【推荐1】In 1940 the German army entered the Netherlands, beginning an occupation that lasted five years. Members of the Dutch royal family(荷兰皇室) were forced to go to the United Kingdom to avoid being caught. However, the threat of German bombing attacks meant that England was not completely safe. For this reason Princess Juliana and her daughters, Princesses Beatrix and Irene, moved to Canada and settled in Ottawa. In January 1943 Juliana gave birth to a third daughter, Princess Margriet Francisca. The Government of Canada temporarily declared her place of birth as outside of Canadian land, meaning Margriet could hold Dutch citizenship and therefore still be qualified for the Dutch throne.

In 1945, the Dutch royal family returned home. Shortly after her return, Princess Juliana presented 100,000 tulip bulbs to Canada in appreciation of the important role played by Canadian troops in liberating the Netherlands and for providing her family with a safe place during the war. The following year she sent 20,500 tulip bulbs. Juliana continued to send thousands of bulbs as a yearly gift, a tradition that continued after she became queen in 1948. The gift of tulips is an ongoing tradition, and each year the people of the Netherlands and the Dutch royal family each send 10,000 bulbs to Canada in recognition of the close ties between the two countries. The gift of bulbs and the tulip flowers attracted interest and visitors in Ottawa. In 1952 Karsh, an Armenian-born photographer, suggested the idea of a tulip festival to the Ottawa Board of Trade. The first Canadian Tulip Festival took place in 1953. The first festival proved popular, and it became a yearly event. To mark the festival’s 50th anniversary in 2002, Canada Post issued a series of commemorative stamps(纪念邮票) and plates featuring the flowers and Princess Margriet returned to visit Ottawa. In the following years the festival began to focus more on international friendship and the festival’s historical origins. Now it is one of the world’s largest tulip shows.

1. Why did the Dutch royal family move to Canada? (不多于5个词)
2. Why did Princess Juliana send tulip bulbs to Canada in 1945？ (不多于7个词)
3. How often does Canadian Tulip Festival take place? (不多于4个词)
4. What is the passage mainly about? (不多于8个词)

【推荐2】Every March, the US celebrates the accomplishments of women in American history. Even though these accomplishments go back a long way, most schools didn’t start focusing on women pioneers and their achievements until recently. Today, most colleges offer classes in women’s history and most schools teach kids about the many contributions women have made to the country. How did this change come about?

International Women’s Day Is Born

On March 19,1911,a German woman named Clara Zetkin organized the very first International Women’s Day. Inspired by American working women, the annual event took on the causes of peace to end World War I as well as gain women’s rights. Over the years, interest in International Women’s Day decreased. It gained development again in the 1960s,when the women’s movement caused women to wonder why they weren’t included in the history books.

National Women’s History Week Is Celebrated

By the 1970s,more female historians began to look back at the contributions of women in history. In 1978,a California school district started Women’s History Week to promote the teaching of women’s history. School officials picked the week of March 8 to include International Women’s Day. It was so popular that, in 1981,Congress passed a resolution making the week a celebration for the entire country. The concept of studying women’s history continued to grow in popularity. In 1987,a group of women, supported by people working in museums, schools and libraries, asked Congress to expand the celebration. That same year, Congress declared the entire month of March National Women’s History Month.

National Women’s History Museum

Today, schools and communities across the country celebrate the month with special lessons and activities designed to teach the ways women have helped shape the US. The women who have worked hard to make Women’s History Month a reality would like to see women’s history studied all year, not just every March. In 1996,the National Women’s History Museum was founded. It is a non-profit organization devoted to preserving and celebrating the various historic contributions of women. The organization is working with Congress to open a permanent museum site in Washington, DC.

1. Long ago in American history, women pioneers      

A．were heroes in schools

B．struggled hard for a peaceful world

C．were greatly respected in schools

D．rarely became the focus in schools

2. Why did Clara Zetkin organize the very first International Women’s Day?

A．To be famous.

B．To develop more interests.

C．To be supported by American working women.

D．To struggle for peace and gain women’s rights.

3. When is National Women’s History Week?

A．The whole March.

B．A week of March.

C．The week of March 8.

D．One month of the year.

4. What’s the purpose of founding the National Women’s History Museum?

A．To become a permanent museum site.

B．To keep and observe the various historic contributions of women.

C．To teach students the ways women have helped shape the USA.

D．To earn lots of money and help women who had made contributions.

【推荐1】So you're going to the royal wedding！Let's review a checklist of everything you'll need to know.

What to wear at the ceremony

Did you get your fascinator yet？That's a trick question because you probably don't even know what a fascinator is. Royal dress code etiquette（礼仪）states that women must wear hats for formal events，and fascinators are the preferred accessory（配饰）.These funny hats boast a large decorative design. If you haven't packed one，no worries. Simply glue a cabbage to the side of your head. No one will be the wiser，and you can always snack on your fascinator should the wedding ceremony drag on. Gentlemen are expected to wear morning coats and top hats. Royals will likely wear their military uniforms.

Meeting the royals

Men, when greeting the royals, a simple bow will do. Not so low that it looks as if you're examining the carpet for any medals they might have dropped. This is a slight neck bow. Women perform a curtsy. Simply put one leg behind the other, bend your knees, bow your head slightly -and fall over because you've never done this before.

Chatting up the queen

The first rule of talking to the queen: Don't talk. That is, unless spoken to. If she does start a conversation and you find you've run out of interesting stuff to discuss after "Hello," break the ice with a joke "Hey, why did the queen go to the dentist? To get her teeth crowned!"

Dining

Every meal begins and ends with the queen. You can't start eating until she starts，and you stop when she stops. The queen doesn't appear to be a large eater，so you should wolf down your food in case she push the plate away after a few bites，When dining，the royals hold knives in their right hand and forks in their left with the tines facing down. Should they spill（洒落）even a pea，they drop one spot in the royal line of succession.

1. What do women prefer for the royal wedding？

A．Morning coats.	B．Military uniforms.
C．Hats with fascinators.	D．Cabbages.

2. What behaviour is proper at the ceremony?

A．Performing a deep bow or curtsy.

B．Finishing the meal with the queen.

C．Chatting with the queen freely.

D．Dropping a pea while eating.

3. What is the main writing characteristic of the text?

A．Humorous.	B．Serious.
C．Plain.	D．Official

【推荐2】A diverse crowd of several hundred people queued up in front of the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco on Thursday morning for a ceremony that meant more to them than just the issue of a popular postage stamp.

The United States Postal Service’s launch of a special stamp for the Year of the Rabbit has come to symbolize more than just a collectors’ item for many. “We constantly talk about celebrations of our diversity as strengths,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said at thestamp’s launch. “The Lunar New Year represents thousands of years of history. It is the time to promote this (Asian) community in such an extraordinary way.” Breed emphasized that San Francisco is a place where discrimination(歧视)against Asians is unacceptable.

Inspired by decorated masks used in dragon and lion dances, USPS art director Antonio Alcala worked on the beautiful rabbit stamp design with artist Camille Chew.

Jay Xu, director of the Asian Art Museum, said the Lunar New Year celebrations and the stamp launch all reflect the recognition of “our community’s fine integrity(正直)and essentialism” to the United States. “It enables us to tell more stories—our past, our presentand our future,” said Xu, adding that people could strike up a conversation through the collection of artifacts(历史文物)such as stamps. “Stamps can go everywhere and can define friendship between different countries and cultures. This stamp is for all. The Lunar New Year is for all.”

Derek Kan, a member of the USPS board of governors, said, “For more than three decades, USPS has issued stamps highlighting the Lunar New Year, and they are some of the most successful stamp releases in our history.”

Chloe Chan, a second-generation Chinese immigrant, said the rabbit stamp is very “artistic” and worthy of her long wait in line. She has collected every stamp the USPS has issued for the Chinese New Year celebration. Chan is hopeful that her children and grandchildren will observe the Lunar New Year the same way she does, with housecleaning, holiday decorations, rituals(礼仪)and food to honor family roots and the Chinese culture.

The USPS issued its first Chinese New Year stamp for the Year of the Rooster on Dec. 30, 1992.

1. Who expects that her or his later generations will celebrate the Lunar New Year?

A．Chloe Chan.	B．Jay Xu.
C．Derek Kan.	D．London Breed.

2. How did Antonio Alcala get the inspiration to design the stamp?

A．He observed a lot of rabbits raised on a farm.

B．He looked through a collection of Asian artifacts.

C．He took notice of the masks used in some dances.

D．He sought for opinions from the Asian community.

3. Which can replace the underlined word “highlighting” in paragraph 5?

A．Requesting.	B．Scheduling.
C．Emphasizing.	D．Monitoring.

4. What is a suitable title for the news report?

A．USPS keeps issuing stamps highlighting Lunar New Year

B．Artistic rabbit stamp worthy of being displayed

C．Stamp goes everywhere and defines friendship

D．Rabbit stamp symbolizes culture bond

【推荐3】People perform graceful moves, all while standing on a bamboo strip in the river. You may think it’s a scene from an art movie, but actually it is a form of intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产): bamboo drifting (独竹漂).

Bamboo drifting dates back to over 2,000 years ago in the Chishui River area of Guizhou. During the Qin Dynasty, the Bozhou district of Zunyi city was known for its high-quality nanmu. It was in great demand by the royal court more than 2,000 kilometers to the north. With no transportation along the Chishui River, people had to stand on one log (原木) to drift down the river. Later, local people began to compete along the way and the game of wood drifting was born. In the Qing Dynasty, wood drifting became bamboo drifting because of bamboo’s lower price. Now, communities in Guizhou hold bamboo drifting competitions every year during Dragon Boat Festival. Due to the great strength and balance it takes for one to get the hang of this act, bamboo drifting was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021.

Yang Liu, 24, is an inheritor (继承人) of bamboo drifting. Yang said the most challenging part of bamboo drifting was keeping one’s balance. “I fell in the water several times when I was practising,” she said.

But the love for the ancient skill keeps Yang going. In the past 17 years, she has drifted all year round, in winter cold and summer heat.

Yang also produces new ideas when spreading the culture of bamboo drifting. For example, she connects dance with bamboo drifting to make it more graceful and wears hanfu when performing, creating a beautiful feel. In 2020, Yang registered on social media platforms and posted her videos. “I want to spread it to other countries so that more people around the world will like Chinese culture,” she told China Daily.

1. What can be learned from the first two paragraphs?

A．Nanmu was transported to the north by land.

B．Bamboo was expensive in Guizhou 2,000 years ago.

C．The martial arts movie is a form of cultural heritage.

D．Bamboo drifting involves lots of skills.

2. What does the underlined phrase “get the hang of” in paragraph 2 mean?

A．Master.

B．Change.

C．Prepare.

D．Improve.

3. What is the most difficult for bamboo drifting in Yang Liu’s opinion?

A．Designing moves.	B．Keeping balance.
C．Choosing bamboos.	D．Transporting goods.

4. What can we infer about Yang Liu?

A．She has become the leader of bamboo drifting.

B．She learned bamboo drifting very easily.

C．She inherits bamboo drifting creatively.

D．She began learning bamboo drifting at 17.

【推荐1】A survey done by the University of Michigan shows a big drop in the number of teenagers who say they smoke cigarettes.

In the survey, over 44, 000 students in grades 8, 10 and 12, from 424 schools across the country were asked about their smoking habits. The results show that smoking among 8th graders went down from 21 percent in 2002, to 12 percent in 2007. In the same period, smoking dropped from 30% to 21% among 10th graders and from 37% to 30% among 12th graders.

Anti-smoking organisations think educating kids about smoking risks is the cause of the drop. “These important drops in teen smoking did not just happen by chance,” said study director Lloyd D, Johnston, “A lot of individuals and organisations have been trying to bring down the high rates of teenagers.”

Others say the higher price of cigarettes is an important reason teens are cutting back.

Whatever the reason, the drop in teen smoking is news to everyone, even cigarette-making companies warn their product is only for adults, not kids. Health experts are particularly paying attention to teenage smoking habits because lifetime smokers often get hooked on smoking at an early age.

But some say that the new figures aren’t exactly the cause for celebration. While it is true fewer teens are smoking today than five years ago, the rate of teen smoking is still higher than it was.

Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in this country. “Our survey suggests that a lot of teens still do not understand the dangers of smoking particularly the younger teens,” Johnston said.

1. The rate of teen smoking among 12th graders dropped by        according to the survey.

A．7%

B．30%

C．9%

D．21%

2. The drop in teen smoking has a lot of causes EXCEPT         

A．educating kids about smoking risks

B．efforts from health experts and organisations

C．the higher price of cigarettes

D．the cut down of the number of cigarettes

3. What does the underlined expression “get hooked on” probably mean?

A．Become interested in.	B．Get tired of.
C．Give up.	D．Take no interest in.

4. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs?

A．The rate of teen smoking is far lower than it was.

B．Cigarette smoking can be stopped sooner or later.

C．There is a different idea about the drop in teenage smoking.

D．No younger teens really understand the dangers of smoking.