1 . Whether you seek culture, community, or comfort food in America, these amazing festivals prove that small towns from coast to coast know how to throw big celebration.
Tulip Time
Go: May in Holland, Michigan
There’s no better place to celebrate Michigan’s Dutch Heritage than a town called Holland, where six million tulips are planted in private fields, city parks, and other gardens around town. First introduced in 1929, Tulip Time draws a half million visitors and features eight days of events, including three parades, an arts-and-crafts show, carnival rides, fireworks, and plenty of Dutch food tastings.
Texas SandFest
Go: April in Port Aransas, Texas
Since 1997, this artistic sand festival attracts talented amateurs and master sculptors alike to beautiful beaches of Port Aransas. A three-day event typically held over a weekend in late April, SandFest features parades, live music, entertainment, food, and sand sculpting lessons.
Burlington Steamboat Days
Go: June in Burlington, Iowa
Going strong for over 55 years, the four-day Burlington Steamboat Days draws an impressive lineup of musical headliners and new artists to this small town. Over the years, attendees have been treated to performances by Louie Armstrong, Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton, and more. In addition to music, there are carnival games and parades, as well as a golf tournament.
National Balloon Classic
Go: July-August in Indianola, Iowa
Every summer since 1976, the small town has put on one of the largest festivals in the Midwest. The weeklong National Balloon Classic features twice-daily flights of more than 100 colorful hot-air balloons, skydiving demonstrations, and balloon rides. There’s also live music, food vendors, and a kid’s play area.
1. Which of the following has the longest history?| A．Tulip Time. | B．Texas SandFest. |
| C．Burlington Steamboat Day. | D．National Balloon Classic. |
| A．Take a balloon ride. | B．Attend sculpting lessons. |
| C．Learn steamboat’s history. | D．Enjoy great performances. |
| A．They kick off with parades. | B．They all last for a week long. |
| C．They take place in small towns. | D．They are held in the same state. |
2 . We travel the world to experience an unfamiliar culture. It’s an added bonus when the destination happens to be home to several cultures, thanks to its diverse population.
Toronto
Toronto happens to be one of the most diverse in the world. In fact, nearly half of Toronto’s residents were born in another country. This cultural mix is most apparent in the city’s community pockets, including Chinatown, Greektown, Little Italy etc. And although English is most widely spoken here, the streets are constantly filled with over 140 different languages.
Los Angeles
Los Angeles is known and loved for its varied landscape, which offers opportunities to swim at the beach, hike in the park and explore a lively city all on the same day. That diversity also extends to its population—people from approximately 140 countries, speaking 86 different languages call the City of Angeles home where visitors can get a taste of multicultural mix.
Sydney
English-speaking visitors to Sydney won’t have any trouble buying their tickets to the Opera House or ordering up some Aussie barbecue, as it’s the main language used here. That said, it’s not the only language you may overhear. Approximately 250 different dialects are spoken in this Australian city. This makes sense, given that 40 percent of the population were born overseas.
Singapore
Singapore might be small, but it packs in a lot of diversity. The Southeast Asian destination has four official languages—English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil—and approximately 40 percent of its population were born abroad.
1. Where can people enjoy fascinating scenery?| A．In Singapore. | B．In Toronto. |
| C．In Sydney. | D．In Los Angeles. |
| A．People speak other languages besides English. |
| B．Travelers can kill time on the beach. |
| C．The majority of residents are Chinese. |
| D．More than half of the population were born overseas. |
| A．language teaching | B．reading and writing |
| C．touring and culture | D．cooking and swimming |
Longjing tea,
Thanks
While
1. 本周学习时间变更及原因；
2. 本周学习内容:制作包子(steamed stuffed bun)；
3. 课前准备:面粉、猪肉及蔬菜。
注意:
1. 词数100左右；
2 .可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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5 . For Western designers, China and its rich culture have long been an inspiration for Western creative.
“It’s no secret that China has always been a source(来源) of inspiration for designers,” says Amanda Hill, chief creative officer at A+E Networks, a global media company and home to some of the biggest fashion(时尚) shows.
Earlier this year, the China Through A Looking Glass exhibition in New York exhibited 140 pieces of China-inspired fashionable clothing alongside Chinese works of art, with the aim of exploring the influence of Chinese aesthetics(美学) on Western fashion and how China has fueled the fashionable imagination for centuries. The exhibition had record attendance, showing that there is huge interest in Chinese influences.
“China is impossible to overlook,” says Hill. “Chinese models are the faces of beauty and fashion campaigns that sell dreams to women all over the world, which means Chinese women are not just consumers of fashion — they are central to its movement.” Of course, not only are today’s top Western designers being influenced by China—some of the best designers of contemporary fashion are themselves Chinese. “Vera Wang, Alexander Wang, Jason Wu are taking on Galliano, Albaz, Marc Jacobs—and beating them hands down in design and sales,” adds Hill.
For Hill, it is impossible not to talk about China as the leading player when discussing fashion. “The most famous designers are Chinese, so are the models, and so are the consumers,” she says. “China is no longer just another market; in many senses it has become the market. If you talk about fashion today, you are talking about China—its influences, its direction, its breathtaking clothes, and how young designers and models are finally acknowledging that in many ways.”
1. What can we learn about the exhibition in New York?| A．It promoted the sales of artworks. | B．It attracted a large number of visitors. |
| C．It showed ancient Chinese clothes. | D．It aimed to introduce Chinese models. |
| A．They are setting the fashion. | B．They start many fashion campaigns. |
| C．They admire super models. | D．They do business all over the world. |
| A．learning from | B．looking down on | C．working with | D．competing against |
| A．Young Models Selling Dreams to the World |
| B．A Chinese Art Exhibition Held in New York |
| C．Differences Between Eastern and Western Aesthetics |
| D．Chinese Culture Fueling International Fashion Trends |
1. 描述画面；
2. 概述其含义；
3. 谈谈个人感想。
注意：
1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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7 . The old Chinese saying "as happy as spending the New Year" might be outdated now in the busy modern world. The Spring Festival is regarded as the most important festival for Chinese people and an occasion for all family members to get together, like Christmas in the West. But many traditional customs accompanying the Spring Festival, however, have weakened in practice.
Setting off fireworks was once the most typical custom of the Spring Festival. People thought the sputtering(爆裂) sound could help drive away evil spirits. However, the activity has been completely or partially forbidden in big cities for years as the government has taken security, noise and pollution factors into consideration.
"In recent years, some cities have begun to allow people to light fireworks during limited hours at the Spring Festival, surrendering to(屈从于) public demand. Respecting folk traditions is a gesture of respect toward public opinion," said Zhou Xing, a folklore researcher.
"As people gain more income and it becomes easier to buy daily goods, the New Year holiday is just like any other. After long workdays, many people use the New Year holiday to take a rest, rather than visiting friends and neighbors. The process of making and enjoying the family dinner on Spring Festival Eve is the most important thing. However, many families would like to eat out to save time and energy," said Li Shunzhi, a resident of Harbin, Heilongjiang.
"I enjoy the holidays very much in the countryside. My family has been preparing for the Spring Festival more than two weeks before the holiday, cleaning the house, buying holiday goods and decorating the house with paper cuttings. On New Year’s Eve, the whole family stays up to see the New Year in, and in the days to follow, a series of activities such as lion dancing, dragon lantern dancing, lantern festivals and temple fairs will be held. Without the ancient traditions, the holiday is nothing to us," said Zhang Hui, from Hebei.
1. Which of the following is WRONG according to the passage?| A．Setting off fireworks has been forbidden in some big cities for years. |
| B．Nowadays, people can light fireworks in some cities at the Spring Festival. |
| C．People believe that the sound of fireworks can drive away evil spirits. |
| D．In the past, setting off fireworks couldn’t be seen almost anywhere. |
| A．what people do during the festival now is different from the past |
| B．people would like to have the family dinner on Spring Festival Eve |
| C．people prefer to visit friends and neighbors rather than take a rest |
| D．the New Year holiday is just like any other day |
| A．Zhang Hui often spends two weeks preparing for the Spring Festival. |
| B．Zhang Hui is used to spending the Spring Festival with his family. |
| C．Zhang Hui always takes part in a series of activities after the Spring Festival. |
| D．Zhang Hui lives in the urban area. |
| A．The Spring Festival is as lively as before. |
| B．The Spring Festival is outdated now. |
| C．The Spring Festival is losing its qualities. |
| D．The Spring Festival in China is more important than Christmas in the West. |
1. What did the woman do during her vacation?
| A．She took a nature adventure. |
| B．She took photos of airplanes. |
| C．She saw pictures of waterfalls. |
| A．He went to visit his relatives by plane. |
| B．He thought the woman had a boring vacation. |
| C．He stayed in the house because of the bad weather. |
| A．Exciting. | B．Challenging. | C．Relaxing. |
1. Which festival is mentioned in the conversation?
| A．Easter Day. | B．New Year’s Day. | C．Valentine’s Day. |
| A．New York. | B．Las Vegas. | C．New Orleans. |
10 . After finishing a meal at an American Chinese restaurant you probably expect to receive a handful of fortune cookies after you pay the bill. Fortune cookies are in Chinese restaurants throughout the United States. It’s rather satisfying to crack open a cookie at the end of your meal and read your “lucky fortune” on the slip of paper inside.
The exact origin of the fortune cookie is unknown. It is thought that the tasty snack was the first introduced into San Francisco in 1914, after an immigrant began distributing the cookie with “thank you” notes in them. These “thank you” notes were intended as symbols of appreciation for friends who stood with him through the economic hardship and discrimination of his early life in America.
There is an alternate origin story. Los Angeles is regarded as the site of the fortune cookie’s invention. In this version of the story, David Jung, a Chinese immigrant residing in L. A., is thought to have created the cookie in order to uplift the spirits of the poor and homeless. In 1918, Jung handed out the cookies for free to the poor outside his shop and each cookie contained a strip of paper with an inspirational sentence printed on it.
Fortune cookies first began to gain popularity in mainstream American culture during WWII. Chinese restaurants would serve them in place of desserts, as desserts were not popular in traditional Chinese cuisine. Today fortune cookies are not tied to Chinese-American culture. In fact, the largest fortune cookie manufacturer is located in the United States and it produces 4.5 million fortune cookies a day —— an evidence to the modern-day popularity of the snack. However, an attempt to introduce the fortune cookie to China in 1992 was a failure, and the cookie was cited for being “too American.”
So the next time you break open a fortune cookie and read a fortune about the many successes you should expect in your future, remember that the conclusion to your Chinese restaurant meal may not be as Chinese as you think.
1. What do we know about fortune cookies?| A．They are as popular in China as in America. |
| B．They contain slips of paper with good wishes. |
| C．They first appeared in America during WWII. |
| D．They are often charged to the customers’ bill. |
| A．To make profit. |
| B．To express gratitude. |
| C．To uplift people’s spirits. |
| D．To help people out of hardship. |
| A．The fortune you seek is in another cookie. |
| B．Every exit is an entrance to new experiences. |
| C．I’m being held prisoner by a Chinese bakery. |
| D．Only taste fortune cookies; disregard all others. |
| A．A Symbol of Chinese Culture |
| B．Chinese Restaurants in America |
| C．Can fortune cookie tell your fortune? |
| D．Fortune cookie, Chinese or American? |
