“The grass looks greener on the other side of the fence.” That’s an old saying in English. It means that other places often look better, more interesting than the place where you live. “Let’s go to KFC for dinner and then watch some Japanese cartoons!” We all know it: more and more Chinese kids love American and Japanese food and movies. Some people worry that young Chinese are beginning to feel that way. They see young Chinese ignoring（忽视）Chinese culture and, instead, buying Japanese cartoon books, watching Korean soap operas and even celebrating western holidays.

Foreign books and soap operas are good, but Chinese writers and actors are just as good. As for holidays, Christmas is nice, but it can never have the meaning for Chinese that the Spring Festival has, and the West has nothing to compare with the Mid-Autumn Festival. China has lots of cool things in its culture: calligraphy, Beijing Opera, quick meals on the streets. And let’s not forget the part of Chinese culture I like best: its friendliness. Not all countries are as warm as China.

It’s good to enjoy other cultures and learn from them, but they can never replace your own culture. It’s good to look on the other side of the fence, but make sure you take a good long look. You will find that the grass isn’t always greener.

Although some people become worried about that, I don’t think they should. Will we get more powerful without learning from other countries? Will Chinese people live more happily without American fast food? Besides, it’s fun to learn about different cultures. Chinese kids can learn about other cultures and have fun, but they also need to learn more about their own culture. Be proud of Chinese culture and of being Chinese!

【小题1】What do some people think of young Chinese?

A．They are foolish in learning our own culture.

B．They are ignoring our own culture.

C．They are interested in our own culture.

D．They are hating our own culture.

【小题2】In some young Chinese’s eyes, which of the following is not the “greener grass”?

A．Japanese cartoon books.	B．Korean soap operas.
C．Christmas.	D．The Mid-Autumn Festival.

【小题3】In the author’s opinion, what is the best feature of Chinese culture？

A．Friendliness.	B．Working hard.
C．Bravery.	D．Honesty.

【小题4】What is the best title for the passage?

A．Chinese culture and western culture

B．Simple young Chinese

C．That grass is not always greener

D．Interesting western culture

   It is widely known that any English conversation begins with The Weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson’s famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, most commentators(评论员) fail to come up with a convincing explanation for this English weather-speak.

Bill Bryson, for example, concludes that, as the English weather is not at all exciting, the obsession with it can hardly be understood. He argues that” To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.

Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says, “because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena(现象).” The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it attracts the English as well as the outsider.

Bryson and Paxman stand for common misconceptions about the weather-speak among the English. Both commentators, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs ,which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are routine greetings, conversation starters or the blank “fillers”, In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.

【小题1】The author mentions Dr. Johnson’s comment to show that________.

A．most commentators agree with Dr. Johnson

B．Dr. Johnson is famous for his weather observation

C．the comment was accurate two hundred years ago

D．English conversations usually start with the weather

【小题2】What does the underlined word “obsession” most probably refer to?

A．A social trend.	B．An emotional state.
C．A historical concept.	D．An unknown phenomenon.

【小题3】According to the passage, Jeremy Paxman believes that________.

A．Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weather

B．there is nothing special about the English weather

C．the English weather attracts people to the British Isles

D．English people talk about the weather for its uncertainty

【小题4】What is the author’s main purpose of writing the passage?

A．To explain what English weather-speak is about.

B．To analyze misconceptions about the English weather.

C．To find fault with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman.

D．To convince people that the English weather is changeable.

短文改错

When I was a kid, the very thing that aroused my interest about New Year's Eve was trying to stay wake until midnight. My parents didn't force me to go to bed early. However, I usually fell asleep before the New Year arrives. It wasn't until my 10th birthday when I could stay up late but was able to cheer with the rest of the family. I woke up happily next morning. When asking if I wanted to make a New Year's wish, I said I would try to fight less with my brother. Unfortunately, the wish was lasted only until dinner time. The reason was that my brother and me got into an argue about who would set the table.

语法填空

Paper cutting is a folk culture with so long a history. When Chinese Lunar New Year is coming, it is a custom 【小题1】 northern people to paste the paper cutting on the window. Gradually, it develops into an art form, one of the 【小题2】(popular) traditional decoration arts. It is recorded that there were decorations made by gold and silver foil, leather and silk products in 1600 B

A．We can say that paper cutting came from these art forms. In the early time,people made images of humans and subjects by hemp paper(麻纸)

【小题3】(bury) together with the body in the tomb or to burn on the funerals(葬礼). With the special symbolization meaning, paper cutting 【小题4】(use) as decorations on sacrificing ceremonies. In 105AD, Cai Lun improved the paper making technique and 【小题5】 large amount of paper was produced, 【小题6】 laid a foundation for the spread of paper cutting. Beautiful patterns were created and gradually, the patterns were 【小题7】(wide) used in other fields later.
There were more records of paper cutting after 960 AD(Song dynasty). Professional paper cutting artists appeared, 【小题8】(specialize) in different patterns. Some were good at cutting flowers 【小题9】 others were expert at characters' cutting. Thus the patterns were abundant(丰富的) and colorful. One of the most important 【小题10】(contribution) of paper cutting in the Song dynasty was that patterns were used on the china.

短文改错
Last year, I went to Australia for a short-term study like an international student. One of my classmates suggested we shared our favorite foods from our own countries during New Year’s party. We all agreed to this wonderful idea and cooked my unique dishes for the party. Hariyati from Indonesia shared a kind of cookie what was shaped like elephant ears. Susan from South Africa prepared some sweet dumplings packed in several banana leaf. Chiemi from Japan cooked special rice balls mixing with fish. And I was served sliced noodles, my hometown — Shanxi’s local food. These variously foods were all delicious. Therefore, my favorite was still Chinese food.