1 . Every year on June 21st, World Music Day is commemorated in over 120 countries, including its birthplace of France, to honor both amateur and professional musicians. Citizens of a city or country are permitted and encouraged to perform music outside in their neighborhoods, public areas, and parks on Music Day. Free concerts are also held, where musicians perform for the joy of it rather than for a fee.
In the 1970s, American musician Joel Cohen, who was then working for a French radio station, came up with the idea of having musicians perform on the evening of June 21 to celebrate the start of summer. It was finally accepted by France’s Ministry of Culture in 1982. The day started in France and has since extended to countries such as Belgium, the United Kingdom and others. It’s the ideal time to learn a new instrument or listen to songs they wouldn’t ordinarily include on their playlist. Every type of musician can celebrate World Music Day with friends, family, and even strangers, whether they are young, elderly, new, or seasoned professionals. The purpose is to promote music.
It makes no difference how good you are at making music; everyone can do it. This day can be used by even the most tone-deaf folks to sing their hearts out and appreciate the beauty and power of music. Music is not only a great way to express yourself, but it may also be beneficial to your health. A song might bring back a joyful memory or make you feel energized when you listen to it.
1. Where did the World Music Day begin?| A．France. | B．American. | C．Belgium. | D．China. |
| A．For reputation. | B．For entertainment. | C．For experience. | D．For occupation. |
| A．Those who are not expert in music are not welcome. |
| B．Joel Cohen put forward the idea of performing music for free. |
| C．The purpose of it is to instruct tone-deaf people in music. |
| D．You can listen to some songs not included on the playlist. |
| A．Challenging. | B．Critical. | C．Positive. | D．Sceptical. |
2 . When I first met Nao Junior, he was in his 40s and one of only nine members of his Indigenous(土著的) group, Great Andamanese, who still spoke the idiom of his ancestors. As a language specialist, I had researched more than 80 Indian languages. I was on the islands to document their Indigenous voices before they faded into whispers.
Words in this language consisted of two classes: free and bound. The free words were all nouns that referred to the environment and its inhabitants, such as ra for “pig”. They could occur alone. The bound words were nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs that always existed with markers indicating a relation to other objects, events or states. The markers came from seven zones of the body and were attached to a root word to describe concepts such as “inside”, “outside”, “upper” and “lower”. For example, the morpheme(词素) er-, which qualified most anything having to do with an outer body part, could be stuck to -cho to yield ercho, meaning “head”.
Just as a head, a bound word, could not conceptually exist on its own, the mode and effect of an action could not be divided from the verb describing the action. Great Andamanese had no words for agriculture but a great many for hunting and fishing, mainly with a bow and arrow. Thus, the root word shile, meaning “to aim”, had several versions: utshile, to aim from above; arashile, to aim from a distance; and eshile, aiming to make a hole with a sharp object.
The studies established that the language seems to be truly old in origin. In a multistage process of development, words describing diverse body parts had changed into morphemes referring to different zones and combined with content words to yield meaning. The structure alone provides an insight into an ancient worldview in which the macrocosm(宏观世界) reflects the microcosm, and everything that is or that happens inseparably connects to everything else.
1. What is the purpose of the author’s stay on the islands?| A．To meet with an old friend. | B．To teach Indigenous idioms. |
| C．To record an ancient language. | D．To trace her ancestors. |
| A．Arashile raercho | B．Arashile ercho |
| C．Eshile ercho | D．Eshile raercho |
| A．A verb could describe more than one action. | B．Some of the verbs could be used on their own. |
| C．The locals probably live off seafood and meat. | D．The tools used in people’s daily life are diverse. |
| A．Great Andamanese is the origin of multiple languages. |
| B．Great Andamanese is a doorway to the ancient wisdom. |
| C．Great Andamanese tells the development of the community. |
| D．Human body shapes Great Andamanese’s unique worldview. |
3 . Less than two months away from the Spring Festival, sales on travel websites start to hit a seasonal high. As the influence of Chinese New Year expands, international tourism also helps to introduce this indispensable cultural heritage to every corner of the world, which means in 2023, more Chinese people choose to spend their holidays overseas.
Big time for family trips
According to the statistics posted by Ctrip, one of the biggest platforms for travel products, the top 10 most visited countries by Chinese tourists will be Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, the United States, Malaysia, Philippines and Italy.
Over 70 percent of travelers decide to have a family vacation abroad. “The bookings on our website have risen 32 percent compared with the Spring Festival season last year. And the prices are 10 percent higher,” said Zou Qingling, outbound tourism manager of Lvmama. “Some of our packages to Europe or the US have already been fully booked.”
Flexible schedules favored
Though the holiday officially spans Feb. 4 to 10, many choose to leave their office in advance or postpone the return date. In this way, they will manage to avoid the crowds at the airports, and save a considerable sum on hotels and flight tickets.
If you haven’t planned anything yet, here is an important tip — leave before Jan. 31 or after Feb. 6. The most expensive time to travel is between Feb. 2 and 6, with an average of over 10,000 yuan per person.
Different places, same customs
Family trips pay special attention to tradition and customs, especially during the most conventional holiday in Chinese culture. Many people still believe that the Spring Festival is about family and the joy of reunion. To create a homey experience overseas, travel agencies design a variety of events including a New Year’s Eve dinner on the Nile, making dumplings at a Parisian castle, and a Chinese New Year gala at a five-star hotel in Amman. World-famous landmarks also receive a Spring Festival makeover. From Feb. 2 to Feb. 17, Universal Studios Hollywood will dress its cartoon characters in traditional Chinese costumes.
If you are one of those who want to celebrate the Spring Festival at home, enjoy your homecoming. But if you haven’t made up your mind for the moment, it’s never too late to try something new and plan a family trip abroad during the New Year.
1. To save money, your family is most likely to travel abroad between ________.| A．Feb. 1 and 5. | B．Feb. 2 and 6. | C．Feb. 5 and 10. | D．Feb. 7 and 11. |
| A．India has been rated among the top 10 most visited countries by Chinese. |
| B．It is impossible to reserve any package tour to the US from Lvmama now. |
| C．One will find the trip fairly cheap as long as avoiding it between Feb 2 and 6. |
| D．A Chinese family may experience a festival atmosphere abroad during the New Year. |
| A．To introduce the growing popularity of international tourism. |
| B．To give suggestions on appropriate time for traveling abroad. |
| C．To recommend making overseas tours in the Spring Festival. |
| D．To promote the role traveling plays in spreading Chinese culture. |
4 . India’s touring (流动的) cinemas are dying, and being reborn. And India is perhaps the most film-mad country in the world while it also has the lowest ratios of screens to human beings.
| A．they failed to change over time. |
| B．Fewer people can afford to go to cinemas. |
| C．The floor was carpeted and there were plastic chairs. |
| D．The following are the reasons leading to this phenomenon. |
| E．It was in this world that the touring cinemas played a crucial role. |
| F．The collapse of the touring cinemas was for two interlinked reasons. |
| G．It is one more paradox (悖论) among the millions of contradictions there. |
5 . In every corner of the globe, there exist people from different religions, different regions, different ethnic identities who speak different languages, and celebrate different holidays.
Culture shapes our identity. It influences how we behave, and it makes us who we are. Culture brings people together equally in celebration and in grief. Without culture and cultural diversity, the world would be a sad and dull place. Cultural diversity is a quality of diverse and many different cultures. Cultural diversity is a system that recognizes and respects the existence and presence of diverse groups of people within a society.
Recognizing that the world is made up of many different people from different backgrounds and cultures is the first step towards a more understanding and harmonious society. Difference is not what divides us, but rather it should be celebrated as something that unites us as humans.
Through diverse cultures, we can explore and understand how other cultures operate and function. Opening our eyes to the existence of diverse and different cultures allows us to see the world from others’ points of view. We can see more, appreciate more, and understand more. Understanding is a crucial step before appreciating. It is the same for understanding different cultures around the world. Even if when we’re unable to understand why certain cultures do the things they do, we’re able to acknowledge it as their custom.
However, total acceptance needs wisdom and awareness. Some cultures and cultural practices may disturb human rights in the general society’s view. We must work towards educating the public with a respect for the community that culture or cultural practices belong to. When diversity is taught early in kids’ lives, they are more likely to communicate and interact with people of any background or culture. At the same time, we must educate ourselves about the pros and cons of cultural diversity so that the change we want to make won’t be one-sided or go against anyone’s rights.
1. What is the first step to understand another culture?| A．Appreciating others’ opinions. | B．Accepting cultural diversity. |
| C．Being smarter and more cautious. | D．Learning more laws about human rights. |
| A．Key. | B．Simple | C．Quick. | D．Perfect. |
| A．To be learned. | B．To become wiser. |
| C．To communicate with others well. | D．To tell the pros from cons of diversity. |
| A．The origin of culture. | B．The function of culture. |
| C．The future of diverse cultures. | D．The importance of cultural diversity. |
6 . Traveling without a map in different countries. I find out about different ways of giving directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don’t have name signs. In Japan, people use landmarks (标志性建筑) to give directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the comer. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
People in Los Angeles, the US, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance by time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “It’s about five minutes from here.” You don’t understand completely. “Yes, but how many miles away is it, please?” To this question you won’t get an answer, because most probably they don’t know it themselves.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language. Instead, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question. What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say. “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People there believe that “I don’t” is impolite. They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan! However, one thing will help you reach your destination everywhere in the world. It’s body language.
1. Which of the following is probably an example of Japanese directions?| A．“The post office is at Street Kamira.” |
| B．“Turn right at the hospital and go past a school.” |
| C．“The post office is about five minutes from here.” |
| D．“Go south two miles. Turn west and then go another mile.” |
| A．They prefer to lead you the way. |
| B．They prefer to use body language. |
| C．They use landmarks to give directions instead of distance. |
| D．They often have no idea of distance measured by miles. |
| A．Using street names. | B．Leading the way. |
| C．Using landmarks. | D．Giving people a wrong direction. |
| A．people in Mexico know street names well |
| B．body language makes you get lost in Yucatan |
| C．people in Mexico prefer to use body language |
| D．people in Yucatan sometimes give wrong directions |
7 . Minor Cold: A sugary feast to get through the freezing winter
Minor Cold, or “Xiaohan” in Chinese, is the 23rd of the 24 solar terms in the Chinese lunar calendar
Eight treasures rice pudding or “babaofan” in Mandarin is a special sweet rice dish enjoyed during Minor Cold and Chinese New Year dinner. In Chinese, the number eight is pronounced as “ba”, which is similar to another Chinese word “fa”.
For Chinese people, this time of year also sees preparation for the most important festival of the year: the Spring Festival.
The ancient Chinese noticed the slight changes in seasons by observing the movements of the birds. Wild geese would usually start to fly back to the north while the magpies (喜鹊) make their nests. These animals remind people of the beginning of the suitable farming and life for Minor Cold.
| A．It means getting rich or booming in business. |
| B．However, “babaofan” is not the only traditional food for Minor Cold. |
| C．For most areas of China, Minor Cold is the beginning of the coldest period. |
| D．Even though temperatures drop suddenly at this time, spring is not far away. |
| E．The last lunar month, known as “Layue”, usually begins around Minor Cold. |
| F．Cabbage is easy to preserve in the winter and tastes better after being preserved. |
| G．With each solar term, there comes a set of customs that are related to the time of a year. |
8 . It is always said that China is the homeland of tea, which has a very long history of tea.
➢Color
➢Flavor(味道)
New tea is extremely clear and transparent with strong aroma(芳香), while old tea is characterized by brown color and weak fragrance. Take green tea and black tea for example, new green tea tastes a little bitter first, and then the fresh sweet taste begins to surface gradually, leaving a long and memorable after taste in mouth.
➢Place of origin
There is great gap of quality among various places of origin.
| A．Every tea leaf has its own shape. |
| B．Some varieties are identified by tightness of the leaves. |
| C．It is always advised to select tea from its main producing areas. |
| D．While you’re selecting tea, you should pay attention to following aspects. |
| E．For foreigners in China, drinking tea may seem like simple refreshment(提神). |
| F．Generally, new tea leaves look fresh and pleasing, with light green or dark green. |
| G．On the contrary, if bitter taste takes the lead and fresh sweet taste subsides(减弱), it is black tea. |
9 . Called the “Daughter of Dunhuang”, Chinese archaeologist Fan Jinshi, 85, was awarded by UNESCO for her outstanding contribution to the protection of the Dunhuang Mogao Caves.
Fan Jinshi’s story with the caves started 60 years ago. In 1963, Fan, then a 25-year-old Peking University graduate, was assigned to work at the Mogao Caves, a place she had been longing to explore. Though her father was concerned about her health and tried to get her reassigned to a different place, Fan boarded a train and headed to the remote west.
“Seeing Dunhuang for the first time was absolutely breathtaking. But only when truly staying here did I realize inside the caves is a world of exceptional beauty while outside is a land of blowing sand and endless yellow earth,” Fan said. Back in those days, the Mogao Caves were almost cut off from the world. Fan and her coworkers had to live in mud houses and drink salty water. They stayed inside the caves to do research, trying whatever they could to protect and restore them. In 2011, after 40 years of hard work, a report on 10 Mogao Caves compiled (汇编) by Fan’s team was finally published, which was China’s first academic report on cave archaeology.
As time passed, Fan found a serious problem. The increasing number of tourists visiting Dunhuang might harm the caves, causing murals (壁画) to blur (变模糊) and colors to fade. In 1980s, Fan got to know computer technology by accident. She realized this might be the chance to preserve the Mogao Caves forever. After over 30 years of exploration, the Dunhuang Academy built a digital database, allowing Dunhuang’s art to live forever and to step out of the caves to meet the world.
“In my entire life, I’ve only done one thing: safeguard and promote the world cultural heritage — the Mogao Caves,” she told People’s Daily. “My heart belongs to Dunhuang.”
1. What can we learn about Fan from the article?| A．She is a woman with determination. |
| B．Her health was affected by her stressful work. |
| C．She began her work at the Mogao Caves at 23. |
| D．Her father supported her job from the very beginning. |
| A．It was an amazing place. |
| B．The environment was terrible. |
| C．She was almost cut off from the world. |
| D．The work conditions were better than expected. |
| A．Her interest in computer technology. |
| B．Her desire to promote Chinese culture. |
| C．The need to document the restoration work. |
| D．The increasing threat to the physical caves. |
| A．It has earned her recognition. | B．It has been her lifelong calling. |
| C．It has promoted cultural exchange. | D．It has inspired many young people. |
10 . In 2001, UNESCO declared 21 May as UN World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. The day’s not intended to find out the uniqueness of different cultures, separating them from each other.
Visiting an exhibition or a museum dedicated to other cultures comes first since it may inspire you to create something yourself, and heighten your desire to learn about a new topic or culture.
There is perhaps no better way to experience another culture than listening to music. Even if you don’t understand the words, you can still hear the influence of other cultures. You could allow yourself to discover music from every corner of the globe on forums.
It never goes without mentioning language while embracing culture diversity. It is relatively easy to have a go at trying a new language through the many smartphone apps or through an online language exchange.
| A．Or you could listen to radio programmes. |
| B．In short, it’s never too late to learn a language. |
| C．You could also appreciate music in foreign films. |
| D．Remember language serves as a reflection and carrier of culture. |
| E．Learning about traditional stories from other cultures won’t disappoint you. |
| F．Even if you can’t visit a museum at first hand, you can select virtual exhibitions. |
| G．Instead, it’s a chance to unfold the similarities and celebrate the cultural diversity. |
