1 . Shakespeare’s plays were introduced to China in the mid-19th century and in 1904 Charles Lamb’s adapted Shakespearean Stories was translated into Chinese by Lin Shu. Not an easy task for a man who knew no English and needed an assistant to read and explain the stories to him.

Chinese readers were greatly attracted to Shakespeare’s works. With China’s economic success in recent years, there has been a growing demand for cultural entertainment and Shakespeare’s plays have proved a great success, with the plays being staged in theaters, made into films and even as local operas.

China also had a playwright (剧作家) Tang Xianzu, who died the same year as Shakespeare. His play Peony Pavilion, the Chinese equivalent (相等物) of Romeo and Juliet, is highly regarded as a play of its time. But I suspect not many people in the West have heard of him or of his work.

While Western culture and history is widely taught and eagerly learnt in China, I believe it is time that the Western world try to understand China and the Chinese culture better through our history, literature and language.

During my recent stay in Beijing, I was amazed to find in a bookshop that there were rows and rows of bookshelves, full of original English books. However, here in Britain it is very hard to find books about and from China. This may partly explain why there is this difference of knowledge and understanding between the West and China.

However, the good news is that there is a growing interest to know more about each other and events like the Olympics have brought the world closer to China and China closer to the world, Policies such as “One Road, One Belt” also help to build the bridges of friendship and understanding among our peoples.

1. What do we know about Lin Shu?

A．He adapted Shakespearean Stories.

B．He translated Shakespearean Stories.

C．He could easily translate English works.

D．He had a good command of English.

2. What mainly made Shakespeare’s plays successful in China?

A．China’s successful development in economy.

B．The cultural exchange between the West and China.

C．Western people’s demand for cultural entertainment.

D．The rapid development of theaters and cinemas in China.

3. Why don’t many Western people know Peony Pavilion?

A．Because they think it is not good enough.

B．Because they find its playwright not famous.

C．Because they have little access to the Chinese culture.

D．Because they have no Chinese books in their bookstores.

4. What is the author’s attitude to the future of the Chinese culture?

A．Concerned.

B．Optimistic.

C．Pessimistic.

D．Doubtful.

2 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（不超过1个词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

China and Western countries may have different     1     (culture) beliefs about certain animals but when it comes     2     pigs, we have somehow reached an agreement-that pigs are ugly, lazy, stupid     3     shameless. Just look at the idioms and phrases in our languages. In Chinese, we have the idioms of “Boiling a dead pig”, and “A pig     4     (look) in the mirror is still a pig”. And in English, there are expressions such as “eating like a pig” and “sweating like a pig”. None of them are exactly complimentary. But the truth is that pigs do have some good     5    (quality).And there’s probably no better time to clear their names than now, with     6     arrival of the Year of the Pig on Chinese Spring Festival.

For starters, science long ago     7    (prove) that pigs aren’t stupid at all. According to a paper published in 2017 in the International Journal of Comparative Psychology, pigs are “    8    (mental) similar to dogs and chimps”. They enjoy     9    (play). And they know the difference between those who treat them well and those who don’t. There are lovable pig characters in cartoons too. Peppa Pig, for example, a UK animated television series that began in 2004,     10    (become) one of the most popular cartoons in 180 countries and regions ever since.

3 . Many cultures follow different calendars and celebrate the New Year at different times. The Lunar New Year is one example.    1    . Here is a look at a few of them:

Getting rid of bad luck

Many cultures have traditions meant to scare off demons (恶魔) and bad luck. This often involves using fire or loud noises—or both—often in the form of fireworks!    2    . For example, just before the New Year, people in Denmark find the highest surface they can and jump from it as the New Year starts.

    3    .

Many cultures have certain foods that are said to bring good luck. In the southern part of the United States, people often eat black-eyed peas and pork for good luck in the New Year. In other parts of the U.S., people eat sauerkraut with pork sausage on New Year’s Day. And in Japan, people eat soba noodles on New Year’s Eve,     4    —which represent longevity (长寿).

Clothing traditions

    5    . But some traditions take it a step farther than that. In Japan, for example, people who believe in Buddhism may dress up like the zodiac animal for the coming year. Then they go to a temple to, literally, ring in the New Year. At Buddhist temples, monks will ring a bell 108 times, one for each humanly sin.

A．Food for good luck

B．All kinds of cultures

C．Before they drink, they will always pray to God

D．While they eat, they try not to break the long noodles

E．Of course, some traditions meant to avoid bad luck do not involve fire at all

F．To start the New Year off on the right foot, many people like to wear new clothing

G．No matter when you celebrate, there are many traditions around the world for ringing in the New Year