1 . International tourism is becoming interestingly popular, and large numbers of people from all over the world come to visit famous places such as the Great Wall of China and the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
As for the damage, there are many different causes. For example, the paintings in the Sistine Chapel are being damaged by people breathing onto them when they visit.
In short, it is necessary to control tourism at famous places.
| A．For example, special paths can be built. |
| B．What can we do to deal with these problems? |
| C．The Great Wall was built over 2,000 years ago. |
| D．However, these visitors have caused many problems. |
| E．Traveling is the best way for us to get to know the world. |
| F．If we do not do this, these places will disappear from our planet. |
| G．Their breath contains very small drops of water that are present in the air. |
2 . In England recently three foreign gentlemen came to a bus stop and waited. About five minutes later, the bus that they wanted came along. They were just going to get on when suddenly there was a loud noise behind them. People rushed onto the bus and tried to push them out of the way. Someone shouted at them. The bus conductor came rushing down the stairs to see what all the trouble was about. The three foreigners seemed all at sea and looked embarrassed. No one had told them about the British custom of lining up for a bus that the first person who arrives at the bus stop is the first person to get on the bus.
Learning the language of a country isn’t enough. If you want to have a pleasant visit, find out as much as possible about the manners and customs of your host country. You will probably be surprised just how different they can be from your own. A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table. The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself. Also in India, you might see a man shaking his head at another to show that he doesn’t agree. But in many parts of India, a shake of the head means agreement. Nodding your head when you are given a drink in Bulgaria will most probably leave you thirsty.
1. Why did the British people try to push the three gentlemen out of the way?| A．They were foreigners. | B．They didn’t line up for the bus. |
| C．They didn’t have tickets. | D．They made a loud noise. |
| A．have enough time and money |
| B．learn the language of the country |
| C．make friends with the people there |
| D．understand the manners and customs of the country |
| A．Puzzled. | B．Tired. |
| C．Pleased. | D．Disappointed. |
| A．help yourself at table | B．eat food with your hands |
| C．pass food with the left hand | D．use the right hand for passing food at table |
3 . After shopping for deals in stores on “Black Friday”, or online on “Cyber Monday”, Americans and people worldwide are preparing for newly popular “Giving Tuesday”. Starting in 2012, now the global event that is celebrated annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is the brainchild of 92nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York City and the United Nations Foundation.
As the name indicates, “Giving Tuesday” is meant to restart the charitable season and therefore observed by raising funds for local nonprofits and schools, organizing food and clothing drives, and conducting random acts of kindness. In 2015, 700,000 people from 71 countries came together to donate $116.7 million in cash. An additional $1.08 million was spent on gifts.
While the easiest way to participate is by donating to your favorite charity, this day can be celebrated in many other ways too. You can give back by volunteering at your local shelter or food bank, or even by donating blood. If all else fails, a purchase from the growing number of organizations that give a portion of their sales to charity will do the trick.
But perhaps the best way to celebrate the day is by helping those nearest and dearest to you. Assist a family member with a simple chore like folding laundry, cooking dinner, or even reading to a younger sibling. No matter what you do, be sure to share your good deed on social media and inspire others to celebrate “Giving Tuesday” as well!
1. What’s the main purpose of “Giving Tuesday”?| A．To persuade more people to shop online. |
| B．To make Thanksgiving Day enjoyable. |
| C．To encourage more people to do charity. |
| D．To get voluntary work better known. |
| A．To donate money to local schools. |
| B．To keep a record of one’s experience. |
| C．To help people make new friends. |
| D．To make “Giving Tuesday” more popular. |
| A．Business. | B．Culture. | C．Education. | D．Lifestyle. |
4 . The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person
One way is to read books written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.
Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language.
Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures.
| A．Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea. |
| B．The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries. |
| C．Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge. |
| D．There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures. |
| E．Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture. |
| F．One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world. |
| G．A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available. |
5 . It’s a typical cold English Sunday afternoon in March. The light is slowly fading, but all-over British people are working in their gardens. They’re digging, cutting leaves and planting new seeds. By summer, their gardens will be full of bright colours.
The British love their gardens. A British newspaper recently asked people for their opinions about them. Seventy percent of the people felt it was important to spend time in the garden, and over half of these described gardening as the most enjoyable thing they ever did.
Only one in ten houses in Britain do not have a garden. People who live in houses without gardens often rent land cheaply from the government to grow flowers or vegetables. You can, of course, just grow house plants inside or on your balcony.
In the nineteenth century, however, gardening became a hobby. About the same time, better transport meant people could buy different kinds of seeds and plants for their gardens. Although roses, sunflowers, onions and tomatoes are often grown in British gardens, they originally grew wild in other countries.
In many villages and towns there are competitions for the gardens that are best looked-after. This year the winner was a little village in Northern Ireland called Ahoghill. It’s already won four prizes for its beauty. People also take part in competitions to grow the largest vegetables, but don’t expect to win: Britain’s biggest carrot is almost six metres long.
1. We can learn from the first three paragraphs that ________.| A．most British families have their own gardens |
| B．British people only work in their gardens on warm days |
| C．British people spend quite a fortune on their gardening hobby |
| D．in the UK, old people love gardening more than young people do |
| A．Gardens were mainly used to produce food to eat. |
| B．Gardening became a popular activity for poor people. |
| C．Transportation development added variety to garden plants. |
| D．Local garden plants were introduced to overseas countries. |
| A．How to look after a garden. | B．What British gardens look like. |
| C．The history of gardening in the UK. | D．The British public’s love of gardens. |
6 . China has been drinking tea since the time of Shennong, 5,000 years ago. Britain’s relationship with tea is much shorter, but tea enjoys pride of place as the UK’s national drink. According to the UK Tea Council, British people drink an average of three cups a day or a national total of 165 million cups every day.
With figures like these, it is no surprise that time spent taking tea affects the working day in Britain. A recent survey found that 24 minutes a day are lost to making, buying and drinking tea and coffee. That is, £400 a year is lost in working hours per employee, or 190 days over a lifetime. So, should employers be worried about this lost working time, or does the tea break make up in other ways?
One argument is that caffeine improves mental state: a drink of tea or coffee can make you active and focus on work.
Professor Rogers of the University of Bristol disagrees. After years of studying caffeine he sees nothing can prove that. “Workers would perform equally well if not drinking it at all,” he says. “But if they’re often drinking it and then go without, they’ll feel tired and won’t work well.”
Psychologist Cooper instead emphasizes the role tea breaks play in office life, and in building social relationships. “We need to make people more active and see other people. The tea break is one way of doing this,” says Cooper.
And Professor Rogers also points out the comfort effect of a hot drink: “We warm our hands on them on a cold day; they’re comforting and play a big role in our everyday life. Whatever the caffeine’s doing, I’d say these 24 minutes aren’t wasted.”
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．Tea Breaks cannot make people more active at work. |
| B．British people drink more tea than people in other countries. |
| C．Tea break plays an important role in people’s life in Britain. |
| D．A lot of time has been wasted drinking tea in the working day. |
| A．£400 is lost in working hours for each person |
| B．tea breaks take up 24 minutes in a working day |
| C．people spends 190 days drinking tea and coffee each year |
| D．people drink 165 million cups in working hours every day |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Doubtful. |
7 . China has been drinking tea since the time of Shennong, 5,000 years ago. Britain’s relationship with tea is much shorter, but tea enjoys pride of place as the UK’s national drink. According to the UK Tea Council, British people drink an average of three cups a day or a national total of 165 million cups every day.
With figures like these, it is no surprise that time spent taking tea affects the working day in Britain. A recent survey found that 24 minutes a day are lost to making, buying and drinking tea and coffee. That is, £400 a year is lost in working hours per employee, or 190 days over a lifetime. So, should employers be worried about this lost working time, or does the tea break make up in other ways?
One argument is that caffeine improves mental state: a drink of tea or coffee can make you active and focus on work.
Professor Rogers of the University of Bristol disagrees. After years of studying caffeine he sees nothing can prove that. “Workers would perform equally well if not drinking it at all,” he says. “But if they’re often drinking it and then go without, they’ll feel tired and won’t work well.”
Psychologist Cooper instead emphasizes the role tea breaks play in office life, and in building social relationships. “We need to make people more active and see other people. The tea break is one way of doing this,” says Cooper.
And Professor Rogers also points out the comfort effect of a hot drink: “We warm our hands on them on a cold day; they’re comforting and play a big role in our everyday life. Whatever the caffeine’s doing, I’d say these 24 minutes aren’t wasted.”
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．Tea Breaks cannot make people more active at work. |
| B．British people drink more tea than people in other countries. |
| C．Tea break plays an important role in people’s life in Britain. |
| D．A lot of time has been wasted drinking tea in the working day. |
| A．£400 is lost in working hours for each person |
| B．tea breaks take up 24 minutes in a working day |
| C．people spends 190 days drinking tea and coffee each year |
| D．people drink 165 million cups in working hours every day |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Uncertain. | D．Doubtful. |
8 . Craziest Food Festivals sounds like a joke topic, but once you start looking into it, you’ll realize they’re everywhere — the crazier, the better.
1. Bibimbap Festival
In the South Korean town of Jeonjuloves, their “mixed rice” dish is a hearty serve of rice topped with raw beef, a rainbow of vegetables, a raw egg and gochujang sauce so much. They take four days out of October to celebrate it.
Like any festival there’s music, entertainment and magic, but making it that little bit different is the bibimbap that’s whipped (搅拌) up in a big bowl by dozens of chefs and served to over 400 people.
2. Waikiki Spam Jam
Who knew this canned meat had so much love? Well, it turns out that a can of Spam is the go-to item in Hawaii, along with a grass skirt and garland (花环). The people of Hawaii love Spam so much that they even spend a day in May giving out the best Spam, a type of cheap canned meat made mainly from pork.
3. Bessieres Easter Egg Festival
At Easter time, for those in the French town of Bessieres it’s all about an egg far less sweet.
Here they celebrate the holiday by getting dozens of chefs to make one large omelette (煎蛋卷) — 15,000 eggs strong — for the townsfolk (市民).
4. Potato Days Festival
This festival actually takes place in Barnesville, Minnesota, the US. Over the last Friday and Saturday in August the town celebrates its potato-growing skills by hosting potato picking and peeling contests, as well as a Miss Tater Tot pageant (盛典) for five- and six-year-old girls.
1. What makes Bibimbap festival special?| A．They take four days to celebrate it. |
| B．The mixed rice is rich in many vegetables. |
| C．There’s music, entertainment and magic during the festival. |
| D．The rice dish needs to be mixed in one big bowl by dozens of chefs together. |
| A．The spam is the most favorite for Hawii people. |
| B．People spend one day to prepare the Jam. |
| C．The Jam isn’t affordable for the plain townsfolk. |
| D．The Jam is mainly made from raw beef. |
| A．Bibimbap Festival | B．Waikiki Spam Jam |
| C．Bessieres Easter Egg Festival | D．Potato Days Festival |
9 . Culture shock isn’t a clinical term or medical conditions. It’s simply a common way to describe the confusing and nervous feelings a person may have after leaving a familiar culture to live in a different culture.
Everyone feels the pressure to fit in at one time or another—whether they’ve lived in the area for days or years. But don’t feel like you need to change everything about yourself so you can stand out less.
Here are a few tips for making sure your new culture doesn’t overpower the old:
Educate people about your culture. Just because you’re the one entering the new culture doesn’t mean you should be the one doing all the learning.
Find a support group. Find kids in your class or neighborhood who recently moved, too. You can share experiences.
Remember, it’s important to be yourself.
| A．Keep in touch with home. |
| B．Understand the new culture. |
| C．But the good news is that culture shock is temporary. |
| D．When you move to a new place, you’re bound to face a lot of changes. |
| E．Try not to force yourself to change too fast or too many things all at once. |
| F．All of your experiences before you came to your new home are part of you. |
| G．Take the opportunity to teach classmates and new friends about your culture. |
10 . Chopsticks, or kuaizi in Chinese, are used to eat Asian food. The earliest evidence of a pair of chopsticks made out of bronze was found in the Ruins of Yin near Anyang, Henan province, dating back to roughly 1, 200 BC.
Chopsticks are round on the eating end which symbolizes heaven, and the other end is square which symbolizes earth. This is because maintaining an adequate food supply is the greatest concern between heaven and earth in Chinese culture.
There is no single standard for the use of chopsticks, but better bear some rules in mind eating with them. Playing with chopsticks is considered bad manners and rude, just as playing with a fork in a Western environment would be considered impolite. Besides, chopsticks are not used to move bowls or plates or to toy with one’s food. Chopsticks are not supposed to stab food, either. Exceptions include tearing larger items apart such as vegetables. Also, chopsticks should not be left standing up in a bowl of food. Any stick-like object pointing upward resembles(像) the incense sticks that some Asians use as offerings to family members who have passed away. In addition, avoid tapping chopsticks on the edge of one’s bowl, as beggars are believed to make this noise to attract attention. Furthermore, chopsticks should not be chewed on, or linger in one’s mouth for too long.
Today, chopsticks serve many functions besides as tableware. For example, you can buy a pair of chopsticks as a gift for a newly-married couple as their wedding gift. In Chinese, ‘chopsticks’ reads ‘kuaizi’, which means to have sons soon. Skillful craftsmen paint beautiful scenery on chopsticks to make them like fine artwork. Additionally, it has been said that using chopsticks improves one’s memory, increases finger flexibility and can be useful in learning and improving skills such as Chinese character printing and brush painting.
1. We probably find this passage in _________.| A．a science fiction | B．a magazine |
| C．a travel guide | D．an advertisement |
| A．Traditional rules for using chopsticks. |
| B．Different standards to use chopsticks. |
| C．Some exceptions to use chopsticks. |
| D．Cultural backgrounds for using chopsticks. |
| A．chopsticks can help maintain an adequate food supply |
| B．stabbing food with chopsticks is strictly forbidden in China |
| C．standing chopsticks up in a bowl of food is traditionally accepted |
| D．Chinese brush painting learners may benefit from using chopsticks |
