In both China and the West, at this time of the year, we must endure the cold, the wind and the snow of wintertime. How good it is then that we have festivals to keep our spirits up and hearts warm!
Spring Festival in China and Christmas in foreign countries are times for families and friends to get together, exchange gifts and have a big dinner.
Although the two holidays are different – one is to celebrate Jesus Christ’s birth, while the other is celebrated because of thousands of years of Chinese folk traditions – Christmas and Spring Festival still have things in common.
In both, eating is a big part of the holiday celebration. In China we eat dumpling and niangao – cakes made of sticky rice – while Westerners sit down to a roast turkey or ham, with vegetables, apple-sauce and a plum (干果) pudding.
Gifts are another key element in both celebrations. In the West, families gather round the Christmas tree on Christmas morning and open their presents. Gifts range from the small – a box of chocolates – to the large. Children especially look forward to a big present, say a new bike or computer. Similarly, in China children receive gift money in red envelopes from their elders.
With the world becoming more connected, Spring Festival and Christmas have crossed cultural borders. It is not unusual in China to see Christmas trees and Father Christmas figures around the end of December.
And Chinese living abroad have made Spring Festival a special cultural event in many foreign countries. In some US cities, especially those with large Chinese neighborhoods, non-Asian adults and kids join in the fun. “ I've been celebrating Chinese New Year for a really long time, and it's a great cultural festival for the community,” said Leslie Swartz, who works at the city's Children's Museum in Boston. “Everyone goes to Chinatown. There are lion dances and firecrackers. It's very lively. Schools also celebrate Chinese New Year. ” Swartz said.
Swartz has a 13-year-old adopted Chinese daughter, Mei. They celebrate at home, too, decorating the house and eating special foods. They make traditional Chinese New Year's fruit trays (拼盘). They also write good luck messages on red paper, called spring couplets (对联), and hang them by the doors at home.
The Title: East- West: We are alike
★ 1. : Spring Festival in China and Christmas in the west
★similarities:
▼ keeping spirits up and 2.
▼being time for families and friends to 3.
▼ 4.
▼having a big dinner
★ 5. between the two festivals
▼Spring Festival: folk traditions of China of thousands of years
▼Christmas: Celebrating ___6.
★ Culture mixture: Spring Festival and Christmas having crossed 7.
▼In China: Seeing 8. and Father Christmas figures
▼In the USA: watching lion dances and9. in Chinatown, making traditional Chinese New Year’ fruit trays, writing good luck messages on red paper and 10. by the doors
单词填空
1.Everyone knows the i of teamwork in a basketball game
2.Which do you think is more (宝贵的)____________，health or wealth?
3.Last night a big fire broke out and only a few people were able to_________ (逃离) from the burning building .
4.The manager will go on a vacation for half a month and his secretary will be in charge during his a________.
5.They ________(试图) to promote their new product but failed..
6.It was reported that three people were killed and seven were i ________ in the traffic accident.
7.He wishes to be a singer and now his dream was turned into r .
8.It is a pleasant thing to go (观光) in this beautiful city.
9.Now many teenagers are concerned about some ___________ (社会的) problems.
10.We are c________ that Chinese athletes can perform well in the London Olympic Games.
What’s in a
name? Well, apparently, our general happiness. Psychologists say that what we
are called has a direct connection with our well-being (幸福).
Those called Judy and Joshua are the happiest, while Lynn or Ben is likely to
be the unhappiest, according to research. Psychologist Dr David Holmes found
that this might due to the association(联想)that others made with the name.
Hearing the name Judy may make them think of actress Judi Dench or TV presenter
Judy Finnigan, people who are seen as good natured and happy. On the other hand,
people think Paulines are unhappy because of the character Pauline Fowler from
the TV programme East Enders. The research claims that this association
influences the person with the name and so their personality becomes shaped to
fit it. Dr David Holmes said, "This also has some relation with the
original meaning of the name. For example, the original meaning of Judy is
'praised’."
Certain names also work well in certain aspects of life. In the workplace
Richard and Judy are happiest, while those called Ruth and Carly are happiest
in relationships. At the other end of the scale the unhappiest workers are
Stuart and Liz, with the unhappiest in relationships being Frank and Harriet.
Dr Holmes said, "The relation we have with certain names, particularly
important namesakes(同名者), also shapes how we see ourselves and so may have an effect on our
confidence. Names are like product brands in having a powerful effect on
attitudes and should therefore be chosen with care."
"Other names are connected with being brave, outgoing or serious.
Therefore, many celebrities change their names to ones which reflect these
characteristics. This, in turn, influences parents when they choose names for
their babies," said Dr Holmes, "however, names connected with
ordinary people are seldom chosen for their babies".
1.Which of the following is NOT a reason why Judy is a
good name?
|
A．The association people make with it. |
B．Its original meaning. |
C．The high number of famous people who are called Judy. |
D．The personalities of famous Judys. |
2.According
to the passage, which of the following names are better?
|
A．Ruth and Joshua. |
B．Pauline and Frank. |
C．Richard and Stuart. |
D．Joshua and Ben. |
3.The reason
why names should be chosen carefully is that___________.
|
A．good names can make us succeed. |
B．names can affect how we see ourselves |
C．names can tell us what we should do |
D．good names can show others who we are |
4.The author
may continue the passage with__________.
|
A．names and product brands |
B．famous people’s names |
C．parents ‘choices of baby names |
D．names and personality |
5.What’s the
main idea of this passage?
|
A．How to choose a good name for babies. |
B．How to achieve success by changing a good name. |
C．The relation between names and success. |
D．The relation between names and happiness. |
As summer approaches, a lot of people will be in search of a great book to read while they are relaxing on the beach or by the pool. Here we have made a list of four e-books that we think are great summer reads.
Stark by Ben Elton--- If you have read a lot of books then you may know that Ben Elton is one of the funniest writers around the world. This book is one of his best pieces of work to date and it will certainly leave you in hysterics(狂笑). You may find yourself laughing out loud constantly when reading this book.
1984 by George Orwell---there is a big chance that some of you may have read this book ,but even if you have, it’s still well worth reading again. This is a great holiday book and it will shock you constantly due to the accuracy of the book. The book was actually written in 1948 and was written about what the author (George Orwell) fell the world would be like in 1984,and he was pretty spot-on .This book is thrilling and will probably leave you a little scared at the end of it.
The Road---This book is a fantastic read and will leave you hanging on edge all the way through it. This book is quite dark, however, and it certainly had some shocking moments throughout. The book is set in a post-apocalyptic(浩劫后的) world where modern life has been destroyed and in which there is no wildlife and a lot of humans have actually turned to cannibalism(同类相食).This book is fantastic if you enjoy a thrilling read that will leave you on the edge of your seat every few seconds. This certainly isn't a book for the faint of heart.
The Theory of Everything by Stephen Hawking---If you haven’t read this book yet then you really must .If you’re looking for a non-fiction and highly informative book for your summer then this is the book for you. This book was written by Professor Stephen Hawking and is extremely famous.
1.What is the text mainly about?
|
A．An introduction to four e-books that are great summer reads. |
|
B．Advice on how to choose great e—books for summer reads. |
|
C．The contents of four e-books that are famous around the world |
|
D．People’s opinion on reading e-books on the beach. |
2.Which of the following is TRUE?
|
A．Ben Elton is the funniest writer all over the world. |
|
B．If you’ve read 1984, there’s no need to read it again. |
|
C．The Road presents a world in which there are no humans. |
|
D．The Theory of Everything is full of information that is helpful to readers. |
3.We can learn from the passage that____________
|
A．George Orwell wrote what the world in 1948 was like in his book |
|
B．Readers will surely be scared after reading 1984. |
|
C．The Theory of Everything is a work of popular fiction. |
|
D．Readers who are fond of comedies may like to read Stark |
4.If Mark likes reading thrilling and exciting stories, which of the following should he choose?
|
A．Stark |
B．1984 |
C．The Road |
D．The theory of Everything |
5.In which section of a magazine would you most probably read the text?
|
A．Literature |
B．Travel |
C．Lifestyle |
D．Nature. |
Directions: Read the following passage．Answer the questions according to the information
given in the passage.
Why should you keep exercising even when cold temperatures make you want to hide under the covers? With the temperatures dropping at this time of year, many of us tend to hibernate (冬眠) inside our homes. But, hibernating is for bears. As humans it’s important to stay active through all four seasons. Yet, a poll of 5,000 people found that 30 percent get no exercise at all during the winter months.
Just because it is cold outside it is no excuse not to exercise. There are many exercise choices one can choose to take part in regardless of the cold weather. Depending on your location and likes, you can choose to exercise inside or outside.
All that is required for winter-time exercise is some planning and the following of some safety tips. If you prefer to exercise outside, keep the following tips in mind.
Get warm first. A proper warm-up is critical. Cold temperatures can make your muscles tight and therefore they are easier to be injured. So, it’s important to get them warm-up before intense (激烈的) physical activity.
No sweat. Don’t assume that you have to sweat in order to get a good workout. You should avoid sweating that causes the clothing layer closest to your skin to get wet and cause you to be cold.
Don’t undress when you get inside. While you may want to immediately remove your layers when returning inside, you should give your body time to adjust.
Drink up. It’s just as important to stay hydrated (含水的) when exercising in winter as it is in summer, even though you might not feel as thirsty.
Be seen. If possible, it’s best to exercise outdoors during daylight areas. If you exercise outdoors when it is dark, wear reflective (反光的) materials to ensure that you can be seen.
By staying fit during winter, you’ll be able to avoid gaining weight and losing strength caused from inactivity.
1. Why is it important to get your muscles warmed-up before intense physical activity? (no more than 16 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
2.What are needed for exercising in winter? (no more than 6 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
3.What are the advantages of staying fit during winter? (no more than 9 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
4.What’s the main idea of the text? (no more than 4 words)
_____________________________________________________________________________
Directions: Read the following passage．Fill in the numbered blanks by using the information from the passage．Write NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS for each answer．
In a society such as the United States or Canada, which has many national, religious and cultural differences, people highly value individualism—the differences among people. Teachers place a lot of importance on the qualities that make each student special. The educational systems in these countries show these values. Students do not memorize information. Instead, they work on their own and find answers themselves. There is often a discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asian societies, by contrast, people have the same language, history and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in these Asian countries reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposes rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education. For example, one advantage of the system in Japan is that students there learn much more maths and science than American students learn by the end of high school. They also study more hours each day and more days each year than North Americans do. The system is difficult, but it prepares students for a society that values discipline and self-control. There is, however, a disadvantage. Memorization is an important learning method in Japanese schools, but many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information they have memorized.
The advantage of educational system in North America, on the other hand, is that students learn to think for themselves. The system prepares them for a society that values creative ideas. There is, however, a disadvantage. When students graduate from high school, they haven’t memorized as much basic rules as students in other countries have.
Title: A comparison of two different educational systems
|
71__________ |
Features of education |
72 __________ |
Disadvantage |
|
The United States and Canada |
● 73__________ ●emphasizing qualit- -ies making each student special |
●learning to 74 ________ ●preparing them for a society valuing creative ideas |
75 ________ |
|
Asian countries such as China, 76__________ |
● 77__________ in group goals and purposes |
●learning much more 78______ than American students do ●studying more hours each day and more days each year ●preparing students for a society valuing 79________ |
forgetting much of 80_______ |
