1 . People from East Asia tend to have more difficulty 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 neglect 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. The discovery shows that Westerners ________.| A．pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth |
| B．consider facial expressions universally reliable |
| C．observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways |
| D．have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions |
| A．The participants in the study. |
| B．The researchers of the study. |
| C．The errors made during the study. |
| D．The data collected from the study. |
| A．do translation more successfully |
| B．study the mouth more frequently |
| C．examine the eyes more attentively |
| D．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 . Things You May Not Know About Grain Buds (小满)
Grain Buds, the 8th solar term of a year in traditional Chinese lunar calendar, begins on May 21 this year and ends on June 4th. It means that the seeds from the grain are becoming full but are not ripe. In China, the 24 solar terms were created to guide agricultural production. But its culture is still useful today to guide people’s lives through many aspects.
A good time for eating seasonable food
Tips on health
High temperatures and humidity are common during the Grain Buds period. The increase in temperature over this season may also give rise to many kinds of skin diseases.
Key period for flower management
This time is a good period of the quick growth of flowers.
People in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces celebrate this season as the birthday of the silkworm deity (蚕神). Farmers also tend to the field by planting green Chinese onions in Shandong and harvesting vegetables in Zhangye, Gansu.
| A．A good time for eating fish |
| B．Because of increasing rainfall during the Grain Buds |
| C．It is also important to exercise during the hot summer days |
| D．It is also a season when plant diseases and pests are at an all-time high |
| E．Let’s see what we can do during the “Grain Buds” period |
| F．Different regions have different activities |
| G．A lot of water and extra care for wild flowers |
3 . Qiang embroidery (羌绣) has a long and rich history, dating back to the Han Dynasty when it was adopted for use on clothing. It makes use of many kinds of stitches (针法). The Qiang people adore nature, so they embroider plants and animals on clothing. Flowers, grasses, fruits, vegetables, animals and human figures are used as inspiration for the embroidery’s most common patterns. This type of embroidery features a bold use of brilliant colors. Qiang embroidery is usually practiced by women. A pair of embroidered shoes can take as long as ten days to produce, making the practice a test of both skill and patience.
Fifty-something Chen Yunzhen, from Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County in Sichuan Province, is a master of Qiang embroidery. As the local tourism industry began to develop, Chen decided to promote the embroidery as a brand to attract more tourists. Many local women, encouraged by Chen, began to earn their living through Qiang embroidery. As part of her efforts to stop the endangered technique from disappearing, Chen began visiting the surrounding regions to teach embroidery. In 2014, she set up a Qiang embroidery workshop that has since provided free training to over 20,000 people. Over 500 local embroiderers make a living through the workshop.
To breathe new life into Qiang embroidery, Chen has continued to keep an open mind, introducing new products like personal accessories (配饰), notebooks and bags in addition to the traditional clothes. Chen’s two daughters returned to their hometown to help support her efforts after graduating from university. With her daughters’ youthful sense of innovation (创新), Chen has combined metalwork and Qiang embroidery to create earrings, rings and necklaces that are popular among young consumers. She is also considering live streaming to promote her handmade products.
According to Chen, the Qiang people do not have a written language, so Qiang embroidery must be well preserved and developed as part of efforts to sustain (传承) its culture. For Chen, Qiang embroidery is much more than a piece of art to appreciate. “If you allow it to convey its real value, it will improve more people’s lives and drive rural revitalization (乡村振兴),” she said.
1. What do we know about Qiang embroidery?| A．It costs a lot of money to produce. |
| B．It includes all kinds of elements from nature. |
| C．It adopts light colors with unique stitches. |
| D．It is the most ancient embroidery art in China. |
| A．She takes the lead in carrying forward Qiang embroidery. |
| B．She trains young students in embroidery skills at a school. |
| C．She improves her living conditions by running a workshop. |
| D．She is devoted to preserving various endangered techniques. |
| A．The popularity of Qiang embroidery in China. |
| B．Chen’s efforts to innovate Qiang embroidery. |
| C．The difficulties of passing on Qiang embroidery. |
| D．Chen’s achievements in creating handmade products. |
| A．A symbol of Qiang culture. |
| B．A mirror of Qiang history. |
| C．A great work of Chinese traditional clothes. |
| D．An effective tool for improving Chinese economy. |
4 . The 24 solar terms are part of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese people divided a year in-to 24 segments (片段) based on the sun’s position in the zodiac (黄道十二宫).
Solar terms were instructions for agricultural production and people’s daily lives. They mark things like seasons, temperature, precipitation(降水), growth of the crops and weather conditions.
The ancient calendar remains relevant to this day.
| A．Each segment is called a solar term |
| B．The “Pure Brightness” is also referred to as Tomb-Sweeping Day |
| C．The sun’s positions bring about many things related to human life |
| D．Their wisdom for life and nature made the traditional festival popular today |
| E．It is the youth of China who can best help carry on this significant part of our culture |
| F．Many farmers still rely on the solar terms to work in the fields |
| G．This has long been a central element of life in China |
5 . When the day is dawning, the Center of Naxi Dongba Pictographs and Paintings of the old town Liliang welcomes his owner, He Runyuan, who is dressed in a traditional Naxi clothing. Every day, He explains Dongba culture to tourists and teaches them to write Dongba characters. “Dongba characters are not only the soul of Dongba culture, but also a treasure for the whole world,” said He. Enjoying a history of over 1,000 years, Dongba characters are an ancient system of pictographic glyphs (象形字形). They are praised to be the “living fossil (活化石)” in writing.
As a member of the Naxi group, He first learned Dongba characters at the age of 13. He loved them immediately when he first looked at the symbols. “These characters have pictographic drawings that look like humans, animals, plants etc.” He said. “They are usually colorful and recognizable.”
Though the characters are interesting, learning them is never easy. Dongba culture is always mastered by Dongbas, the Naxi priests (祭司). Without Dongbas in his village, He has to travel far to the Old Town, where many Dongbas are gathered. “In most cases, I need to walk for more than one day to the destination. To get more learning time, I always set off very early when the city is still in darkness,” said He.
But the love for Dongba culture keeps him going. For the past 30 years, He has been studying these characters every day. In 2016, He set up the Center of Naxi Dongba Pictographs and Paintings Where He beautified fans, glasses and even T-shirts with Dongba characters, hoping to pass down Dongba culture and let more people know about it.
“Our life is limited, but so long as everyone makes an effort, the life of a culture can exist forever,” He said.
1. What does He Runyuan do in his center every day?| A．He spreads Dongba culture. | B．He writes Dongba characters. |
| C．He sells his painting. | D．He learns from priests. |
| A．Honest and creative. | B．Outgoing and confident. |
| C．Hard-working and responsible. | D．Humorous and determined. |
| A．The love for his hometown. | B．The preference for Dongba culture. |
| C．The respect for priests. | D．The encouragement from his fans. |
| A．They are popular with the young. | B．They are interesting and easy to learn. |
| C．They are lively and easily recognized. | D．They are passed down by oral explanation. |
6 . The Longtaitou Festivl, which means “dragon-raises head” in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese festival held on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar. So, it’s also called Eryueer Festival. In Chinese culture, the dragon is an auspicious (吉利的) animal that dominates clouds and rains. The 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month is thought to be the day when dragon awakes and raises its head according to the Chinese folk legend. So the day is called Dragon Heads-raising Day. After the day, spring is coming and there will be more and more rain. People think these credits (功劳) go to the dragon. So the day is also called Spring Dragon Festival. Since the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), Chinese people have had the custom of spending the Spring Dragon Festival.
The most popular custom on the Dragon Heads-raising Day is cutting hair. Dragon is highly honored for its dignity (尊贵) and power for good. It is thought to be auspicious to cut hair on the Dragon Heads-raising Day. Luck and opportunities will always knock you in the year. So, on that day, barbershops’ (理发店的) businesses are growing and full of customers.
The most common foods for celebrating the festival are popcorns, pancakes, noodles, dumplings, fired soy beans and pig’s head. People in different areas have different traditions about the food on the day. In Beijing, people eat Lvdagunr (Glutinous Rice Rolls with Sweet Bean Flour) and spring pancakes on the day. In Shanxi, people like to eat fried dough twists (油条) and pancakes. In Shandong, fried soy beans, noodles and dumplings are the festival food. In Fuzhou, the salted porridge made of glutinous rice, celery, scallion, garlic, fry dried shrimps and shredded meat is eaten. These show people’s hope to be blessed (保佑) with favorable weather and plentiful grain harvest by the dragon.
1. Which of the following is true about the Longtaitou Festival?| A．It dates back to Song Dynasty. |
| B．It is celebrated for two days. |
| C．It attracts fewer people than other festivals. |
| D．It suggests the return of spring. |
| A．It is the most popular custom. |
| B．It is in honor of dragon’s dignity and power. |
| C．It is people’s wish for luck and opportunities. |
| D．It is a sign of barbershops’ prospering businesses. |
| A．People in China share the similar traditional foods on he day. |
| B．Foods for celebrating the festival usually bear people’s best wishes. |
| C．Salted foods are used to celebrate the festival throughout China. |
| D．Traditional foods on the day are prepared for the dragon to eat. |
| A．The Dragon Heads-raising Day. |
| B．The celebrations of the Longtaitou Festival. |
| C．The origin of the Longtaitou Festival. |
| D．The purpose of the Dragon Heads-raising Day. |
7 . India’s touring (流动的) cinemas are dying, and being reborn. And India is perhaps the most film-mad country in the world while it also has the lowest ratios of screens to human beings.
| A．they failed to change over time. |
| B．Fewer people can afford to go to cinemas. |
| C．The floor was carpeted and there were plastic chairs. |
| D．The following are the reasons leading to this phenomenon. |
| E．It was in this world that the touring cinemas played a crucial role. |
| F．The collapse of the touring cinemas was for two interlinked reasons. |
| G．It is one more paradox (悖论) among the millions of contradictions there. |
8 . Culture shock is the experience that often accompanies moving to an unfamiliar place. It could be marked by feeling lost, anxious or hesitant.
When deciding to visit an entirely new place, don’t expect the traditions and cultures followed by your current home to be followed by the new land.
Even though it is an unfamiliar environment hosting different cultures and traditions from the one you’re used to, it’s vital to broaden your mind and be willing to try new things. Don’t be quick to form discriminatory judgments just because it is “odd”. Have a go at something different, like a food or clothing — different isn’t necessarily bad.
Social psychologists claim that lack of information is the biggest contributor to prejudices. Talk to the local population and ask them about how their culture works instead of assuming the worst.
Keep yourself open-minded, await new experiences and familiarize yourself with the conduct of the people.
| A．Integrity breaks down barriers. |
| B．You can gain insight into your surroundings. |
| C．Culture shock will eventually disappear, though. |
| D．Every city or country has its own values and beliefs. |
| E．Never do you know where you might find an interest. |
| F．Consequently, such memories are what you should treasure. |
| G．As long as you stick to that, you’ll soon adjust to the new culture. |
9 . The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th of the first month of the lunar calendar. This day is always the first full moon in the new year. Ancient people also called it Shangyuan Festival. Celebrations and traditions on this day began from the Han Dynasty and became popular in the Tang Dynasty.
Watching the red lanterns is one of the main traditions. Lanterns of different shapes and sizes are usually put on trees, or along river banks on show. It is said that sky lanterns were first used by Zhuge Kongming to ask for help when he was in trouble. Today, when the lanterns slowly rise into the air, people make wishes. Another tradition is guessing lantern riddles. The riddles are usually short, wise, and sometimes humorous (幽默的). The answer to a riddle can be a Chinese character, a famous person’s name, or a place name.
The most important thing is to eat sweet dumplings with different tastes. In northern China, they are called yuanxiao while in southern part they’re named tangyuan. Because making sweet dumplings is like a game or an activity, they are usually done happily by a group of friends or family members.
In old times, the Lantern Festival was also a good time for young people to find love. Watching lanterns gave young people a chance to meet each other. And there were many romantic stories about this festival. A line from Xin Qiji, a poet during the Song Dynasty, shows this, “Hundreds and thousands of times I searched for her in the crowd. Suddenly I turned, and there she stood in the dim light.”
In a word, the Lantern Festival has brought us Chinese so much fun and joy over the years. We hope the young people can carry on these traditions and take pride in Chinese culture.
1. In ancient times, sky lanterns were first used for ______by Zhuge Kongming.| A．ask for help | B．guessing lantern riddles |
| C．making wishes | D．celebrating people’s birthdays |
| A．They have different tastes. |
| B．People enjoy the process of making them. |
| C．They are named “yuanxiao” all over the country. |
| D．People usually make them with family and friends. |
| A．necessary | B．demanding | C．romantic | D．important |
10 . The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气). Start of Autumn, the 13th solar term of the year, begins this year on Aug 8 and ends on Aug. 22. Start of Autumn means the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.
Gathering crops
Eating peaches
In Hangzhou, people eat peaches and pray health on the Start of Autumn day. The peach stones are kept until New Year’s Eve and thrown into the stove, burned into ash. People believed that in this way,
Eating dumplings
In Shandong province, people make dumplings during the Start of Autumn, and they call it “Eating the Autumn”. On the day of Start of Autumn, senior members of the family will stand in the middle of the hall, they worship (敬奉；信奉) a bowl of cereal, and
Eating gourds (瓜)
Although Start of Autumn indicates the beginning of autumn, hot weather will not come to an end. During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), people would put gourds outside for a day before the Start of Autumn, and
| A．they pray for the harvest in autumn |
| B．The fruitful season is coming |
| C．they eat them on Start of Autumn day to drive off the summer heat |
| D．Start of Autumn is a big solar term for farmers |
| E．they sincerely pray for god |
| F．plagues (瘟疫) could be prevented for the whole year |
| G．they will get away from ghosts |
