社会文化类 知识点题库

    People in different countries eat different food. The people in the UK like to eat fish and chips. The Americans like to eat fried chicken. The people in Italy like to eat pizza. The Japanese like to eat fish. But the Japanese usually eat noodles on New Year's Eve(除夕) and on their birthdays. They think it may bring them good luck and long life.

    In China the popular food is dumplings. They are delicious. People usually have dumplings during（在…期间）festivals and weekends. In some places, Chinese people like to eat eggs on their birthday, because they think eggs are a symbol of life and good luck.

    When you think of a museum, I bet you don't think of a place where children run around. But the Science Museum is different. It's noisy!

    You can get to the Science Museum by taking the London Underground from Waterloo on the Jubilee line to South Kensington. When you walk out, take a look around you, and you could see it.

    What to bring: At least two bottles of drink for the kids and 10 pounds to spend in the cafes. Entrance is free!

    The most interesting part of coming here is to go to the kids' area, the Launch Pad on the 3rd floor. At busy times, you may have to wait in line, but the staff will provide science toys for you and the kids to play with. If you like science, it should indulge (满足) you as you will learn about science in a funny way. There are also simulators (模拟装置) on the 3rd floor, so think of Floor 3 as a "fun floor".

    If you want to learn about the museum, then go to the ground floor. There are some things which will interest you,

    Overall, it's a fun experience for the kids and you may enjoy it too. It's also free to get in!

    Different countries have different customs. When you meet a businessman in Europe , you shake hands or kiss the face, while in China you should only shake hands with each other. Then you pass your business cards. In Europe you often do that with one hand, but you should do that with two hands in China. Next you can each other. In China, you often start with things that are not about your business. But in Europe, especially in Holland, you can talk business . After that, it's necessary for you to have dinner with your client both in China and in Europe. Having dinner is the same.

Taboo is a social action that is not allowed. Every culture in the world has its own taboos. The breaking of a taboo sometimes makes people feel uncomfortable. I learned this through my own experience.

 Last weekend, Wang Lin and I showed two foreigners around our city. Mr. Singh was from India and Mr. White from USA. When I held out my left hand to shake hands with him. Mr Singh seemed to be unhappy. Mr. White, however, was quite casual. He said hello to me with a big smile and a wave of his hand.

In the evening, we stopped at a restaurant for dinner. I noticed that Mr. Singh didn't touch the beef and Mr. White seemed not to like chickens' claws. During the meal, Wang Lin said sorry to Mr. Singh and continued to explain that we didn't know it was a taboo in India to shake one's left hand. Mr Singh explained that since oxen are sacred in India, people don't eat beef there. Mr. White joined in and said that it was not usual in the states for people to eat chickens' claws. He went on to say that Americans don't usually get into each other's personal space. Marriage, job and age are their taboos isn't it a good lesson to remember?

In the US, the (sixteen) birthday is special. People usually have  (importance) celebrations for teenagers. That is the party is their first step to be an adult. Some of the parties are very big celebrations and cost a lot of money. Everyone (wear) beautiful clothes. These parties   (hold) in hotels and there are even music group playing. People usually give gifts the sixteen-year-olds. Some gifts can be very expensive. The young people enjoy (they) at the party with singing and dancing. However, other parties are simpler and people just have them at home. Sometimes (family) celebrate them in other ways, such as going on a special trip together, watching interesting movie or eating a big meal in a nice restaurant. How do you plan (celebrate) your birthday?

As we know, China is a big country with a long histoiy and rich culture. Many foreign people, especially the young people, are interested in learning something about Chinese culture. Most of them come to Shanghai to learn it. It is also one of the most international cities in the world.

They learn Chinese Calligraphy (书法), kung fu and tea ceremony (茶道). The students hope to learn more about Chinese culture.

However, some Chinese young people are not interested in Chinese traditional culture. Some important Chinese culture is disappearing. We should do something to protect our traditional culture from now on.

If you've been to a foreign country, you will know that fitting in(适应)isn't easy. They have a different language, a set of customs and a way of life. Here's1you can do before going to a different country.

Learn about the country. Get a base of knowledge. Where is the country? What are their traditional foods? You can look for some2 on the Internet. If you know someone3has been to the country, ask them to tell you a bit about the country.

Learn about their language. As we know, English is the bridge to the world, but there are lots of things that can't4 in our textbooks. For example, you may ask "Where is the restroom?" It sounds5. "Could you please tell me where the restroom is?" The second one shows your politeness. So we need to learn how to behave6a polite way.

Have a basic understanding of customs. If you destroy(破坏) their custom, you must7that you are foreign and it was just an accident. Customs are very different around the world, especially as you get into African and Arabian countries(阿拉伯国家). For example, you8say "you are so beautiful" to an

Arabian girl. A policeman may trouble you if you do so. Find a good guide in a foreign country. He or she can tell you many good expressions and how to9different situations. Remember: being friendly, honest 10and polite is always okay in every country.

Do you like singing? What do you think of singing? If you love it, you will like the TV show Don't Forget the Lyrics. It is a popular singing show in America. This program started from July 11^th, 2007.

So how does this new singing show work? The contestants need to have much knowledge (知识) of lyrics. In the show, the contestants have to sing the songs with right lyrics. When he finishes a song with wrong lyrics, he can't sing again. If he finishes all ten songs with right lyrics, he is the winner and he can get a very good prize.

You may say, "I can't sing well, but I remember many lyrics of beautiful songs. Can I join it?" Don't worry!

The show says, "You don't have to sing it well. You just have to sing it right." Every music lover can join it.

Reader question:

Please explain "take your hat off in this sentence: "You've got to take your hat off to somebody when they're doing right, and I take my hat off to him."

My comments:

In this quote (引文), the speaker says, to give credit where it's due, he takes his hat off by way of gratitude of praise. In other words, the speaker wants to admire "him" for doing something right.

This expression, taking one's hat off, has its root in the traditional practice of people taking their hats off in different situations. First of all, people wore hats a lot more in the past than they do nowadays, especially in cold areas. When two men met in the street, they might say hello or they might greet each other by taking their hat off and slightly waving it in the other person's direction.

Or, for example, when a man saw a woman, he took off his hat. That was good manners. Or people took off their hats when they were passing a funeral (葬礼) ceremony. Or everybody took their hat off when an anthem(圣歌) was played in a sports stadium.

Customs may have changed, but taking one's hat off as a gesture of respect or a sign of praise or thank-you has remained - in the metaphorical (隐喻) sense.

Hereafter, the saying "I take my hat off to you" is used whenever someone's done something we think outstanding and praiseworthy.

    You're going to a foreigner's (外国人的) party. You must be excited about it. But do you know what kind of gift you can send to your foreign friends? Here are some tips (建议).

    In some western countries, some gifts like kites, chopsticks, or an erhu may be people's favorites.

    Use beautiful paper to wrap (包裹) the gifts. Remember not to use white, black or brown paper.

    For Japanese, gifts like tea or pens are nice. They don't like big gifts.

    For Frenchmen, gifts like candy, perfume (香水), wine or books are perfect.

    British people and Americans like flowers, wine and chocolate, and you can relax and take it easily at their parties.

    In Arab countries, it's not polite to send a gift to someone when you meet him or her for the first time. You can give a gift when you meet a second time.

    Each year on Feb 21,UNESCO (联合国教科文组织）holds an International Mother Language Day (IMLD). The event is to help people to pay attention to the disappearance of the world's languages; many of them are disappearing each year. UNESCO sees this as a terrible fact.

    What happens when a language dies out? Something great is lost——not just sounds and words but the way that people understand the world and communicate with each other. We keep different cultures and traditions through languages. Killing a language means all these are killed too.

    Through IMLD, more and more people come to realize the terrible situation and try to stop it. Google's 2018 Endangered Languages Project is a good example. Many speakers and protectors of endangered languages upload (上传) texts, audios (音频) and videos to the project website. They want to introduce the way that people communicate and express themselves around the world.

    The Myaamia Project is the same kind of effort to revive the language spoken by the Miami tribes (部落) of the United States. Project members work to encourage people to study and communicate with this language, which died out in the 1960s.

    These activities give life to those endangered languages. People who work to keep languages alive are not limited to the past. Many young people design apps and use social media (媒体) to support their activities. They "spread the word" to save the world.

    So, while the problem of disappearing languages remains a very serious one, there is hope. We all have a special feeling of our mother languages. This is why we should remember the wise words of late president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela: "If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to a man in his own language, that goes to his heart."

This year is the Year of the Ox (牛). In China, you can find that many ox images made of gold, wood, plastic, paper and stone in stores are on sale and on streets (celebrate) the return.

But why was the ox chosen to be one of the 12 Chinese zodiac signs (生肖)? Centuries ago, most people made their living working on the farm. The ox was used to help plow (犁地) and carry heavy goods. The ox has long played important role in Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese poets and writers often described the ox in their (work). The animal (mention) many times by the poets in the Classic of Poetry.

The ox is considered as a symbol of diligence (勤奋) in Chinese culture. The phrase "the spirit of ox" means (solve) the problem that may present itself as an obstacle (障碍). The spirit is (great) valued and many people follow it in their work. When someone made a great (achieve) through hard work, people often use "niu", meaning "great", to describe him or her. Oxen never bully (欺负) the weak fear the strong. Those who were born in the Year of the Ox are often expected to be hardworking, honest and modest (谦虚的).  It is almost impossible for(they) to try to get attention or look for praise.

Paper-cutting is a famous folk art with a long history in China. It was used during festivals to decorate gates and windows. After hundreds of years' development, it has become a very popular way of decoration. The main cutting tools aren't complex(复杂的): paper and scissors or a knife, but clever and skilled paper-cutting artists. can make very beautiful artworks. Chinese paper-cutting works have these features—"Flower in flower, theme in theme." This means smaller pictures and stories are hidden in the works. You will be amazed by the wonderful designs when you look at their paper-cutting works carefully. Through Chinese paper-cutting, people express their best wishes.

This week, I ask my students about fashion. I show each student seven things and ask their opinions(看法)about each thing. Some of their answers are interesting！Here's what the students in Class 8 like.

Jodie Smith likes the key ring. Her friend Jordan says he can't stand(忍受)the scarf. "It's for old people!" he says. William Jones loves the wallet, and his classmate Gina Taylor loves the watch. Ann Rice doesn't like the watch, but she really likes the hair clip！Jerry Green likes the sunglasses. And the coolest thing is the belt！Everyone loves it!

April 27 is a special day in Britain. It's Take Our Daughter to Work Day.Later people in Britain have this day, too. By doing this, it can teach girls things about society(社会). And the girls can learn about their parents' jobs. Mary has a day work at her mother's office. She says that this makes her more confident(自信的) about her future(将来).

Schools and many families think the day is good, too. Some teachers want to make the day a part(部分) of school life.Because parents set good examples at work and at home for daughters, they can do better jobs. Take Our Daughter to Work Day is really a great day for parents and their daughters.

    My name is Han Mei, and now I'm learning to make lanterns. My father is good at making red lanterns. He can teach me. We're getting ready for the Spring Festival.

    It's seven o'clock. We're having a traditional family dinner. We usually have it in the evening before the Spring Festival. We often eat Chinese traditional food- dumplings. After dinner, we often watch a special TV programme.

    I'm Zhou Wei. My father is giving me a hongbao. I often get some lucky money from my parents, aunts and uncles.

    What's Zhu Shan doing? He's saying "Good luck to you!" On the first day of the Spring Festival, people often go from house to house, saying "Happy New Year!" or "Good luck!"

    Drink of choice? Ceremonial drink? Green tea is both of the above, and the Chinese drink it morning, noon, and night, almost every day in their life.

    To the beginner, green tea is just green tea; but to the expert, which is any Chinese person, green tea is different in many ways. There is this year's crop, last year's crop, the spring crop, the autumn crop, north tea, south tea. To understand those differences, you just have to be born into that knowledge.

    The process of making green tea is no secret. You just put a few leaves into a cup and pour in hot water—the hotter, the better. The key is in drinking it—drinking that hot tea without getting your teeth full of leaves. The only other secret is to keep adding hot water every time the guest takes a sip. In Chinese culture, the poor host is one who lets the tea get cold. As a native born U.S. southerner, I found this especially interesting. The Chinese, world-class experts on the subject find the whole idea of iced tea to be unthinkable.

    Some drink their tea cup by cup. Some make tea in a bottle every morning and carry it with them all day, just adding hot water sometimes. Whatever the style is, they drink their tea. It's more than a part of their diet. It's a part of their lifestyle.

    They claim great value in this drink. It calms them down, controls the heartbeat, heals sore throats, and clears the mind. All this may or may not be true, but the real value of green tea is ceremonial. Chinese society and business develops around the cup of tea.

    In the United States, every year, Thanks-giving Day is on the fourth Thursday in November. Because Canada is on the north of the United States, and is colder, the harvest comes earlier(更早) in the year. In Canada, people have Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October.

    The harvest brings a lot of food to the people. On Thanksgiving Day people in Canada and America like to have a big meal with their friends and family just like Chinese people do at Mid-autumn festival. Many Canadians and Americans put flowers, vegetables and fruits around their homes to say "Thank you" for the harvest. At a Thanksgiving Day dinner, many Canadians and Americans will eat turkey, potatoes, and pumpkin pie. These are food like the food of many years ago. They are saying "Thank you" for the harvest that comes every year.

Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics souvenirs（纪念品）are getting popular around the world now. The mascot pin (吉样物徽章)is famous for its beauty. The Winter Olympics pins mix traditional Chinese culture with art. Let's enjoy some kinds of them.

People think the souvenir pins are special and wonderful. The pins show how the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics follows the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. If collectors get all the countdown (倒计时)pins, they can put them together in the shape of a big"0"，showing the end of countdown and the beginning of the winter games.

Ancient myth (神话) pins put the Chinese traditional stories into the design，like Nvea patching the sy, Kua fu chasing the sun and so on. These colorful pins can make you want to know more about the beautiful Chinese stories. Only 2, 022 of each myth were made.

There are also other kinds of pins. Some ancient paintings of the Ming and Qing Dynasties are on the pins, too. Other pins are about traditional games, such as the ancient Chinese ball game, cuju, and an old sport in North China, ice play. If you are art or sport lover, you can't miss them.

Beijing is the host of the 2022 Olympic Games. These colorful pins are made to spread our great Chinese culture to the world!

Everyone has a family name. In China, the family name comes before the given name, but in English countries, the family name comes last. Do you know how English people get their family names? And what do they mean (意思)? English people usually get their names in these ways (方式).

Some family names come from the places (地点) of their homes. For a man lives on or near a hill, his family name may be Hill. In the UK, people's family name may be Wood or Lake, because they live near the wood or the lake. Some family names come from their jobs (职业). If a man is a cook, his family names may be Cook. And many people get their family names from their fathers' family names. If you see the name Jackson you can know he is the son of Jack.