1 . Differences between people within any given nation or culture are much greater than differences between groups. Education, social standing, religion, personality, belief structure, past experience, affection shown in the home, and a myriad (大量) of other factors will affect human behavior and culture.
Sure there are differences in approach as to what is considered polite and appropriate behavior both on and off the job. In some cultures “yes” means, “I hear you” more than “I agree”. Length of pleasantries and greetings before getting down to business; level of tolerance for being around someone speaking a foreign (not-understood) language; politeness measured in terms of gallantry (殷勤) or etiquette(e.g., standing up for a woman who approaches a table, yielding a seat on the bus to an older person, etc.); and manner of expected dress are all examples of possible cultural differences and traditions.
In México it is customary for the arriving person to greet the others. For instance, someone who walks into a group of persons eating would say prove Cho (enjoy your meal). In Chile, women often greet both other women and men with a kiss on the cheek. In Russia women often walk arm in arm with their female friends. Paying attention to customs and cultural differences can give someone outside that culture a better chance of assimilation (同化) or acceptance. Ignoring these can get an unsuspecting person into trouble.
There are cultural and ideological differences and it is good to have an understanding about a culture’s customs and ways. Aaron Pun, a Canadian ODC net correspondent, wrote: “In studying cross cultural differences, we are not looking at individuals but a comparison of one ethnic group against others. Hence, we are comparing two bell curves and generalization cannot be avoided.” Another correspondent explained the human need to categorize. True and true, but the danger comes when we act on some of these generalizations, especially when they are based on faulty observation. Acting on generalizations about such matters as eye contact, personal space, touch, and interest in participation can have serious negative consequences.
1. Which one below is an example of cultural differences according to the passage?| A．Dress colors. | B．Tolerance towards a native speaker. |
| C．Facial expressions. | D．Ways of greeting. |
| A．By giving data. | B．By making comparison. |
| C．By giving examples. | D．By stating arguments. |
| A．Neutral. | B．Indifferent. | C．Ambiguous. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．The significance of cultural differences. |
| B．Human behaviors and cultures. |
| C．Cultural differences among countries. |
| D．Troubles caused by cultural differences. |
2 . Mexico is an ideal destination for you to broaden horizons. Its diverse culture and impressive Maya heritage sites will offer you a unique vacation. Taking a private guided Mexico tour is an excellent way to enjoy some amazing places.
Day 1
After breakfast, our guide will take you to Teotihuacan to visit the world famous Pyramid (金字塔) of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon. You can also climb the Pyramid of the Sun to see the entire ancient city of Teotihuacan. Later, return to Mexico City and head to Plaza de la Constitución, a landmark in the center of the old city. Also, we will visit the capital’s cathedral (大教堂) and the National Palace there.
Day 2
Today, we will drive to Puebla, a famous ancient city in central Mexico. It was listed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987 as a cultural heritage site. Full of colorful houses, it is a typical Spanish style city. Here we will visit the oldest library in America—the Biblioteca Palafoxiana, and the church—Capilla del Rosario.
Day 3
After breakfast, we will depart from Puebla to the beautiful Oaxaca City. Upon arrival, we plan to go first to Square of Zocalo to start today’s Mexico vacation packages, then to the beautiful Templo de Santo Domingo, a 16th-century Baroque church. The two 35-metre-high bell towers next to the church are some of Oaxaca’s most beautiful buildings. The local cuisine is also well worth a try, and our guide will be happy to recommend some must-have snacks for you.
Day 4
On the 4th day of Mexico vacation packages, we are going to Chichen Itza, one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. This world-famous Mayan ruins have long been a sacred place for the Mayans. The most famous must-see is the Great Pyramid of Kukulkan.
1. Where can tourists visit the National Palace?| A．In Teotihuacan. | B．In Mexico City. |
| C．In Puebla. | D．In Oaxaca City. |
| A．Tour a typical Mexican style city. | B．Try Oaxaca’s unique local cuisine. |
| C．Visit the oldest library in America. | D．See a 16th-century Baroque church. |
| A．On Day 1. | B．On Day 2. | C．On Day 3. | D．On Day 4. |
3 . Tiaohua Festival is a main festival of the Miao people in Guizhou Province, China. It originates from Anshum City in Guizhou Province and has gradually developed into a comprehensive (综合的) yearly event.
Tiaohua Festival is usually held during the first lunar month. To determine the exact dates of the festival, organizers have to take many things into consideration like the Chinese lunar calendar, lucky animal days (e.g. the tiger and dragon are powerful, but snake and pig days need to be avoided at all costs), and lucky numbers (e.g. 8 means wealth but 4 means death). Organizers also need to make sure the dates don’t fall on the festival days of other communities. In this way, people from nearby villages can attend the festival.
Singing and dancing are the main activities of Tiaohua Festival. During the festival, the Miao people dress up in their traditional clothes and silver accessories (配饰) and celebrate the festival in memory of the heroes in their history. Yet, the most important part of the festival is the chance for young people to meet possible marriage partners — men play the musical instruments and women dance to the music in the flower area. If a man plays well, he will not only be praised by listeners but also win the appreciation from the girls. Nowadays, the festival has become a celebration event for the young to visit their parents. Other activities include competitions of climbing a flower-decorated pole, needling crafts and wushu.
Each year, Tiaohua Festival attracts international tourists from all over the world. “We’re really amazed by the rich cultural scenes(场面)and the local people who are very welcoming,” a foreigner named Charlie says excitedly.
1. What do we know about the dates of Tiaohua Festival?| A．They are not fixed. |
| B．They are set by nearby villagers. |
| C．They are often at the end of a year. |
| D．They are different from the ancient times. |
| A．It is attended by many musicians. |
| B．It is celebrated for different purposes. |
| C．It gradually develops into competitions. |
| D．It is the most important to the Miao people. |
| A．To show the great scenes of the festival. |
| B．To show humans share the same cultures. |
| C．To show Tiaohua Festival attracts worldwide attention. |
| D．To show Tiaohua Festival is popular in other countries. |
| A．Lifestyle. | B．Nature. | C．Business. | D．Culture. |
4 . The Chinese art of paper cutting has a long history. The earliest paper cutting was found in China in the Northern Dynasties. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) has recognized the art, called Jianzhi, on its Intangible (非物质的) Cultural Heritage (遗产) list. Voyo Woo, who is a Chinese student studying in the US, hopes to introduce the traditional Chinese art to Americans in her spare time.
Ms. Woo loves paper cutting. And she works hard to celebrate the ancient art form. On a recent Saturday, Ms. Woo held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. She demonstrated the art to the crowds for hours at the shopping center.
Ms. Woo began to study the art of Jianzhi as a 14-year-old girl in her hometown in southeastern China. She said all the students at school had to learn the art. However, she developed a special love for it, so her teacher gave her extra training after class. Later, she won second prize in a national painting and calligraphy competition.
After Ms. Woo came to the US, she became involved in an event to support and expand the understanding of Chinese paper cutting. She has been invited to demonstrate the art at a wide collection of events. She has also shown her skill at famous museums in Washington. Ms. Woo says paper cutting represents Chinese cultural values, history and stories of people’s lives. She uses the art as a tool to present Chinese culture to people who know little about it.
Ms. Woo placed examples of her art around her as she demonstrated paper cutting at the shopping center. Some shoppers, like Ann Russ, took part in a workshop. Ms. Russ was struck (打动) by the finely detailed nature of the work. “ I like to know about the Chinese art, specifically because it is very delicate (精致的). And I like the focus that it requires because it takes me out of everything. And we have to concentrate on something very closely. It is almost relaxing to put that much effort into it. ” Ms. Russ says.
1. What can we learn about Jianzhi from paragraph 1?| A．It is popular now in the US. |
| B．It dates from the Qing Dynasty. |
| C．It was brought back to life by immigrants (移民). |
| D．It is regarded as the cultural heritage. |
| A．To earn some money. | B．To attract more shoppers. |
| C．To celebrate an art festival. | D．To make paper cutting well-known. |
| A．The school life of Ms. Woo in China. |
| B．The story of Ms. Woo and her teacher. |
| C．Ms. Woo’s experience of learning Jianzhi. |
| D．Ms. Woo’s success in advertising Jianzhi. |
| A．She is confused about paper cutting. |
| B．She can get relaxation from paper cutting. |
| C．Paper cutting needs much energy to make. |
| D．Paper cutting takes up much of her time. |
5 . The “Chong Yang Festival” is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, which is also known as the Double Ninth Festival.
Climbing mountains.
People like to climb mountains on this festival, so the Double Ninth Festival is also called “Mountain-climbing Festival”. The ninth lunar mouth, with clear autumn sky and cool air, is a good time for sightseeing.
Climbing mountains also means “climbing to a higher position”.
Drinking Chrysanthemum Flower (菊花) Wine.
The chrysanthemum flower wine is made with special process. In ancient times, people usually picked fresh chrysanthemum flowers and leaves on the 9th of the 9th lunar month, and made the mixture of them and grains into the wine.
The Double Ninth cake is also known as “flower cake”. It is from Zhou Dynasty. It is said that the cake was prepared after autumn harvests for farmers to have a taste of what was just in season before, and it gradually turned into the present cake for people to eat on the Double Ninth Festival.
| A．Eating Double Ninth cake |
| B．Making “flower cake” with friends |
| C．So people love to go sightseeing this month |
| D．It would not be drunk until the same day next year |
| E．Here are some traditional customs of the Double Ninth Festival |
| F．But few Chinese people are aware of the importance of the festival |
| G．That’s another reason why climbing mountains are valued by people, especially by the old |
6 . On Mother’s Day, surprising your mother with a delicious cake is a must. Before you order a cake, you need a Mother’s Day cake design.
Dessert(甜点) Chocolate Cake
Who in the world can say no to a cake that is chocolate inside? This cake design is unique—other than the chocolate, there are delicious and lovely desserts on top of it.
Price: $42, 6-inch/$58, 8-inch
Black Velvet Cake
Black is forever beautiful! And as mothers are a long preference for love and beauty, you can pick this Black Velvet Cake to surprise your mother. As beautiful as the cake looks outside, when you cut the cake, it is relaxing to see the red and black delicious layers(夹层)inside.
Price, $32, 6-inch/$42, 8-inch
Naked Rose Cake
We know you came across the thought of surprising your mom with a bunch(束)of flowers as gifts for.
Mother’s Day, and you should go with it. With the cake design that we bring here, you can take a floral surprise ahead. Three layers of baked batter, three layers of whipped cream, and the topping of real strawberries and real pink roses!
Price: $36, 6-inch/$48, 8-inch
Wafers and Chocolate Strawberries Cake
Does your mom love wafers? Is she a fan of chocolate? And is she also mad on strawberries? Breaking the usual round shape, here is a Mother’s Day cake design in a square, which is covered with breakable wafers on the sides. Also, there is white and black chocolate and fresh strawbemes on top of it
Price: $38,6-inch/$50,8-inch
1. How much does a 6-inch Dessert Chocolate Cake cost?| A．$ 36. | B．$42. | C．$48. | D．$58. |
| A．It’s black. | B．It’s sweet. | C．It’s square. | D．It’s round. |
| A．Naked Rose Cake. | B．Black Velvet Cake. |
| C．Dessert Chocolate Cake. | D．Wafers and Chocolate Strawbemes Cake. |
7 . Most people buy a lot of gifts just before Christmas. But some people think we buy too much. They have started a special day called Buy Nothing Day.
Buy Nothing Day is on November 29. It’s 25 days before Christmas. It’s after Thanksgiving and often the first day of Christmas shopping.
The idea for Buy Nothing Day started in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In Albuquerque, New Mexico, high school students wanted to tell other students about Buy Nothing Day. They organized a spaghetti dinner to give people information about Buy Nothing Day.
| A．They don’t want anyone to go shopping on that day. |
| B．Now people all over the world celebrate Buy Nothing Day. |
| C．Many people think highly of the idea of Buy Nothing Day. |
| D．They asked restaurants in the neighborhood to donate the food. |
| E．Buy Nothing Day has successfully persuaded people not to buy anything. |
| F．At this time, we see ads in newspapers and on TV telling us to “Buy! Buy! Buy!” |
| G．Next year, they want to have another dinner to tell more people about Buy Nothing Day. |
8 . The Argosy Christmas Ship Festival
Seattle
December 1—December 23, 2018
The Argosy Christmas Ship Festival is a ship-to-shore holiday celebration that has become a local Northwest tradition. Aboard the Christmas Ship, some of the finest Northwest choirs sing holiday greetings. These performances are broadcast via speakers to bonfire (篝火) sites and to other boats participating in the parade.
The Holiday Island Lights Festival
Friday Harbor, San Juan Island
December 1—December 31, 2018
An island-wide holiday tradition that includes local businesses decorating contests, a tree lighting ceremony on December 4 with shops staying open until 7:00 pm. On December 11, a Lighted Boat Parade starts the evening, to be followed by the Santa ship coming into Friday Harbor for the children, and shops staying open until 7:00 pm. On December 18—19 the Roche Harbor’s Christmas Festival begins at 3:00 pm and will include artists booths, Victorian carol singing, story telling, theater and dining.
The Christmas Lighting Festival
Leavenworth
December 4—December 19, 2018
This old-fashioned lighted farm implement (器具) parade, which expresses its admiration for the Yakima Valley’s agricultural heritage, including up to 35,000 lights decorating the tractor, plow or thresher! Pre-parade activities include a Christmas Tree Ceremony and other special entertainment before the parade. Join us and you’re sure to enjoy the carolers dressed in traditional turn-of-the-century attire(服装) as they wander throughout the downtown area.
Holiday with Lights
Federal Way
December 10, 2018—January 1, 2019
With over a million twinkling lights displayed throughout the park, your heart will be filled with cheer and the spirit of the season! There will be holiday light displays, festive music and strolling carolers, visiting Santa, enchanted village rides, and much more.
1. Which of the following festivals lasts the longest?| A．The Argosy Christmas Ship Festival. |
| B．The Holiday Island Lights Festival. |
| C．The Christmas Lighting Festival. |
| D．Holiday with Lights. |
| A．introduce different festivals |
| B．attract visitors |
| C．compare the advantages and disadvantages of different festivals |
| D．offer advice on how to enjoy the holidays |
| A．Astonished. | B．Tired. | C．Fresh. | D．Happy. |
9 . Qingming Shang He Tu
No doubt, one of the most admired Chinese paintings of all time is the Qingming Shang He Tu, or Along the River During the Qingming Festival.The painting is on a silk scroll that is 24.8 cm wide and 528.7 cm long, bearing Emperor Huizong’s name.It was painted by Zhang Zeduan, who was a court painter during the Northern Song Dynasty.
This amazingly detailed painting quickly became a national treasure. Over the centuries that follow hundreds of copies of it were made, many of which became national treasures themselves. Although the original painting was lost for some time, it is now proudly placed in the Palace Museum in Beijing.
The painting is exhibited for only brief periods every few years. However using computer animation, the painting has been remade into an animated digital version for all to enjoy. It contains moving characters and objects, showing life along the Bian River during the Qingming Festival, a time when Chinese people visit their ancestors’ graves.
Flowing from right to left, the painting begins by showing the countryside outside Bianjing City, the capital of China at that time. There are a few houses and a few people traveling back to Bianiing. The scene soon becomes more crowded. The road beside the river becomes packed with restaurants, and the river becomes full of boats. Then we see the Rainbow Bridge arching over the river. On both sides of the bridge are people selling food nd drink, while travellers pass by. Soon, the city begins to emerge. We see temples, inns, and large houses. The roads are now filled with people travelling on foot, and in carts and sedan chairs. Then we come to the first city. Then we come to the first city gate.Through the gate is passing a line of camels carrying goods. In the city, there are butcher shops, doctor’s clinics, hotels, inns, houses, and fabric shops. The streets are still crowded with people,but most of them are relaxing and taking it easy.
The painting ends here, but the scroll does not. About half of the scroll has the seals of its previous owners, along with poems praising the painting’s beauty. There is also a note which gives a short biography of Zhang Zeduan. These seals and poems,along with the note,are the reasons why many experts claim this to be the original painting.
The Qingming Shang He Tu is not only a true work of art, but it also gives us a rare insight into daily life in ancient China. So often, history only contains the stories of emperors, generals, and important events. This painting’s great appeal is that it provides us with a look into ordinary people’s lives in the Song Dynasty.
1. Who painted Qingming Shang He Tu?2. What can we see in the painting?
3. What makes the painting a national treasure?
4. What values of the painting do you think can be uncovered?.
10 . Today, I’d like to speak to you about the ink wash animated film Feeling from Mountain and Water. Let’s start by talking about the background of ink wash animation, an animation style that is unique to China. This style combines Chinese traditional art with modern animation techniques.
In the late 1950s, inspired by the ink wash painter Qi Baishi, the Shanghai Animation Studio began to explore ways to turn Chinese traditional paintings into cartoon form. The first ink wash animation film, Tadpoles Searching for Mother, was produced in 1960, and it received the golden prize at an international film festival. Finally, in 1988, the ink wash animation masterpiece, Feeling from Mountain and Water was created.
Let’s turn now to the film itself. The film tells the simple story of an old musician and a young boy. In the film, an old musician falls ill while travelling and is helped by a young boy. To thank the boy, the musician teaches him how to play the guqin. With the change of the seasons, it is time for the musician to leave. As the musician says goodbye, he gives the boy his guqin, and then disappears into the mist. Then, when the boy sits down to play the guqin, all of nature joins him in a visual symphony.
The film has no dialogue. And, unlike typical cartoons, the film has no bright colors. In short, it is like a fine ink wash painting which has been brought to life—a painting with movement. The animation and the music make the film not only appealing to the eyes and ears but also rich in emotion. Therefore, this 18- minute film is regarded by many as a masterpiece of Chinese ink wash animation.
After the late 1980s, the high cost of producing ink was animation caused film studios to stop making them. The techniques used to produce such films simply required too much work, as each frame of the film had to be hand painted. However, in 2016, new artists have begun to make ink wash animated films using computers. It is hoped that these new techniques will breathe new life into this art form.
1. Which film does the speaker mainly talk about?| A．The ink wash animated film |
| B．Tadpoles Searching for Mother |
| C．Feeling from Mountain and Water |
| A．In 1996 | B．In 1988 | C．In 1980 |
| A．Because the animation and the music are both used in the film. |
| B．Because it is the first ink wash animation film in 1960. |
| C．Because it is like a fine ink wash painting with movement |
| A．Pessimistic. | B．Positive | C．Indifferent |
