【推荐1】In China, calligraphy occupies a distinguished position in the field of traditional art. It has always been more than simply a tool for communication, but also a means of expressing a person's inner world in an aesthetic sense.

Chinese calligraphy has endured for more than 2,000 years. Inscribed on animal bones, the oracle bone script is the earliest known writing form of Chinese characters. Following the changes of dynasties, it evolved into five main ways of writing, each with different techniques. With the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty, the Prime Minister Li Si(?—208 BC)actively promoted a uniform pattern of writing—the seal script. In the Eastern Han Dynasty, people simplified the seal characters, which had many strokes, and created the official script. The new calligraphy appears to be much neater, turning the round style into a flat one.

Today’s most popular and influential writing style, the regular script, first came into being between the Han and Wei dynasties. Just as the name implies, it features regularity and varies from the flat font to a square one. The period when the regular script flourished most was during the Tang Dynasty, when Yan Zhenqing(708—784) and Liu Gongquan(778—865) successively established schools of their own styles. In striking contrast, the cursive script puts emphasis on flexibility, for it only maintains the essence of each character and expresses more personal exertion. Therefore, its value lies more in appreciation than in practicality.

The Sage of Calligraphy Wang Xizhi(303—361,307—365, or 321—379), together with his son Wang Xianzhi (344 -386), led the art of calligraphy to its summit. Wang Xizhi was a master of all forms of Chinese calligraphy, especially the running script, and is generally recognized as the greatest Chinese calligrapher in history. People placed great value on his calligraphic works, comparing his handwriting to a “flying dragon”, vigorous yet elegant. His preface to the poems collected from The Orchid Parilion, known as a gem of Chinese calligraphy, was the most representative of his style. However, the original work is no longer available for public admiration. It is said to be buried in the tomb of Emperor Taizong of Tang(599-649) since he admired it so much.

Chinese calligraphy has also been introduced to many neighboring countries and has built up a worldwide reputation. Picasso(1881—1973),the world-renowned master of art, reportedly once said, “If I had lived in China, I must have become a calligrapher rather than a painter.” In 2009,Chinese calligraphy was inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by the U NESCO.

1. How many writing forms of Chinese characters are mentioned in the passage?

A．4.

B．5.

C．6.

D．7.

2. The underlined word “inscribed” in Paragraph 2 means “________”.

A．Described

B．Carved

C．Inserted

D．Decorated

3. Which of the following is NOT right about these different writing styles?

A．The cursive script highlights flexibility and more personal exertion.

B．Compared with the seal script, the official script is flatter and neater.

C．Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan built up schools to teach the regular script.

D．Wang Xizhi's most representative calligraphic work was written in the running script.

4. What can we infer from what Picasso said?

A．Chinese calligraphy attracted him a lot.	B．He wanted to move to China.
C．He regretted becoming a painter.	D．The UNESCO gave him a report.

【推荐3】Sites of cultural heritage(遗产) often carry a large degree of value. Famous World Heritage Sites like the Pyramids of Giza or the Forbidden City in Beijing are truly impressive.     1     And they also show what the human mind and human culture are capable(有能力的) of.

However, cultural relics(遗迹) are more than just valuable in art—they tell a story of human history. Everything that makes up our society (our values, our language, our traditions, our way of life, etc.) comes from our ancestors.     2     This is extremely valuable because it provides us with a way to understand different cultures round the world and how they join each other. It offers chances for us to learn from the past and develop a better future.

    3     Some relics were stolen from museums in Bagdad and the Iraq War caused great damage （破坏）to parts of the ancient city of Babylon. These acts are hugely harmful to the international society.     4    

So it is important to set an international rule to be followed during a war in order to greatly reduce the harms to cultural relics.     5     In order to better protect cultural relics, the law must be used in all situations even though in certain cases, a war can be won more easily by attacking common people.

A．They are worth protecting.

B．They are beautiful pieces of art.

C．Recently there have been many terrible acts.

D．Cultural heritage is important for many reasons.

E．Cultural relics are the only means we have of connecting with our past.

F．The harms do not only influence our present - day society, but all of our future.

G．This is the case, for example, with the laws about attacking common people in a war.

【推荐2】The Chinese public on Tuesday sent their blessings to astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu—the crew of the Shenzhou-13 spaceflight mission, who have lived and worked in Tianhe space station core module for exactly one month since October 16.

Some 30 million Chinese netizens participated in online discussions of the event on Tuesday.

On seeing the latest images of the crew, some sharp eyes netizens are wondering if the food onboard is so yummy that the three lookedpuffyon camera.

“In zero gravity, liquids inside the human body would go upward into their faces and heads, causing them to look fatter. That’s a moon face, which is a common phenomenon.”said Pang Zhihao, a senior space expert in Beijing. Two-thirds of people’s bodies are made up of liquids. On Earth, gravity pulls most of this toward legs. The extra liquid in the head may lead to blocked noses and sinuses (鼻窦炎), but once the astronauts are back on Earth, they return to their normal appearance, according to the BBC. To feel better and relieve the “puffy face syndrome”, suggested that a negative pressure device may come in handy, as it could reverse the upward movement of liquids.

Planned to last six months, Shenzhou-13 mission is the longest space stay for a single space-flight mission in China’s history. One of the highlights of the first month’s stay in the Tianhe station was the successful execution (实施) of the Shenzhou-13’s first spacewalk, during which Zhai and Wang, the female astronaut, stepped out of the core module and completed all planned tasks in six and a half hours.

The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)said in a statement at the time that the spacewalk, the first of the Shenzhou-13 mission and the third during the country’s space station building period, has further proved the performance of China’s home-developed spacesuit, the ability of the astronauts to work with the robotic arm, and the reliability and safety of the supporting system. The Shenzhou-13 crew will carry out another one or two spacewalks during the mission.

1. What does the underlined word "puffy" mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Energetic.

B．Sleepy.

C．Healthy.

D．Swollen.

2. What causes a moon face of those astronauts ?

A．Negative pressure device.

B．Spacewalks during the long space mission.

C．Upward movement of liquids inside human body.

D．Nutritious diet in Tianhe space station core module.

3. What can we know about Shenzhou-13 mission from the passage?

A．It is the longest space stay for a single spaceflight mission.

B．It will take about half a year to complete all planned tasks.

C．It is supported by several foreign spacesuit manufacturers.

D．Its first spacewalk was finished successfully by Wang Yaping alone

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To entertain	B．To persuade
C．To explain	D．To analyze

【推荐3】Chaudhary quietly weaves together lengths of ropes, binding them with grass collected from the riverbank. She skillfully shapes the materials into a jewelry box. Meanwhile, she’s instructing a group of women to work out the materials. The ropes used were once the lifeline for climbers tackling Nepal’s mountains and were then discarded (扔掉). They are now finding new life, transformed by skilled hands into items to sell.

Acharya, working with the cleaning campaign, owns a waste processing business in Kathmandu, also an advocate for sustainable waste management. “Aluminum and other metal waste go through the recycling process, but we found no way to recycle ropes and gas cans,” she says. It struck her that the non-recyclable waste could be reused, but it wasn’t until she met Maya Rai that a solution emerged. Rai, leading Nepal Knotcraft Centre, helped connect Acharya with Chaudhary’s team of craftswomen in hopes of turning the mountain waste into economic opportunity. “While this seems insignificant compared to waste in the mountains, it’s a start. We aim to connect local expertise, mountain waste and local economy,” says Acharya, proudly displaying a mat made from ropes left on Mt. Qomolangma by climbers. Her goal is to ensure that no waste collected from mountains ends up in a landfill again.

Finished crafts are sold at outlets and exhibitions. The craftswomen are paid according to how many items they make and sell. With flexible hours, the project gives women an opportunity to earn money even as they maintain household responsibilities.

Eventually, Acharya hopes to expand the program to involve more women and process more waste. But progress has been slow. “We still have not found a sustainable business plan to make crafts in large quantities, ”she says. Now, she is searching for cooperators to make a model that serves not only the mountain but the communities. “After all, we are trying to craft a sustainable future.”

Each rope turned into a decorative item is a way to help local women earn a living and keep mountains clean.

1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning Chaudhary in paragraph 1?

A．To lead in the topic with her example.

B．To spread her environmental consciousness.

C．To show her patient instructions to the women.

D．To speak highly of her outstanding weaving skills.

2. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．A business involving waste processing.

B．A team transforming waste into treasure.

C．A campaign advocating sustainable management.

D．A solution connecting expertise, waste and economy.

3. Which of the following is the most likely reason for craftswomen to join in the project?

A．Selling crafts at outlets can earn more money.

B．Removing mountain waste generates a sense of pride.

C．Cooperating with local experts helps promote skills.

D．Work-life balance can be achieved due to flexible hours.

4. What is Acharya’s attitude towards expanding the program?

A．Hesitant.

B．Positive.

C．Suspicious.

D．Disapproving.

【推荐1】16th-century work Epifania is one of only two existing cartoons by the Italian master. It is going through delicate and highly technical conservation (保护）work at the British Museum in an attempt to stabilize the fragile work for the coming decades.

“Michelangelo was one of the great draughtsmen of the 16th century. He worked into his 80s, but left only 600 drawings behind—an astonishingly small number given his long career,”said Emma Turner, a senior conservator (管理员）at the British Museum. “He is known to have burned some of his drawings in his studio before his death because he didn’t want to reveal his working methods. He was very clear that what he wanted to remain was the idea. ”

The cartoon was in Michelangelo’s studio at the time of his death. It remained in Italy until the late 18th century, and then travelled to England, the Netherlands and back to England. It was acquired by the British Museum in 1895.

The conservation work began in 2018, but was interrupted by the Covid pandemic. It must be completed by May 2024, when the drawing of the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child and other male figures will go back on display as part of the museum’s permanent collection. The work is funded by the Bank of America’s art conservation project, which supports museums and institutions to protect historically or culturally significant works.

“It was incredibly exciting to be working on a rare, complex and very large object with a 500-year history”, Turner said.

1. Why did Epifania need to be protected?

A．It is a cartoon.	B．It is from Itally.
C．It is cultural relic.	D．It is expensive.

2. What does the underlined word “draughtsmen” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Artists.

B．Writers.

C．Scientists.

D．Educators.

3. When might the work Epifania be exhibited again?

A．In 1795.	B．In 1895.
C．In 2018.	D．In 2024.

4. What does Turner think of working on the object with a 500-year history?

A．Favorable.

B．Unconcerned.

C．Unreasonable.

D．Worried.

【推荐2】The Mogao Caves form a system of 492 temples 25 km southeast of the center of Dunhuang, which is located at the religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road, in Gansu province. Known as Buddhist (佛教) caves, the caves contain some of the finest examples of Buddhist art, lasting a period of 1,000 years.     1    

The Mogao Caves are especially famous for the colored sculptures and murals (壁画), or wall paintings.     2     Rich and varied in forms, they typically have a healthy body, dignified appearance and simple style. The background color is dark red, plus other fresh colors. The color tone is strong and open, and the lines soft and comfortable, which shows the features of western Buddhism.     3    

The painted murals in the Mogao Caves tell stories about Buddhist scriptures (经文), scenery, open halls and scenes about production or flower patterns, reflecting society and civilization in ancient China.

    4     They are the goddesses serving Buddhas, flying in the universe. The artists used the special lines and harmonious interest and charm to show the graceful dream world. The gorgeous color, and lively lines reflect the artists’ passion for the dream world.

In lots of painted murals, the art features of other countries such as India, Iran and Greece can be easily seen.     5     The artistic charm of the painted murals contributes to glorious history of art in China.

A．Many ideas were spread through the Silk Road.

B．The murals were painted to worship the Buddha.

C．They reflected the development of Buddhism in China.

D．Different dynasties also showed different painting styles.

E．The colored sculptures are the main part of Dunhuang art.

F．All these make them a model for colored Buddhist sculptures.

G．In the painted murals everywhere are many beautiful flying Apsaras (飞天).