1 . The Qingming Festival is celebrated with a three-day national holiday, whose name originates from the saying “Plants start to revive and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way. Thus, the festival is called Qingming,” which means clean and bright.
Tomb sweeping.
Spring outing. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons fora spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family.
Qingtuan, a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand, is also called Qingmingguo or Aiguo.
| A．With each different look comes a good blessing. |
| B．The tradition of tomb sweeping originates from the Qin Dynasty. |
| C．The two main activities over the festival include tomb sweeping and going on a spring outing. |
| D．Family members gather together to celebrate and taste the food. |
| E．Playing football and flying kites are popular activities. |
| F．Many traditional customs are practiced to show respect for our ancestors. |
| G．It is popular in the southern regions of the Yangtze River. |
(1)学习资源：报纸、杂志及其他途径；
(2)推荐理由；
(3)表达祝愿。
注意：
(1)词数100左右；
(2)可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
(3)开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Peter,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改仅限一词。
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I’m gladly to receive your novel. Thank you for such lovely a gift, for I have been expecting them for a long time. This novel offers to me more understanding of American society and daily life. I know you’re interesting in Chinese festivals, and therefore I have chosen an album of paper cutting for you. Paper cutting is unique form of Chinese cultural relics, that is often used as a decoration for a joyful atmosphere. I hope it will bring happiness and lucks to your family as it always did in China.
I’m expecting you to come to China and experience the rich culture on person.
4 . Around the world, many people come together on 3lst December to celebrate the coming of the New Year, which is called Hogmanay in Scotland. The tradition of Hogmanay comes from Viking times and the celebration is more popular than Christmas in Scotland.
On Hogmanay's Eve, family members throughout Scotland will get together to “bring in the bells”. The phrase in Scotland refers to the ten-second countdown to midnight when bells ring all over Scotland to signal the beginning of the New Year. The atmosphere can only be described as electric! It is such an exciting event and all of the people are in a good mood as they wait to bring in the New Year bells!
Then most towns in Scotland have celebrations with fireworks in the evening, but in the bigger Scottish cities, other events take place.
The best-known event for Hogmanay is the annual Edinburgh Street Party. Every year, Edinburgh hosts a joyful firework show and other celebrating activities outside of the castle and it is broadcast on TV for those watching the celebration from their homes.
Another very popular event takes place in Stonehaven, where there is a “Fireball Ceremony” which takes place along the street. Around forty men and women come together and wave fireballs around their heads, which is wonderful to witness! People line the streets hours beforehand to see the festival which begins immediately after midnight on December 3lst.
On New Year's Day in Scotland, it is traditional to have a meal with the family. They always eat a steak pie with vegetables. Another tradition that has to be mentioned is the “First Footing” tradition. Also from the time of the Vikings, this is the tradition where the first person to enter the home after Hogmanay has to bring something Scottish with them, otherwise it brings bad luck for the coming year. People are usually very generous with their first footing gifts such as ginger wine, Scottish whisky and homemade shortbread.
1. What will the family members do right before the midnight of 3lst December?| A．Have a big dinner party. | B．Ring the bells at home. |
| C．Count down the last ten seconds. | D．Set off fireworks outside. |
| A．It is a firework show. | B．It is a fireball ceremony. |
| C．It is a well-known gathering. | D．It is a popular TV show. |
| A．Steak pies with vegetables. | B．Homemade shortbread. |
| C．Ginger wine. | D．Scottish whisky. |
| A．Hogmanay: the Scottish New Year | B．The Origin of the Scottish New Year |
| C．First Footing: an Old Scottish Tradition | D．Different Ways of New Year Celebrations |
5 . Festivals are a great way to experience a destination in a different way. Whether you are looking for a unique cultural difference or the experience of sheer joy, there is something here for everyone in this article.
St. Patrick's Day
Dublin, Ireland & New York, the USA, March 17th
It has been a cultural and religious celebration held in memory of the death date of Saint Patrick, the foremost patron saint of Ireland, since 1762. On that day, the whole city turns green and many Irish make traditional bread. It is also one of the most fun days of the year, when the whole city turns into a big green party.
South by Southwest (SXSW)
Austin, the USA, March
Founded in 1987, SXSW has been praised by music fans and the media worldwide as one of the top 10 music festivals in the world. It is not only a music feast but also dedicated to the integration of technology and films. You can also enjoy free food, drinks and music. Sounds good?
King's Day
Amsterdam, Netherlands, April 27th
King's Day may well be the best party in Holland and Amsterdam turns a very bright color of orange on April 27th. People celebrate King Willem Alexander's birthday with music, street parties, flea markets, and fun fairs. The king himself travels through the country with his family.
Just for Laughs
Montreal, Canada, July 14th—30th
For comedy lovers there is no other festival in the word better than Montreal's Just for Laughs. The festival concentrates most of its shows in the Latin Quarter. During the day street performers delight the crowds and at night the city comes alive with comedy all over the city.
1. Which of the four festivals mainly involves music and films?| A．St. Patrick's Day. | B．South by Southwest. |
| C．King's Day. | D．Just for Laughs. |
| A．They are both religious festivals. |
| B．They are celebrated in the same month. |
| C．They are in honour of the birthday of a great person. |
| D．They both feature a color. |
| A．It lasts for a month. | B．It provides free food for all. |
| C．It's the best comedy feast. | D．It is concerned about the royal family. |
1. 写信目的；
2. 你的优势；
3. 期待同意申请。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Sir/Madam,
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Your,
Li Hua
7 . If it had not been for Fan Jinshi and her team, the world cultural heritage of Dunhuang Mogao Caves in a remote Chinese desert might have long been destroyed by sand, weather or humans.
Born in Beijing and raised in Shanghai, Fan has spent half a century fighting an uphill battle to preserve the ancient Buddhist wall paintings at Dunhuang, in Northwest China’s Gansu Province. The 1,653-year-old Dunhuang Mogao Caves are a huge collection of Buddhist art—more than 2,000 buddha figures and 45,000 square metres of paintings spread among 735 caves. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Archaeologist Fan was sent to Dunhuang after graduating from Peking University in 1963. While in Dunhuang, a remote village in the desert then, Fan lived in an abandoned temple. At first, she did not even dare to go out to the toilet at night. To protect the treasures from sand and dampness, Fan and other workers put doors on the caves, planted trees and started monitoring temperature and humidity in the caves. They also controlled the number of visitors.
In the late 1990s, with tourism booming nationwide since national holidays were extended, the local government planned to go public with Dunhuang Mogao Caves, but found Fan firmly in_their_way. “The heritage would have been destroyed if it had been listed，” she said.
Dunhuang Academy has now photographed and cataloged online all the sculptures and paintings. “Despite our efforts to minimise damage, we can’t completely stop them from being eroded. But the digital database will last.”
Fan was grateful when her husband joined her in Dunhuang in 1986 after 19 years of separation. Her two sons grew up seldom with her accompany. “I have not been a good mother or wife. With regard to my family, I’m full of guilt，” she said. Fan, 81, retired four years ago as the director of Dunhuang Academy but continues her efforts as a national political adviser.
1. When was Fan separated from her husband?| A．In 1963. | B．In 1967. |
| C．In 1986. | D．In the late 1990s. |
| A．Go to a place. |
| B．Be in favour of something. |
| C．Reject something. |
| D．Give in to something. |
| A．The history of Dunhuang Mogao Caves. |
| B．The attractions of Dunhuang Mogao Caves. |
| C．Fan’s devotion to preserving Dunhuang Mogao Caves. |
| D．The appeal for the protection of Dunhuang Mogao Caves. |
| A．Considerate. | B．Kind. |
| C．Humorous. | D．Devoted. |
8 . Ready to take a gap year？ A "Gap Year" is a period of time when a student takes a break before going to university. It is often spent travelling or working．
Gap years are popular with European and Australian students, but remain less popular in America. However, in recent years, more and more American students are preparing for college by taking a gap year. The advantages of taking a gap year are as follows：
Although you don't have to go abroad to experience gap years, most gap year students catch the chance to travel abroad. You are able to work out who you are and what you are for. The experiences of different cultures offer you interesting lessons. You can learn more about the world and get to know yourself better．
Face challenges and have fun
A gap year is not only a time to take a vacation, but also a time to face challenges. Gap year students usually work, volunteer or take service projects. You have to learn how to get along in the real world. This process isn't always easy, but it is an important part of growing up．
Save money and improve your college admission chances
There's a common thought that gap years are only for rich students, but it's not true. Actually, taking a gap year can save your money. Gap year students often take a part-time job. Besides, at the end of a gap year, students are much more likely to know what to study in college.
| A．Learn about the world and yourself |
| B．Only in this way can you enjoy life and have fun． |
| C．Check out your gap year choices before making the right decision． |
| D．It can give young people useful learning experiences and new skills． |
| E．Imagine an admission officer trying to admit only one between two students． |
| F．More students than ever before are taking a gap year before going to university． |
| G．Clear learning goals can keep the students working hard instead of wasting time and money playing． |
9 . Our culture is the system we use to build our identity. All living things are part of a culture. Even animals have a culture! So what is culture? It's the way we behave in a group. It begins with each individual (单个的) family. Within our families we do things to build relationships with each other. This can include routines like daily housework and weekly shopping. It also includes traditions. Traditions are activities that are repeated on a regular basis.
Culture is not limited to individual family groups. The real strength of culture is in larger community groups. These larger groups are called societies. Every society makes rules for itself. It decides how people should act in different situations. Some of these rules are written down. Some are just things that are naturally expected of all members of that society.
Often, cultures can be recognized by what the people believe. Cultures are also known by what they choose to include in their art. Sometimes cultures may be formed by people who speak the same language. Cultures may also be known for their customs, including the foods they make and the things they do.
Our cultures help us understand who we are and what we believe. There are very strong feelings connecting us to our own society. Two different cultures may disagree on something, especially if they both feel strongly about it. When that happens, war is a common result.
People are learning better ways to communicate with each other. The more we communicate, the more we appreciate the differences in cultures.
1. The underlined word routines in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______.| A．hobbies | B．behaviors |
| C．formal activities | D．daily activities |
| A．In arts. | B．In societies. |
| C．In families. | D．In languages. |
| A．Culture doesn't exist in animals. |
| B．Culture is the way we behave. |
| C．Cultures may not agree with each other. |
| D．Cultures help us understand ourselves. |
| A．By building a wall. | B．By preparing to fight. |
| C．By communicating. | D．By making friends. |
| A．What Is Culture? | B．What Is Society? |
| C．What Is Tradition? | D．What Is System? |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
It is Mother’s Day today. Though it’s a western festival, it’s popular in China now.
Mom has a full-time job, so she has to do most of the houseworks. She is a great mother. Both Dad or I planned to do something on Mother’s Day. We get up early in the morning. Dad cleaned the house, and then went on shopping. When he came back, I found a bunch of flowers in her hand. I asked Mom to stay in the sitting room and I cooked in kitchen. The dishes what I cooked were Mom’s favoritest. At dinner, we said to her, “Happy Mother’s Day!” Mom was grateful and moving.
