1 . 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.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Many people are     1     (confuse) about what the different names of the UK mean. So it is necessary to know a little about its history. Between the 16th century and 19th century, Wales Scotland, and the Kingdom of Ireland were joined to the Kingdom of England. In the 20th century, the     2     (south) part of Ireland broke away from the UK, which led     3     the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. People from the UK     4     (call) “British”. The UK is also referred to as Britain or Great Britain. So this is     5     the UK has such different names.

3 . The capital of a country is often a very populated city where much history has been made due to the high-level political and economic functions that occur there. However, sometimes government leaders decide to move the capital from one city to another. Capital relocation has been done hundreds of times throughout history. The ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Chinese changed their capital frequently.

Some countries choose new capitals that are more easily defended in a time of invasion (侵略) or war. Some new capitals are planned and built in previously undeveloped areas to promote development. Countries sometimes change their capital because they expect some type of political, social, or economic benefit. They hope and expect that the new capitals will surely develop into cultural treasure and hopefully make the country a more stable place.

Here are capital relocations that have occurred in approximately the last few centuries.

Asia	Japan	from Kyoto to Tokyo — 1868
	Turkey	from Istanbul to Ankara — 1923
	Israel	from Tel Aviv-Jaffo to Jerusalem — 1950
Europe	Poland	from Krakow to Warsaw — 1596
	Finland	from Turku to Helsinki — 1812
	Italy	from Turin to Florence to Salerno to Rome — 1871
The Americas	The US	from New York to Washington — 1800
	Jamaica	from Port Royal to Spanish Town to Kingston — 1872
Oceania	New Zealand	from Auckland to Wellington — 1865

1. Why did some countries decide to move the capital?

A．To further expand their land.

B．To uncover ancient treasure.

C．To develop undeveloped areas.

D．To declare war on another country.

2. Which country was the earliest to move its capital?

A．Turkey.	B．Poland.
C．The United Sate.	D．New Zealand.

3. What do Italy and Jamaica have in common?

A．They moved the capitals more than once.

B．Their capitals were destroyed in the war.

C．They moved their capitals in the same year.

D．Their capitals moved because of the economy.

4 . As I travel across China, I hope to learn as much as I can about the Chinese people, your history, and your dreams for the future and I hope to help the Chinese people understand more of America’s history, the lessons the American people have drawn from it, and the dreams we hold for the 21st century.

I believe both Chinese and Americans aspire(立志, 有热望) to many of the same things — to provide for our families, to teach our children, to build our communities, to protect our Earth, to shape our own futures, and pass brighter possibilities on to our children.

There may be those here and back in America who wonder whether closer ties and deeper friend ship between America and China are good. Clearly, the answer is yes. We have a powerful ability to help each other grow. We can learn much from each other. And as two great nations, we have a special responsibility to the future of the world. The steps we take over the next week can lead to far greater strides for our people in the years ahead.

Here in this city of your magnificent history, we must always remember that we, too, are ancestors(祖先). Someday our children and their children will ask if we did all we could to build just societies and a more peaceful world. Let our monument be their judgement that we did that. Let our progress include all people, with all their differences, moving toward a common destiny.

Let us give new meanings to the words written in the ancient Book of Rites, what you call the Li Shi: When the great way is followed, all under heaven will be equal.

1. It becomes clear from the passage that _______.

A．both China and America are the most powerful countries in the world

B．both China and America should do something for the future of the world

C．both China and America are great countries with a long history

D．both China and America can provide their children with good education

2. Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．America will encourage their children to learn the Chinese history.

B．The speaker is in the city with the magnificent Chinese history.

C．Both Chinese and Americans share some desires and interests.

D．The speaker wants Chinese to understand more of American history.

3. The underlined word “here” used in Paragraph 3 refers to “_______”.

A．in the city	B．on the platform
C．at the ceremony(仪式)	D．in China

4. It can be inferred that the person who made the speech is a _______.

A．scientist	B．statesman
C．businessman	D．professor

5 . 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

Over 70 years ago, countless ordinary Chinese stepped onto the battlefield to fight     1     our homeland in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, in     2     more than 197,000 compatriots gave their precious     3    (life).

In that great era, 300.000-plus heroes such as Yang Gensi, Huang Jiguang and Qiu Shaoyun and     4    (near)6,000 meritorious(值得称赞的)collectives emerged(出现)in the volunteer army.

When those heroes sacrificed(牺牲)    5    (they), some were still very young. At that time, most of the volunteers     6    (bury)directly on the spot, except for a few who were transported back to the country for burial. For more than half a century, China has never forgotten     7    (it)heroes. Since 2014, China     8    (receive)eight batches of remains of 825 volunteers for eight consecutive years,     9    (express)respect and admiration for the sacrifices of these courageous individuals while remembering history. In this year, China has made enormous achievements in building a modern society in all respects, reflecting how China is becoming a stronger nation. In this journey, it is the countless heroes     10     have realized China's prosperity(繁荣)and strength.

6 . Can you imagine living without cars, computers or telephones? Some people in the rainforest and mountains of Venezuela and Brazil do just that. One tribe, the Yanomami, has lived the same way for thousands of years. They only have numbers for one, two and more than two, and they have never invented the wheel. But they have also been called some of “the last free people on earth.”

In the late 1920s, researchers found a tribe of people untouched by modern society. This was the first reported meeting with the Yanomami, who were living deep within the South American jungle.

Scientists agree that their location deep in the forest helped their culture unchanged. Until recently, most Yanomami still lived in isolated regions. Everything they needed came from the rain forest. They hunted, fished and farmed the land. Then a discovery brought the outside world to them. And along with it came deadly changes.

Gold was discovered in Yanomami in the 1970s. By 1987, around 80, 000 miners had moved into the area. In a fight to take over the land, they killed some Yanomami. They also brought into new sicknesses, including the common cold and malaria. Today over 62 percent of Yanomami show signs of malaria.

Just as deadly were the results of mining, including polluted streams and cleared forests. Within just seven years their population fell by 20 percent.

Today governments and international organizations are looking for ways to protect the Yanomami. The Brazilian government has reserved a large area of land for the tribe. And in 1990, Brazil ordered all the miners out of Amazon region. Yet these things might not be enough. Gold is so valuable that miners keep going back and harming the Yanomami's way of life.

1. When was the existence of the Yanomami first discovered?________.

A．In the 1970s

B．In the late 1920s

C．In 1987

D．In 1990

2. Which of the following statements is true?________

A．The Yanomami is the only remaining "untouched" people on earth.

B．Most Yanomami know the exact meaning of the number 8.

C．The Yanomami learned to use wheels long before.

D．Before miners arrived, the Yanomami had never suffered from malaria.

3. Which of the following was NOT the reason for the sharp decrease of the Yanomami's population? ________.

A．They starved to death	B．They were killed in the fight
C．Their living environment was destroyed	D．They were killed by the new illnesses brought by miners

4. What can be inferred from the passage？________.

A．The discovery of gold is beneficial to the Yanomami

B．Gold mining made no difference to the Yanomami

C．Miners are a great threat to the protection of the Yanomami

D．Nowadays no miners remain in Amazon Region

7 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

What’s in a name?

According to the British history, Wales is the first country to be joined to the Kingdom of England, which happened in the 16^th century. Later, Scotland and Ireland     1     (add) to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland     2    (break) away from the UK, which resulted in the full name we have today: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, whose     3     (shorten) name is “the United Kingdom” or “the UK”. The four countries of the UK use the same flag as well as the same currency and military defense. However, they also have some differences, like different legal systems. The UK’s long and interesting history can help you understand much more about the country and its traditions. Studying the history of the UK will make your visit much more     4     (enjoy). The capital city London is a great place to start, as it is an ancient port city that has a history     5     (date) all the way back to Roman times. There are countless historic sites to explore, and lots of museums with ancient relics from all over the UK.