1 . The Tomatina Festival(西红柿节) is a festival that is held in a town named Bunol in Spain, on which people throw tomatoes for fun. It is held on the last Wednesday of August each year.
In 1945, during a parade(游行) in the town one day, young men who wanted to be in the parade started a fight in the town square. They used tomatoes as weapons(武器).This is the most popular story about how the Tomatina Festival started.
At around 10: 00a.m.on Wednesday, activities that are organized to celebrate the festival begin. The first one is climbing a pole with a ham on top. When a person is climbing, some people sing and dance. When the person drops the ham off the pole, the tomato fight starts. The tomatoes come from Extremadura. The tomatoes there are less expensive and are grown specially for the festival. The number of tomatoes used is about 150, 000. After exactly one hour, the fight ends. The whole square becomes red because there is tomato juice everywhere. Then hoses are used to clean the square and to wash away the tomato juice on people’s bodies. After that, the town goes back to the way it was.
The local government has made some rules for the safety of people. One of them is as follows: People have to squash(把……挤软) the tomatoes before throwing in order not to hurt other people.
The Tomatina Festival has inspired other similar celebrations in other parts of the world, for example, in the city of Dongguan, Guangdong Province, China, a tomato fight is held on October 19th.
1. During the Tomatina Festival in Spain, people throw tomatoes .| A．to show they are angry | B．to make money | C．for fun | D．for exercise |
| A．rules for | B．activities during | C．future of | D．origin of |
| A．in Extremadura | B．in October | C．near a river | D．in August |
| A．The tomato fight in Spain lasts for a day. |
| B．The local government made rules in order to protect people. |
| C．The tomatoes used during the Tomatina Festival in Spain are expensive. |
| D．The tomato fight in Guangdong is on the same day as the Tomatina Festival in Spain. |
2 . Music Festivals You Need to Attend
Tomorrowland (July 21--30)
Tomorrowland is known as one of the largest, if not the largest, EDM music festivals in the world. Located at De Schorre Provincial Recreational Park in Boom, Belgium, the festival is a one- of-a-kind experience. Visitors are surrounded by beautifully crafted stages while listening to all of their favorite DJs. It’ll be a party, and most definitely a fun time.
Glastonbury (June 22--26)
It may be cloudy and rainy for most of the year, but England shines bright when it’s time for Glastonbury. Not only does this festival have some of the best musicians, it also has dance performances, comedy, theatrics, and more. There’s no need to worry about being too hot because England has the best summer weather for events like this. Artists including Elton John, Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rey, and Wizkid are all on the lineup (阵容) this year.
Outside Lands (August 11--13)
With San Francisco as its backdrop (背景幕布), Outside Lands is always a popular festival. There are always some famous faces in the crowds, and in years past we have seen Vanessa Hudgens and Kim Kardashian. This year, the lineup is incredibly strong, featuring Megan Thee Stallion, Lana Del Rey, Lil Yachty, Maggie Rogers, and so many others.
Mysteryland (August 25--28)
This is a festival for the EDM lovers out there. The Netherlands hosts Mysteryland each year, bringing in all of the top DJs and artists from around the world. The festival is the first of its kind in the country, so it’s a unique experience for everyone involved. Bring your rave energy because this festival isn’t for just anyone.
1. Which music festival begins the earliest?| A．Tomorrowland. | B．Mysteryland. | C．Outside Lands. | D．Glastonbury. |
| A．Lana Del Rey. | B．Megan Thee Stallion. | C．Maggie Rogers. | D．Elton John. |
| A．They’re both held once a year. |
| B．They’re both attractive to EDM lovers. |
| C．They’re both the first of its kind in the country. |
| D．They’re both the largest music festivals in the country. |
3 . The Dragon Boat Festival is a folk festival which has a history of more than two thousand years. We also call it Duanwu Festival. There are many activities on the day.
Dragon boat race
The dragon boat race is an important competition during the festival. People held dragon boat races in the river to remember the poet, Qu Yuan. Now, the dragon boat race is a traditional activity for Chinese people.
Wearing sweet-smelling bags
During the Dragon Boat Festival, children usually wear sweet-smelling bags to avoid bad things. In some areas of China, a sweet-smelling bag is also used as a symbol of love between lovers.
Girls’ Day
A long time ago, a married daughter would return to her parents’ home during the Dragon Boat Festival. So the Dragon Boat Festival is also called Girls’ Day.
Eating zongzi
Eating zongzi is also a custom for Chinese people. Zongzi is a kind of food called rice dumpling with different designs and styles. For thousands of years, the custom of eating rice dumplings has been popular in China and has spread to Korea, Japan and countries in Southeast Asia.
1. The Dragon Boat Festival is ________.| A．the Spring Festival | B．Yuanxiao Festival |
| C．Mid-autumn Festival | D．Duanwu Festival |
| A．admire a famous scientist | B．have good luck |
| C．remember Qu Yuan | D．celebrate the harvest |
①Take part in a dragon boat race.
②Adults wear bags that have sweet smells.
③Eat rice dumplings.
④Splash water at each other.
⑤Eat mooncakes.
⑥A married daughter returns to her parents’ home.
| A．①②⑥ | B．②③④ | C．①③⑥ | D．③④⑥ |
| A．good things | B．bad things |
| C．funny things | D．exciting things |
| A．Tangyuan. | B．Dumplings. |
| C．Mooncakes. | D．Rice dumplings. |
4 . The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Start of Autumn, the 13th solar term, reflects the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. The fruitful season is approaching. The following are several things you should know about it.
“Autumn Tiger”
Although Start of Autumn indicates the beginning of autumn, hot weather won’t come to an end. The period of hot days after Start of Autumn, is called “Autumn Tiger”. Because of decreasing rainfall, it is even more sweltering (闷热的) during this period than during Major Heat.
Eating longans
The Start of Autumn period is harvest time for Taiwan longan. People believe that eating longan will help their children become senior officials.
Eating red beans
Starting from the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty, people in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, have eaten red beans on Start of Autumn day. They take 7 to 14 little beans, swallowing them with well water. When taking the beans, one must face west, it is said, so as not to get dysentery (痢疾) during the autumn.
Eating gourds (葫芦)
During the Qing Dynasty, people would put gourds outside for a day before the Start of Autumn, and eat them on Start of Autumn day to drive off the summer heat.
Today people in Tianjin still keep this custom, believing that eating melons such as towel gourd, white gourd and bitter gourd can prevent diarrhea (腹泻) in autumn.
1. What causes “Autumn Tiger” according to the passage?| A．The reducing rainfall. | B．The ending of summer. |
| C．The approaching autumn. | D．The beginning of the solar term. |
| A．To avoid heat. | B．To keep the custom. |
| C．To prevent diseases. | D．To help children become senior officials. |
| A．Sports. | B．Culture. | C．Entertainment. | D．Politics. |
5 . I still remember my father’s embarrassment the day when he was invited to have dinner at a colleague’s house. Freshly arriving in Brazil, and not being able to look up on the Internet, he offended his hosts by making a hand gesture — a circle with the thumb and index finger. He had always understood it to mean “OK”, but in Brazil, it meant something different.
The incident was quickly forgotten. My father’s colleague understood that he probably wasn’t yet aware of the local meaning of the gesture. He gently explained it meant something rude, and then it was kept in mind under “things not to be done in Rio”.
I was reminded myself when touring China. After I replied to a friend’s WeChat message with a Van Gogh sticker that I thought meant “keep fighting”, another friend told me I used it wrong.
“The Chinese version is a bit different,” she said, taking out her phone and showing to me. “See these characters? They mean ‘I will hit you!’”
Life is full of crossed meanings. In India, you sign to someone to come over with your palm down, not up. And in the Middle East, you never use your left hand for anything public.
As adults, we understand that even if it hurts, a mistake is only an insult (侮辱) when it is made on purpose. Yet, many conflicts come from misunderstanding, and history is full of the unfortunate outcomes of cross-cultural communication.
My father’s pre-Internet Brazilian mistake was forgiven because of context — he had just arrived and he didn’t know its local meaning. But when context is absent or simply differently understood — especially in the social media — perhaps it is time we all think twice before typing or talking, especially when the consequences can be more severe than the misuse of a WeChat sticker.
1. What can be inferred from the author’s father’s story?| A．Cultural differences are common. | B．The Internet helps to avoid mistakes. |
| C．Misunderstandings lead to bad results. | D．The OK sign means differently in Brazil. |
| A．To greet his friend. | B．To threaten his friend. |
| C．To encourage his friend. | D．To make fun of his friend. |
| A．Forgiveness. | B．Cultural gaps. | C．Cultural conflicts. | D．Mutual(相互的) respect. |
| A．Tourism and Culture. | B．Language and Culture. |
| C．Verbal Communication. | D．Cross-Cultural Communication. |
6 . In 2018, the town of Carefree, in the USA was seeking a pumpkin carver to help their newly-planned Enchanted Pumpkin Garden Festival become an instant success. Luckily for them, the sculptor Ray Villafane fell in love with the four-acre Carefree Desert Gardens and agreed to carve pumpkins for the tourists. Then, the festival became a hit in 2018. Now the annual event, which began to take place from October 19 to October 28, in 2011, includes many fun activities for both kids and adults. However, it is the pumpkin carvings that remain the star attraction.
This year, Villafane and his team reached the garden in early October to carve the popular “pickled pumpkins”. Placed inside tanks resembling some kinds of plants to fit in with the environment, the 3D pumpkin artworks were put in a special liquid that helped preserve them for a longer period of time.
Throughout the festival, Villafane and his team also held several live demonstrations, adding to the impressive carved pumpkins on exhibition. They also volunteered to give many pumpkin-carving fans valuable tips.
Besides the wonderful carvings, guests had the chance to go into a pumpkin world, complete with tales. The tales featured pumpkin dead bodies running through the grass, and a group of helpless pumpkins attempting to free their peers imprisoned by a scary-looking figure with only bones. Then, there were the hard-working rats who were sewing a pumpkin.
The highlight of the festival came on October 27, when Villafane transformed a huge pumpkin into a dinosaur. The festival also featured activities including pie-eating matches, story-telling, face painting, and pumpkin-carving matches.
Villafane’s skill first came to light in 1996 after he sculpted a pumpkin for his students during Halloween. In 2007, while still teaching, he decided to use his skills to create action figures for Marvel Comics. Over the next two years, the artist created numerous popular characters. In 2009, Villafane accepted a full-time position about carving toys at DC Comics. In 2013, he finally decided to go after his true love — pumpkin carving. Since he first began carving, the expert has sculpted 2,576 pieces of outstanding works in 102 cities around the world.
The expert using basic carving tools for his most complex creations stands out in the festival.
1. How did the festival held in Carefree become very popular and successful in 2018?| A．Thanks to the fantastic songs and dances. |
| B．Owing to the pumpkins carved by Villafane. |
| C．Due to the four-acre Carefree Desert Gardens. |
| D．On account of quite a few celebrities attending it. |
| A．Some large mouses eating a pumpkin. |
| B．Pumpkin dead bodies running through the forest. |
| C．Pumpkins trying to fight against a figure with only bones. |
| D．A pumpkin dinosaur attempting to free helpless pumpkins. |
| A．In1996. | B．In 2007. | C．In 2009. | D．In 2013. |
| A．Sports. | B．Innovation. | C．Politics. | D．Culture. |
7 . One of the world’s oldest preserved human settlements has been significantly damaged by pouring rain in Pakistan as the country battles the worst floods in its history.
Moenjodaro, a World Heritage site in the Indus River valley 508 kilometers (316 miles) from Karachi, was built in the Bronze Age, some 5,000 years ago. “Unfortunately we witnessed the mass destruction at the site,” reads a letter from the Cultural, Tourism & Antiquities Department of Singh state sent to UNESCO and signed by director Ihsan Ali Abbasi and architect Naveed Ahmed Sangah. The letter adds the site was being used as temporary accommodation for surrounding residents whose own homes had flooded.
Moenjodaro’s significance can’t be underestimated when it was added to UNESCO’s register in 1980, the organization wrote that Moenjodaro “bears exceptional proof to the Indus civilization,” comprising “the most ancient planned city on the Indian subcontinent”.
The letter explains some of the immediate actions the site team has taken to mitigate the flood damage, like bringing in water pumps and repairing brickwork. But it’s clear that these measures will not be enough.
Abbasi and Sangah ended their letter by asking for 100 million Pakistani rupees ($45 million) to cover the costs of full repairs. UNESCO has responded to the request for help, allocating $350,000 from its emergency fund for damaged historic sites in Pakistan during UN Secretary General António Guterres’s visit to the flood-stricken country this week.
The funds will go to Moenjodaro and other sites including the Amri Museum. While the sum is far less than needed to fully repair the sites, it will pay for urgent work while UNESCO and local organization consider the best way forward. Sadly, the conservators of Moenjodaro have known for some time that flooding could bring a serious risk to the site.
In their letter, Abbasi and Sangah express concern that Moenjodaro could be added to the list of UNESCO sites in danger, which the preservation body updates periodically to highlight historic places that are at severe risk of ruin.
1. What makes Moenjodaro special to Pakistan?| A．The geographic feature it bears. |
| B．The role it played in fighting floods. |
| C．The mass destruction it suffered in history. |
| D．The value it holds in history and architecture. |
| A．Reduce. | B．Suffer. | C．Avoid. | D．Assess. |
| A．Creative. | B．Worrying. | C．Impractical. | D．Satisfactory. |
| A．Pakistan’s Deadly Floods Causing Widespread Damage |
| B．Moenjodaro Calling for Attention to Its Severe Damage |
| C．Moenjodaro Added to the List of UNESCO Sites in Danger |
| D．Pakistan UNESCO Site Moenjodaro Badly Damaged by Flooding |
8 . There are many differences in ways of thinking between East and West. Many of them are reflected in daily behaviour. In particular, Chinese people sometimes attach more importance to their appearance and social status than to their inner qualities, while Westerners think the opposite. However, Socrates (Ancient Greek philosopher) and Confucius share significant similarities that are universal.
Both philosophers share several teachings in common; for example, their understanding of the nature of knowledge and their opinions on education. Socrates believed “There is only one good, knowledge;and only one evil, ignorance.” Similarly, Confucius said, “Isn’t it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?” But both also acknowledge the limits of knowledge. Socrates said: “All I know is that I know nothing.” Similarly, Confucius said, “When you know a thing, to hold you know it; when you don’t know a thing, to allow you don’t know it-this is knowledge.”
However, there are important differences in their understanding of morality. Confucius believed each person should follow certain regulations according to virtue(德行). Everyone should play their role in a society where people are interdependent in order to achieve harmony in the whole society. For instance, when asked how to govern a country, Confucius stated “An emperor should act like an emperor, a subject should act like a subject.” Socrates, however, places self-knowledge over social knowledge.
Another difference between them is their attitude towards political domination(支配). Confucius believed the best way to govern a country isn’t through legal system, but through virtue. Socrates, by contrast, declared that “nothing is more important than justice”.
Why have East and West developed such different cultural values? A widely accepted theory holds that Eastern civilization was an agricultural civilization. Hence the need for a collective society and friendly relations with neighbors was strong. Western civilization, however, was nomadic(游牧的). Their mobility makes them less dependent on society after migration.
In spite of their differences, the two cultures have more in common than differences. The shared concern for moral values in the teachings of Socrates and Confucius also shows us more fundamental similarities between Eastern and Western cultures in their pursuit of virtuous lives.
1. What do the two philosophers share about knowledge?| A．The learning of knowledge is easy. | B．The learning of knowledge is endless. |
| C．A man without knowledge is foolish. | D．A man shall not pretend to understand. |
| A．Nothing is more important than a legal system. |
| B．I am not a Chinese, but a citizen of the world. |
| C．Not everyone should play his own role in society. |
| D．A man does what is proper to the position he is in. |
| A．The difference in political atmosphere. | B．The difference in the length of history. |
| C．The difference in economic development. | D．The difference in levels of social dependency. |
| A．Reasons for similarities of Eastern and Western cultures. |
| B．The introduction of great figures of two different cultures. |
| C．Comparisons of the thoughts of the two great philosophers. |
| D．The contributions of two great philosophers to civilization. |
9 . Thailand has several unique holidays. One of them is King’s Birthday, which is a national holiday. On this day, each city is decorated with bright colored lights, and in the evenings the Thai walk around together looking at the decorations. Traditional dishes and family favourties are eaten, and meals always include steamed whole chicken with hot pepper dipping sauce and sliced roast pig’s head.
New Year’s Day is also important in Thailand. Brown eggs are boiled and then cooked in soy sauce, sugar, fish sauce and five spices. These eggs represent good life in the coming year. The Thai will also eat special egg rolls, dipped in namplaprig, a sweet and sour sauce. Decorations for the New Year include fruit like bananas, coconuts, pineapples and papayas.
Songkran is a three-day water festival that comes in April. For this holiday, people douse each other and everything they have with water in thanks for rain and in the hope of good luck. April is the hottest month in Thailand, so this festival is refreshing and fun. The celebrations also include a big dinner, at which curries, usually yellow ones, and long noodles are eaten. These noodles symbolize long life.
Loy Krathong is a November holiday that involves making bamboo boats and putting lighted candles into them. As these little boats float down the river, they are supposed to carry away sin and pay honor to the spitits of the water. After watching the boats, people eat a large meal that includes grilled chicken, fish, coconut and egg yolks. No matter what they are celebrating, Thai holidays always include family and good food.
1. What would be the best title for this passage?| A．Songkran and Loy Krathong in the coming Year. |
| B．How the King Celebtates His Birthday |
| C．Special Acitivities on Holidays |
| D．Festivals in Thailand |
| A．Roasted pig’s head and grilled chicken | B．Long noodles served with dipping sauce |
| C．Towns decorated with colored lights. | D．Dinner tables filled with traditional eggs. |
| A．Long life. | B．A good life in the coming year. |
| C．Bad deeds carried away. | D．Decorated tables with kinds of fruit. |
| A．In April | B．In November |
| C．On the King’s birthday. | D．After people enjoy a large meal. |
10 . There is a festival in China that has three names. It’s known as the Chongyang Festival. Also, it is called the Double Ninth Festival because it falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历). Finally it has been Senior’s Day (老人节) since 1989. This year, it fell on Oct 23rd.
There are many traditions for this festival. In the past, people climbed mountains, drank chrysanthemum (菊花) wine, and wore a plant called zhuyu to celebrate it. Climbing mountains in autumn brings people close to nature and it’s good for health. Both chrysanthemum and zhuyu are also clean plants and they can clean houses and make people healthy.
In China, nine has the similar pronunciation with the word “forever”, meaning long life. So the Chinese government set the day as the Senior’s Day in 1989—a day to respect the old. Many companies and communities organize autumn trips for old people. Young people bring elders to the countryside to enjoy nature. They also give them gifts.
In China, it is a tradition to respect old people. In the past, if young people didn’t take good care of their parents, they would be seriously punished. Now we have the 24 Filial Exemplars (《新二十四孝》). It includes 24 things we should do for elders, such as calling them up every week and going to see them more often. On this three-named festival, remember to show your love to your elders.
1. Which is NOT a name for the festival?| A．Chongyang Festival. | B．the Double Ninth Festival. |
| C．Senior’s Day. | D．Youth Day. |
| A．Climbing mountains. | B．Calling them up every week. |
| C．Drinking chrysanthemum wine. | D．Wearing a plant called zhuyu. |
| A．思念 | B．尊重 | C．保护 | D．照顾 |
| A．History of Chongyang Festival. | B．Introduction of Chongyang Festival. |
| C．Traditions of Chongyang Festival. | D．Symbols of Chongyang Festival. |
| A．American History | B．Chinese History |
| C．Western Festivals | D．Traditional Festivals |
