1 . People from East Asia tend to have more difficulties than those from Europe in distinguishing facial expressions and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why.
Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly (均匀的) across a face as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes.
“We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions,” Jack said. “Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and overlook the mouth.”
According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations.
The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of expressive faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies.
It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than Westerners did. “The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a reflection of cultural difference in facial expressions,” Jack said. “Our data suggest that whereas Westerners use the whole face to convey emotion. Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less.”
In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion. From here on, examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation.
1. What does the discovery show about Westerners?| A．They pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth. |
| B．They consider facial expressions universally reliable. |
| C．They observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways. |
| D．They have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions. |
| A．To get their faces impressive. | B．To make a face at each other. |
| C．To classify some face pictures. | D．To observe the researchers’ faces. |
| A．They do translation more successfully. | B．They study the mouth more frequently. |
| C．They examine the eyes more attentively. | D．They read facial expressions more correctly. |
| A．The Eye as the Window to the Soul | B．Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions |
| C．Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills | D．How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding |
2 . Learning about other cultures is a valuable experience. Gaining an understanding of other cultures benefits both you and other people by deepening your understanding of how different people are.
Follow social media about your chosen culture. A great thing about the Internet is that it has made the world smaller and more accessible than ever.
Ask questions online. There are plenty of ways to ask members of a culture questions about that culture online directly. Take a look at local communities and forums that accept questions or conversations.
Look up YouTube videos. YouTube is another form of social media that allows passive watching or interaction. There are many channels on YouTube dedicated to a specific culture or some aspects of a culture.
| A．Read online news sources. |
| B．Post a question and wait for a response. |
| C．Ask what daily life is like in their culture. |
| D．There are many ways to attain knowledge about other cultures. |
| E．Ask what the major holidays are like there, and how they celebrate them. |
| F．You can find people from cultures all around the world on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. |
| G．Often, these videos are produced by people that come from that culture, or know a lot about it. |
3 . You’ve got the perfect Halloween costume picked out, but here’s the real question: Where are you—or your kid—going to wear it? Here are some of the best.
Silver Spring Zombie Walk
The undead return to Silver Spring, looking for brains—and the 11:15 p.m. screening of “night of the Living dead” at the AFi Silver. One of the region’s biggest (and most enjoyable) spooky season gatherings finds hundreds of costumed zombies wandering the streets. Everyone—adults and families alike—gathers at the Quarry House tavern at 7 p.m. before shuffling（移动） over to Ellsworth drive by 9 p.m., then over to the theater. There’s no charge to participate, and topical outfits are welcome (the gorier the better).
Halloweeniversary at Baby Cat Brewery
If you’ve been to Kensington’s Babycat Brewery, you know that kids are welcome—and, on some weekend afternoons, seem to outnumber the adults. Fans of all ages are welcome to celebrate the brewery’s first year in business, with costumes “strongly encouraged.” Younger ones can be amazed at the Kensington Volunteer Fire department’s firetruck, which will be on-site from noon to 3 p.m., while older folks will appreciate live music from 3 to 9 p.m. Look for special beer releases to go with the pop-up food from Steezeburger—our No.1 burger in the D. C. area—plus o’ Boy pizza and neighbors the dish and dram.
Halloweekend at the Perch
It’s a day of two parts at the perch, the park located 11 stories above McLean. From noon to 4 p.m., a family party includes “spooky golf” at the Perch Putt mini-golf course, bounce houses, pumpkin decorating and face painting, and costume and pie-eating contests. From 4 p.m. on, the party is for 21 and older, with live music from the cover band “Lights Out”. By 8, beers from the Starr Hill Biergarten, a costume contest and more fun.
1. What’s the last activity to experience if you are interested in zombie?| A．Have the biggest gathering. |
| B．Enjoy “night of the Living dead” in the theater. |
| C．Drive along the silver spring. |
| D．Have a drink at a tavern. |
| A．Bounce houses. | B．Face painting. |
| C．A music party. | D．A costume contest. |
| A．These events are free of charge. |
| B．These events are held all day along. |
| C．These events are located alongside the rivers. |
| D．These events have activities for both kids and adults. |
4 . Today we are going to talk about the expression: A rolling stone gathers no moss (苔藓). Most of you probably know that a stone is the same thing as a rock. But what about moss?
Moss is a very soft, green plant. It has very small leaves and does not flower. It loves shade and water, so moss grows well on wet ground, trees and rocks. In fact, rocks and stones that line shady creeks (小溪) and rivers are often mossy. Moss grows slowly and is a rootless plant. It spreads well over non-moving surfaces. In fact, to prevent moss from growing on stones in your garden, you can just move the rocks around, turning them over now and then.
Why? Just as the saying goes, “A rolling stone gathers no moss.” Writer Shelley Gollust explained that the saying can be understood in a couple of ways. It can mean that a person who never settles down in one place will not gather wealth or long-lasting relationships. The moss that slowly spreads across the rock represents the money and friends we make over time.
But there is another way we use this expression. Think about a rolling stone. It leads a carefree life, on the move with no moss to worry about. People who are “rolling stones” live without the restrictions that come with responsibilities. They go anywhere anytime they want. And they don’t stay anywhere long enough to form attachments (爱恋). A free spirit is also a term we use to describe such a person. They are not tied down with lots of traditional responsibilities.
A rolling stone could also be described as “nomadic (游牧的)”. Experts at the Merriam-Webster online dictionary define (下定义) a nomad as “a member of a group of people who move from place to place”. Often nomads move around to find food. However, these days we can use the word “nomadic” to describe anyone who moves around a lot.
1. What can we know about moss from Paragraph 2?| A．It is a soft plant that grows on rolling stones. |
| B．It is a special plant that can grow in deep rivers. |
| C．It is a green plant that spreads over wet surfaces. |
| D．It is a rootless plant that can flower in your garden. |
| A．A man who lives a free life. |
| B．A man who has lots of friends. |
| C．A man who loves moving rocks. |
| D．A man who is responsible for his family. |
| A．Difficulties. | B．Purposes. | C．Achievements. | D．Limits. |
| A．Language. | B．Science. | C．Nature. | D．History. |
5 . Few parlor games (室内游戏) have left a larger global impact than mahjong, which is at once a mainstay at immigrant family gatherings.
Mahjong is a four-player game that, like poker, operates on the interplay between chance and skill. Chinese icons are visible in tiles’(麻将牌) “suits”, which include bamboos and circles, which represent ancient Chinese currency; arrows or “dragons”, which symbolize the ancient art of archery; and flowers, which represent the four Confucian plants, including chrysanthemum and orchid.
There are more than 40 versions of the game across the world, according to Annelise Heinz, author of the bestselling Mahjong: A Chinese Game and the Making of Modern American Culture. She says the material connection and core tile design keep it recognizable.
The rhythms of mahjong are especially conducive to building community, Heinz says. Whereas the shuffling of cards in between poker games takes mere seconds, mahjong players must sit through extended pauses to reset tiles after every round. The interval encourages conversation.
In the early 1920s, American businessman Joseph P. Babcock brought the game to the U.S., where it became an “enormous national fad” that Heinz says reflected the country’s shifting cultural norms. Dubbed “the game of a hundred intelligences” and “the gift of heaven”, the first imported mahjong sets quickly sold out at Abercrombie & Fitch in New York City.
Over the past century in the US, mahjong has changed into a staple that extends far beyond the Chinese immigrant family. More recently, the record-shattering 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, which features a crucial mahjong scene, brought the game back into popular culture, fueling interest among Asian American millennials and Gen Zers. Mahjong’s lasting popularity, Heinz says, speaks to rapid cultural changes that have unfolded over the past century. “It also offers a kind of hopeful vision of positive identity building and community building that this game can be a part of into the future,” she says.
1. Which of the following is the synonym for underlined word “mainstay” in Para.1?| A．Backbone | B．Guest | C．Maintainer | D．Decoration |
| A．Confucian plants and thoughts. |
| B．Chinese arrows or “dragons”. |
| C．Ancient forms of art. |
| D．Ancient Chinese currency. |
| A．Quick shuffling between rounds. |
| B．Extended pauses to reset tiles. |
| C．Interplay between chance and skill. |
| D．Complex game rules and strategy. |
| A．The rhythms of mahjong is catchy. |
| B．The imported mahjong sets are costly. |
| C．It is outdated for the young generations. |
| D．It is widely influential and promising. |
6 . To celebrate the Thanksgiving Day, there’re a lot of things to experience in the River City Richmond in the state of Virginia.
Holiday Light Show
There’s a feast of LED-light displays at the Holiday Light Show, through New Year’s Eve at the Richmond Raceway Complex. It celebrates diverse holiday traditions. There’s about a mile of lights, and it takes just under a half hour to ride through. It opens at 5 pm each night, and admission in advance is $25 per carload, or $62.50 for unlimited admissions.
Good Burger Market
“Welcome to Good Burger, home of the Good Burger. Can I take your order?” That line from the 1997 film Good Burger brings us a feeling of nostalgia (怀旧). The upcoming shopping event on November 26, Good Burger Market, is from the idea of the funny film, from noon to 5 pm, when CobbleStore Vintage and Last Pick Vintage will host the Good Burger Market, featuring local vendors (小贩), live tunes and burgers.
Model Railroad Show
The 45th annual Model Railroad Show rolls back into the Science Museum of Virginia for the weekend. This year’s show features train displays, steam engine displays, a live train scene and rides on the Teddy Bear Express, tracking the technological footprint. Entry to the show is included with a general admission ticket, but registration is required from 9:30 am to 4:15 pm on November 25, 26 and 27. Ticket prices vary.
Symphony Pops Concert
Kick off the holiday season with the Symphony Pops Concert “Let It Snow” on November 26 and 27 at the Carpenter Theatre. The symphony will perform holiday classics and songs. Before the concert, bring the kids to the “Cocoa with Jack Frost & the Snow Queen” event. There’ll also be cookie decorating, crafts, and games. Concert tickets are $10-$85, and tickets for the “Cocoa with Jack Frost & the Snow Queen” event are $31-$35.
1. How will the visitors experience the holiday light show?| A．By walking. | B．By boat. | C．By helicopter. | D．By car. |
| A．Holiday Light Show. | B．Good Burger Market. |
| C．Model Railroad Show. | D．Symphony Pops Concert. |
| A．At the Richmond Raceway Complex. | B．At CobbleStore Vintage. |
| C．At the Virginia Museum. | D．At the Carpenter Theatre. |
7 . Where would we be without food? We certainly wouldn’t be at Starbucks, grocery stores or restaurants. We wouldn’t, in fact, be anywhere for very long, because we need food to live. Food is seen as a basic human right, and yet one in nine people globally experience hunger. As far back as 1945 the United Nations recognized food as not a privilege, but a right, and that’s why they created World Food Day, observed annually on October 16, in 1979. It’s a day of observance to draw attention to the plight of the hungry. So, today, join us in alleviating hunger.
HOW TO OBSERVE WORLD FOOD DAY
(1).Give to a local food bank
In the United States it’s estimated 1 in 7 people rely on food banks as their primary or supplemental food source—many of these are working families who suffer from unemployment and cannot afford the groceries needed to help their family live healthily. The top requested items for food banks are healthy, nutritious and easy-to-store items high in protein, such as canned or dry beans, peanut butter, rolled oats, low-sodium soups and vegetables and tuna canned in water.
(2).Support small scale farms
Ninety-eight percent of the farms in the world are family farms. They usually practice sustainable agriculture with plants that are native to the area, rotating crops and limited use of pesticides. Sadly, many family farmers are unable to produce the variety of crops needed for their own survival and without support, can suffer from insufficient nutrition themselves. On World Food Day, shop locally and support family farms.
(3).Raise money to eliminate hunger
On World Food Day there are typically a number of food drives. If you don’t know of a local food drive, organize one yourself and donate the food to it. Globally there are hunger walks, World Food Day dinners or food packaging rallies. Get involved and let’s end world hunger!
1. What does the underlined word “plight” mean in Paragraph 1?| A．A difficult situation. | B．The health state. |
| C．The emotional condition. | D．The financial problem. |
| A．It is observed only in less developed countries. |
| B．It falls on October 16 annually since 1979. |
| C．It is committed to boosting the rice yield worldwide. |
| D．It aims to teach farmers to practice sustainable agriculture. |
| A．A campaign to deliver extra food to the place where it is needed. |
| B．An organization to call on people to save food. |
| C．A soup kitchen to teach people how to cook healthy food. |
| D．A volunteer activity to collect food for hungry people. |
| A．To inform the readers of the origin of World Food Day. |
| B．To share the diverse activities held on World Food Day. |
| C．To stress the importance of food security. |
| D．To appeal to the readers to do their part to end hunger. |
8 . The Spring Festival is the most important celebration in China. There are some interesting Spring Festival traditions about Don’ts & Dos. Let’s take a look!
Don’t take out the rubbish
Taking out the rubbish, on that day, is said to stand for sweeping luck and wealth from the house.
Don’t give a watch or clock as a gift
A clock is an unpopular gift at any time of the year in China, as the phrase “giving a clock” sounds exactly like the Chinese words for “song zhong”.
During the festive period, you’ll see amazing decorations all over China, and your house should be no exception.
Popular decorations include red lanterns driving away bad luck, door couplets showing wishes for the coming year, and the character(fu) meaning good fortune.
Give hongbao or fruit
Hongbao, or a red envelope containing money, is a popular gift for adults to give children.
Fruit, especially tangerines or kumquats, are safe for friends.| A．Wear red for luck |
| B．As red is a lucky color |
| C．Make your house attractive |
| D．Spring Festival is a time for delicious food |
| E．A clock also stands for running out of time |
| F．You will often see them on the table during the Lunar New Year |
| G．In fact, cleaning any kind of thing on the first day of the lunar calendar is considered unlucky |
9 . Psychologists tell us that there are four basic stages that human beings pass through when they enter and live in a new culture.
Culture begins with the “honeymoon stage”. This is the period of time when we first arrive in a country where everything about the new culture is strange and exciting. We may be suffering from “jet lag” but we are thrilled to be in the new environment, seeing new sights, hearing new sounds and language, eating new kinds of food.
Unfortunately, after we have settled down into our new life, we can become very tired and begin to miss our homeland and our family, friends, pets. All the little problems in life seem to be much bigger and more disturbing when you face them in a foreign culture.
The third stage comes when you begin to realize that things are not so bad in the host culture. Your sense of humor usually becomes stronger and you realize that you are becoming stronger by learning to take care of yourself in the new place. Things are still difficult, but you are now a survivor.
The fourth stage can be called “at ease at last”. Now you feel quite comfortable in your new surroundings. You can cope with most problems that occur. You may still have problems with the language, but you know you are strong enough to deal with them.
There is a fifth stage of culture shock which many people don’t know about. This is called “reverse culture shock”. Surprisingly, this occurs when you go back to your native culture and find that you have changed and that things there have changed while you have been away. Now you feel a little uncomfortable back home. Life is a struggle!
1. How do you feel during the first stage of culture shock?| A．Happy and excited. | B．Bored and homesick. |
| C．Lonely and depressed. | D．Angry and frustrated. |
| A．Adjustment. | B．Rejection. | C．Enthusiasm. | D．Embarrassment. |
| A．It hardly ever happens. | B．It is extremely stressful. |
| C．It is out of expectation. | D．It only happens to young people. |
10 . If you are a psychology enthusiast, you have probably heard of the famous marshmallow test (棉花糖测试). In this task, kids are given a marshmallow, and are told that they can eat that marshmallow now, or they can wait a little while, and have two marshmallows instead. Some kids eat the marshmallow immediately, while others try their best to wait for the experimenter to come back with two marshmallows.
Wait time in the marshmallow test came to be seen as indicators of self-control. But is it really the case? A 2022 study by Yanaoka and his colleagues tested the idea that children may decide how long to wait for rewards based on what they are used to waiting for in their culture. In the United States, there is no widespread custom of waiting until everyone is served to eat your food. However, in Japan, there is a mealtime custom of waiting until everyone has been served before anyone starts to eat.
Because of this difference, the researchers hypothesized that Japanese children would wait longer in the marshmallow test than the American children. This is exactly what they found. This certainly suggests that cultural standards are important. The researchers did a clever follow-up experiment. They found one situation where children in the U. S. are used to waiting longer than Japanese children are: unwrapping presents. In the U. S., when children are given gifts on special occasions such Christmas, they usually have to wait before they can unwrap their presents. In Japan, however, children usually open presents immediately.
Given these cultural differences, Yanaoka and his colleagues expected that if they ran the marshmallow test with Japanese and American kids, but they replaced marshmallows with wrapped gifts, then American kids would wait longer to open them. Once again, their theory was correct. When the potential rewards were wrapped gifts instead of food, American children waited 15 minutes on average, and Japanese children waited about four minutes on average.
1. What do we know about marshmallow test?| A．Its design is perfect. | B．It only tests a kid’s self-control. |
| C．Its results might be misunderstood. | D．It is famous among kids and parents. |
| A．By listing varied gift-giving customs. | B．By contradicting existing concepts. |
| C．By summarizing previous theories. | D．By examining newly-made guesses. |
| A．Expected. | B．Designed. | C．Assumed. | D．Assured. |
| A．children’s age | B．cultural custom | C．self-confidence | D．self-belief |
