1 . For many, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and an opportunity to host a socially-distanced barbecue (an outdoor meal). But this national holiday—celebrated every year in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September—has revolutionary (革命性的) origins.
By the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had made working life miserable for people around the world. In many places, workers toiled for at least 12 hours a day six days a week in mines, factories, railroads, and mills. This holiday actually originated in the US on May 1, 1866, in what came to be known as the Haymarket Riot, workers flooded Chicago streets to demand an eight-hour workday.
It would take another conflict in the American Midwest to make Labor Day a national holiday. On May 11, 1894, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company, a railroad car manufacturer near Chicago, went on strike to protest their low wages and 16-hour workdays. In August 1893, James Kyle introduced federal legislation (立法) to make Labor Day a public holiday, but for ten months the legislation was put on hold. To quiet the strikers and their supporters, the Senate quickly passed the bill on June 22. The bill passed the House four days later and President Grover Cleveland signed it into law on June 28, 1894.
The holiday is more information May Day labor celebrations. Many observers relax at home or head to outdoor recreational activities, such as boating, barbecues, and camping. It may also be marked with fireworks shows and other events. Labor Day has also become associated with retail sales, as many shop owners try to take advantage of the customers’ day off. It is one of the largest sales events of the year. meaning retail employees actually have to work more on this day. Parades are the most common model of celebration, which often feature processions of labor groups.
1. What do we know about the workers in the late 19th century?| A．They were paid well. | B．They had long workdays. |
| C．They often had a barbecue. | D．Their contributions were recognized. |
| A．Put off. | B．Introduced. | C．Got through. | D．Protected. |
| A．On May 1, 1886. | B．On August 22, 1893. | C．On May 11, 1894. | D．On June 28, 1894. |
| A．The origins of Labor Day. | B．The labor groups achievements. |
| C．The ways to celebrate Labor Day. | D．The official activities on Labor Day. |
2 . Singapore’s tradition of eating out in places called Hawker centers is now recognized by the united Nations for its cultural importance.
A hawker is a person who sells food or goods and advertises by shouting at people walking by on the street. Hawkers are an important part of Singaporean culture. Open-air eating areas where hawkers sell their goods are very popular. Famous chefs, such as Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay have praised them.
On December 16, the United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO, added the city’s “hawker culture” to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore sought to have hawker culture added to the list about two years ago.
Now that it has been recognized, Singapore must provide a report every six years to UNESCO.
In the 1970s, Singapore cleaned up its streets so the city moved street hawkers to new eating centers.
| A．And they appear in popular films like Crazy Rich Asians. |
| B．Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob posted the news on Facebook. |
| C．Here are our top hawker food centre picks and the best bites you simply have to try. |
| D．Hawker culture has shaped the Singaporean identity in many ways. |
| E．But Singapore’s hawker culture does face difficulties. |
| F．These areas were part of an effort to improve the island. |
| G．The report must show efforts that the city-state has made to save and support its hawker culture. |
3 . The “24 solar terms” (节气) originated and was first used in China. It was created thousands of years ago on the basis of practical needs of agricultural. Ancient Chinese people used it to guide agricultural production, explain special climate signs and even come up with healthy living tips. Last year, the 24 solar terms was added to UNESCO's world cultural heritage list(联合国教科文组织世界文化遗产名录). Now, it has been brought to life thanks to a creative designer from Southwest China's Guizhou Province.
On the eve of this year's Qingming Festival, Shi Changhong released (发布) his version of reproduced and packaged characters for each solar term in the form of “moving art” of gifs. Since their first release on Zcool on March 29, the gifs have won great praise among the general public and quickly flooded the social media with millions of hits during the festival period.
To maximize publicity, Shi released his work in three forms: the video, the animation and pictures. The background sounds add to the brilliance.
“When I watch the short video, I can strongly feel the Chinese-style elements hidden in it. And it is really cool to liven up traditional Chinese culture in such a unique way.” WeChat user Xiao Feifei said.
“It is really a comfort to me to see so many people like my latest work. To be honest, it would really surprise me if the work had not aroused great interest among Chinese people. The 24 solar terms is a deeply rooted concept that covers the essence of Chinese wisdom. However, only a small portion of people know all the names or the correct order of those terms. My intention is to increase Chinese people’s self-awareness to learn more about our traditional fine culture. Actually, the 24 solar terms work is only a part of my whole design program ‘Charm China’, which I started a year ago.” Shi told China Daily.
1. Which part of the newspaper does the text probably belong to?| A．Travel. | B．Culture. | C．Agriculture. | D．Education. |
| A．Newspaper. | B．Magazine. |
| C．Radio broadcast. | D．Website. |
| A．The background sounds of the work make the video more attractive. |
| B．It really surprised Shi Changhong to see so many people like his latest work. |
| C．Most people know all the names or the correct order of the 24 solar terms. |
| D．The 24 solar terms work designed by Shi Changhong was added to UNESCO’s heritage list. |
| A．To introduce a creative designer. |
| B．To introduce the 24 solar terms work. |
| C．To introduce the origin of the 24 solar terms. |
| D．To introduce a design program “Charm China”. |
4 . At Jenner Park primary School in Wales, pupils between the ages of seven and nine are writing letters to residents of a local care home. The initiative sees children and their elderly pen pals(笔友) exchange updates about their lives,helping to build relationships between generations while also giving the children an understanding of the value of writing letters by hand—an activity that's becoming less and less common.
Laura Johnson,the teacher who coordinates(协调) the scheme at Jenner Park,says:"All of our writing is for a purpose. That's the key in getting children to value handwriting. "As soon as you put an audience there, knowing that someone out there is going to be reading it—whether that's parents or another group of children—there's always the real sense of pride to go along with it,"says Johnson.
The school maintains a focus on handwriting throughout the years,from dedicated handwriting classes in the prep school to a calligraphy club offered to the older groups. It has created something called the pen license. It allows younger children to move from using a pencil to pen once they've reached a certain standard. "There's a lot of excitement about reaching that pen licence stage," says Johnson.
Johnson adds that developing students' writing in this way matters for their life after school:"For us, it's important that we create citizens of the future who have a set of life skills that can make them successful." The dominance of technology is a challenge,she admits, but she also believes both tools have their place."Obviously we're competing with technology continuously."she says."And I know there are people there saying you don't need to bother about handwriting because tech is out there. But we don't see it as competing. We're trying to get pupils to realize that there's a place for handwriting and to know when it's important to use each."
1. Why does the school launch the initiative?| A．To help children to find the meaning of handwriting. |
| B．To encourage children to show pity for the aged. |
| C．To persuade children to choose proper courses. |
| D．To urge children to acknowledge the audience. |
| A．Its after-class activities. | B．Its practice in handwriting. |
| C．Its academic achievements. | D．Its innovation in technology. |
| A．It will win against technology. | B．It will give way to technology. |
| C．It will co-exist with technology. | D．It will cause confusion to people. |
| A．Handwriting promotes the pen pal scheme |
| B．Slow communication reduces misunderstanding |
| C．Creative ideas for dealing with challenges gain popularity |
| D．Putting pen to paper contributes to a love of the written word |
5 . 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 (抛) their 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, 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. Olney women continue this Shrove Tuesday tradition more than 500 years later.
In 1950, inspired by a picture of the Olney Pancake Race in a magazine, a resident of Liberal wanted his town to join in the fun. He called Olney to set up a friendly competition, and the people of Olney accepted.
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, including a parade, a talent show, and contests that feature eating and flipping pancakes.
1. What can we know about Olney Pancake Race?| A．It was founded by a Olney woman. |
| B．It begins during Lent. |
| C．Its origin can date back to 15th century. |
| D．It has been held annually since 1445. |
| A．Wear their traditional clothes. |
| B．Throw and catch the pancake twice. |
| C．Have the pancake cooked while running. |
| D．Hold the pancake all the way. |
| A．Olney’s festival is held for four days. |
| B．Olney’s festival has more various competitions. |
| C．Liberal’s festival starts with a delicious breakfast. |
| D．Liberal’s festival has varieties of activities. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Objective. | D．Subjective. |
Wedding Customs from Around the World Each traditional wedding custom is very special, because it marks the importance of the wedding. |
Brazil Important Details of the Wedding Ceremony A wedding ceremony in Brazil has many important details. For example, the bridegroom can't see the bride wearing her wedding dress before the ceremony. The bride has to use something old, something new, and something that is borrowed. One more detail is the bride's ring should be engraved the name of the bridegroom —María Celina Brandao |
Eastern Europe Asking the Girl's Father for Permission In my country, the engagement is an event previous to the wedding. One month before the wedding, the bridegroom asks the girl's father for permission to take the girl out of her family house. He goes to her house early in the morning with a band, if he can afford the expense. All the neighbours come to see the new bride and to tell her something nice —Stoyan Grigorou |
Japan A Wine Ceremony Symbolizes Dedication A Shinto wedding has a typical ceremony. A couple drinks Japanese rice wine in front of a priest. First, the bride drinks the wine from a small cup. Next, the bride passes the cup to the bridegroom and he also drinks the wine from the cup. They try to drink wine three times. This ceremony means that they promise to be dedicated to each other. —Maki Kubo |
Venezuela Promises to Love and Take Care of Each Other The most important and unforgettable event of someone's life is marriage. In Venezuela, the bridegroom has to promise his bride to love her all his life and to take care of her forever. The bride also has to repeat the same commandments. It is popular for the couple to read the promises to each other. This moment is really beautiful. In addition, the couple receives a list of commandments. —Sonia Dale |
For more, please click here. |
| A．Use something not new. |
| B．Use something someone else lends him. |
| C．Have his bride wear the ring engraved with his name. |
| D．See his bride in a wedding dress before the ceremony. |
| A．Before the wedding is celebrated. | B．After the girl is taken out |
| C．After a band is paid by the bridegroom. | D．When the neighbours arrive. |
| A．It is the priest's order in the ceremony. |
| B．The cup is not big enough to hold much wine. |
| C．It means they promise not to be against each other. |
| D．It is typical for all young Japanese to drink wine. |
7 . Kayabuki no Sato, a small village in Kyoto famous for its traditional thatched (茅草的） roof houses, features a hidden sprinkler (洒水器） system that turns the whole place into a water fountain.
Known as Miyama’s Thatched Village, Kayabuki no Sato has a higher percentage of thatched roof farmhouses than any other place in Japan. This makes it very popular with tourists, who love walking among the over 40 traditional thatched roof houses and even spending the night in one of them, but it is also easy for the houses to catch fire. Local officials realized this in the year 2000, when a fire burned down the archive (档案） centre, so apart from asking people to be alert at all time, they decided to install a special sprinkler system to cover the whole village. They test it twice a year, usually in May and December, and people from all over Japan and beyond come to see the powerful sprinklers in action.
You might think that dozens of automated sprinklers dotting a traditional Japanese village would be an eyesore, and you would be right. That is why local authorities decided to maintain the picturesque look of Kayabuki no Sato by hiding the 62 metal sprinklers in small wooden houses similar to the authentic ones. When the system is activated, the roofs of these houses open up like tiny transformers, clearing the way for sprinklers inside to shoot jets of water high into the sky.
The testing of the sprinkler system is such an impressive event that it has become known as the Kayabuki no Sato water hose festival. Strong jets of water are shot into the air by all 62 strategically-placed sprinklers, at the same time, to cover all the thatched roof houses. And if that isn’t an impressive enough sight, on sunny days, the sprinklers also create rainbows over the village.
So if you’re ever in Kyoto during the months of May and December and want to see something truly unique, head over to Kayabuki no Sato, in the Miyama rural area, for the water hose festival. You won’t regret it!
1. What do we know about Kayabuki no Sato from the passage?| A．It is famous for its water fountain. |
| B．Its archive center was once destroyed by floods. |
| C．Visitors go there mainly to see its sprinkler system. |
| D．It has the highest percentage of thatched roof farmhouses in Japan. |
| A．An unpleasant sight. | B．A creative idea. |
| C．An attractive spot. | D．A dangerous situation. |
| A．The sprinklers are tested once every year. |
| B．The sprinkler system was installed to create rainbows. |
| C．The sprinklers are kept in small wooden houses resembling real ones. |
| D．The roofs of the farmhouses open when the sprinkler system is started. |
| A．How the sprinkler system works. |
| B．What the Kayabuki no Sato water hose festival is like. |
| C．The origin of the Kayabuki no Sato water hose festival. |
| D．The influence of the Kayabuki no Sato water hose festival. |
8 . Start of Winter is the first solar term of winter, which means winter is coming and crops harvested in autumn should be stored up.
Beginning or winter or not
In ancient times, the Chinese people took the Start of Winter to be the beginning of the winter. However, in fact, the Start of Winter is not the beginning of winter in terms of meteorology. The climate every year is different.
The four beginnings of the season were important festivals in ancient times. Before the Start of Winter, the ancient emperor would take a shower and have no more meat. On that day, the emperor would lead his officials to the suburbs and perform the ceremony of welcoming the winter.
Nourishing the winter
On the day of Start of Winter, there is a custom, “nourishing the winter”, in Southeast China in places such as Fujian, Guangdong and Taiwan provinces.
Offering sacrifices (供品) to ancestors
The Start of Winter, when the autumn crops have been placed in storage，was the time of the festival for the people of the Manchu Eight Banners and Han Eight Banners in Benxi of Liaoning province.
| A．Winter Solstice is a time for the family to get Together |
| B．To prepare for the oncoming cold winter |
| C．Here are things you should know about Start of Winter |
| D．Welcoming the winter in ancient times |
| E．After this day, many places in China go through the coldest period |
| F．Incense was burned and sacrifices offered to ancestors |
| G．Therefore the beginning of winter could be quite different |
9 . If you look around your city, you might spot girls wearing hanfu in subways or people wearing T-shirts with Chinese characters on the streets. A new trend is taking hold in China — guochao, or “China-chic”.
It means the rise of China’s native fashion trends. It has expanded the concept of “Made in China”, which has been recognized as the representation of Chinese culture offered by homegrown Chinese brands. China chic came into the spotlight in 2018. During the 2018 New York Fashion Week, Li-Ning introduced its Taoism-inspired Wu Dao collection. The collection not only had a fashionable look, but also included elements of traditional Chinese culture. It immediately obtained attention at home and abroad. As a result, the company recorded 20 percent income growth in 2018, marking the first time the brand had hit the 10-billion-yuan mark since its founding.
Since then, the trend to hug home brands has spread rapidly to various sectors (领域) and products, from food and drinks to clothing, mobile phones and electric vehicles. For example, White Rabbit, whose sweet candy brings back childhood memories for many, launched its milk, cosmetics (化妆品) and so on. “We want White Rabbit to be a brand that young people want to share,” said Shen Qinfeng, the company’s marketing manager.
This March, several Western brands refused to use Xinjiang cotton. To show national pride and cultural confidence, the “I support Xinjiang cotton” campaign spread across the country, Many Chinese turned to Chinese home brands that support Xinjiang cotton, like Li-Ning and Anta. No matter how the guochao trend changes, there’s one thing that won’t change; Behind the story is people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture.
1. What is China-chic according to the text?| A．Increase in Chinese culture in fashion. |
| B．Young Chinese people’s preference for ancient culture. |
| C．The international popularity of products made in China. |
| D．The growing role of Chinese home brands in developing economy. |
| A．It took the lead in the world market. |
| B．It adopted Western design in its sportswear. |
| C．Its products had a trendy look with Chinese elements. |
| D．Its income hit the 10-billion yuan mark that year. |
| A．It upgraded its packaging. |
| B．It expanded into other fields. |
| C．It increased the variety of its candies. |
| D．I used childhood memories in advertisements. |
| A．Chinese products are better than Western ones. |
| B．Cheap and quality native materials are more popular. |
| C．Chinese home brands are facing a big problem. |
| D．Chinese people’s cultural confidence drives the guochao trend. |
10 . 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. |
