1 . “The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence（篱笆）.”That’s an old saying in English. It means that other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live.“Let’s go to KFC for dinner and then watch some Japanese cartoons!”We all know it: more and more Chinese kids love American and Japanese food and movies. Some people worry that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating western holidays.
Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that the Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with the Mid-Autumn Festival. China has lots of cool things in its culture: calligraphy, Beijing Opera, quick meals on the streets, and even Jay Chou! And let's not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.
It’s good to enjoy other cultures and to learn from them, but they can never replace your own culture. It’s good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn’t always greener.
Although some people become worried about that, I don’t think they should. Will we get more powerful without learning from other countries? Will Chinese people live more happily without American fast food? Besides, it's fun to learn about different cultures. Chinese kids can learn about other cultures and have fun, but they also need to learn more about their own culture. Be proud of Chinese culture and of being Chinese!
1. The author thinks young Chinese ________.| A．are ignoring our own culture | B．are foolish in learning our own culture |
| C．are interested in our own culture | D．are hating our own culture |
| A．Japanese cartoon books. | B．Korean soap operas. |
| C．The Mid-Autumn Festival. | D．Christmas. |
| A．Hard-working. | B．Friendly. | C．Brave. | D．Honest. |
| A．Chinese culture and western culture | B．Simple young Chinese |
| C．Interesting western culture | D．That grass is not always greener |
2 . Last week, Education Secretary Arne Duncan declared a war on paper textbooks. “Over the next few years," he said in a speech at the National Press Club, “textbooks should be abandoned." In their place would come a variety of digital-learning technologies, like e-readers and multi-media websites.
Such technologies certainly have their place. But Secretary Duncan is threatening to light a fire to a tried-and-true technology that has been the foundation for one of the great educational systems on the planet. And while e-readers and multi-media may seem appealing, the idea of replacing an effective learning platform with a widely hyped (炒作) but still unproven one is extremely dangerous,
An expert on reading, Maryanne Wolf, has recently begun studying the effects of digital reading on learning, and so far the results are mixed. She worries that Internet reading, in particular, could be such a source of distractions for the student that they may cancel out most other potential benefits of a web-linked, e-leaning environment, and while it's true that the high-tech industry has sponsored considerable amounts of research on the potential benefits of Web-based learning, not enough time has passed for longitudinal (纵向的) studies to demonstrate the full effects.
In addition, digital-reading advocates claim that lightweight e-books benefit students' backs and save schools money. But the rolling backpack seems to have solved the weight problem, and the astonishing costs to equip every student with an e reader, provide technical support and pay for regular software updates promise to make the e-textbook a very pricey choice.
As both a teacher who uses paper textbooks and a student of urban history, I can't help but wonder what parallels exist between my own field and this sudden, wholesale abandonment of the technology of paper.
1. What does the underlined part “a tried-and-true technology" in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Foundation | B．Paper | C．E-books | D．Platform |
| A．Its price. | B．Its efficiency. | C．Its content. | D．Its weight. |
| A．E-readers and multimedia websites are learning methods that are proved effective. |
| B．the results of digital reading effects are understandable |
| C．digital reading can't provide potential benefits for users |
| D．students may not focus on leaning by digital reading |
| A．Objective. | B．Supportive. | C．Positive. | D．Disapproving. |
3 . 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。delicacy（美味佳肴）, and it’s connected to their certain culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. Why can the British friend not understand when he found Chinese love eating sunflower seeds?| A．Because the seeds are too hard to crack. |
| B．Because he thinks they art harmful to teeth. |
| C．Because he doesn’t think the seeds are good. |
| D．Because he doesn’t thinks the seeds are worth eating. |
| 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. |
4 . “It’s raining cats and dogs!” Although this phrase is not very common in England any more, it clearly shows how we don’t always say what we mean. One thing that is often frustrating (灰心的) for language learners is that they understand every word in a sentence and yet the meaning remains unclear—like this sentence that actually means “it’s raining very heavily!” However, it’s not just idioms that cause difficulties for people learning English.
The British are often considered to be polite but this can be very confusing for non-native speakers. We often don’t say what we are thinking—in fact we often say the opposite! Here’s an example that will hopefully explain what I mean: “You should come round for tea!”
British people are less open than people from other cultures, so we aren’t as quick to invite people into our homes. This phrase is one of those that we say but often don’t really mean, so when no further details are given, you can probably assume (认为) it was made in the name of politeness! But how does this compare to other countries?
When I lived in India, lots of people would invite me into their homes but I always assumed that they were just being polite. Of course, I was wrong. The invitations were almost always genuine, and people expected me to visit them. I was always surprised by how welcoming people were. In fact, I think I spent more time at other people’s houses than my own!
In England, we often think it’s polite to offer or suggest something even if we don’t actually want to do it, while in other cultures people are more direct. Perhaps if English people just say what they were thinking, things would be a lot easier—especially for non-native speakers!
1. The example “It’s raining cats and dogs!” is mentioned to show that ______.| A．it is time for people protect these pet animals |
| B．the weather condition in England is rather awful |
| C．what British people say is different from what they think |
| D．it is difficult for non-native learner to understand idioms |
| A．Direct and honest. | B．Too traditional to accept. |
| C．Serious and formal. | D．Difficult to understand. |
| A．personal. | B．real. | C．informal. | D．special. |
| A．To encourage people to show politeness. |
| B．To teach people how to avoid misunderstandings. |
| C．To discuss how to learn English idioms effectively. |
| D．To advise people to understand politeness culturally. |
5 . Almost all cultures celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another in some way. Different cultures celebrate the beginning of a new year in different ways, and at different times on the calendar.
In Western countries, people usually celebrate New Year at midnight on December 31st or January 1st. People may go to parties, sometimes dressed in formal clothes, and they may drink champagne（香槟）at midnight. During the first minutes of the new year, people cheer and wish each other happiness for the year ahead. But some cultures prefer to celebrate the new year by waking up early to watch the sunrise. They welcome the new year with the first light of the sunrise.
Many cultures also do special things to get rid of bad luck at the beginning of a new year. For example, in Ecuador, families make a big doll from old clothes. The doll is filled with old newspapers and firecrackers. At midnight, these dolls are burned to show the bad things from the past year are gone and the new year can start afresh（重新）.
Other common traditions to keep away bad luck in a new year include throwing things into rivers or the ocean, or saying special things on the first day of the new year.
Other New Year traditions are followed to bring good luck in the new year. One widespread Spanish tradition for good luck is to eat grapes on New Year's Day. The more grapes a person eats, the more good luck the person will have in the new year. In France, people eat pancakes for good luck at New Year. In the United States, some people eat black-eyed peas for good luck—but to get good luck for a whole year you have to eat 365 of them！
1. Which of the following can be the best title of the text?| A．Several different New Year traditions |
| B．The meaning of "Happy New Year!" |
| C．What to eat on New Year's Day |
| D．Why people dress up nicely on New Year's Day |
| A．Different cultures celebrate the beginning and ending of a year in the same way. |
| B．The Western people celebrate the New Year only by watching the sunrise. |
| C．People around the world celebrate the New Year at different times. |
| D．People hold parties, wear new clothes and drink champagne for a whole day. |
| A．To bring good luck. |
| B．To forget everything. |
| C．To avoid bad luck. |
| D．To plan for the next year. |
| A．Families make big dolls filled with old clothes |
| B．Friends tell something special to each other |
| C．Some people get up early to watch the sunrise |
| D．Europeans eat 365 grapes on New Year's Day |
6 . Wearing a mask for confidence
You may often see young people in Asian countries wear their masks in public.
Apart from physical protection, masks have evolved into social firewalls among young people in Asian countries as well.
Not only are masks used to prevent the spread of disease, they have indeed made their way into the mainstream and are here to stay in Asian countries.
| A．What makes them do so? |
| B．Asians are subject to Confucianism (儒教). |
| C．In many Asian countries, people value collectivism. |
| D．They think wearing masks is not related to their freedom. |
| E．For this reason, wearing masks has become a fashion trend among young people. |
| F．For some young girls, wearing masks can give them confidence and a sense of security. |
| G．Young people are more concerned about their privacy than their parents and grandparents. |
7 . When visitors to the Palace Museum feel a need to sit down for a cup of tea or find a bathroom without a long line, they soon will be able to turn to their smart phones for the information they need.
This modern day solution comes thanks to an agreement signed on Friday by the museum and Huawei Co., the telecommunication giant, to build a “smart network” using 5G technology. Under the agreement, 5G Wi-Fi signals will cover the Palace Museum, China's royal palace from 1420 to 1911, and the branch museum of the institution under construction in northwestern Beijing.
“It’s essential to always stay close to the latest technology to better serve the public,” said Shan Jixiang, former director of the Palace Museum. Shan said there is still much room for improvement in the handling of a huge number of cultural relics (文物)，such as when the priceless painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival is exhibited again in the future. When it was last exhibited in 2015, visitors stood in long lines until 3 am to get a glimpse. The museum ended up preparing instant noodles to serve the hungry visitors. “I don't want that scenario to reoccur," Shan said. “Our operation can be done in a more scientific way.
The new system will also make use of the closed--circuits television cameras that are set up all over the Palace Museum to safeguard the museum's precious relics. More than 1.86 million of them are housed at the museum, which recorded nearly 20 million visits from the public last year, topping all museums worldwide. “How can we make sure no single visitor who might have evil ideas threatens these treasures?" Shan said. “After adopting the internet of things, we can instantly detect any motion involving the artifacts to prevent such threats.”
The 5G network also will be used to improve remote consultation through webcams, which will facilitate conversations with overseas scholars to jointly find the best answers for restoration and preservation issues.
1. What do we know about the Palace Museum?| A．Its visitors won't have to queue up for the bathroom. |
| B．It has served as China's royal palace for over 500 years. |
| C．It will cooperate with Huawei to promote its management. |
| D．It will set up advanced television cameras for the purpose of safety. |
| A．Disaster. | B．Situation. | C．Operation. | D．Exhibition. |
| A．It is better than any other museums. | B．It has a rich collection of cultural relics. |
| C．It enjoys great popularity all over the world. | D．It faces a tough challenge of protecting relics. |
| A．A Feast for Museum Visitors | B．A Revolution in Exhibition |
| C．A Protector of Cultural Relics | D．A Connection Between Old and New |
8 . When you go to a foreign country, you often enter a new culture. The differences between cultures may make you feel stressed and you often find it difficult to adjust to the new surroundings, which is usually called “culture shock”.
The psychological and physical symptoms of culture shock may appear depending on the individuals. Some often feel anxious while adjusting to a new culture—even more so when the cultural distances are wide.
A local club provides the perfect environment to get to know people who have a similar focus, so join one so that you can meet some locals and develop new friendships.
| A．They may lose appetite and have sleep problems. |
| B．Still, the most important change is communication. |
| C．They make a lot of effort to get used to the new surroundings. |
| D．The more of it is understood, the more of the new culture can be understood. |
| E．Learning about your future destination is a great way to get over culture shock. |
| F．Plus, remember that you aren’t alone in your struggle to adjust in a new country. |
| G．Actually, staying in a foreign country helps you to know more of the new culture. |
9 . Sweetest Day is always the third Saturday in October. This holiday is much more important in some regions than in others (Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo being the biggest Sweetest Day cities). It is a holiday that is gaining in popularity every year throughout the country.
Sweetest Day is celebrated on the third Saturday in October as a day to make someone happy. It is an occasion which offers all of us an opportunity to remember not only the sick, aged, and orphaned, but also friends, relatives and associates whose helpfulness and kindness we have enjoyed.
Over 60 years ago, a Cleveland man, believing that the city’s orphans and shut-ins (卧病在床的人) too often felt forgotten and neglected, formed the idea of showing them that they were remembered. He did this through the distribution(分发) of small gifts. With the help of his friends and neighbors, he distributed these small remembrances on a Saturday in October. During the years that followed, other Clevelanders began to participate in the celebration ceremony, which came to be called “Sweetest Day”. In time, the Sweetest Day idea of spreading cheer to the underprivileged(弱势群体)was broadened to include everyone, and became an occasion for remembering others with a kind act or a small remembrance. And soon the idea spread to other cities all over the country.
Sweetest Day is not based on any single group’s religious belief or on a family relationship. It is a reminder that a thoughtful word or deed enriches life and gives it meaning. Because for many people remembering takes the form of gift-giving, Sweetest Day offers us the opportunity to show others that we care, in a practical way.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the first paragraph?| A．More and more people are now celebrating Sweetest Day in the whole country. |
| B．Sweetest Day is a holiday which always falls on the Saturday in October. |
| C．Sweetest Day is much more important in big cities than in small cities. |
| D．Only a few religious have the tradition to celebrate the holiday. |
| A．the city’s orphans and shut-ins | B．a city named Cleveland 60 years ago |
| C．a man who cared orphans and shut-ins | D．a man’ s friends, relatives and associates |
| A．a kind act | B．a family party | C．gift-giving | D．a small remembrance |
| A．it is the people in Cleveland who spread Sweetest Day to other cities |
| B．only with the help of the man’s friends and neighbors, he got a small remembrance |
| C．over 60 years ago, a man too often felt forgotten and neglected |
| D．all people loved to be remembered by others on Sweetest Day in Cleveland |
10 . Most Chinese people expect to relax and enjoy themselves during the Golden Week. But for those trying to go someplace, it may seem more disappointment than pleasure. This year, the traffic jam resulted in a roadside wedding(婚礼).
The suffering of being stuck in traffic was probably most strongly felt by Lv Kangzhou and his bride(新娘) Yan Mengxia. By tradition, the groom（新郎） drove early in the morning to the bride's home in Zhejiang Province in East China to pick her up along with her family and take them to his family's hometown for the wedding. By 4 pm, Lv's wedding was 90 minutes away, but his car had not moved an inch for a long time. Lv got in touch with the local radio to explain his difficult situation and ask for a traffic forecast. The radio host told Lv there was no way to hold his wedding on time and offered to hold their wedding on the air. At 5：30 pm, Lv and his bride said their vows(发誓) on the side of the road, and Lv's family and friends witnessed the ceremony by listening to the radio.
Lv wasn't the only person stuck in the Golden Week crowds. According to the state news agency Xinhua, 11.7 million people traveled by train on Wednesday. About 120，000 people gathered at Tian'anmen Square in Beijing to watch the flagraising ceremony. Last year, the Forbidden City in Beijing hosted 175，000 tourists on one day during the Golden Week, and the number is expecting to be even bigger this year.
Chinese Internet users complain about the Golden Week holiday every year. An Internet user Tuzhi said on Sina Weibo: “On the Great Wall, I'm holding your hand, but I cannot see your face.”
1. By tradition, the wedding should take place in ________．| A．Zhejiang Province | B．a hotel |
| C．the bride's hometown | D．the groom's hometown |
| A．ask for help |
| B．hold their wedding on the air |
| C．complain about the traffic conditions |
| D．find someone to pick them up |
| A．A successful roadside wedding during the Golden Week. |
| B．The popularity of traveling around during the Golden Week. |
| C．The crowded situation in China during the Golden Week. |
| D．The cause of the heavy traffic in China during the Golden Week. |
| A．A newspaper. | B．A textbook. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A TV interview. |
