1 .

Working or learning in a foreign country can be a difficult experience, both professionally and personally, because of the culture shock.

The hardest part of working abroad isn't finding a place to stay or learning the language. It's learning to overcome the culture shock. The anthropologist(人类学家) Kalvero Oberg first put forward the term ''culture shock''. He reported that the culture shock was caused by the ''anxiety that results from losing all our familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse(社交) while living and working in another culture''.

These things are part of everyday life, and include many signs, gestures, facial expressions, and customs. When we enter a new culture, these cues(提示) are usually not present or so different that they're no longer understandable to us.

''When a person enters a foreign culture, '' wrote Oberg, ''all or most of these familiar cues are eliminated. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad-minded he or she may be, lots of props(支柱) have been knocked out from the environment.''

This is what happened to Lara, a young IT consultant(顾问) from America moved last year to their company in southern Europe. Three weeks after she arrived in Europe, Lara sent a desperate e-mail begging to return home. ''The people are so unfriendly, '' Lara wrote. ''They eat at strange hours and I'm starting to get allergic(过敏的) to the local food. I can't get anything done because their way of doing business is so disorganized and so inefficient and I have a terrible skin itch because of the water. I want to come home!''

What Lara and other IT consultants meet on their first assignment abroad is a culture shock. While you can't prevent the culture shock from happening, you can take some measures to cut down its effects.

1. What is the most difficult part for a foreign student?

A．Learning the foreign language.	B．Adapting to the local culture.
C．Finding a right place to live.	D．Entering a famous school.

2. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “eliminated” in Paragraph 4?

A．observed	B．removed
C．solved	D．measured

3. What happened to Lara when she arrived in Europe?

A．Her life got into a mess.

B．She worked more efficient than at home.

C．She couldn’t get on well with her colleagues.

D．She was out of condition because of the weather.

4. Why does the author describe Lara’s experience?

A．To show us where we’ll meet with the culture shock.

B．To show us how to adapt to the culture shock.

C．To explain to us what the culture shock is.

D．To tell us how she manages to work well.

5. What would be talked about in the paragraph that follows the last one?

A．Why Lara wants to come home.

B．Who will come across the culture shock.

C．What a person meets in a foreign culture.

D．How a person adapts to the culture shock.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Thanksgiving, as we know, was invented by a lady     1     (name) Sarah Joseph Hale during the nineteenth century. She was a book editor and wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb. She came across a book, which had a passage that described a fantastic meal     2     (it) writer had following a fantastic harvest. This     3     (include) four huge turkeys that were shared with Native Americans of the Wampanoag Tribe. The passage inspired her enough     4     (fill) magazines with recipes for pumpkin pie and stuffed turkey that were to be used for celebrations. It needs to be noted that nowhere in the passage was the     5     (tradition) Thanksgiving food mentioned. She also wrote several     6     (article) where she mentioned how important it was to recognize the day. Her writings acted as an inspiration for many decorated stories as well as paintings on the subject of     7     first Thanksgiving meal. For five years she also sent letters to Abraham Lincoln appealing     8     the government to mark it as a federal holiday. It was in 1863     9     the first official Thanksgiving announcement was made by Lincoln thus     10     (make) it an official holiday.

3 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式，并将答案填写在答题卡相应的位置上。

English playwright Arthur Wing Pinero said, “Where there’s tea, there’s hope.” Similarly in China, it is said    1    firewood, rice, cooking oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessary    2    (item) to begin a day. Tea is, without doubt, welcomed all over the world. Tea is much more than just a hot drink. It’s a big part of many cultures around the world. People in China use top-grade tea    3    (show) respect when    4    （receive）important guests. Meanwhile,    5    British tradition of afternoon tea is an important part of that country’s identity. As an     6    (express) of Moroccan hospitality and tradition, mint tea – a mix of green tea, spearmint (绿薄荷) leaves and sugar –    7    (serve) during gatherings and negotiations. Apart from its     8    (culture) significance, tea is also a medicine,     9    (use) from ancient times to modern day. “Tea is cold and lowers the fire,” Chinese herbalist Li Shizhen once said. The health benefits of tea are still being discovered today: preventing heart disease, obesity and cancer have all been linked    10    drinking green tea.

4 .     1     Spanish people drink Coca Cola, wear blue jeans, watch Hollywood movies, listen to American music, and eat fast food, and they do all these things daily.

I think that American movies are a good way to spread American culture because often people are influenced by what they see in the movies. Most of the entertainment programs and documentaries we watch on TV are from America, and most of the movies we go to are made in Hollywood.

    2     Now, in our cinemas, at least twenty percent of the movies which are shown must be from Spain or from other countries in Europe.

American culture is very much a part of Spanish life. It’s certain that many things from America are as much a part of their lives as Spanish things. For example, Coca Cola is as familiar to everybody as any typical Spanish product.     3    

However, it’s different with western fast food. For example, I don’t think McDonald’s is as successful in Spain as it is in other countries. In my opinion, one of the reasons may be the life style of the Spanish people.    4    

On the other hand, it may be that McDonald’s hamburgers will eventually replace the famous Spanish tapas. It’s true that in every city in Spain you can find a McDonald’s, and they are more popular among the Spanish children than among the adults.    5    

A．Many Spanish people like to watch movies.

B．The Spanish people normally eat at home.

C．I’ve known Coca Cola my whole life.

D．Most Spanish people prefer to eat in restaurants.

E．The influence of America is increasing in my country.

F．In the last few years, the government has tried to protect the Spanish movies.

G．In any case, it’s obvious that American culture has become a part of our lives.

5 . It is reported in the national press that a letter written by Charles Darwin in 1875 has been returned to the Smithsonian Institution Archives (档案馆) by the FBI after being stolen twice.

“We realized in the mid-1970s that it was missing,” says Effie Kapsalis, head of the Smithsonian Institution Archives. “It was noted as missing and likely taken by an intern (实习生), from what the FBI is telling us. Word got out that it was missing when someone asked to see the letter for research purposes,” and the intern put the letter back. “The intern likely took the letter again once nobody was watching it.”

Decades passed. Finally, the FBI received a tip that the stolen document was located very close to Washington, D.C. Their art crime team recovered the letter but were unable to press charges because the time of limitations had ended. The FBI worked closely with the Archives to determine that the letter was both authentic and definitely Smithsonian’s property.

The letter is in fairly good condition, in spite of being out of the care of trained museum staff for so long. “It was luckily in good shape,” says Kapsalis, “and we just have to do some minor things in order to be able to unfold it. It has some glue on it that has colored it slightly, but nothing that will prevent us from using it. After it is repaired, we will take digital photos of it and that will be available online. One of our goals is to get items of high research value or interest to the public online.”

It would now be difficult for an intern, visitor or a thief to steal a document like this. “Archiving practices have changed greatly since the 1970s,” says Kapsalis, “and we keep our high value documents in a safe that I don’t even have access to.”

1. What happened to Darwin’s letter in the 1970s?

A．It was recovered by the FBI.

B．It was put in the archives for research purposes.

C．It was stolen more than once.

D．It was purchased by the Smithsonian Archives.

2. What did the FBI do after the recovery of the letter?

A．They pressed criminal charges in vain.	B．They kept it in a special safe.
C．They arrested the suspect immediately.	D．They proved its authenticity.

3. What will the Smithsonian Institution Archives do with the letter according to Kapsalis?

A．Reserve it for research purposes only.	B．Make it available online.
C．Keep it a permanent secret.	D．Turn it into an object of high interest.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．A Letter by Charles Darwin Returns to the Smithsonian

B．The Smithsonian Tightens Security Measures

C．The Smithsonian Charges an Intern with Theft

D．The FBI Cracks a Criminal Case

6 . 假定你是李华，你的美国朋友Jack发来邮件，想了解中国茶文化常识。现在请你给他回封 邮件，内容包括：
1. 中国茶文化简介（四千多年历史，饮茶是一种休闲方式）；
2. 饮茶的好处；
3. 邀请他来中国体验茶文化。
注意:1.词数100左右；
2. 邮件开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数；
3.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Jack,

I’m glad to hear from you.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

7 . “We wish you a merry Christmas” with pictures of Elvis Tsui seems to be the latest trend among Chinese netizens during this year’s Christmas.

Born in 1961, Hong Kong veteran actor Elvis Tsui has become the latest internet icon thanks to the classic character he played in the 1992 comedy movie, where he looked a bit similar to Santa Claus, with a red hat and white beard. The movie Tsui starred in was adapted from The Deer and the Cauldron, a novel by late Hong Kong novelist Louis Cha. Tsui played the role of Oboi, a malicious and greedy military officer who conspires to fight for the throne.

Also, the character’s name Oboi is pronounced similar to “all buy” in English, which encourages people to buy some gifts for loved ones during the Christmas season. And the coincidence further increases the popularity of Tsui.

Reputed as China’s Santa Claus, Elvis Tsui has been frequently searched on Dec 24 on Sina Weibo, China’s answer to Twitter, and his images have been adapted into micro videos, gifts and emojis at very short notice. Some clever business minds have produced tailor-made products on China’s e-commerce platform Taobao.

On Dec 25, an image of Tsui’s character from the film has already been added into the Sina Weibo emoji list for users to choose from. “I have been waiting for more than two decades to find the Chinese Santa Claus, and he just appeared. I believe that he is the perfect image in my heart,” said weibo user Xiao Midou1993.

In response to the enthusiasm shown by online users, the 57-year-old was pleased to receive the new title, and wrote on his official weibo account, “It’s Christmas and the old man with a red hat and white beard is bringing you the best wishes!”

1. Why has Elvis Tsui become the latest internet icon?

A．Because he played in the 1992 comedy movie.

B．Because he is a veteran.

C．Because he encourages people to buy gifts during the Christmas season.

D．Because his character in the 1992 movie seemed similar to Santa Claus.

2. What has already been added into the Sina Weibo emoji list?

A．An image of Tsui’s character	B．A micro video
C．A tailor-made product	D．A gif

3. The underlined word “title” in paragraph 6 means______.

A．Gift

B．Name

C．Wish

D．Image

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

A．An introduction to Elvis Tsui	B．Wish you a merry Christmas
C．Chinese Santa Claus storms the internet	D．Hong Kong veteran actor Elvis Tsui

8 . 假定你是李华，为了弘扬中华传统礼乐文化，传承古代礼仪仪式和歌舞音乐，你们城市将举办第七届中华礼乐大会（The 7th Chinese Ritual Music Conference），你打算邀请外教Flora和你一起参加。请给Flora写一封邮件，内容包括：
1.具体信息；
2.邀请理由；
3.期待答复。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . If you hear the word“Castle” or the word“palace”，you may picture the same kind of building for both：large，made of stones，probably with a tower. And，of course，you're not entirely wrong，as those are features of both palaces and castles.

So then hay bother to visit one royal building in the United Kingdom Buckingham Palace and another the same country Windsor Castle?It turns out there is a difference，and you

can find it pretty plainly in these two popular buildings.

The Case for Castles

Castles were residences for royalty.But they were also intend as defensive seats. Say you're a king who has taken a particular area over.Now you have to hold it. castle and staff it with soldiers to defend your conquered territory and ensure it remains part of   your kingdom.

Castles were built throughout Europe and the Middle East primarily for protection of the king and his people.Some common features of castles include：

●thick walls and heavy gates to keep invaders out

●protective low walls for archers to shoot with cover

●high towers for keeping a lookout over the surrounding

●gate houses for admitting allies instead of allowing enemies into the castle

The Place for Palaces

Palaces， on the contrary， had no defensive purposes.They were first meant for showing off the great victory of the war.Palaces were where the spoils(战利品) of war might be displayed,along with grand architecture,massive banquet halls,golden table settings and maybe even hundreds of luxuriously decorated rooms.

While kings certainly took up residence in palaces as well as castles,nonmilitary royals might also have lived in (or still live in)palaces. Ministers could live in castles to show the power of their riches rather than their nonexistent military power. The term comes from Palatine Hill in Rome.

1. Which of the flowing is one feature of castles?

A．Low towers surrounding castles.

B．Defensive low walls for shooting.

C．Gatehouses allowing enemies into the castle.

D．Thick walls and heavy gates to lock invaders in.

2. Why were palaces first built?

A．To accommodate ordinary soldiers.

B．To defend the king's conquered territory.

C．To show off the art of royal painting,

D．To display huge success of the war.

3. What is the main purpose of the next?

A．To list the reasons for kings living in palaces.

B．To make a comparison between castles and palaces.

C．To talk about The value of castles in modern times.

D．To show palaces are more popular than castles.

10 . USA TODAY 10Best's Readers Choice Awards are currently on hold.We asked our readers to vote for the top events across six categories:music,general food,specialty food,film,cultural and emerging industries(founded in the past five years).These are some of the winners:

Kutztown Folk Festival

The nine-day Kutztown Folk Festival is the nation's oldest continuously operated folk life festival,drawing visitors from around the globe.A celebration of Pennsylvania Dutch culture and heritage,the event includes America's largest quilt sale,200 craftsmen and folk artists,local food and family friendly entertainment.

Water Lantern Festival

The Water Lantern Festival is all about connections.Magical nights in cities across the US include food,live music and the beauty of thousands of lanterns decorated with letters of love, hope and dreams floating on the water.

Carnaval of Quebec

The Quebec Carnaval is a 10-day festival of winter,the world's largest,complete with nighl parades(庆祝游行），ice skating,snow sculptures and a towering ice palace.Other highlighls include ice canoe racing,a sugar shack and iconic Caribou drinks.

San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade

San Francisco has celebrated its Chinese heritage during its annual Chinese New Year Festival&Parade since just after the Gold Rush.The parade ranks among the best in the world, with 100 units,fancy costumes,fireworks and a 268-foot Golden Dragon,which takes a team of 100 men and women to march through the streets.It has become one of the largest events of its kind in the world,drawing some three million spectators and television viewers.

1. What can you see during Kutztown Folk Festival?

A．Modern arts.

B．Quilts for sale.

C．Traditional weddings.

D．Shows on stage.

2. Which festival is meant to promote interpersonal relationships?

A．Kutztown Folk Festival.

B．Carnaval of Quebec.

C．Water Lantern Festival.

D．San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade.

3. Carnaval of Quebec and San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade both...

A．include special food

B．relate to parades

C．take place only at nights

D．have sculpture exhibitions