1 . The origins of the Christmas traditions are the most fascinating of any holiday. All our favourite activities can be traced (追溯) back to specific points in history, and knowing how these things came about just makes celebrating Christmas much more wonderful.
The original Nicholas was born in 280 A.D. in the small country of Lycia, which is now part of modern Turkey. Nicholas became first a priest (牧师) and then a bishop (主教) in the early Christian church. The first paintings of him show Nicholas wearing the clothes of a Christian bishop—red decorated with white. When we see Santa’s suit today, we’re still seeing the two kinds of colors.
Nicholas became famous for gift-giving. In the early fourth century, a story began to spread about Nicholas coming at night to the home of three poor girls who did not have money and therefore could not get married. While the girls slept, Nicholas left gold coins in their stockings, which were drying by the fire. That’s how the tradition of Santa filling stockings got its start.
In 1841, Santa first appeared at a department store in Philadelphia. This Santa tried to climb down a chimney to impress the children who were watching, but he got stuck halfway down. In 1890, department store Santas began appearing all over America, especially on the East Coast around Boston. Parents in other countries joined together and hired passenger trains to take their families to see these Santas.
At the same time, Ralph E. Morris of the New England Telephone Company suggested that strings of lights be hung on Christmas trees. After all, lights would be much safer than candles. Our modern-day image of Santa as a fat man is based on ads of the Coca-Cola company in the 1930s. Artist Hans Sundblom used a retired salesman named Les Prentice as his model.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Christmas is the most important holiday. |
| B．The traditions of Christmas are based on facts. |
| C．There was not any record of Christmas in the past. |
| D．More and more people begin to celebrate Christmas. |
| A．He set up the first Christian church. |
| B．He was called Santa Claus when he was born. |
| C．His clothes are similar to Santa’s suit in color. |
| D．His image is the same as the modern-day Santa. |
| A．prove that Nicholas used to be a rich man |
| B．tell of the origin of Santa filling stockings |
| C．show Christmas was set up mainly for the poor |
| D．describe a famous story in the early fourth century |
| A．Santa didn’t become popular until the year 1890. |
| B．Candles have never been used on Christmas trees. |
| C．The Coca-Cola company designed the image of Santa. |
| D．Santa began giving gifts by climbing down chimneys in 1841. |
2 . People usually celebrate their traditional festivals. The Spring Festival is celebrated not only in China but also in other parts of the world. The traditional holiday is the most important to Chinese both at home and abroad.
The United Kingdom
Celebrations for Spring Festival in the UK started in 1980, with the first evening party held in 2002. Every New Year, people get together and have a lot of activities. They sing songs, dance to music, share photos with friends or enjoy films in a cinema.
The United States
Spring Festival is an important time for Chinese living or working in the US. They join in a large evening party to welcome the traditional New Year. It is a good chance for people to feel that they are not alone because they share the same culture.
Australia
On Chinese New Year, many people across Australia come to Sydney’s Chinatown. They enjoy fireworks, lion dances, dragon boat races and many other traditional activities. The celebrations are also a bridge towards better understanding between Chinese and nonChinese.
Singapore
The family dinner on New Year’s Eve is an important tradition for Chinese. They put traditional food on a table as an act of remembering their past.Then the whole family enjoys their dinner together. They usually have it at home because having it in a restaurant takes away the meaning of the tradition.
1. Celebrations for Spring Festival in the UK started in ________．| A．1890 | B．1980 |
| C．2000 | D．2002 |
| A．fireworks | B．lion dances |
| C．playing cards | D．dragon boat races |
| A．they were born in Singapore |
| B．they moved there from other places |
| C．the restaurant is far away |
| D．they want to keep Chinese tradition |
| A．all parts of the world celebrate Spring Festival |
| B．the Chinese New Year is celebrated only in China |
| C．only four foreign countries celebrate Chinese Spring Festival |
| D．Chinese around the world have a strong feeling towards Spring Festival |
3 . People perform graceful moves, all while standing on a bamboo strip in the river. You may think it’s a scene from an art movie, but actually it is a form of intangible cultural heritage: bamboo drifting(独竹漂).
Bamboo drifting dated back to over 2,000 years ago in the Chishui River area of Guizhou. During the Qin Dynasty,the Bozhou district of Zunyi city was known for its high-quality nanmu. It was in great demand by the royal court more than 2,000 kilometers to the north. With no transportation along the Chishui River， people had to stand on one log(原木)to drift down the river. Later, local people began to compete along the way and the game of wood drifting was born. In the Qing Dynasty, wood drifting became bamboo drifting because of bamboo’s lower price.
Now, communities in Guizhou hold bamboo drifting competitions every year during Dragon Boat Festival. Due to the great strength and balance it takes for one to get the hang of this act, bamboo drifting was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list.
Yang Liu,24,is an inheritor(继承人) of bamboo drifting.Yang said the most challenging part of bamboo drifting was keeping one’s balance. “I fell in the water several times when I was practising,” she said.
But the love for the ancient skill keeps Yang going. In the past 17 years, she has drifted all year round, in winter cold and summer heat.
Yang also produces new ideas when spreading the culture of bamboo drifting. For example, she connects dance with bamboo drifting to make it more graceful and wears hanfu when performing, creating a beautiful feel. In 2020, Yang registered on social media platforms and posted her videos. “I want to spread it to other countries so that more people around the world will like Chinese culture,” she told China Daily.
1. Why did bamboo drifting replace wood drifting?| A．The bamboo was cheaper. | B．The bamboo was more beautiful. |
| C．The bamboo was more convenient. | D．The bamboo was much easier to control. |
| A．Prepare. | B．Change. | C．Master. | D．Improve. |
| A．Designing moves. | B．Transporting goods. |
| C．Choosing bamboos. | D．Keeping balance. |
| A．She inherits bamboo drifting creatively. |
| B．She learned bamboo drifting very easily. |
| C．She has become the leader of bamboo drifting. |
| D．She began learning bamboo drifting at 17. |
4 . There are four fun festivals throughout the year in Brazil.
Festa Junina
Festa Junina is celebrated all over Brazil for the entire month of June as a yearly celebration of Saint John. It celebrates country life with typical clothes, food and dances inside a large tent, with decorations such as colored flags, beautiful table cloths and balloons.
Oktoberfest
The Germanic roots of the south of Brazil brought this traditional German festival to Brazil, where it has become one of the most popular beer festivals. Held in the middle of October every year in Blumenau, it celebrates typical German cuisine and plenty of beer. There’re all kinds of German foods at the festival.
Festival de Cachaça
Every year in the town of Paraty, Festival de Cachaça is held for cachaça, the national alcohol (酒) made from sugarcane (甘蔗). This festival is held over a long weekend in August and it gives you a chance to try cachaça. There are also shows of samba (桑巴舞) and food trucks. It’s also a great opportunity to get to know the beautiful town of Paraty.
Parintins Folklore Festival
The festival held every year in Parintins is the second largest in Brazil after the carnival. It goes over a period of three days at the end of June and celebrates the Amazonian legend of a resurrected ox (复活的牛). The main attraction of the festival is the competition between the two teams Garantido and Caprichoso that compete to retell the story of the ox through a mix of dancing and singing.
1. Which festival lasts the longest time?| A．Oktoberfest. | B．Festa Junina. |
| C．Festival de Cachaça. | D．Parintins Folklore Festival. |
| A．Taste German food. | B．Watch shows of samba. |
| C．Drink the national alcohol. | D．Listen to the story of the ox. |
| A．They are yearly activities. |
| B．They enjoy global popularity. |
| C．They focus on food and dancing. |
| D．They are celebrated all over Brazil. |
5 . In Colonial days, farm families worked from sunrise to sunset and sometimes longer. People had little time for play. They did not have a chance to see other people as much as we do today. But sometimes they were able to turn hard work into good times and still visit with their neighbours.
In Virginia, Indian corn was an important crop. In late autumn after the weather had turned cold, the corn was ready to be harvested. Each ear had a cover of leaves called the husk (壳). The colonists pulled ears of corn from the dry stalks and stored the ears of corn. Later, they held a corn huskingparty.
On a clear night in November, neighbouring families gathered to husk (剥去……的壳) the corn. They lit lanterns in a barn and piled the corn in high mounds(垛) on the floor. Then everyone went to work.
Most of the corn was yellow or white. But from time to time, a red ear was found. The person who found it was supposed to have good luck.
As people worked together, they enjoyed each other’s company. There was cider to drink and cakes and cookies to eat. Corn husking was a favourite with boys and girls because they liked the chance to have a party.
1. When and where were corn husking parties held?| A．They were held in barns at night. |
| B．They were held in the fields at night. |
| C．They were held on farms during the day. |
| D．They were held on farms on moonless nights. |
| A．They liked the chance to dress up. |
| B．They liked to have parties. |
| C．They liked to count the ears of corn. |
| D．They liked to do hard work. |
| A．It is about harvesting an important crop. |
| B．It is about Indians during Colonial days. |
| C．It is about dances held in colonial barns. |
| D．It is about how to husk corn. |
| A．He would feel very happy. | B．He would feel very sorry. |
| C．He would feel very worried. | D．He would feel very satisfied. |
6 . 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. |
7 . Britain is divided into different areas. Britain is one of the most diverse nations in Europe with over 250 different languages being spoken in London alone. With such a various culture, adapting to it can be a challenge for anyone.
Forget the stereotypes (陈旧观念). Many of the long-formed stereotypes simply have nothing to do with Britain today. Don’t think that everyone enjoys drinking tea or beer. Abandoning some old ideas of people and culture will allow you to be more open-minded and easily get into the culture.
Get used to small spaces. Like all European nations, Britain does not have the luxury of space. Houses, apartments and cars are all smaller.
Accept the jokes.
| A．Be polite |
| B．Make friends with them |
| C．Don’t play jokes on others |
| D．Understand the differences |
| E．Following these steps should be of great help to you |
| F．Therefore, trying to become familiar with smaller areas is very necessary |
| G．One of the most confusing aspects of British culture is humour |
8 . During the five-day International Labor Day holiday that began on April 30, tourist attractions that offered ancient Chinese, or guofeng, experiences attracted large crowds, some members of whom wore traditional clothing and makeup to enhance the authenticity (真实性) of their experiences.
Qujiang New District in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, charmed tourists with a new attraction on the theme of a TV serial The Longest Day in Chang’an. It offered visitors a chance to “travel back in time” and experience a day in the life of people living in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Xi’an, known as Chang’an back then, was the capital.
The World Rural Tourism Town in Huzhou, Zhejiang province, held a cultural festival with a silk and Song Dynasty (960-1279) theme. During the first three days of the holiday, the place received nearly 30,000 visits, putting it into an online list of the 10 most popular Huzhou attractions.
The Jizhou Kiln scenic area in Jiangxi province held a tourism festival with a Song Dynasty theme. Tourists, wearing period costumes and makeup, tried their hand at the ancient Chinese game of touhu — throwing arrows into a distant pot — and tasted yonghe tofu, one of the top 10 Jiangxi dishes.
COVID-19 has accelerated changes in the needs of consumers, who are increasingly pursuing comfortable and safe tourism products that benefit both the environment and people’s health. For tourism businesses, it’s important to highlight the cultural elements of tourism products by drawing inspiration from China’s traditional culture.
Hotels also took advantage of the guofeng craze to feed the growing passion for traditional Chinese culture. A guofeng hotel provided replica (仿制品) costumes from online games based on the Chinese classic Journey to the West, which the guests could try on for photos.
1. What does the underlined word “enhance” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Increase. | B．Explore. |
| C．Seek. | D．Examine. |
| A．Its delicious food. |
| B．Its beautiful scenery. |
| C．Its themed tourist attraction. |
| D．Its geographical location. |
| A．They featured local snacks. |
| B．They were popular online. |
| C．They offered traditional costumes. |
| D．They shared the Song Dynasty theme. |
| A．Guofeng Varies from Place to Place |
| B．The Traditional Culture Brings Changes |
| C．COVID-19 Affects China’s Tourism |
| D．The Ancient Culture Adds to Holiday Attraction |
9 . Thanksgiving is always on a Thursday.The day after it has been known as Black Friday.It is the start of the holiday shopping season,and it has been the busiest shopping day of the year in the US since 2005.
Most stores offer big sales on Black Friday.They open their doors quite early in the morning.They try to attract shoppers with big discounts(打折).Some items(商品) like TVs and clothes are much cheaper than usual.
Black Friday is a great time to go shopping.However,there are problems.The biggest one is that there are not enough low-priced items.Each store may only have a few.These items are in great need,so people stand in long lines to get them.
The situation makes people worried.Some Black Friday events have been crazy.There have been fights over toys among shoppers.Some workers have even been hurt by large crowds.But most Black Friday events are safe and fun.
So where does the name “Black Friday” come from?It was first used in Philadelphia in the 1950s.
Now people all over the country take part in Black Friday events.
| A．Still,if you plan to go,you will expect large crowds and a bit of pushing. |
| B．People may feel disappointed if they cannot get them. |
| C．They may wait three to four hours before a store opens. |
| D．It is even spreading to other parts of the world. |
| E．Stores may even lose money on these items. |
| F．It attracts people all over the world. |
| G．The police called this day Black Friday because of the heavy traffic it caused. |
10 . Fantastic Fall Festivals You Won’t Want to Miss
Seymour Apple FestivalAdmission to the Seymour Apple Festival is free and so is the entertainment! More than 15,000 people from all over the region come out to take part in the activities, ranging from drawings, vendor booths, food, apple contests, bike decorating contests, and more.
Marionville Apple FestivalThe popular Marionville Apple Festival is home to countless activities and events. The carnival, pony rides, and games will keep the kids busy, while adults will enjoy watching the pie-eating contest and browsing dozens of craft vendor booths.
Humansville Fall FestivalThe Humansville Fall Festival may be hosted by a small town, but that doesn’t mean it’s lacking big fun. Perfect for all ages, this fall festival is celebrating its 70th year and will provide three full days of fun. This year’s festival will feature live music from fantastic local musicians, which will definitely make it different from the ones in other years. You’ll also find fun carnival rides, talented artisans selling their goods, and an amazing parade to wrap up the event on Saturday.
Southside Fall FestivalThe Southside Fall Festival is perfect for family celebrations, with an alcohol-free environment and free admission. Enjoy a colorful parade and float contest, delicious food vendors, live music, karaoke, and more.
Fall Into Arts FestivalMake sure to bring the kids along for this festival that celebrates all things creative. The Fall Into Arts Festival features a host of kid-friendly activities like a lego build, sand art, bubble stations, chalk the sidewalk, a jump house, and more. Parents will have plenty to do as well, with an excellent variety of artists, festival food, a mini film festival, and much more.
1. Which festivals are free of charge?| A．Seymour Apple Festival and Southside Fall Festival. |
| B．Southside Fall Festival and Fall Into Arts Festival. |
| C．Humansville Fall Festival and Fall Into Arts Festival. |
| D．Seymour Apple Festival and Marionville Apple Festival. |
| A．Fun activities on Saturday. |
| B．The duration of the festival, |
| C．The area of the hosting town. |
| D．Musicians’ live performance. |
| A．families with kids | B．modern artists |
| C．visitors of all ages | D．Movie lovers |
