1 . 假设你是李华，你的美国笔友Dick对中国的传统文化很感兴趣。他打算近期到中国具有文化底蕴的地方旅游。请你给他写封电子邮件，推荐几个他可能感兴趣的景点。内容包括：
1.推荐地点；
2. 推荐理由；
注意：1.词数100左右；

2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Dick,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

2 . Should schools allow Halloween celebrations?

Halloween is one of the most celebrated holidays in the United States.     1     Many schools also celebrate the holiday by having kids dress up in costumes, take part in costume shows, and join in a variety of activities relating to Halloween. On October 31, the halls of schools across the country will be filled with princes, princesses, and superheroes. In addition to costumes, school Halloween celebrations often include classroom parties and trick-or-treating.

    2     They also say that dressing up in costumes allows kids to express themselves and show off their creativity.

    3     Officials at many of those schools say the celebrations are too time-consuming (费时的) and take away class time. They also point out that kids who can't afford costumes or who don't celebrate Halloween for cultural reasons feel left out. For example, Seth Boyden Elementary School in Maplewood, New Jersey, canceled（取消）its Halloween celebration last year. Officials at the school said that in the past, many students stayed home on that day.

    4     Bree Picower, a Professor of Early and Elementary Education at Montclair State, said, “Maplewood is a wonderful example of a school being responsive to society. Many schools plan to learn from it. Schools are places where students should feel included.”

Parents in Maplewood had different opinions of this policy. Some said that the new no-Halloween policy was a welcome change.     5    

A．It brings a lot of safety problems.

B．Experts say Maplewood is not alone.

C．Many people dislike these costumes.

D．Each year there're millions of Americans celebrations the holiday.

E．But more and more schools have canceled（取消）Halloween celebrations in recent years.

F．Many teachers, parents, and students see these celebrations as a fun break from the school day.

G．And others said that it was unfair that their children are now not allowed to celebrate Halloween in school.

3 . 假定你是李华，得知外教Mr. Hall寒假不回国，想邀请他到你家过春节。请给他写一封信，内容包括：
1.时间；
2.一同过节的家人；   
3. 春节的活动和美食。
注意：1. 词数100字左右；
2.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
词汇：the Spring Festival Gala 春节晚会
Dear Mr. Hall

I’m Li Hua , your student in the school

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Best wishes!

Yours,

Li Hua

4 . Most people who move to a foreign country may experience a period of time when they have a lot of stress in the new culture. This feeling is often called “culture shock” and it is important to learn how to deal with culture shock. First of all, you should know that everyone in a new situation will go through some form of culture shock. There are four general stages of cultural adjustment (适应).
The first stage is usually referred to as the honeymoon stage. Upon arriving in a new environment, you’ll be interested in the new culture. Everything will seem exciting, and everyone will seem friendly and helpful.
The second stage is called the withdrawal stage. The excitement that you felt before changes to frustration (沮丧) as you find it difficult to deal with new problems. The language is hard to learn; friends are hard to make; simple things like shopping and going to the bank are challenges. It is at this stage that you are likely to feel anxious and homesick.
If you are one of those who manage to stick it out (坚持下来), you will enter the third stage---- the recovery stage. At this point, you’ll feel more confident in the new culture. You’ll start to understand and accept the way things are done and the way people behave in your new environment.
The last stage is the stability stage---- this is the point when people start to feel at home in the new culture. At this stage, you will behave well in the new culture, and prefer some aspects (方面) of the new culture to your own culture.
There is, in a sense, a fifth stage to this process. If you decide to return home after a long period in a new culture, you may experience what is called “reverse culture shock”. This means that you may find aspects of your own culture “foreign”, because you’re so used to the new culture. Reverse culture shock is usually pretty mild (温和的) and doesn’t last for very long.
1. At the honeymoon stage, people will__________.

A．find the new culture is hard to accept

B．miss their family and friends very much

C．begin to understand what culture shock is

D．have a good impression of the new culture

2. In which stage will people feel most uncomfortable?

A．The honeymoon stage.	B．The withdrawal stage.
C．The recovery stage.	D．The stability stage.

3. At the stability stage, people usually feel__________.

A．lucky	B．relaxed
C．nervous	D．disappointed

4. Which of the following opinions does the author agree with?

A．It’s important to know that culture shock is natural.

B．People will suffer less from culture shock in future.

C．Reverse culture shock usually happens in the foreign countries.

D．Reverse culture shock is as difficult to deal with as culture shock.

5 . Celebrate!

Piñatas

In Mexico, children often get piñatas on their birthday. Their parents put chocolates and other sweets inside the piñata and hang it on a tree. Then the children hit the piñata with a stick.     1    

Noodles

In China, people often celebrate birthdays by eating with family or friends, and the last dish of the meal is always noodles. The noodles are long and thin.     2     You can’t cut them. In Chinese culture, long noodles mean you will have a long life.

Business birthdays

A business birthday shows that a company is successful. Many businesses in the USA celebrate important birthdays, like 10, 50 or 150 years.     3    

Sometimes they make TV advertisements. It is a good chance to advertise the business.

Name days

As well as a birthday, many people in Southern Europe also celebrate their name day.     4    

People have big parties and open their houses to anybody who wants to come. People bring small gifts, often flowers or a box of sweets.

Islamic New Year

In Muslim countries across the world, people celebrate Eid. Eid means festival or celebration. During Eid, people visit family and friends, as well as people who are sick or in hospital.     5     Children receive toys, too. Children often wear special traditional clothes during the Eid celebrations.

A．You have to eat them in one piece.

B．They go out for a meal to celebrate.

C．Companies hold parties and send cards.

D．They give presents, such as sweets and food.

E．It breaks and the sweets fall out on to the ground.

F．This is one of the two important festivals in this country.

G．In Greece, name days are more important than birthdays.

6 . If you are a fruit grower — or would like to become one —join in Apple Day to see what’s around. It’s called Apple Day but in fact it’s more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but since it has become popular, events now last through most of October around Britain.
Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety(品种) of apples. To people who are used to the limited kinds of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite eye-opening to see some classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesn’t taste of anything special, it’s still worth a try.
There are also varieties developed to suit certain local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you’ll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it’s ______ for most apple lovers who fall in love with it.
At the apple events, you can also meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well entertained with apple-themed fun and games.
Apple days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and commercial orchards(果园). If you want to have a real orchard experience, visit the National Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent.
1. What can people do at the apple events?

A．Attend experts’ lectures.

B．Visit fruit-loving families.

C．Taste many kinds of apples.

D．Plant fruit trees in an orchard.

2. What can we learn about Decio?

A．It is a new variety.

B．It is rarely seen now.

C．It has a strange look.

D．It has a special taste.

3. What does the underlined phrase “a pipe dream” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A．A clever idea.	B．A selfish thought.
C．A great plan.	D．A useless hope.

7 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Grain Rain (Chinese: Gu Yu)，as the last term in spring, starts on April 19 and ends on May 4.
Grain Rain came from the old saying, “Rain brings up the growth of hundreds of grains,” which shows that this period of rainfall is extremely important for the growth of crops. The Grain Rain marks the end of cold weather and a rapid rise in temperature. Here are five things that you may not know about the Grain Rain.
Key time for agriculture
Grain Rain brings a marked increase in temperature and rainfall and the grains grow faster and stronger. It’s a key time to protect the crops from insect pests.
Sandstorms occur
Grain Rain falls between the end of spring and the beginning of summer, with infrequent cold air moving to the south and wandering cold air in the north. From the end of April to the beginning of May, the temperature rises much higher than it does in March. With dry soil, an unpredictable atmosphere and heavy eastern winds, gales and sandstorms become more frequent.
Drinking tea
There is an old custom in southern China that people drink tea on the day of Grain Rain. Spring tea during Grain Rain is rich in vitamins and amino acids (氨基酸), which can help to remove heat from the body and is good for the eyes. It is also said in the south that drinking tea on this day would prevent bad luck.
Eating toona sinensis

People in northern China have the tradition to eat the vegetable toona sinensis during Grain Rain. An old Chinese saying goes “toona sinensis before the rain is as tender as silk”. The vegetable is nutritious and can help to strengthen the immune system. It is also good for the stomach and skin.
Grain Rain Festival
The Grain Rain festival is celebrated by fishing villages in the coastal areas of northern China. Grain Rain marks the start of the fishermen’s first voyage of the year. The custom dates back to more than 2,000 years ago, when people believed they owed a good harvest to the gods, who protected them from the stormy seas. People would worship the sea god and stage sacrifice food on the Grain Rain festival, praying for a wonderful harvest and a safe voyage for their loved ones.
1. Grain Rain got its name to show ________.

A．the cold weather is already gone

B．rain at this time is important to the crops

C．The highest temperature

D．the last term in lunar calendar

2. People in southern China drink tea on this day ________.

A．to prevent bad luck

B．to cure the eye diseases

C．to fight against the sandstorm

D．to strengthen the immune system

3. It is a custom to eat the vegetable toona sinensis ________.

A．in the coast areas	B．in the south
C．in the north	D．in the east

4. If a fisherman wanted to get fish in the sea in the past, he would ________.

A．get the fresh vegetables

B．drink tea in this festival

C．fight against the sandstorm

D．worship the sea god

8 . 语法填空

In the middle of April, if you walk through Jinghong, which is     1     capital of the Xishuangbanna region in Yunnan province,     2    (chance) are that you’ll get very, very wet. The Dai people will be celebrating their Water Splashing (泼水) Festival from April 13 to 16, marking the new year for the Dai ethnic minority.

Lonely Planet, one of the world’s     3     (large) travel brands, has described what happens: “People race around the streets of Jinghong and the surrounding villages, soaking (浸透) every person     4     sight with buckets of water.”

    5    (tradition), water would be collected and poured only on family members as a symbolic way     6    (ensure) good luck in the coming year. The Dai people believe that the wetter you get, the luckier you will be.

Although water     7     (play) a vital role in the celebration, there is much more to the festival, especially during the first two days     8     water splashing is comparatively kept under control, according to Lonely Planet. People wear their best clothes, while older women in nearby villages     9    (dress) in traditional outfits (服装). They gather with their families and visit Dai temples. There, they wash the statues of the Buddha (佛) with water, a practice     10    (know) as “Bathing the Buddha”.