1 . One of the most firmly established idea of manliness(男子汉) is that a real man doesn’t cry. Although he might cry a bit at a funeral, he is expected to quickly regain control. Crying openly is for girls. One study found that women cry significantly more than men do—five times as often, on average, and almost twice as long per period.
Historically, however, men usually cried, and no one saw it as shameful. For example, in the Middle Ages, knights(骑士) cried only because they missed their girlfriends. In The Knight of the Cart, no less a hero than Lancelot cries at a brief separation from Guinevere. There’s no mention of the men in these stories trying to hold back or hide their tears. They cry in a crowded hall with their heads held high. Nor do other people make fun of this public crying; it’s universally regarded as an expression of feeling to show love.
So where did all the male tears go? The most obvious possibility is that this is the result of changes as we moved from an agricultural(农业的) society to one that was urban(城市的)and industrial(工业的). In the Middle Ages, most people spent their lives among those they had known since birth. If men cried, they did so with people who would sympathize(同情). But from the 18th to 20th centuries, the population became increasingly urbanize, and people were living in the midst of thousands of strangers. Furthermore, changes in the economy required men to work together in factories and offices where expressions of feelings and even personal conversations were discouraged as time wasting.
Yet human beings weren’t designed to hide their feelings, and there’s reason to believe that restraining tears can be harmful to your well-being. Research from the 1980s has suggested a relationship between stress-related illnesses and not enough crying. Crying is also, somewhat related with happiness and wealth. Countries where people cry the most tend to be richer and more confident.
1. In history, people considered it ________ for men to cry in public.| A．manly | B．shameful | C．acceptable | D．funny |
| A．By offering descriptions. | B．By asking questions. |
| C．By comparing facts. | D．By listing numbers. |
| A．Tony who lives alone and never expresses himself. |
| B．Peter who is outgoing but sometimes cries in public. |
| C．Arthur who is under great stress but never shed a tear. |
| D．Adam who sometimes cries but quickly regain control. |
| A．Men Don’t Cry. Why? | B．Crying Is for Women |
| C．Who Cry More? Men or Women? | D．Crying Makes a Weak Man |
2 . China is known as a state of manners and ceremony. Many proverbs have been passed down from generation to generation such as “polite behavior costs nothing” or “showing respect each other” and so on. For instance, there is an interesting short story. Once upon a time, a man went on a long tour to visit his friend with a swan as a gift. But it escaped from the cage on the way. Though he tried hard, he got hold of nothing but a feather. Instead of returning home, he continued his journey with the swan feather. When his friend received this unexpected gift, he was deeply moved. And the saying “The gift is nothing much, but it’s the thought that counts.” was spread far and wide.
Chinese used to cup one hand in the other before the chest as a greeting. This tradition has a history of more than 2, 000 years and nowadays it is seldom used except in the Spring Festival. And shaking hands is more popular. Bowing, as to show respect to the higher level, is often used by the lower like subordinates(下级), students, and attendants. But at present Chinese youngsters prefer to simply nod as a greeting.
When you start a talk with a stranger, the topics such as weather, food, or hobbies may be good choices to break the ice. For a man, a chat about sports, stock market or his job can usually go on smoothly. Similar to Western customs, you should be careful to ask a woman private questions. However, relaxing talks about her job or family life will never put you into danger. Though Chinese are said to be implicit(含蓄的), they are actually humorous enough to be pleased about the jokes of Americans.
1. What’s the purpose of telling a story about sending a swan feather?| A．To make you pleased. |
| B．To tell us that many proverbs have been passed down in China. |
| C．To introduce the next paragraph. |
| D．To give us an example about Chinese interesting story. |
| A．Figures out | B．Comes to |
| C．Means a lot | D．Calculates |
| A．the Chinese body language |
| B．the way the lower show respect to the higher |
| C．the traditional Chinese manners |
| D．the development of Chinese manners |
| A．Chinese proverbs | B．Chinese humor |
| C．Chinese manners | D．Chinese body languages |
3 . In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.
It quickly attracted famous names such as Alec Guinness, Richard Burton, Darne Margot Fonteyn and Marlene Dietrich as well as the big symphony orchestras (交响乐团). It became a fixed event every August and now attracts 400,000 people yearly.
At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge to the official festival. Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public housed issued for years.
Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little-known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.
Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959, with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.
A paid administrator was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.
1. What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?| A．To introduce young theatre groups. |
| B．To honor heroes of World War II. |
| C．To bring Europe together again. |
| D．To attract great artists from Europe. |
| A．They owned a public house there. |
| B．They wanted to take part in the festival. |
| C．They thought they were also famous. |
| D．They came to take up a challenge. |
| A．Popular writers. |
| B．Performers of music and dance. |
| C．Artists from around the world. |
| D．University students. |
| A．has become a non-official event |
| B．keeps growing rapidly |
| C．gives shows all year round |
| D．has gone beyond an art festival |
4 . BEIJING — Eating at a Beijing restaurant is usually an adventure for foreigners, and particularly when they get the chance to order “chicken without sex life” or “red burned lion head”.
Sometimes excited but mostly confused, embarrassed or even terrified, many foreigners have long complained about mistranslations of Chinese dishes. And their complaints are often valid, but such an experience at Beijing’s restaurants will apparently soon be history.
Foreign visitors will no longer, hopefully, be confused by oddly worded restaurant menus in the capital if the government’s plan to correctly translate 3,000 Chinese dishes is a success and the translations are generally adopted.
The government office of foreign affairs has published a book to introduce English translations of Chinese dishes, which aims to help restaurants avoid confusing translations. “It provides the names of main dishes of famous Chinese cuisines in plain English,” an official with the city’s Foreign Affairs office said. Restaurants are encouraged to use the proposed translations, but it will not be compulsory. It’s the city’s latest effort to bridge the culture gap for foreign travelers in China.
Coming up with precise translations is a daunting task, as some Chinese culinary (烹饪的)
techniques are untranslatable and many Chinese dishes have no English-language equivalent (对应词). The translators, after conducting a study of Chinese restaurants in English-speaking countries, divided the dish names into four categories: ingredients, cooking method, taste and name of a person or a place. For some traditional dishes, pinyin, the Chinese phonetic system, is used, such as mapo tofu (previously often literally translated as “bean curd made by woman with freckles”), baozi (steamed stuffed bun) and jiaozi (dumplings) to “reflect the Chinese cuisine culture,” according to the book.
“The book is a benefit to tourist guides like me. Having it, I don’t have to rack my brains trying to explain Chinese dishes to foreign travelers,” said Zheng Xiaodong, a 31- year – old employee with a Beijing-based travel agency.
It is not clear if the book will be introduced to other parts of China. But on Tuesday, this was the most discussed topic on weibo.com, China’s most popular micro blogging site.
1. “chicken without sex life” or “red burned lion head” are mentioned in the beginning of the passage to show some Chinese dishes are .| A．mistranslated. | B．hard to translate. |
| C．not well received. | D．not acceptable. |
| A．Introducing a book on Chinese dishes |
| B．Publishing a book on China’s dietary habits |
| C．Providing the names of main Chinese dishes |
| D．Suggesting using accurate translation for Chinese dishes |
| A．disappointing | B．discouraging |
| C．inspiring | D．amazing |
| A．unconcerned | B．negative |
| C．divided | D．favorable |
5 . 
Holidays with friends can be great fun and a good way of getting to know each other better.Once you are on holiday，the trip can be full of fantastic memories if it's planned correctly.
·Choose a destination
oing to a different place in your own country can also be fun and will be cheaper.
·Collect your friends
Find out how much interest there is from people to go on the trip，and work out your maximum and invite those who you get on well with.
·Meet up
Everyone will have their own idea of what the trip is to be like，so meet up at a local café or restaurant，and share your ideas and concerns.
·Look for accommodation
·Book transport
Once you have accommodation，you'll know the dates of your stay and be able to book transport，coach，bus，airplane，etc.
·Choose things you want to do there
When you are on your trip it will be more relaxing if you have a good idea of what kind of things you want to do.Research the area on the Internet and book some activities you want to join in.
| A．One person will naturally be the leader. |
| B．Check out if your idea is necessary. |
| C．The first step is to work out where you want to go. |
| D．Match the activities to your budget. |
| E．Booking transport well in advance lowers the cost greatly，so please do it soon. |
| F．Make sure that the trip to the foreign country is not too long. |
| G．Find out your hotel near to the place you want to visit. |
6 . The Thanksgiving Day has been alive for hundreds of years. The customs we see in our homes today remind us of ancient celebrations of harvest, thankfulness for peace, and the hard work of native Americans. It is made up of stories of those who believe that thanks for blessings is what people must own
Custom of Praying
For centuries, “Thanksgiving Day” is associated with prayers in church and in homes.
Everyone follows the custom of family dinner and reunion every year. Distances don’t really matter as relatives can drive down to be with their family. Feasts are usually held at home. It is a time to enjoy their favorite Turkey the family.
Custom of Decoration
Custom of sending messages
Thanksgiving is a day when people send loving messages and warm wishes to their relatives, colleagues at work place, superiors and subordinates, near and dear ones.
| A．People present gifts to friends. |
| B．Custom of Family Dinner |
| C．People like to get together and have turkey. |
| D．People offer various meal time prayers during the day. |
| E．Like Christmas, millions of cards are sent every year. |
| F．Thanksgiving is a time to decorate homes with wreaths, fresh and dried flowers. |
| G．It is a day of expressing their feelings through Thanksgiving cards. |
7 . In London's art gallery six or seven men, mostly in their 30s, are busy painting the walls with new designs in colorful lettering and clever tricks. Tins of spray paint and beer stand on the ground. The atmosphere is not unlike that of a golf course: a mix of concentration and relaxation.
Graffiti(涂鸦) painting is traditionally a daring hobby. Teenagers avoid security guards to put their names on trains and buses. But over the past decade that has almost disappeared from Britain's cities. Between 2007 and 2017 the number of incidents of graffiti recorded by the British Transport Police fell by 63%. A survey by the environment ministry shows that fewer places are damaged by tags(绘名) than ever. Graffiti are increasingly limited to only a few walls. In time the practice may die out entirely.
The most obvious reason for the decline in tagging and train-painting is better policing, says Keegan Webb, who runs The London Vandal, a graffiti blog (博客). Numerous cameras mean it is harder to get away with painting illegally. And punishments are more severe. A generational change is apparent, too. Now teenagers prefer to play with iPads and video games. Those who do get involved tend to prefer street art to graffiti. And the internet helps painters win far more attention by posting pictures online than they can by breaking into a railway yard.
Taggers and graffiti artists mostly grew up in the 1980s and 1990s. Those men are now older and less willing to take risks. "We can't run away from the police any more," says Ben Eine, who turned from tagging to street art. The hip-hop culture that inspired graffiti in the first place has faded. Video games and comic books provide more inspiration than music.
Graffiti may eventually disappear. But for now the hobby is almost respectable. Mr Eine says he has lots of friends who used to paint trains. Now with wives and children, they paint abandoned houses at the weekend. It has become something to do on a Sunday afternoon—a slightly healthier alternative to sitting watching the football.
1. How do the painters feel while painting graffiti according to the first paragraph?| A．Free but stressed. | B．Free and focused. |
| C．Particular and respected. | D．Nervous but satisfied. |
| A．It's at the risk of being caught. |
| B．It takes much hard training. |
| C．It's dangerous to paint in trains. |
| D．It needs a great deal of knowledge. |
| A．Ban of government. | B．Reduction of graffiti. |
| C．Disappearance of graffiti. | D．Better policing of government. |
| A．The early graffiti had something to do with music. |
| B．Graffiti artists like to be the focuses in public. |
| C．Graffiti artists regret over what they did in the past. |
| D．Painting is much healthier than watching football. |
8 . During the cold winter days, there are some interesting festivals (节日) in the world. Look at the following ones.
Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
Place: China
Time: January 5 to February 5
People build incredible things out of ice and snow,decorating them with lights.
The Carnival of Venice
Place: Italy
Time: between February and March
One of the most beautiful festivals in the world,people wear masks and elaborate costumes to hide differences among classes,and there are contests for the best costumers.
Holi Festival
Place: India
Time: late February/March, on the last dull moon day
Hindus and Sikhs,in India,Nepal,and Sri Lanka celebrate the main day of this incredibly fun 16-day festival by throwing colored powder and water at each other.
Sundance Film Festival
Place: Utah, the US
Time: end of February
The largest independent film festival in the US. Watch both feature films and shorts. You need to buy a ticket.
1. Which of the following festivals can’t be celebrated at the end of February?| A．Sundance Film Festival. | B．Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. |
| C．Holi Festival. | D．The Carnival of Venice. |
| A．India | B．China |
| C．America | D．Italy |
| A．Sundance Film Festival. | B．Holi Festival. |
| C．The Carnival of Venice. | D．Harbin Ice and Snow Festival. |
9 . Unlike most other holidays, the history of April Fools’ Day, sometimes called All Fools’ Day, is not totally clear. The only point in time that can be agreed on as the beginning of this tradition was 1582,in France. Before that year, the New Year was celebrated for eight days, beginning on March 25.The celebration reached the highest point on April 1.With the reform （改革）of the calendar under Charles 1X,the Gregorian calendar(公历，阳历）was introduced, and New Year’s Day was moved to January 1.
However, because in those days communications were not as developed as they are today, many people did not receive the news for several years. Some people refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1.These backward people were considered “fools” by other people. They were often sent on “fools” errands（徒劳无益的工作）or were made the targets (目标)of jokes.
This developed, over time, into a tradition of playing a trick on someone on the first day of April. The tradition eventually spread to England and Scotland in the eighteenth century. It was later introduced to the American colonies of both the Britain and France. April Fools’ Day thus developed into an international fun feast, so to speak, with different nationalities specializing in their own kind of humor at the expense of their friends and families.
1. When did the New Year celebration in France reach the highest point? .| A．On April the first | B．On January the first |
| C．On March 25 | D．On April the third |
| A．They accepted it happily. | B．They refused it immediately. |
| C．Some laughed at it. | D．Some recognized it. |
| A．what the French did on April Fools’ Day |
| B．when the new calendar was introduced |
| C．how April Fools’ Day came into existence |
| D．why some people were fooled in France |
Chinese and Indian brides normally wear red dresses and most of the wedding decorations are of the same color. This is because the color red is said to bring good fortune. In many Eastern weddings, especially Chinese weddings, the bride will change into a different dress after the ceremony. White dresses only arrived in modern times because of the influence of Western wedding dress designs.
Western wedding dresses are different. Brides usually wear a wedding dress that is white in color and wear it throughout the whole wedding. Wearing white wedding dresses is said to have started in the 1840s, beginning with Queen Victoria, Queen of Great Britain. There are occasions when brides dress into more comfortable clothing so that they will be able to move more freely during the wedding reception.
Traditional practices are strictly followed for most Western weddings. The couple follow up with any plans they have agreed and decided on to make their special wedding day unique and memorable. Wedding receptions and other celebrations differ among the East and the West, but the concept is still the same. They are held to show gratitude towards family members, friends and guests for being a part of the wedding ceremony.
Another common custom that weddings of the East and the West have is the wearing of the wedding veil(面纱). According to superstitious(迷信的) beliefs, the bride wears a veil to protect her from being seen by evil spirits and the bridesmaids are decoys(诱饵). This is still followed even today.
1. Queen Victoria is said to be the first woman in Britain to ________.
| A．have a bridesmaid |
| B．wear a veil as a bride |
| C．wear a white wedding dress |
| D．wear a casual dress for the reception |
| A．protect guests | B．comfort brides |
| C．trick evil spirits | D．bring good fortune |
| A．by time | B．by space | C．by process | D．by comparison |
