1 . It is no secret that China has an amazingly rich history and culture. My first exposure (接触) to Chinese culture came totally by chance. One day, I entered my grandfather’s personal library and took a book named Tao Te Ching from one of the shelves. As an 8-year-old, the book’s content completely confused me, but it provided me with an early connection to a beautiful and great philosophical (哲学的) tradition that still influences me today.
Around this time, I also came across several cartoons heavily inspired by traditional Chinese culture and martial arts such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat. Both cartoons describe beautiful landscapes and buildings similar to those found in classical Chinese paintings. This further developed my love of the rich and beautiful culture.
At school I began studying Chinese. My interest in the language developed early on, combining my love of travelling with my love of meeting new people. Later on, my interest in the language developed into exploring widespread Chinese culture. I wanted to challenge myself in a totally new linguistic (语言的) landscape and listen to the lives and stories of others in their own language. I have been lucky enough to have lived in China for around three years. I loved every second I spent there and there is never a shortage of things to see and do, people to meet, and foods to enjoy.
It is safe to say that my journey to studying Chinese has only just begun and these first steps are only a drop in the ocean of lifelong learning, but as the Chinese philosopher Laozi says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
1. How does the author like the book Tao Te Ching?| A．It encourages him to go to the library. |
| B．It improves his behavior and habits. |
| C．It has a long lasting influence on him. |
| D．It makes him know Chinese society better. |
| A．Watching some cartoons. | B．Admiring Chinese paintings. |
| C．Living abroad for long. | D．Cooking Chinese food. |
| A．Chinese culture differs greatly from others’. |
| B．Travelling takes up much of the author’s time. |
| C．It’s easy for the author to get on well with others. |
| D．The author learns languages in real surroundings. |
| A．My Grandpa’s Influence on Me | B．My Exploration of Chinese Culture |
| C．My Travel Experience in China | D．My Exposure to TaoTe Ching |
2 . Qing ming Festival, or Tomb-Sweeping Day, is a traditional festival where Chinese pay respects to their ancestors and the dead. People in different regions of the country consume different foods on the day according to local customs. From green rice balls and omelets (煎蛋饼) to fried dough twists and pancakes, here are some traditional foods people eat on the special day.
Qingtuan, or green rice balls, are widely consumed in China’s Jiangnan area — the region south of the Yangtze River — around Qingming Festival. The seasonal delicious food is usually made from glutinous rice (糯米) mixed with pounded mugwort — an eatable wild herb thought to prevent toxic insect bites.
In both northern and southern China, it is an age-old tradition to eat sanzi, or fried dough twists, on Tomb-Sweeping Day. However, the sanzi in North and South China are different from each other in terms of size and material. Northern people prefer larger ones made from wheat, while people in the South enjoy smaller ones made from rice.
Thin pancakes are a popular food for people in Xiamen in Southeast China’s Fujian province on Tomb-Sweeping Day. To make it tastier, they usually add dried seaweed, omelet, vegetables and chili sauce to the pancakes.
In Qingdao in East China’s Shandong province, people eat spring onion and omelet on the day. They believe the special combination makes eyes brighter. In ancient times, pupils often sent eggs to their teachers to show respect on the day.
In many places in Southeast China’s Fujian province, people thought eating steamed rice with leaf mustard (芥菜) on Tomb-Sweeping Day could help prevent scabies and other skin diseases for the whole year.
The steamed bun is named after Jie Zitui, a famous hermit of the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476BC). People in Shanxi province have a tradition of eating the bun on Tomb-Sweeping Day. Colorful dough animals and flowers are frequent decorations, while eggs and jujubes (红枣) are added inside to increase sweetness.
1. What’s special about sanzi?| A．People in South China prefer sanzi made from wheat. |
| B．People in North China prefer smaller size of sanzi |
| C．It is only accessible on Tomb-Sweeping Day. |
| D．The sanzi varies in different places. |
| A．To help improve eyesight | B．To show respect to ancestors |
| C．To exchange eggs with teachers | D．To make the omelet tastier |
| A．Colorful flowers | B．Dough animals | C．Dough eggs | D．Jujubes |
| A．They are both made from glutinous rice. | B．They are believed to be beneficial to health. |
| C．They are both popular around China. | D．They have the same eatable herbs in them. |
3 . There is more of a connection between food and culture than you may think. On an individual level, we grow up eating the food of our culture. It becomes a part of who we are. Many associate food from our childhood with warm feelings and good memories and it ties us to our families, holding a special and personal value for us. Food from our families often becomes the comfort food we seek as adults in times of frustration and stress.
On a large scale, traditional food is an important part of culture. It also operates as an expression of cultural identity. Immigrants bring it wherever they go, and it is a symbol of pride in their culture and means of coping with homesickness.
Many immigrants open their own restaurants and serve traditional dishes. However, the food does not remain exactly the same. Some materials needed to make traditional dishes may not be readily available, so the taste and flavour can be different from what they would prepare in their home countries. Additionally, immigrants do not only sell dishes to people from the same countries as them, but to people from different countries. Therefore, they have to make small changes in the original dishes to cater to a wider range of customers. Those changes can create new flavours that still keep the cultural significance of the dishes.
We should not only embrace our heritage (传统) through our culture’s food, but also become more informed about other cultures by trying their food. It is important to remember that each dish has a special place in the culture to which it belongs, and is special to those who prepare it. Food is a window on culture, and it should be treated as such.
1. What’s the function of food mentioned in the text?| A．To help motivate homesickness. |
| B．To show cultural identity. |
| C．To reflect a country’s history. |
| D．To show a community’s superiority. |
| A．The specific traditional food. |
| B．The national culture. |
| C．A traditional expression of food. |
| D．The old-fashioned taste. |
| A．To attach cultural importance to their dishes. |
| B．To announce the beginning of their life on foreign soil. |
| C．To make the dishes popular among customers. |
| D．To present their own food culture in a new way. |
| A．Negative. |
| B．Balanced. |
| C．Unfair. |
| D．Unchangeable. |
4 . 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 a delicacy(美味佳肴), and it’s connected to their certain culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. What did the writer become aware of?| A．She had ever typed a report about seeds. |
| B．She had various snacks while watching TV. |
| C．She had a habit of cracking sunflower seeds. |
| D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds. |
| 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. |
5 . In the United States, it is not customary to telephone someone very early in the morning. If you call him early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. The same meaning is attached to telephone calls made after 11:00 p.m. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he thinks it’s a matter of life or death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.
In social life, time plays a very important part. In the USA, guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party is extended only three or four days before the party date. But it is not true in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be forgotten easily. The meaning of time differs in different parts of the world. Thus, misunderstandings appear between people from cultures that treat time differently. Being on time is highly thought of in American life. If people are not on time, they may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. In the USA, keeping business companies waiting for an hour is too impolite. A person is expected to say sorry when he is 5 minutes late. If he is less than 5 minutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence.
1. The best title for this passage is_________.| A．the importance of time | B．the culture of time |
| C．the importance of an announcement | D．explanation of being late |
| A．shown | B．drawn | C．taken | D．given |
| A．the matter requires immediate attention | B．it is a matter of life and death |
| C．the matter is not so important | D．the matter is somewhat important |
| A．social life | B．private life | C．family life | D．school life |
| A．If one is less than 5 minutes late, he has to make a short apology. |
| B．It is better for one to make telephone calls at night because it costs much less. |
| C．It is appropriate to send your invitation cards three or four days before a dinner party date in U.S.A. |
| D．It may be proper to send your invitation to your guests three or four days before a dinner party date in some cultures. |
6 . Shadow puppetry, also known as shadow play, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment in China. ___①___ Shadow puppets were first made of paper later from the leather of donkeys or oxen. That’s why its Chinese name is piying, which means shadow of leather.
___②___ It became popular in the Tang dynasty and prevalent in the Ming and Qing dynasties.
The following story recorded in The History of the Han Dynasty is believed to be the origin of shadow puppetry.
___③___ More than 2,000 years ago, a beloved concubine of Emperor Wu of Han died of illness. The emperor missed her so much that he lost his desire to reign. One day, a minister happened to see children playing with dolls whose shadows on the floor were vivid. Inspired by this scene, the minister came across an idea. He made a cotton puppet of the concubine and painted it. As night fell, he invited the emperor to watch a puppet show behind a curtain. The emperor was delighted and began to watch it regularly from then on.
___④___ Shadow puppetry wins the heart of an audience by its lingering music, delicate sculpture, natural color and lively performance. Shadow plays from Hua County of Shaanxi Province are the best known. Nicknamed the “Business of the Five” by local people, the drama involves five performers. One is responsible for singing the different roles of a play; one operates the movements of the puppets; one is in charge of percussion instruments such as gongs and bowls; one plays a suona horn, and one plays Banhu fiddle. These five artists keep busy doing their particular work offstage to put on the performance.
In the 13th century, Chinese shadow puppetry was introduced into West Asia, and by the 18th century it had spread to other parts of the world. Famed German writer Geothe spoke highly of it, and the great comedian Charlie Chaplin drew inspiration from it for his legendary silent films. In 2011, Chinese shadow puppetry was added to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
1. According to the passage, shadow puppetry got its Chinese name from ______.| A．historical records | B．puppetry material |
| C．The History of the Han Dynasty | D．the legends of shadow |
| A．① | B．② | C．③ | D．④ |
| A．The performer responsible for singing. |
| B．The familiarity of its lingering music and color. |
| C．The combination of sounds, colors, design and presentation. |
| D．Increasing awareness of traditional culture. |
| A．Shadow puppetry was well received in West Asia. |
| B．Shadow puppetry has spread to all parts of the world. |
| C．Shadow puppetry was the inspiration for Goethe’s works. |
| D．Shadow puppetry made a difference to Charlie Chaplin’s silent film. |
7 . An 85-year-old primary school constructed in 1935 in Shanghai has been lifted off the ground in its entirety and relocated using new technology called the “walking machine.” The project marks the first time this “walking machine” method has been used in Shanghai to relocate a historical building.
Urbanization（都市化）has continued to significantly threaten architectural heritage. In the capital Beijing, for instance, more than 1,000 acres of its historic hutongs and traditional courtyard homes were destroyed between 1990 and 2010.
In the early 2000s, cities including Nanjing and Bejjing-due to the critics’ protest about the loss of old neighborhoods-drew up long-term plans to preserve what was left of their historic sites, with protections introduced to safeguard buildings and restrict developers.
These conservation efforts have taken different forms. In Beijing, a near-ruined temple was transformed into a restaurant and gallery, while in Nanjing, a cinema from the 1930s was restored to its original form, with some additions providing it for modern use. In 2019, Shanghai welcomed Tank Shanghai, an arts center built in renovated（重修的）oil tanks.
“Relocation is not the first choice, but better than destroying,” said Lan, the Shanghai primary school’s project supervisor. “I’d rather not touch the historical buildings at all.” Building relocations he said however, are “a workable option.” “The central government is putting more emphasis on the protection of historical buildings. I’m happy to see that progress in recent years.”
Shanghai has arguably been China’s most progressive city when it comes to heritage preservation. The survival of a number of 1930s buildings and 19th-century “shikumen” （or “stone gate”） house have offered examples of how to give old buildings new life.
“We have to preserve the historical building no matter what, ” Lan said. “The relocation has challenges, but in general, it is cheaper than destroying and then rebuilding something in a new location.”
1. How did cities respond to the loss of historical sites?| A．They criticized the developers. | B．They rebuilt the historic hutongs. |
| C．They ended the significant threat. | D．They proposed the protection project. |
| A．All original form. | B．A new addition. | C．A cinema. | D．A temple. |
| A．Provide strong evidence. | B．Introduce different opinions. |
| C．Summarize previous paragraphs. | D．Add some background information. |
| A．Walking Machine: a New Technology | B．Rebuilding: a New Option for Relics |
| C．Old Building Torn down for Modern Use | D．Historical Site “Walks” to New Life |
8 . The Tuareg bride, Assalama, who has spent most of her time tending her family’s goats and sheep, sits silently as female relatives and helpers make sure that every hair is perfect for the wedding. The Tuareg are nomads, and it was only by chance that she was reunited with her 25-year-old cousin Mohamed a month earlier. Back from working in Libya, Mohamed spotted Assalama as she drew water from a well. “I knew from that moment that I wanted to marry her”, he says. He asked for her hand and she gave him a piece of jewelry to demonstrate her acceptance. Their families approved, and wedding plans began.
Following Tuareg traditions, the marriage ceremony is performed at a nearby mosque (清真寺) in the presence of only the couple’s parents. Assalama and Mohamed are absent. A few days later, the celebration approaches. For a week, some 500 guests enjoy camel races, sing, and eat rice, dates, and roasted meat in tents under the Saharan stars.
Mohamed wears an indigo tagelmust, a cloth that wraps his head and face. For the Tuareg, the tagelmust not only keeps out the desert sand and sun, it keeps evil creatures called jinns away, as does henna, a reddish-brown coloring used on Mohamed’s feet. It is also a symbol of purity, reserved for a man’s first marriage.
At the celebration, a tent called an ehan is prepared for Assalama and Mohamed. Women take down and put up the tent each day, making it larger each time to symbolize the progress of the celebration and of the couple’s relationship. Assalama stays inside the tent during the whole celebration, only showing her face or speaking to Mohamed, her best friend, her mother, and one special helper. During the celebration, neither Assalama nor Mohamed is ever left alone for fear they might be harmed by jealous jinns.
As the celebration ends, the couple prepares to spend the first year of their marriage with Assalama’s family. Mohamed must work hard to win his in-laws’ approval. Once he does that, he will take his bride back to his camp and start his nomad’s caravan moving again.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．The romantic love story of the two Tuareg cousins. |
| B．The marriage difficulties of a young Tuareg couple. |
| C．The description of the marriage of a Tuareg couple. |
| D．The changing wedding customs of the Tuareg people. |
| A．were forbidden to show up |
| B．visited the nearest mosque |
| C．showed respect to their parents |
| D．wore traditional Tuareg clothing |
| A．he is marrying his cousin |
| B．he is thought to be very pure |
| C．he is not wearing a Tagemust |
| D．he has not been married before |
| A．Starting his caravan moving again. |
| B．Finishing the wedding celebration. |
| C．Working hard for Assalama’s family. |
| D．Obtaining permission from his in-laws. |
9 . It may seem as if Mother's Day was invented by a company named Hallmark, but people have been taking time on the calendar to give a shout-out to Mom for a long time. The Greeks and Romans had mother goddess festivals — although their celebrations didn't involve the menfolk taking their underappreciated mothers out to dinner. A more recent tradition was Mothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday in April, young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.
Mother's Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers' Work Days” to promote health and hygiene(卫生 ) at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, furthering the cause by bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers and promoting a Mother's Day holiday.
Jarvis's work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe published her “Mother's Day Proclamation”, which envisioned(设想) the day not as appreciation of mothers by their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother's Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade she stopped footing the bill and the tradition faded away.
It was Jarvis's daughter Anna who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died, in May 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremony on the anniversary and conducting a tireless PR campaign to have the day made a holiday. In 1908 she succeeded in enlisting the support of John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia department store magnate and advertising pioneer, and by 1912 West Virginia and a few other states had adopted Mother's Day. Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution declaring the second Sunday in May a national holiday.
It wasn't long, though, before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under an amount of greeting cards and candy. By the 1920s Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had been instrumental in creating. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.
1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that .| A．mothers didn't get enough appreciation in the past |
| B．Mother's Day was invented by Hallmark |
| C．young people all returned to their mothers' houses |
| D．Greeks and Romans were the first to celebrate Mother's Day |
| A．Ann Jarvis. | B．Julia Ward Howe. |
| C．Woodrow Wilson. | D．Anna Jarvis. |
| A．Because it was extremely emotional. |
| B．Because the festival was not profitable. |
| C．Because the celebrations went against the original spirit. |
| D．Because the day was celebrated in the form of exchanging greeting cards and candy. |
| A．The Definition of Mother’s Day |
| B．The Argument on Celebrating Mother's Day |
| C．The Story Behind the Creation of Mother's Day |
| D．Different Forms of Celebration on Mother's Day |
10 . After spending a term in Spain, I have been trying to work out which common impressions on Spain have some truth in them and which don't.
Spain is always warm and sunny. This is not true. The city I stayed in, which is in central Spain, often becomes colder than London in winter. However, the city receives little rain all year round and gets very hot in summer.
The Spanish love to have fun.
Spain is a fascinating country, in which you are sure to have lots of fun. I find that a lot of the common impressions on Spain hold some truth.
| A．Spain is famous for its Flamenco. |
| B．Here’s what I have discovered so far. |
| C．But the country is not limited to them. |
| D．I have seen a lot of evidence that this is true. |
| E．The following are correct impressions on Spain. |
| F．Southern Spain tends to be warmer than northern Spain. |
| G．Northern Spain is colder in summer and also colder in winter. |
