“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

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.

语法填空

Chinese culture certainly has no shortage of【小题1】（symbol）of good fortune，many of them arising from wordplay or riddles. For example，fish in China are considered to be a symbol of luck in several ways. Since the Chinese pronunciation of fish is the same as【小题2】 of another word meaning surplus，fish are often used as【小题3】sign of wealth or abundance. During the Spring Festival，a fish【小题4】（prepare）to represent the desire to always have something 【小题5】（leave）over for the coming year. One can also often see carp（鲤鱼）in Asian artwork.

This fish is able to grow very old，therefore 【小题6】（serve）as a symbol of longevity. It also represents unity since they often swim together in pairs. This explains 【小题7】 fish decorations are often given 【小题8】 a wedding gift to represent a perfect union. 【小题9】（final），fish are also a symbol of fertility（生育能力）because of their 【小题10】（able）to reproduce rapidly and in large volumes.

短文改错

My name is Ann. I've been in China in a few years. With the help of Li Hua， a good friend of mine，I've been used to live in China. Li Hua， like other girls， are beautiful and lovely. We became friends after we meet each other a few years ago. Although her English isn't easy to understand， but we enjoy chatting and we usually talk a lot about my favorite books. We're both surprising that Chinese culture and American culture are such different. Now we are planning nice party. There， I will introduce Li Hua to my friends， whom also have great interest in Chinese culture.

语法填空

This report is about how to be polite. It tells about how we can make 【小题1】（we）language more polite and how we can make sure we do not upset someone from another culture.

It has been found that words such as "would" and "could" can be used 【小题2】（help）us to be polite. For example，it is much 【小题3】（good）to say "Would you do this？" rather than "Do this！" It is also suggested 【小题4】 it should be useful to say "Please" and "Thank you". People from the West like to use these words in 【小题5】（situation）where some people in Asia may not think it necessary. 【小题6】（say）"Sorry" if we interrupt or disagree 【小题7】 someone also helps us to be polite. For example，when we disagree，we should say "I'm sorry，but I think you are mistaken（弄错的）." rather than "You're wrong！"

In 【小题8】（conclude）, we need to know 【小题9】 custom of a country so that we do not make others embarrassed（尴尬的）. It seems that if people learn something about other 【小题10】（culture）backgrounds before they visit new countries，they will be less likely to upset others.