【推荐1】Chinese people are, quite rightly, proud of their food. However, when foreigners like Britons and Americans think of Chinese food, their impression of it is different to what you might think.

Growing up in the UK, the Chinese food I was used to eating was food I now recognize as being from Guangdong. For example, a typical dish I would order would be pork in sweet and sour sauce, probably with some rice and spring rolls on the side. This is the type of food we generally eat because most Chinese immigrants(移民) to the UK have come from Guangdong. You can tell, because when most British people try to copy the sound of Chinese, they actually copy the sound of Guangdong people—hearing the real Putonghua is sometimes a shock to British people who have grown up thinking it sounds completely different!

British attitudes to Chinese food may be changing, though. Chinese-American chef Ken Hom has been on British TV for 30 years, and he told BBC Food: “Chinese food at the beginning of the 80s (in the UK) was sweet and sour pork, mainly. Most Brits had the unchangeable view of Chinese food. Now you are seeing more local Chinese food from Sichuan, Hunan and other areas of China. It is no longer just Guangdong food.” Similarly, to most Americans, Chinese food doesn’t go too far past orange chicken and fortune cookies, but more Chinese local dishes are becoming successful, especially in big cities like New York.

Attitudes have not quite changed completely, though. Many foreigners who live in China will be familiar with this question from a relative back at home: “Have they given you dog yet?” Yes, perhaps because people still know too little about Chinese culture, many people believe that Chinese people love to eat dog meat. And of course, some people do eat dogs, which to Americans is like “eating a member of one’s family” according to Vision Times. Also, Chinese people eat many other things people in the West do not—chicken claws, duck heads and some animals’ organs.

But what do foreigners think when they come to China and taste real Chinese food? You’ll be glad to know that in my experience, the impressions have been very good.

1. Why are some British people surprised when they hear the real Putonghua?

A．Because it sounds too funny to believe.

B．Because it’s different from what they hear.

C．Because they all find it hard to learn.

D．Because nobody has been to China before.

2. What does chef Ken Hom think of the present Chinese food?

A．Popular.	B．Tastier.
C．Richer	D．Best.

3. How does Paragraph 3 develop?

A．By giving examples.	B．By making inferences.
C．By analyzing.	D．By reasoning.

4. What can we infer from “Have they given you dog yet?”?

A．Foreigners don’t like eating dog meat at all.

B．Chinese hate dogs so they often eat them.

C．Chinese eat everything including dog meat.

D．There are differences between cultures.

【推荐2】As computers become all the more popular in China, Chinese people are increasingly relying on computer keyboards to input Chinese characters. But if they use the computer too much, they may end up forgetting the exact strokes（笔画） of each Chinese character when writing on paper. Experts suggest people, especially students, write by hand more.

Do you write by hand more or type more? In Beijing, students start using a computer as early as primary school. And computer dependence is more widespread among university students. Almost all their assignments and essays are typed on a computer.

All the students interviewed say they usually use a computer.

It’s faster and easier to correct if using a computer. And that’s why computers are being applied more and more often to modern education. But when people are taking stock in computers increasingly, problems appear.

“When I’m writing with a pen, I find I often can’t remember how to write a character, though I feel I’m familiar with it.”

“I’m not in the mood to write when faced with a pen and paper.”

Many students don’t feel this is something to worry about. Now that it’s more convenient and efficient to write on a computer, why bother to handwrite?

Many educators think differently. Shi Liwei, the headmaster of a famous primary school in the capital said, “Chinese characters enjoy both practical and aesthetic（审美的） value. But those characters typed with computer keyboards only keep their practical value. All the artistic beauty of the characters is lost. And handwriting contains the writer’s emotion. Through one’s handwriting, people can get to know one’s thinking and personality. Beautiful writing will give people a better first impression of them.”

To encourage students to handwrite more, many primary schools in Beijing have made writing classes compulsory（必修的） and in universities, some professors are asking students to turn in their homework and essays written by hand.

1. Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?

A．To Type or To Handwrite

B．The Value of Chinese Characters

C．The Importance of Handwriting and Typing

D．Writing by Computer Will Replace Writing by Hand

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Students think typing is more efficient.

B．Handwriting contains the writer’s emotion.

C．A lot of Chinese people don’t write Chinese characters.

D．The writer’s thinking and personality are shown in his or her handwriting.

3. The underlined expression “taking stock in” in Paragraph 4 probably means ______.

A．getting bored with	B．getting dependent on
C．becoming crazy about	D．becoming afraid of

4. We can draw the conclusion from the passage that ______.

A．writing by hand will give way to typing by computer one day

B．the typed article better expresses one’s emotion and quality

C．more and more students will give up writing on a computer

D．more and more students will pay attention to handwriting

【推荐3】Chinese New Year has been welcomed in Britain with its biggest ever program of events and celebrations.

From London's Trafalgar Square to major cities across Britain,tens of thousands of British people have joined Chinese communities to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. In Manchester there was a Dragon Parade(舞龙表演）,led by a very impressive 54-meter long dragon,ending in Chinatown where there was traditional Chinese entertainment, more than 6, 000 lanterns,street food villages and a fireworks show. Celebrations also took place in Liverpool, Birmingham, Durham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Newcastle.

Academic Dr Wu Kegang said that the Chinese New Year event in Britain “is now bigger than ever and it is growing every year”. When Wu arrived in Britain 26 years ago from Guangdong,the first thing he noticed was that Chinese New Year was celebrated mainly in towns and cities with big Chinese communities. “You would go to London Chinatown and join your countrymen to celebrate, or to Chinatowns in places like Liverpool and Manchester for events almost only held for Chinese people, ”Wu recalled.

“Now it is so different, and we are seeing local communities all over the country taking part alongside their own Chinese populations, ” he said. “It is clear to me that the celebrations will continue to grow in Britain. Chinese New Year has earned its place in the calendar of events in Britain,and is here to stay. ”

1. Where did the Dragon Parade take place?

A．In London.	B．In Liverpool.
C．In Manchester.	D．In Birmingham.

2. When Dr Wu arrived in Britain 26 years ago, Chinese New Year was________

A．celebrated mainly by Chinese communities

B．celebrated by local communities all over the country

C．only celebrated in London, Liverpool and Manchester

D．celebrated by tens of thousands of British people with Chinese people

3. How does Dr Wu think Chinese New Year will develop in Britain?

A．It will lose its attraction.

B．It will become a British official holiday.

C．More and more British people will join in the celebrations.

D．It will become the most important one in the calendar of events in Britain.

4. What does this passage mainly tell us?

A．How Chinese New Year is celebrated in Britain.

B．Where Chinese New Year is celebrated in Britain.

C．Chinese culture is more attractive than British culture.

D．Chinese New Year has become more and more popular in Britain.

【推荐1】Art is everywhere. Any public space has been carefully designed by an artistic mind to be both functional and beautiful. Why, then, is art still so widely considered to be the easy subject at school insignificant to wider society, a waste of time and effort?

Art can connect culture with commercial (商业的) products in a way that not many other things can; art brings money and holds significant emotional and cultural value within communities. When people attend a concert they are paying for the art product—music, sure, maybe even hotel rooms, meals, and transport, but they also gain an incredible experience, a unique atmosphere and a memory that will go through the rest of their lives. People don’t just want material things anymore they want to experience life—the arts are a perfect crossover between culture and commerce.

Furthermore, the arts can bring communities together, reducing loneliness and making people feel safer. Social bonds are created among individuals when they share their arts experiences through reflection and discussion, and their expression of common values through artworks in honour of events significant to a nation’s experience.

The arts clearly have a pretty positive impact on physical and psychological health. It is found that people who frequent cultural places or participate in artistic events are more likely to gain good health compared to those who do not; more engagement with the arts is linked to a higher level of people’s well-being. The Royal Society of Public Health discovered that music and art, when used in hospitals, help to improve the conditions of patients by reducing stress, anxiety and blood pressure.

Children who are involved with the arts make greater achievements in their education: those engaged with drama have greater literary ability while others taking part in musical practice exhibit greater skills in math and languages. Kids with preference for the arts have a greater chance of finding employment in the future. Participating in the arts is essential for child development: encouraging children to express themselves in constructive ways could help to form healthy emotional responses in later life

Vital to human life, art is celebrated and used by nations across the world for various purposes. Life without art would be boring and dead still, for art is a part of what makes us human.

1. Art products differ from most other commercial products because ________.

A．they have both commercial and cultural values

B．they are more expensive and difficult to understand

C．they provide the chance to escape from material life

D．they are created only to meet people’s emotional needs

2. What can we learn about arts from this passage?

A．Arts strengthen social connections.

B．Arts have always been highly valued.

C．Arts promise kids a successful life.

D．Arts influence people more physically than mentally.

3. What is the best title for this passage?

A．How Art Cures Our Hearts

B．Art: A Bridge Between Cultures

C．How Art Benefits Communities

D．Art: A Blessing to Humankind

【推荐2】The Chinese art of paper cutting has a long history. The earliest paper cutting was found in China in the Northern Dynasties. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ) has recognized the art, called Jianzhi, on its Intangible (非物质的) Cultural Heritage (遗产) list. Voyo Woo, who is a Chinese student studying in the US, hopes to introduce the traditional Chinese art to Americans in her spare time.

Ms. Woo loves paper cutting. And she works hard to celebrate the ancient art form. On a recent Saturday, Ms. Woo held a paper cutting show at a shopping center near Washington. She demonstrated the art to the crowds for hours at the shopping center.

Ms. Woo began to study the art of Jianzhi as a 14-year-old girl in her hometown in southeastern China. She said all the students at school had to learn the art. However, she developed a special love for it, so her teacher gave her extra training after class. Later, she won second prize in a national painting and calligraphy competition.

After Ms. Woo came to the US, she became involved in an event to support and expand the understanding of Chinese paper cutting. She has been invited to demonstrate the art at a wide collection of events. She has also shown her skill at famous museums in Washington. Ms. Woo says paper cutting represents Chinese cultural values, history and stories of people’s lives. She uses the art as a tool to present Chinese culture to people who know little about it.

Ms. Woo placed examples of her art around her as she demonstrated paper cutting at the shopping center. Some shoppers, like Ann Russ, took part in a workshop. Ms. Russ was struck (打动) by the finely detailed nature of the work. “ I like to know about the Chinese art, specifically because it is very delicate (精致的). And I like the focus that it requires because it takes me out of everything. And we have to concentrate on something very closely. It is almost relaxing to put that much effort into it. ” Ms. Russ says.

1. What can we learn about Jianzhi from paragraph 1?

A．It is popular now in the US.

B．It dates from the Qing Dynasty.

C．It was brought back to life by immigrants (移民).

D．It is regarded as the cultural heritage.

2. Why did Ms. Woo hold a paper cutting show at a shopping center?

A．To earn some money.	B．To attract more shoppers.
C．To celebrate an art festival.	D．To make paper cutting well-known.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The school life of Ms. Woo in China.

B．The story of Ms. Woo and her teacher.

C．Ms. Woo’s experience of learning Jianzhi.

D．Ms. Woo’s success in advertising Jianzhi.

4. What can we infer from Ms. Russ’s words?

A．She is confused about paper cutting.

B．She can get relaxation from paper cutting.

C．Paper cutting needs much energy to make.

D．Paper cutting takes up much of her time.

【推荐1】Do you think the United Kingdom and the United States are alike? Winston Churchill once joked that the people of Britain and the people of America are separated only by their language. Do you think that is true? The British and the Americans both speak English as the official language. However, each uses some different words. We Americans are similar to the British. After all, our country was once owned by the UK, so we have a lot in common. But there are many differences between us.

The UK has a king or queen, and the leader of the government is the Prime Minister. The US has no kings or queens. Our leader is the President.

Both the British and Americans use pounds and ounces, pints, quarts, and gallons. Both use miles, yards, and feet. Our money is different, though. The British use pounds and pence. Americans use dollars and cents.

Driving in a car is very different in the UK. They drive on the left side of the road. We drive on the right. What we call the hood of the car, the British call the “bonnet”. British cars run on “petrol”, which we call gasoline.

In our everyday life, we do many of the same things as the British. But we describe them differently. A young mother here might push a baby in a baby carriage. A British mum pushes a “pram”. The British watch “telly”, while we watch TV. We like to eat French fries, but the British call them “chips”. Millions of Americans drink coffee, but most British prefer tea.

So we are different in many ways. But we stay friendly anyway.

1. What can we know from Winston Churchill’s joke?

A．The UK and the US are very similar.

B．The people of the UK and the US are the same.

C．The languages of the UK and the US are the same.

D．There are many differences between the UK and the US.

2. The British and Americans both use ________.

A．miles and dollars	B．pints and pence
C．gallons and feet	D．yards and cents

3. Which of the following is used by the British?

A．TV.	B．Pram.
C．Hood.	D．French fries.

【推荐3】Are you smarter than your parents and grandparents? According to James Flynn, a professor at a New Zealand university, you are! Over the course of the last century, people’s IQ test scores have gotten steadily higher — on average, three points higher each decade. This improvement is known as the “Flynn effect”, and scientists want to know what is behind it.

IQ tests are designed to measure general intelligence rather than knowledge. Flynn believes that intelligence partly comes from our parents and partly is the result of our environment, but the improvement in test scores has been happening too quickly to be explained by heredity (遗传). So what occurred in the 20th century to help people achieve higher scores?

Scientists have proposed several explanations for the Flynn effect. Some suggest that the improved test scores simply reflect an increased exposure to tests in general and the learning of test-taking techniques that help us perform better on any test. Others have pointed to better nutrition. Babies now are born larger, healthier, and with more brain development than in the past. Another suggested explanation is a change in educational styles, with teachers encouraging children to learn by discovering things for themselves rather than just memorizing information, which improves their problem-solving skills.

Flynn has limited the possible explanations after carefully examining test data and discovering that the improvement in scores has taken place in only certain parts of the IQ test. Test-takers are not doing better on the math or vocabulary sections of the test; they are doing better on the sections requiring reasoning and problem solving. For example, one part of the test shows a set of shapes, and test-takers must find the patterns and connections between them.

According to Flynn, this visual intelligence improves as the amount of technology in our lives increases. Every time you play a computer game, you are exercising exactly the kind of thinking and problem solving that helps you do well on one kind of intelligence test. So are you really smarter than your parents? In one very specific way, you may be.

1. According to the passage, the “Flynn effect” is ________.

A．an increase in IQ test scores over time

B．a method used to measure intelligence

C．the influence of technology on intelligence

D．a theory that connects intelligence to experience

2. What is the function of the third paragraph?

A．To list the findings of Professor Flynn’s research.

B．To provide possible explanations that disprove Flynn’s ideas.

C．To outline different theories explaining the increase in IQ scores.

D．To describe how research was carried out in the measuring of intelligence.

3. According to the passage, newer educational techniques include _________.

A．exposing children to fewer tests

B．giving children clearer teaching instructions

C．getting children to memorize lots of information

D．encouraging children to find out things themselves

4. The writer believes that computer games _________.

A．have discouraged people from taking exercise

B．have helped improve people’s visual intelligence

C．have made young people become less intelligent

D．have caused young people to have poorer vocabularies

5. Which statement would Professor Flynn agree with?

A．Development of technology contributes to intelligence improvement on math.

B．Not all aspects of intelligence have increased.

C．The IQ test pattern should be changed.

D．The language ability of people has improved.