1 . Sambodromo Samba Parade tickets for Rio carnival

Order on this page your Rio Carnival tickets for the Samba Parade in Rio’s Sambodromo.

Benefit from our unique advantages. Read the Sambodromo ticket and order description first.

Covered Grand Tier Boxes—Yellow on the map

The boxes in Sector 7 have been covered to offer an enjoyable Parade experience even in the rain. These boxes are more comfortable than the other boxes since the 12 seats are cushioned（带坐垫的）and they also have a coffee table.

Price for per seat is $ 70.

Luxury Suite Lounge Carioca—Purple on the map

The goal of Lounge Carioca in Sector 5 is to reach those who look for a new product to attract, conquer and make new business. It has privileged location -the center of the Avenue! In our cabin we will have ample and comfortable space for our guests to watch the parades in a unique structure.

Price for per seat is $ 90.

Luxury Suite Lounge Folia -Red on the map

This leisure area between Open Front Boxes of Sector 6 and 8 is for 1,000 rather-party-minded people and contains a beauty salon, a dance floor with DJs and has some space also to relax and watch the Parade on a giant screen.

Price for per seat is $ 100.

Luxury Suites -Blue on the map

These covered boxes in Sector 9 are the best places. They are at the right height to offer the perfect view of the Parade, being above the front boxes. You can buy individual seats in the desired suite or rent a whole suite for a particular night.

Price for per seat is $ 120 and $ 260 for a whole suite.

1. If a couple with their friend want to book seats in Sector 7, how much should they pay?

A．$ 140.	B．$ 210.
C．$ 180.	D．$ 300.

2. Which area offers the best view of the Parade?

A．Sector 9.	B．Sector 6.
C．Sector 7.	D．Sector 5.

3. Which color section is located in the center of the Avenue?

A．Yellow.	B．Red.
C．Purple.	D．Blue.

4. Where can the audience dance while watching the Parade on a screen?

A．In Covered Grand Tier Boxes.	B．In Luxury Suite Lounge Carioca.
C．In Luxury Suites.	D．In Luxury Suite Lounge Folia.

2 . The unusual whistle language used as a means of communication by villagers in the remote and mountainous northern Turkey has been added to the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

The language is a highly developed high-pitch system of whistling to communicate in rugged（崎岖的）areas where people mostly cannot see each other. It can allow people to communicate across great distances, up to 5 kilometers. Compared with other similar whistle languages in Spain’s Canary Islands, in Mexico, or in Greek villages, it has a higher tone and larger vocabulary.

This unusual form of communication, which dates some 500 years ago, to the Ottoman Empire, was born from sheer necessity and widespread across the Black Sea regions.

But 50 years ago, it suffered the impact of the progression of technology and nowadays the rapid growth of cellular mobile systems has put this cultural heritage（遗产）under serious threat.

For centuries, the language has been passed on from grandparent to parent, from parent to child. Now, though, many of its most skilful speakers who use their tongue, teeth and fingers are aging all becoming physically weak. Young people are no longer interested in learning the language or in finding ways to update its vocabulary with new words, and in a few generations it may be gone for good.

“Our bird language is very convenient and efficient to communicate across the valleys. It has many benefits over yelling, which is bad for our throats.” said Avni Kocek, head of the bird village adding that despite setbacks because of technology, “Bird language is still used by many of us. Whistle language is transmitted from our elders to us and we have the duty to transmit it to our children. We are making efforts to keep our culture alive through the annual Bird Language Festival.”

Besides, the bird language has been required to be taught at primary schools since 2014 by district authorities in order to instil（逐步实施）the practice in younger generations.

1. What is the bird language’s advantage over other similar whistle languages?

A．It is used as a means of communication.

B．It is older and has a larger number of users.

C．It can send more messages to farther places.

D．It is a completely different system of whistling.

2. What’s the biggest threat to the bird language?

A．Other whistle languages are more effectively protected.

B．The need to use it in everyday life is disappearing.

C．Many of its most skilful speakers are growing old.

D．Young people find it too difficult to learn well enough.

3. What’s the most effective measure so far taken to protect the bird language?

A．It has become a subject at primary schools.

B．Bird Language Festival is celebrated every month.

C．Cellular mobile systems are not allowed in the area.

D．All parents are required to transmit it to their children.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Preserving the Endangered Bird language

B．The Story of a Bird Language Speaker

C．Celebrating the Bird Language Festival

D．The Disappearance of Bird Language

3 . In a foreign country, a man visited a local restaurant. He didn’t speak their language. He ordered something indecipherable off the menu. When the waiter brought him a plate of delicious looking fried noodles, he smiled and made an OK sign at the waiter with his thumb and forefinger linked in a circle. Looking angry, the waiter then picked up the dish and thrown it to his lap. What he did wrong, he wondered. Well, nothing is quite as it seems when it comes to using hand gesture in another country.

Gestures have been used to replace words in many countries, and they are often specific to a given culture. Gesture may mean something complimentary in one culture, but is highly offensive in another.

The gesture “thumb-up” is commonly misinterpreted. In English, it is popularly known as ‘thumbs up’, despite the fact that the action is commonly performed with only one hand. English-speaking Caucasians use it to signal ‘OK’, which is the same meaning as O.K. ring gesture. The two can in fact be used almost interchangeably.

Avoid using this gesture in Southern Sardina or Northern Greece unless you want to invite a fight. While American, British and Australian would use the thumb up to signal hitch-hiking to the drivers, this message will not encourage a Greek driver or motorist to stop to give them a ride.

There are no right or wrong signals, only cultural differences. Lack of cultural understanding will lead to disharmony among people from different cultures. When we know what to look for, such encounters with other cultures are actually very interesting, fascinating and fun. It is certainty a great topic to discuss over a cup of coffee and cakes.

1. What did the man in the first paragraph do wrong?

A．He misunderstood the waiter.	B．He made the signal in a rude way.
C．He ordered something off the menu.	D．He didn’t realize cultural differences.

2. What does the underlined word in the second paragraph mean?

A．Full of aggression.	B．Full of admiration.
C．Full of complexity.	D．Full of certainty.

3. What will happen if you make a thumb up toward a man in Northern Greece?

A．He will stop to give you a lift.

B．He will ask you to give him a HA.

C．He will get annoyed and fight against you.

D．He will make the same signal toward you.

4. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To tell stories about different cultures.

B．To advise us to have an understanding of cultural differences.

C．To explain the meaning of different gestures.

D．To persuade people from different countries to live in harmony.

4 . 假如你是李华，你的外国朋友Mr. Smith想要了解中国春节，请用英文写一篇介绍中国春节的短文。内容包括:

1. 春节的时间;

2. 庆祝春节的方式;

3. 春节的习俗。

注意:

1. 词数100左右

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5 . In Canada and the United States, people invite friends over for a meal, a party or just for coffee and conversation.

Here are kinds of things people say when they invite someone to their homes:

"Would you like     1    (come) over for dinner this Saturday night?" "Hey. We     2    (have) a party on Friday. Can you come?"

To reply to an invitation(邀请), either say thank you and accept, or say you're sorry and give     3     excuse. "Thanks, I'd love to. What time would you like me to come?" or "Oh, sorry. I have a ticket     4    a movie."

Sometimes, however, people use words     5     sound like invitations but which are not real invitations. For example, “Please come over for a drink sometime." "Why not get together for a party sometime?" "Why don't you come over and see us sometime soon?"

They are really just polite ways of     6    (end) a conversation. They are not real invitations because they don't mention(提到；谈到) a certain time or date. They just show that the person is trying to be     7    (friend). To reply to     8    (expression) like these, people just say "Sure, that would be great!” or "OK. Yes, thanks."

So next time when you hear such sounds like an invitation, listen     9    (careful). Is it a real invitation     10     is the person just being polite?

6 . March 14 is, perhaps quietly, celebrated as Pi Day,     1     day to honor the number that many people are familiar with. The date comes from the first three number of Pi: March is the third month,     2     (follow) by the one and four that make 14. Pi     3     (appear) wherever there are circles. Pi is a ratio. It measures the     4     (distant) around a circle to its diameter(直径).

A website, Piday.org , shows little known facts about the number. Pi has been    5    (universal) known for thousands of years and gets its name     6     a Greek letter,. The Greeks are believed to have used the letter to describe the ratio. The first Pi Day     7     (celebrate) on March 14, 1988. San Francisco’s Exploratorium Science Museum started the event, according to the site. The museum marks the day with a daylong celebration     8     (include) a parade.

March 14 has other scientific     9     (link). It is the birthday of physicist and Nobel Prize winner Albert Einstein. Princeton University,     10     Einstein lived for many years, celebrates Pi Day as well.

7 . Mother’s Day

The second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is a special day for everyone! On that day, children usually give their mothers cards, presents and flowers. But most of the people like giving their mothers carnations(康乃馨). Somebody said God could not be everywhere and he made mother.

Father’s Day

Father’s Day is on the third Sunday in June.

Some Americans thought that if we had Mother’s Day, we should have a Father’s Day.

On Father’s Day, there is not any party. But children will give their father some presents and the best wishes. Father is great. We could give the best wishes to them.

Halloween

Halloween is on October 31^st. On this day, in front of the house there are a lot of pumpkin lights. They are very beautiful. Every family has a lot of sweets. When children go to knock at their doors, people will give them sweets.

Easter

Easter is from 22^nd March to 25^th April. Easter is an important holiday in Western countries.

Chickens are usually born then. Many children buy chocolate and Easter eggs. They also make Easter eggs. Some people like this holiday because it is interesting.

Thanksgiving Day

Every last Thursday of November is a special day. Some American think Thanksgiving Day is more important than Christmas Day. On that day, all people have supper with their family together. Thanksgiving Day in America is a time to offer thanks, have family gatherings and enjoy holiday meals. People like to eat turkeys and some fruits. On that day people are all happy. But in Canada Thanksgiving Day is the second Monday in October.

1. On which day can children ask for and get sweets?

A．Father’s Day.

B．Thanksgiving Day.

C．Halloween.

D．Easter.

2. What will Americans do on Thanksgiving Day?

A．They say thanks.	B．They have friend gatherings.
C．They go on holiday.	D．They buy many cards.

3. What can be the best title of the passage?

A．Some traditional festivals in America

B．A brief introduction of some special days

C．Festivals that are only celebrated in the West

D．Foreign festivals and customs.

8 . The Sahara Festival is a celebration of the very recent past. The three-day event is not fixed to the same dates each year, but generally takes place in November or December. It is well attended by tourists, but even better attended by the locals.   

During the opening ceremonies, after the official greetings from the government leaders, people who attend the festival begin to march smartly before the viewing stands, and white camels transport their riders across the sands. Horsemen from different nations display their beautiful clothes and their fine horsemanship. One following another, groups of musicians and dancers from all over the Sahara take their turn to show off their wonderful traditional culture. Groups of men in blue and yellow play horns and beat drums as they dance in different designs. On their knees in the sand, a group of women in long dark dresses dance with their hair: their long, dark, shiny hair is thrown back and forth in the wind to the rhythm of their dance.   

The local and visiting Italian dogs are anxious to run after hares. The crowd is on its feet for the camel races. Camels and riders run far into the distance, and then return to the finish Line in front of the cheering people.   

Towards the evening, there comes the grand finale of the opening day, an extremely exciting horserace. All the riders run very fast on horseback. Some riders hang off the side of their saddles（马鞍）. Some even ride upside down—their legs and feet straight up in the air—all at full speed. Others rush down the course together, men arm in arm, on different horses. On and on they went. So fast and so wonderful!

1. The Sahara Festival is a festival which _____.

A．has a very long history in North Africa

B．is held in the same place on the same day

C．is attended mainly by the people in the Sahara

D．is celebrated mostly by travelers from different countries

2. Before the races begin, _____ take part in the activities during the opening ceremonies.

A．musicians, dancers, horses and hares

B．camel riders, musicians, dogs and hares

C．horsemen, dancers, camels and dogs

D．musicians, officials, camels and horses

3. The underlined word “finale” in the fourth paragraph most probably means the _____ of the opening day.

A．first part

B．last part

C．middle

D．whole

4. This passage mainly tells readers _____.

A．how animals race on the first and the last days of the Sahara Festival

B．how people celebrate during the three-day Sahara Festival

C．what takes place at the closing ceremonies of the Sahara Festival

D．what happens on the opening day of the Sahara Festival

9 . When another old cave is discovered in the south of France, it is not usually news. Rather, it is an ordinary event. Such discoveries are so frequent these days that hardly anybody pays heed to them. However, when the Lascaux cave complex was discovered in 1940, the world was amazed. Painted directly on its walls were hundreds of scenes showing how people lived thousands of years ago. The scenes show people hunting animals, such as bison or wild cats. Other images depict birds and, most noticeably, horses, which appear in more than 300 wall images, by far outnumbering all other animals.

Early artists drawing these animals achieved a monumental and difficult task. They did not limit themselves to the easily accessible walls but carried their painting materials to spaces that required climbing steep walls or going on hands and knees into narrow passages in the Lascaux complex.

Unfortunately, the paintings have been exposed to the destructive action of water and temperature changes, which easily wear the images away. Because the Lascaux caves have many entrances, air movement has also damaged the images inside.

Although they are not out in the open air, where natural light would have destroyed them long ago, many of the images have deteriorated and are hardly recognizable. To prevent further damage, the site was closed to tourists in 1963, 23 years after it was discovered.

1. Which title best summarizes the main idea of the passage?

A．Wild Animals in Art

B．Hidden Prehistoric Paintings

C．Exploring Caves Respectfully

D．Determining the Age of French Caves

2. What does the underlined phrase “pays heed to” in paragraph 2 probably means?

A．discovers	B．watches
C．notices	D．buys

3. Why was painting inside the Lascaux complex a difficult task?

A．It was completely dark inside.

B．The caves were full of wild animals.

C．Painting materials were hard to find.

D．Many painting spaces were difficult to reach.

4. According to the passage, all of the following have caused damage to the paintings EXCEPT _______.

A．temperature changes	B．air movement
C．water	D．light

10 . On November 1, All Saints’ Day, it is a(n) ______ for Roman Catholics (天主教徒）in Poland to visit cemeteries (墓地）. They decorate graves, pray, and light candles in ______ of those who have died.

The last place Tomek wanted to visit was a  _______ cemetery.

“But we already went today,” Tomek said.

Earlier, Tomek and his ______ had taken flowers and candles to his grandfather’s grave for All Saints’ Day. The cemetery had been _______ with others doing the same thing.

“We will go again after dinner,” said his mama.

Tomek’ s mama ______ to him, “You know this means a lot to Babcia.”

Babcia, his grandmother, entered the room and smiled at Tomek. “I want you to be ______,” She said, wrapping a red scarf   around his _______ . Babcia was always nice to him. Mama was right ---Babcia would want him to be there.

All the way to the cemetery, Tomek kept his eyes down.

Can you remember your grandfather?” asked Aunt Dorota.

“No,” said Tomek, without ________

Aunt Dorota sighed, “ He was so much fun!”

Tomek wanted to _____ more. After all, he had been named after his grandfather. “He was fun?”

Aunt Dorota ______ on about his grandfather. Then they were at the cemetery.

But it did not get dark! ______ , it seemed to be getting lighter.

Slowly, Tomek  ______ his eyes. All the gravestones were ______ with burning candles. As if in a dream, he ______  his parents. Families nodded and greeted one another in lowered  ______.

Tomek looked at his grandfather’s grave, ______  Babcia was bowing her head in prayer. When she opened her eyes and saw Tomek, she said, “He was very proud that you had his ______ .” Tomek stood next to Babcia and she hugged him.

On their way home, Tomek _______  to look back at the cemetery. It glowed under the night sky.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” said Babcia.

Tomek nodded. “I like All Saints’ Day, ______ at night.”

1.

A．condition

B．tradition

C．habit

D．occasion

2.

A．celebration

B．behalf

C．place

D．honor

3.

A．bright

B．deep

C．dark

D．nearby

4.

A．family

B．partners

C．friends

D．colleagues

5.

A．concerned

B．equipped

C．filled

D．linked

6.

A．admitted

B．whispered

C．listened

D．called

7.

A．happy

B．confident

C．warm

D．free

8.

A．neck

B．face

C．waist

D．arm

9.

A．taking up

B．looking up

C．showing up

D．setting up

10.

A．buy

B．see

C．travel

D．hear

11.

A．complained

B．chatted

C．cheated

D．shouted

12.

A．In fact

B．In general

C．In case

D．In advance

13.

A．closed

B．decreased

C．raised

D．opened

14.

A．covered

B．compared

C．painted

D．reported

15.

A．pulled

B．followed

C．found

D．treated

16.

A．noises

B．voices

C．sounds

D．jokes

17.

A．what

B．which

C．when

D．where

18.

A．scarf

B．humor

C．name

D．appearance

19.

A．survived

B．wanted

C．needed

D．turned

20.

A．especially

B．hardly

C．widely

D．usually