The skill for making Jiangzhou Chengni inkstones (绛州澄泥砚) can be dated back to the Han Dynasty. However, it was lost at the end of the Ming Dynasty.
In 1986, Lin Yongmao, a craftsman from Xinjiang county, Shanxi, and his son Lin Tao decided to revive (复活) this ancient skill. Although they learned the basics from historical papers, bringing it back to life was no easy task. They walked over the Fenhe riverbed and collected clay of all kinds to find the best one. To know the best temperature of firing clay, they spent sleepless nights keeping a close watch on the kiln (窑) in smoke.
After many failures, they succeeded in making three Chengni inkstones in 1991. It takes over a year and more than 10 steps to make a Chengni inkstone and one of the key steps is clay filtering (过滤). The mud needs to be filtered over and over again till it feels like flour (面粉), which can make sure the texture (质地) of clay is right.
Ink brushes, ink ( 墨 ), __①__ and inkstones are the “Four Treasures of Study” (文房四宝) in China. Jiangzhou Chengni inkstone in Shanxi province is one of China’s most famous inkstones. It is known for its fine texture. It feels like “a baby’s skin”. In 2008, the craft (技艺) of making JiangzhouChengni inkstones was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage (国家非物质文化遗产).
Chart I
Lin Xiaolin, Lin Tao’s son, is a third-generation inheritor of the Chengni inkstone craftsmanship. In 2019, the 33-year-old created new ways to make the Chengni inkstone. By controlling the temperature of the kiln, he increased the colors of the Chengni inkstone from three to eight. The young inheritor has also stepped into the online market through e-commerce and livestreaming. “Passing on the skill holds the key to keeping it alive,” he said.
Four Famous Inkstones in China Young Voices
To make a Chengni inkstone, you need to have knowledge in many fields. Since a tiny mistake may ruin (破坏) the piece of work, craftsmen pay close attention to carving. This taught me that we needed real patience when we wanted to do things well.
—Ma Xiaoyan, 12, from Yuncheng, Shanxi.
Chart II Chart III1. What did Lin Yongmao and Lin Tao do to revive the skill of making Chengni inkstones? (One example is OK.)
2. Why can Chengni inkstones “feel like a baby’s skin”?
3. Please fill in the blank ①, in Chart I and blank ②in Chart Ⅱ.
4. How did Lin Xiaolin increase the colors of Chengni, inkstones?
5. What did Ma Xiaoyan learn from the process of making Chengni inkstones?
6. What other traditional Chinese art forms do you know? What do you think of them?
Shadow puppetry started during the Western Han Dynasty and it has a long history of more than 2, 000 years. It used to be popular in the countryside because it was simple and cheap.
The puppets are usually made from leather (皮革) or paper. It is hard to make them. The puppet- makers have to take 24 steps, which include washing the leather, carving and painting, to make a puppet.
Just like many things that are in danger, traditional arts also face the risk of disappearing. “Many young people still think that shadow puppetry is an old-fashioned folk art,” said Liu Chaokan, the sixth-generation inheritor (继承人) of shadow puppetry in Yunnan Province.
Liu understands why old art forms couldn’t interest young people, so he connects new stories with the traditional form of storytelling. In a recent show based on the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the West, Baigujing dances to a pop song. Popular Chinese cartoon characters, together with the modern factors (元素) are Liu’s secret in getting the attention of children. “Since they couldn’t understand those old stories, why don’t we show them the cartoon characters they love in shadow puppetry shows? ” said Liu.
To keep the old art forever young, Liu thinks they should respect its traditions and protect the basic of the art.
任务一：回答问题。1. How long has shadow puppetry been in China?
2. How do many young people feel about shadow puppetry according to Liu Chaokan?
任务二：请把文中划线句子翻译成汉语。
3.
任务三：请给短文拟一个恰当的英文标题。
4.
任务四：请结合实际情况回答问题。
Do you think traditional arts like shadow puppetry will disappear? Why or why not?
5.
3 . The oil paper umbrella has a history of over 1, 000 years in China. It is a
A young man called Liu Weixue learned
Now Liu hopes the art can be passed on. He goes to local schools to teach students. He also goes to events in different places to promote (推广) the art.
There are some traditional arts that are connected with animals in China, like paper cutting, Chinese carving, Chinese clay and so on. Paper cutting in the shape of animals is one of the most common examples.
Paper cutting is an amazing art. People use scissors to cut paper into different shapes of animals, flowers, cute babies and so on. During the Spring Festival, people put them on windows, doors and walls as symbols of good luck. This art sounds easy but it can be difficult. For example, some works are about the twelve zodiac sighs (十二生肖). 2024 is the Year of Dragon, so people like to cut the red paper into dragons. When we see the masters cut paper, it only takes them a few minutes to complete everything, but for green hands, they need to practice for a long time.
1.剪纸有着悠久的历史。 It has been around for over 1,500 years. But it didn’t become popular until the 6th century. With the development of the art, it attracted many people. Even ladies in royal (皇家的) families were also judged by the ability in paper cutting. In the 21st century, red paper cutting which means good luck can be often seen in the new year or weddings.
All these pieces by hand look very real. Without doubt, they show the wisdom of Chinese people, and some products in the shape of animals reflect the relations between humans and animals. But it’s a pity that fewer and fewer young people show interest in it. 2. When they understand the real spirit of the art, they will finally fall in love with it.
1. 请将短文中划线的句子翻译成英文。2. 请将短文中划线的句子翻译成中文。
5 . You may think you cannot live through summer without the air conditioner. But in ancient China, hand fans (扇子) were almost the only help for people to drive the heat away.
Chinese hand fans have a long history. The fans came in different shapes and materials. Palm leaf fans were cheap and easy to make. Feather fans showed the owner’s high status. Sandal wood fans could send out a sweet smell.
Later, hand fans became even more popular because they were seen as artworks. At that time, tuanshan (round fans) and zheshan (folded fans) were the most common.
In the shape of a full moon, tuanshan was usually made of silk. They had beautiful birds and flowers on them. Women, especially those in the palace, liked to use them. Poets often compared a woman’s abandoned fate (被抛弃的命运) to tuanshan. Nalan Xingde wrote during the Qing Dynasty, “If only life was as beautiful as when we first met, why should the autumn wind bother to pity deserted (被舍弃的) painted fans?”
However, men, especially the literati (文人), used zheshan, or folded fans. The literati liked them because zheshan were usually made of paper and they could paint and write poems on them. It was a way for them to show their talents in literature, painting and calligraphy. Almost anything can be painted on zheshan, but the most popular ones are usually landscapes.
Today, Chinese people still use these fans. They have already become a symbol of Chinese culture and also a part of our everyday life.
1. The picture ________ is a kind of zheshan.A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．人生若只如初见，何事秋风悲画扇。 |
| B．银烛秋光冷画屏，轻罗小扇扑流萤。 |
| C．相见时难别亦难，东风无力百花残。 |
| D．奉帚平明金殿开，暂将团扇共徘徊。 |
| A．Literati loves using tuanshan best. |
| B．Literati usually paints landscapes on zheshan. |
| C．Palm leaf fans have a sweet smell. |
| D．There are 4 kinds of hand fans mentioned in the passage. |
| A．How to Make Chinese Hand Fans |
| B．Different Types of Hand Fans in China |
| C．Why Hand Fans Are Popular in China |
| D．The Different Uses of Hand Fans |
China is a large country. Each different part of China has
Paper cutting has been around for over 1500 years. Paper cutting
Chinese clay art is very famous around the world. The clay pieces are very small but they look very real. The pieces are usually cute children or lively
| Paper Art Paper-cutting is one of the traditional folk arts in China. It has a history of about 1,500 years. With just simple tools such as some paper, scissors and knives, an artist can bring you amazing art works you would never imagine. Because of the symbol of happiness and luck they bring, paper cuttings with characters such as “Fu” are often seen on the windows of most Chinese families during the Spring Festival. | |
| Why red? In ancient times, farming mainly depended on the Sun to bring better harvest (收成). People see read, the color of the Sun, as the symbol of hope and life. Now, you can see red everywhere in China. The walls of old palaces, lanterns, weddings and so on. | Black in Shanzhou Shanzhou is in Henan province. Different from most of the other places, the paper-cuttings there are black! It represents (代表) the cloudy sky when raining. Shanzhou is a dry place. People make black paper-cuttings with the wish for rain in their hearts. |
| Colorful paper-cuttings Paper-cuttings are colorful in Yuxian, Hebei province. Artists there put five pieces of paprt-cuttings together. They just paint the first piece with a heavy brush of color and let it go through, making every other piece look special. | |
1. Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Paper-cutting has a long history of around 500 years. |
| B．In a wedding, people usually paste paper cuttings of “Fu” on their windows. |
| C．Ancient Chinese people loved the color red because it means love. |
| D．Five pieces of paper-cuttings are usually put together in Yuxian. |
| A．Because Shanzhou is a dry place and black means the wish for water. |
| B．Black is thought to be a symbol of wealth and power in Shanzhou. |
| C．Shanzhou is a place with rich resources of black-colored paper. |
| D．Artists in Shanzhou prefer darker colors in their art works. |
| A．On a culture website. | B．In a story book. |
| C．In a fashion magazine. | D．In a science book. |
| ①Do you know that tea, the most popular drink (after water) in the world has a long history? It is said that a Chinese ruler called Shen Nong was the first to discover (发现) tea as a drink about 5000 years ago. |
| ②The 1979 film Ne Zha Nao Hai and the 2019 film Ne Zha help us know the boy in the stamp well. On August 28, 2021, China Post issued (发行) six stamps with scenes (场景) from Ne Zha Nao Hai. It is one of the most popular cartoons in China. |
| ③What can you see in the picture? Do you believe it is an artwork of a leaf (树叶)? Du Wanli can make something beautiful with different leaves. It often takes her about a month to finish one. It’s not easy, but Du loves it. |
| ④Ba Duan Jin Exercises for Children (Shao Er Ba Duan Jin in Chinese) is a good book. It tells young readers one kind of exercise. The exercise can help them keep healthy. |
1. What does Material ① mainly talk about?
| A．Tea. | B．A cartoon. | C．An artwork. | D．A book. |
| A．China Post. | B．The stamp. | C．Ne Zha. | D．Ne Zha Nao Hai. |
| A．boring | B．difficult | C．easy | D．lucky |
a. who the book is mainly for b. what the book is about
c. who sells this book d. why the book is good
| A．abc | B．abd | C．acd | D．bcd |
The Miao people believe that birds are important for harvests. That’s why people see beautiful birdcages (鸟笼)
Wang Qiu
“Each birdcage is
As a member of a younger generation, Wang thought
To show Kala birdcages to more people, Wang shares videos of her skills on social media. “I hope that my videos can make more people learn about the
| International Paper Cutting Competition To further develop the culture of paper cutting, to offer chances to people to help them become more creative, and to spread local cultures through the art form, we invite students aged 13-19 from all over the world to take part in the competition and excellent works will be shown to the public. **************************************Size: The size of each entry (参赛作品) mustn’t be larger than the B2 paper size (50 cm—70.7 cm). Entry fee: $30 per person Entry period: All entries must arrive between 1st May and 31st May 2024. Rules: One entry per person; Entries must be original and unpublished; All entries must be emailed to lixunpaper-cutting@163.com. Please write your name, nationality, age and email address on a piece of paper and send it with your entry. PRIZES 1st Prize/1 winner/A trophy (奖杯) and $1,000 2nd Prize/1 winner/A trophy and $500 3rd Prize/1 winner/A trophy and $300 Prizes for Excellence/5 winners/A trophy and $100 for each For more information, please call Mr. Wang at 13724678302. |
1. What must students do in order to join in the competition?
| A．Hand in the entry before 1st May 2024. |
| B．Make sure the entry is in the B2 paper size or smaller. |
| C．Publish the entry first before they hand it in. |
①How old the student is. ②What the student’s name is.
③Which grade the student is in. ④Where the student comes from.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①②④ |
| A．Culture & Art. | B．Life & Health. | C．National News. |
