1 . The Silk Road is the name of different roads that long ago connected Europe, Africa and Asia. People reached these different places along these roads. Scientists believe people began to travel the Silk Road about 3000 years ago. By the time the Chinese silk trade became important in the world, the Silk Road covered almost 6500 kilometers. It spread from Rome to China, which is from the West to the Far East.
Traders travelling along the Silk Road carried silk, of course. They also carried and traded spices (香料), cloth, valuable stones and gold.
There is a famous old story along the old road. It is said that Roman soldiers travelled through central Asia. They started to live somewhere near the ancient Chinese village of Liqian. Sortie of these Romans married local Chinese women and the story of blue-eyed villages of China was started.
During its busiest period, the Silk Road allowed people from many different cultures and countries to meet each other and mix. The Silk Road allowed the sharing of valuable goods and new ideas. These included people and trading goods from the Mediterranean, Persian, Magyar, Armenian, Bactrian, Indian and Chinese areas. All these peoples travelled the Silk Road, and they shared goods, stories, languages, and cultures.
In modern times, the old Silk Road routes (路线) are still used, but now they are crossed by trains instead of camels and horses. There is even a Silk Route Museum in Jiuquan in China. It has over 35,000, objects from all along the Silk Road. In this way, China protects the history of many countries and peoples.
1. How many kilometers did the Silk Road cover?| A．About 3000. | B．Nearly 6500. | C．Almost 2000. | D．Over 35,000. |
| A．Silk. | B．Cloth. | C．Gold. | D．Tea. |
| A．Valuable things could not be sold along the Silk Road. |
| B．The Silk Road allowed people from different countries to mix. |
| C．Ancient Chinese along the Silk Road maybe able to speak different languages. |
| D．The objects in the museum in Jiuquan in China are from all along the Silk Road. |
| A．History and Geography. | B．Sports World. |
| C．Man and Animals. | D．Popular Science. |
2 . The term ScotchIrish is an American term used to describe those ScotsIrish who live in America.In Britain the term ScotsIrish used for these people is UlsterScots. Then, where did the ScotsIrish come from on earth? To find the answer, you should get to know a little bit about the history of Scotland.
After the Celtic invasion (入侵) of Britain about 500 BC, what is now Scotland was controlled by the Celtic people known as the Picts. This name came from the Latin word pictus meaning “painted”. They painted their bodies with dyes (染料).
In the fifth century, the Scots from northern Ireland invaded what is now western Scotland and established a kingdom in the highlands. They spoke Gaelic, a Celtic language. At this same time the AngloSaxon invasion of Britain was taking place. Scotland is made up of the highlands and the lowlands, and the Gaelic name for the lowlands is a’Ghalldachd, meaning “the place of the foreigners”．And whom might those foreigners be? The AngloSaxon invasion of Britain included the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. The Jutes came from what is now northwestern Denmark.They settled (定居) in the southernmost part of Britain. The Saxons came from the northwest coast of Germany and they settled in the southern third of Britain. The Angles came from southwestern Denmark and they conquered what is now northern England and the lowlands of Scotland. They were the foreigners referred to in the Gaelic name for the lowlands.
In the 17th century, the British leaders decided to settle some of its people in the Northern Ireland province of Ulster. They chose the people from Lowland Scotland. This migration (移民) started about 1605.
When the British colonization (殖民) of North America began many of them chose to join this migration. By the time of the American Revolution it was said that onesixth of the population was the ScotsIrish.
1. Which of the following had the custom of body painting?| A．The Scots. | B．The Picts. |
| C．The ScotsIrish. | D．The AngloSaxons. |
| A．A kingdom was set up by the Scots fell. |
| B．The Scots lost the lowlands in a war. |
| C．Gaelic was widely spoken in the highlands. |
| D．The highlands were controlled by the Jutes. |
| A．northern England |
| B．western Scotland |
| C．Ulster of Northern Ireland |
| D．southernmost part of Britain |
| A．Why the ScotsIrish chose America to settle. |
| B．The AngloSaxon invasion of Britain. |
| C．The history of the country Scotland. |
| D．Who the ScotsIrish were exactly. |
3 . Food festivals are a common occurrence in the UK and take place in all sorts of places and at all sorts of times. Whatever your taste, there’s a food festival to match — no matter how specialized.
1. Meatopia
This three-day, London-based festival takes place at the end of August and is a meat lover’s paradise. In addition to a range of legally sourced meat products, from juicy burgers to tender steaks, attendees can listen to live music, watch butchery demonstrations, and attend informal meat-based workshops.
2. The National Honey Show
If you have a sweet tooth, then it could be that the National Honey Show, which started in 1921 and is the largest event of its kind, is the place for you to be. This three-day event attracts many local entries who showcase their sweet golden honey, some of which is sold globally.
3. The Orange Sauce Festival
Have you heard about a festival that is devoted only to orange sauce? Held in Cumbria, this sweet, fragrant festival has been running for 3 years. What attracts people most is a competition to find the best homemade orange sauce. There are thousands of participants from over 30 different countries across the globe, bringing their local snacks to share here.
4. The Ginger and Spice Festival
If you’d prefer something with a little more kick to it, then you could attend The Ginger (姜) and Spice Festival held in Market Drayton. Unlike other food festivals, it celebrates its town’s historic connection to Robert Clive, who returned from India with ginger. Because of this, they specialize in baking gingerbread, but also sell a range of traditional spices from mild to hot.
1. What do Meatopia and the National Honey Show have in common?| A．Both of them last for three days. | B．Both of them hold workshops. |
| C．Both of them originated from London. | D．Both of them have a long history. |
| A．The Meatopia. | B．The Ginger and Spice Festival. |
| C．The National Honey Show. | D．The Orange Sauce Festival. |
| A．It has something to do with a historic figure. |
| B．The ginger used in the festival is from India. |
| C．It sells spicy food. |
| D．The food is cooked by Robert Clive. |
4 . Now, Earth Day is celebrated every year on April 22. A man, called Senator Gaylord Nelson Take, was determined to change the way we treated our planet. He didn’t stop his work until he had made a difference.
In 1963, Senator Gaylord Nelson wasn’t happy with the earth’s condition. He wanted to clean up the planet and solve pollution and environmental problems. As a senator, Gaylord Nelson was someone chosen by US citizens to help make laws, so he had a lot of power. He went to John F. Kennedy, the President at the time, with his concerns. The President agreed that the planet’s environment was a serious issue, so President Kennedy went around the country on a fiveday tour to promote (宣传) the idea of cleaning up the planet. People began making small changes, but it wasn’t enough.
A few years later, Senator Nelson decided to put one day aside every year for the cause of saving the planet. On April 22,1970, the first Earth Day was celebrated; 20 million American demonstrators (示威者) took part in Earth Day activities. Since then, Earth Day has become an international holiday. People all over the world are doing something to make the earth a cleaner, better place. Today more than 500 million people in 164 countries participate (参与) in Earth Day festivities!
Then, what can you do to make a difference?
*Encourage your family to recycle on a regular basis. It is a good way to help the earth!
*Switch to energyefficient light bulbs in your house to reduce the effects of global warming.
*Every glass bottle you recycle saves enough energy to run a TV for an hour and a half, while recycling an aluminum (铝) bottle can save enough energy to run your TV for three hours!
*Turn out the lights when you leave a room — unless someone’s still there!
*Use reuseable containers for your school lunches and snacks.
1. What does a senator usually do according to the passage?| A．Cleaning up the planet. | B．Solving population problems. |
| C．Helping make laws. | D．Talking to the President. |
| A．in America | B．in Britain |
| C．in 164 countries | D．across the world |
| A．For a half hour. | B．For an hour. |
| C．For an hour and a half. | D．For three hours. |
| A．It was in 1963 that Senator Nelson came up with the idea of choosing a day as Earth Day. |
| B．John F. Kennedy agreed to put April 22 aside every year as Earth Day. |
| C．President Kennedy agreed with Nelson’s idea of cleaning up the planet. |
| D．More than 500 million people took part in the first Earth Day activities. |
5 . Different countries and different people have different manners. We must find out their customs, so that they will not think us ill－mannered. Here are some examples of the things that a well－mannered person does or does not do．
If you visit a Chinese family you should knock at the door first. When the door opens, you’ll not move before the host says “Come in, please.” After you enter the room， you wouldn’t sit down until the host asks you to take a seat. When a cup of tea is put on a tea－table before you or sent to your hand, you’ll say “Thank you” and receive it with your two hands, not one hand, or they’ll think you are ill－mannered．
Before entering a house in Japan, it is good manners to take off your shoes. In European countries, even though shoes sometimes become very dirty, this is not done. In a Malay house, a guest never finishes the food on the table. He leaves a little to show that he has had enough. In England, a guest always finishes a drink or the food to show that he has enjoyed it. This will make the host, especially the hostess pleased．
1. We must find out what the different manners are in different countries so that ________.| A．we can know what to do and what not to do when we go there |
| B．they won’t think we are ill |
| C．we won’t be thought in poor health |
| D．we can give some examples |
| A．you won’t leave | B．you won’t walk |
| C．you won’t stand in front of him | D．you won’t get in |
| A．before your visitor enters your house |
| B．before you enter the host’s house |
| C．before you visit a family |
| D．before you sit down and receive a cup of tea |
| A．you needn’t take off your shoes |
| B．you must take off your dirty shoes |
| C．you are not allowed to wear dirty shoes |
| D．you should put on clean shoes |
| A．he has enjoyed it |
| B．he needs some drink |
| C．he is not hungry at all |
| D．he can’t have any more |
6 . Many are fortunate enough to travel and see different cultures. For those who have not yet seen other cultures, here are five things you can learn from other cultures.
New language
Although learning a new language has become simpler through apps or programs, nothing compares to learning a language in the place where it is spoken.
Knowledge
You can read books and even eat food from other countries. But those experience will never compare to the knowledge gained by being in another country.
Unique (独特的) traditions
It can be hard to imagine what life would be like if we didn’t have the things we take for granted (认为理所当然) every day, such as reliable transportation, clean water, education and a home to live. Therefore, we should value what we have and that we are able to work to provide for ourselves.
We’re not so different after all.
If you have traveled to another country, the experience is probably completely new. But no matter how much our lifestyles may differ, we are all working toward similar goals in life.
| A．Value what you have. |
| B．Imagine what your life will be. |
| C．Those goals include trying to get the most out of life. |
| D．Each culture has its own traditions that make it unique. |
| E．People from different backgrounds can offer something new. |
| F．Always remember to put yourself in a new and unusual tradition. |
| G．The only true way is putting yourself in the culture of the language. |
Where: Becket, Massachusetts
When: Jun.15--Aug.24
Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights (最精彩的部分) in this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem’s production of Alvin Ailey’s “The Lark Ascending”, which opens the festival.
Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. Jacobspillow.org.
Moab Music Festival
Where: Moab, Utah
When: Aug.29--Sept.9
This area is better known for mountain biking than for music. But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three “Grotto Concerts”, where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado River to performances.
Events start at $25. moabmusicfest.org.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Where: Cheyenne, Wyoming
When: July19--28
There is something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an “Indian village and Old West museum” to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys and cowgirls competing for major money in the world’s largest outdoor stage.
Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at $23. cfdrodeo.com.
The Glimmerglass Festival
Where: Cooperstown, New York
When: July6--Aug.24
Each summer, opera lovers from around the country (and the world) travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year’s performances include Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman” and Verdi’s “King for a Day”, in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers(作曲家).
Tickets start at $26. glimmerglass.org.
1. If you want to enjoy a “Grotto Concert”, which date suits you best?| A．June 15. | B．July 19. | C．August 24. | D．September 4. |
| A．$18. | B．$22. | C．$36 | D．$41. |
| A．Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival | B．The Glimmerglass Festival |
| C．Cheyenne Frontier Days | D．Moab Music Festival |
| A．Education. | B．Politics. | C．Business. | D．Art. |
8 . With more recognition than Halloween and less than Christmas,Valentine's Day as an imported festival faces a dangerous situation in China, where it's caught between forces of tradition and fashion.Valentine’s Day has a natural enemy in China.And it is not the Chinese equivalent, which falls on the seventh day of the seventh month on the lunar calendar, usually around half a year away from Feb.14. It is the Spring Festival,also known as the Chinese New Year, that will influence the Feast of Saint Valentine.
The real disagreement between East and West probably took place over a century ago,when China’s door was forced open by Western powers and Chinese scholars supported westernization as a means to strengthen our nation’s ability to compete.
The introduction of the solar calendar and Western measurements was both an acknowledgment of their influence and an effort to be accepted by the world order.
For a full century, we have had two systems running in parallel. When it comes to the eventual outcome, practicality usually beats all other concerns. Laws can help, such as the three traditional festivals of Tomb Sweeping, Dragon Boat and Mid-Autumn gaining legal status in 2008 and giving every Chinese citizen a day off, but laws cannot push what people have no feelings for. So, the celebration or boycott of imported holidays or homegrown ones should be no cause for worry. If they are irrelevant, no social media will change the public’s mind; and if they are accepted, there must be a need which they happen to satisfy.
Since we have no global Qin Shihuang to force one system on every country,we can always rely on a dual (双重的) approach by which we share with the outside world on the one hand but preserve our own ways of life on the other.
1. What does the author think about Valentine's Day in present China? ______| A．It meets with a natural enemy. | B．It is better known than Christmas. |
| C．It strongly attacks Chinese culture. | D．It is more popular with young people. |
| A．the Dragon-boat Festival | B．the Spring Festival |
| C．the Mid-autumn Festival | D．the Chinese Valentine's Day |
| A．current laws | B．people’s needs | C．public media | D．age-old tradition |
| A．the conflict between the East and the West will last long |
| B．Chinese festivals are to be paid more attention to in years |
| C．both Chinese and foreign systems of festivals can co-exist in China |
| D．this cultural shock is normal and will be received by more people in the future |
9 . The story of Santa Claus began hundreds of years earlier. During the fourth century, a Roman Catholic church official called Nicholas of Myra became famous for his many good actions. Nicholas was made a saint after his death and it became common in northern Europe to hold a celebration on December 6th, the day Nicholas died. All kinds of stories were told about saint Nicholas and the Dutch brought one of these stories with them to America. They believed that each year the saint rode a white horse from home to home. He gave presents to children who had been good, and coal or straw to children who had been bad. Other Americans who lived nearby greatly enjoyed the Dutch celebrations. They decided to make saint Nicholas part of their own celebration of Christmas. But he got a new name Santa Claus. It was taken from the Dutch words for Saint Nicholas, Santa Claus. The Dutch imagined Saint Nicholas to be a serious, even frightening person, who could punish as well as give gifts. But in 1822, an American named Clement C. Moore wrote a Christmas poem for his children, the poem called A Visit from St. Nicholas, created a completely new Santa Claus. Dr. Moore described a short, happy, little man who rode in an open sleigh. The sleigh was pulled from house to house by eight white reindeer. At each house Santa delivered gifts by dropping them down the chimney into the fireplace. Dr. Moore’s poem was published in a newspaper in New York, in 1823. It soon became popular all over America and it became the source for the Santa Claus American children still believe in today.
An American artist named Thomas Nast also played a part in creating Santa Claus. Beginning in 1860’s, Mr. Nast drew pictures of Santa Claus for an American publication called Harper’s Weekly. These pictures showed a fat, smiling old man with a red nose and white beard. He was dressed in a red suit with white fur and a black belt. Today more than one hundred years later, that same Santa Claus can be seen everywhere at Christmas time.
1. Nicholas died ________.| A．on December 25th | B．on December 6th |
| C．in 1822 | D．in 1823 |
| A．he lived during the fourth century |
| B．he was a Roman Catholic Church official |
| C．he did a lot of deeds |
| D．he lived in Myra, the ancient capital of Lycia |
| A．gave presents to each child |
| B．gave nothing to the bad children |
| C．gave coal or straw to the bad children |
| D．gave presents to the adults |
| A．a newspaper | B．a poem |
| C．a chimney | D．a forest |
10 . Traveling without a map in different countries. I find out about different ways of giving directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don’t have name signs. In Japan, people use landmarks (标志性建筑) to give directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the comer. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
People in Los Angeles, the US, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance by time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “It’s about five minutes from here.” You don’t understand completely. “Yes, but how many miles away is it, please?” To this question you won’t get an answer, because most probably they don’t know it themselves.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language. Instead, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question. What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say. “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People there believe that “I don’t” is impolite. They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan! However, one thing will help you reach your destination everywhere in the world. It’s body language.
1. Which of the following is probably an example of Japanese directions?| A．“The post office is at Street Kamira.” |
| B．“Turn right at the hospital and go past a school.” |
| C．“The post office is about five minutes from here.” |
| D．“Go south two miles. Turn west and then go another mile.” |
| A．They prefer to lead you the way. |
| B．They prefer to use body language. |
| C．They use landmarks to give directions instead of distance. |
| D．They often have no idea of distance measured by miles. |
| A．Using street names. | B．Leading the way. |
| C．Using landmarks. | D．Giving people a wrong direction. |
| A．people in Mexico know street names well |
| B．body language makes you get lost in Yucatan |
| C．people in Mexico prefer to use body language |
| D．people in Yucatan sometimes give wrong directions |
