1 . With roads, hotels and popular scenic spots packed with millions of people, the five-day Labor Day holiday is evidence of China's success in COVID 19 control and economic recovery.
Citizens across China expected this year's holiday to be an occasion for leisure not seen since the pandemic.
Official data showed 230 million domestic tourist trips were made during the holiday, up 119.7 percent from last year. In Jinan, the provincial capital of east China's Shandong, over 60,000 passengers took fights from the Jinan Yaoqiang International Airport on April 30, a record high for that date since it opened to air traffic in 1992 and surpassing (超过) the highest daily volume in 2019. Hotel booking rates shot up in tourist destinations.
None of the above would be possible without China's success in pandemic control.
Famous cities like Changsha and Chengdu are jammed with tourists, with short videos and pictures flying up on social media. The lively tourism market is part of economic recovery.
Other data showed that higher-end hotels and higher-quality services have been more welcome this year.
A.Chinese economy remains unchanged. |
B.All of these suggest a trend in consumption. |
C.After all, everyone had stayed inside long enough. |
D.The country' s prevention and control measures take effect. |
E.The rise in tourism services prevents people from travelling. |
F.Vaccinations in China are going on in an orderly and steady manner. |
G.Tickets reserved online for many popular attractions sold out days in advance. |
2 . What springs to mind when you think of kung fu, also known as wushu? Maybe the image of Shaolin monks striking fierce poses with a serious look in his eyes, or popular children’s movies like Kung Fu Panda.
Recently, Laurence J. Brahm, a documentary filmmaker from the United States, explored this question in Searching of Kung Fu. In the movie, Brahm travelled to cities in China and the US in search of the origin and value of kung fu.
Around a decade ago, Brahm was unable to use one of his legs for about two years and had to walk with crutches and a cane.
“Martial arts can help us connect our body, connect our neural system, connect our blood flow.
A.Brahm's appreciation of kung fu is obvious. |
B.Still others find additional values in the practice. |
C.Chinese kung fu is a mirror of Chinese culture. |
D.But do they really reveal the meaning of kung fu? |
E.Besides, it can also connect us into our environment to increase our awareness. |
F.But by practicing martial arts slowly, he was able to recover step by step. |
G.So, the meaning of kung fu in Chinese is the art of stopping fighting, the art of nonviolence. |
3 . My husband and I just spent a week in Paris.
The place wasn’t entirely authentic, though. Unlike a normal Parisian apartment, the plumbing (水管) worked.
Parisians are different from you and me. They never look lazy or untidy. As someone noted in this paper a couple of weeks ago, they eat great food and never gain weight.
In France, quality of life is much more important than efficiency.
You can tell this by cafés life. French cafés are always crowded.
A.Not all the customers are tourists. |
B.The quality of life in France is equally excellent. |
C.There was a nice kitchen and a comfortable bed. |
D.The amazing food is mainly consumed by local farmers. |
E.That’s not the only reason the French eat less than we do. |
F.Our aim was to see if we could live, in some way, like real Parisians. |
G.The food is so delicious that you don’t need much of it to make you happy. |
4 . In order to reduce the risk of suffering from COVID-19, people are supposed to say no to a handshake, give up high fives, refuse kisses on the cheek and absolutely avoid hugging. So people all over the world are changing their daily habits at work and at home to prevent it from spreading.
In France, handshaking is regarded as daily greeting habits. And kissing on the cheek is often seen even between people who have only just met. Philippe Lichtfus, a lifestyle expert notes that handshaking is a relatively recent development in human history that began in the Middle Ages. Now, he says simply looking into a person’s eyes can serve as a greeting.
The Brazilian health ministry has recommended that citizens should not share the metal straws traditionally used to consume the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. And a kiss—even if it is not on the mouth—is totally advised against.
One of Spain’s most treasured traditions is also affected by the outbreak—the kissing of sculptures of Virgin Mary in the week leading up to Easter. During the holy week, the faithful believers queue up to kiss the hands or feet of sculptures of Mary and the saints, seeking their protection.
Germany’s interior minister (内政部长) Horst Seehofer rebuffed Chancellor(总理)Angela Merkel’s attempt to shake hands with him, smiling and keeping both his hands to himself. They both laughed and Merkel threw her hand up in the air before taking a seat.
In Iran, a video has gone viral (走红) showing three friends meeting, hands in their pockets, two of whom are wearing masks, tapping their feet against each other as a greeting. A similar video in Lebanon shows singer Ragheb Alama and comedian Michel Abou Sleiman tapping their feet against each other while making kissing noises with their mouths.
The UAE (阿拉伯联合酋长国) is advising citizens to stop the traditional “nose to nose” greeting. The UAE also said that people shouldn’t shake hands anymore or kiss. Greet each other “by waving only”.
1. What can we learn from Philippe Lichtfus?A.Handshaking has a long history. |
B.People can continue to kiss on the cheek. |
C.It is recommended that people look into other’s eyes as a greeting. |
D.It is unusual for two people who have just met to kiss on the cheeks. |
A.Appreciated. | B.Refused. | C.Accepted. | D.Welcomed. |
A.Several traditional greeting habits are advised against in the UAE. |
B.People who believe in Virgin Mary must be disappointed to cancel the ceremony. |
C.Brazilians are crazy about consuming the caffeine-rich drink chimarrão. |
D.Tapping feet against each other has already become a daily greeting in Iran. |
A.Some old greeting styles are out of date. |
B.Some new greeting styles become popular. |
C.Different countries have different greeting styles. |
D.People change their greeting styles to protect themselves. |
5 . It may seem as if Mother's Day was invented by a company named Hallmark, but people have been taking time on the calendar to give a shout-out to Mom for a long time. The Greeks and Romans had mother goddess festivals — although their celebrations didn't involve the menfolk taking their underappreciated mothers out to dinner. A more recent tradition was Mothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday in April, young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.
Mother's Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers' Work Days” to promote health and hygiene(卫生 ) at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, furthering the cause by bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers and promoting a Mother's Day holiday.
Jarvis's work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe published her “Mother's Day Proclamation”, which envisioned(设想) the day not as appreciation of mothers by their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother's Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade she stopped footing the bill and the tradition faded away.
It was Jarvis's daughter Anna who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died, in May 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremony on the anniversary and conducting a tireless PR campaign to have the day made a holiday. In 1908 she succeeded in enlisting the support of John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia department store magnate and advertising pioneer, and by 1912 West Virginia and a few other states had adopted Mother's Day. Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution declaring the second Sunday in May a national holiday.
It wasn't long, though, before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under an amount of greeting cards and candy. By the 1920s Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had been instrumental in creating. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.
1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that .A.mothers didn't get enough appreciation in the past |
B.Mother's Day was invented by Hallmark |
C.young people all returned to their mothers' houses |
D.Greeks and Romans were the first to celebrate Mother's Day |
A.Ann Jarvis. | B.Julia Ward Howe. |
C.Woodrow Wilson. | D.Anna Jarvis. |
A.Because it was extremely emotional. |
B.Because the festival was not profitable. |
C.Because the celebrations went against the original spirit. |
D.Because the day was celebrated in the form of exchanging greeting cards and candy. |
A.The Definition of Mother’s Day |
B.The Argument on Celebrating Mother's Day |
C.The Story Behind the Creation of Mother's Day |
D.Different Forms of Celebration on Mother's Day |
6 . The end of British pub culture?
British beer and pubs are famous around the world. Things are changing. However,
For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, since it is where the people gather to socialize and exchange news. After all, the word “pub” is actually short for “public house”. As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved.
Many British pubs have old names referring to the monarchs, such as the king’s head or the queen Victoria, but of course this doesn’t mean they are only for kings and queens.
That’s how it used to be.
To save their business, pubs are trying to diversify to attract new customers. Now there are a number of different types of pubs. Besides a “traditional pub”, a “gastro pub” serves higher-quality food than usual.
As you can see, British pubs now offer something for everyone. And with various “save the pub” campaign, there are signs that people are regathering around these new kinds of pubs while supporting the traditional ones to back its great British custom with pride.
A.Don’t British people like drinking beer? |
B.Many of them have become historic sites that tourists visit. |
C.Is this the end of a great British tradition? |
D.A “microbrewery” often has fresher beer than other types of pub. |
E.Some pubs are allowed law to stay open after 11 pm. |
F.Pubs have always welcomed people from all classes and parts of society. |
G.Now there are worrying signs that things are beginning to decline. |
7 . Before the December holiday craze and celebrations start, November is an ideal time to visit the southeast states to enjoy mild temperatures and unique festivals and events.
South Carolina Pecan Festival in Florence
Head to downtown Florence for this popular annual community event held the first Saturday of November. There are stages with live music, over 250 food and craft vendors, art exhibitions, amusement rides, antique tractor show, car show, and pecan cooking competition with celebrity judges.
Seagrove Pottery Festival in North Carolina
This yearly festival features hand-made pottery, colonial crafts, and pottery-making demonstrations. Pottery collectors can pick up some limited-edition pieces signed and dated by local potters. Always the weekend before Thanksgiving, the event starts on Friday, with a duration of three days.
Mule Day in Calvary, Georgia
Labeled as the largest one — day festival in southwest Georgia, this annual event, always held the first Saturday in November, features a sunrise breakfast, mule parade(骡子游行),flea market with hundreds of booths, a barbecue and fish fry, regional entertainment, and more. Mule Day celebrates the mules’ significant contribution to the area’s agriculture.
Veterans Day Parade in Birmingham, Alabama
Veterans Day, a federal and state holiday in the United States, is always celebrated on November 11th. There are events throughout the Southeast, including parades and ceremonies on or close to Veterans Day.
1. What can people do at Pecan Festival?A.Appreciate art works. |
B.Watch music shows on screen. |
C.Drive modern tractors and cars. |
D.Buy food cooked by celebrities. |
A.To boost the local market. |
B.To advocate cooking skills. |
C.To enhance the importance of economy. |
D.To honor mules for their role in agriculture. |
A.Pecan Festival. | B.Pottery Festival. |
C.Mule Day. | D.Veterans Day. |
8 . Using Google's unique digital(数字的)technology, the stories of some English Heritage(遗产)sites around the country-from Tintagel Castle in Cornwall to Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall-are brought to life and shared by way of the Google Arts & Culture platform.
![]() Stonehenge Skyscape | English Heritage's Stonehenge Skyscape enables people around the world to experience the skies above the stone circle, to learn about movements of the sun, moon and planets. Experience a live and special sunrise over Stonehenge, see the journey of the stars and the moon from within the stone circle and learn more about the design of Stonehenge and how its builders may have understood their place in the universe. |
![]() Osborne, Isle of Wight | Take a 360 video tour of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's palatial(豪华的)holiday home on the Isle of Wight in the company of English Heritage director Michael Hunter, including the Italian terraces(露台)with views over the Solent, which reminded Prince Albert of the Bay of Naples, and the Indian-inspired Durbar Room, designed to show Queen Victoria's position as Empress of India. |
![]() Audley End House and Gardens, Essex | Explore the story of one of the greatest houses of early 17th-century England, deep in the heart of the Essex countryside, and fly over the great formal gardens designed by Capability Brown. |
![]() Tintagel Castle, Cornwall | Explore this medieval(中世纪的)castle set high on Cornwall's north coast. Linked with the legend of King Arthur, for centuries this impressive castle and coastline has inspired the imaginations of writers, artists and even the brother of a king. Discover the Early Medieval history of a distant outpost(哨站)trading objects from Spain, North Africa and Turkey. |
1. Which heritage can you choose if you are interested in a unique sunrise?
A.Stonehenge Skyscape. | B.Osborne, Isle of Wight. |
C.Audley End House and Gardens, Essex. | D.Tintagel Castle, Cornwall. |
A.Both were built for their kings. |
B.Both were built in the same age. |
C.Both are related to previous rulers. |
D.Both are palatial holiday homes for the rulers. |
A.History. | B.Travel. |
C.Geography. | D.Culture. |
9 . In moving to another country it is not uncommon to experience culture shock. As a Chinese person in Britain, I am no different.
Basically, there are five stages of culture shock.
Stage one can be called the Tourist stage". If you travel a lot, you'll agree with me. Everything in a new place is very exciting to a tourist.
The second stage is the "shock stage”.
The last stage is called the re-entry shock stage". This is the shock you feel when returning home. Everybody is happy to see you again, but you've changed.
A.Your own culture may feel foreign. |
B.Then comes the stage of acceptance. |
C.In the next stage, you begin to adjust. |
D.Problems and anxiety appear at this time. |
E.You start to identify with the new culture. |
F.This stage can last for months or just a couple of days. |
G.Find the courage to move forward during this difficult stage. |
10 . HEY boys, attention please! If you want to go to the US, you’d better be fully prepared, because, well, you and the boys in the US are a bit different.
Firstly, know how to knot a tie. In the US, every boy above school age wears suits when they go to weddings.
Secondly, be a gentleman. I know in China some boys are still proud of being strong. But in the US, a good man should also be polite.
The last is to learn something about football and baseball. Chinese boys like ping-pong, basketball and soccer, but American boys love football and baseball. They get very happy when they play and watch these sports.
A.Many boys are fans of football or baseball in America. |
B.In my opinion, you’d better try to do the following things. |
C.The stronger you are, the more highly people will think of you. |
D.My friend Madison from Virginia said it shows respect to others. |
E.However, all this doesn’t mean that the American way is always the right way. |
F.It’s not necessary to be a fan of football or fix your TV channel to baseball games. |
G.Here are two examples: holding the door for people behind you and giving the seat on a bus to old people. |