A red bronze horse-head statue robbed from Beijing’s Old Summer Palace was donated back by Macau-based
Ho bought the
The statue is one of 12 bronze heads of zodiac(生肖) animals
The horse-head statue is the seventh among the 12 articles that has returned to Beijing,
Ho's daughter, and Luo Shugang, Minister of Culture and Tourism, lifted the curtain for the
2 . There are no right or wrong signals, only cultural differences. Lack of cultural understanding will lead to disagreement among people from different cultures. Meeting with other cultures is actually very interesting and fun. It is certainly a great topic to discuss over a cup of coffee and cakes.
The gesture “thumbs-up” is commonly misunderstood. In English, it is known as “thumbs up”, though the action is commonly performed with only one hand. English-speaking Caucasians use it to signal “OK”, which is the same meaning as OK ring gesture. The two can in fact be used instead of each other.
To most Europeans, it signals the number 1, since they count from 1 to 5 beginning with the thumb for 1 and ending with the little finger for 5. Other nationalities, like Americans, usually start counting on the index finger for 1, and end with the thumb.
Avoid using this gesture in Southern Sardinia or Northern Greece unless you want to invite a fight. While Americans, the British and Australians would use the thumbs-up sign to signal for hitch-hiking, this message will not encourage a Northern Greek driver or motorist to stop to give them a ride.
What does the “OK” sign mean to you? If you are an English-speaking Caucasian, it means “OK” or “good”. The French understand it as “zero” or “worthless”. The Japanese would read it as “money”.
Don’t show this gesture to a Greek. Ancient Greek vases have been found showing this gesture as an insult. So, if you use this sign in Greece to tell a person that he is “OK”, he will feel insulted. Other regions where this sign can be insulting are Turkey, Malta, Sardinia, Tunisia, Russia, the Middle East, Paraguay, and Brazil.
1. What does the “thumbs-up” gesture show among English-speaking Caucasians?| A．Agreement. | B．Respect. | C．Calmness. | D．Disappointment. |
| A．1. | B．2. | C．4. | D．5. |
| A．Asking for a lift. | B．Giving the “OK” sign. |
| C．Trying to speak English. | D．Showing the gesture “thumbs-up”. |
| A．The function of body language. | B．How to communicate with foreigners. |
| C．The different meanings of two gestures. | D．The importance of learning about other cultures. |
3 . Dragon Head Raising Day: time for a haircut
China is a country with many colorful days and festivals. The Dragon Head Raising Day (Longtaitou) is one of them.
This special day is on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar (阴历). It stands for (代表) the start of spring and farming. This year, the day fell on March 10.
The dragon is important in Chinese culture. We Chinese people call ourselves the “descendants (传人) of the dragon”. Therefore, people celebrate theDragon Head Raising Day with many customs about dragons.
On the day in ancient times, people put ashes (灰) in the kitchen. This was to “lead the dragon into the house”. People believed that with the help of the dragon, they could have a good harvest (收成) in autumn.
Also, people eat special foods on that day. The foods are usually named after dragons. For example, people eat “dragon whisker (细须)” noodles and dumplings called “dragon teeth”.
Today, many customs have faded away (消退). But one that has remained is the cutting of hair. It was said that a haircut during the first lunar month may bring bad luck to the mother’s brothers. So many people have their hair cut on the Dragon Head Raising Day.
1. The Dragon Head Raising Day is one of the ______ festivals.| A．English | B．French | C．American | D．Chinese |
| A．March 10 | B．February 2 | C．March 4 | D．March 8 |
| A．Because the dragon liked the ashes. |
| B．Because the ashes led the dragon into the house. |
| C．Because the ashes stood for the harvest. |
| D．Because the ashes could bring good luck. |
| A．the dragon boating | B．to eat Zongzi |
| C．the cutting of hair | D．to eat mooncakes |
1. 邀请出席
2. 时间：下周五晚上 6：00。
3. 地点：演讲大厅（lecture hall）。
3. 晚会内容。
注意：1. 词数 80 左右。
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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1. 简述年画的寓意（喜庆、祈福、迎新等）；
2. 告知展览的相关情况（时间、地点和目的）；
3. 提出一起参观年画展。
注意：
1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3. 开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Sandy,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
1. 活动时间和地点；
2. 活动目的：走进中国古典文学，感受中国传统文化；
3. 活动内容：探讨名家，交流阅读经验。
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 . 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. |
8 . She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last forever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louvre Museum where it is housed.
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed the changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current (现在的) chemical state.
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision (视觉) is excellent at picking up details, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to the king of France, Francis I, in 1519.
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the museum hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later. During World War II, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.
Like many old ladies, the Mona Lisa has some interesting stories to tell.
1. The underlined sentence in the first paragraph means the Mona Lisa .| A．is losing its value |
| B．is being damaged after so many years |
| C．is getting more valuable with years passing |
| D．will rot away |
a. It was stolen from the Louvre.
b. Its painter sold it to King Francis I.
c. Its state of health was checked.
d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louvre Museum.
e. It was hidden and protected against German forces.
| A．b-a-d-e-c | B．d-e-c-b-a |
| C．d-a-e-c-b | D．b-c-a-d-e |
| A．The materials the Italian artist used. |
| B．The way she smiles. |
| C．The way da Vinci painted the smile. |
| D．It plays a trick upon the human eye. |
9 . People have been acting like people---in other words, they’ve been making tools, creating ceremonies, and sharing food—for a long time. That’s the conclusion of a recent study from South Africa’s southern coast.
There, in a cave lying above the sea, researchers from Arizona State University have found evidence that humans were behaving in surprisingly complex ways as early as 164,000 years ago. Our species, Homo sapiens, appeared an estimated 200,000 years ago.
The cave held three important clues about the behavior of these Stone Age people.
First, the researchers found the remains of all kinds of shellfish. The people who lived in the cave probably collected these creatures from rocky shores and tide pools and brought them to the cave to eat.
The researchers propose the early Africans moved to the South African coast between 195,000 and 130,000 years ago. Around that time, the climate inland turned relatively cold and dry. Therefore, there were fewer plants and animals to eat away from the coast.
When these ancient people moved to the coast, they probably experienced a major cultural shift, the researchers suspect. That’s because observations of modern hunter-gatherer societies suggest that men are more likely to hunt for big animals when people live inland. On the coast, women play a more important role in providing food by gathering plants and shellfish.
As for the second clue, the researchers unearthed 57 pieces of reddish pigment(颜料). The researchers think that the cave habitants used the paint for coloring their bodies or for other ceremonies. Symbolic behavior is a clearly human feature.
Finally, the search discovered over 1,800 stone tools, including well-crafted blades(刀片). These blades came in various sizes. The smallest were just less than a half-inch wide. Ancient people may have attached these blades to the end of a stick to make spears or other tools.
1. Why did the early Africans move to the south African coast according to the text?| A．To avoid cold and dry weather |
| B．To look for enough food to eat |
| C．To seek the cultural development |
| D．To collect more shellfish to make tools |
| A．Introduced | B．Produced |
| C．Used | D．Found |
| A．might make tools with kinds of blades |
| B．could hunt for fish in the sea by ship |
| C．made a living mainly by eating shellfish |
| D．knew how to use to colors for painting houses |
| A．The finding of the Stone Age tools |
| B．New features of the Stone Age cave |
| C．The behavior of the Stone Age people |
| D．Human behavior’s development |
10 . Every morning,many girls in the African country of Zimbabwe rise with the sun and go to fetch water
for their families.They have to walk many miles an carry the water home on their heads. Where they live,there is no running water they can get at all.“You have to relax your neck and head and make it follow the load(负荷)，”one girl told me ,“It is easy for you to do that if you practice for many times.” I have lived in Zimbabwe all my life.But I had never tried to balance a pot on my head.I have made efforts many times and I have also practiced it for long.But it was not east at all.I managed to walk only several yards before the pot fell off my head.The girls watching covered their mouths and laughed at my poor head-balancing skills.
In reality,water is not the only thing that requires head-balancing skills in everyday life.In most of these villages,there is no electricity for cooking,so fire wood is used instead.The girls must collect and carry it back to their villages.They insist the easiest way to do this is on their heads.
Even at school,head-balancing skills come in handy.At a school,I saw a group of girls fetching bags of sand that were to be used to build a new classroom.They carried these bags with ease.When I tried,I could not beat the weight.
Girls in many countries worldwide prefer to carry things on their heads.They are taught this skill at a young age and grow up to have strong necks and great posture.For these girls,balance is simply a way of life.
1. According to the text,Zimbabwe girls _______.
| A．go to fetch running water for money |
| B．catty water every evening |
| C．do pleasant jobs in their family |
| D．like carrying things on their heads |
| A．have a short neck | B．take a light load | C．practice many times | D．cover her mouth |
| A．Their necks are strong and their heads are round. |
| B．They are farced to carry things on their heads. |
| C．They find no other ways to carry things. |
| D．They have learned them since they were young. |
| A．A special living ability |
| B．Girl’s head-balancing skill |
| C．Carrying things from far away |
| D．Using our heads in different ways |
