1 . People from East Asia tend to have more difficulties than those from Europe in distinguishing facial expressions and a new report published online in Current Biology explains why.
Rachael Jack, University of Glasgow researcher, said that rather than scanning evenly (均匀的) across a face as Westerners do, Easterners fix their attention on the eyes.
“We show that Easterners and Westerners look at different face features to read facial expressions,” Jack said. “Westerners look at the eyes and the mouth in equal measure, whereas Easterners favor the eyes and overlook the mouth.”
According to Jack and her colleagues, the discovery shows that human communication of emotion is more complex than previously believed. As a result, facial expressions that had been considered universally recognizable cannot be used to reliably convey emotion in cross-cultural situations.
The researchers studied cultural differences in the recognition of facial expressions by recording the eye movements of 13 Western Caucasian and 13 East Asian people while they observed pictures of expressive faces and put them into categories: happy, sad, surprised, fearful, disgusted, angry, or neutral. They compared how accurately participants read those facial expressions using their particular eye movement strategies.
It turned out that Easterners focused much greater attention on the eyes and made significantly more errors than Westerners did. “The cultural difference in eye movements that they show is probably a reflection of cultural difference in facial expressions,” Jack said. “Our data suggest that whereas Westerners use the whole face to convey emotion. Easterners use the eyes more and mouth less.”
In short, the data show that facial expressions are not universal signals of human emotion. From here on, examining how cultural factors have diversified these basic social skills will help our understanding of human emotion. Otherwise, when it comes to communicating emotions across cultures, Easterners and Westerners will find themselves lost in translation.
1. What does the discovery show about Westerners?| A．They pay equal attention to the eyes and the mouth. |
| B．They consider facial expressions universally reliable. |
| C．They observe the eyes and the mouth in different ways. |
| D．They have more difficulty in recognizing facial expressions. |
| A．To get their faces impressive. | B．To make a face at each other. |
| C．To classify some face pictures. | D．To observe the researchers’ faces. |
| A．They do translation more successfully. | B．They study the mouth more frequently. |
| C．They examine the eyes more attentively. | D．They read facial expressions more correctly. |
| A．The Eye as the Window to the Soul | B．Cultural Differences in Reading Emotions |
| C．Effective Methods to Develop Social Skills | D．How to Increase Cross-cultural Understanding |
2 . Long, long ago, rain stopped falling in China. The people prayed(祈祷)for rain to the Jade Emperor, who controlled everything in heaven(天庭), on the land and in the sea, but no matter how much they prayed, rain did not fall.
Four dragons in the East China Sea saw what was happening, and saw people eating grass from the ground, for the people had nothing else left to eat.
They thought of a way to help. They started swimming this way and that, scooping up water with their bodies. Then all four flew into the sky. Black Dragon flew to the north, Long Dragon to the west, Pearl Dragon to the south of China, and Yellow Dragon to the center of the country. All at once, they let the water fall from their mouths, arms, legs, and even their tails.The people could not see the dragons, _ .“Rain!” they cried happily, and all the people and animals ran out into the rain and started to dance.
When the Jade Emperor saw the rain, he was very angry. Then he saw the four dragons flying around in the sky. He ordered Mountain God to kill the dragons.
When the four mountains landed on top of them and tried to crush(压扁) the four dragons, a strange thing happened. Suddenly four rivers formed, spreading across the whole country.
This is how the four great rivers (the Yangtze, the Yellow, the Pearl and the Heilongjiang) of China were created.
1. Why did the people pray Jade Emperor for rain?| A．Because he controlled the rain. | B．Because he had lots of rain. |
| C．Because he didn’t allow rain to fall. | D．Because there was much rain on earth. |
| A．The people. | B．The rivers. |
| C．The mountains. | D．The dragons. |
| A．but they could see the clouds from the sky |
| B．but they could see the rain falling from the sky |
| C．but they know the Jade Emperor helped them |
| D．but they think the Jade Emperor helped them |
| A．Birth of four Chinese rivers | B．Punishment from Jade Emperor |
| C．Four Dragons and the Rain | D．Jade Emperor and Four Dragons |
3 . The Lunar Calendar (农历) Modern Chinese use the solar calendar (阳历) as English people do. But at the same time, they use their own lunar calendar. Each lunar year is given the name of one of these animals: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the chicken, the dog and the pig. This list lasts for 12 years and then starts again.
Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon. And the full moon comes on the 15th day of the month. The New Year always starts between January 21 and February 20. On the last day of the lunar year, there is a big family dinner. All members of the family except married daughters try to be present at this meal, even they have to travel many miles to reach the home of their parents. Old quarrels are forgotten, and everybody is happy. After the dinner, the children keep awake to welcome the New Year.
The New Year celebrations last for 15 days, from the new moon to the full moon. On the first day , children and unmarried people go to visit their elders.
1. If next year is the year of the goat, what was the name of last year?| A．It was the year of tiger. | B．It was the year of the hare. |
| C．It was the year of snake. | D．It was the year of the ox. |
| A．On February 15. | B．On February 16. | C．On February 14. | D．On February 17. |
| A．the married son | B．the married daughter | C．the unmarried son | D．the parents |
| A．old Chinese use the solar calendar (阳历) as English people do |
| B．each Chinese month starts on the day of the new sun |
| C．on the first day, children and married people go to visit their elders |
| D．each lunar year is given the name of animals |
4 . Traditional tea processing techniques and their social practices in China were added to UNESCO’s List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on November 29th, 2022. This is the 43rd entry from China on the List. Therefore, China’s list tops all other countries.
In fact, what is on the List is not Chinese tea, but the knowledge, skills and practices concerning management of tea plantations, picking of tea leaves, and the processing, drinking and sharing of tea.
Over 2,000 tea varieties, mainly in six categories, which are green, black, yellow, oolong, white and dark, are grown in China. Although the types differ, the skills of making tea are very similar. They include inactivation (杀青), yellowing, piling, withering (萎凋), leaves shaking, cooling, fermentation (发酵) and scenting.
According to UNESCO, in China traditional tea processing techniques are closely associated with geographical location and natural environment. The techniques are mainly found in the provinces and autonomous regions of Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Hunan, Anhui, Hubei, Henan, Shaanxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Sichuan, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi. Associated social practices, however, are spread throughout the country and shared by multiple ethnic groups.
Tea-related customs are not only found across the country, but also influenced the rest of the world through the ancient Silk Road and trade routes. As a document from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to UNESCO explained, tea is common in Chinese people’s daily life. Steeped or boiled tea is served in homes, workplaces, tea houses, restaurants, and temples. And it is used as an important medium for communication in socializing and ceremonies such as weddings and sacrifices.
“Practices of greeting guests with tea and building good relationships within families and among neighborhoods through tea-related activities are shared among multiple ethnic groups, and provide a sense of identity and continuity for communities, groups and individuals concerned,” the document said.
1. What can we know from the text?| A．So far China has the most entries on the intangible list. |
| B．Only intangible cultural heritage is worth protecting. |
| C．China has the most cultural treasures worldwide. |
| D．Every country in the world joins UNESCO. |
| A．Select the yellow tea leaves. | B．Make tea leaves become yellow. |
| C．Add some yellow liquid to it. | D．Use yellow boxes to collect leaves. |
| A．Varieties of Chinese tea. | B．Skills of making tea. |
| C．Tea procesing techniques. | D．Tea-related customs. |
| A．China is full of cultural heritage. | B．UNESCO is a great organization. |
| C．Chinese tea is different and unique. | D．Chinese tea is on UNESCO’s list. |
5 . The Rise of “China-chic”
Over past years, guochao, or “China-chic” has been gaining popularity among Chinese consumers. Guochao conveys the cultural heritage and values of China.
The idea of guochao was first borrowed from some international brands, and began to win over Chinese consumers in 2015.
In its third stage, guochao became more common in everyday life. Over the past decade, guochao has expanded from consumer goods to experiential products. As consumers are showing greater interest in cultural identity and creativity, productions like the TV program National Treasure, and the dance show Night Banquet in Tang Dynasty Palace integrate cultural and historical elements with the latest audio-visual technologies.
Nowadays, guochao is moving to the next stage. No matter how the trend evolves, Chinese people’s positive attitude toward the country’s development and their recognition of and growing confidence in national culture won’t change.
| A．The trend grew in the following years |
| B．They give the viewers a totally new experience |
| C．The next stage saw the rise of China’s native fashion trends |
| D．It also expresses national pride and confidence in a new era |
| E．The second period of guochao mainly features hi-tech sectors |
| F．Its success will rely first and foremost on gaining cultural confidence |
| G．The concept of “Made in China” was recognized as the representation of Chinese culture |
6 . Australians are pretty (大胆的) when it comes to humor. Not afraid of saying something insulting (冒犯的) in the name of a good laugh, they generally don’t hold back. This is always done in fun, however.
You get yourself a haircut before going to meet your new Aussie friend. You’re expecting to be praised, but what you hear is, “Did you have a fight with a lawnmower (割草机)?’’ You might take this as an insult, but it’s just your friend’s way of saying that you’ve had a haircut.
Your friend comes knocking at your bedroom door one morning to tell you’re late for class. You were up studying late the night before and you look a mess. Your friend thinks you need to put a brush through your hair before leaving, but instead of just saying so he says, “Wow. Your hair looks like a bush pig’s airse.’’ He’s trying to be nice.
Australia is one of cultures on this planet where making fun of someone is a sign of friendship. If you find yourself being made fun of lots, it could be that you’ve scored yourself a whole lot of new friends. Consider yourself lucky -- these insults are all part of building a relationship.
Australians also use a lot of sarcasm (讽刺). You foolishly say something that’s obvious (明显的). For example, “A six pack of beer is named after the number of beers you get in the pack, the number being six.’’ A normal answer would be, “That is the most obvious statement I’ve ever heard”, but an Australian would say, “Really? You’re so clever”.
Now let’s say your teacher tells you that there will be a test the following day. Australians might say, “Great. I can’t wait to add preparing for a test to my already long to-do list. Thank you for this gift.“
1. According to Paragraphs 2 and 3, Australians try to be humorous _____.| A．by telling funny jokes | B．by making fun of friends |
| C．by laughing at themselves | D．by showing unfriendliness |
| A．Dislike. | B．Worry. | C．Gladness. | D．Thankfulness. |
| A．By telling stories. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By providing examples. | D．By examining differences. |
7 . Vidal first experienced Brazil’s carnival celebrations as a baby living in Salvador, the capital of Bahia State. Before he was even one year old, his mother took him to his first carnival event.
The cultural traditions of Salvador have stuck with him. And, Vidal, a trained musician, now performs the typical music of Bahia in the U.S. He often plays in the Washington area.
February is the carnival season in Brazil and other countries around the world. Even the Washington area celebrates the season. Last week,Vidal and other musicians performed here for a carnival celebration. Performing in Washington and other U.S. cities has helped Vidal stay close to his Brazilian roots(根).
“Living in the U.S. now and not being able to enjoy carnival as I used to in Brazil with my friends and family is really heartbreaking. And that was the reason why I decided to start making my own events—carnival parties—just to get connected to my roots, to my happiness.”
It may come as a surprise, but Washington is said to have one of the largest followings for Brazilian culture in the U.S. This year alone, there are more than twelve carnival celebrations in the Washington area. Here, the season isn’t celebrated on city streets as in Brazil, where it is warm summer. February is one of Washington’s coldest months. So, the events take place at theatres, restaurants and other places.
Carnival is one of the world’s biggest celebrations. In many countries, activities take place for a few weeks each year and include huge parades(游行) and street parties with live music. Carnival goers wear colourful, themed clothing and masks(面具).
1. What do we know about Vidal from the passage?| A．He didn’t enjoy carnival at first. |
| B．His mother trained him to be a singer. |
| C．He encouraged Americans to celebrate carnival. |
| D．Brazil’s traditional cultures influenced him greatly. |
| A．Excited. | B．Sad. | C．Proud. | D．Anxious. |
| A．Because weather conditions are not good. |
| B．Because American carnivals fall in hot summers. |
| C．Because they want to make carnivals different. |
| D．Because few people celebrate carnivals in Washington. |
8 . Craziest Food Festivals sounds like a joke topic, but once you start looking into it, you’ll realize they’re everywhere — the crazier, the better.
Bibimbap Festival
In a Korean town in Jeonju, their “mixed rice” dish is a hearty serve of rice topped with raw beef, a rainbow of vegetables, a raw egg and gochujang sauce (韩国的辣椒酱) so much. They take four days out of October to celebrate it.
Like any festival there’s music, entertainment and magic, but making it that little bit different is the bibimbap that’s whipped (搅拌) up in a big bowl by dozens of chefs and served to over 400 people.
Waikiki Spam Jam (怀基基午餐肉节)
Who knew this canned meat had so much love? Well, it turns out that a can of Spam is the go-to item in Hawaii, along with a grass skirt and garland (花环). The people of Hawaii love Spam so much that they even spend a day in May serving out the best Spam, a type of cheap canned meat made mainly from pork.
Bessieres Easter Egg Festival
At Easter time, for those in the French town of Bessieres it’s all about an egg far less sweet.
Here they celebrate the holiday by getting dozens of chefs to make one large omelette (煎蛋卷) — 15, 000 eggs strong — for the townsfolk (市民).
Potato Days Festival
This festival actually takes place in Barnesville, Minnesota (明尼苏达州), the US. Over the last Friday and Saturday in August the town celebrates its potato-growing skills by hosting potato picking and peeling contests, as well as a Miss Tater Tot pageant (盛典) for five- and six-year-old girls.
1. Bibimbap is .| A．a kind of egg cake far less sweet |
| B．a can of meat made mainly from pork |
| C．a fried potato ball covered with sauce |
| D．a rice dish mixed up with vegetables, etc |
| A．from 22 to 25 October |
| B．in May in Hawaii |
| C．in Barnesville, Minnesota |
| D．in a French town |
| A．Bibimbap Festival |
| B．Waikiki Spam Jam |
| C．Bessieres Easter Egg Festival |
| D．Potato Days Festival |
9 . Famous world film festivals and awards
Venice International Film Festival, Venice, Italy
Held yearly from 1932, it’s the world’s oldest film festival. The awards are lion trophies (奖杯) including the Golden Lion and Silver Lion. Chinese director Zhang Yimou has won the Golden Lion twice.
Festival de Cannes, Cannes, France
It’s held yearly from 1946. Held in May in the beautiful French seaside town of Cannes, it celebrates and awards artistic achievement in film. The highest prize is the Golden Palm trophy (金棕榈奖). Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige won the prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.
Oscar Awards, Hollywood, USA
The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honor the outstanding film achievements of the 1927/1928 film season.
Winners had been announced three months earlier. However, that was changed in the second ceremony of the Academy Awards in 1930. Since then and during the first decade, the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11 p.m. on the night of the awards. This method was used until the Los Angeles Times announced the winners before the ceremony began. As a result, the Academy has used a sealed envelope to tell the name of the winners since 1941.
The Golden Globe Awards, Los Angeles, USA
It was first held in January, 1944 at the 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles, where the winners in five categories received scrolls. The actual Golden Globe award started in 1946, when the statuette of a “golden globe” was introduced. The list of award categories has grown and changed over the times.
1. Which of the following is held in France?| A．Venice International Film Festival. | B．Festival de Cannes. |
| C．Oscar Awards. | D．The Golden Globe Awards. |
| A．He won the Golden Lion twice. | B．He won the Oscar Awards twice. |
| C．He won the Golden Palm trophy once. | D．He won the Golden Globe awards once. |
| A．Chen Kaige won the Golden Palm trophy. | B．The first Oscar awards ceremony was held. |
| C．The world’s oldest film festival was held. | D．The 20th Century Fox studios launched. |
| A．In 1929. | B．In 1930. | C．In 1944. | D．In 1946. |
10 . Statistics show that most toddlers (刚学走路的小孩) learn how to say about 20 words by 18 months. Talking is easy. If you ask anyone, none will remember how they started doing it, it just comes naturally.
But what might not flow as smoothly as words, is body language. It’s a whole different deal when you’re using your hands, eyes or head instead of your tongue. And what makes it even more complicated is the fact that body language differs all around the world.
I find it shockingly amazing how just a small finger gesture could mean one thing in the East and the completely opposite in the West. For instance, in Japan bowing is the most common greeting. It shows respect and Japanese pay a lot of attention to the details like the timing, posture and movement. A bow in Japan represents sincerity, respect and graciousness. While in New Zealand Maori the pressing of noses and foreheads is the traditional greeting. They call it “hongi”, which is regarded as the breath of life.
For most of us, nodding our heads up and down often means agreement, but not for the Bulgarians or Greeks. In both cultures, nodding one’s head up and down actually means “no”. The American goodbye wave could actually be interpreted (领会) as a “no” in many parts of Europe and Latin America. And the Italian goodbye wave would be understood in America as a “come here” and the American “come here” gesture would actually be seen as an insult (侮辱) in most of Asia.
So before you travel to explore a different culture, make sure you’re aware of alternate meanings for body language. We live in a world with many different cultures, so don’t forget how differently one hand gesture can be interpreted!
1. What makes body language misunderstood often?| A．Its wide uses. | B．Its smooth flowing. |
| C．Its difficulties in understanding. | D．The background of different cultures. |
| A．Greeting. | B．Respect. | C．Tradition. | D．Breath. |
| A．America. | B．Greece. | C．New Zealand. | D．Japan. |
| A．The Origin of Body Language | B．The Limitation of Culture |
| C．Body Language Around the World | D．The Culture of Maori |
