1 . World's Best Summer Music Festivals
The Governors Ball Music Festival
A relative newcomer to the summer music festival scene, the Governors Ball offers a variety of performers and a taste of New York culture. Visitors can catch sets from rock, electronica, and performers, all while tasting food from popular New York City restaurants. To take a break from the music, festival-goers can participate in activities such as Silent Disco or lawn(草坪) games.
WHERE: New York City
WHEN: June 3-5
Roskilde Festival
Created by two Danish college students, Roskilde has developed from a hippie(嬉皮士) gathering ground to a mainstream music festival. The festival attracts an international following and features performances from more than 3 ,000 artists. Bands include a mix of contemporary and lesser-known performers. and visitors can watch their favorite artists perform inside large tents.
WHERE: Roskilde, Denmark
WHEN: June 25-July 2
Montreux Jazz Festival
Set on Lake Geneva's beautiful shoreline. the Montreux Jazz Festival attracts a global audience. Founded in 1967 as a jazz-only festival, Montreux has since evolved into a two-week-long showcase that attracts more than 200. 000 music enthusiasts. Performances don't end on the shore; visitors can catch themed shows from boats and train cars.
WHERE: Montreux, Switzerland
WHEN: July 1-16
Rock al Parque
Rock al Parque is proud of an attendance of 88, 600 visitors a day. Most music festivals require tickets, but the participation in the three-day festival is free of charge. Festival-goers line up to watch performances from some of Latin America's most popular artists, but the festival also offers sets from international bands.
WHERE: Bogota, Colombia
WHEN: July 2-4
1. What can you do at the Governors Ball Music Festival?| A．Dance in local restaurants. | B．Take part in relaxing activities. |
| C．Watch performances from boats. | D．Enjoy food from the whole country. |
| A．It lasts the longest time. |
| B．Its modern Jazz is popular. |
| C．It provides themed shows to visitors. |
| D．Its foundation originates with two college students. |
| A．Roskilde Festival. | B．Rock al Parque. |
| C．Montreux Jazz Festival. | D．The Governors Ball Music Festival. |
2 . If you are planning a New Year’s Eve party, make sure you have more planned than just the champagne toast at midnight and the finger foods. Your guests will have a much better time if you set up some games for them to play and enjoy.
Guess the Resolution（新年计划）—Give each member of the party five pieces of paper and a pencil. Ask them to write down five resolutions without writing down their names. Place all of the resolutions in a hat and mix them up. Pull pieces of paper out of the hat one at a time and see if your guests can guess which person came up with the resolution. There will be some fun surprises as strange or entertaining resolutions are read out loud.
New Year’s Rock Band—This game requires a collection of noisemakers, pots, pans and wooden spoons. These items will be your guests’ instruments as they play a song on the popular Guess That Tune game. Split the group into two teams. Have one team select four members to be their rock band for the turn and whisper the name of a song to the band members. The band must then play the song using their instruments while the rest of their teammates try to guess. The team gets a point if they get the song correct. Repeat the same step with the other team. This game will yield ridiculous performances of popular and entertaining songs.
Around the World-Most—New Year’s Eve parties don’t start until late evening. An around the world theme allows the party to start earlier in the day, with a celebration each time a new time zone reaches midnight. A world map displayed in the party room allows guests to track the current celebration. Adding a pin in each time zone as it reaches midnight adds an interactive element to the party. A menu with food from around the world emphasizes the theme of the party. Decorations may include globes and items from different parts of the world.
1. Which is necessary in “Guess the Resolution”?| A．Writing down resolutions with one’s name. |
| B．Reading out the resolutions one by one. |
| C．Putting some of the resolutions in the hat. |
| D．Writing down five resolutions on a piece of paper. |
| A．The host. | B．The band. |
| C．The teammates of the band. | D．The other team. |
| A．The party takes place in the evening. |
| B．There are guests from around the world. |
| C．There are various New Year’s Eves. |
| D．The celebrations last for several days. |
3 . The art of paper cutting in China has a long history, which originated from the 6th century. As paper became more affordable, paper cutting has become one of the most important types of Chinese folk art. Later, this art form spread to other parts of the world, with different areas adopting their own cultural styles. Because the paper cuts are often used to decorate doors and windows, they are sometimes referred to as “window flowers”.
Scissors and knives are the basic tools to make a paper cut, and the subjects are different in figures, such as flowers, bird, characters, familiar folk stories and fairy tales. It’s also common to see some Chinese characters on paper cuts. The most famous paper cutting characters in Chinese are words meaning “lucky” and “double happiness”. Even these days, Chinese people love to hang paper cutting of these two characters at their doors.
Chinese paper cuts were used for religious and ceremonial purposes in the past. They have been buried with the dead and burned at funerals. At the same time, paper cuts have special significance on festivals and holidays.
Paper cuts are made in many areas through the country; in general, the northern style is bold and free while the southern is delicate (精致的) and smooth.
People express wishes and hopes with paper cutting. As a national non-material culture heritage (遗产), paper cutting is really precious.
1. What is necessary if you want to learn paper-cutting?| A．Glue. | B．Scissors. |
| C．Chinese characters. | D．Different colors. |
| A．Paper cutting skills. | B．Paper cutting experts. |
| C．The art of paper cutting. | D．The history of paper cutting. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. |
| C．Doubtful. | D．Neutral. |
4 . Traditional Chinese Culture
Chinese culture is over 5000 years old.
The spirit of the tea ceremony
Xi Hu Long Jing （West Lake Dragon Well） and Yunnan Pu'er have long been, world famous.
A handful of good tea leaves with some boiling water and a set of lovely tea ware are the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon and gain some insight into the wisdom of this ancient civilization.
During the 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, many different flavors, styles, and cuisines （烹饪）have developed based on traditional philosophy and culture. This ancient food culture has had a direct impact on the countries, such as Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, Thailand, and Singapore. It has benefited billions of people around the world through such innovations as Chinese vegetarian culture, tea culture, vinegar, pasta medicated diets, ceramic tableware, and the use of soybeans in the diet.
Chinese Confucianism
Confucianism has flourished during the last 2,500 of China's 5,000-year history.
| A．Chinese cuisine |
| B．Traditional Chinese culture |
| C．It has been the mainstay （支柱〉of this ancient civilization |
| D．They are pretty popular due to their superior color and flavor |
| E．The following three items of traditional Chinese culture have had a worldwide impact |
| F．This wonderfully rich food culture has also had an impact on Europe, America and Oceania |
| G．This would provide long lasting benefits for man, helping to ensure a peaceful and happy life |
5 . The Torch Festival (火把节) is a traditional festival which is celebrated among some ethnic groups in southwestern China, such as the Yi, Bai, Hani, Lisu, and Lahu, etc. It usually falls on the 24th or 25th of June, with three days of celebrations. The festival came from worship (崇拜) of fire by ancestors (祖先). For some ethnic groups, it’s a tradition in the festival for elders to share farming experience with young people and educate them about taking care of crops.
During the festival, big torches are made to stand in all villages, with small torches placed in front of the door of each house. When night falls, the torches are lit and the villages are bright. At the same time, people walk around the fields and houses, holding small torches and placing the torches in the field corners. Inside the villages, young people are singing and dancing around the big torches that keep burning throughout the night. Other activities like horse races are also held during the festival.
In a horse race of the Yi people in Yunnan, torches are used to form hurdles for riders to get through. The Hani people in Yunnan traditionally tie fruits to torches with strings. When the strings are broken after the torches are lit, people struggle for the fruits for good luck.
For the Lisu people in Sichuan, the festival is an occasion for holding torch parades. Big torches are carried by teams of people, which is like a fire dragon. If different teams meet, it’s a tradition to exchange the big torches with one another.
1. What can we know about the Torch Festival from the first paragraph?| A．It has nothing to do with farming. |
| B．Its celebrations usually last two days. |
| C．It is a traditional festival of all China. |
| D．It is a festival to show worship of fire. |
| A．ancestors. | B．young people. |
| C．elders. | D．ethnic groups. |
| A．Why the festival is enjoyed. | B．Where the festival is celebrated. |
| C．How the festival is celebrated. | D．What torches are used for the festival. |
| A．Holding torch parades. | B．Tying fruits to torches with strings. |
| C．Struggling for fruits for good luck. | D．Using torches as hurdles for a horse race. |
6 . The world is a colorful landscape of different languages, skin colors, and different cultures. It's important to have a good understanding of different cultures in order to become a well-rounded person
One way is to read books written by authors from a particular culture. Reading works by authors who have a close relationship with a particular culture allows people to gain an authentic glimpse into the food, music, language, religion, and way of a life of a particular group of people.
Another way to learn about different cultures is to try to learn a foreign language.
Communicating with people from other countries through email or snail mail is another useful way to become familiar with different cultures.
| A．Trying authentic food from a specific cultural group is also a great idea. |
| B．The Internet has made it possible to communicate with others from different countries. |
| C．Making contact with native speakers of the language allows one to gain firsthand knowledge. |
| D．There are several ways to become knowledgeable about different cultures. |
| E．Stories based on a local culture expose one to a different culture. |
| F．One way to develop this appreciation is to try to team about other cultures around the world. |
| G．A variety of language-learning books, software, and audio programs is available. |
7 . Many Westerners have the idea that everyone in China knows how to do kung fu. This is, of course, a silly belief. But it is true that kung fu is a big part of Chinese culture.
Like most people from the West, I was first introduced to kung fu through Hong Kong action films. Stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan made kung fu popular in the Western world. The flashy and impressive performances they gave in films like Rumble in the Bronx and Enter the Dragon made them household names in the U.S. and elsewhere.
However, my own personal interest in kung fu was actually inspired by a hip hop group. Wu-Tang Clan, founded in the early 1990s in New York City, is one of the most influential hip hop groups in history.
In their songs, they sometimes mention philosophical concepts that come from Wudang quan—a classic Chinese martial art from which they take their name—and Shaolin Temple. I was just a teenager when I first started listening to Wu-Tang Clan—little did I know that I would actually end up living in China later in my life!
I myself do not practice kung fu. However, the concepts behind it are quite interesting to me. There is a Bruce Lee quote that I often think of when I'm struggling with challenges in life. “Be formless, shapeless, like water,” he once said. By this, he meant that you should be ready to adapt to and change your attitudes or beliefs when you face difficulties. I think this is a good way to deal with life.
1. What does “a silly belief” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．All Chinese people can do kung fu. |
| B．China is most famous for its kung fu. |
| C．Kung fu is a big part of Chinese culture. |
| D．Many Westerners admire kung fu. |
| A．Hong Kong action movies. | B．A TV program about kung fu. |
| C．Kung fu stars in Hollywood. | D．A US hip hop group. |
| A．They have Chinese culture in their songs. |
| B．They taught the author how to do Wudang quan. |
| C．They performed Chinese martial arts in the U.S. |
| D．They showed the author the way to live in China. |
| A．The author was sorry that he couldn't do kung fu. |
| B．The concepts of kung fu change over time. |
| C．The spirit of kung fu helps the author overcome difficulties. |
| D．Bruce Lee was the most popular martial arts master. |
8 . Chopsticks Taboos: Unholy Ways to Pick Up Your Food
The use of chopsticks to pick food up from the plate will earn you several complements from Chinese people. But over time, once in a while your close friends might remind you about some basic chopsticks etiquette(礼节) such as never insert chopsticks vertically(垂直地) into a bowl of rice.
Do not use chopsticks of different lengths. This will remind people of a Chinese idiom “three long and two short”,
Don’t use chopsticks to poke at each dish without knowing what you want or only one chopstick to fetch the food in the plate.
Don’t make noise with chopsticks by hitting the side of your bowl,
While passing someone a bowl of rice or noodles, never insert the chopsticks vertically in the middle of the food for convenience.
| A．Do not drop your chopstick on the floor. |
| B．because only beggars do that to get attention. |
| C．In Chinese culture, the sign of crossing is negative. |
| D．which is used as another name for coffin, |
| E．If you want to master the art of using this old tool |
| F．Do not drop food and liquid from your chopsticks to the table. |
| G．The action would remind people of burning certain sticks in the pot in memory of the dead. |
1. 在你看来，最具中国特色的传统文化的是什么？(剪纸、京剧、功夫、孔子文化……)
2. 此传统文化对于中国的意义；
3. 我们应该如何更好地保护此传统文化？(不少于两点)
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear editor,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
10 . What are martial (武术的)arts and swordsmen like? To most Chinese, the answer to this question can be found in the works of the late novelist Jin Yong. Jin, whose real name was Zha Liangyong, died on Tuesday evening in Hong Kong, aged 94. The news soon spread all over Chinese mainland, where he inspired a generation, guiding them into the world of Wuxia, namely, swordsmen.
In his books, readers can learn about Chinese calligraphy(书法), painting,music,medicine and wine. He was the most successful writer in popularizing traditional Chinese culture. Chinese people had a deeply-rooted admiration for noble qualities and love for the country. So he won many people’s heart. Many people are fond of watching films and TV dramas adapted from his books, which influenced many peopled personality and value.
Jin’s influence knew no national boundary. No matter in New York, Singapore or Vancouver, where there are Chinese, there are his readers. His death marks the end of an era for martial art novels. We can hardly expect to see other writers with such influence and artistic achievement as him.
In terms of writing technique, Jin borrowed from Western plays. Some of his plots were just like ancient Greek tragedy. For instance, in his Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils (《天龙八部》), the hero was like a tragic figure in Greek mythology. Writers in the West created new worlds like the one in the Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. If there is an imagined world in China, that is the world with martial arts and swordsmen Jin wrote for us.
1. How does Jin influence his readers?| A．By making films and TV dramas. |
| B．By making his readers read his books. |
| C．By making his readers love for country. |
| D．By making traditional Chinese culture popular. |
| A．Jin knew no national boundary. |
| B．Other writers can get achievement as him. |
| C．An era of martial art novels was ended as he died. |
| D．People live in foreign countries are his readers. |
| A．Chinese novels. | B．Western plays. |
| C．Greek tragedy. | D．Greek mythology. |
| A．The Basic Introduction of Jin's Life |
| B．Jin's Writing Technique of His Books |
| C．Jin's Making Martial Arts and Swordsmen Better |
| D．The World of Jin's Martial Arts and Swordsmen |
