1 . There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think. On an individual level, we grow up eating the food of our culture. It becomes a part of who we are. Many associate food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families, holding a special and personal value for us. Food from our families often becomes the comfort food we seek as adults in times of frustration and stress.
On a large scale, traditional food is an important part of culture. It also operates as an expression of cultural identity. Immigrants bring it wherever they go, and it is a symbol of pride in their culture and means of coping with homesickness.
Many immigrants open their own restaurants and serve traditional dishes. However, the food does not remain exactly the same. Some materials needed to make traditional dishes may not be readily available, so the taste and flavour can be different from what they would prepare in their home countries. Additionally, immigrants do not only sell dishes to people from the same countries as them, but to people from different countries. Therefore, they have to make small changes in the original dishes to cater to a wider range of customers. Those changes can create new flavours that still keep the cultural significance of the dishes.
We should not only embrace our heritage (传统) through our culture’s food, but also become more informed about other cultures by trying their food. It is important to remember that each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs, and is special to those who prepare it. Food is a window on culture, and it should be treated as such.
1. What’s the function of food mentioned in the text?| A．To help motivate homesickness. |
| B．To show cultural identity. |
| C．To reflect a country’s history. |
| D．To show a community’s superiority. |
| A．The specific traditional food. |
| B．The national culture. |
| C．A traditional expression of food. |
| D．The old-fashioned taste. |
| A．To attach cultural importance to their dishes. |
| B．To announce the beginning of their life on foreign soil. |
| C．To make the dishes popular among customers. |
| D．To present their own food culture in a new way. |
| A．Negative. |
| B．Balanced. |
| C．Unfair. |
| D．Unchangeable. |
2 . Maybe you have heard the expression—when in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when you want to do business in France, you have to get to know French culture, to make marketing plans, and to run your business by local laws.
The first thing you should do when meeting someone new is to shake his hand firmly and always look the person in the eye. In social meeting with friends, kissing is common.
Use first names only after being invited to.
Dress well.
The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer (开胃菜), a main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours.
Do not begin eating until the host says “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate.
| A．The French draw information about people based on their appearance. |
| B．This is a time for relationship building. |
| C．Remember to be as polite as possible. |
| D．Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France. |
| E．Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food. |
| F．Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname. |
| G．Make an appointment with your business partner in advance. |
3 . You might be crazy about Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as an English learner, but what do you think British teenagers studying Chinese are crazy about? Well, it’s Cao Xueqin’s classic, “The Dream of the Red Chamber”.
On December 18, nine British students arrived in Beijing for a seven-day trip after winning a Chinese Speaking Competition in Britain.
More than 170 students from 36 secondary schools took part in that competition last month. It was organized by the British Council. Three of the students coming to Beijing won first prizes for Language Ability. The other six were first prize winners for a dramatic performance in Chinese entitled (剧名为)“A New Home for Lin Daiyu”.
“We chose to perform this drama because we all love the characters in the tragic story. They’re traditional and loveable,” said Imogen Williams, 13, who played the lead role, in Daiyu. Williams said her group spent all their lunch breaks for nearly two months together, watching the drama, studying the characters, and practicing.
“We were excited to win the grand prize — the trip to Beijing. My mum even cried when she heard the news！” recalled Alice Clark-Edwards, who was “Wang Xifeng” in the drama.
These students have fallen in love with Chinese literature and are crazy about Chinese music and movies. “I love Jay Chou, Wilber Pan and the boy band Flowers. As for actresses, Zhang Ziyi is my favorite,” said Nishat Ali, 16.
1. Nine British students came to Beijing to ________.| A．perform “Romeo and Juliet” | B．go on a seven-day trip |
| C．watch “The Dream of the Red Chamber” | D．take part in the competition |
| A．the British Council | B．the drama college | C．Beijing | D．the middle school |
| A．are crazy about Chinese literature | B．fall in love with Cao Xueqin’s classic |
| C．are not fond of “Romeo and Juliet” | D．don't like traditional performance |
| A．“Wang Xifeng” in the drama is well-known in Britain. |
| B．Stars and singers like Zhang Ziyi and Jay Chou are known. |
| C．Chinese music and films have an effect on British students. |
| D．Williams and her group practice often in the school. |
4 . A British friend told me he couldn’t understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds(嗑瓜子) as a snack so much.“I’ve met a lot of older Chinese and many have a crack in their front teeth, I believe that’s from cracking the seeds,”he said.
I had never noticed the habit, but once he mentioned it, I suddenly became more aware, I realized that whenever I’m watching TV or typing a report, I always start mindlessly cracking sunflower seeds. My friend doesn’t like sunflower seeds, and, to him, it seems unnecessary to work so much just to get one small seed.
When we were young, the whole family would usually get together for Chinese New Year. Then, we all lived close to one another, usually in a small city, and sometimes even neighbors would go door-to-door on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.
I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. Out in the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with fancy tablecloth, ready-made dumpling fillings, and dishes full of candy, fruits and sunflower seeds. Some of the dishes were to be offered to our ancestors later, while others were for neighbors and children to eat before the evening feast. I must have learned how to crack sunflower seeds back then.
I don’t think it’s right to criticize one’s choice in food or eating habits, no matter how strange they may seem.
It’s not only in China. When I went abroad, I found people had all sorts of strange habits when it came to food. In Denmark, they put salted red fish on bread and eat it for dinner, no matter how much it ruins your breath. They think it’s a delicacy(美味佳肴), and it’s connected to their certain culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. What did the writer become aware of?| A．She had ever typed a report about seeds. |
| B．She had various snacks while watching TV. |
| C．She had a habit of cracking sunflower seeds. |
| D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds. |
| A．The families get together for it. | B．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it. |
| C．The traditions of celebrating it disappear. | D．Children can eat delicious food on that day. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Critical. | C．Understandable. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．It is good to form healthy eating habits. |
| B．Eating habits come from a certain culture. |
| C．Changing your eating habits will change your life. |
| D．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone. |
5 . A British friend told me he couldn't understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds (葵花子) as a snack so much. “I’ve met a lot of older Chinese and many have a crack in their front teeth; I believe that's from cracking the seeds,” he said.
I had never noticed the habit, but once he mentioned it, I suddenly became more aware. I realized that whenever I’m watching TV or typing a report, I always start mindlessly cracking sunflower seeds. My friend doesn't like sunflower seeds, and, to him, it seems unnecessary to work so hard just to get one small seed.
When we were young, the whole family would usually get together for Chinese New Year. Then, we all lived close to one another, usually in a small city, and sometimes even neighbors would go doortodoor on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.
I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. In the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with a fancy tablecloth, readymade dumpling fillings, and dishes full of candy, fruits and sunflower seeds.
Some of the dishes were to be offered to our ancestors later, while others were for neighbors and children to eat before the evening feast. I must have learned how to crack sunflower seeds back then.
I don’t think it’s right to criticize one’s choice in food or eating habits, no matter how strange they may seem.
It’s not only in China. When I went abroad, I found people had all sorts of strange habits when it came to food. In Denmark, they put salted red fish on bread and eat it for dinner, no matter how much it ruins their breath. They think it’s a delicacy, and it’s connected with their culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. What lesson can we learn from the passage?| A．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone. |
| B．Eating habits come from a certain culture. |
| C．It is good to form healthy eating habits. |
| D．Changing your eating habits will change your life. |
| A．She had ever typed a report about seeds. |
| B．She ate various snacks while watching TV. |
| C．She has a habit of cracking sunflower seeds. |
| D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds. |
| A．The traditions of celebrating it disappear. |
| B．Children can eat delicious food on that day. |
| C．The families would get together for it. |
| D．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it. |
| A．acceptable | B．critical |
| C．neutral | D．doubtful |
6 . Living abroad requires a small adjustment and balancing of cultures. Moving from Scotland to Austria,the differences aren't so great, perhaps, as moving to Asia or Africa.But things are still different enough to be unsettling (使人不安的).
One of the first differences I noticed was the opening hours of shops here. During the week, supermarkets close at 7:30 p.m., at the latest.On Sundays,they aren't open at all. On my first weekend here,I wasn't at all prepared for this. I planned to go into town to pick up things I'd forgotten to bring.I wanted to get some groceries, too, after a few days of eating out. A friend had warned me that nothing was open on Sundays, but I didn't realize she was serious. So, I wandered around town, coming across shop after shop with doors closed.
I ate out again that Sunday, and I learned my lesson. To begin with, I thought it was highly inconvenient. What if I ran out of milk in the evening, or wanted to buy biscuits before bed? In the UK, I was so used to large supermarkets, which stayed open until at least 10 p.m., if not for twenty four hours. But now, I have to buy food every Saturday. “What do people do here on Sundays?” I asked my flatmate. She just looked at me. “Nothing,” she replied.
If it's inconvenient, then there's also something nice about it. Who needs to be able to buy soup or soap or bread twenty four hours a day? No one really needs to of course. But it's nice, too, to have Sundays completely free from material worries. Sundays here are all about relaxing for hours in coffee shops and spending time with friends. Sunday is a day of rest.
People in the UK often complain, “I thought Sundays were meant to be a day of rest!”, while rushing to work, doing chores (家庭杂务) or standing in queues in shops. Well, here in Austria, it really is a day of rest. It's different, but it's a difference I can definitely get used to.
1. Where does the writer probably come from?| A．Britain. | B．Austria. |
| C．Asia. | D．Africa. |
| A．Unhappy. | B．Unbelievable. |
| C．Delighted. | D．Bored. |
| A．Do some shopping. |
| B．Eat out with families. |
| C．Work hard at home. |
| D．Do nothing but rest. |
7 . Throughout our lives, we have been told to take care of our physical health. But what is often ignored is mental health. That’s why World Mental Health Day was created.
●When is World Mental Health Day?
World Mental Health Day is on October 10th. Though there is one specific date for it, it is often times celebrated and observed over the course of a week.
●What is the history of World Mental Health Day?
●
You can volunteer in or donate some money to mental health services to improve the livelihoods of people struggling with mental illnesses. Besides, too often we are too busy to slow down and take a breath. If you take a mental health day, you are giving yourself the space to grow and take care of your mental health. Lastly, you should check on your friends. Go for a walk with them or have an extended phone conversation if you are far away.
| A．Why mental health is so important |
| B．How to observe World Mental Health Day |
| C．By celebrating it in a week instead of a day |
| D．If we value the importance of mental health |
| E．The first World Mental Health Day began in 1992 |
| F．In this article, let’s explore World Mental Health Day |
| G．You might be surprised at how much you can help them relax |
8 . On a warm spring morning in 1984, Dong Yao-hui and his two young friends pulled on backpacks and set out on a hike of the Great Wall. Their walk began in Shanhai Pass.
The walk of 17 months and 8,850 kilometers tested persistence.
On completing their journey, they published their experiences in a book. As they shared their adventures, it became clear that it was not just the physical demands but also the emotional impact that left lasting impressions.
The Cultural Relics Administrative Department has been given control over the overall protection of the Great wall.
Dong places his hands on the weathered wall, as he did 35 years ago. But today, he thinks more deeply on a mission grander than his own journey. "Someone dug up some earth, making it into a brick," he says. "Someone else brought it all the way up the mountain and built a wall. Then many people guarded the wall for hundreds of years. The Great Wall is definitely alive.
| A．It isn't just a cold, stone wall. |
| B．Preservation requires the efforts of all society. |
| C．From there they went forward to the vast west. |
| D．It wound its way and reached into the Bohai Sea. |
| E．It made them the first ever to walk the whole length. |
| F．Meanwhile, local villagers have recently been hired to act as guardians. |
| G．Preservation work began when the Great Wall was listed as a World Heritage Site. |
9 . Maaseik, a city in Belgium, has opened an exhibition of about 200 relics and treasures of the Tang Dynasty(618 AD - 907 AD), showing China’s golden age of ancient civilisation (文明) .
The exhibition, which opened on May 11 and will continue until Oct. 20, is part of the city’s effort to create a centre of Chinese culture. Belgian Princess Mathilde formally announced the beginning of the exhibition, titled: China’s Golden Age: Treasures from the Tang Dynasty”.
The items, including gold plates and silver wares for royal families, Tang Dynasty tri-colour glazed figurines (小雕像) of women and paintings, have recently been on exhibit in the Dutch city of Assen.
All of the exhibited items are from Shaanxi Province, China. Its provincial capital Xi’an was the most populous (人口众多的) city in the world and once the capital of the Tang Dynasty.
The Tang period is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilisation-requal to, or better than that of the earlier Han Dynasty(202 BC-220 AD), a golden age of Chinese culture.
Several years ago, said Dirk Verlaak, vice-mayor of Maaseik, his city and Assen teamed up to host history and culture exhibitions of China’s first two imperial dynasties, the Qin (221 BC-207 BC) and the Han. The Chinese relics and treasures attracted 350, 000 visitors in Assen and 190, 000 in Maaseik.
“Westerners don’t know much about China’s ancient civilisation and history, and we hope the new exhibition in Maaseik can attract more visitors,” said Verlaak.
1. Maaseik held the exhibition in order to ________.| A．make money | B．educate people |
| C．attract foreign visitors | D．spread Chinese culture |
| A．Dirk Verlaak is interested in Chinese history |
| B．All the items in the exhibition are from China |
| C．Assen attracted more visitors than Maaseik several years ago |
| D．This is the first time that Maaseik has held such an exhibition |
| A．Doubtful | B．Content | C．Worried | D．Disappointed |
| A．Tang Dynasty Treasures Exhibited in Belgium |
| B．Tang Dynasty Treasures Discovered in Belgium |
| C．Chinese Culture Goes around the World |
| D．Chinese Civilisation Attracts Foreigners |
10 . On the night of 14th June 1904, New York’s Chinatown was in a deep gloom (低迷). For the past 20 years, the restaurants were filled with those crazy about a taste of real Chinese cooking “chop suey”. But suddenly, all that seemed at risk. A few days earlier, a chef named Lem Sen had arrived, saying he had invented it a decade before while working at a restaurant in San Francisco. His recipe had been stolen by an American diner to make money. Through his lawyer, he demanded restaurants pay him for using his recipe.
Chop suey was first mentioned by Chinese-American journalist Wang Chin Foo in a list of common dishes he thought most attractive to Western tastes. As he explained, “each Chinese cook has his own recipe. The main parts are pork, bacon, chicken, mushroom, bamboo shoots, onion, and pepper, while accidental ones are duck, beef, salted black beans etc. Yet it is often considered by Westerners that this is a ‘national dish of China’ more than any other dish they’ve known.”
Although a hyperbolic way to introduce this dish, it clearly showed that chop suey was indeed of Chinese origin. Where exactly its roots lay has been debated; but it was probably first cooked in Taishan, Guangdong, where most early immigrants to America had grown up. In 1866, the journalist Allan Forman noticed it as a delicious dish despite its “mysterious nature”, and nine years later, the first recipe appeared in magazines, with some un-Chinese ingredients thrown in.
It was not long before a myth making began. In 1896, Li Hongzhang visited New York, and newspapers mistakenly reported that while refusing Western dishes at a banquet (宴会), he had enthusiastically accepted a plate of chop suey. This caused a great hit, and many who never heard of it before simply assumed that it was introduced to the US by Li Hongzhang, which accidentally promoted the dish’s popularity.
1. What is the purpose of a chef’s story in paragraph 1?| A．To describe food history. | B．To bring out chop suey. |
| C．To show risky business world. | D．To introduce a law case. |
| A．Fixed ingredients. | B．Its popularity overseas. |
| C．Un-Chinese nature. | D．Mixed national identities. |
| A．remarked beyond reality | B．explained in greater details |
| C．praised in something common | D．commented based on the origin |
| A．Li Hongzhang promoted this dish. | B．Its popularity was based on facts. |
| C．Mass media belonged to the root cause. | D．Public opinions voiced acceptance. |
