1 . Suddenly one Sunday in August, the streets are filled with color. A group of bands and dancers makes its way slowly through the city. Every evening, crowds of people walk up to the top of the Royal Mile, looking forward to a show of military music. On every shop window and noticeboard, posters have appeared, advertising everything from poetry readings to children’s theatre, art exhibitions to concerts. It’s festival (节日的，欢乐的) time.
From its beginning in 1947, the Edinburgh International Festival (the “official” festival) has become a world-famous cultural event. The city turns into a huge arts centre, with its music, drama, dance and exhibitions, all by artists of international fame (名声). Every year more than twenty nations perform to audiences from all over the world in theaters, halls, schools, churches and the streets of the city. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo adds to the choice of entertainment (娱乐), with its marching and military bands in Edinburgh Castle.
The Festival Fringe (the “unofficial” festival) is the biggest event of its kind in the world, with more than 900 shows to choose from and over 6,000 writers and performers taking part. It gives people a first-class opportunity to see many works performed for the first time—several of which go on to give successful performances elsewhere.
The Film Festival gives fans an opportunity to widen their knowledge of films. And to show that there is something for everyone, the Jazz Festival has become very popular in recent years. You can hear the very best of music all over the city at this time.
There is no more exciting place to be than in Edinburgh at festival time!
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The growth of the Edinburgh International Festival |
| B．The coming events of the Edinburgh International Festival. |
| C．The festive scene of the Edinburgh International Festival |
| D．The history of the Edinburgh International Festival |
| A．Along the Royal Mil. | B．In Edinburgh Castle. | C．In theaters. | D．In churches. |
| A．It is as famous as the Edinburgh International Festival |
| B．Many leading artists take part in it |
| C．It has become an official event |
| D．Some plays are performed for the first time |
| A．a tourist guide | B．A geography textbook | C．A history paper. | D．An official report |
2 . How do you clean a huge 400-year-old painting that is a national treasure? If you said, “Very carefully,” you’d be right.
The Night Watch is the most important painting in the history of the Netherlands.
Since then, the painting has become dirtier.
Working on such a famous and important painting is a job that can’t be done quickly.
The Rijksmuseum does not want its visitors to miss out on seeing The Night Watch for several years. It is their most famous painting and gets over 2 million visitors a year.
| A．It was even larger when Rembrandt painted it. |
| B．You probably didn’t say, “With the whole world watching.” |
| C．The museum expects the whole project will take a few years. |
| D．Groups of soldiers were always painted standing straightly in rows. |
| E．It was painted between 1639 and 1642 by the Dutch artist Rembrandt. |
| F．Instead, the museum plans to build a special clear glass case around the painting. |
| G．It has gotten a slightly cloudy coating on it that makes it hard to see the painting’s true colors. |
3 . In Cos Angel, a waiter served a group of teens. The waiter remembered his experience as a young high school prudent. So he made sure the teens had a pleasant experience at the restaurant. The waiter made sure of it.
After serving all the teens doing a great job, he was left a tip（消费）,only＄3.28. That was hardly enough to buy a drink at Roebucks.
The waiter went home. And he felt hatred for the students who did not know the value of hard work. They looked down on people like him. Or so he thought.
After several days, the waiter forgot about it. His life went on as usual. But ten days later, he received a letter from the teens.
“About a week and a half ago, on October 7, my three friends and I came to eat at this restaurant as our own homecoming celebration. It was an exciting experience for us to be here alone, and it was all new to us. And you were the best waiter we could ask for. You were kind, helpful, and didn’t treat us like babies! So I want to say thank you for making our ‘groan-up’ experience so amazing and fun.
“I would also like to say sorry on behalf of(代表) my group. Since we were new to all of this, reasonable(合乎情理)，but we had completely forgotten(and didn’t know,to be honest) what a tip even was, let alone how much to give. So we emptied our pockets, and all our money added up to $3.28.
“Having no idea of how small this really was ,we left. Later, we realized our mistake and felt terrible. We knew we had to make it right.
“So together with this letter, you will find the correct 18% tip + extra for simply being amazing. Thank you for your help and patience and also thank you for making our night fun. Thank you!”
1. How did the waiter receive the group of teens?| A．He tried to make then pay more. |
| B．He served them like other waiters. |
| C．He treated them as young children. |
| D．He did his best to make them happy. |
| A．Because they looked down on the waiter. |
| B．Because they didn't know what a tip meant. |
| C．Because they weren't pleased with the service. |
| D．Because they thought the tip should be that much. |
| A．The tip they left for the waiter. |
| B．The bill the restaurant received. |
| C．The way the waiter served them. |
| D．The fun they had at the restaurant. |
| A．What kind of guests they receive. |
| B．What dishes people usually order. |
| C．Whether they are given reasonable tips. |
| D．How much customers pay for their meals. |
4 . The 24 solar terms (节气) are part of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese people divided a year into 24 segments (片段) based on the sun’s position in the zodiac (黄道十二宫).
Most of the solar terms bear with them rich social and cultural meanings.
The ancient calendar remains relevant to this day.
It is the youth of China who can best help carry on this significant part of our culture.
| A．Each segment is called a solar term. |
| B．For instance, during the “Start of Winter”, people eat dumplings. |
| C．The sun’s positions bring about many things related to human life. |
| D．Their wisdom for life and nature made the solar terms system popular today. |
| E．Their creativity and consciousness can bring new life to ancient culture. |
| F．Solar terms were instructions for agricultural production and people’s daily lives. |
| G．This has long been a central element of life in China, and we must protect it. |
5 . Grandparents' Day is a warm holiday that allows children and adults an opportunity to show their appreciation for their Grandparents. Grandparents' Day and the weeks just before it are the time when children all over the country start thinking about what to get their Grandmothers and Grandfathers as presents for Grandparents' Day. Of course，giving presents is just one way of celebrating Grandparents' Day，but how to give gifts requires planning.
Choosing presents for Grandparents' Day can be a very difficult task. Because Grandparents' Day and holidays of its kind are meant to honor some of the most important people in our lives，the task of choosing presents that will be appropriate can be challenging. It can be very difficult to even consider the question of what kind of gift could show a Grandparent how much we love them and care for them. Especially for those children who do not have much money，finding the right Grandparents' Day present at the right price is a very difficult task.
One solution to the difficulty of what to buy as a present for Grandparents' Day is not to buy anything at all. Rather than buying a material item that is almost sure to be short of expressing the depth and sincerity(诚心诚意) of your feelings for your Grandmother or Grandfather，consider another kind of choice entirely. One way that you can show a Grandparent that you really care is to make them something. A handmade gift can go a long way towards expressing your love on Grandparents' Day. Of course，there are also a lot more other ways to celebrate Grandparents' Day than by just giving presents to your parents.
1. What does Grandparents' Day mean to people?| A．It is a time to express love and appreciation to the old. |
| B．It gives them a chance to get together. |
| C．It makes the old think of their past experiences. |
| D．It gives them an opportunity to take time off work. |
| A．A pair of expensive shoes. | B．Some delicious food. |
| C．A big TV set. | D．A chair made by yourself. |
| A．Choosing the proper gifts. | B．Sparing time to make gifts. |
| C．Not having a large amount of money. | D．Not having enough time to shop. |
| A．How to make gifts for the old by yourself. |
| B．What is the best gift for the old. |
| C．Some other ways to show your appreciation to the old. |
| D．How to buy proper gifts with not enough money. |
6 . 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 |
7 . Have you ever heard about Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Surely, they are all about finding the best deals on holiday gifts for yourself and family members. And have you heard about GivingTuesday? Here is something about it!
GivingTuesday is observed annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving, which encourages people to help those in need by making financial donations or doing good in their local community. The “Global Day of Giving” was started in 2012 by New York City nonprofit 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation.
Unlike Black Friday, GivingTuesday serves a more altruistic purpose. In its first year, the movement brought in almost $10 million for charities, and things have only improved since. In 2019, many GivingTuesday social media campaigns worldwide helped raise an amazing $ 1.9 billion from 27 million donors! Over the past five years, many higher education institutions have also been using the Tuesday after Thanksgiving to ask alumni for donations. In 2019, the University of Michigan, which calls it Blueday, received 5887 gifts totaling over $4 million, while Pennsylvania State University raised $710 000 to benefit over 85 University programs.
Though donating money certainly helps, there are many other ways to support the great cause, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. You can video tutor kids struggling with online learning, or team up with an adult to get groceries or medications for an elderly neighbor. Alternatively, call on your peers to help you with a service project that addresses an issue close to your heart, or pick one from the several ideas suggested on the GivingTuesday website. You can also donate your gently-used clothes and toys to local shelters, or mail a handwritten note to a grandparent or a friend you miss seeing.
What are you going to do to make a positive difference in your community on GivingTuesday? Let us know by adding your comments below!
1. Why does the author mention Black Friday and Cyber Monday in Paragraph 1?| A．To make a comparison. | B．To lead to the topic. |
| C．To arouse readers’ interest. | D．To express his doubt. |
| A．To promote the development of economy. | B．To attract people to buy more holiday gifts. |
| C．To call on more universities to donate money. | D．To encourage people to help those in need. |
| A．Selfless. | B．General. | C．Specific. | D．Complex. |
| A．Where people can offer their kind help. | B．What people can do on GivingTuesday. |
| C．How people can stay safe during COVID-19. | D．Why people need to support the great cause. |
8 . Is it true that British people have a different sense of humor than people in other countries? Let’s have a look at what we laugh at in Britain.
We laugh at authority, but also kindly laugh with anyone who is treated unfairly. We know they can’t win, but if they do so sometimes, it’s even funnier.
The fact that we laugh when other people might feel hopeless is one of the oddest things to appreciate about British humor. We do have a strong sense of irony. “Not very pleasant,” we might say after some terrible experience.
Another thing that can make it difficult to understand British humor is that we don’t always laugh or even smile when we say something funny.
| A．In addition, we tend to play things down. |
| B．Brits don’t express extreme feelings; we just “keep calm and carry on”. |
| C．Culture plays a big part in how funny you may find something. |
| D．We often keep a straight face even when we’re making a joke. |
| E．Brits turn to laughter as a form of medicine when life knocks them down. |
| F．In America, they are often clever people doing clever things and winning. |
| G．To the British, powerful and important people are often sources of laughter. |
9 . With paper flowers and music hanging around in the air, Lyu Jun was hosting a small farewell ceremony at an industrial zone in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. It was a funeral for a pet dog. Lyu came up with the idea of becoming a pet mortician (殡葬师) four years ago when he was preparing to start a business.
“At that time, there was only one brick-and-mortar(实体的) business that provided funeral services for pets in Shenzhen, but hundreds of pets die every day in this city,” he said. According to Lyu, many pet owners used to bury the remains of their beloved animals near their homes , which had a harmful impact on the environment and created the risk of spreading disease.
He saw a gap in the market for someone able to properly handle the death of pets. “A pet funeral service provides treatment of the bodies that is harm-free, and it is the greatest comfort to pet owners,” Lyu said.
He takes good care of the remains of the pets and tidies up their appearance before the funeral. In addition, he prepares funeral addresses and selects suitable tombs for the pets. He also films funerals for owners who cannot attend the ceremonies, and provides paper and pens for those who want to write down their blessings and hang the notes on the wishing tree.
Over the past four years, Lyu has bid farewell to more than 2,000 dogs, cats and other kinds of animals. He also does volunteer work in his spare time to promote responsible dog raising. “The pet funeral service industry is still in its babyhood, and I hope there will be a set of strict standards for people who take on this job and a belter environment for the industry,” Lyu said.
1. Why did Lyu start the business on pet funeral service?| A．Because he could earn a lot of money from it. |
| B．Because he thought it met the market requirement. |
| C．Because he thought it would be a unique and challenging business. |
| D．Because he could help owners bury their dead pets near their homes. |
| A．He delivers speeches to mourn the pets. |
| B．He gives best wishes to the pets' owners. |
| C．He makes films of the pets for their birth. |
| D．He nurses and cares for the pets carefully. |
| A．Lyu volunteers to raise pets on his own. |
| B．The pet funeral service has got a big success. |
| C．More strict standards should be set for pets' owners. |
| D．There remains a potential in the pet funeral industry. |
| A．A research report. | B．An advertisement. |
| C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
10 . The British Sense of Humour
The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to make sense of their jokes. The main thing to remember is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others.
Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, 'She isn’t exactly friendly.' Understatement is often used in unpleasant situations or to make another person look silly.
The British like to make fun of many other things. They often laugh about the silly and terrible things that happen to us every day, like when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society.
| A．British humor brings people laughter and content. |
| B．Understatement plays an important part in British humor. |
| C．Then, he sat in the chair and used a broom to drive the car! |
| D．They also like to make jokes about situations that are quite serious. |
| E．Throughout the film, the audience were amused by his convincing acting. |
| F．Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. |
| G．Such jokes are normally about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. |
