1 . Music festivals in Europe
Visiting a festival abroad can be a great reason to travel and a way to experience different cultures. These days there is such a number of choices that it’s possible to spend the whole summer watching live music in exciting places. Of course, it’s also a chance to meet people from across the world.
Melt! Festival, Germany
This festival takes place on the site of an open air museum for industrial machinery. There’s also a lake which can be used for swimming when it’s hot. This year’s line-up has over 120 different bands (乐队). Around 90% of the people attending the festival are German providing a perfect chance to practise speaking the language.
Exit Festival, Serbia
Set on the banks of the Danube in an old fortress (城堡), the festival began as a way to show people’s dissatisfaction with the government. These days it’s less political (政治的) but still worries about people who are poor, ill, old, etc and tries to help them. This year’s festival will host many famous bands. From electronic music and dance music to hard rock, there is something for everyone to enjoy.
Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival, Scotland
Set on a Scottish estate (庄园) near Inverness, this year Belladrum will welcome artists from around the world. The most enjoyable part of the weekend is the ceilidh(traditional Scottish dance and party) which is always a lively event. It doesn’t even matter if you’re a beginner because the band teaches you each dance.
Open’er Festival, Poland
Held in an airfield near the northern city of Gdansk, each year Open’er has a seriously good selection (精选品) of bands. This year is no exception, with many famous bands set to play. Not only are there amazing artists, but both Poland and the festival itself also provide very excellent value for money.
1. What is special about Melt! Festival?| A．It provides German lessons. | B．It is held by a local museum. |
| C．The bands are from 120 countries. | D．Most of the festival goers are German. |
| A．For political reasons. | B．For personal reasons. |
| C．To help stop a fight. | D．To offer help to the poor. |
| A．It falls in summer. | B．It is a live music festival. |
| C．It teaches people Scottish dance. | D．It invites the most famous bands. |
2 . In a recent study of 19-month-olds, University of Chicago doctoral student Lauren Howard found that children who heard various languages in their neighborhoods were more receptive to people who spoke languages other than their parents ‘language.
“We measured imitation. At this age, that’s how they show us their willingness to learn, ”explained Howard. The lead author of the report titled Neighborhood Linguistic Diversity Predicts Infants' Social Learning. The experiments tested how well the babies could learn new tasks from a non- English speaker.
The study, which included 82 children from the Chicago and Washington areas, was in the November issue of Cognition.
“Babies are not only affected by parents and caregivers--- previous studies proved that --but also by people they hear at the store or on the bus, "Howard said. “Incidental exposure matters.”
The study indicates that kids in diverse communities may grow up to have open minds. Good news for families living in such neighborhoods--- but can other families do something to increase children's cultural exposure？
Cultural diversity can be within reach, even in unlikely areas. Although she grew up in not very diverse"， Julie, 23， said she picked up much knowledge about other languages and cultures from the many students her family hosted through the AFS-USA international student exchange program.
“It’s the little differences that make you more understanding and less judgmental, ”Julie said “Yuilya from Kazakhstan, for example, was very disciplined because she couldn't go to college unless her grades were good. Matias from Paraguay wasn't used to being on time because his culture is more laid-back. ”
For families unable to host a student for a whole year, AFS-USA offers other volunteer opportunities, such as being “welcome families ”to ease students ’ transitions（过渡）.
But there are countless ways to expose kids to other countries, said Lucas, author of “Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be at Home in the World.”
Just a few of her tips: Take the kids to foreign films. Try exotic restaurants. Put a world map on the wall. Help your children’s teachers make global classrooms. Encourage the kids to invite friends of other cultures for dinner. “They’ll thank you later, "Lucas said.
1. What does Howard stress by saying "Incidental exposure matters"？| A．Babies are also influenced by people outside their home |
| B．Parents fail to realize the importance of incidental learning |
| C．Parents and caregivers have more influence on babies |
| D．Babies learn little knowledge at the store or on the bus. |
| A．She frequently volunteered in some welcome families |
| B．She lived in neighborhoods with various language learn |
| C．She was a member of the AFS-USA program |
| D．She learned from the foreign students living in her home |
| A．Curious | B．Happy |
| C．Tolerant | D．anger |
| A．How to improve children’s behavior |
| B．How to teach children foreign languages |
| C．How to better communicate with children. |
| D．How to help children seek diversity |
3 . More than half a century ago, there were 4,000 drive-in theatres in the United States, and watching a movie from your car was a popular way to spend an evening. But with the number of drive-ins reduced to just a few hundred, the outdoor movie has appeared suddenly across the nation. Going to an open-air theatre has become a modern summer entertainment for a growing number of movie fans.
In recent years, outdoor movie screenings have appeared in parks, vacant lots（场地）and shopping malls around the nation. On average, about 1,000 people watch each movie every night. It attracts a lot of young professionals, young workers and residents nearby. For some, the outdoor movies bring back the memories of the drive-in theatres of their youth. But for the most, they think it is similar to the feeling of drive-ins, as they can bring friends, food, good wine, and watch the movie together.
The returning of Americans’ love for outdoor movies makes Stephen Bastas ever busier. His seven workers set up screens in different places mostly in the Washington area every day during the whole summer. They are doing pretty well and they hope to continue the tide. And it looks like they are going to. That’s because many fans say there is nothing like watching a movie on a breezy（有微风的）summer evening under the stars.
1. In the first paragraph, the author tries to tell us ______.| A．outdoor movies attract more movie lovers. |
| B．summer brings back more drive-in movie fans. |
| C．drive-in theatres have already disappeared. |
| D．watching a movie in your car is becoming more popular. |
| A．have snacks before the movie. |
| B．cheer up with young friends. |
| C．bring back good old days. |
| D．enjoy the relaxing feeling. |
| A．a moviemaker. |
| B．an outdoor movie fan. |
| C．a movie director. |
| D．an open-air theatre operator. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Anxious. | D．Disappointed. |
4 . To tip or not to tip? And how much should you tip?
In casual restaurants, where you pay for your order at a counter but food is brought to your table, tipping is also uncommon.
In restaurants where you place your order with a waiter or waitress and receive your food and bill at your table, it’s normal to tip around 10 percent.
In some restaurants, a service charge may be added to the bill automatically, usually 10 or 12.5 percent. 38.
When you pay by credit card in the UK, the machine may ask if you want to add a tip. According to The Guardian, “Cash tips are paid to employees, while credit card tips are paid to the restaurant.”
In some cases a restaurant may print “service not included” on the bill or menu.
| A．This means they are asking for a tip. |
| B．In this case, you don’t need to add a further tip. |
| C．It’s normal to tip people even if you haven’t had good service! |
| D．In fact, tipping is appreciated but not always the right thing to do in the UK. |
| E．Unlike in North America, tipping isn’t a big part of British culture. |
| F．Tipping like this has only been seen in Britain for the past 20 years. |
| G．Check your bill to see if a service charge has already been added before paying. |
5 . More than 10 million Chinese cultural relics have been lost overseas, most of which were stolen and illegally shipped out of China during the times of war before 1949. About 1. 67 million pieces are housed in more than 200 museums in 47 countries, which accounts for 10 percent of all lost Chinese cultural relics, and the rest are in the hands of private collectors.
Most of these treasures are owned by museums or private collectors in the United States, Europe, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. There are more than 23,000 pieces in the British Museum, most of which were stolen or bought for pennies more than 100 years ago.
The major method to recover these national treasures was to buy them back. In some cases, private collectors donated the relics to the government. Also the government can turn to official channels(渠道) to demand the return of relics.
In 2003, a priceless bronze pig's head dating from the Qing Dynasty was returned to its home in Beijing after it was removed by the AngloFrench Allied Army over 140 years ago. Macao entrepreneur(企业家) Stanley Ho donated 6 million yuan to buy it back from a US art collector and then donated it to the Poly Art Museum in Beijing.
Although buyingback is the most feasible way to recover the lost treasures, limited funding is always a big headache.
In recent years, the Chinese government has improved efforts to recover the precious cultural relics lost overseas. It has started a national project on the recovery of the treasures and has set up a database(数据库) collecting relevant information. It has signed several international agreements with many countries on this matter, and is also looking for international cooperation to recover the relics by working closely with several international organizations.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．How to recover cultural relics. |
| B．The efforts to recover Chinese cultural relics. |
| C．Stanley Ho donated a bronze pig's head to Beijing. |
| D．Chinese cultural relics were stolen by the AngloFrench Allied Army. |
| A．have been recovered by the Chinese government |
| B．were bought for little money by foreigners |
| C．are owned by private collectors |
| D．are housed in foreign museums |
| A．It was made in the Qing Dynasty. |
| B．It is now in the Poly Art Museum in Beijing. |
| C．It was donated by the French government to China. |
| D．It was removed by the AngloFrench Allied Army over 140 years ago. |
| A．possible | B．difficult |
| C．popular | D．careful |
6 . The Children's Groundwater Festival, first organized by the Groundwater Foundation 19 years ago, is celebrated every year in Nebraska, a state of the central United States in the Great Plains. After organizing the festival for 16 years, the foundation passed the program on to the local community of Grand Island, Nebraska. The festival is an annual event for fourth and fifth graders of Nebraska. It is an interesting and energetic day filled with handson education. Water magic, folk singers and musicians, storytellers, and bird shows add to the happy atmosphere during the festival. There are also some educational activities:
Gooey Garbage: Children build a landfill (废物填埋场) and learn how a properlybuilt landfill can protect groundwater.
Water Races: Children learn about water pollution by racing a drop of water through a model.
Well in a Cup: By building a small aquifer (蓄水层) in a cup, children learn about aquifers and drinking water wells.
Taster's Choice: Children drink different types of water, from tap water to bottled water. Then they are taught about the treatment process of each type of water.
There's No New Water: Students are taught to make a special glass container and learn about the water cycle.
The Children's Groundwater Festival not only has a great influence on Nebraska's people. So far, similar festivals have been held in nearly 40 American states, Mexico City, several provinces in Canada, and New Delhi, India. People everywhere are realizing the importance of educating young people to learn and care about groundwater.
For more information about this festival, remember to watch our program tomorrow evening. I'll be waiting for you.
1. We can learn from the passage that the Children's Groundwater Festival ________.| A．was started in 1978 by the Groundwater Foundation |
| B．is now organized by the Groundwater Foundation |
| C．is aimed at educating college students to care about groundwater |
| D．offers both fun and educational activities |
| A．One day. | B．Two days. |
| C．One week. | D．Two weeks. |
| A．Gooey Garbage. | B．Water Races. |
| C．Well in a Cup. | D．Taster's Choice. |
| A．a radio program |
| B．a TV program |
| C．one of Nebraska's local newspapers |
| D．a magazine about environment |
7 . Corporate culture is the values and beliefs a company develops over time.The role of corporate culture isto improve a company’s mission and strategies,with long-term hopes of improvements in a company’s profit.Mostly corporate culture comes from a company’s top management.
One role of corporate culture is to influence employee behavior, honesty, and compliance（服从）. A company does not have to necessarily create a direct influence for these actions.A direct influence may be a setof written regulations or other policies,and while these may be in place,the corporate culture is usually moreof an indirect influence.
While many companies try to create corporate culture through the use of written policies,its role isharder to define.The human factor has an influence on how corporate culture is expressed.The way uppermanagement acts and reacts to various situations defines how lower-level employees will act,and this aspectmay be more important than any written policy.
A company’s corporate culture can also extend beyond the walls of the business. Consumers who believe a company to be honest and forthright（直率）may be more loyal in their buying behavior. Employees in a company’s customer service department can also exhibit positive corporate culture to outside individuals.Inthis case,the culture creates a link between the company’s employees and its customers.How customers reactmay be a direct result from the company’s corporate culture.
Product quality can also be influenced by a company’s corporate culture.Companies that focus only onprofits may decide to avoid high-quality materials in products,but try to suggest that the products are ofhigher quality than they really are.This negative culture can then result in lower brand loyalty withconsumers.
1. What do we know about corporate culture from this passage?| A．It is a set of rules and regulations. |
| B．It is the way the employees act. |
| C．It is the values and beliefs of a company. |
| D．It is the long term hope of a company. |
| A．Making a set of rules and regulations. |
| B．Setting an example for the employees. |
| C．Learning the corporate culture regularly. |
| D．Encouraging the employees to work harder. |
| A．The customer is always right. |
| B．Corporate culture has different functions. |
| C．Without corporate culture,a company will die. |
| D．Positive corporate culture can promote sales. |
| A．Creative. | B．Efficient. |
| C．Dishonest. | D．Disloyal. |
8 . To an outsider，any culture can seem confusing.And the UK's got a thing or two that raises a few eyebrows.However，understand the why and things might be less puzzling.
In a world where 61％of nations drive on the right，Brits drive on the left.Why? Most people think it goes back to Medieval，maybe even Roman times.
Visitors to the UK that have just washed their hands in an old-fashioned sink might be wondering why one tap is only for hot water，the other cold.
Millions of people drink tea worldwide，but the odd Brits put milk in theirs.Why? This mysterious practice relates to the quality of china cup used in the 18th century when tea was first imposed.For the majority of Brits，the cups available couldn’t stand the heat of the boiling water and would break，so milk was added first.
| A．This makes it difficult to improve |
| B．There is a method to the madness |
| C．This unusual behavior makes sense |
| D．You can know the origins of the practices |
| E．Either can make washing very uncomfortable |
| F．This cooled the cup enough to resist the boiling water |
| G．Here are the reasons for three of Britain’s more puzzling practices |
9 . We shouldn’t judge a person by their appearance but we do. In fact, the experts say that when we meet someone for the first time we make a decision about what that person is like in three seconds.
Schools have always understood this and a lot of them ask their students to wear a uniform. Why? A lot of teachers think a uniform makes students feel that they are part of their school and that their form helps them to be serious about their studies.
But can our clothes really tell people what we are like?
| A．Maybe not, but they can show our attitude to what we are doing at the moment. |
| B．Some of the teachers hold different opinions. |
| C．But what do we look at? |
| D．Teachers say that uniforms can help in other ways too. |
| E．Our clothes stand for our attitude. |
| F．However, it is not only schools that want people to dress in a certain way. |
| G．When we go into a bank we expect the staff to wear suits or dresses. |
10 . Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast(盛宴). The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies(殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed(宣布) the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.
1. Thanksgiving Day is celebrated .| A．in spring | B．summer |
| C．in autumn | D．in winter |
| A．some people from England | B．the American Indians |
| C．Sarah Josepha Hale | D．Governor Bradford |
| A．in the U. S. A. | B．in Great Britain |
| C．in Canada | D．on some island off the Atlantic |
| A．Thanksgiving Day used to be a holiday to celebrate a good harvest. |
| B．Abraham Lincoln was not the first to decide on thanksgiving celebrations. |
| C．Thanksgiving Day is celebrated to express the American and Indian people’s thanks to God. |
| D．There’s little difference between the American way and the Canadian way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day. |
| A．how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A. |
| B．how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated |
| C．that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday |
| D．how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places |
