1 . China and the Netherlands (荷兰) are long-time friends. The Netherlands is more than 41,500 square kilometres in area. It is a bit larger than the size of Taiwan, China.

The Netherlands is rich in culture and art. It is home of many great artists, for example, Vincent van Gogh. Besides fine art, the Netherlands is also called the country of tulips (郁金香). It has the world’s largest tulip garden: Keukenhof garden.

Dutch people are very hard-working. There’s a saying: “God made the Earth, but the Dutch made Holland.” More than a quarter of the country is below sea level. So Dutch people build many dams (水坝) to protect the country from flooding. They have created almost one sixth of the country from seas and rivers!

Did you know?

◆Rubber ducks are popular around the world. Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman created it in 2007. The yellow duck is 26 metres high.

◆Wooden clogs (木底鞋) are traditional shoes in the Netherlands. They make good gifts for tourists.

◆In the Netherlands, it is impolite to start eating at once. Dutch people will sometimes say “delicious” before eating.

◆Like the UK, the Netherlands also has kings and queens.

1. Taiwan, China is ________ than the Netherlands in area.

A．a bit smaller	B．much larger
C．much smaller	D．a little larger

2. What is not talked about in the passage?

A．Table manners.	B．Artists.
C．Weather.	D．Tulips.

3. About ________ of the Netherlands is created from the seas and rivers.

A．16%

B．25%

C．60%

D．75%

4. Which is NOT TRUE about the Netherlands?

A．In the Netherlands, it’s good manners to praise the food before eating.

B．Keukenhof garden is famous for tulips.

C．The Dutch may give foreign friends wooden clogs as small presents.

D．China and the Netherlands have been neighbouring countries for a long time.

2 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Globalization is the connection of different parts of the world. The process of globalization is very controversial. Many people say globalization will help people communicate. Aid agencies can respond more quickly     1    a natural disaster. Advanced medicines are more easily and widely available to people who may not have been able to afford them. Globalization     2     (increase) the number of students studying abroad over the past few years.     3    some people worry that Western culture will destroy local cultures around the world. What they fear is that everyone will end up     4     (eat) hamburgers and pizza.

3 . One third of adults over 65 in America have never used the Internet, and half don’t even have Internet access at home. In San Francisco, “the center of tech”, 40% of older adults do not have basic digital literacy skills.

This situation is becoming appalling as over 10,000 Americans turn 65 every single day. By 2050,22% of Americans will be 65 or older. Meanwhile, technology is developing very fast. This means that a large number of people will be unable to proficiently use emergent technology.

Many people believe that seniors aren’t required to participate in our tech future because they’ll be retired and relaxed soon. But this is the farthest thing from the truth. Baby boomers are currently experiencing a different boom: With more people getting older than ever before, their life expediencies are also increasing dramatically. With medical advancements, the number of American people projected to live into their 90’s has doubled since 1965.

However, they don’t have strong financial or educational support. This is not a problem; it’s a crisis. More than half of employees over 50 have been laid off in what’s being called ”forced retirement“. And few organizations are actively helping older employees make the transition from full-time jobs to part-time ones. For those fortunate enough to be employed, 3 out of 5 older workers experience prejudice.

The easiest solution is to teach digital literacy. If baby boomers want to survive the forthcoming retirement crisis, they should get enough digital knowledge and skills to operate today’s tools and tomorrow’s platforms. With every crisis comes an opportunity. Tutoring, customer service, editing, research, book-keeping, and other virtual assistance-based work open the doors. But again, digital knowledge is first required to live in our high-tech society and gig economy. So try to get more online and navigate the growing number of sites and apps.

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

A．Confusing.

B．Terrible.

C．Controllable.

D．Inspiring.

2. What problem may baby boomers face?

A．A crisis after retirement.	B．Being knocked out in the future.
C．Failing to receive good healthcare.	D．Tending to double their life expediencies.

3. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The features of high-tech jobs.	B．The way out for baby boomers.
C．Potential industries in the future.	D．The importance of developing technology.

4. What does the author advise baby boomers to do?

A．Have a good sense of crisis.	B．Avoid retiring at an early age.
C．Look for many part-time jobs.	D．Improve digital literacy actively.

4 . Six months ago, 28-year-old Danny Wallace, who earns his living as a TV comic and “ideas” man, had a great idea. What if he started his own country and invited anyone who wanted to join him to become a citizen? So, naming himself King Danny I and declaring his one-bedroom flat in East London an independent state, he set about taking the necessary steps to make his dream come true. He even documented his progress in his BBC2 series How To Start Your Own Country, which comes to the end of its six-week run on Wednesday.

Over the six weeks, Danny explored the possibilities of forming his own country. The first thing on his agenda was to hand in his Declaration of Independence to the prime minister. With this out of the way, he was free to start thinking about writing a constitution and setting up a government. Then he was off to design his own flag and record his own national anthem and even got someone to design possible postage stamps of his country, with his face on them!

The final thing Danny had to do was to find a name for his country. At his request, citizens sent in thousands of suggestions as to what this new country could be called. Ideas ranged from Flatland to Wallaceland! But, in the end, the final selection came down to just two: Home or Lovely. Aiming to become the most democratic democracy in the world where its citizens have the opportunity to enjoy equality, King Danny achieved a world first and let the people decide. Lovely finally stood out.

Whether the country will continue to grow will very much depend on how busy its creator is. And, as Danny Wallace is much in demand for several other TV projects, it might fall to other members of his government to keep things running. But with elections promised every six months, the creation of the University of Lovely and several sporting events planned over the coming weeks, there are plenty of activities to keep the citizens of Lovely occupied for quite a while yet.

1. What does Danny Wallace’s “great idea” in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Making a documentary.	B．Founding a new country.
C．Owning an independent state.	D．Choosing actors for a TV show.

2. What’s crucial to carrying out Danny’s great idea?

A．Drafting a constitution.	B．Getting official approval.
C．Analyzing the possibilities.	D．Composing a national anthem.

3. What can be inferred from the final decision on the name Lovely?

A．Lovely beat Home in the final selection.

B．The world is created by ordinary people.

C．The citizens’ rights of a country are respected.

D．Lovely signals the successful rule of King Danny.

4. What’s mainly discussed in the last paragraph?

A．The future of Lovely.	B．The life of the citizens.
C．The daily routine of Danny Wallace.	D．The establishment of the University of Lovely.

5 . There are many different types of houses in the UK. You may see detached, semi-detached, terraced houses or even end-of-terrace houses on a typical street. You might see apartments in wealthier parts of town, or people living in bungalows, preferring to live a life without stairs. Strange cottages may dot the countryside, while heading to the cities you could see any number of types of flats, including houses turned into flats, studios and duplexes. But one thing you will notice is that many houses come from different eras, and asking a British person about their ideal home, many of them will have a specific period property in mind.

For some, it could be Victorian houses, which are often seen with bay windows, high ceilings, stained glass doors and colored brickwork. During the Victorian era, a huge number of houses, particularly terraced, were built in towns and cities to accommodate vast numbers of workers who were moving from more rural areas.

Georgian architecture refers to houses built during the period of 1714 and 1830 during the rules of four British monarchs. Usually houses with this architectural style have a more symmetrical theme, both internally and externally, with a small square garden in front. For those not into older properties, new builds from the 1990s onwards offer better insulation against the cold and newer electrics. And those who prefer less repairs could always go with the open-plan or minimalist look of the modern era.

So, whether it’s high ceilings, better insulation, brickwork, bungalows or square gardens, people in Britain have a wide variety of preferences when it comes to where they live. And their ideal home may just simply be a case of what style feels like home.

1. What do the Victorian houses have?

A．A small square garden in front.	B．High ceilings and colored brickwork.
C．A more symmetrical theme than any other era.	D．Broken windows and stainless doors.

2. Why does the author mention Victorian and Georgian houses?

A．To display the wisdom of the architects.	B．To introduce the origin of them.
C．To attract people fond of British houses.	D．To show the diversity of British houses.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．The preference of British for the houses.	B．The history of the Georgian houses.
C．The house structures of Britain.	D．The fine scenery in Britain.

4. What will the author probably talk about next?

A．Ideal British home.	B．Terraced houses.
C．Georgian houses.	D．Square and gardens.

6 . New Year’s Day is meant for food. As the new year arrives around the world, there could be special cakes and breads, for example, long noodles representing long life, field peas representing coins, and pigs representing good luck. The particulars vary, but the general theme is the same: Enjoy food and drink to bring in a year of prosperity. Here are some of the New Year’s food traditions around the world.

Hoppin’ John, American South

A major New Year’s food tradition in the American South, Hoppin’ John is a dish of pork-flavored field peas or black-eyed peas — symbolizing coins — and rice, frequently served with cooked greens — as they’re the color of money and cornbread—the color of gold. The dish is said to bring good luck in the new year.

Twelve grapes, Spain

The people of Spain traditionally watch a broadcast from Puerta del Sol in Madrid, where people gather in front of the square’s clock tower to ring in the New Year. Those out in the square and those watching at home take part in an unusual annual tradition: At the stroke of midnight, they eat one grape for every toll of the clock bell. Some even get their grapes ready — peeling and seeding them — to make sure they will be as efficient as possible when mid-night comes.

Tamales, Mexico

Tamales, corn dough filled with meat, cheese and other delicious additions and wrapped in a banana leaf or a corn husk, make appearances at pretty much every special occasion in Mexico. In many families, groups of women gather together to make hundreds of the little packets to hand out to friends, family and neighbors.

Soba noodles, Japan

In Japanese households, families cat buckwheat soba noodles, or toshikoshi soba, at mid-night on New Year’s Eve to say goodbye to the year gone by and welcome the year to come. The tradition dates back to the 17th century, and the long noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity.

1. The common theme of food for New Year’s Day is ________.

A．to show its deliciousness and sell well in market

B．to cat and drink well and hope for a fancy new year

C．to celebrate new year and wish for blessings from nature

D．to say farewell to the old year and welcome the new year

2. Which dish is believed to bring good luck in the new year?

A．Hoppin’ John.	B．Twelve grayes.
C．Tamales.	D．Soba noodles.

3. In which country do people eat grapes when clock strikes on New Year’s Eve?

A．The US.

B．Mexico.

C．Spain.

D．Japan.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Pu'er has colorful and charming national culture. In Pu'er, there are nine ethnic minority autonomous counties,     1     14 nationalities with Han, Hani, Yi, Lahu, Wa and Dai nationalities included have lived     2     generations. 61 percent of the population of this city     3    (be) from ethnic minority groups.

In this city, there is the Pu'er Monument to the National Unity Oath, known as "the No. 1 Monument of New China for National Unity", Menglian Xuanfusi Department     4    (reflect) the history and culture of the Dai nationality, and a batch of national dances and songs enjoying great     5    (popular) including "Troth Plighting" and "Awa People Sing New Songs".

Pu'er also boasts original ecological culture and aboriginal and mysterious, unsophisticated and fantastic national     6    (custom); the Wooden Drum Festival of the Wa nationality, the Gourd Festival of the Lahu nationality, the Torch Festival of the Yi nationality, the Water-Sprinkling Festival of the Dai nationality and     7     traditional ethnic festivals which     8    (inherit) for more than one thousand years will invite you to linger with their unique charm.

Experts from     9     World Tourism Organization are also marveled that Pu'er is a     10    (poem) and romantic city and even its air is filled with romance.

8 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个恰当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Today, there are groups of native people around the world that still live a traditional lifestyle. Some live in remote parts of South America,     1     way of life is in danger of disappearing. The Korubo are native people who live in the Amazon rainforest. They make their own tools, grow their own crops, and hunt and fish. Their main weapons are clubs and poison-tipped arrows, used     2     both hunting and protecting their territory against     3    (outsider).