How different can other cultures be？Very different！People probably speak different languages and have beliefs and customs very different from yours. They can eat different foods and live in different types of houses. However，they can also be similar in ways of connecting with each other. We sometimes call these means of communication universal（共同的）languages.

Some legends hold that，thousands of years ago，there was a single language spoken by everyone on Earth. Of course，historical evidence does not support this，but it is fun to think about a time when everyone may have been able to communicate in the same language.

Today，there are thousands of languages spoken around the world. Yet，there are some means of communication that go beyond words and allow people of different backgrounds to communicate and share emotions and feelings. For example，some people believe music is a universal language. There may be some scientific support for this idea. Experts have learned that，across cultures，people can recognize three common emotions in music:happiness，sadness and fear.

So what other types of universal languages might there be？Some people believe dance is a universal language. Along with music，dancing seems to be a common interest shared by people all over the world. Do you think you could see a dance from another culture and make some reasonable（合理的）guesses about the ideas and emotions behind it？We bet you could！

Another universal language that you might not have thought of is mathematics! If you think about it now, it just makes sense.  The value of pi is roughly 3. 14159 no matter where you are on Earth. Similarly, figuring out the value of something involves the same mathematical calculations, regardless of whether you' re counting in dollars, pesos or coconuts.

【小题1】The first paragraph is mainly to tell us that ___________.

A．cultures are extremely different

B．people like eating different foods

C．people can communicate in similar ways

D．people now live in all kinds of cultures

【小题2】The underlined word“this”in Paragraph 2 probably refers to ___________.

A．the view that people used one language

B．the fact that there used to be many languages

C．the evidence that proves old languages funny

D．the doubt that people didn't understand each other

【小题3】Music is regarded as a universal language probably because ___________.

A．it can be easier to understand than languages

B．many of the people like listening to music

C．it usually comes from different backgrounds

D．it helps people to share common feelings

【小题4】What are universal languages according to this passage?

A．Mathematics, English and art.

B．Music, dance and mathematics.

C．Politics, economy and culture.

D．Diet, clothes and health.

语法填空

The summer solstice (夏至) has been widely recognized as a festival throughout the world.

The word solstice originates (起源) from the Latin sol and sistere, 【小题1】 (mean) “sun-standing”. 【小题2】 the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky. It is one of the great turning points of the year, when the sun is at its 【小题3】 (high) point in the sky during a year.

Today, the day is celebrated around the world. In England thousands gather to welcome the sunrise on the summer solstice. Throughout Europe groups light a fire and stay up all night to welcome the dawn. In Paris, the day 【小题4】 (mark) with free concerts during the every year’s Fête de la Musique. When it comes 【小题5】 the U. S., the city of Santa Barbara in California holds the county’s biggest 【小题6】 (celebrate) that lasts a full three-day time. On the East Coast, New York City 【小题7】 (tradition) welcomes the summer solstice with a music concert at the Cathedral of Saint John the Divine.

In the southern part of China, eating lychees (荔枝) during the summer solstice 【小题8】 (be) a long tradition because eating lychees will cause less “heat” to the body. There is a saying in Shandong province 【小题9】 goes, “eating dumplings on the winter solstice day and eating 【小题10】 (noodle) on the summer solstice day.”

If Confucius(孔子) were alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But that doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up the drawbacks of Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
【小题1】The purpose or the first paragraph is mainly to ________.

A．attract the readers’ interest in the subject

B．provide some key facts about Confucius

C．show great respect for the ancient thinker

D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations

【小题2】We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students ________.

A．take an active part in Chinese competitions

B．try to get high scores in Chinese exams

C．fight for a chance to learn Chinese

D．show great interest in studying Chinese nowadays

【小题3】What is the best title for this passage?

A．Forgotten Wisdom in America

B．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language

C．Old Thinker with a Big Future

D．Chinese Culture for Westerners

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 individually and find answers themselves. There is often discussion in the classroom. At an early age, students learn to form their own ideas and opinions.
In most Asian societies, by contrast, the people have the same language, history, and culture. Perhaps for this reason, the educational system in much of the Orient reflects society’s belief in group goals and purposed rather than individualism. Children in China, Japan, and Korea often work together and help one another on assignments. In the classroom, the teaching methods are often very formal. The teacher lectures, and the students listen. There is not much discussion. Instead, the students recite rules or information that they have memorized.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these systems of education. For example, one advantage to the system in Japan is that students there learn much more math 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, yet many students say that after an exam, they forget much of the information that they have memorized.
The advantage of the educational system in North American, 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 many basic rules and facts as students in other countries have..

	Students in the US and 【小题1】	Students in China, Japan and Korean
What do they value?	【小题2】	【小题3】 goals and purposes
Ways of study	working individually	listen to the teachers
	forming their own  ideas and opinions	memorizing and 【小题4】
	a lot of discussion in the classroom	not much discussion
【小题5】	Learning to think for themselves	learning much more math and 【小题6】 by the end of high 【小题7】
		studying more hours each day and more days each year
	good for a society that values 【小题8】 ideas.	good for a society valuing 【小题9】 and self-control
disadvantages	students haven’t memorized many basic rules and facts when before 【小题10】	Information is forgotten easily

 

   When HarmonyOS, the Chinese self-developed operating system for Huawei mobile devices, was released on Aug 9, it quickly became a hot topic on social media. Many believe it not only represents the rise of the country as a tech power, but also pays tribute (致敬) to classical Chinese culture by naming the system “Hongmeng” in Chinese. “Hongmong” is a classical word from the Taoist (道家) text Zhuangzi. In the ancient times of Chinese myths and legends, “Hongmeng” was used to describe the original state of the universe before matter existed.

For HarmonyOS, “Hongmeng” indicates the developers’ aim to make an innovative operating system, unlike any other. Besides “Hongmeng”, Huawei has also registered many of its products under the names of legendary creatures from Chinese mythology, such as “Qilin”for the Kin mobile chip, and “Kunpeng” for the server chip. Many Chinese internet users and media have praised Huawei’s use of these names, “as they stand for Chinese wisdom and ancient people’s imagination and spirit of exploration”, Global Times noted.

In fact, Huawei is not alone in using traditional culture for modern ventures. Ne Zha, the new film, also portrays traditional culture in a modern context. Earlier this month it became the biggest animated movie in China and was called “the glorious light of domestic anime”. The movie is loosely based on the well-known work of classical Chinese mythology The Investiture of the Gods. Unlike his attractive heroic character in previous cinematic works, Ne Zha is shown as a rebellious underdog, who has to overcome hardship and his dark fate to become a hero. Many young Chinese people can relate to Ne Zha, who encourages them to become dream-chasers and fate-changers. As Global Times put it, today by revisiting and incorporating a modern context, “ancient mythology has the power to stir up contemporary imagination in young people”. After all, imagination is the beginning of creation.

【小题1】Why did Huawei name the new system “Hongmeng” in Chinese?

A．Huawei was interested in describing the original state of the universe.

B．Huawei targeted at designing a unique operating system in the world.

C．Huawei aimed to develop classical culture.

D．Huawei was fond of Chinese myths and legends.

【小题2】What was Global Times’ tone about Huawei’s use of the names from ancient cultures?

A．Admirable.	B．Indifferent.
C．Neutral.	D．Critical.

【小题3】Which statement about the new movie Ne Zha is NOT true?

A．Not all the plot is based on the popular Chinese mythology.

B．The new film Ne Zha means a lot to domestic anime in China.

C．The character of Ne Zha is a failure at first in previous works.

D．The film Ne Zha encourages many youth to achieve dreams.

【小题4】What’s the passage mainly about?

A．Huawei’s new names for its products and their influence.

B．A brief introduction of a new successful movie Ne Zha.

C．Imagination is important and the beginning of creation.

D．Ancient cultures come into new life and inspire imagination.