1 . 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

2. What is the meaning of the underlined word “attached” in paragraph 1?

A．shown

B．drawn

C．taken

D．given

3. Supposing one wants to make a telephone call early in the morning, this would mean________.

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

4. According to this passage, time plays an important role in _________.

A．social life

B．private life

C．family life

D．school life

5. According to the passage, which of the following statements may the author agree to?

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.

2 . 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.

2. What does the writer prove by mentioning Chinese New Year?

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.

3. What’s the writer’s attitude to Denmark’s way of eating bread?

A．indifferent

B．critical

C．understandable

D．doubtful

4. What idea does the writer want to express in this passage?

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.

3 . 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.

    1     It’s not just politicians who make us laugh, but anyone whose job is to tell other people what to do and who takes themselves too seriously.

We laugh at authority, but also sympathetically laugh with anyone who we think is treated badly.     2     Our clowns are often silly people doing silly things—Mr Bean, for example—while in America, they are often clever people doing clever things and winning.

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.     3     “It’s a bit windy today” we might say in the middle of a typhoon, or “There’s a slight problem,” when something has gone very seriously wrong.     4    

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.     5    

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.

4 . The word”Kuitou”in Peking Opera is the technical term for various kinds of hats and headpieces worn by various characters in traditional Chinese opera.More than just meeting the requirements of acting,it also reveals an aspect of traditional Chinese culture.

In traditional Han Chinese culture,people believed that since,one’s whole body was a gift from one’s parents,it was important to avoid anything that might injure it,a principle that showed filial piety(孝道)。Based on this ideology,males were required to let their hair grow long, and wearing hats became a rule of social etiquette(礼仪)in ancient times.

Since ancient Chinese society was divided into various social classes,people in each class wore different styles of clothes,but only the nobility were permitted to wear formal hats for adornment(装饰)。People of lower classes could only wrap their head with a piece of cloth. Anyone under the age of 20 was also not allowed to wear formal hats and could only wear one after the performance of an official capping ceremony to mark their reaching of adulthood.As a result,various types of formal hats in ancient times,in addition to having value as a piece of personal adornment and social etiquette,also revealed the social classes of people and strict social divisions that existed between the nobility and common people.

In ancient times,people attached much importance to the kind of hat they wore.An old saying says,”A man of noble character would rather die than take off his hat.”The saying was based on the story of one of Confucius’s favorite students,Zi Lu,a man who was a brave warrior. Once while fighting in close hand-to-hand combat,his enemy opponent knocked off his hat. When he realized that his hat had been knocked off,Zi Lu placed down his weapon and said to the enemy soldier,”A nobleman can die,but my attire(服装)must be kept orderly.”But the. moment he bent down to pick up his hat,the enemy soldier seized the opportunity and killed him. According to Zi Lu,his proper appearance,which included his hat,represented his dignity(尊严)， and he would rather die than abandon his dignity.

The formal hat culture of the Han Chinese continued up until the Ming Dynasty.Later after the Manchurians entered the Central Plains(满人入关)，common people in society began to wear hats.

1. For Chinese males in the Han Dynasty,wearing headpieces or hats was.

A．a requirement of acting

B．a rule of social etiquette

C．a way to show filial piety

D．a representation of culture

2. We can infer from the third paragraph that in ancient times,

A．the formal hat was a symbol of adulthood

B．headwear was nothing but a decoration

C．only noble people could afford to wear formal hats

D．there existed little distinction between social classes

3. The author mentions the story of Zi Lu to show.

A．how brave a person he was

B．how people valued their hats

C．how fierce an ancient war was

D．how people dealt with etiquette

4. The passage is probably taken from the column of.

A．society

B．technology

C．opera

D．culture

5 . It may not yet be October, but the world’s biggest beer festival is already happening in Munich, Germany. In spite of its name, Oktoberfest actually begins in the third weekend of September and lasts until the first Sunday in October. This year it started on Sept 21 and will end on Oct 6.

By the end of the two weeks, an estimated (估计) over 6 million people will have arrived at the famous tented fairgrounds for the celebration. While the festival falls in September, the beer is traditionally brewed (酿造) all the way back in March. During Oktoberfest, the rest of the year’s beer is drunk to make room for the new year’s beer.

Each year, over 5 million liter mugs (马克杯) of beer are usually drunk. But even more popular than the beers themselves are the mugs. Security guards take about 150,000 from souvenir hunters every year, but many still go missing. So the fine for stealing the must-have item is up to $60 (368 yuan).

While it may be obvious that Oktoberfest is about drinking massive (大量的) glasses of beer, eating plenty of delicious German foods is another fun festival activity. The most popular meals involve smoked meat and potatoes. Germans often prefer to eat heavy food, using plenty of mustards and sauces. The country has as many as 1,500 different kinds of sausages (香肠). There are also 300 kinds of bread to go with the sausages.

The clothes that Oktoberfest goers wear also make the annual fall festival special. Lederhosen (皮短裤) and tall socks are traditional dress. But no German outfit would be complete without the famous Peter Pan-esque (彼得·潘风格的) hats.

1. Which of the following aspects (方面) about Oktoberfest is not mentioned in the passage?

A．Foods.	B．Activities.
C．Clothes.	D．Weather.

2. Which of the following statements about Oktoberfest is TRUE?

A．Oktoberfest is the most popular beer festival in the world.

B．People can taste delicious German foods during Oktoberfest.

C．Every Oktoberfest goers must wear the Peter Pan-esque hat.

D．Each year, over 5 million mugs go missing during Oktoberfest.

3. In which column can you probably read the article?

A．Culture.	B．Science.
C．Education.	D．Sports.

6 . Spending Christmas in a foreign country can be a truly eye-opening experience, especially since it’s easy to believe that as a worldwide festival, most countries probably celebrate it in a fairly similar manner. Being from the UK, Christmas for me means spending time with family and friends, exchanging presents, eating and drinking, and, of course, hiding from the cold. In Colombia, however, Christmas is viewed much more as a time which devotes itself to religion.

With celebrations beginning on 7 December, Columbia is recognized as having the longest Christmas celebrations period in the world. The celebrations generally begin in the evening with the lighting of candles, either in the streets, parks or outside people’s homes. Cities are lit up by candles, as this day marks the beginning of the Christmas period. Although decorations have been up since early November, another tradition in Colombia is that during the nine days before Christmas, family members and friends meet up to pray, sing songs and share traditional foods at home.

Probably the biggest surprise for me has been the music people listen to during the Christmas period. At first, you could easily mistake these songs for the classic salsa, which is played all year round. However, after asking a Colombian if it really felt like Christmas music, they explained to me that the songs are loved more for the memories they symbolize than for the way they sound, and that Colombia has been through so many dark periods in history, it was important to hold on to the good memories of years gone past.

Being in a country like Colombia during this festive period has taught me that   you don’t need to be religious to take part in these Christmas traditions.

1. What’s the authors opinion of Christmas?

A．It isn’t a global festival.	B．It isn’t a time for being alone.
C．It is mainly devoted to religion.	D．It’s celebrated only in some places.

2. What can we learn about the Christmas music?

A．It is celebrated in the same way as in the UK.

B．It is celebrated mainly as a religious festival.

C．It is celebrated for nine days or so.

D．It is celebrated with lanterns and fireworks.

3. What do Colombians do during the Christmas celebration period?

A．Enjoy traditional foods.	B．Go to the church together.
C．Learn abut home decorations.	D．Have a one-month-long holiday.

4. Colombians love the songs mainly because ______.

A．they sound extremely wonderful

B．they express best wishes for the future

C．they represent good memories of the past

D．they have been passed down for generations

7 . What’s in a logo?

What attracts customers?    1     It is not only the image provided by the packaging that counts but the whole corporate identity (企业形象) of the company.

There are now many products and services on the market which are similar in content though produced by different companies. It is important, therefore, for a company to distinguish itself from its competitors by having a strong company image which is immediately recognizable.

Logos are part of this image.    2     The logo establishes a visual identity for the company, just as different groups of young people express their identity through hairstyles and clothes. All groups from all cultures and throughout the ages have used colours and symbols to show their identity.

    3     Some colours may be connected with coldness in one culture and with warmth in another; some colours represent life in one culture but death in another. International companies have, therefore, to make sure that their logos will not be misunderstood or misinterpreted in different countries.

The logos of large international companies are instantly recognizable throughout the world.    4     The design of the words “Coca Cola” has not changed since 1886, although the surrounding design has been changed from time to time.

Companies need to have a strong corporate identity. The logo helps to promote this image and to fix it in the minds of the consumers.    5    

A．One of the most famous logos is that of Coca Cola.

B．Colour isn’t a strictly visual element; it’s very psychological.

C．In different cultures, different colours carry different meanings.

D．Logos, therefore, need to be original and to have impact and style.

E．There was a time when Coca Cola was struggling a bit with brand recognition.

F．Obviously the quality of a product does, but visual images contribute a great deal.

G．They are symbols which often include a name or the first letters of it to identify a company.

8 . You return from work on a muggy(闷热的) August evening. Your unwashed teenage son is on the sofa playing the game Fortnite, as he has been doing for the past eight hours. Not for the first time, you ask yourself: why are school summer holidays so long?

This is a more serious question than it sounds. Many children will return from the long break having forgotten much of what they were taught the previous year. One study from the American South found that this summer learning loss‖ could be as high as a quarter of the year’s education. Poor children tend to be the worst affected, since rich ones typically live in homes full of books and are packed off to summer camp.

A study from Baltimore found that variations(差别) in summer loss might possibly account for two-thirds of the achievement gap between rich and poor children by the age of 14-15. Long holidays definitely tighten the budgets of poor families, since free school meals stop and extra child care kicks in.

Youngsters will hate the idea of a longer school year. Many grown-ups will object to it, too. It would cost taxpayers more, since teachers would have to be paid for the extra days. Schools in hotter areas would spend a fortune on air-conditioning. Skeptics(怀疑者) also note that, although those rarely rested South Korean pupils do well in exams, they are often unhappy. Is that really what you want for your darlings?

More time in school doesn’t necessarily mean repeating the same old lessons. But for those falling behind, the summer could be a time for different kinds of learning: critical thinking, practical skills, financial literacy, work placements with local firms—schools should be free to experiment. Space should not be a problem. Many school buildings sit idle(闲置的) in the summer.

Well-off children often already use the summer to broaden their minds or doing summer jobs found through connections. Schools should help the rest catch up. Other public services do not simply disappear for a quarter of the year. It would be unthinkable for hospitals or the police to do so. So why do schools get away with it? Their responsibility to educate does not end when the temperature rises.

1. With the example in Paragraph 1, the author intends to .

A．show the author’s bad mood

B．lead in the topic of the passage

C．criticize the son’s bad behavior

D．prove the harm of long holidays

2. To help the children falling behind during summer holidays, schools should .

A．have them learning the previous lessons

B．pack them off to various summer camps

C．offer them various chances of learning

D．provide summer jobs in public services

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The school summer holidays should be shorter.

B．Students are suffering summer learning loss.

C．Schools should arrange more practical learning.

D．The achievement gap between students is widened.

9 . A book on etiquette （礼节） explained the proper behavior Americans should follow in many different social situations． But in modern society， it is not enough to simply know the proper rules for behavior in your own country． International travel for work and pleasure is becoming increasingly popular， which makes it necessary for people to understand the rules of etiquette in other cultures as well．

Take， for example， the etiquette required in giving and receiving gifts． Cultural differences may appear even in such simple processes． In Western cultures， a gift can be handed over to the receiver with relatively little ceremony． When a gift is offered，the receiver typically takes the gift while expressing his or her thanks． However， in some Asian cultures，the act of giving is an important aspect of gift-giving，and this process may appear confusing or frustrating to Westerners． In Chinese culture， a receiver will typically refuse to accept the gift at first， with the understanding between the giver and receiver that after being turned down several times， the gift will finally be accepted． In addition， to show respect for the receiver， it is customary in several Asian cultures to use two hands when offering a gift to another person．

After receiving a gift， tradition may demand that the person open the gift right away or， alternatively， wait before opening the gift． In many Western cultures， etiquette requires the receiver to open the gift immediately and show appreciation for the thoughtfulness of the giver． In Asian cultures， on the other hand， the gift may be accepted with appreciation and then set aside to be opened later． The gift will then be opened in private in order not to show their greed or impatience．

Another tip for cross-cultural gift-giving relates to wrapping presents， especially in choosing the color of paper used to wrap a gift． In Japan， for example， white or very bright colors are traditionally not good choices for wrapping a gift． In Japanese culture， white is the color associated with mourning and bright colors may be considered by some people to be vulgar （庸俗的）．Plain white and black are also to be avoided when wrapping presents in China， because of the relation of these colors to funerals （葬礼）． Joyful colors such as red， yellow， and pink are preferred in Chinese culture． In contrast， Europeans seem to prefer softer colors for wrapping presents． A good rule of thumb for wrapping gifts， especially for business travelers， is to travel with unwrapped gifts， and then wrap the gift with paper bought in the country where the gift will be given．

Finally， when choosing the appropriate gift to give， a good rule to bear in minds is the following： "Never give vodka to Russians， chocolate to Belgians， or beer to Germans．" It is better to travel with quality gifts from one's own region or culture． These increase the chances of being appreciated in other cultures because of their unique nature．

Culturally Appropriate Gift-Giving

Brief Introduction	We need to have a good command of proper     1    and domestic gift-giving rules because of the increasing     2    of international travel．
Western cultures		Asian cultures
How to receive a gift	•Receivers take the gift， saying "thanks" to givers．	• Great importance are     3    to the act of gift- giving． •    4    the refusals， receivers finally accept the Gift， which is common in China． •Giving gifts with two hands is a way to show respect for the receiver．
When to open a gift	•Traditionally， receivers open the gift without     5    ． •Givers are appreciated for their consideration．	•Receivers tend to set aside the gifts and     6    them privately later to avoid appearing       7    or impatient．
How to wrap a gift	•Softer colours are accepted by people in European countries．	•Because of negative cultural meaning， white and bright colors are not good choices of the Japanese． •Chinese people     8    joyful colours to white and black．
A good rule of     9    a gift to give	Quality gifts from one's own region or culture are more     10    to be appreciated in other cultures because of their unique nature．

10 . The colors that you select create a distinct atmosphere in the room.     1    

Pick the color for your room and you can create whatever you feel like. The color will also help you to enlarge the space or making it more inviting, which will also make differently all about it.

However, the trick is to select the right version of that particular color. There are different hues (色调) for blues, for instance.     2     Here we have presented a guide that will let you gain a deep insight about the colors.

Blue

    3    . For kitchen, bathrooms and bedrooms it is an ideal choice. Of course it is also associated with sadness that means it may not strike note for each and everyone. It is a popular choice among people. Blue comes from the cold side of the color wheel, so it can make the room feel cold, unless and until it is south filling space. If you are attracted to blue color, think of going for purple, or mix red and purple.

Dark blues are best for a living room. Probably it is best reserved for high ceiling space.     4    

Green

Like blue, green is also a calm shade.     5     It is the shade that reflects nature and renewal. Green produces a positive energy without the feeling of overstimulation.

A．Colors can light up the mood of the room.

B．You can use it for a living room or a bedroom.

C．It will make you feel the wall appear near to you.

D．Traditionally, blue is related to calmness and comfort.

E．It is better that you select colors that are warm like blue.

F．They won’t create similar effect and atmosphere generally.

G．But before driving into any decision here’s what you need to know.