For Lydia Koniordou, a famous Greek actress and former Greek minister of culture and sports, cultural preservation is essential to help people know who they are and learn what they should do in the future.
“The taller you want to grow, the deeper your roots must be. Our cultural past is our roots. If we don’t have really strong roots and depth in our perception (认识) of our identity, we cannot grow. Without these roots, we will be torn out very easily with the currents,” she told the journalist in a recent interview, adding cultural heritage is in fact very much alive and relevant today.
Speaking of her teaching experience overseas, Koniordou said she was very much impressed by her Chinese students when she gave seminars on ancient Greek tragedy at the Shanghai Theatre Academy in 2014-15. When the students worked on Alcestis, an Athenian tragedy by ancient Greek playwright Euripides, they thoroughly researched the costumes they would be wearing, the set, and the lights, among others, she recalled. “I feel they evolved and were transformed by this experience as I was transformed. They did not just play a role, but created a whole world and that is why the production had so much interest also for the spectators,” she said.
Koniordou participated in the production of Euripides ‘Electra’ together with Greek director Kostas Tsianos. “Tsianos did something very important for Greek culture. He connected folk forms of art, folk dances, songs and poetry with our classical past. We presented this performance in many places around the world, and the feeling that it stirred in the audience was quite similar, even though they didn’t always understand the language,” she said.
The Chinese civilization is a huge tree with very deep roots, and Greece also has a rich ancient civilization, she said, adding she believes that the two countries could promote cooperation and exchanges in many fields, such as in preservation of antiques.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 2?| A．Cultural heritage is easily damaged. |
| B．The importance of cultural preservation. |
| C．The taller growth wants the deeper roots. |
| D．We are easily torn out with the currents. |
| A．She played a role and was loved by the spectators. |
| B．She researched the costumes, the set, and the lights. |
| C．She studied the art of Chinese performance as a student. |
| D．She promoted the students’ understanding of Greek culture. |
| A．To indicate her friendship with Tsianos. |
| B．To show Koniordou was also expert at directing. |
| C．To popularize and promote traditional Greek culture. |
| D．To introduce the art achievement of Tsianosin. |
| A．Cultural preservation in China. |
| B．The way to preserve cultural heritage. |
| C．The introduction of other Greek art productions. |
| D．Cooperation between Chinese and Greek culture. |
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【推荐1】Relations between Architecture and Culture
A country is not only identified by its people and government, but also by its architecture.
Slovenians gained independence in 1991. The country is now economically the most progressive one. It is now helping to modernize the factories and by doing so has actually helped lower poverty rates. Generally, their world around them is modernizing.
Chinese architecture probably has the most cultural influence. Traditionally buildings were designed for its width, not its height. Every important building is guarded around a large wall to protect their assets. While ordinary dwellings are grey and dull, palaces and places of importance are quite colorful.
Every culture can inspire a type of architecture that can range from landmarks to everyday homes. Religion and family seem to be the most common influences overall.
| A．Architecture is a product of cultural diversity. |
| B．The purpose of a south-facing entrance is to avoid north winds. |
| C．Through architecture it’s possible to judge many things about a culture. |
| D．However, the center of their town is ironically the older parts of the city. |
| E．Architecture is not always defined as large but simply a home sometimes. |
| F．Tradition and religion are the largest pieces to the Chinese culture and architecture. |
| G．Each culture is unique and the more we learn about them, the more we appreciate our surroundings. |
Old trains are very attractive and mysterious, whether it’s because of their history and their function or simply because they look so fierce and huge. Many old derailed trains have been transformed into anything like homes, art galleries and even amusement parks. As part of a recovery program to restore a failed railway, Ecuadorian design firm Al Borde transformed a tired, old train into a mobile cultural center, which they call “Wagon of Knowledge” (Vagon del Saber).
Selected by the Ecuadorian(厄瓜多尔)Ministry of Culture and Heritage, the community oriented project is to reactivate settlements along its route. After more than a decade of absence, these areas not only recover a means of communication but are enhanced economically, as the cultural promoters use the train car as an activator of public space and a meeting point for the locals. The multifunctional nature of the carriage — it is without a strictly defined architectural program and can therefore be designed flexibly — allows for musical performances, theater shows, training programs and celebrations.
The train was renovated(修复)to achieve the greatest number of uses with the minimum number of elements.
A public square and a theater with a capacity of 60-80 people, as well as work spaces for 20 users were incorporated by attaching three extensions to the train: a roof with several deployment( 部 署 )options, retractable furniture and two storage spaces — simple systems operated by the cultural romoters turn the cart into their desired requirements. Set to travel around the route, the cultural unit will begin to accumulate and facilitate new stories.
Intended to move from place to place without a strict set of limitations to define its use, it becomes something flexible that adapts to the needs of the moment, so that it “carries neither goods nor tourists, but culture and public space”. As we can see here, there are a lot of possibilities, thanks to various interchangeable components that can allow the train to shift from conference space to a performance venue in a snap.
It’s a creative way to give new life to a historically important train that was once even derailed, and to ensure that it can keep on serving the public. One more thing, people don’t have to go to this public space; it will travel to come to them.
1. Why did the design firm Al Borde carry out the project?| A．To boost the local tourism. |
| B．To sharpen rural people’s communication skills. |
| C．To bring communities along the railroad line to life. |
| D．To provide recreation for the community residents. |
| A．Advanced architectural design techniques. |
| B．The railway systems that are easy to operate. |
| C．Flexible construction features of the train car. |
| D．The financial assistance provided by cultural promoters. |
| A．By extending the length of the carriage. |
| B．By adding three components to the train. |
| C．By freely changing the position of the roof. |
| D．By expanding the seating capacity of the train. |
| A．It used to be the meeting point for the locals. |
| B．It can perform different working functions. |
| C．It was used to carry goods and tourists. |
| D．It will stay in one place to entertain locals |
| A．It is meaningful. |
| B．It is large-scale. |
| C．It is pioneering. |
| D．It is impressive. |
【推荐3】Discoveries at the famous Sanxingdui ruins in Southwest China show that the region’s ancient Shu Kingdom Civilization shared similarities with the Maya.
The Sanxingdui ruins, located in the city of Guanghan, about 60 kilometers from Chengdu, belonged to the Shu Kingdom that existed at least 4,800 years ago and lasted more than 2,000 years, while the Mayan civilization built its city states around 200 AD.
The bronze-made remains of trees unearthed at the ruins of the Shu Kingdom resemble the sacred ceiba tree, which symbolied the union of heaven, earth and the underworld In the Mayan civilization. “They are very important similarities,” says Santos, a Mexican archaeologist, stressing that “the representations of tees in both cultures provide a symbolism that is very similar”.
One notable feature of the recent discoveries at Sanxingdui was the cross-subject work and technology applied by teams of Chinese archaeologists, which allowed the unearthing of artifacts as fragile as silk remains, which other types of less careful digging methods would not have been able to manage.
Cooperation between Chinese and Mexican archaeologists could benefit projects in the Maya world, where the rainy climate and humidity are problematic for the conservation of ruins.
“Every time our cultural knowledge increases, regardless of whether we speak one language or another, what it shows us is that we continue to be sister cultures and, therefore, the exchange of such knowledge is fundamental,” says Santos.
1. What is a similarity between the Shu Kingdom and Maya civilization?| A．Their starting time. | B．Their historical origins. |
| C．Their cultural symbols. | D．Their ceremony traditions. |
| A．Damp weather. | B．Positioning of ruins. |
| C．High latitude. | D．Language barriers. |
| A．The future of the China-Mexico cooperation. |
| B．The benefits of speaking a different language. |
| C．The importance of the exchange of cultural knowledge. |
| D．The increasing sisterhood in culture between China and Mexico. |
| A．Ahistorical novel. | B．A newspaper. | C．A research review. | D．A guidebook. |
【推荐1】The murals ( 壁画) are expected to fade within a year, but the city hopes a proposed (被提议的) street painting program will help participants build community and create a sense of place that will live on long after the paint wears away.
The program originated from a pilot project the City of Regina carried out in 2017 and 2018. The project saw members of the community gather to create a public artwork designed by the Neil Balkwill’s artist Brendan Schick at the crosswalk of 14th Avenue and Montague Street in October 2017.
But seven months — and one winter season — after the first mural was painted, it had faded to nothing. Norman Kyle, director of roadways and transportation for the City of Regina, said the use of a stain (着色剂) instead of a road paint, as well as road use, contributed to the mural’s quick demise. “We had a lot of calls and there were a lot of social media posts that were positive about the mural,” said Kyle. “They wished it would have lasted longer but given the fact that it is on a road with traffic and sand, just like our road markings, we have to refresh them every year to make them visible.”
Citizens will be able to send proposals outlining what kind of mural their group or organization would like to paint and where. City administration will then assess the proposals.
If approved, a flat permit fee of $400 will be required to cover the cost of traffic accommodations (设施) including barricades and parking restrictions needed during painting and after as the paint dries. The permit fee will also cover the cost of reviewing the applications. The applicants will also be required to cover the cost of the paint needed to complete the mural.
“In the pilot project we felt it was successful because there was high community involvement and participation,” said Kyle. “It generated a lot of positive feedback from both the citizens and the community.” He said he hopes community groups will continue to get involved, and as they do that it will spread throughout the city.
1. What do we know about the pilot project?| A．It began in 2018. | B．It used a road paint. |
| C．It aimed to protect ancient murals. | D．It involved participants in street painting. |
| A．Disappearance. | B．Completion. | C．Stop. | D．Hit. |
| A．How to paint murals. |
| B．How to apply for a mural. |
| C．What influences murals have on communities. |
| D．What costs applicants should cover to create the mural. |
| A．It has spread throughout the city. |
| B．It failed to be carried out smoothly. |
| C．It helped create a sense of neighborhood. |
| D．It caused a lot of trouble for city traffic. |
【推荐2】A total of 34 Chinese cities with a combined population of nearly 300 million took park in a pet adoption day at the weekend, promoting the adoption of rescued stray (流浪的) animals.
The live broadcast of China Pet Adoption Day events in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjin, Qingdao, Tianjin and Xi’an was watched by 562,000 people.
From Urumqi in the far northwest to Fuzhou on the southeast coast, people gathered to raise awareness of animal care and to help stray find loving homes.
Sun Quanhui, manager and senior adviser of World Animal Protection, said, “Planet Earth is not only home to humanity but also a home that we share with other animals. It is mankind’s duty and important to treat animals kindly in a civilized society.”
As China’s population becomes richer, pet ownership has increased rapidly, but problems, such as pet abandonment and cruelty, are also growing.
In recent years, more and more adoption events have taken place all over the country, which indicates an awakening of the Chinese public consciousness to animal protection.
“Adopting a pet instead of buying one has been gaining a wider acceptance.”
American Edward Dumpe, who has been working on designs for stray animal shelters in Beijing, said, “It surely sounds super sweet and I have no doubt that it must have been the result of great efforts.”
“I think it is a good step in the right direction, and should be taken as evidence that Chinese society is becoming more aware of stray animals who should be taken care of and treated with respect.”
In real life, “Rabbit-eating Carrot” is fashion designer who has created clothes embroidered with slogans such has “Please adopt a pet” and images of her cats, with all earnings going to the Qiming Small Animal Protection Center in Sichuan Province.
“I didn’t know that there were events like this in China. This is fantastic. Impressive.” Said George Philippe, a french living in Beijing and father of two, at an event in the capital.
1. What is the aim of live broadcast of China Pet Adoption Day event?| A．To improve the awareness of animal adoption |
| B．To attract more attention to the Event |
| C．To encourage more and more people to take part in the live broadcast. |
| D．To introduce some useful western practice of animal adoption |
| A．More pets are in great need in China |
| B．There is not enough related service for pets and their owners |
| C．Some pets need to be given large space to enjoy themselves |
| D．Some people throw their old or disabled pets away |
| A．Smart and cute | B．Creative and independent |
| C．Fashionable and kind-hearted | D．Wealthy and healthy |
| A．The animal right in China | B．No trading, no killing |
| C．How to treat your pets with hearts | D．Live broadcast promotes animal adoptions |
【推荐3】In January, Rio Verde Foothills, an Arizona desert community, found itself in a bad situation: The water supply was cut off.
The community is made up of about 2,000 homes. For years, many in the community have depended on water trucked in from the nearby city of Scottsdale. which gets its water from the Colorado River. But the river is drying up Scottsdale says it has to save water for its own. Now people in Rio Verde Foothills must find a solution.
Some experts say the solution is to bring water from outside of the state. One idea is to build a desalination (海水淡化) plant on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez. The plant would take away salt from the water and supply that water to Arizona through a 200-mile pipeline (管道). Supporters say this could provide fresh water for about ten years.
Environmentalists say the desalination project would harm the planet in several ways. Some of the salt taken out of the Sea of Cortez might end up back in the ocean, harming wildlife. The pipeline would be harmful to land where people and animals live. And the desalination process uses lots of power. This would create greenhouse gases, which are causing the conditions that have led to Arizona’s water problems.
Margaret Wilder, a professor at the. University of Arizona, says the government should focus on cutting water demand (需求) rather than increasing supply. That would mean taking water-saving measures and controlling how many homes are built in the desert. “We need to start asking questions when people present us with unproblematic and carefree solutions to the water problem,’ says Wilder.
People in Tucson, Arizona, have found a solution to the city’s water shortage: rainwater Thousands of households are collecting it and using it for cooking, for drinking, and in their gardens.
1. Why did Scottsdale cut off the water supply to Rio Verde Foothills?| A．The locals wasted plenty of fresh water | B．Mexico’s, Sea of Cortez has been, polluted |
| C．The water level in Colorado River has fallen. | D．More and more people move to the community. |
| A．It could improve people’s well-being. | B．It won’t solve the water shortage. |
| C．It can’t meet the community’s needs. | D．It might be bad for the environment |
| A．Increasing the water supply. | B．Taking action to save water. |
| C．Making the most of rainwater. | D．Planting trees, on the river bank |
| A．A newspaper. | B．A guidebook. | C．A diary. | D．A novel. |
