1 . 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. |
2 . If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and
philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks(缺陷)of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
1. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to______________.| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers' interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
| A．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| B．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
| C．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| D．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
| A．a personal biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a cultural newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
3 . Culture shock has many stages. Each stage can appear only at certain times. Culture begins with the “ honeymoon”. This is the period of time when we first arrive in which everything about the new culture is strange and exciting. This honeymoon stage can last for quite a long time. Afterwards, the second stage presents itself. A person may encounter some difficult times in daily life. This period of culture adjustment (调整) can be very difficult and lead to the new arrival rejecting the new culture. This “rejection stage” can be quite dangerous because the visitor may develop unhealthy habits, such as smoking, drinking too much.
The third stage is characterized by gaining some understanding of the new culture. A new feeling of pleasure and sense of humor may be experienced. And 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! This is called the “adjustment stage”. The fourth stage can be called “ at ease at last”. Now you feel quite comfortable in your new environment. You can deal with most problems. You may still have problems with the language, but you know you are strong enough to deal with them. If you meet someone from your country who has just arrived, you can be the expert on life in the new culture and help them to deal with their culture shock.
The fifth stage is the stage that is called the “re-entry shock. ” This occurs when a return to the country of origin is made. One may find that things are no longer the same. For example, some of the newly learned customs are not in use in the old culture.
1. What could be the best title of the passage?| A．How to Fight Cultural Shock | B．Stages of Cultural Shock |
| C．Origin of Cultural Shock | D．How to Adjust to New Cultural |
| A．The “honeymoon stage” | B．The “rejection stage” |
| C．The “adjustment stage” | D．The “re-entry shock” |
| A．The place is not the same as before |
| B．The old customs have changes over the years |
| C．They are not used to the local customs. |
| D．They are no longer what they used to be. |
4 . On the evening of April 8, Dunhuang Academy and Huawei jointly launched a brand-new technology-driven tour experience at the Mogao Grottoes. Using Huawei's newly-released Hetu artificial intelligence platform, coupled with the output of the Digital Dunhuang project, visitors to the Mogao Grottoes can enjoy a fantasy experience prior to entering the attraction.
Zhao Shengliang, director of the Dunhuang Academy, said that it has been cooperating with Huawei since March 2019. Using Huawei's latest Hetu technology, visitors are able to see the detailed contents of the Dunhuang Art Murals(壁画) outside the caves, through their Huawei mobile phones. This will reduce the time tourists spend inside the cave, aiding the protection of the cultural relics, while at the same time helping to increase the amount of information visitors can obtain. It is also considered to be a new way of promoting Dunhuang Art.
The Dunhuang Academy has used digital technology to preserve the research and exploration of Dunhuang Grottoes since the early 1990s. It has collected a wealth of data and has realized the goal of sharing of digital Dunhuang globally. It has played an important role in the protection and research of cultural site, as well as promoting the development and progress of related work.
The Huawei Hetu platform unites Dunhuang's study findings, high—resolution images of the site's murals and virtual, three-dimensional models with the real Mogao Grottoes. It has not only re-created the real tour of the scenic spot, but also developed a new way of digitally experiencing the grottoes. When people visit the site, they not only have the experience of seeing the real grottoes, but they can appreciate the admirable artworks more clearly and in greater detail.
In the future, Dunhuang Academy will continue to cooperate with Huawei to create more colorful virtual content to enrich the experience of Mogao Art on the platform, helping people around the world get to know Dunhuang Art better.
1. Which is NOT the advantage of the Hetu technology?| A．Decrease the cost of the visitors. | B．Reduce the time visitors spend inside the cave. |
| C．Help to protect the cultural relics. | D．Provide more information for tourists. |
| A．About a year. | B．90 years. | C．Nearly 30 years. | D．10 years. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Opposed. | C．Indifferent. | D．Hopeful. |
| A．Dunhuang Academy Preserves Grottoes Well | B．AI Tech Helps Tourists Enjoy Dunhuang's Art |
| C．Huawei Newly Released Hetu AI | D．Dunhuang Grottoes Attract Tourists |
5 . Chinese New Year, also called Lunar New Year or the Chinese Spring Festival, holds the most significant position among all Chinese festivals and holidays.
Outfits can be purchased in Chinatown, including beautiful silk clothing. Connected with joy, happiness, good luck, wealth and good fortune, red clothes will ensure that you're fully participating in the spirit of the celebrations.
Clean your home. This tradition is founded in the belief that cleaning the house at this time of the year will “sweep away the bad luck” that has accumulated(积聚）inside over the past year.
Give gifts of money in red envelopes. Adults give lucky envelopes of money to children during this holiday.
Watch a parade on television or online.
| A．In the United States, large parades are often broadcast on local or regional television |
| B．If you want to participate in the celebrations |
| C．Sometimes they are given to employees or friends as well. |
| D．If you happen to know a Chinese friend |
| E．Dress for the occasion |
| F．Cleaning also makes the house ready for the good luck to start entering again. |
| G．Learn about Chinese cooking and food traditions. |
6 . Is it true that British people have a different sense of humor than people in other countries? Let’s have a look at what we laugh at in Britain.
We laugh at authority, but also sympathetically laugh with anyone who we think is treated badly.
The fact that we laugh when other people might feel hopeless is one of the oddest things to appreciate about British humor. We do have a strong sense of irony (反讽). “Not very pleasant,” we might say after some terrible experience.
Another thing that can make it difficult to understand British humor is that we don’t always laugh or even smile when we say something funny.
Do you think the British sense of humor is unique?
| A．In addition,we tend to play things down. |
| B．We often keep a straight face even when we’re making a joke. |
| C．Culture plays a big part in how funny you may find something. |
| D．We know they can’ t win,but if they do so sometimes,it’s even funnier. |
| E．Brits don’t express extreme feelings;we just“keep calm and carry on”. |
| F．Brits turn to laughter as a form of medicine when life knocks them down. |
| G．To the British,powerful and important people are often sources of laughter. |
7 . Abandoned around 900 years ago soon after its decoration started, Ta Keo (塔高寺) has been revived by Chinese and Cambodian experts.
The Angkor (吴哥窟) complex spreads over an area of 400 square kilometers. It was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1992. However, due to heavy rains, stealing and lack of protection for centuries, most temples of Angkor were seriously damaged.
In order to better protect and conserve these pearls of human civilization, China joined ICC-Angkor, an international campaign launched by Cambodia and UNESCO in 1993. From Chausay Tevada to Ta Keo, the Chinese team has earned trust and established a good reputation.
“Its unfinished status shows the construction procedures of temples in Angkor. This gives Ta Keo irreplaceable value in the study of Angkor’s architecture,” said Jin Zhaoyu, an engineer from the CACH (中国文化遗产研究院).
Such uniqueness, however, presented greater challenges. Compared with Chausay Tevada, it covers a larger area and has more risks including unsteady stone structures, a poor drainage system and fallen key parts.
“Because the construction is unfinished, many fallen parts are not carved, leaving little information of its relations with other parts,” said Jin.
Jin showed archives of those fallen parts, each with its ID file, picture and dimensions. He said, “Every stone is unique. If one stone is in the wrong position, the gap will grow wider as you restore it and an accurate restoration will be impossible.”
To better understand the temple’s structure and precisely restore it, the team applied the most advanced technologies, including 3D laser scanning and mapping, structural research and drone recording, to build a complete digital model of Ta Keo.
Jin demonstrated the 3D model system, with which they restored the temple hundreds of times. “I can measure the dimensions of every stone and every gap in computer, and search the right stone that can fit in the gap,” Jin said.
This is much easier said than done. Dozens of Chinese experts from various fields worked together with Cambodian colleagues to overcome a string of obstacles. It took them eight years to restore Ta Keo.
1. What can we learn about the Angkor complex from the text?| A．It has the largest size of its kind worldwide |
| B．Its significance has been ignored for a long time |
| C．It is in poor condition due to a variety of reasons |
| D．It was abandoned because of its poor decoration |
| A．It covers a very large area. | B．It has a history of over 900 years. |
| C．It tells how the temple was built. | D．It was on the World Heritage List. |
| A．Knowing little about its structure. | B．Building the 3D model system. |
| C．Serious damage it had suffered. | D．Cooperation with Cambodian colleagues. |
| A．Hi-tech Applied to Restore Ta Keo |
| B．Protecting Pearls of Human Civilization |
| C．International Cooperation and Restoration |
| D．China’s Role in Restoring Cambodian Heritage |
8 . One theory is that kissing all began when cavemen began licking (舔) their neighbours’ faces for the salt on them. But whatever it might have been for, the fact remains that, in one form or another, kissing has been widespread, though it developed mostly in the West.
Ancient Greek and Roman parents kissed their children, and lovers or married people kissed each other, as did friends. In the Middle Ages (the period in European history between about 1100 and 1500 AD) knights kissed before doing battle. Early Christians were often kissed to express respect.
Kissing is very much a cultural practice, and rules and attitudes vary across the globe. The French, who have had quite a lot of kissing practice, have turned kissing into a fine social art, although these days, even they are not sure when or how to do it. Many French kiss one another three, or even more, times. It can sometimes go on for a long time. Italians are enthusiastic kissers at all times, and they have been for centuries. Arabic men greet one another with kisses, as do Arabic women. Russian men too are often seen greeting one another with kisses, and it is especially noticeable in the world of Russia, where the three-kiss greeting has become a social behavior. The British, though, remain shy about social kissing. The Japanese, along with many Asian peoples, consider kissing, at least in public, as a Western custom and sometimes even offensive (冒犯的). Kissing has, however, become more commonplace in some Asian countries in the past few years.
But kissing does seem to be on the increase. We kiss people we used to hug, we hug people we used to shake hands with, and we shake hands with those we used to nod to.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The importance of kissing. | B．Kissing in the Middle Ages. |
| C．Different reasons for kissing. | D．The early development of kissing. |
| A．It influences other countries. | B．It seems a bit confusing. |
| C．It always changes. | D．It takes less time. |
| A．In Britain. | B．In Russia. | C．In France. | D．In Italy. |
| A．Kisses are more welcome than hugs. | B．People’s manners are getting friendlier. |
| C．Kissing is a better way to show respect. | D．There are many different forms of greeting. |
9 . Filial piety(孝心) is China's most important morality and involves strong deference(顺从) to one's parents. Thus, filial piety is an important value when it comes to treating one's immediate family, elders and superiors in general.
Origins
Filial piety was originally mentioned in the Western Zhou,
Meaning
Filial piety is a general attitude of offering love, respect, support, and deference to one's parents and other elders in the family, such as grandparents or older siblings.
The idea stems from the fact that parents give life to their children, and subsequently support them throughout their developing years in terms of providing food, education, and material needs.
Chinese character
Boy looking at the Chinese character for filial piety, you will learn a lot about the term's definition.
| A．let me tell you the definition of filial piety |
| B．Filial piety is clarified by the Chinese character xiao |
| C．Filial piety is one of the most important Chinese traditions |
| D．This placement is symbolic and tells of what filial piety means |
| E．which includes carrying on the family line and respecting the elders |
| F．Acts of filial piety include obeying parents' wishes, taking care of them when they are old |
| G．Extending beyond one's family, filial piety also applies to all elders like teachers, professional superiors, or anyone who is older in age |
10 . Beijing—The public has responded with vigorous support for an NPC deputy’s proposal to extend the Spring Festival holiday from three days to 10.
More than 78 percent of about 27,600 respondents to a poll on www.people.com.cn<http://www.21cnjy.com/> voted in favor of the idea of Li Jing,who is also the mayor of Meishan city in South-west China’s Sichuan province. Li said the lunar new year festival holiday was too short for family reunions,especially for the nation’s 220 million migrant workers.
With hundreds of millions of people on the move during such a short time span,the holiday puts great stress on the public transport system and suppresses tourism, she added. She suggested the holiday be extended and cover the three adjacent(毗连的)weekends,which means the public could take a total of 16 days off and floating population could spend the Lantern Festival,which falls on the 15th day of the lunar new year,with their families.
People would then have sufficient time to fully enjoy the traditional holiday with their families,Li said during an interview with People’s Daily Online on Friday.
Most online voters agreed that extending the holiday will ease the burden on public transport and strengthen family ties.“The Spring Festival is an occasion for family reunions and should be longer than the National Day holiday,”one responder said in an online post.“Every year,I wish I could spend more time at home for the Spring Festival,but I always have to go back to work.I hope the NPC will approve this proposal.”
Another online comment read:“Extending the Spring Festival holiday could prevent the annual transportation crush,which has in recent years resembled an exodus(出走)of fleeing refugees(难民)”.
Most of the about 13 percent who opposed the idea cited difficulties readjusting to work after the break.Some pointed out that office moral was generally low during the first week after the holiday. “After the six-day holiday, many people come back to work feeling absent-minded,” one respondent said. Some who opposed the extension suggested adding the Lantern Festival as an official holiday.
Another 10 percent said lawmakers should carefully study the impacts before they make any decisions on holidays.
1. Which of the following is NOT the reason why Li Jing suggested extending the Spring Festival holiday?| A．The floating population could spend the Lantern Festival. |
| B．People could spend more money and this could promote consumption. |
| C．The lunar new year festival holiday was too short for family reunions. |
| D．The holiday puts great stress on the public transport system and suppresses tourism. |
| A．It could cover the two adjacent weekends. |
| B．The holiday would be from the first day of the lunar year. |
| C．She added the Lantern Festival as an independent official holiday. |
| D．The public could take a total of 16 days off including the Lantern Festival. |
| A．uncomfortable pressure caused by a great crowd of people |
| B．a drink made by pressing fruit and used as juice |
| C．a traffic accident resulting from traveling too fast |
| D．people’s eagerness to go home to meet their families |
| A．It was a waste of time. |
| B．People would not earn much money. |
| C．It would have a bad effect on China’s economy. |
| D．People wouldn’t be in a good working stage after so long a holiday. |
