1 . Some Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts
Mother’s Day is right around the corner and it’s a special day for showing some gratitude and appreciation to mothers worldwide for raising and caring for their children. Naturally there are a lot of potential gifts out there for the occasion to choose from, so we’ve put together some thoughtful gifts you can send.
Mother’s Day scrabble printThis scrabble frame offers a more personal and alternative touch for Mother’s Day, with a simple but thoughtful message. You can also customise the names on the pieces to your own family names.
Katie Loxton slim pouchSometimes a small and simple gift can do just the trick, so if you wanted to go that route, this Katie Loxton pouch would be a great choice. It’s made from vegan leather and carved with “Wonderful Mum” on its front. It’s pocket-sized and can also handily fit in a handbag as an option for carrying small items.
Jimmy Choo Blossom special edition-Eau de ParfumSpring is in the air and so are the fragrances that are commonly associated with it. Presented in a lovely, brightly-coloured bottle and also diamond-shaped cap, this Jimmy Choo fragrance is a great gift for Mother’s Day and the blossoming of a new season, with its sweet and warm floral scents.
Floral punch needle kitIf your mum is into crafts, needling or is a plant lover, then this is the perfect gift for her. Made from cotton, beech wood and recycled plastic, it’s a punch needle kit ideal for hanging on a wall or help decorate a table stand with its nature themed fern look. Every gift is wrapped in recyclable packaging as well. Included inside is: the needle fabric, a model design, and detailed needling instructions for beginners.
1. How can you show some gratitude to mothers on Mother’s Day?| A．By celebrating a special day. | B．By sending thoughtful gifts. |
| C．By appreciating gifts worldwide. | D．By raising and caring for children. |
| A．It’s personal and identical. | B．It’s expensive and thoughtful. |
| C．It includes our names on the pieces. | D．It can cover our own family names. |
| A．Floral punch needle kit | B．Katie Loxton slim pouch |
| C．Mother’s Day scrabble print | D．Jimmy Choo Blossom special edition-Eau de Parfum |
2 . The United States celebrates Valentine's Day each year on February 14. Many other countries celebrate Valentine's Day, too, each in their own way. Here is a look at the Valentine's Day traditions in three countries.
Wales：land of love spoons
In Wales, it is called St. Dwynwen's Day, which takes place on January 25. The traditional romantic gift on this day is a love spoon.
Beginning in the 17th century, Welsh men made beautiful wooden spoons as a show of their love for that special person in their lives. Each shape of the spoons has a different meaning. For example, horseshoes mean good luck；keys represent the key to a lover's heart；and wheels are a sign of support.
Argentina：a week of sweets
Argentina celebrates Valentine's Day in February, but also gives a whole other week to love in July. They call it Sweetness Week. If you kiss someone, they have to give you a sugary treat.
Sweetness Week started in 1989 with a candy company called Arcor. They made an advertisement called “Candy for a Kiss". The idea was to give the company's chocolates and other candies in exchange for a sweet kiss on the cheek. The campaign had a stronger effect than the company expected—it led to a new holiday!
Every July, couples who take part give each other candies and kisses all week long.
South Korea: three is a charm
For South Koreans, Valentine's Day happens in three parts：February 14, March 14 and April 14.
On February 14, women traditionally give men gifts of chocolate to show their love. One month later, on a holiday known as White Day, men show their thanks by giving women a sweet gift. The name “White Day" comes from the custom of giving white-colored gifts.
Let's not forget Black Day on April 14. Single people who did not get gifts on February 14 or March 14 often gather on Black Day to eat noodles with black bean soup.
1. What does a key-shaped spoon mean?| A．Deep love. | B．Good luck. | C．Strong support. | D．Real thanks. |
| A．In February. | B．In March. | C．In April. | D．In July. |
| A．Brown chocolates. | B．Black beans. | C．White milk candies. | D．Silver spoons. |
3 . With the development of modern society, we have almost no time for relaxation and enjoyment. So celebrating festivals is a good excuse to escape the boredom. There are many kinds of festivals. Some are funny and interesting; some are traditional or religious; others are national.
Festivals are a significant tool to bring unity to all kinds of people.
Some festivals are observed to remember some important days, or a great time. We are given an opportunity to value those moments.
For an individual, a festival is not just a day off, but is a lot more than that.
| A．Without them, we can't enjoy life fully. |
| B．Therefore, we should enjoy festivals to the fullest. |
| C．It is a time to give the poor an opportunity to smile. |
| D．At the heart of festivals is the nature of togetherness. |
| E．Festivals also serve to give a break from daily rush. |
| F．For example, an important celebration is New Year's Day. |
| G．Whatever they are, they play an important role in people's life. |
4 . As more and more people speak the global language of English, Chinese, Spanish, and Arabic, other languages are rapidly disappearing. In fact, half of the 6,000-7,000 languages spoken around the world today will be likely to die out by the next century, according the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In an effort to prevent language loss, scholars from a number of organizations — UNESCO and National Geographic among them — have for many years been documenting dying languages and the cultures they reflect.
Mark Turin, a scientist at the Macmillan Center, Yale University, who specializes in the languages and oral traditions of the Himalayas, is following in that tradition. His recently published book, A Grammar of Thangmi and Their Culture, grows out of his experience living, working, and raising a family in a village in Nepal.
Documenting the Thangmi language and culture is just a starting point for Turin, who seeks to include other languages and oral traditions across the Himalayan reaches of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and China. But he is not content to simply record these voices before they disappear without record.
At the University of Cambridge Turin discovered a wealth of important materials —including photographs, films, tape recordings, and field notes — which had remained unstudied and were badly in need of care and protection. Now, through the two organizations that he has founded — the Digital Himalaya Project and the World Oral Literature Project — Turin has started a campaign to make such documents, found in libraries and stores around the world, available not just to schools but to the younger generations of communities from whom the materials were originally collected. Thanks to digital technology and the widely available Internet, Turin notes, the endangered languages can be saved and reconnected with speech communities.
1. Many scholars are making efforts to ________.| A．promote global languages | B．rescue disappearing languages |
| C．search for languages communities | D．set up language research organizations |
| A．having detailed records of the languages | B．writing books on language users |
| C．telling stories about language speakers | D．living with the native speakers |
| A．The cultural studies in India. | B．The documents available at Yale. |
| C．His language research in Bhutan. | D．His personal experience in Nepal. |
| A．Write, sell and donate. | B．Record, repair and reward. |
| C．Collect, protect and reconnect. | D．Design, experiment and report. |
5 . Papermaking is widely known as one of the Four Great Inventions of ancient Chinese civilization. Among different types of paper, Xuan paper holds an important place.
Regarded as one of the Four Treasures of the Study, Xuan paper has always been valued by the Chinese as a source of pride since it is a necessary part of the Chinese culture.
Five Oxen by painter Han Huang is acknowledged as the oldest Chinese painting on Xuan paper.
Featuring a smooth surface, pure texture (质地) and high tensile strength, Xuan paper’s most well-known feature is that it can be preserved for a long time.
| A．If it were not for the paper |
| B．It is also a witness to the Chinese history |
| C．As it has a history of more than 1,500 years |
| D．Because it has excellent water-absorbing capacity |
| E．The quality will not change for more than 1,000 years |
| F．The undamaged art piece is more than 1,200 years old |
| G．Up to now, Xuan paper has not yet been produced by modern machine |
6 . Liverpool, my hometown, is a unique city. It is so unique that in 2004 it became a World Heritage Site.
I recently returned to my home city and my first stop was a museum on the River Mersey. Blanketed in mist(薄雾), Victorian architecture rose from the banks of the river, responded to the sounds of seabirds, and appeared unbelievably charming. When I headed toward the centre, I found myself surrounded by buildings that mirror the best palaces of Europe. It is not hard to imagine why, on first seeing the city, most visitors would be overpowered by the beauty of the noble buildings, which are solid signs of Liverpool’s history.
As if to stress its cultural role, Liverpool has more museums and galleries than most cities in Britain. At the Walker Art Gallery, I was told that it has best collections of Victorian paintings in the world, and is the home of modern art in the north of England. However, culture is more than galleries. Liverpool offers many music events. As Britain’s No.1 music city, it has the biggest city music festival in Europe, and its musicians are famous all over the world. Liverpool is also well-known for its football and other sports events. Every year, the River Festival Liverpool attracts thousands of visitors, making the city a place of wonder.
As you would expect from such a city, there are restaurants serving food from around the world. When my trip was about to end, I chose to rest my legs in Liverpool’s famous Philharmonic pub. It is a monument(纪念碑) to perfection, and a heritage attraction itself.
Being a World Heritage Site, my home city is certainly a place of Outstanding Universal Value. It is a treasure house with plenty of secrets for the world to explore.
1. What can first catch visitors’ attention in Liverpool?| A．Charming banks. |
| B．Famous museums. |
| C．Wonderful palaces. |
| D．Attractive buildings. |
| A．By analyzing causes. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following the order of time. |
| D．By providing different examples. |
| A．To show Liverpool is a well-known city for its restaurants. |
| B．To prove Liverpool is an impressive place full of attractions. |
| C．To explain a pub is a wonderful place for visitors to relax themselves. |
| D．To stress a pub is a perfect choice for visitors to end their journey. |
| A．The universal value of Liverpool. |
| B．The beautiful historic sites of Liverpool. |
| C．The special cultural atmosphere of Liverpool. |
| D．The author’s exciting experience in Liverpool. |
7 . This year some twenty-three hundred teenagers (young people aged from 13-19) from all over the world will spend about ten months in US homes. They will attend US schools, meet US teenagers, and form impressions of the real America. At the same time, about thirteen hundred American teenagers will go to other countries to learn new languages and gain a new understanding of the rest of the world.
Here is a two-way student exchange in action. Fred, nineteen, spent last year in Germany with George’s family. In turn, George’s son Mike spent a year in Fred’s home in America.
Fred, a lively young man, knew little German when he arrived, but after two months’ study the language began to come to him. School was completely different from what he had expected—much harder. Students rose respectfully when the teacher entered the room. They took fourteen subjects instead of the six that were usual in the United States. There were almost no outside activities.
Family life, too, was different. The father’s word was law, and all activities were around the family rather than the individual. Fred found the food too simple at first. Also, he missed having a car. “Back home, you pick up some friends in a car and go out and have a good time. In Germany, you walk, but you soon learn to like it. ”
At the same time, in America, Mike, a friendly German boy, was also forming his idea. “I suppose I should criticize American schools,” he said. “It is far too easy by our level. But I have to say that I like it very much. In Germany we do nothing but study. Here we take part in many outside activities. I think that maybe your schools are better in training for citizens. There ought to be some middle ground between the two.”
1. The whole exchange program is mainly to ________.| A．help teenagers in other countries know the real America |
| B．send students in America to travel in Germany |
| C．let students learn something about other countries |
| D．have teenagers learn new languages |
| A．There is some middle ground between the two teaching buildings. |
| B．There are a lot of outside activities. |
| C．Students usually take 14 subjects in all. |
| D．Students go outside to enjoy themselves in a car. |
| A．A better education should include something good from both America and Germany. |
| B．German schools trained students to be better citizens. |
| C．American schools were not as good as German schools. |
| D．The easy life in the American school was more helpful to students. |
| A．Praise. | B．Regret. |
| C．Ignore. | D．Accuse (指责). |
8 . Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal, or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasise the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example,business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work,it is necessary to spend a lot of time in“small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries—like the UK or France—people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realised that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a better chance to us to understand and learn from each other.
1. What’s the benefit of eating together at restaurants in some countries according to this passage?| A．People can develop closer relations. | B．People can share the same culture. |
| C．People can get to know each other. | D．People can keep each other company. |
| A．To show the English prefer to make long speeches. |
| B．To show too many words are of no use. |
| C．To show people from Thailand are quiet and shy by nature. |
| D．To show even talk and silence can be culturally different. |
| A．By sharing different ways of life. | B．By accepting different habits. |
| C．By recognising different values. | D．By speaking each other’s languages. |
| A．Multicultural Environment | B．Cross-cultural Differences |
| C．How to Understand Each Other | D．How to Build up a Relationship |
9 . October 15th is Global Handwashing Day. Activities are planned in more than twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so-called critical moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Handwashing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for hand washing with soap. The goal, they say, is to create a culture of hand washing with soap. The organizers say all soap is equally effective at removing disease-causing germs (细菌). They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas, including under the fingernails. Then, wash well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth.
The Partnership says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell, which increases the chances that people will wash again.
It also says that washing hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any medicine. It could help reduce cases of diarrhea (痢疾), which is the second leading cause of child deaths, killing more than one and a half million children a year, by almost half.
1. What does the author intend to tell us in the passage?| A．To keep healthy by washing hands. |
| B．To wash hands with soap. |
| C．To take action to wash hands. |
| D．To wash hands often. |
a. Washing hands well.
b. Covering hands with soap.
c. Drying hands.
d. Rubbing hands with soap.
e. Wetting hands.
| A．a-c-b-e-d | B．e-d-a-b-c |
| C．a-c-b-d-e | D．e-b-d-a-c |
| A．It gives people a longer hand washing time. |
| B．It helps to remove a lot of germs from hands. |
| C．It attracts people to do more hand washing. |
| D．It gets all people into the habit of washing hands. |
| A．kills half of the kids in the developing countries a year |
| B．causes the greatest number of child deaths |
| C．can be prevented to some degree by washing hands with soap |
| D．can’t be cured without washing hands |
10 . When the leaves begin to change colors,it means one thing for many travelers：Fall festival season is here.If you’re interested in visiting a fall festival in America,here are some of the country’s best fall festivals for you to choose from.
Wellfleet Oysterfest
Wellileet Oysterfest is a two-day event held in Wellfleet,Mass.The meeting on Cape Cod is one that the locals look forward to all year long.Feed on oysters(牡蛎）and other seafood，while you watch the fastest oyster-eaters in the world compete in the famous Oyster Shuck-Off,a competition for taking the outer covering of oysters.The competition is taken very seriously.
Harvest on the Harbor
It takes place in Portland,Maine.The festival celebrates all that is best about Maine’s food and wine.This celebration is held every October,and includes the Maine Lobster Chef of the Year Competition and Savory Samplings at the Marketplace.The latter allows travelers to taste the best local food that Maine has to offer at Casco Bay.
Killington Hay Festival
If you’re looking for a fall festival that includes hay sculptures(干草雕塑)，take part in the yearly Killington Hay Festival.When you begin to see the giant hay sculptures,you’ll know you’ve arrived.Past sculptures have changed from a 20-foot-tall kangaroo to a family of penguins.
1. What can we learn about the meeting on Cape Cod?| A．It takes place twice a year. | B．It lasts three days in all. |
| C．It’s loved by the locals. | D．It’s not open to tourists. |
| A．People who want to go to a festival in November. |
| B．People who want to try Maine’s local food. |
| C．The fastest oyster-eaters worldwide, |
| D．The best cooks around the world. |
| A．They all serve seafood. | B．They are all liked by eaters. |
| C．They all last for two days. | D．They all take place in fall. |
