1 . Luis was born in Lima, Peru. He lived there with his parents. But one day his life changed completely. His parents got divorced(离婚). And his mother moved to the United States. So Luis went with her.
This move was a big change for Luis. He tried to fit into his new life. He had to go to a new school, learn a new language and make new friends. But Luis felt different from the other children. He felt that he did not belong. He wanted to return to South America. Some years later he had his chance. He was so happy to return to his original culture! But to his surprise, he did not feel at home.
Luis felt troubled. He did not know which country he was from. Luis is not the only young person to have these feelings. More and more young people are moving around the world with their parents. Their parents' work may cause the move. Families may choose to move. They hope for a better life. Such families have new experiences.They learn about other cultures. They have interesting lives. But there can also be a big problem. A lot of people do not understand how moving will affect their children. Parents may not understand their children's struggles. And they often think it will be easy for their children to return to their home country. They may expect their children to be the same as them, to have the same ideas, and to have the same beliefs.
There is a name for these children who grow up in more than one country-"third culture kids". Third culture kids are not completely part of their parents' culture. They are not completely part of the other culture they live in. Instead, they are a mix of cultures. This mixed culture is their own culture-a third culture.
1. What happened to Luis when he moved to America?A.He couldn't fit in. | B.He liked American culture at once. |
C.He had problem with the new language. | D.He couldn't make friends. |
A.To look for his father. | B.To learn about the culture of Peru. |
C.To seek a sense of belonging. | D.To compare different cultures. |
A.Cultural Shock | B.Children's Problems |
C.Third Culture Kids | D.Missing Home |
2 . Nowadays being culturally aware is becoming an important skill to have. Here are 5 reasons why we should learn about other cultures.
·Other cultures are interesting.
It's interesting to learn about those who are different from you. There's nothing wrong with doing something just because it's interesting. Learning a little extra knowledge never hurts anyone.
·You can stimulate your mind.
Learning about other cultures is an interesting way to challenge your thinking processes and expand the way you process information.
·Learning about other cultures fosters(促进)understanding.
·You realize there's more than one way to do something.
When you learn about other cultures, you learn that there's more than one approach to life.
With technology making the world smaller, and with the ease of travel between countries, the chances are that you will meet someone with a different cultural background at some point. Take the trouble to learn about other cultures and customs, and you`ll have a richer experience no matter where you go.
A.In other words, it forces you to think in new ways. |
B.Find out the similarities between different cultures. |
C.Traveling around the world is a dream for many people. |
D.You'll be better prepared for an increasingly globalized world. |
E.You also learn that your approach might not always be the best way. |
F.Many of the problems we have in this world are due to misunderstandings. |
G.It is probably more useful and attractive than watching mindless TV shows. |
3 . In America, each of the states likes to promote themselves with a slogan(口号). I currently live in Utah, where the slogan is “Life Elevated.” It’s a nod to outdoor entertainment in the high country, including the ski industry. I previously lived in Colorado, a land with red dirt, great mountains and golden plains. The slogan there is “Colorful Colorado.” Years ago I lived in the “Peach State” of Georgia, and I grew up in New Mexico as a little boy, whose slogan is “ Land of Enchantment(魔力).”
We never seemed to get away from dust in New Mexico, so I appreciate the story of a newcomer to the Land of Enchantment who learned about dusty breezes.She was visiting an antique shop and the owner wiped down every item before showing it.The newcomer said, “Everything gets dusty here pretty quickly, doesn’t it?”
“That’s not dust, honey,” the shop owner replied.“That’s ENCHANTMENT.”
Here was a person who took a negative and turned it into something humorous.That made the problem more acceptable, or at least live with.A Hong Kong shopping center manager was informed that an escalator(电动扶梯)broke.He posted a sign to warn customers.He chose not to use the traditional “Out of Order’’ or “Do Not Use” warnings.Instead, his sign read, “This Escalator Is Temporarily a Stairway.” He turned a minus into humor and made it a plus.
And in fact there are some things, like the weather, we can’t change. All we can change is our ways that we think and feel about them. I believe one of the best techniques to do this is to find some humor in the situation. Finding something amusing or enjoyable of a difficulty, an irritation or a troublesome problem can be one of the most creative and effective things we can do. Sometimes the only sense you can make of a situation is a sense of humor.
1. The first paragraph is severed as a(n)________.A.predication | B.explanation |
C.introduction | D.conclusion |
A.Angry | B.Curious |
C.Nervous | D.Relaxed |
A.Accepting them bravely. |
B.Holding positive attitude. |
C.Ignoring them quickly. |
D.Using great intelligence. |
A.To encourage people to find the funny side in their daily life. |
B.To show the effects of using slogans to raise the position. |
C.To explain the skills of turning a disadvantage into humor. |
D.To tell the strange experience of a bargain in an antique shop. |
A.a sudden outburst of anger | B.something that is annoying |
C.a feeling of slight pain or discomfort | D.something that is pleasant |
Many high schools and colleges with a football team in the United States usually have a homecoming day. This can be the most important event of the year next to graduation. Students plan homecoming day for many weeks. When the day arrives, they begin before dawn to decorate the schools. There are signs to wish luck to the team and many other signs to welcome back the graduates from other years. Many people still come to homecoming clubs to build booths and sell lemonade,apples or sandwiches. Some clubs help to welcome visitors. During the day people like to look for teachers that they remember from long ago. Often they see old friends and they talk together about those happy years in school. Everyone soon comes to watch the football game. When the game is half over, the band comes onto the field and plays school songs. Another important moment is when the homecoming queen / king appears. All the students vote for another student who is popular. It is a great honor to become __________. Homecoming is a happy day. Even if the team loses, the students still enjoy homecoming. Some stay at the school to dance, and others go to a party. For everyone it is a day to remember for a long, long time.
1. What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words.)2. Of all the events,what are the two things that all the students do on this day? (Please answer within 15words.)
3. Please fill in the blank with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (Please answer within 10 words.)
4. Why do the students still enjoy homecoming even if the team loses? (Please answer within 15 words.)
5. Translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.
5 . Tipping customs differ from country to country. You need to know how to tip in the country that you're in when you travel; or you'll leave servers annoyed everywhere you go. Here are just a few guidelines to tipping in different countries.
Dubai
In Dubai it's a rule for restaurants to charge 10% tip on all restaurant and bar bills You can add a couple of dirhams (迪拉姆,货币单位)to this if you feel like it. Waiters are not paid very much in Dubai, so it is always very appreciated.
Brazil
There will always be a standard 10% service charge added to your bill, and you won't necessarily have to tip. If you do feel like being generous, an extra 5-10% will really make your server very happy. Just remember to do this as skillfully as possible - Brazilians don't make a big show of this.
Czech Republic
While locals in the Czech Republic don't leave tips, that doesn't mean you're off the hook. Foreign tourists are definitely expected to leave some kind of tip for service - as long as you're in a high tourist traffic area, like Prague for instance. The standard tip is 10%.
India
Here it is often considered appropriate for a tourist to tip your server 5-10%. You have to adjust that number by yourself though. This is how the rules go in this country. If the bill is for a small meal and totals less than 300 rupees,tip the full 10%.If the bill is higher, tip towards the 5%.
1. In which country is it OK if you don’t give a tip?A.Dubai. | B.Czech Republic. | C.Brazil. | D.India. |
A.The size and environment of the restaurant. | B.The service that you have received. |
C.The rules that the restaurants make. | D.The size of the meal you are eating is. |
A.News. | B.Culture. | C.Sports. | D.Entertainment |
6 . 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. |
7 . Every week in China, millions of people will sit in front of their TVs watching teenagers compete for the title Character Hero, which is a Chinesestyle spelling bee (拼写大赛). In this challenge, young competitors must write Chinese characters by hand. To prepare for the competition, the competitors usually spend months studying dictionaries.
Perhaps the show's popularity should not be a surprise. Along with gunpowder and paper, many Chinese people consider the creation of Chinese calligraphy (书法) to be one of their primary contributions. Unfortunately, all over the country, Chinese people are forgetting how to write their own language without computerized help. Software on smart phones and computers allows users to type in the basic sound of the word using the Latin alphabet(字母). The correct character is chosen from a list. The result? It's possible to recognize characters without remembering how to write them.
But there's still hope for the paint brush. China's Education Ministry wants children to spend more time learning how to write.
In one Beijing primary school we visited, students practice calligraphy every day inside a specially decorated classroom with traditional Chinese paintings hanging on the walls. Soft music plays as a group of sixyearolds dip brush pens into black ink. They look up at the blackboard often to study their teacher's examples before carefully trying to reproduce those characters on thin rice paper. "If adults can survive without using handwriting, why bother to teach it now?" we ask the calligraphy teacher, Shen Bin. "The ability to write characters is part of Chinese tradition and culture," she reasons. "Students must learn now so they don't forget when they grow up." says the teacher.
1. What can we learn about the Character Hero?A.It draws great public attention across the country. |
B.It's the mostviewed TV programs in the world. |
C.It means to spread Chinese culture to the world. |
D.It's open to people of all ages and all walks. |
A.Chinese people don't refer to dictionaries very often. |
B.Chinese people no longer use brush pens or practice calligraphy. |
C.Chinese people are using the Latin alphabet instead of the characters. |
D.Chinese people needn't write by hand as often with the help of technology. |
A.necessary for adults to survive in Chinese. |
B.a requirement made by the Education Ministry. |
C.helpful to keep Chinese tradition and culture alive. |
D.an ability to be developed only when you are students. |
A.A science report. | B.A news report. | C.Children’s literature. | D.An advertisement. |
8 . Each year, the women of Olney and Liberal compete in an unusual footrace. Dressed in aprons (围裙) and headscarves, they wait at both towns’ starting lines. Each woman holds a frying pan with one pancake inside. At the signal, the women flip (轻抛) pancakes and they’re off!
This “pancake racing” tradition is said to have started on Shrove Tuesday, 1445, in Olney. Shrove Tuesday is the day before the Christian season of Lent (大斋戒) begins. During Lent, many people decide to give up sugary or fatty foods.
Legend says that in 1445, an Olney woman was making pancakes to use up some of her sugar and cooking fats before Lent. She lost track of time and suddenly heard the church bells ring, signaling the beginning of the Shrove Tuesday service. Realizing that she was going to be late for church, she raced out the door still wearing her apron and headscarf and holding her frying pan with a pancake in it. In the following years, the woman’s neighbors imitated her dash to church, and pancake racing was born.
The rules are simple. Racers must wear the traditional headscarf and apron. They must flip their pancakes twice - once before starting and once after crossing the finish line. After the race, there are Shrove Tuesday church services. Then Liberal and Olney connect through a video call to compare race times and declare a winner.
In both towns, the races have grown into larger festivals. Olney’s festival is an all-day event starting with a big pancake breakfast. Liberal’s festival lasts four days and includes a parade, a talent show, and contests that feature eating and flipping pancakes. Although the women’s race is still the main event, both towns now hold additional races for boys and girls of all ages.
1. How did pancake racing start?A.A woman in Olney created it. |
B.Women made pancakes before Lent. |
C.A woman dashed to church with a pancake. |
D.People followed the suit of an interesting incident. |
A.They can wear fashionable headscarves and aprons. |
B.They must flip their pancakes once in the race. |
C.They must flip their pancakes at the beginning of the race. |
D.They can flip their pancakes in the middle of the race. |
A.People can show their talent in Olney festival. |
B.People can enjoy a one-day holiday in Liberal. |
C.The race is not only intended for women now. |
D.People can have a big pancake breakfast in both towns. |
A.The origin of pancake racing. |
B.The history of pancake racing. |
C.The development of pancake racing. |
D.The introduction to pancake racing. |
9 . Math holidays everyone should know
In recent years mathematicians and scientists have begun campaigns to mark certain dates in celebration of significant principles and here are a few to add to your calendar
Mole Day
Mole Day is celebrated yearly on Oct. 23 from 6: 02 a.m to 6: 02 p.m.. The idea of a celebratory day was put forward by a chemistry teacher in 1991 and has been honored every year since. It celebrates Avogadro's Number, which is a basic measuring unit in chemistry. Each Mole Day has a specific theme.
Pi Day
The grandaddy of mathematical and scientific holidays, however, falls every year on Mar. 14. The date, 3/14, represents the first three numerals in the calculation of pi, so the date is known annually as Pi Day.
Pi Day was founded in 1988 by a physicist. The observations spread to the point where on Mar. 12, 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring Mar. 14 as National Pi Day.
Fibonacci Day
Nov. 23 marks Fibonacci Day, a special day that celebrates the man known as Fibonacci who developed a mathematical idea called the Fibonacci Sequence, in which every number is the sum of the previous two numbers. So, for example. 11/23 marks the day because 1+1 equals 2, and then 1+2 equals 3(the date being the 23rd).
Square Root Day
Square Root Day is a holiday that heartily honors those dates where the combination of day and month and year form square roots: e.g. 2/2/04 and 3/3/09. The last Square Root Day was 4/4/16. The holiday was created by a high school teacher Ron Gordon. Square Root Day has its own website where celebrants can gather before the next holiday.
1. How is Mole Day similar with Pi Day?A.They both have themes. | B.They are yearly holidays. |
C.They fall on the same day. | D.They are created by a teacher. |
A.Mole Day. | B.Pi Day. | C.Fibonacci Day. | D.Square Root Day. |
A.10/23/22. | B.11/23/23. | C.3/12/29. | D.5/5/25. |
10 . To stay healthy and fit, Chinese students do group exercises every day at school. Most of you probably do the same set of exercises. But some school exercises have grown popular online due to their local and innovative designs.
Singing in Sichuan dialects with energetic movements and unique mask-changing is not just a Sichuan Opera performance. It’s the routine exercise for students of Mianyang Foreign Languages Experimental School in Sichuan province.
“Sichuan Opera is a local opera, and it is now facing a gap in inheritance (传承). Therefore, we cooperated with Mianyang Intangible Cultural Heritage Center to create a simple and easy-to-learn Sichuan Opera exercise,” said Shen Junhua, who is in charge of organizing the school’s exercise between classes.
According to Shen, this new type of exercise has been practiced since 2017 and has been popular among students. When students enroll (入学), they will spend several weeks practicing it. At present, almost all of the students and teachers have mastered it.
“In fact, we had hardly heard of Sichuan Opera before teachers taught us how to do the Sichuan Opera exercise,” said Li Yangwenwen, 14, an eighth grade student who also joined the school’s Sichuan Opera club out of interest. “It’s very different from normal exercises. After practicing it, we found it very beautiful and became interested in it. Now, almost all of the students look forward to our daily exercise time and feel excited to do it.”
“By combining opera with daily exercise, the daily class activity allows students to perceive and understand Sichuan Opera’s culture”, Shen said. “After years of continuous effort to spread the seeds of traditional culture, the younger generation is finally catching on.”
1. What do students in Shen’s school do during the group exercise?A.They do normal exercise . |
B.They sing pop songs in Sichuan dialects. |
C.They do mask-changing in a Sichuan Opera performance. |
D.They combine group exercise with Sichuan Opera. |
A.To attract new students to the school. |
B.To inherit local culture. |
C.To create an easy-to-learn exercise. |
D.To make the school’s group exercise popular. |
A.Calm. | B.Indifferent. |
C.Enthusiastic. | D.Uninterested. |
A.Shen’s continuous effort is highly praised. |
B.The younger generation will have a stronger body. |
C.The students can better understand their local culture. |
D.Students help to spread the seeds of traditional culture to younger generation. |