1 . “From wearing silly clothes to holding funny ceremonies, such seemingly bizarre rituals (仪式) can be seen everywhere, and most of them do not seem to serve any obvious purpose,” Dimitris Xygalatas writes at the beginning of his new book Rituals: How Seemingly Senseless Acts Make Life Worth Living.

Then why are humans still in love with such rituals?

Some of them are intended to unify the participants. The goose steps practised by the soldiers all around the world area great example. When we all perform the same actions in a predictable way, as rituals often require, it can create a sense of togetherness and cooperation, which maybe a matter of life and death in the face of danger.

Many rituals originated when humans started living in ever bigger groups, which exposed them to all kinds of violence, disasters and diseases. To prevent such risks from occurring, humans created various rituals. In regions where violence was common and the threat of disaster and disease was high, societies tended to emphasize strict ritualized behaviors, such as body-washing and sexual purity. Of course, not all of them were effective because they didn’t always understand what was causing the risks they were trying to control.

Most of the rituals just provide psychological comfort. Earlier this month, people around the world participated in one of humankind’s largest gathering to celebrate the New Year. The rituals included fireworks, gifts as well as some practices unique to specific cultures, such as cooking black-eyed peas and greens in the southeastern United States, or eating a grape with each midnight clock strike in Spain. In the face of uncertainty, such rituals give the participants some kind of control, which helps boost confidence and reduce anxiety.

However, the variety of rituals can also separate people, particularly when the valued practices of one culture strike another as strange and can not be clearly explained. “So here’s the surprising lesson we have to learn from such seemingly senseless rituals: Do in Rome as the Romans do since working isn’t the real point,” concludes Dimitris Xygalatas.

1. What does the underlined word “bizarre” in paragraph 1 mean?

A．Difficult.

B．Strange.

C．Wonderful.

D．Effective.

2. Which ritual just provides psychological comfort?

A．Stressing pure sexual relationship.	B．Practising goose steps in the army.
C．Eating grapes on New Year’s Eve.	D．Washing hands before religious rituals.

3. What is Dimitris Xygalatas’ advice concerning the rituals?

A．Respecting them.	B．Just following the effective ones.
C．Reducing the variety.	D．Introducing better replacements.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To argue against Dimitris Xygalatas.	B．To review a recently published book.
C．To show the side effects of some rituals.	D．To explain the origins and impacts of rituals.

2 . In my latest novel, Aphrodite’s Tears, I wanted to draw on this ancient Greek tradition of sponge (海绵) diving; and explore the traditions surrounding the way of life. My fictional island of Helios, therefore, has a long association with sponge diving, and the heroine Oriel, a newcomer to the island and a diver herself, is keen to learn all about it.

Damian, the leader of the island, explains to Oriel that in his father’s generation, sponge diving was one of the main industries on the island. A sizeable group of islanders would leave each May-yet in the autumn, a smaller group would return. “In those days,” Damian explains, “one man in three was either dead or crippled (残疾的) from the caisson disease before they reached marriageable age.” Under Damian’s leadership, other means of earning a living are being developed-such as olive oil production. But some of the men continue to follow in their ancestors’ footsteps and dive for sponges, and each year there are still two or three deaths.

The emotional impact of these losses on the little island community is apparent to Oriel when she comes across a shrine (祠堂) by the port. There she sees tiny paintings that tell the story of the sponge divers, and before the paintings, so many flowers and gifts. They are laid by the women of the sponge-diving families, as offerings for protection for their men and as thanks for the miracle of their safe return.

Why, Oriel wonders, would these men take the risk? After all, with synthetic (合成的) sponges flooding the market, sponge diving is nowhere near as lucrative as it used to be. “It comes down to tradition,” Damian explains: “To the romantic young, it naturally seems a grand thing to sail away every summer to the shores of Africa and to come back, pockets full of money, hailed a hero... I have seen young boys playing at sponge fishing: swimming underwater, wearing the sponge-fisher’s mask and carrying their spear, pretending to detach sponges from the bottom of the sea. An aura (气息) of heroism surrounds the profession.”

1. What’s appealing to Oriel on Helios Island?

A．The main local industries.

B．Her ancestors’ way of life.

C．The scenery of Helios Island.

D．The tradition of sponge diving.

2. How does Oriel’s feel when seeing the scene at the shrine probably?

A．Pride.

B．Sad.

C．Frightened.

D．Grateful.

3. What does the underlined word “lucrative” in the last paragraph mean?

A．Dangerous.

B．Profitable.

C．Traditional.

D．Entertaining.

4. Why do some young people today follow the tradition of sponge diving?

A．It brings them much fun.	B．It remains a major industry.
C．It shows their courageous spirit.	D．It’s turned into a tourist attraction.

3 . Tibetan New Year, also known as Losar, is the most important festival in Tibet and is celebrated for 15 days, typically falling in February or March.    1    The celebrations include a range of customs and traditions that reflect the unique culture and identity of the Tibetan people.

Before the arrival of the New Year, Tibetans engage in thorough cleaning of their homes and surroundings.    2    They also make offerings to the gods and ancestors to seek blessings for the upcoming year. Decorating homes and public places is a common custom during Losar. In addition, people also decorate their clothes with patterns, and their hair is styled in fashion.

    3    Traditional dishes such as momos, a type of steamed dumpling filled with meat or vegetables, and Tibetan butter tea, made from yak butter and tea leaves, are served. Sweet treats like Tibetan butter cookies and dried fruit are also enjoyed.

Tibetan people offer prayers and make offerings to the gods and deities during Losar. The offerings typically include food, incense and flowers.    4    

Music and dance are part of the Losar celebrations. Villagers gather in public spaces and dance around bonfires, singing and playing traditional instruments.

    5    People gather in public spaces and light incense and candles while offering food, drinks and other items to the gods. This is followed by the ceremony of throwing Tsampa, a roasted barley flour, into the air as a symbol of letting go of the past year and embracing new beginnings.

The customs of Tibetan New Year are deeply rooted in the culture and traditions of the Tibetan people.

A．In 2023, Tibetan New Year fell on Feb 21.

B．Using them, people show gratitude to the elderly people.

C．In the festival, people hold various events to celebrate it.

D．These offerings are believed to bring good luck to people.

E．This practice is to get rid of bad luck in the previous year.

F．The Losar celebrations come to an end with a grand ceremony.

G．During the New Year, Tibetans enjoy feasts with their family and friends.

4 . “Looking up, I find the moon bright; Bowing, in homesickness I’m drowned.” When Ifeoma Gladys from Nigeria, first read the line from Li Bai’s Thoughts on a Tranquil Night, the girl felt the poet’s experiences and emotions (情感). “I can’t help but feel homesick,” said Gladys, 22, who is studying Chinese Language and Literature at Southwest University.

From then on, the Nigerian girl fell in love with ancient Chinese poetry.     1    For example, in Li Bai’s poem Hard Is the Way of the World, Gladys felt the ambition and faith of tile poet. While reading Cao Cao’s A Short Song, she learned that life is short and thus we should let go of the difficulties we couldn’t overcome and value the present.     2    In her eyes, it is how it can travel over the mountains and spread from the ancient past to the present, but never change its original intention, keeping its truth and emotional weight.

“This is what many popular novels and online articles are unable to do,” said the Nigerian girl.     3    For example, Li Bai wrote, “Heaven has made us talents; we’re   not made in vain. A thousand gold coins spent, more will turn up again.” About 1,000 years later, Goethe, a German poet, would say something quite similar -    4    “Behind the beautiful poems, I discovered the wisdom of the Chinese people, the charm of Chinese culture, and the worldwide basis of Chinese culture as well,” said Gladys.

Now, the girl hopes to become a professional translator.    5    

A．She learned Chinese culture and wisdom through it.

B．What is the most attractive part of ancient Chinese poetry?

C．She gradually found foreign poems are different to Chinese poems.

D．How can ancient Chinese poetry attract so many people around the world?

E．The person born with a talent is meant to use it and will find great happiness.

F．She wants to promote Chinese culture and connect China with the whole world.

G．But she’s more surprised how the cultural quality of Chinese poetry can reach audiences worldwide.