1 . You might have heard a lot about ancient towns and ancient cities in China. Here, we list several of the most beautiful ancient villages in China.

Baoshan Stone City, Yunnan Province

Baoshan Stone City was built on a huge mushroom-shaped rock, and only has about one hundred houses. The houses are laid out in an orderly way, built on the rock, and linked by stone steps. The Naxi people there still lead an original life and grow crops in terraces(梯田); you can experience the colorful culture of the Naxi ethnic(民族的) group there.

Tuvas Village in Kanas, Xinjiang

Kanas Tuvas Village is near the mysterious Lake Kanas. The small village is located in a valley, and only has about 80 houses. These Swiss-style wooden houses are all surrounded by wooden fences. Tuvas is an ancient minority group. They traditionally lived as hunter-gathers. You can visit a local family, go herding(放牧) with the locals and experience the peaceful ancient village life.

Jiaju Tibetan Village, Danba, Sichuan Province

Jiaju Tibetan Village is known as the “Tibetan fairyland”. It stands on a mountain slope, and consists of about 140 houses. These unique houses are all built with crown-shaped roofs, red caves, and white walls, which make the houses look like little castles among the forest.

Xijiang Miao Village, Guizhou Province

If you’re interested in the Miao Minority, Xijiang Miao Village can be a great destionation for deepening your understanding of Miao history and culture. It’s the largest Miao village in China, and now has 1,432 households with a population of over 5,000, of which 99.5% are Miao ethnic group. It’s also famous for the houses built on poles of different heights.

1. What can you do in Kanas Tuvas Village?

A．Hike in terraces.	B．See houses of a foreign style.
C．Go hunting with the locals.	D．Learn about houses built on poles.

2. Where can you admire the houses like castles?

A．In Baoshan Stone City.	B．In Kanas Tuvas Village.
C．In Jiaju Tibetan Village.	D．In Xijiang Miao Village.

3. What can we infer about the villages mentioned in the text?

A．They remained secret to the outside world in the past.

B．They were originally built to defend their homeland.

C．They are still cut off and difficult to access nowadays.

D．They are the ethnic villages with unique architecture.

2 . In 1947 a group of famous people from the art world headed by an Austrian conductor decided to hold an international festival of music, dance and theatre in Edinburgh. The idea was to reunite Europe after the Second World War.

It quickly attracted famous names such as Alec Guinness, Richard Burton, Dame Margot Fonteyn and Marlene Dietrich as well as the big symphony orchestras(交响乐团). It became a fixed event every August and now attracts 400,000 people yearly.

At the same time, the “Fringe” appeared as a challenge(挑战) to the official festival. Eight theatre groups turned up uninvited in 1947, in the belief that everyone should have the right to perform, and they did so in a public house disused for years.

Soon, groups of students firstly from Edinburgh University, and later from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, Durham and Birmingham were making the journey to the Scottish capital each summer to perform theatre by little -- known writers of plays in small church halls to the people of Edinburgh.

Today the “Fringe”, once less recognized, has far outgrown the festival with around 1,500 performances of theatre, music and dance on every one of the 21 days it lasts. And yet as early as 1959,with only 19 theatre groups performing, some said it was getting too big.

A paid administrator(行政人员) was first employed only in 1971, and today there are eight administrators working all year round and the number rises to 150 during August itself. In 2004 there were 200 places housing 1,695 shows by over 600 different groups from 50 different countries. More than 1.25 million tickets were sold.

1. What was the purpose of Edinburgh Festival at the beginning?

A．To bring Europe together again.	B．To honor heroes of World War II.
C．To introduce young theatre groups.	D．To attract great artists from Europe.

2. Why did some uninvited theatre groups come to Edinburgh in 1947?

A．They owned a public house there.	B．They came to take up a challenge.
C．They thought they were also famous.	D．They wanted to take part in the festival.

3. What does the “Fringe” mean in the third paragraph?

A．unpopular groups	B．non-official groups
C．foreign groups	D．local groups

4. We may learn from the text that Edinburgh Festival      .

A．has become a non-official event	B．has gone beyond an art festival
C．gives shows all year round	D．keeps growing rapidly

3 . 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。

The Dragon Boat Festival has been marked by     1     (eat) zongzi and racing dragon boats for thousands of years. It falls on     2     fifth day of the fifth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar in honor of Qu yuan,     3     is said to have committed suicide by drowning himself.

Qu was minister of the state of Chu     4     (lie) in the present-day Hunan and Hebei provinces during the Warring States period. He was upright, loyal and     5     (high) respected. However, he was fired from office due to his suggestion to fight against Qin in cooperation with other states. During his stay in other states, he wrote a number of     6     (poem) to express his strong love for his country. When Chu     7     (defeat) by Qin, he realized what he could do about it was nothing. Qu jumped into Miluo River on the fifth day of the fifth month.

After the     8     (die) of Qu Yuan, people of Chu went to Miluo River to mourn over the great poet they loved so much. People threw eggs and rice wrapped in leaves     9     the river to feed the fish to keep them away from Qu Yuan. Now the Dragon Boat Festival has become     10     （tradition）festival for the Chinese people.

4 . After shopping for deals in stores on “Black Friday”, or online on “Cyber Monday”, Americans and people worldwide are preparing for newly popular “Giving Tuesday”. Starting in 2012, now the global event that is celebrated annually on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is the brainchild of 92nd Street Y, a cultural center in New York City and United Nations Foundation.

As the name indicates, Giving Tuesday is meant to restart the charitable season and therefore observed by raising funds for local nonprofits and schools, organizing food and clothing drives, and conducting random acts of kindness. In 2015, 700, 000 people from 71 countries came together to donate $116.7 million in cash. An additional $1.08 million was spent on gifts.

While the easiest way to participate is by donating to your favorite charity, this day can be celebrated in many other ways too. You can give back by volunteering at your local shelter or food bank, or even by donating blood. If all else fails, a purchase from the growing number of organizations that give a portion of their sales to charity will do the trick.

But perhaps the best way to celebrate the day is by helping those nearest and dearest to you. Assist a family member with a simple chore like folding laundry, cooking dinner, or even reading to a younger sibling. No matter what you do, be sure to share you good deed on social media and inspire others to celebrate Giving Tuesday as well!

1. Which of the following has the shortest history?

A．Cyber Monday	B．Giving Tuesday
C．Black Friday	D．Thanksgiving Day

2. What’s the main purpose of “Giving Tuesday”?

A．To persuade more people to shop online

B．To make Thanksgiving Day enjoyable

C．To encourage more people to do charities

D．To get voluntary work better known

3. Why does the author advise sharing good deeds on social media?

A．To donate money to local schools

B．To keep a record of one’s experience

C．To help people make new friends

D．To make Giving Tuesday more popular

4. Which section of a website does the next probably come from?

A．Business	B．Lifestyle
C．Education	D．Culture

5 . Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying(联合) voice across cultures.

Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.

It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.

“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public Radio’s reporter Neal Conan. “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It’s actually color, and it’s actually digital.”

Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.

Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight(感悟) on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”

1. Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?

A．To remember the birth of jazz.

B．To protect cultural diversity.

C．To encourage people to study music.

D．To recognize the value of jazz.

2. What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Jazz becoming more accessible.

B．The production of jazz growing faster.

C．Jazz being less popular with the young.

D．The jazz audience becoming larger.

3. What can we infer about Moran’s opinion on jazz?

A．It will disappear gradually.

B．It remains black and white.

C．It should keep up with the times.

D．It changes every 50 years.

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

A．Exploring the Future of Jazz.

B．The Rise and Fall of Jazz.

C．The Story of a Jazz Musician.

D．Celebrating the Jazz Day.

6 . Like the native Chinese, some foreigners have started to join their Chinese friends     1     sending or grabbing virtual red packets during the Spring Festival and other special     2     (occasion).

    3    (attract) by the unique way of interacting with people as well as the culture that gave birth to the phenomenon, many foreigners say competing with friends to grab red packets in     4     WeChat group can be a lot of fun.

Mattias Klement, 27, a Swede     5     has been living in China for years, said more foreigners have started to take part in this     6     (active) because of the popularity of WeChat wallet.

"I think it is     7     (main) because more and more places now allow paying with WeChat. It’s also fun to just involve     8     (you) in the culture of it," said Klement. Two years ago, when some friends     9     (send) him 5.20 or 8.88 Yuan red packets, he had no clue about the hidden meanings. Now, he is not only quite familiar with them but also has been used to sending some.

"It’s nice to be able to say ‘I love you’ with 5.20 Yuan, I guess," he said, laughing. "I also remember     10     (try) to tick some of my friends off by paying back 99.99 instead of 100 just for fun.”

7 . Maybe you have ever seen a cross. A cross can be a piece of jewelry or an image in a painting. But do you know the cross is a very popular symbol for Christmas？
It came from the story of Jesus’ death on the cross two thousand years ago in Jerusalem. Jesus was Jewish，and at that time Jewish people were under Roman rule. Jesus was badly punished because he declared to be the Son of God and the King of Jews. Surely，the Son of God could have saved himself from the death！But the Bible says that Jesus had a reason to die that day. It was in God’s purpose that it would happen.[
Christians call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday”. At first，it is hard to understand how a terrible day could ever be called good. Well，the story does not end there. Jesus died and he was buried. But three days later，Jesus was alive，and the whole world was changed.
Today Christians everywhere remember this important time. They celebrate Easter. Easter is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. After his death on the cross，Jesus’ body was placed in a tomb. On the third day from then，God raised him from the dead. Jesus stayed on earth physically for several weeks. Many people saw him. Easter is the happiest time of year for Christians because they believe that Jesus had victory over death and evil and that now he lives with God the Father in heaven. But before celebrating Easter, Good Friday should be remembered. Jesus died a horrible and painful death. He suffered, though he did nothing wrong. Christian believe that Jesus was God’s substitute(代表) for humans， because humans all do wrong. He died because of humans and he died for humans.
Christians often wear crossed around their necks of hang them in their homes because they believe it is a very important sign. The cross helps them remember how much God loves them. It helps them remember how much his Son had to suffer. Seeing a cross always makes them think of Jesus’ death， and what it means.
1. According to the bible， why Jesus could not save himself from death that day？

A．Jesus was not afraid of death

B．God arrange Jesus’ death for certain purpose

C．Jesus should die without a reason

D．Jesus was not God’s Son at all

2. In Christians’ belief， for what reason did God want Jesus to die？

A．God loved humans despite human’s wrong—doing，so he asked his beloved Son to die in human’s place

B．Jesus did something wrong by acclaiming himself the Son of God

C．God wanted His Son Jesus to live with him in heaven

D．God wanted “Good Friday” and “Easter”mainly to be remembered by humans

3. It can be inferred from the passage that____________

A．a cross is a piece of jewelry or an image in a painting for Christians

B．Christians call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday”mainly to reduce their pain for the loss of Jesus

C．if Jesus hadn’t returned to life，people would often wear crosses around their necks or hang them in their homes

D．Christians like crosses because crosses always remind them of God’s love and Jesus’ death

4. The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to___________

A．introduce a symbol for Christian---- the cross

B．tell an interesting Christian story

C．inform the origin of two Christian festivals

D．describe the rebirth of Jesus

8 . 假设你是李华，你所在的学校将在暑假期间举办“加拿大文化展览”。请你根据以下要点给加拿大教授Peterson写一封邀请信，请他届时来给你们做一次讲座。
目的：帮助师生了解加拿大历史与文化；
内容：简要介绍加拿大的风土人情；
日期：七月第二个星期的任何一天下午；
时间：3：00---5:00，大约两个小时
注意：可增加细节，以使结构完成，词数100左右。
Dear Peterson,
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9 . Moving abroad can be a challenging experience. You leave your family，friends and everything you know behind. You enter a new culture where the customs and sometimes the languages are different.     1    .It's a time to discover new things，make new friends and begin a new adventure.

So what are the best ways to involve yourself in the new culture while living abroad?

Live with a native speaker

    2    .First，you have a friend！Living alone can be a lonely experience，especially if you're far from home. I've also had the opportunity to meet my housemate's friends and socialize (交往) with them.     3    .In addition，you have someone to tell you about the cultural customs and interesting places in the area.

Socialize with the local people

The thought of making friends and mixing with the local people may seem scary at first but it's worth it.     4    ，attending an evening class or participating in a language exchange with people that are interested in learning your native language.

    5    

The food in France is amazing and discovering new food is a fun experience. I've tried things that I've never tried before. My knowledge of different bread and cheese types has grown greatly.

A．Try the local food

B．But it's also exciting

C．I currently volunteer with homeless people

D．You can also speak the local language every day

E．Improve my French vocabulary and understanding

F．You can meet other people in the area by joining a club

G．There are many advantages of living with a native speaker

10 . Should we allow modern buildings to be built next to older buildings in a historic area of a city? In order to answer this question, we must first examine whether people really want to preserve the historic feel of an area. Not all historical buildings are attractive. However, there may be other reasons—for example, economic (经济的) reasons—why they should be preserved. So, let us assume that historical buildings are both attractive and important to the majority of people. What should we do then if a new building is needed?

In my view, new architectural styles can exist perfectly well alongside an older style. Indeed, there are many examples in my own home town of Tours where modern designs have been placed very successfully next to old buildings. As long as the building in question is pleasing and does not dominate (影响) its surroundings too much, it often improves the attractiveness of the area.

It is true that there are examples of new buildings which have spoilt (破坏) the area they are in, but the same can be said of some old buildings too. Yet people still speak against new buildings in historic areas. I think this is simply because people are naturally conservative(保守的)and do not like change.

Although we have to respect people’s feelings as fellow users of the buildings, I believe that it is the duty of the architect and planner to move things forward . If we always reproduced what was there before, we would all still be living in caves. Thus, I would argue against copying previous architectural styles and choose something fresh and different , even though that might be the more risky choice.

1. What does the author say about historical buildings in the first paragraph?

A．Some of them are not attractive.

B．Most of them ate too expensive to preserve.

C．They are more pleasing than modern buildings.

D．They have nothing to do with the historic feel of an area.

2. Which of the following is true according to the author ?

A．We should reproduce the same old buildings.

B．Buildings should not dominate their surroundings.

C．Some old buildings have spoilt the area they are in.

D．No one understands why people speak against new buildings.

3. By “move things forward ” in the last paragraph , the author probably means“      ”

A．destroy old buildings

B．put things in a different place

C．respect people’s feelings for historical buildings

D．choose new architectural styles

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To explain why people dislike change.

B．To argue that modern buildings can be built in historic areas.

C．To warn that we could end up living in caves.

D．To admit how new buildings have ruined their surroundings.