1 . Traveling abroad is becoming increasingly popular these years. Some people are afraid of making linguistic (语言的) mistakes while traveling. Actually, cultural mistakes may be more serious, which can lead to serious misunderstanding.
●Touching Someone
In Thailand, the head is considered sacred — never even pat a child on the head.
●Talking over Dinner
In some countries, like China, Japan and some African nations, food is important, so don’t start chatting about your day’s adventures while everyone else is digging into dinner.
●Removing Your Shoes or Not
Take off your shoes when arriving at the door of a London dinner party and the hostess will find you rude, but fail to remove your shoes before entering a home in Asia, Hawaii, or the Pacific Islands and you’ll be considered disrespectful. So, if you see a row of shoes at the door, start undoing your shoelaces.
Once you are on the ground of a different country, remain highly sensitive to native behavior.
| A．If not, keep the shoes on. |
| B．You’ll be likely to meet with no response. |
| C．Never be completely surprised by anything. |
| D．Personal spaces are different among countries. |
| E．As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” |
| F．Watch out for the following cultural mistakes and try to avoid them. |
| G．The linguistic mistake means that someone is not fully expressing his idea. |
2 . An old story goes that once there were four single men, leading very boring lives. None of them were married, or had lovers, or did anything exciting. They just sat around all day and played Mahjong (麻将).One day they played Mahjong from 11 in the morning until 11 at night. During the game, no matter who won, the winning card was always the “four columns” card (the card shows four independent, parallel columns in two lines). Even more of a coincidence, it was November 11, or 11/11. In order to commemorate the day, they nicknamed it Singles Day.
Singles Day was first celebrated at various universities in Nanjing, capital city of Jiangsu Province during the 1990s. It got the name Singles Day because the date is comprised of four “ones”. These college students have since graduated, and carried their university tradition into society. Singles Day is now a special day for all fashionable youths.
The main way to celebrate Singles Day is to have dinner with your single friends, but it’s important thateach person should pay his own fee to show his independence. People also hold “blind date” parties in an attempt to bid goodbye to their single lives.
Many singles also choose to say goodbye to their single lives on this day. Many attend “blind date” parties and many people choose to marry on this day. In addition to meaning “Singles”, the four “ones“ of the date can also mean “only one” as in “the only one for me”. Some people will use this date and this meaning to tell their special someone that they are the only “one” in their hearts.
1. Singles Day got its name because________| A．the people who play Mahjong are four singles |
| B．only single person celebrates the day |
| C．the date is comprised of four “ones” |
| D．it was first celebrated at universities in Nanjing |
| A．Singles Day was first celebrated in Nanjing’s universities. |
| B．Many singles choose Singles Day to say goodbye to their single lives. |
| C．The only way to celebrate the Singles Day is to have dinner with your single friends. |
| D．It was these college graduated students that carried their university’s tradition into society. |
| A．the four singles don’t get married later on |
| B．Singles Day receives great popularity among young people |
| C．when having dinner, one pays the fee for all his friends |
| D．on Singles Day many attend parties where blind people were present |
| A．The Origin of Singles Day |
| B．Singles Day |
| C．How to Celebrate Singles Day |
| D．Say Goodbye to Singles Day |
3 . The famous Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month.
Qu Yuan supported fighting to protect his country. Though what he did led to his being forced to leave it, he wrote poetry to show his love for it.
Upon hearing the news, villagers took boats and carried dumplings to the middle of the river to try and save Qu Yuan.
Now, dragon boat races are held every year in China, attracting thousands of supporters to participate.
| A．He finally became a national hero |
| B．It is to remember the death of Qu Yuan |
| C．However, their efforts were not successful |
| D．Everyone is fighting hard to get the first place |
| E．The boats take the form of a traditional Chinese dragon |
| F．The rice dumplings became the zongzi we know today |
| G．It’s said that Qu Yuan felt great sadness after part of his own country was taken over |
4 . Festivals around the world
RakshaBandhan
This is a Hindu festival held in August. Sisters give their brothers a rakhi, a bracelet made of thread. In return, the brothers promise to care for their sisters.
Moomba
This takes place each year in Melbourne, Australia. There are boat races in the Yarra River, parades and art shows.
US Independence Day
This is held on 4th July. The US flag is flown from buildings and people hold parties to celebrate the birth of the nation.
Bastille Day
On 14th July, people in France celebrate this occasion with flags and fireworks. It marks the start of the French Revolution.
May Day
The 1st of May is the day when northern Europeans welcome spring. People wear green leaves and dance outdoors.
Carnivalin Riode Janeiro
This is a four-day festival when thousands of people in costume dance the samba through the streets.
Joanof Arc
Joan of Arc, the French girl-soldier, is honoured on the 30th of May. It was the day she was burnt to death by the English in 1431.
1. Which of the following is NOT one of the activities on the Moomba Festival?| A．Boat races. | B．Parades. |
| C．Art shows. | D．Dancing the samba. |
| A．US Independence Day. | B．May Day. |
| C．Bastille Day. | D．Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. |
| A．Moomba. | B．Bastille Day. |
| C．Raksha Bandhan. | D．Joan of Arc. |
5 . People from all over the world have different wedding traditions and marriage customs. The one thing that all wedding ceremonies commonly seem to have is the commitment (承诺) of love for all time during a public ceremony.
Everyone at a wedding hopes for great happiness between the wedding couple. Wedding traditions are usually a way of showing signs of the hope for great happiness. Some of these traditions are very interesting.
In Sweden, the traditional bride will wear three rings by the end of the wedding ceremony. The first is the engagement (订婚) ring that she entered the ceremony with. The second, the wedding ring, is added to the first. A final ring, however, is added as well. This ring is known as the “motherhood” ring. This is said to show that marriage is about more than just love. It is about building a family.
Wedding traditions in the Philippines, a dance which can last for hours. During the Philippines, guests pin (用大头针别住) money to the bride’s dress to pay for their honeymoon.
A traditional Irish bride may wear a blue wedding dress — believing blue to be a lucky color. English Lavender (薰衣草) is often mixed with her wedding flowers. It is traditional for the bride to braid her hair (梳头发) — as it is considered a good way to bring luck to the new couple.
There are many wedding traditions around the world which may differ from what they are used to, but if you are about to plan a wedding, you may find it interesting to include some of these traditions in your own wedding.
1. What do all wedding ceremonies seem to have in common?| A．The commitment of love for all time. | B．Happiness between the wedding couple. |
| C．An interesting life. | D．Building a happy family. |
| A．the duties of the new couple | B．the great love between the new couple |
| C．she entered the ceremony with | D．the bride will be not only a wife but also a mother |
| A．the bride | B．the bridegroom | C．their parents | D．visiting guests |
| A．The reason for different wedding traditions. |
| B．Interesting wedding traditions from different countries. |
| C．The way to prepare for a wedding ceremony. |
| D．Interesting engagement traditions around the world. |
6 . Last weekend I was lucky enough to attend one of Spain’s most famous carnivals in the city of Cádiz. You can only understand what it is like after seeing it for yourself. Everybody was fancily-dressed from top to toe.
Almost instantly after stepping off the train, we were filled with joy.
Then there were the groups dotted around the city.
As the night progressed, the streets got more packed with people. When we passed a convenience store, we danced along to the music coming through the owner’s speakers.
| A．Everyone was dancing. |
| B．People got more and more excited. |
| C．We saw everyone was in high spirits. |
| D．It made me feel like I was in a fairy-tale world. |
| E．Afterwards, we went to the main party at El Puerto. |
| F．They were mostly old men singing some traditional songs. |
| G．These mini street shows were a true taste of Spanish culture. |
7 . 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 a delicacy(美味佳肴), and it’s connected to their certain culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. What did the writer become aware of?| A．She had ever typed a report about seeds. |
| B．She had various snacks while watching TV. |
| C．She had a habit of cracking sunflower seeds. |
| D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds. |
| 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. |
8 . Growing up, I was often the first Jewish person my classmates had ever met. I lived in Mississauga, Ontario, and was the only Jewish student in my grade—sometimes the only one in the whole school. This difference set me apart.
Every September, I hated presenting the note my parents had expertly made to a teacher I was just getting to know. The note explained that I would be absent during the Jewish High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. I fretted that my teachers would label me the “Jewish kid”.
The real trouble always came as the local new year’s festival approached. I was Jewish and celebrated Hanukkah, not this festival. At school, on one day before the winter break, every class would sit in neat rows in the gym and sing songs from the festival. However, the music teacher sometimes played Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel, a Jewish festival song, and I would feel hundreds of eyes staring at my red cheeks. As my friends counted down the days until the festival, I counted the days until it was over and I could go back to feeling normal.
Each year during primary school, my mother would coordinate (协调) with my teacher to come to my class and tell the story of Hanukkah. She would prepare treats and materials depending on my age. Every time I would proudly stand beside her as she told the story of Hanukkah and explained the symbols. The children who had attended the presentation previously competed to answer questions. After my mom left, I would overhear them showing off their fried treats to kids in other classes.
My mom’s annual visits to my school sparked (激发) interest from other parents as well. Over the years, we had visits from parents who shared how festivals were celebrated in Germany and Italy.
My mom showed me, my classmates and their families that what sets us apart should be celebrated and shared, an intention which I continue to set for myself as I cycle through another holiday season.
1. What does the underlined word “fretted” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Noticed. | B．Disagreed. | C．Worried. | D．Expected. |
| A．Being a trick target. | B．Singing holiday songs. |
| C．Being culturally different. | D．Celebrating others’ festival. |
| A．They welcomed it warmly. | B．They gave away her treats. |
| C．They showed off themselves. | D．They expressed sympathy for her. |
| A．She protected her child from being hurt. |
| B．She encouraged cross-cultural understanding. |
| C．She made Hanukkah a school-celebrated festival. |
| D．She saved the Jewish tradition from being changed. |
9 . Vietnam aims to solve the relations between economic development and cultural preservation. Vietnamese cultural departments and activists have tried to preserve the historical and cultural relics in the country.
Vietnam now has more than 40,000 historical relics. These relics of various forms and history are treasures for future generations.
However, hundreds of relics are severely damaged due to the negative influence of time, war and human activities. Head of Hanoi Relics Management Board, Nguyen Doan Tuan, says rescue work must preserve the relics' soul: "We cannot replace ruined construction with new materials. We must preserve its shape, size and style. We need to pay attention to every brick replaced so that it looks exactly like the original."
Most relics have to rely on tourist fee for repair and rescue work. Director of Van Mieu Cultural and Science Center, Dang Kim Ngoc, says that the relics must be promoted widely to attract more visitors and bring in more income for repair and preservation: "We provide constant guide services for visitors so that they understand more about our relics. At the same time, a natural surroundings of the relic has been ensured, including the grass field and garden to improve its scenic value "
The local government agreed that the relics must be turned to the community for shared efforts in the preservation work. Director of Vietnam Revolution Museum DangQuoc Quan, said that the community must be guided in the preservation and protection, "The UNESCO aims to let local community take part in the preservation of relics. We have seen limitations in the preservation of relics, especially festival related groups of buildings. This requires management and guidance by the government.”
Nguyen ThiMinh Ly from the Department of Heritage says the community should be guided in proper behaviors towards relics: "This will ensure the protection of cultural relics in later generations. Creative restoration（修复）must be based on previous values.”
Experts have called for a systematic（系统的）guidance by the state in local level preservation while promoting creative thinking in restoration for each relic.
1. From which is the passage probably taken?| A．A school report. | B．A geography research paper. |
| C．A health magazine. | D．A newspaper report. |
| A．Poor building materials. | B．Human activities. |
| C．War influence. | D．The passing of time. |
| A．turn to advanced countries for financial help |
| B．care less about the natural environment of the relics |
| C．make full use of the money raised by the local people |
| D．encourage the community to join in the rescue work |
| A．Vietnam Is a Scenic Country |
| B．All of Relics in Vietnam Are In Ruins |
| C．It's a Good Idea to Replace the Ruined Construction with a New Style |
| D．Experts Call for a Systematic Way to Preserve Relics |
10 . Entering adulthood is an important step in everyone's life. It means that a young person must soon leave childishness behind and start to shoulder grown-up responsibilities.
In Germany, “Jugendfeier” is a coming-of-age ceremony for 14-year-olds. They go to school to prepare for the occasion, studying topics, such as cultural respect and social responsibility, which will help them become worthy citizens. The hope is that the young people taking part in the ceremony will take on these values for themselves.
In Latin America, “quinceanera” is a celebration for girls on their 15th birthday, marking a girl’s entry into womanhood. In the past, “quinceanera” was intended to ready girls for marriage and they were taught cooking, sewing, and other household skills in preparation. Today, it's similar to how one's 18th birthday is considered an important day in other cultures.
In India, the sacred thread ceremony is performed when a boy is grown-up. He is given three sacred threads representing three promises he makes: to respect knowledge, to respect his parents and to respect society. After the ceremony, the child, traditionally, leaves his family to live with a Guru (teacher). At this point the boy becomes “twice-born” — first his physical birth, and second his intellectual birth through a teacher's care.
In Vanuatu, young boys come of age by jumping off a 98-foot-tall tower with a bungee-like rope tied to their ankles, just barely preventing them from hitting the ground. At the ceremony, the diver's mother will hold something representing his childhood, and after the jump the item will be thrown away, representing the end of childhood. He is now a man, ready to protect the family.
1. What is the shared expectation of the four coming-of-age ceremonies?| A．Having respect for knowledge. | B．Getting ready to raise a family. |
| C．Developing a sense of responsibility. | D．Acquiring cross-cultural awareness. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．Germany. | B．India. | C．Latin America. | D．Vanuatu. |
