1 . One thing that sets humans apart from other members of the animal kingdom is our tendency to develop customs and traditions. Here are some astonishing customs from around the world.

An odd custom associated with the United States is its complicated tipping culture. Unlike many other countries that don’t tip at all or that only tip in small amounts when the food is particularly good, tipping is actually mandatory at most restaurants in the US. To put it another way, customers have a duty to leave between 10-20 percent of the bill in tips. Wait staff rely on these tips for a living because legal wages for waiters are low. Furthermore, there are rules for tipping bartenders, delivery people and other service personnel. While some criticize this practice as irrational, there’s no doubt that tipping culture in the US gives an incentive for waiters and waitresses to provide better service.

Some countries find the act of pointing with the index finger to be rude. While members of most cultures would probably agree that pointing fingers, both literally and figuratively, isn’t exactly the nicest thing in the world, in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, this gesture can be seen as incredibly offensive. Instead, it is customary to gesture towards things with the thumb as this is seen as a more polite option. In many countries in Africa, pointing is reserved for inanimate objects only, not people.

Most societies around the world have rules about table manners. For western cultures, noisily consuming food is considered rude. In Japan, however, making slurping(啧啧响的)sounds while eating has an entirely different meaning. This might have something to do with the fact that in western countries, noodles are properly consumed by twirling(缠绕)them on a spoon before putting them in the mouth. Meanwhile, the Japanese simply slurp up their noodles without contorting them first, an act that is naturally noisier than the former. Making slurping sounds when eating noodles in Japan is a way of indicating that you’re rely enjoying them. Some scientists even argue slurping invites air into the mouth and actually enhances the noodles’ flavor.

1. What does the underlined word “mandatory” in paragraph2 probably mean?

A．Required by tradition.	B．Highly spoken of.
C．Changeable over time.	D．Popular among people.

2. What does the author think of tipping?

A．It is totally unreasonable.	B．It must follow a fixed standard.
C．It can improve the quality of service.	D．It should only target waiters and waitresses.

3. Which practice is acceptable according to the text?

A．Skipping tipping in the USA.	B．Twirling noodles on a spoon in Africa.
C．Pointing with the index finger in Indonesia.	D．Making sounds while eating noodles in Japan.

4. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A research paper.	B．A travel brochure.
C．An online advertisement.	D．A popular magazine.

2 . Investigations have indicated that the virus was most likely to o________ (起源)from the seeds. （根据中英文提示填空）

3 . Keeping your life Busy and exciting

Shake up your routine. It doesn’t matter if other people think you are interesting, it only matters if you think you are interesting.     1    . Whether it is taking a different route home, or calling up a friend you haven’t spoken to in years, give it a try. It’s about surprising yourself, not other people.

Find local events such as markets, festivals, and music events to attend. Pick out things in your area which you think might be interesting and give them a visit.     2    , especially in summer, which don’t involve spending much or any money. By doing these things which aren’t part of your routine, you will keep yourself surprised and energized.

Explore your hometown. When you go on holiday anywhere, the place you are visiting always seems so much more interesting than where you live.     3    . You just haven’t bothered to look properly since it’s been there all along. Open your eyes. What have you been missing?

Accept all invitations. Even if you’re not that keen on the people going, try giving them a chance and go and hang out with them anyway.     4     --just once in a while.

Plan a trip. Instead of spending your weekend at home, plan a trip for a 2-day getaway. You don’t have to take time off work and it doesn’t have to be expensive. It can even be half an hour away, and you spend the entire weekend in a hotel basking in the room service.     5    .

A．Just go out and have fun

B．It doesn’t have to be all the time.

C．So you might as well stay for a few days

D．It’s a chance to relax and learn something special.

E．There are often many local events going on

F．Try to think of one thing each day you can do differently

G．But in reality, there is probably much to do around where you live.

4 . 在业余时间，汤姆通过替在外出差的人遛狗来赚取零用钱。(spend) (汉译英)

5 . When I woke up last week, I looked out of the window and saw nothing but white snow. It wasn't a _________ ； for days the weathermen had been _________ the winter storm. In the past years I had shoveled（铲）snow without too much _________ , but this year the task seemed challenging as I had just had back surgery（外科手术）.

But when I looked out of the _________ again, I was surprised to see my young neighbor Gray clearing my walkways. I couldn't _________ it. I knew my neighbors well, but we didn't often socialize. I fixed a cup of coffee and took it to the back door. When I opened the door, Gray _________ his work and accepted the hot cup gratefully. Clearing snow actually wasn't a（n） _________ job because on the top of the snow was a solid sheet of ice, making the walkways and streets not _________ to walk on. However, that didn't stop Gray； he worked hard until the job was finished. I _________ to thank him, but he said it was nothing and drove to his office. His wife Cathy also left for her job.

What could I do to repay his __________ ? I decided to make a big pot of soup. Cathy would not have to prepare the meal when she came home from __________ on such a cold day.

But the street was still __________ ， and I couldn't deliver the soup to them safely. So when I saw Cathy come home, I __________ and told her I had some soup for them. When she came over to __________ the soup, she seemed as grateful as I felt when I saw her husband shoveling snow off my walkways.

Now I am constantly looking for ways of __________ others. Gray had started a chain reaction in my soul. By helping me out without being asked, he sparked（激发）a similar feeling within me.

1.

A．problem

B．surprise

C．threat

D．dream

2.

A．preventing

B．remembering

C．recording

D．forecasting

3.

A．effort

B．interest

C．skill

D．effect

4.

A．kitchen

B．window

C．yard

D．garden

5.

A．make

B．believe

C．get

D．take

6.

A．chose

B．continued

C．stopped

D．finished

7.

A．challenging

B．easy

C．boring

D．important

8.

A．solid

B．safe

C．rough

D．difficult

9.

A．pretended

B．agreed

C．tried

D．hoped

10.

A．respect

B．friendship

C．kindness

D．duty

11.

A．shopping

B．work

C．school

D．exercise

12.

A．wide

B．noisy

C．clean

D．icy

13.

A．called

B．visited

C．left

D．appeared

14.

A．seek for

B．throw away

C．look at

D．pick up

15.

A．helping

B．hugging

C．praising

D．accepting

6 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World

People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.

These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.

For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.

All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.

·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.

·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.

·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.

·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.

·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.

1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?

A．104,944.

B．107,601.

C．About 150,000.

D．About 250,000.

2. Of the following stadiums, which is the oldest?

A．Michigan Stadium.

B．Beaver Stadium.

C．Ohio Stadium.

D．Kyle Field.

3. What do the listed stadiums have in common?

A．They host big games.	B．They have become tourist attractions.
C．They were built by Americans.	D．They are favored by architects.

7 . _______________________ is a bad habit that does great harm to one's health.
熬夜玩网络游戏是一个对健康有害的坏习惯。(动名词短语作主语)