2 . Belgium is divided into three communities. Each one has its own language and traditions. But the people of Belgium are untied in their love for Belgian potato fries. The fries are prepared and sold the same way in all area of the country.

The Reuters news service reports that potatoes reached Belgium in the 16^th century. But it was not until the 19^th century that restaurants and others began selling fried potatoes throughout the country as a separate meal.

Recently, a Belgian group launched a campaign aimed at getting the United Nations (UN) to recognize the popular treat. The group wants the UN’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to place the food on its cultural heritage (遗产) list.

The UNESCO list recognizes more than 300 objects, beliefs and practices. They include Turkish coffee and the traditional Chinese theater known as Peking opera. The list also includes a dance, the Argentinian tango, and the singing of the Aka pygmies of the Central African Republic. UNESCO says the list is “made up of intangible heritage elements (非物质文化遗产元素) that help show the diversity of heritage and raise awareness about its importance”.

Belgian potato fries are traditionally sold in a paper wrapper，or cone, in a “fritkot”. There are about 5,000 frikots in Belgium. That means they are 10 times more common as a percentage of the population as McDonald’s restaurants in the Untied States. The national organization of fritkot owners says the small, often unfurnished buildings are much like Belgium itself. It says these buildings combine the country’s acceptance of disorder with a dislike of structures that all look the same. The group says 95 percent of Belgians visit a fried potato hut at least once a year.

1. Belgian potato fries       .

A．were recognized by the UNESCO

B．are well received in Belgium

C．are sold in all food stores

D．didn’t become a separate meal until the 16th century

2. What’s the aim of the Belgian group?

A．To place Belgian potato fries on the cultural heritage list.

B．To prevent other countries producing Belgian potato fries.

C．To show the diversity of Belgian foods.

D．To prove the popularity of Belgian foods.

3. Which of the following is NOT listed in the UNESCO list?

A．Peking opera

B．The Argentinian tango

C．Turkish coffee

D．American restaurants.

4. What does the underlined word “fritkot” in the last paragraph probably refer to?

A．A simple house which is used to live in.

B．A kind of small, unfurnished building.

C．A place where machines are used to make goods.

D．A piece of paper, plastic, or thin metal that covers something.

3 . Maaseik, a city in Belgium, has opened an exhibition of about 200 relics and treasures of the Tang Dynasty (618 AD - 907 AD), showing China’s golden age of ancient civilisation (文明).

The exhibition, which opened on May 11 and will continue until Oct. 20, is part of the city's effort to create a centre of Chinese culture. Belgian Princess Mathilde formally announced the beginning of the exhibition, titled “China’s Golden Age: Treasures from the Tang Dynasty”.

The items, including gold plates and silver wares for royal families, Tang Dynasty tri-colour glazed figurines (小雕像) of women and paintings, have recently been on exhibit in the Dutch city of Assert.

All of the exhibited items are from Shaanxi Province, China. Its provincial capital Xi’an was the most populous (人口多的) city in the world and once the capital of the Tang Dynasty.

The Tang period is generally regarded as a high point in Chinese civilization-equal to, or better than that of the earlier Han Dynasty (202 BC—220 AD), a golden age of Chinese culture.

Several years ago, said Dirk Verlaak, vice-mayor of Maaseik, his city and Assen teamed up to host history and culture exhibitions of China’s first two imperial dynasties, the Qin (221 BC—206 BC) and the Han. The Chinese relics and treasures attracted 350,000 visitors in Assen and 190,000 in Maaseik.

“Westerners don’t know much about China’s ancient civilisation and history, and we hope the new exhibition in Maaseik can attract more visitors,” said Verlaak.

1. Maaseik held the exhibition in order to        .

A．make money	B．educate people
C．attract foreign visitors	D．spread Chinese culture

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Dirk Verlaak is       interested in Chinese history

B．All the items in the exhibition are from China

C．Assert attracted more visitors than Maaseik several years ago

D．This is the first time that Maaseik has held such an exhibition.

3. What's Dirk Verlaak's attitude toward the exhibition?

A．Doubtful.	B．Consent.
C．Worried.	D．Excited

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Tang Dynasty Treasures Exhibited in Belgium

B．Tang Dynasty Treasures Discovered in Belgium

C．Chinese Culture Goes Around the World

D．Chinese Civilisation Attracts Foreigners

4 . The speed and convenience of modern travel means that destinations that used to take a long time to travel to can now be reached quickly and easily. Even though” faraway” countries may now seem closer thanks to air travel, they may still be different from your home country.    1    Following are some fundamental rules   that will make communication easier, and your trip more enjoyable.

    2    If you do not know the word for something in local language, or can not make yourself understood verbally, try drawing a picture, or pointing to an object.

Avoid topics of conversation that you think may be sensitive.    3    .Feel free to show interest in the history and customs of the place you are visiting, but don’t ask too many questions about why things are done a certain way; you may offend the local people.

    4    Kissing on the street or in public places is unacceptable behavior and should be avoided. If you are unsure of how to behave, watch the local people and copy them---if they don’t behave in a certain way, you probably shouldn’t either.

Finally, if you are traveling on business, or plan to stay with a host to family, and you wish to take a gift, do some research.     5    . One of the easiest ways to offend somebody is to give the wrong gift.

Wherever you go in the world, always be tolerant of the local customs. Avoid being critical; try instead to show respect for the values of the country you are in, even if you do not necessarily agree with them.

A．Keep in mind that in many cultures, display affection in public is considered taboo.

B．Consider the main lifestyle of the country you plan to visit.

C．Never raise your voice in order to make yourself understood.

D．If a topic is sensitive in your own culture, it will more than likely be the same in other cultures.

E．The idea of the perfect gift varies greatly from country to country.

F．The opening of gifts is also treated very differently around the world.

G．Therefore, it is important to adapt your behavior not to offend the local people.

5 . The Carnival of Brazil is an annual festival held 46 days before Easter, especially famous for the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival celebrations are believed to have roots in the festival of Saturnalia, which, adapted to Christianity, became a farewell to bad things in a season of religious discipline to regret and prepare for Christ’s death and coming back to life.            Modern Brazilian Carnival dates back to Rio de Janeiro in 1641. It originally copied the European form of the festival, later taking in elements of Native American and African cultures.       In the late 19th century, the strings (弦乐器) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro. These were pageant (游行) groups that paraded through city avenues performing on instruments and dancing. Today they are known as blocks, consisting of a group of people who dress in costumes or special T-shirts with themes or logos. Blocks are generally connected with particular neighborhoods; they include both a music group and a lot of revelers(狂欢者).        Block parades have become an expressive feature of Rio’s Carnival. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. Blocks can be formed by small or large groups of revelers with a clear title. Before the show, they gather in a square, then parade in sections of the city, often near the beach. Carnival time in Rio is very interesting, but is also the most expensive time to visit Rio. Hotel rooms and other lodgings (住宿) can be up to four times more expensive than the regular rates. There are big crowds at some locations and life is far from ordinary in many parts of town.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?

A．The Carnival of Brazil is often held after Easter.

B．The Carnival of Brazil comes from Easter and Saturnalia.

C．The Carnival of Brazil is mainly to celebrate the birth of Christ.

D．The Carnival of Brazil is a festival to regret and begin a new life.

2. How long is the history of the people’s celebrating modern Brazilian Carnival?

A．About 100 years.	B．Less than two centuries.
C．Over five centuries.	D．About 370 years.

3. We can infer from the fourth paragraph that_______

A．block parades become bigger and bigger.

B．block parades can only be formed by big groups of revelers.

C．the theme of blocks must be serious.

D．blocks always parade only on the beach

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The famous carnivals in the world.

B．How the carnival was introduced in Brazil.

C．The happy life of the people in Rio de Janeiro.

D．The carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

6 . The rules about how to talk, eat and sit, which are highly limited, are observed in most Western restaurants and homes.    1    Many Westerners have no idea how to act at the Chinese dinner table. No forks or knives for them to use! The Chinese host makes great, sweeping arm movements that go over large sections of the table, passing over both food and friends alike.    2    However, it leaves many foreigners at a loss for what to do.In my childhood home, dinner was enjoyed with low voices, and the topics that we could discuss were very limited.    3    If I had to leave the table to use the toilet, I had to excuse myself without mentioning what it was that I was going to do. “May I be excused, please? I need to wash my hands.” I would say. My mother would say, “Sure.” My father would often play a joke on me by saying, “    4    ”As for eating, we did it quietly. No eating noises were allowed. Everything must be done as quietly as possible. If any sound was created by eating food or drinking, it would be considered as bad manners!    5    He is to sit up straight with the recessive hand (usually the left) in one’s lap holding a napkin while the dominant hand (usually the right) holds the fork or spoon. The only time one is allowed to have both hands on the table is when he is using a knife to cut something.

A．How one sits at the table is also prescribed.

B．We were not allowed to talk about anything that made listeners uncomfortable.

C．Can’t you think up a better excuse than that?

D．They’re completely different from what we find here in China.

E．Your hands don’t look dirty!

F．The scene is fantastic.

G．In general they were all strictly forbidden topics.