1 . The Qingming Festival is celebrated with a three-day national holiday, whose name originates from the saying “Plants start to revive and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way. Thus, the festival is called Qingming,” which means clean and bright.
Tomb sweeping.
Spring outing. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons fora spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family.
Qingtuan, a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand, is also called Qingmingguo or Aiguo.
| A．With each different look comes a good blessing. |
| B．The tradition of tomb sweeping originates from the Qin Dynasty. |
| C．The two main activities over the festival include tomb sweeping and going on a spring outing. |
| D．Family members gather together to celebrate and taste the food. |
| E．Playing football and flying kites are popular activities. |
| F．Many traditional customs are practiced to show respect for our ancestors. |
| G．It is popular in the southern regions of the Yangtze River. |
2 . For the first time, a woman captain led Britain’s Changing of the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Canadian officer Megan Couto made history on June 26 by commanding the troops guarding Queen Elizabeth's London home. Couto, 24, led her Canadian unit in the ceremony, which is witnessed by thousands of visitors to London each year. Her unit is the Second Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry （步兵），also known as The Patricia's".
The British Army said Couto was the first ever female infantry officer to lead the ceremony. “We look forward to seeing a British Army female infantry captain of the queen's guard when roles are opened up to women by the end of next year,“ a statement read.
Women were barred from serving in the British infantry and other fighting roles until the military changed the rule last year.
Canadian Captain Megan Couto made history by becoming the first female Captain of the Queen's Guard as she took part in the Changing the Guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London, Monday, June 26. The Canadian unit was invited to Britain to mark Canada's upcoming 150th anniversary. Canada Day is celebrated on July 1.
Canada was established on July 1, 1867, when Britain approved the British North America Act. The act established the Canadian Confederation out of three British colonies(殖民地). Canada, along with several other nations, still belongs to the British Commonwealth(英联邦). Queen Elizabeth still serves as the country's official head of state.
Many celebrations will be held throughout Canada to mark the country's 150th birthday. Among the activities will be parades, musical and cultural performances and fireworks. Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are to spend three days visiting Canada to mark the anniversary. In Britain, people plan to gather in London's Trafalgar Square to take part in a celebration for Canada Day. The event will feature musical performances, Canadian food, sports and other activities. It is predicted that there will be thousands of foreign visitors coming to enjoy the event.
1. What is special about the Changing of the Guard ceremony this time?| A．It didn't include Britain soldiers. | B．It was commanded by a female. |
| C．It was led by a British officer. | D．It was held in Canada. |
| A．To honour the British queen. | B．To guide the British queen. |
| C．To attract foreign visitors. | D．To celebrate Canada Day. |
| A．It was part of Britain. |
| B．It was the same as it is today. |
| C．It belonged to the USA. |
| D．It was out of the British Commonwealth. |
A．Delicious food on Canada Day. | B．Celebrations to be held in Canada. |
| C．Foreign visitors to enjoy the event. | D．Activities to be held for Canada Day. |
3 . Occasions like anniversaries, weddings and reunions call for special event venues (场地). The following places may have a way out. There’s no need to spend money creating atmosphere at special event venues. It’s built right in!
Hard Rock Cafe Anchorage
415 E. STREET, ANCHORAGE, ALASKA 99501
Events, like great music are born of inspiration. Featuring a 13,600-square-foot facility that will seat 275 guests with private event space, we pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional experience with a rock and twist for each of our guests.
Business Expo Center
1960 S. ANAHEIM WAY, ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA 92805
The Business Expo Center is Orange County's important event venue in Anaheim, California. Our flexible 36,000-square-foot expo center is home to space for conferences, trade shows and celebrations. We pride ourselves on providing a memorable experience with excellent flexibility, services, and cost savings. We won’t charge customers for on-site parking and provide high-speed Wi-Fi.
Automobile Driving Museum
610 LAIRPORT STREET, EL SEGUNDO, CALIFORNIA 90245
Centrally located in the South Bay beach community of EI Segundo, California, the ADM offers a wonderful venue for private parties and corporate events. Conveniently located 5 minutes south of LAX, right off the 405 and 105 Freeways, the 610 Lairport space has a special feel surrounded by our primary automobile collection. We offer several different venues inside and outside our facility for diverse events. To better our service, reservations are needed.
Yamashiro Hollywood
1999 N. SYCAMORE AVE., LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90068
Yamashiro Hollywood is a restaurant and therefore, all food and wine must be handled in house. However, guests are allowed to bring in outside wine and champagne for a corkage fee (开瓶费).
1. What can we learn about Business Expo Center?| A．You can enjoy free parking. |
| B．It’s home to space for music shows. |
| C．It’s located in Los Angeles, California 92805 |
| D．You can experience high-speed Wi-Fi free of change. |
| A．Business Expo Center. | B．Yamashiro Hollywood. |
| C．Hard Rock Cafe Anchorage. | D．Automobile Driving Museum. |
| A．They are located in the same state. |
| B．They are open to special events. |
| C．They enjoy convenient transportation. |
| D．They offer an exceptional experience and free services. |
4 . Spending Christmas in a foreign country can be a truly eye-opening experience, especially since it’s easy to believe that as a worldwide festival, most countries probably celebrate it in a fairly similar manner. Being from the UK, Christmas for me means spending time with family and friends, exchanging presents, eating and drinking, and, of course, hiding from the cold. In Colombia, however, Christmas is viewed much more as a time which devotes itself to religion.
With celebrations beginning on 7 December, Columbia is recognized as having the longest Christmas celebrations period in the world. The celebrations generally begin in the evening with the lighting of candles, either in the streets, parks or outside people’s homes. Cities are lit up by candles, as this day marks the beginning of the Christmas period. Although decorations have been up since early November, another tradition in Colombia is that during the nine days before Christmas, family members and friends meet up to pray, sing songs and share traditional foods at home.
Probably the biggest surprise for me has been the music people listen to during the Christmas period. At first, you could easily mistake these songs for the classic salsa, which is played all year round. However, after asking a Colombian if it really felt like Christmas music, they explained to me that the songs are loved more for the memories they symbolize than for the way they sound, and that Colombia has been through so many dark periods in history, it was important to hold on to the good memories of years gone past.
Being in a country like Colombia during this festive period has taught me that you don’t need to be religious to take part in these Christmas traditions.
1. What’s the authors opinion of Christmas?| A．It isn’t a global festival. | B．It isn’t a time for being alone. |
| C．It is mainly devoted to religion. | D．It’s celebrated only in some places. |
| A．It is celebrated in the same way as in the UK. |
| B．It is celebrated mainly as a religious festival. |
| C．It is celebrated for nine days or so. |
| D．It is celebrated with lanterns and fireworks. |
| A．Enjoy traditional foods. | B．Go to the church together. |
| C．Learn abut home decorations. | D．Have a one-month-long holiday. |
| A．they sound extremely wonderful |
| B．they express best wishes for the future |
| C．they represent good memories of the past |
| D．they have been passed down for generations |
5 . Birthdays are especially important to the very young and the very old. On their birthdays, people receive birthday cards and birthday presents from their family and friends. Children’s cards often have a large number on them showing how old they are. Cards for adults have pictures of flowers or scenery, or humorous or rude cartoons. Inside there is usually a simple greeting, such as “Happy Birthday” or “Many Happy Returns of the Day.”
In the US, children who have their birthdays during the school year take a cake to school and have a small party with their classmates. In Britain, children sometimes get Bumped (lifted off the ground horizontally and put down again sharply) by their friends.
In the US, the 16th birthday is called sweet 16. It is the age at which a person can get a US driver’s license, and some wealthier parents give their children a car as a present. At 18, in Britain and in the US, young people become adults and many have a big party. In most parts of the US, 21 is the age at which people can drink alcohol legally.
In Britain, people celebrate 21st birthday less. Many adults dislike getting older and a few lie about their age. But in general older people are now much more willing to tell others their age. You may see a sign by the side of a road saying: “Dave Ell is 40 today!”, put there by Dave’s friends. At about 65, people retire, and those who have reached this age are called senior citizens. Few people live to be 100, so a 100th birthday is very special. In Britain, people reaching this age may receive card containing a printed message from the Queen.
1. What’s the main characteristic of children’s birthday cards?| A．They are full of pictures of scenery. |
| B．There are some flowers on them. |
| C．There is a large number on them. |
| D．They have greetings written on them. |
| A．The 40th birthday is very special |
| B．Many adults like lying about their age |
| C．Dave’s friends like playing jokes on him. |
| D．Older people don’ t mind telling others their age now |
| A．be called a senior citizen | B．refuse to talk about his age |
| C．receive a card from the queen | D．be invited to dinner with the Queen |
| A．Bars in the US are forbidden to sell alcohol to young people under 21. |
| B．In Britain, 18 means young people become adults. |
| C．Young people will get a car as the 16th birthday present in the US. |
| D．British young men love to celebrate the 21st birthday. |
6 . Many Americans buy an evergreen tree for Christmas. They put the tree in their home and hang small lights and colorful things on it. The evergreen is usually a pine or a fir tree (冷杉树). It remains green during the cold, dark months of winter in the northern part of the world. So it is a sign of everlasting life.
Early long ago, Romans probably planted evergreen trees during a celebration in honor of their god of agriculture. The Christmas tree may have developed from a popular play performed hundreds of years ago in what is now Germany. Traditionally, the play was on December 24th, the day before Christmas. The play was about the first people that God created—Adam and Eve. People put apples on an evergreen tree to represent the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden.
By the year 1600, some Germans began bringing evergreen trees into their homes. They put fruit, nuts and sweets on the trees. They gave the food to the family members and friends after the holiday season. Some people say the German religious reformer (宗教改革者) Martin Luther was the first person to add lighted candles to the tree. They say he did this to show how wonderful the stars had appeared as he travelled one night.
In the early 1800’s, German settlers in the state of Pennsylvania were the first to celebrate the holiday with Christmas trees in the United States. The Christmas tree tradition spread to many parts of the world. Today, some form of the Christmas tree is part of most Christmas celebrations.
1. Why do people choose the evergreen tree for the Christmas tree?| A．It suffers from cold and dark months. |
| B．It’s evergreen and represents long life. |
| C．It’s convenient for people to put things on it. |
| D．It can be found everywhere in winter. |
| A．The Christmas tree dates back to ancient times. |
| B．It was in a film that the Christmas tree was first used. |
| C．Early Romans honored the god of wisdom with trees. |
| D．The Christmas tree was considered as the tree of wealth. |
| A．German settlers celebrated the holiday with fir trees |
| B．Germans would give each other the food on the trees at Christmas |
| C．Martin Luther was the first person to decorate the Christmas tree |
| D．many people in the world follow the Christmas tree tradition |
| A．How to Celebrate Christmas |
| B．The Use of Evergreen Trees During Christmas |
| C．The History of the Christmas Tree |
| D．How to Decorate Christmas Tree |
7 . Mrs. Obama spoke to the graduates of Martin Luther King Jr. High School on Saturday in her only high school commencement (毕业典礼) speech this year. The ceremony took place in the gymnasium of Tennessee State University.
The first lady told the 170 graduates that she spent too much of her time in college focusing on academic achievements. While her success in college and law school led to a highprofile job, she said, she ended up leaving to focus on public service. “My message to you today is that don't waste a minute living someone else's dream,” she said. “It takes lots of real work to discover what brings you joy and you won't find what you love simply by checking mailboxes or surfing the Internet.”
She said MLK reminded her of her own high school experience in Chicago.“My No.1 goal was to go to a high school that would push me and challenge me,” she said. “I wanted to go somewhere that would celebrate achievements.” “Unfortunately, schools like this don't exist for every kid,” she said. “You are blessed.”
The first lady told the graduates that failure may be a part of their college careers, and that how they respond to difficulties determines what they will become. “That's when you find out what you're really made of in those hard times,” she said. “But you can only do that if you're willing to put yourself in a position where you might fail. Overcoming difficulties has been a mark of many great people,” she said. “Oprah Winfrey was demoted(降职) from her first job as a news reporter, and now she doesn't even need a last name,” she said of media giant Oprah Winfrey. “And then there's this guy Barack Obama. I could take up a whole afternoon talking about his failures. He lost his first race for Congress,” the first lady joked, “and now he gets to call himself my husband.”
1. When choosing her high school, Mrs Obama .| A．wanted to study law |
| B．was pushed to make a choice |
| C．failed to find an ideal school |
| D．was willing to meet challenges |
| A．to be brave enough to risk failing |
| B．to work hard to get promoted |
| C．to start as a news reporter |
| D．not to waste time doing what they dislike |
| A．In a news report. |
| B．In a politics book. |
| C．In a graduation paper. |
| D．On Mrs Obama's blog. |
| A．She is a graduate of Tennessee State University. |
| B．This is the first time she has given a speech to graduates. |
| C．She complained about her school life in her speech. |
| D．She is enthusiastic about public service. |
8 . If you are a fruit grower — or would like to become one — take advantage of Apple Day to see what’s around. It’s called Apple Day but in practice it’s more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but since it has caught on, events now spread out over most of October around Britain.
Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste, a wide variety of apples. To people who are used to the limited choice of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesn’t taste of anything special, it’s still worth a try, as is the knobbly(多疙瘩的) Cat’s Head which is more of a curiosity than anything else.
There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you’ll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it’s a pipe dream for most apple lovers who fall for it.
At the events, you can meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well catered for with apple-themed fun and games.
Apple Days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and commercial orchards(果园). If you want to have a real orchard experience, try visiting the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale, near Faversham in Kent.
1. What can people do at the apple events?| A．Attend experts’ lectures. |
| B．Visit fruit-loving families. |
| C．Plant fruit trees in an orchard. |
| D．Taste many kinds of apples. |
| A．It is a new variety. |
| B．It has a strange look. |
| C．It is rarely seen now. |
| D．It has a special taste. |
| A．A practical idea. |
| B．A vain hope. |
| C．A brilliant plan. |
| D．A selfish desire. |
| A．To show how to grow apples. |
| B．To introduce an apple festival. |
| C．To help people select apples. |
| D．To promote apple research. |
International Teachers’ Day is celebrated on October 5. Being held ever since 1994, it is in honor of teachers' organizations worldwide. Its aim is to encourage supports for teachers and to meet the needs of students.
China―In 1939, Teachers’ Day was set for August 27, Confucius' birthday. In 1951, the celebration was stopped. However, it was founded again in 1985, and the day was changed to September 10.
India―Teachers’ Day is celebrated on September 5 in honour of Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second president of India, whose birthday falls on that day.
Russia―In Russia, Teachers’ Day was celebrated on the first Sunday of October between 1965 and 1994. Since 1994, the day is observed on October 5, just the same day as World Teachers’ Day.
The US―In the US, Teachers’ Day is non-official holiday. It is celebrated on the Tuesday of the first full week of May. A number of activities are organized in schools to honor teachers. The celebrations can continue for the whole week of May.
Thailand―In Thailand, National Teachers’ Day is celebrated every year on January 16. The first Teachers’ Day was held in 1957. The day is a holiday in schools.
1. What country celebrates Teachers’ Day in October?
| A．India. | B．The US. | C．India. | D．Russia. |
| A．stopped | B．celebrated | C．held | D．fell |
| A．China has celebrated Teachers’ Day since the year 1931. |
| B．Teachers’ Day is an official holiday in the United States. |
| C．Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan’s birthday is in September. |
| D．Teachers’ Day is a working day in schools of Thailand. |
| A．The first Teachers’ Day was held in 1965 in Thailand. |
| B．Teachers’ Day falls on Confucius' birthday in China. |
| C．International Teachers’ Day aims to benefit the students. |
| D．Teachers’ Day is celebrated on the same day all over the world. |
10 . Many centuries ago, birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits were able to harm you. It was believed that you should have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present-giving would keep the bad spirits away. People also believed that, by lighting candles, they were sending a signal or wishes to the gods.
Later on, candles started to be used on birthday cakes. One story about the beginnings of the birthday cake is that it started with the Greeks, who made round cakes standing for the full moon for their moon goddess (女神). They also placed candles on the cake to make it light, again like the moon.
However, the Germans are said to have first used cakes and candles. They used a sweet cake and they put a large candle in the centre of the cake to mean “the light of life”.
The “Happy Birthday” song is more than a hundred years old. The music was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, who were schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky. The music was first used as a morning greeting to their students with the title, “Good Morning To All”. In 1935, the words legally belonged to the Hill sisters, and the copyright (版权) has been bought and sold for millions of dollars ever since. The present copyright is owned by Warner Communications. They bought it in 1989 for more than $22 million.
1. The text mainly talks about .| A．the ways of making cakes |
| B．the customs of lighting candles |
| C．the beginnings of birthdays |
| D．the history of the birthday song |
| A．have a great dinner |
| B．get birthday presents |
| C．light birthday candles |
| D．keep the bad spirits away |
| A．To light up the dark room. |
| B．To make the cake beautiful. |
| C．To see where the cake was. |
| D．To make it look like the moon. |
| A．In 1893. | B．In 1913. |
| C．In 1935. | D．In 1989. |
| A．Patty and Mildred Hill. |
| B．Warner Communications. |
| C．A Greek cake company. |
| D．A German schoolteacher. |
