2 . A British friend told me he couldn't understand why Chinese people love eating sunflower seeds (葵花子) as a snack so much. “I’ve met a lot of older Chinese and many have a crack in their front teeth; I believe that's from cracking the seeds,” he said.

I had never noticed the habit, but once he mentioned it, I suddenly became more aware. I realized that whenever I’m watching TV or typing a report, I always start mindlessly cracking sunflower seeds. My friend doesn't like sunflower seeds, and, to him, it seems unnecessary to work so hard just to get one small seed.

When we were young, the whole family would usually get together for Chinese New Year. Then, we all lived close to one another, usually in a small city, and sometimes even neighbors would go doortodoor on Chinese New Year’s Eve to check out what every household was making.

I remember my parents would be in the kitchen cooking. In the living room, a large table would already be laid out, complete with a fancy tablecloth, readymade dumpling fillings, and dishes full of candy, fruits and sunflower seeds.

Some of the dishes were to be offered to our ancestors later, while others were for neighbors and children to eat before the evening feast. I must have learned how to crack sunflower seeds back then.

I don’t think it’s right to criticize one’s choice in food or eating habits, no matter how strange they may seem.

It’s not only in China. When I went abroad, I found people had all sorts of strange habits when it came to food. In Denmark, they put salted red fish on bread and eat it for dinner, no matter how much it ruins their breath. They think it’s a delicacy, and it’s connected with their culture. I think it’s a wonderful tradition.

1. What lesson can we learn from the passage?

A．One kind of food doesn’t necessarily suit everyone.

B．Eating habits come from a certain culture.

C．It is good to form healthy eating habits.

D．Changing your eating habits will change your life.

2. What did the writer become aware of?

A．She had ever typed a report about seeds.

B．She ate various snacks while watching TV.

C．She has a habit of cracking sunflower seeds.

D．She damaged her teeth by eating sunflower seeds.

3. What does the writer prove by mentioning Chinese New Year?

A．The traditions of celebrating it disappear.

B．Children can eat delicious food on that day.

C．The families would get together for it.

D．Eating sunflower seeds is related to it.

4. The writer’s attitude to Denmark’s way of eating bread is ________．

A．acceptable	B．critical
C．neutral	D．doubtful

3 . The Torch Festival (火把节) is a traditional festival which is celebrated among some ethnic groups in southwestern China, such as the Yi, Bai, Hani, Lisu, and Lahu, etc. It usually falls on the 24th or 25th of June, with three days of celebrations. The festival came from worship (崇拜) of fire by ancestors (祖先). For some ethnic groups, it’s a tradition in the festival for elders to share farming experience with young people and educate them about taking care of crops.

During the festival, big torches are made to stand in all villages, with small torches placed in front of the door of each house. When night falls, the torches are lit and the villages are bright. At the same time, people walk around the fields and houses, holding small torches and placing the torches in the field corners. Inside the villages, young people are singing and dancing around the big torches that keep burning throughout the night. Other activities like horse races are also held during the festival.

In a horse race of the Yi people in Yunnan, torches are used to form hurdles for riders to get through. The Hani people in Yunnan traditionally tie fruits to torches with strings. When the strings are broken after the torches are lit, people struggle for the fruits for good luck.

For the Lisu people in Sichuan, the festival is an occasion for holding torch parades. Big torches are carried by teams of people, which is like a fire dragon. If different teams meet, it’s a tradition to exchange the big torches with one another.

1. What can we know about the Torch Festival from the first paragraph?

A．It has nothing to do with farming.

B．Its celebrations usually last two days.

C．It is a traditional festival of all China.

D．It is a festival to show worship of fire.

2. What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．ancestors.	B．young people.
C．elders.	D．ethnic groups.

3. What is the main idea of the second paragraph?

A．Why the festival is enjoyed.	B．Where the festival is celebrated.
C．How the festival is celebrated.	D．What torches are used for the festival.

4. Which is a way that Lisu people in Sichuan celebrate the festival according to the text?

A．Holding torch parades.	B．Tying fruits to torches with strings.
C．Struggling for fruits for good luck.	D．Using torches as hurdles for a horse race.

4 . Culture shock isn’t a clinical term or medical conditions. It’s simply a common way to describe the confusing and nervous feelings a person may have after leaving a familiar culture to live in a different culture.     1     That can be exciting, but it can also be overwhelming(不可抗拒的).

Everyone feels the pressure to fit in at one time or another—whether they’ve lived in the area for days or years. But don’t feel like you need to change everything about yourself so you can stand out less.     2    

Here are a few tips for making sure your new culture doesn’t overpower the old:

Educate people about your culture. Just because you’re the one entering the new culture doesn’t mean you should be the one doing all the learning.     3     They may know little about it. It will also help them to learn more about you in the process.

Find a support group. Find kids in your class or neighborhood who recently moved, too. You can share experiences.

    4     You probably left behind good friends and family when you moved. If it’s going to be a long time until your next visit, keep in touch. You also left behind other things—like your favourite spot to hang out. Keep pictures around to remind you of home.

Remember, it’s important to be yourself.     5     You will have your own pace of adjusting. As long as you find a good combination between old and new, you’ll be fine.

A．Keep in touch with home.

B．Understand the new culture.

C．But the good news is that culture shock is temporary.

D．When you move to a new place, you’re bound to face a lot of changes.

E．Try not to force yourself to change too fast or too many things all at once.

F．All of your experiences before you came to your new home are part of you.

G．Take the opportunity to teach classmates and new friends about your culture.

5 . Some Famous Libraries in the World

The Royal Library of Alexandria

The Royal Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt is probably known as the largest and the most famous library in the ancient world. It is said that the ancient library was burned three times over the centuries. A likeness of the ancient library was built in Alexandria and was opened on October 16，2002.

Celsus Library

Celsus Library was built in what had been a monument tomb of the governor of the Province of Asia, Celsus Polemaeanus in Ephesus, Turkey. It used to be the third richest of ancient times in the world，which had more than 12,000 works of art, but it was destroyed in wars, leaving some ruins. Even so, it is now still so world-famous for its beautiful structure that many visitors come to see it. There is a statue of Athena at its entrance as she is the Goddess of Wisdom. It remains delicate and appealing.

Bodleian Library

Bodleian Library is attached to Oxford University and mainly used as a research library. It is also a copyright library, which means it has a right to every book published in the United Kingdom. The library was designed by the architect, Sir Giles Gilbert Scott. Construction was completed in 1940.

The British Library

The British Library was set up in 1973 and is one of the world’s greatest libraries. This library has PACCAR gallery of living and workshop of words. The sounds and images offer shows and different programs at the theme exhibitions. They also have a wide collection of stamps of the world which are on show for visitors. The library also offers events like music and discussions.

1. Which of the following libraries has been reconstructed?

A．The Royal Library of Alexandria.	B．Celsus Library.
C．Bodleian Library.	D．The British Library.

2. What can you do in Celsus Library?

A．Read books.	B．Borrow books.
C．See a stamp exhibition.	D．Enjoy the beautiful remains.

3. What is special about Bodleian Library?

A．It belongs to a university.

B．It was once destroyed by fires.

C．It is one of the famous ancient libraries.

D．It is well-known for its beautiful structure.

6 . Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing(令人迷惑的). A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They found that miscommunication was always possible, even over something as simple as “yes” and “no”.

On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks？” The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She had raised her eyebrows(眉毛), which in Micronesia means “yes”.

Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was famous for its cabbage. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today？” He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.

Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”．

1. The Americans teaching English in other countries found that they ________.

A．had problems with communication	B．needed to learn foreign languages
C．should often discuss their experiences	D．should go abroad for vacations

2. People in Micronesia show “yes” by ________.

A．nodding heads	B．raising eyebrows
C．shaking heads	D．saying “no”

3. Tom misunderstood his class at first because ________.

A．he didn’t know where the students came from

B．he didn’t explain everything clearly enough

C．some students didn’t understand his questions

D．he did not know much about Indian culture

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?

A．In Bulgaria, nodding heads means “no”

B．Jan taught English on a Pacific island.

C．Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage.

D．In India，only shaking heads means “yes”.