1 . Weddings are one of life’s biggest celebrations, and they are observed in just about every country and culture on the planet. Here are some wedding traditions from around the world.
Scotland
Scottish weddings usually feature the handfasting ceremony. During the ceremony, the bride (新娘) and bridegroom each hold a piece of cloth. These are carefully wound around the couple’s joined hands. When they pull their hands apart, the pieces become tied into a knot (结) — a symbol of the new union.
Germany
Guests at a German wedding get to see an interesting sight: the newly married couple — still dressed in their suit and wedding dress — cutting a length of a tree in half with a two-person saw (锯). In this way, they show their ability to work as a team to face any challenge they will meet in life.
Norway
A Norwegian wedding cake is made up of progressively smaller layers of iced cake rings, which give the cake the shape of Christmas tree. The inside is empty and has gifts or even a bottle of wine. The bride and g room lift the top ring of the cake, and the number of layers that stick to it is said to represent the number of children they will have!
England
Brides in England typically wear “something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue” for their big day. The modern practice comes from a traditional English song, and the things themselves represent protection, cheerfulness, good luck, and purity, respectively.
Though the customs might vary, the feeling remains the same. Across the world, weddings are times to celebrate love, happiness, and family.
1. Why is a two-person saw used in the German wedding?| A．To entertain the wedding guests. | B．To mark the couple’s united efforts. |
| C．To represent the upcoming challenges. | D．To keep the couple from hurting each other. |
| A．The Scottish wedding. | B．The German wedding. |
| C．The Norwegian wedding. | D．The English wedding. |
| A．Rules to follow. | B．Special customs. |
| C．Ways to treat guests. | D．Cultural backgrounds. |
2 . Two years ago, my friend Terry and I were living in our dormitory at our university. With his birthday approaching, he came to me with an unusual request. Instead of receiving presents and getting drunk (like most every other 21-year-old would), he wanted to do some acts of kindness. I was struck with such an idea. He told me about a TED talk he had watched online, which had inspired him.
Our university is not located in the safest area in Los Angeles. In fact, its location is so unsafe that the school employs the second largest private legal militia (民兵队伍) in the United States to protect its students. They have to work around the clock, standing on street corners throughout the university keeping watch. It’s a thankless job as most students grow used to seeing officers all around and finally hardly even notice their presence.
How could we show them our appreciation? We rented a truck and asked its driver to drive us around the place where we knew the officers would be and we poured them each a cup of hot chocolate. The truck driver was a bit hesitant (犹豫的) about our plan at first but after a while he was helping us spot officers and our lively spirits had spread to him as well. Smiles and appreciative words from the officers impressed us a lot. Soon they were talking about us over their radio and we were the ones being spotted and called over. Finally, the hot chocolate seemed secondary (次要的) to their interest in meeting us, the two boys that went around with hot chocolate expecting to share some late-night laughter. It was amazing to see how a small simple act can lift everyone’s spirits.
1. What inspired Terry to celebrate his birthday in a different way?| A．A radio speech. | B．An online video. |
| C．His concern for other people. | D．Other 21-year-old’s birthday celebrations. |
| A．They don’t think the officers perform their duty well. |
| B．They feel frightened to see the officers around. |
| C．They are not used to being watched by the officers. |
| D．They seldom appreciate the officers’ hard work. |
| A．He was unwilling to accept the idea. |
| B．He couldn’t wait to join the two boys. |
| C．He was strongly against the idea. |
| D．He was struck with the idea. |
| A．Lovely officers around the school |
| B．Importance of school safety |
| C．A unique birthday request |
| D．Late-night laughter |
3 . Our wedding was about to begin. My throat was tight and my cheeks got red, but I didn't care. I was ready to marry David Sanchez. We're a “nontraditional” couple: getting married in a bookstore that supports a charity to fight HIV and homelessness.
“Kim! I could walk you down the aisle (走道) if you like！” David's father offered gently.
“I'm OK. But I appreciate that，” I said with a smile. And I was reminded, again, of my dad's absence.
My father died of cancer six weeks ago. For the last two months, we tried to make him feel comfortable and loved as he departed from this world. He always told us that he didn't like a funeral (葬礼) and insisted that our wedding go forward as planned. But how could we honor him since the wedding would be the first time the family would gather after his death and some even didn't know he was sick?
During the ceremony, my dear friend Eva delivered a reading entitled “When Things Go Missing” by Kathryn Schulz. She paused and got everyone on the same page, “When we are experiencing it, loss often feels like confusion in the usual order of things. In fact, the entire plan of the universe consists of losing, and life amounts to a reverse (逆向的) savings account in which we are eventually robbed of everything.”
I felt the energy full of the room. Everyone was listening. By choosing to accept the pain, we knew what a wedding does to join two families and mark the next chapter for a couple. Loss became a compass that kept us away from a fantasy and toward celebrating the difficult realities of life.
After rings were exchanged, fried chicken was served, our friends offered so many funny and touching toasts, and finally David sang “Married” on my father's guitar. I felt joy filling all the holes in my soul. Celebrating my father's life at our wedding made me grateful for all the time I had spent with him.
1. Why did David's father offer to walk the author down the aisle?| A．To relieve her tension. |
| B．To welcome her to his family. |
| C．To play the author's late father's role. |
| D．To contribute something to the charity. |
| A．She got a compass as a wedding gift. |
| B．She enjoyed David's promise for their marriage. |
| C．She received more sympathy from families and friends. |
| D．She recalled the days spent with her father and understood life better. |
| A．Because she could keep away from the pain. |
| B．Because she knew everyone was listening. |
| C．Because she got more courage for the marriage and life. |
| D．Because she could read a piece of Kathryn Schulz's works. |
| A．It was held in a library. |
| B．It was a touching and happy one. |
| C．Kim and David turned it into a funeral. |
| D．There was no other activity except reading. |
4 . The tradition of birthday parties started in Europe a long time ago. It was feared that evil(邪恶的) spirits were particularly attracted to people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family members would come to stay with the birthday person and bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to keep away from the evil spirits. This is how birthday parties began.
The following are some countries’ birthday traditions:
Canada--Putting butter on the nose. In Atlantic Canada, the birthday child’s nose is put butter on for good luck.
China--Noodles for lunch. The birthday child pays respect to his / her parents and receives a gift of money. Friends and relatives are invited to lunch and noodles are served to wish the birthday child a long life.
England--Money cakes. Certain symbolic(象征性的) objects are mixed into the birthday cake as it is being prepared. If your piece of cake has a coin in it, you will be rich.
Ireland--Birthday bump(碰撞). The birthday child is lifted upside down and “ bumped” on the floor for good luck.
Italy--Pulling ears. The child’s ears are pulled as many times as how old he / she is turning.
Japan--New clothes. The birthday child wears new clothes to mark the occasion.
New Zealand--Birthday claps. After the candles are hit, the happy birthday song is sung loudly and often out of tune and then the birthday person receives a clap for each year he / she has been alive and then one for good luck.
The United States--Cake, candles and the birthday song. A cake is made, and candles are put on top based on how old the person is.
1. The first paragraph mainly talks about .| A．why there are so many birthday traditions |
| B．how birthday parties started |
| C．how to keep away from evil spirits |
| D．why gifts must be given to the birthday person |
| A．China. | B．England. |
| C．Ireland. | D．Japan. |
| A．In New Zealand, an eight-year-old birthday child receives eight claps in all. |
| B．In Ireland, bumping the birthday child means good luck to him/her. |
| C．In England, coins are the only things that can be made into a birthday cake. |
| D．In Italy, the birthday child’s ears are pulled when he/she is lifted upside down. |
| A．birthday cake | B．birthday candles |
| C．birthday claps | D．birthday song |
| A．Tech&Science. | B．Entertainment. |
| C．Careers&Jobs. | D．Culture. |
