1 . 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。delicacy（美味佳肴）, and it’s connected to their certain culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. Why can the British friend not understand when he found Chinese love eating sunflower seeds?| A．Because the seeds are too hard to crack. |
| B．Because he thinks they art harmful to teeth. |
| C．Because he doesn’t think the seeds are good. |
| D．Because he doesn’t thinks the seeds are worth eating. |
| 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. |
2 . Music and art festivals are fun and exciting events. If you're panning to go to a festival, it's important to plan your trip carefully to ensure that you re safe and have a good time.
■Bring clothes to keep warm or cool
In addition to your fun festival clothing, pack a raincoat, some light tank tops, and a sweater or sweatshirt. Don't forget longer pants for cool evenings or bad weather. In general, it's best to leave your umbrella at home because they can be dangerous in large crowds.
■Get a cheap tent and sleeping bag for multi - day festivals
A majority of people end up throwing their tent away after long festivals, since they normally break from the use. Pick up a less expensive tent with enough room for you and your friends and pack a comfortable seeping bag for yourself, 1f you don't want to camp at the festival, remember to book an AirBnb or a hotel room nearby!
■Place a first aid kit in a proper place
Before the festival, buy a small first aid kit with band aids, and any medication that you need to take, in case you get minor injuries or a headache. Keep it in a proper place that's easily accessible, like your tent or car.
1. Why should umbrellas be left at home?| A．They take up too much space. | B．The weather will be terrible. |
| C．They might hurt someone. | D．Travelers prefer raincoats, |
| A．Sell them. | B．Return them. | C．Pack them up. | D．Throw them away. |
| A．It should be put at hand. | B．It ought to be big enough. |
| C．It must contain all medicines. | D．It has to be placed in the car. |
3 . If you’re single this Valentine's Day, don't settle for another night of being alone. Single ladies and dudes can celebrate, too. Below, five holidays from around the world to celebrate instead of Valentine's Day this year.
Singles Awareness Day
In the U.S., we have “Singles Awareness Day”--a humorous anti-Valentine's Day celebrated on February 14 or 15, depending on your preference. On these days, singles toast their uncoupled status.
Ystävänpäivä or Friendship Day
Finland has a more ideal take on Valentine's Day: February 14 is considered Ystävänpäivä or “Friendship Day”, which is marketed as a celebration of friends. (We'd recommend adopting this holiday if you're looking for an occasion to hang out with your best friends.)
Black Day
April 14 in Korea is known as Black Day, a holiday where singles gather in local restaurants and drown their sorrows in cheap, but delicious bowls of jajangmyeon--- a Chinese-Korean noodle dish swimming in chunky black bean sauce, and topped with pork and veggies. The holiday has been popular over the last decade, and we can't say we're surprised. It's hard to be sad about being single when you're dipping into a bowl of something that delicious.
Single's Day
November II marks Singles' Day in China, an unofficial holiday that started in the 1990s as a protest Valentine's Day and that's now a day where singles buy stuff--a lot of stuff- for themselves. In 2013, China's biggest online shopping company took in more than $5.75 billion in online payments on Single's Day-two and a half times the total American retailers（零售商） netted on Cyber Monday the same year.
International Quirkyalone Day
Another option for singles looking to get in on the celebratory action on February 14? International Quirkyalone Day, a “do-it-yourself celebration of romance, friendship, and independent spirit," according to the official site. The founder of the event swears her holiday is not an anti- Valentine's Day; instead, it's a celebration of all kinds of love: romantic, platonic, familial, and yes, self-love. "In other words, it's a day to do whatever you want, with whoever you want. We can get behind that and have a great time.
1. Which of the following holidays would you like to celebrate if you like delicious food?| A．Singles Awareness Day. | B．Ystävänpäivä. |
| C．Black Day. | D．Single’s Day. |
| A．Shopping online. | B．Whatever they like. |
| C．Hanging out with families. | D．Gathering in local restaurants. |
| A．Business | B．Opinion | C．Lifestyle | D．Culture |
4 . Tourists are strongly advised to consult an etiquette(礼仪) guide before visiting Thailand’s honored temple. The list of taboos is very long and the country’s ruling group is strict- do not turn your back on a Buddha statue, the Bangkok Post cautions. Don’t wear sleeveless tops to the temples, or show your knees. Remove shoes when tour the Wat Pho Royal Monastery.
Last week Joseph and Travis Dasilvas from California were in Bangkok where they encountered the Temple of Dawn.They took “butt photos” there and posted them in Instagram.
“They didn’t know it was a temple.” the house sitter told NBC “ It is just like a building”
Most of Thailand didn’t see it the way. Certainly not Sudarat Wajanasiri, who shared the Dasilvas’ photo on Facebook over the weekend, adding” I got no words to rip them”
A commenter attempted to figure out what drove two men to moon a holy site, discovering that traveling butt photos are something of a cultural tradition in west countries that the Americans may not have meant to offend.
Thai immigration officials put the men on a watch list after seeing the photo, according to BBC. The “Travelling Butts” account was deleted from Instagram. Police prevented both men at a Bangkok airport on Tuesday from leaving the country, BBC reported. They face a ＄150 fine and punishment of never coming to Thailand. But a police had accused them, which could put them in jail for up to five years,
A commissioner(行政长官) told San Diego Gay &Lesibian News that she had reached out to the U.S government to help the men, who could not be reached by the Washington Post. Their house sitter, told NBC7 that they were trying to find a lawyer in Thailand, and no idea if or when the Traveling Butts would come here.
1. What does the underlined word “taboos” probably means?| A．The tourist attractions you can go to |
| B．Things that are not allowed to do |
| C．Tourists from all over the world |
| D．The etiquette guides you can turn to |
| A．visit Buddha statue first |
| B．enter some temples with shoes on |
| C．show their knees in the temples |
| D．follow the customs of Thailand |
| A．Indifferent | B．Negative | C．Unbearable | D．Curious |
| A．Joseph and Dasilvas were in unfavourable situation. |
| B．The Butts photo was deleted from Instagram |
| C．Taking butt photos is in fashion in American |
| D．Joseph and Dasilvas may set foot in Thailand again if they paid the fine |
Date:15th Aug. —22nd Aug.
Location: Chepstow Center
2018 Music Festivals, UK
Details: Over 100 live bands plus DJs on five private solar-powered stages. A wonderful site in a wooded area of outstanding natural beauty. 8 days of inspiration and relaxation are about traditional crafts, campaign stalls(活动摊位), and a magical kids’ area.
Sport Beat Music Festival
Date: 20th Aug. —29th Aug.
Location: Oxstalls Sports Park
Details: Time for fun in the sun with Sport Beat. The festival is for those who wish there are volleyball and netball games that take place over the weekend. Attractions include: ball coaching, food village, and bars. Please see details for VIP passes on our website.
Creamfields Festival
Date: 26th Aug.—28th Aug.
Location: Daresbury Court
Details: Creamfields is the world’s leading dance music festival. Creamfields is famous for many things, not just its traditional world class dancing but its unbeatable atmosphere! The festival mixes together style breaking pioneers from across the DJ and live music spectrum(声谱).
Wilkestock Charity Music Festival
Date: 27th Aug.—31st Aug. Location: Wilkestock Stadium
Details: With entertainment this year from mystery jets to a huge electronic lineup(阵容), this festival keeps turning up the heat year on year while keeping all profits donated direct to charity.
1. At which festival can children probably enjoy themselves thoroughly?| A．Creamfields Festival. | B．The Green Gathering. |
| C．Sport Beat Music Festival. | D．Wilkestock Charity Music Festival. |
| A．At Oxstalls Sports Park. | B．At Daresbury Court. |
| C．At Wilkestock Stadium. | D．At Chepstow Center. |
| A．It gives its earnings to people in need. | B．It offers performance in the open air. |
| C．It entertains people with live music. | D．It has five private solar-powered stages. |
6 . The world is designed for right-handed people, but why does a tenth of the population prefer the left?
The answer to it remains a bit of a mystery. Since scientists have noticed that left-handedness tends to run in families, it’s assumed that left-handedness has a genetic(基因的) component to it.
Historically, the left side and left-handedness have been considered a negative thing by many cultures.
| A．In other words, left-handers are born that way. |
| B．Left-handedness used to be regarded as a disability. |
| C．The unfavorable associations of the use of the left hand among cultures are varied. |
| D．Why do they prefer to use their left hand rather than their right hand for routine activities? |
| E．Why do some parents force their left-handed children to become right-handed when writing? |
| F．In Ghana, pointing, gesturing, giving or receiving items with the left hand is considered rude. |
| G．Fortunately, nowadays most societies and cultures no longer reject left-handedness like before. |
7 . The Lantern Festival, a traditional Chinese festival, is celebrated on the 15th day of the first lunar month. And it falls on Tuesday this year.
It was also a romantic festival in ancient China, providing an opportunity for unmarried men and women to meet.
Another activity，guessing the answers to lantern riddles，gave young people a chance to interact with each other and know more about each other. For thousands of years, there have been numerous love stories originating during the Lantern Festival.
Besides watching lanterns and guessing the answers to lantern riddles，there are many other traditions for the festival.
1. Dragon lantern dance
2. Lion Dances
It is similar to the dragon lantern dance，delivering good wishes and good luck.
3. Eating yuanxiao
Eating yuanxiao on Lantern Festival is another tradition.
| A．Chinese people regard the dragon as a symbol of good luck. |
| B．Here is a guide for you to spend a happy I intern Festival. |
| C．Yuanxiao is made of glutinous rice, either solid or stuffed. |
| D．Almost all people will come out and appreciate the beautiful scene. |
| E．As a traditional food, YuanXiao appeals to a lot of people. |
| F．In ancient times, young women, especially daughters of respected families, hardly stepped out their houses. |
| G．It is a continuation of celebrating the Spring Festival. |
8 . There’s a warm and wonderful tradition that the British observe on December 26. It's called Boxing Day.
For many people, Christmas can be a magical day filled with delight. But for those down on their luck or the disadvantaged, it can be a time of sorrow and disappointment. That's why the British have set aside the day after Christmas as Boxing day, and its purpose is to bring a bit of magic to those who could use it.
Every December 26, going at least as far back as the 1830s, the United Kingdom and other countries that are part of the British Commonwealth(英联邦) such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand and India, have observed Boxing Day as an opportunity to provide some holiday joy for those who most need it.
There are competing stories behind the name boxing Day. One is that it refers to the giving of “Christmas boxes”, a term that started in the 17th century to describe gifts, money and the leftovers from Christmas that lords of the manor(庄园) would give to their servants and employees for having worked on Christmas Day. Basically, “Christmas boxes” were holiday bonuses(奖金) for the working class.
The other is that it refers to the "contribution boxes" that would traditionally appear in charities in the weeks leading up to Christmas for the purpose of collecting money from donators that charity staff would distribute to those in need after Christmas Day.
The day is still a national holiday in many parts of the British Commonwealth, and while people still give something back to people who have bad luck or give tips to service people on Boxing Day, it has also become a major shopping day like Black Friday in the U.S.
1. Who is Boxing Day intended for?| A．Those having a wonderful Christmas. | B．Those from the British Commonwealth |
| C．Those less fortunate to enjoy Christmas. | D．Those living outside the United Kingdom |
| A．By filling the box with various presents. | B．By doing shopping in the supermarket. |
| C．By donating money to charities nearby. | D．By offering assistance to those in need. |
| A．"Christmas boxes"were bonuses for laborers. |
| B．The origin of Boxing Day is controversial. |
| C．People observe Boxing Day in different ways. |
| D．People treated each other kindly in the past. |
| A．What Boxing Day is. | B．The importance of Boxing Day. |
| C．How Boxing Day got its name. | D．Amusing stories behind Boxing Day. |
9 . The Gilroy Garlic（大蒜） Festival started with a "crazy idea" by Dr．Rudy Melone．
In 1978，Melone，the President of Gavilan College in Gilroy，read an article in a newspaper which was about a small town in France．The town hosted a garlic festival every year and regarded itself as the "Garlic Capital of the World"．He doubted that Gilroy's garlic production and processing were far greater．In fact，Christopher Ranch was then the largest shipper of garlic in the world．
So Melone set about trying to convince Christopher Ranch's owner Don Christopher，to host a garlic festival of their own．At first，the idea seemed crazy．Outside of Italian families，garlic at the time was considered an esoteric material．It wasn't something thought to be normal and it wasn't something you generally shared in polite company．
But Melone had passion for Gilroy and garlic．He decided to stick to his idea．He and Christopher hired a local cook，Val Filice，to prepare a meal with a few garlicky dishes．The invited local media and food writers as well．The meal was a success，and the city leaders agreed to support them．
The first Gilroy Garlic Festival was held at Bloomfield Ranch in 1979．Rudy Melone served as the president；Don Christopher supplied all the garlic from his；and Val Filice was the head chef．They got about 50 community volunteers to help them and decided to give all the profits back to the community．Festival organizers weren't sure at first if anyone would come，but were quickly shocked by the number of visitors．Despite all the chaos, the first Gilroy Garlic Festival served over 15,000 guests and produced $19，000 for the local community．
To date，the Gilroy Garlic Festival has given the city of Gilroy a sense of true community pride as well as worldwide recognition．Not bad for one man's crazy idea!
1. What is Christopher Ranch?| A．A ship. | B．A farm. |
| C．A shop. | D．A businessman. |
| A．Very expensive. | B．Very strange. |
| C．Very ordinary. | D．Very popular. |
| A．Its purpose was to attract city leaders. |
| B．Its organizers were certain that no one would come. |
| C．It benefited the local community a lot. |
| D．It made Gilroy become the garlic capital of the world. |
| A．Spreading the food culture. |
| B．Praising a man's crazy idea. |
| C．Showing the benefits of eating garlic. |
| D．Introducing the history of Gilroy Garlic Festival. |
10 . 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.
Open’er Festival, Poland
Held in an airfield near the northern city of Gdansk, each year Open’er has a seriously good selection 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.
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.
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 dances. |
| D．It invites the most famous bands. |
