BEAUTIFUL IRELAND AND ITS TRADITIONS
Ireland’s beautiful countryside has always had a great influence on its people and traditions. The country has a long history of producing great writers and poets. Its beautiful countryside excites and inspires all, offering something for each of the senses. The peaceful landscape of the “Emerald Isle” and its many green counties is a true feast for the eyes, with its rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cattle. And down by the sea, the roar of the ocean waves and cries of the seabirds make up the music of the coast. On a quiet morning in the mountains, feel the sun on your skin, and breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song. With all this beauty, it is not surprising that Ireland has developed strong traditions that include music, dancing, and dining. To have a chance of experiencing this, stop by a village pub and relax with a glass of wine or a local beer. Better yet, enjoy a delicious traditional Irish Beef Stew. If you’re lucky, you might be able to enjoy some traditional music and dancing, too. And if you introduce yourself to a friendly face, you are more than likely to experience local culture and customs first-hand.
1. What makes the Irish countryside exciting and inspiring?2. What are the best ways to experience some Irish traditions and culture?
3. What is the meaning of “breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song”?
4. What are the best ways to experience Chinese traditions and customs?
2 . The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), located in the West Kowloon Cultural District of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was established on June 22 and is scheduled to open to the public on July 2. More than 40,000 tickets were sold or reserved within eight hours on the first day of public sale, and all free visits on Wednesdays in July were fully booked.
The HKPM, not only adds to cultural atmosphere in the city, but also provides a new site for local residents and visitors to learn about the development of Chinese civilization and culture. More than 900 pieces of treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing will be put on display at the opening exhibitions. From paintings to ancient architectures, the exhibits span the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, covering all categories of the collection of the Palace Museum, including 166 pieces of first-class cultural relics of the country. This will be the largest and highest-level cultural heritage exhibitions of the Palace Museum outside of the mainland since its establishment in 1925.
Prepare work for the exhibitions began in 2018, with the Palace Museum fielding a team of leading experts and scholars, associated with the manage team of the HKPM.
“It is a great thing to display the pieces of cultural relics in Hong Kong, which reflects the central government’s support to the development of Hong Kong’s cultural projects,” said Ng, adding that the exhibits from the Palace Museum will present a cultural feast to Hong Kong residents by telling them about the motherland’s long history and splendid culture.
“Promoting traditional Chinese culture is one of our important tasks,” said Betty Fung, chief executive officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. She said the HKPM will actively push ahead with the publicity of the motherland’s culture and history after its opening, enhancing Hong Kong residents’ cultural confidence in the country, especially among youths.
Fung said that the HKPM will actively enhance cooperation with international museums, telling the world the stories of China, including the stories of Hong Kong.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?A.Hong Kong citizens can visit the museum freely. |
B.Hong Kong Palace Museum is warmly welcomed. |
C.Hong Kong citizens can enjoy the exhibition in June. |
D.Hong Kong Palace Museum opens within eight hours per day. |
A.900 pieces of first-class cultural relics. |
B.The history of Hong Kong since 1925. |
C.The development of international civilization. |
D.All categories of the collection of the Palace Museum. |
A.Favorable. | B.Disappointed. | C.Doubtful. | D.Puzzled. |
A.HKPM: Hong Kong’s Cultural Authority |
B.HKPM: Cooperation with International Museums |
C.HKPM: A New Cultural Landmark of Hong Kong |
D.HKPM: Showcase of Hong Kong’s Cultural Relics |
3 . Travel allows us to experience the world. But as we travel, we are also leaving our footprint on every place we visit. This is why culturally immersive (沉浸) travel is so important. Because the wrong kind of travel negatively affects the world. One of the reasons we started this blog was to help others travel better and feel comfortable getting off the beaten path, interacting with locals, and take you “Beyond the traditional Bucketlist”, if you will.
People who only get 2-weeks off per year are often just looking for an easy destination with a beach to relax on. This isn’t travel. This is a vacation. But “Immersive Travel” or “Cultural Travel” is an entirely new type of trip. It is about experiencing and preserving the various traditions around the world. It’s about being open to new experiences and willing to step into another’s shoes. Cultural travel is jumping in with both feet and leaving your idea about what your trip should be behind you. It’s eating local dishes and sleeping in guesthouses. It’s building genuine connections with locals. It’s learning about the history of a country and leaving your trip with a greater understanding of the place you came to see and the people who live there.
Often times in today’s age, “travelers” will visit a country just to snap some photos of the famous sights to post on Instagram or to drink the night away, or even just to relax on a tropical beach. But that kind of vacation can be harmful to the very communities you’re traveling to.
Beyond supporting the local communities and the preservation of local customs and traditions, you’ll also experience some personal benefits through cultural travels. There’s simply no way to travel this way with a closed mind. You’ll get to know different cultures intimately and understand them a lot better. You’ll also become less judgmental of others the more you travel.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the first paragraph?A.To stress the negative influence of travel. |
B.To describe the importance of cultural travel. |
C.To recommend a totally different type of travel. |
D.To convey his unique feelings about cultural travel. |
A.establish close connections with the locals during the travel |
B.choose a tourist attraction for adventure and exploration |
C.show more interest in the history of a travel destination |
D.post the photos taken in the journey on the social media |
A.It is focused on studying local people's lifestyle. |
B.Its travelers should be open-minded and understanding. |
C.It is a specific way to make judgments of other cultures. |
D.Its major concern is preserving local traditions and customs. |
A.A travel brochure. | B.A blog post. |
C.A historic magazine. | D.An encyclopedia website. |
4 . My husband and I just spent a week in Paris.
The place wasn’t entirely authentic, though. Unlike a normal Parisian apartment, the plumbing (水管) worked.
Parisians are different from you and me. They never look lazy or untidy. As someone noted in this paper a couple of weeks ago, they eat great food and never gain weight.
In France, quality of life is much more important than efficiency.
You can tell this by cafés life. French cafés are always crowded.
A.Not all the customers are tourists. |
B.The quality of life in France is equally excellent. |
C.There was a nice kitchen and a comfortable bed. |
D.The amazing food is mainly consumed by local farmers. |
E.That’s not the only reason the French eat less than we do. |
F.Our aim was to see if we could live, in some way, like real Parisians. |
G.The food is so delicious that you don’t need much of it to make you happy. |