A.Peru. | B.Britain. | C.Mexico. |
1. When is Sweetest Day?
A.The second Saturday in October. |
B.The third Saturday in October. |
C.The third Sunday in October. |
A.To make friends. | B.To make someone happy. | C.To make cities more beautiful. |
A.His friends and relatives. |
B.The aged and his neighbors. |
C.The city’s orphans and patients. |
A.By offering hugs. | B.By giving away small gifts. | C.By distributing some cash. |
The Chinese couplet (对联) refers to two poetic lines obeying certain rules, often
As a form of Chinese literature, the couplet
Chinese couplets originated in the Five Dynasties, and since then they
It was said that the
The couplet has two equal-length lines. However,
4 . As Christmas Eve approached, I found myself in New York City, far from my family and friends in Taiwan. I was feeling homesick and lonely, but my Jewish friend, Rachel, who, like me, doesn’t get connected with Christmas due to any religious things, invited me to join her for a dinner in a Chinese restaurant. She explained that it was a tradition for many Jewish people to celebrate this holiday by eating Chinese food on Christmas Eve.
We went to Jing Fong, a fancy restaurant in Chinatown. The place was packed with people, and the atmosphere was lively and festive. We ordered a variety of dishes. Everything was delicious, and I felt grateful to be sharing this experience with Rachel. As we ate, we talked about our families and our cultures. We laughed and joked, and for a moment, I forgot about my homesickness.
A moment later, a group of carolers (唱圣诞歌的人) came into the restaurant, singing Christmas songs. At first, I was puzzled. Why were they singing in a Chinese restaurant? But then I realized that this was part of the magic of New York City. People from all different cultures and backgrounds could come together and celebrate the holidays in their own way. Rachel and I joined in the singing, and soon the whole restaurant was filled with music. It was a beautiful moment, and I felt blessed to be part of it.
What a night! I learned that even when you’re far from home, you can still find joy and connection with others. Rachel and I may come from different cultures, but we shared amazing food, joyful music, and most importantly heartfelt company. And that’s exactly what all the holidays are all about.
1. Why did Rachel invite the author to join her for dinner?A.To show respect to God |
B.To celebrate Christmas in the Jewish way |
C.To share stories about their families |
D.To forget about their homesickness |
A.Fearful | B.Joyful |
C.Disappointed | D.Confused |
A.By focusing on religious traditions |
B.By celebrating with family and friends |
C.By enjoying a variety of festive dishes |
D.By embracing diverse ways of celebration |
A.A personal blog | B.A commercial promotion brochure |
C.A travel guide of New York | D.An academic article |
5 . Food festivals are a common occurrence in the UK and take place in all sorts of places and at all sorts of times. Whatever your taste, there’s a food festival to match — no matter how specialized.
1. Meatopia
This three-day, London-based festival takes place at the end of August and is a meat lover’s paradise. In addition to a range of legally sourced meat products, from juicy burgers to tender steaks, attendees can listen to live music, watch butchery demonstrations, and attend informal meat-based workshops.
2. The National Honey Show
If you have a sweet tooth, then it could be that the National Honey Show, which started in 1921 and is the largest event of its kind, is the place for you to be. This three-day event attracts many local entries who showcase their sweet golden honey, some of which is sold globally.
3. The Orange Sauce Festival
Have you heard about a festival that is devoted only to orange sauce? Held in Cumbria, this sweet, fragrant festival has been running for 3 years. What attracts people most is a competition to find the best homemade orange sauce. There are thousands of participants from over 30 different countries across the globe, bringing their local snacks to share here.
4. The Ginger and Spice Festival
If you’d prefer something with a little more kick to it, then you could attend The Ginger (姜) and Spice Festival held in Market Drayton. Unlike other food festivals, it celebrates its town’s historic connection to Robert Clive, who returned from India with ginger. Because of this, they specialize in baking gingerbread, but also sell a range of traditional spices from mild to hot.
1. What do Meatopia and the National Honey Show have in common?A.Both of them last for three days. | B.Both of them hold workshops. |
C.Both of them originated from London. | D.Both of them have a long history. |
A.The Meatopia. | B.The Ginger and Spice Festival. |
C.The National Honey Show. | D.The Orange Sauce Festival. |
A.It has something to do with a historic figure. |
B.The ginger used in the festival is from India. |
C.It sells spicy food. |
D.The food is cooked by Robert Clive. |
6 . While you are studying or working abroad, sharing an apartment with people from other cultures is a great way of getting the most out of a period of the beginning. This is a situation to which it will take some time to adapt. Here are some tips to make the process go smoother.
Start by being aware of your own culture, values and attitudes. Understand that people who have not grown up in the same country or context as you can sometimes translate some of your behavior in the wrong way. To avoid this, seek advice from your friends and family to find out more about what type of person you are and what you might come across when it comes to people who don’t know you. You might also consider conducting a little research about what type of stereotypes (成见) other cultures might hold about the people of your own country.
Be understanding and patient. Now that you know that people are all different, be understanding when you get to know them. Try to be open-minded so that you can start off on the right foot. This will promote communication with them. To get to know each other better, plan to spend some time doing what each of you likes to do in your spare time. You can cook meals together, go out to the town, listen to music, take a weekend trip and plan some board games. Moreover, the other person might be from a place where People do not usually do these activities. The opportunities to learn from each other are endless, but sometimes it can take some initiative (主动权) to actually make it happen.
People are more similar than you think most of the time. We grow up in such a large world with so much information everywhere and sometimes we can be misled into thinking something that we should not believe, but we have the opportunity to make up our own minds. So be kind. You don’t know where people come from and what their story is.
1. Why does the author suggest being aware of your own culture?A.To learn to behave well. | B.To build the sense of independence. |
C.To prevent yourself being misunderstood. | D.To gain an insight into other cultures. |
A.Mind your own business in spare time. | B.Suggest some activities to do together. |
C.Involve your roommate in what you like. | D.Team up with your roommate in video games. |
A.The world is so large and people are different. |
B.Being friendly is good for cross-cultural communication. |
C.People from different cultures should learn from each other. |
D.Go to the Internet to get more information about different cultures. |
A.How to Study or Work Abroad | B.How to Learn Cultures of Your Roommates |
C.How to Have a Good Time with Foreigners | D.How to Live with People from Different Cultures |
Cheering, dancing and singing, local people and tourists gathered around the fire during the Torch Festival of the Yi People in Bijie, Guizhou, on Aug 12. The festival
There are different stories about how the festival started. But
The Yi people used to celebrate the harvest, as a way to pray for a good harvest and drive away evil from their homes and farmland. Today it has become a
8 . Cultural Differences of Teenagers
Knowing the cultural differences between yourself and others of your age can help you understand friends who are of a different race or culture.
Family
Family comes first in the Asian culture.
Friendship
Some Asian teens generally prefer having a small group of life-long friends. They are committed and loyal to their friends. Americans often prefer a larger group of friends. There might be less commitment to keeping friends for life because of their bigger pool of possible friendships.
Working Relationships
If you are working on a group project with teens from China or other Asian countries, they might focus on developing a good relationship with you.
In China and many other Asian countries, making direct eye contact is considered rude and disrespectful. However, in America and some European countries, it is not only seen as appropriate but also necessary because it means the person is paying attention. In Asian culture people are usually more comfortable with less personal space than Americans arc. A touch on the shoulder or an arm is common for Asians even if you don’t know one another.
It’s important to keep in mind that when learning about cultural differences, you should not generalize those differences.A.Eye Contact |
B.Body Language |
C.In this way, you’ll experience cultural differences. |
D.Teenagers have a strong attachment to their parents. |
E.With this understanding, you won’t be thought impolite. |
F.However, American teens tend to first focus on the task. |
G.The key to understanding them with your friends is to ask them for advice. |
9 . The impressive collection of literature in the Library Cave at the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Northwest China’s Gansu province,
While the Dunhuang wall paintings have recorded the glories of the past
The value of the
The Library Cave
A.collects | B.represents | C.finds | D.changes |
A.aspects | B.difficulties | C.moods | D.hobbies |
A.Sat | B.Located | C.Lost | D.Moved |
A.formations | B.productions | C.companies | D.exchanges |
A.visually | B.vocally | C.slowly | D.brightly |
A.rooted | B.imagined | C.housed | D.printed |
A.cultural | B.national | C.historical | D.literal |
A.books | B.statues | C.features | D.literature |
A.what | B.that | C.as | D.whose |
A.rise | B.progress | C.start | D.innovation |
A.was checked | B.was ruined | C.was built | D.was removed |
A.felt | B.seemed | C.banned | D.remained |
A.unless | B.whether | C.before | D.after |
A.overseas | B.political | C.additional | D.fundamental |
A.precious | B.affordable | C.secret | D.fashionable |
10 . The traditional Chinese solar calendar divides a year into 24 solar terms (节气). Cold Dew (寒露), the 17th solar term of the year, begins this year on Oct. 8 and ends on Oct. 23. At this time, the dew is greater and colder and there will be less rain. Autumn crops will be ripe. Here are three things you should know about Cold Dew.
Foggy autumn
Temperatures drop significantly in October. When the cold air encounters autumn rain, the abundant water vapor in the air soon reaches saturation (饱和状态), and then it turns into fog. When the humidity is high, there will be foggy regions formed in many areas of China.
Season for fishing
People always say that fishing in shallow water in autumn makes sense. That’s because during the Cold Dew period, temperatures decrease quickly and sunshine doesn’t reach deep water thoroughly. Fish swim to shallow water areas where the water temperature is relatively high.
Season for drinking chrysanthemum (菊花) wine
Chrysanthemum is the iconic flower of Cold Dew. To prevent autumn dryness, many regions in China have the custom of drinking chrysanthemum wine. This is a tradition of the Double Ninth Festival, which often falls around Cold Dew. According to ancient records, drinking wine made with chrysanthemums, poria cocos mushroom and pine oleoresin grants (给予) people long-lasting youth.
1. What is NOT the characteristic of Cold Dew?A.Wet weather. | B.Low temperatures. |
C.Foggy conditions. | D.Fully-grown crops. |
A.Because fish become mature in autumn. |
B.Because fish move slowly in cold water. |
C.Because fish eat more in low temperatures. |
D.Because fish tend to gather in warm areas. |
A.Celebrating Cold Dew. | B.Relieving people from autumn dryness. |
C.Ensuring people a stronger build. | D.Keeping people warm in low temperatures. |