people should have a good understanding of who I am and what my life is like. I always try to incorporate (吸收) both American and Indian traditions, customs and foods.
Even though this can be a major advantage, there are many setbacks to be part of two cultures. All of my family was born in Sri Lanka, so I’m not a person of several different nationalities, such as Greek, Italian, German, and others. My cousins, my siblings and I are the only ones born out of Sri Lanka. Speaking a language at home and speaking another language at school can make me get confused. This is because sometimes I have trouble expressing my thoughts in English.
I have felt stuck between the two cultures at times, but I try not to think of two cultures as a setback, but as an advantage of being able to participate in different celebrations and get on with my American and Indian friends.
1. What does the author find important?| A．To learn American customs. |
| B．To speak three different languages. |
| C．To follow his own customs. |
| D．To share his own culture. |
| A．Achievements. | B．Problems. |
| C．Benefits. | D．Performances. |
| A．Living between two cultures. |
| B．Ways to live in a foreign country. |
| C．The ability to learn foreign languages. |
| D．Efforts to hold on to original traditions. |
