1 . Differences do set us apart, but we often forget that we are all human, and our culture is much more representative (有代表性的) of our differing environment than truly different people. Here are some tips on how to understand and admire cultural differences.
Invite other cultures into your home.
Read as much about the local culture as you can before arriving. It is irresponsible to arrive in a new place without knowing how things usually run. You may get immediately shocked upon landing, which can make it harder to accept the culture later on.
Share parts of your own culture and life to encourage others to share theirs. One of the best things to bring while traveling is a set of photos from home, allowing you to bring people into your own life and culture from anywhere.
| A．You can accept travelers or exchange students. |
| B．Therefore, be ready for some shocks or changes in the real world. |
| C．Seek out experiences, foods, and people who seem foreign to you. |
| D．Get out to see new places, pushing your comfort zone as much as possible. |
| E．Giving a little bit of yourself is the best way to learn a little bit about others. |
| F．You'll be surprised how much most people want to meet and talk to foreigners. |
| G．The best way to understand and admire cultural differences is over food and friendship. |
2 . As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” Therefore, when you intend to run your business in France, you may as well get to know French culture, make marketing plans, and do business by local laws.
Use first names only after being invited to.
Dress well. The French draw information about people based on their appearance. Your business clothing is a reflection of your success and social status.
The French are passionate about food, so lunches are common in doing business in France, which usually consist of an appetizer, a main meal with wine, cheese, dessert and coffee, and normally take up to two hours.
Do not begin eating until the host says “bon appetite”. Pass dishes to the left, keep wrists above the table and try to eat everything on the plate.
| A．Always try to be tasteful and stylish. |
| B．Remember to be as polite as possible. |
| C．This is a time for relationship building. |
| D．Use Monsieur or Madame before the surname. |
| E．Be careful with adding salt, pepper or sauces to your food. |
| F．Make an appointment with your business partner in advance. |
| G．Language should be the focus of anyone planning to do business in France |
3 . The “24 solar terms” (节气) originated and was first used in China. It was created thousands of years ago on the basis of practical needs of agricultural. Ancient Chinese people used it to guide agricultural production, explain special climate signs and even come up with healthy living tips. Last year, the 24 solar terms was added to UNESCO's world cultural heritage list(联合国教科文组织世界文化遗产名录). Now, it has been brought to life thanks to a creative designer from Southwest China's Guizhou Province.
On the eve of this year's Qingming Festival, Shi Changhong released (发布) his version of reproduced and packaged characters for each solar term in the form of “moving art” of gifs. Since their first release on Zcool on March 29, the gifs have won great praise among the general public and quickly flooded the social media with millions of hits during the festival period.
To maximize publicity, Shi released his work in three forms: the video, the animation and pictures. The background sounds add to the brilliance.
“When I watch the short video, I can strongly feel the Chinese-style elements hidden in it. And it is really cool to liven up traditional Chinese culture in such a unique way.” WeChat user Xiao Feifei said.
“It is really a comfort to me to see so many people like my latest work. To be honest, it would really surprise me if the work had not aroused great interest among Chinese people. The 24 solar terms is a deeply rooted concept that covers the essence of Chinese wisdom. However, only a small portion of people know all the names or the correct order of those terms. My intention is to increase Chinese people’s self-awareness to learn more about our traditional fine culture. Actually, the 24 solar terms work is only a part of my whole design program ‘Charm China’, which I started a year ago.” Shi told China Daily.
1. Which part of the newspaper does the text probably belong to?| A．Travel. | B．Culture. | C．Agriculture. | D．Education. |
| A．Newspaper. | B．Magazine. |
| C．Radio broadcast. | D．Website. |
| A．The background sounds of the work make the video more attractive. |
| B．It really surprised Shi Changhong to see so many people like his latest work. |
| C．Most people know all the names or the correct order of the 24 solar terms. |
| D．The 24 solar terms work designed by Shi Changhong was added to UNESCO’s heritage list. |
| A．To introduce a creative designer. |
| B．To introduce the 24 solar terms work. |
| C．To introduce the origin of the 24 solar terms. |
| D．To introduce a design program “Charm China”. |
4 . You might be crazy about Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as an English learner, but what do you think British teenagers studying Chinese are crazy about? Well, it’s Cao Xueqin’s classic, “The Dream of the Red Chamber”.
On December 18, nine British students arrived in Beijing for a seven-day trip after winning a Chinese Speaking Competition in Britain.
More than 170 students from 36 secondary schools took part in that competition last month. It was organized by the British Council. Three of the students coming to Beijing won first prizes for Language Ability. The other six were first prize winners for a dramatic performance in Chinese entitled (剧名为)“A New Home for Lin Daiyu”.
“We chose to perform this drama because we all love the characters in the tragic story. They’re traditional and loveable,” said Imogen Williams, 13, who played the lead role, in Daiyu. Williams said her group spent all their lunch breaks for nearly two months together, watching the drama, studying the characters, and practicing.
“We were excited to win the grand prize — the trip to Beijing. My mum even cried when she heard the news！” recalled Alice Clark-Edwards, who was “Wang Xifeng” in the drama.
These students have fallen in love with Chinese literature and are crazy about Chinese music and movies. “I love Jay Chou, Wilber Pan and the boy band Flowers. As for actresses, Zhang Ziyi is my favorite,” said Nishat Ali, 16.
1. Nine British students came to Beijing to ________.| A．perform “Romeo and Juliet” | B．go on a seven-day trip |
| C．watch “The Dream of the Red Chamber” | D．take part in the competition |
| A．the British Council | B．the drama college | C．Beijing | D．the middle school |
| A．are crazy about Chinese literature | B．fall in love with Cao Xueqin’s classic |
| C．are not fond of “Romeo and Juliet” | D．don't like traditional performance |
| A．“Wang Xifeng” in the drama is well-known in Britain. |
| B．Stars and singers like Zhang Ziyi and Jay Chou are known. |
| C．Chinese music and films have an effect on British students. |
| D．Williams and her group practice often in the school. |
5 . A British friend told me he couldn't understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds (葵花子) 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 hard 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 doortodoor on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.
I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. In the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with a fancy tablecloth, readymade 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 their breath. They think it’s a delicacy, and it’s connected with their culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.
1. What lesson can we learn from the passage?| A．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone. |
| B．Eating habits come from a certain culture. |
| C．It is good to form healthy eating habits. |
| D．Changing your eating habits will change your life. |
| A．She had ever typed a report about seeds. |
| B．She ate various snacks while watching TV. |
| C．She has a habit of cracking sunflower seeds. |
| D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds. |
| A．The traditions of celebrating it disappear. |
| B．Children can eat delicious food on that day. |
| C．The families would get together for it. |
| D．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it. |
| A．acceptable | B．critical |
| C．neutral | D．doubtful |
6 . Living abroad requires a small adjustment and balancing of cultures. Moving from Scotland to Austria,the differences aren't so great, perhaps, as moving to Asia or Africa.But things are still different enough to be unsettling (使人不安的).
One of the first differences I noticed was the opening hours of shops here. During the week, supermarkets close at 7:30 p.m., at the latest.On Sundays,they aren't open at all. On my first weekend here,I wasn't at all prepared for this. I planned to go into town to pick up things I'd forgotten to bring.I wanted to get some groceries, too, after a few days of eating out. A friend had warned me that nothing was open on Sundays, but I didn't realize she was serious. So, I wandered around town, coming across shop after shop with doors closed.
I ate out again that Sunday, and I learned my lesson. To begin with, I thought it was highly inconvenient. What if I ran out of milk in the evening, or wanted to buy biscuits before bed? In the UK, I was so used to large supermarkets, which stayed open until at least 10 p.m., if not for twenty four hours. But now, I have to buy food every Saturday. “What do people do here on Sundays?” I asked my flatmate. She just looked at me. “Nothing,” she replied.
If it's inconvenient, then there's also something nice about it. Who needs to be able to buy soup or soap or bread twenty four hours a day? No one really needs to of course. But it's nice, too, to have Sundays completely free from material worries. Sundays here are all about relaxing for hours in coffee shops and spending time with friends. Sunday is a day of rest.
People in the UK often complain, “I thought Sundays were meant to be a day of rest!”, while rushing to work, doing chores (家庭杂务) or standing in queues in shops. Well, here in Austria, it really is a day of rest. It's different, but it's a difference I can definitely get used to.
1. Where does the writer probably come from?| A．Britain. | B．Austria. |
| C．Asia. | D．Africa. |
| A．Unhappy. | B．Unbelievable. |
| C．Delighted. | D．Bored. |
| A．Do some shopping. |
| B．Eat out with families. |
| C．Work hard at home. |
| D．Do nothing but rest. |
7 . Singapore's tradition of eating out in places called hawker centers is now recognized by the United Nations for its cultural importance.
A hawker is a person who sells food or goods and advertises by shouting at people walking by on the street. Hawkers are an important part of Singaporean culture. Open-air eating areas where hawkers sell their goods are very popular. Famous chefs, such as Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay, have praised them.
On Wednesday, the United Nations' cultural agency, UNESCO, added the city's “hawker culture” to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore sought to have hawker culture added to the list about two years ago. Now that it has been recognized, Singapore must provide a report every six years to UNESCO. The report must show the efforts it has made to save and support its hawker culture.
“These centers serve as ‘community dining rooms', where people from diverse backgrounds gather and share the experience of dining over breakfast, lunch and dinner,” UNESCO said.
In the 1970s, Singapore cleaned up its streets so the street hawkers moved to new eating centers. These areas were part of an effort to improve the island. Now, the centers offer many different low-cost meals to local people and provide a pleasing social setting. The 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians showed its stars enjoying meals at a famous night market. Some sellers even received Michelin stars from a famous restaurant rating system for their meals costing only a few dollars.
But, now the average age of hawkers in Singapore is 60 years old. Younger Singaporeans now want to work in offices. They are less interested in working in small restaurants. The COVID-19 health crisis also hurt sales, preventing foreign visitors and locals from eating out.
1. Why is hawker culture added to UNESCO's list?| A．For the efforts Singapore has made. |
| B．For its importance in showing Singapore's culture. |
| C．For the report Singapore provided. |
| D．For the recommendation by UNESCO. |
| A．They sell goods in the open-air area. |
| B．They are famous chefs. |
| C．They are Singapore natives. |
| D．They are popular all over the world. |
| A．To advertise the film. |
| B．To introduce the stars. |
| C．To show the popularity of hawker centers. |
| D．To help the sellers receive Michelin stars. |
| A．The difficulties hawker culture is facing. |
| B．The average age of hawkers. |
| C．The effect caused by COVID-19. |
| D．The future of hawker culture. |
8 . Maaseik, a city in Belgium, has opened an exhibition of about 200 relics and treasures of the Tang Dynasty(618 AD - 907 AD), showing China’s golden age of ancient civilisation (文明) .
The exhibition, which opened on May 11 and will continue until Oct. 20, is part of the city’s effort to create a centre of Chinese culture. Belgian Princess Mathilde formally announced the beginning of the exhibition, titled: China’s Golden Age: Treasures from the Tang Dynasty”.
The items, including gold plates and silver wares for royal families, Tang Dynasty tri-colour glazed figurines (小雕像) of women and paintings, have recently been on exhibit in the Dutch city of Assen.
All of the exhibited items are from Shaanxi Province, China. Its provincial capital Xi’an was the most populous (人口众多的) city in the world and once the capital of the Tang Dynasty.
The Tang period is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilisation-requal to, or better than that of the earlier Han Dynasty(202 BC-220 AD), a golden age of Chinese culture.
Several years ago, said Dirk Verlaak, vice-mayor of Maaseik, his city and Assen teamed up to host history and culture exhibitions of China’s first two imperial dynasties, the Qin (221 BC-207 BC) and the Han. The Chinese relics and treasures attracted 350, 000 visitors in Assen and 190, 000 in Maaseik.
“Westerners don’t know much about China’s ancient civilisation and history, and we hope the new exhibition in Maaseik can attract more visitors,” said Verlaak.
1. Maaseik held the exhibition in order to ________.| A．make money | B．educate people |
| C．attract foreign visitors | D．spread Chinese culture |
| A．Dirk Verlaak is interested in Chinese history |
| B．All the items in the exhibition are from China |
| C．Assen attracted more visitors than Maaseik several years ago |
| D．This is the first time that Maaseik has held such an exhibition |
| A．Doubtful | B．Content | C．Worried | D．Disappointed |
| A．Tang Dynasty Treasures Exhibited in Belgium |
| B．Tang Dynasty Treasures Discovered in Belgium |
| C．Chinese Culture Goes around the World |
| D．Chinese Civilisation Attracts Foreigners |
9 . More than 10 million Chinese cultural relics have been lost overseas, most of which were stolen and illegally shipped out of China during the times of war before 1949. About 1.67 million pieces are housed in more than 200 museums in 47 countries, which accounts for 10 percent of all lost Chinese cultural relics, and the rest are in the hands of private collectors.
Most of these treasures are owned by museums or private collectors in the United States, Europe, Japan and Southeast Asian countries. There are more than 23,000 pieces in the British Museum, most of which were stolen or bought for pennies more than 100 years ago.
The major method to recover these national treasures was to buy them back. In some cases, private collectors donated the relics to the government. Also the government can turn to official channels (渠道) to demand the return of relics.
In 2003, a priceless bronze pig's head dating from the Qing Dynasty was returned to its home in Beijing after it was removed by the Anglo-French Allied Army over 140 years ago. Macao entrepreneur (企业家) Stanley Ho donated 6 million yuan to buy it back from a US art collector and then donated it to the Poly Art Museum in Beijing.
Although buying-back is the most feasible way to recover the lost treasures, limited funding is always a big headache.
In recent years, the Chinese government has improved efforts to recover the precious cultural relics lost overseas. It has started a national project on the recovery of the treasures and has set up a database (数据库) collecting relevant information. It has signed several international agreements with many countries on this matter, and is also looking for international cooperation to recover the relics by working closely with several international organizations.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．The efforts to recover Chinese cultural relics. |
| B．How to recover cultural relics. |
| C．Stanley Ho donated a bronze pig's head to Beijing. |
| D．Chinese cultural relics were stolen by the Anglo-French Allied Army. |
| A．It was made in the Qing Dynasty. |
| B．It is now in the Poly Art Museum in Beijing. |
| C．It was donated by the French government to China. |
| D．It was removed by the Anglo-French Allied Army over 140 years ago. |
| A．the Chinese government has done a lot to recover the lost cultural relics |
| B．many countries have returned the lost cultural relics to China for free |
| C．China has enough money to buy all the cultural relics back |
| D．China is preparing to set up a database to collect information about the lost cultural relics |
| A．careful | B．difficult | C．popular | D．possible |
10 . Chinese culture is over 5,000 years old.
The spirit of the tea ceremony
Xihu Longjing and Yunnan Pu’er have long been world famous.
A handful of good tea leaves with some boiling water and a set of lovely teaware is the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon and gain some insight into the wisdom of this ancient civilisation.
During the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation, many different flavours, styles, and cuisine (烹饪) have developed based on traditional philosophy and culture. This ancient food culture has had a direct impact on the countries, such as Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore. It has benefited billions of people around the world through such innovations as Chinese vegetarian culture, tea culture, vinegar, pasta, medicated diets, ceramic tableware, and the use of soybeans in the diet.
Confucianism(儒学)
Confucianism has flourished during the last 2,500 years of China’s 5,000-year history.
| A．Chinese cuisine |
| B．Chinese culture |
| C．It has been the mainstay of this ancient civilisation. |
| D．They are pretty popular due to their superior colour and flavour. |
| E．The following three items of traditional Chinese culture have had a worldwide impact. |
| F．This would provide long lasting benefits for man, helping to ensure a peaceful and happy life. |
| G．This wonderfully rich food culture has also had an impact on Europe, America and Oceania. |
