【推荐2】Children's Games in Ancient China Unlike the children nowadays, the children during ancient times didn't have smart phone, iPad or computer to entertain themselves.    1    Let's take a look.

Kicking stone balls

During the Qing Dynasty, kicking a stone ball around was a popular sport in the northern part of China, and it was often played in the winter to keep warm. Stones were carved into small balls and kicked along with feet.

Flying kites

Kites have quite a long history. The earliest kites were made of wood, instead of paper. Nowadays, the three most famous kites are the Beijing kite, Tianjin kite and Weifang kite.     2    . For example, the swallow-shaped kite is a well-known Beijing style.

Playing hide-and-seek

Hide-and-seek is a traditional game for children, popular around the nation. Even nowadays, many children like playing it. There are two ways to play. One way is covering a child's eyes while other kids run around to tease him.     3    

    4    

The closest thing to watching a film or television for entertainment during ancient times was going to see a shadow play. Folk artists manipulate puppets behind the screen, narrating stories and accompanied by music.

Setting off firecrackers

Firecrackers have a history of more than 2,000 years. It is said that there was a beast named Nian in ancient China.    5    After gunpowder was invented, it gradually replaced the bamboo joint cracker. Crackers are still set off during Spring Festival to symbolize auspiciousness.

A．Watching shadow plays.

B．Each of them has distinctive features.

C．Different materials are used to make the kite.

D．Shadow plays were the popular entertaining form in ancient times.

E．And to scare off the beast, people burnt bamboo joints to make it blast.

F．More commonly, participants hide and one child must try to find them.

G．Instead, they came up with interesting games to play in their childhood.

【推荐3】The Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics saw many excellent athletes compete on the ice and snow, prompting an enthusiasm for winter sports in China. In fact, the country has had a deep relationship with winter sports since ancient times, with skiing originating in the Altay prefecture of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

In 2005, cave paintings of Altay people hunting on skis with poles were discovered, which archaeologists estimated could be more than 10,000 years old. Since then, Altay has been recognized by many as one of the birthplaces of skiing, according to Xinhua.

As one of the richest collections of ancient rock art in China, there are herds of camels, sheep, wolves and human figures. The painting on the roof of a cave in Dundebulake village of Altay prefecture depicts humans on skis, bending their knees as they travel alongside animals, including deer and moose.

The rock art in Dundebulake is well preserved because the pictographs (象形文字) are well hidden in the cave.

Additionally, Alta’s dry climate has been a useful preserving agent, according to a 2016 research paper published by the Hebei Normal University.

Unique geographical and climatic conditions make skiing an indispensable part of local people’s lives. The climate in Altay is mild and not too windy, so skiers are less affected by weather conditions, allowing them to safely move faster.

Unlike the modern skis we use nowadays, fur skis have been used as a means of transportation for the snowfield inhabitants of Altay for more than 100 centuries, according to rock carvings uncovered in the area.

Making skis has been a traditional skill. The handmade skis have a layer of horse skin. The fur on the horse skin can help decrease friction (摩擦力) when they slide down the hill, while the skis also prevent skiers from falling when they walk up. At the same time, they have a wooden stick in hand to keep balance, according to China Daily.

Fur ski competitions have been held annually by the local government. Many locals would display their maneuvers (高超的移动) at the competitions.

1. Which of the following is evidence that Altay is one of the birthplaces of skiing?

A．Altay people wore skis to hunt animals.	B．The modern skis are very similar to fur skis.
C．Local people have used fur skis for a long time.	D．Humans on skis were depicted in cave drawings.

2. What have fur skis been used for in Altay since ancient times?

A．Hunting.

B．Transportation.

C．Competition.

D．Entertainment.

3. How does horse skin benefit skiers?

A．It helps them better control directions.	B．It makes them slide more comfortably.
C．It helps them slide down smoothly.	D．It helps them keep steady while sliding.

4. What does the article mainly talk about?

A．The origins of skiing in Altay.	B．The ancient rock art found in Altay.
C．The development of skiing in China.	D．The current popularity of skiing in Altay

【推荐1】When you go on a trip to America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (however, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided but there will certainly be a cafeteria. Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than the others. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in big national parks.

In these great national parks, you may meet guests you don't expect to see. An American friend told me a short story. In the middle of a moonless night，she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief-it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paws, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!

There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”, where they provide lodges（客房).You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning-looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!

1. Motels provide all the following EXCEPT      .

A．bath

B．TV

C．meals

D．swimming pools

2. The underlined word “crept” in Paragraph 2 probably means “      ”.

A．moved slowly

B．rushed out

C．threw away

D．ran fast

3. From the last paragraph , we can learn that in New York during the tourist season      .

A．tourists can find gold there

B．it is difficult to find a room there

C．tourists can have a sweet dream there

D．there is a warning for tourists to New York

【推荐2】A fellow speaker from California named Geri flew to Japan, in her favorite jeans and a casual jacket, to give her first speech. Fourteen hours later, four perfectly dressed Japanese gentlemen greeted her at Narita Airport. Smiling and bowing low, they handed her their business cards. With her bag in one hand, Geri took their cards with the other. She thanked them, glanced briefly at the cards, and put them into her jeans pocket quickly.

When the five of them arrived at the hotel, they invited Geri to tea in the lobby (大厅). While sipping tea, the gentlemen presented her with a small gift which she eagerly opened. She was thrilled with the gift and shouted excitedly, “Oh, it’s beautiful!”

At this point, the four Japanese gentlemen stood up and, bowing only very slightly, said “Sayonara” and left immediately. Poor Geri was left astonished. What did she do wrong?

Everything! Her jeans were the first gaffe. Even if you’re coming off a bicycle in Japan, you do not meet c1ients (客人) casually dressed. The second mistake was Geri’s handling of their business cards rudely. In Japan, the business card is one of the most important communicative tools. It is always presented and accepted respectfully with both hands. However, Geri put their cards away much too quickly. In Japan, people use business cards as a conversation starter. You chat about each other’s cards and work and do not put theirs away until they gently and respectfully place yours in safekeeping. Putting it carelessly into her jeans pocket was the ultimate disrespect.

Then, the fourth horror of horrors was that Geri should not have opened the gift in front of her clients. In a land where saving face is critical, it would be embarrassing to discover the gift they gave was not as nice as the one they received. What is worse, Geri hadn’t even given them a gift!

1. In the four Japanese gentlemen’s eyes, Geri took their cards _____________.

A．excitedly

B．embarrassingly

C．politely

D．disrespectfully

2. Why did the four Japanese gentlemen leave Geri suddenly?

A．Because they couldn’t bear Geri’s behavior any longer.

B．Because they had finished the task.

C．Because Geri had something more important to do.

D．Because Geri felt embarrassed.

3. What does the underlined word “gaffe” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．ignorance.

B．sadness.

C．mistake.

D．carelessness.

4. What lesson can we draw from this story?

A．Honesty is the best policy.

B．Think twice before you take any action.

C．When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

D．Don't claim to know what you don't know.

【推荐3】Living in a culture that is different from your own can be both an exciting and challenging experience. You have to learn different cultural practices and try to adapt to them.

    1     They talk about topics such as ages, income or marital status, which Americans think is annoying and intrusive.

In China, elders are traditionally treated with enormous respect and dignity while the young are cherished and nurtured. In America, the goal of the family is to encourage independence, particularly that of the children.    2    .

Chinese people have different meanings to define friends.     3    Friendship means lifelong friends who feel deeply obligated to give each other whatever help might seem required. Americans always call people they meet friends, so the definition of friends is general and different. There are work friends, playing friends, school friends and drinking friends.

As is well known, the Chinese like to save.     4     It is different in the USA, where far fewer families are saving money for emergencies and education than their Chinese counterparts.    5     If you achieve something in the US, it's because you were great. While in China, if you achieve something in China it's because the team, or family, or company is great. Everything you do gets attributed to the greater whole, while in America individual merits are celebrated.

A．Just hanging out together time to time is not friendship.

B．Chinese people put more emphasis on good character and faith.

C．Chinese people value education and career more than Americans.

D．They are always conservative when they are planning to spend money.

E．Basically China values the community and the US values the individual.

F．Chinese people do not have the same concept of privacy as Americans do

G．Unlike the Chinese, older Americans seldom live with their children.

【推荐1】By the year 2050, a fifth of the world’s cities will experience unprecedented climate conditions and environments that currently don’t exist in any major cities, according to new research. A team of scientists at the Crowther Lab in Switzerland produced the report, which described the climate for 520 major cities 30 years in the future.

The results showed that 77 percent of the world’s cities will experience a surprising change in climate conditions by 2050, and 22 percent of the 520 cities will see conditions that are not currently experienced by any existing major cities.

In China in 2050, the climate of Xi’an, in Shanxi province, will be similar to that of current day Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho in southern Africa, with the maximum temperature of the warmest month likely to increase by 4.59℃. Chongqing in southwest China will resemble the climate of Swaziland capital Mbabane, as the warmest temperature is predicted to rise by 5.1℃.

Scientists predict summers in Europe will get warmer by an average of 3.5℃ and European winters will see temperature rises of 4.7℃. London’s climate will be more similar lo Barcelona, and Madrid’s to Marrakech.

The Crowther Lab hopes the analysis will motivate decision-makers to take necessary steps to prevent or address some of the climate effects due to the threat of climate change. The report also found that cities in tropical regions will experience smaller changes in average temperature but will be controlled by shifts in rainfall regimes. This may lead to a noticeable increase in unexpected events, and severe droughts.

“Across all scientific fields, the greatest challenge in climate science is no longer the precise measurement of climate change impacts, but inspiring people to picture is actual effects in order to motivate action,” said Tom Crowther, senior scientist und founder of the Crowther Lab.

1. According to the research, among the 520 cities by 2050, about ________ cities will experience the climate conditions that no major cities currently have experienced.

A．400

B．114

C．260

D．104

2. How did the scientists prove their result?

A．By listing figures.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By doing experiments.	D．By explaining theory.

3. What is the Crowther Lab intended for?

A．To compare the climate change of the major cities of the world.

B．To inspire people to picture its actual effects in order to motivate action.

C．To inspire decision-makers to take necessary steps to prevent some climate effects.

D．To show most word’s cities will experience a striking change in climate conditions.

4. What is the best title of the passage?

A．World Temperature	B．Current Climate Change
C．Big Titles in the World	D．Future Climate Change in Most Big Cities