【推荐1】Art and culture is lived and breathed in every corner of Canada. Due to a racial and immigrant(移民的) population, the variety and richness of art and sports is very evident.

Since World War Ⅱ, Canada has produced an impressive amount of writing. From novels to poetry, the selection is wide. Native writers are also becoming better known across Canada in recent years.

Musicians are reaching a higher level of recognition in the world music scene. Everything from country to pop, classical to heavy rock can be found across Canada and across the globe performed by Canadian artists.

The National Film Board, a film crew in Canada, is the most famous producer of movies in Canada. However, many Hollywood studios are turning to Canada as an alternative(供替代的选择) to the more expensive US. Many well-known actors, directors, screen writers and movies come from Canada and often scoop awards for their work.

French art was the first to appear in Canada along the St Lawrence in and around Quebec. Since then the volume of art and artists has increased. Canadian photography as well as painting by Canadians is not well-known outside of Canada but recognition is increasing.

Sport is a major part of today’s society in Canada. Hockey is the most popular sport with more participants taking part in curling(冰壶). American-style football and baseball are also very popular and all of these sports are played across Canada.

1. Canada has many forms of art and culture because it has ___________.

A．a long history	B．a large area
C．a large population	D．a variety of immigrants

2. What does the underlined word ＂scoop＂ mean in the passage?

A．Expect.	B．Set up.
C．Harvest.	D．Ignore.

3. Which group of Canadian artists is well-known all over the world today?

A．Native writers and screen writers.	B．Photographers and actors.
C．Painters and writers.	D．Musicians, actors and directors.

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Brief Introduction to Canada

B．Canadian Arts, Culture and Sports

C．Canadian Artists

D．Canadian Arts and Culture Are World Famous

【推荐3】The shadow play is a typical traditional entertainment that has survived and thrived over the centuries. It is taken as an earliest ancestor of modern cinema.

Legend has it that more than 2,000 years ago, Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty was very depressed over the death of his favorite concubine (妃子). To help him get over his sadness, a minister made a puppet out of cotton and silk in the likeness of the concubine and projected its shadow on a curtain for the emperor to see. The show brought the emperor some comfort. He somehow believed the shadow was his lover’s spirit. This is thought to be the beginning of the shadow play.

One mouth tells stories of thousands of years; a pair of hands operates millions of soldiers. This is how the shadow puppeteer works. Nicknamed “the business of the five”, a shadow puppet group is made up of five people. One operates the puppets, one plays a Suona and a Yueqin, one plays the Banhu, one is in charge of percussion (打击乐器) instruments, and one sings.

During performances, “actors” are held close to a white curtain with their colored shadows cast on it by a strong light from behind. The operator plays five puppets at the same time, each of which has three threads. Ten fingers handle fifteen threads. Moved by guiding sticks, the puppets play roles with musical accompaniment. The popularity of shadow play in some way lies in the equipment being light and easy to carry, the small number of people needed for a performance, and the flexible requirements for performance places. The plays can be quite dramatic and, when it comes to fairy tales or kungfu stories, the “actors” may be made to ride on clouds or perform unusual feats, to the great enjoyment of the audience, especially children.

The design of the figures follows traditional moral evaluation. The audience can tell a figure’s character by seeing his mask. Like the masks in Beijing Opera, a red mask represents honesty, a black mask, loyalty, and a white one, betrayal.

Nowadays, the shadow play has been industrialized and developed a series of tourist products for the promotion of Chinese culture and tourism.

1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?

A．The origin of the shadow play.	B．How to please an Emperor.
C．A love story of Emperor Wudi.	D．How to make a cotton puppet.

2. According to the author, the audience may take great pleasure ___.

A．because the equipment is light to carry	B．when roles are played without music
C．because the number of the operators is small	D．when the puppets give lively performances

3. A figure comes with a white mask may suggest that this character in the story is a person_____.

A．who is honest	B．who is loyal
C．who betrays someone or something	D．who is responsible

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．The Rapid Development of Beijing Opera

B．Shadow Puppetry: Traditional Arts and Crafts

C．The Business of the Five: A Shadow Puppet Group

D．Traditional Characters and Masks in Beijing Opera

【推荐1】If you’ve ever travelled with other people, the chances are you’ve had to make compromises. When you want to get up early to watch the sunrise, for example, your friends may argue that getting enough sleep is more important. And when you want to try the different food, your friends might say it looks strange and push you to a Chinese restaurant instead.

This is probably why more people these days are choosing to travel alone. According to reports on holiday habits from the Association of British Travel Agents, the percentage of people in the UK who take trips alone has been increasing, from 6 percent in 2011, to 12 percent in 2017, and to 15percent in 2018. Most of these people said they choose to travel alone because this allows them to “do what they want”.

In fact, travelling alone is only a part of a recent trend（趋势）of people wanting to take more time alone--or what’s called “me time”. “Imagine yourself as a full pot of water and everything else that asks for your attention is an empty glass. When you provide what is needed for them you are using up your own water supply,” editor Nicole Lyons wrote for the mental health social network Psych Central. “But how are you refilling your pot？This is where your ‘me time’ comes in.”

However. it’s still quite a common belief that those who do things alone are losers and they’re alone simply because they don’t have anybody to be with. But why can’t people just be enough for themselves？

The now Duchess of Sussex Rachel Meghan Markle once wrote on her blog in 2016 about how she enjoyed taking herself out to dinner and travelling alone. “It’s not easy. But it’s important,” she wrote. You should face everything and encourage yourself to move forward when the feeling of loneliness and boredom sweeps through your body and mind, according to Markle.

1. What does the underlined phrase “make compromises” mean？

A．Turn up.

B．Work hard.

C．Give in.

D．Take care.

2. Why do some people choose to travel alone？

A．To save more money.	B．To enjoy their freedom.
C．To calm themselves down.	D．To avoid troubling someone.

3. What does the author intend to do in Paragraph 3？

A．Show when “me time” occurs.	B．Explain why we need “me time”.
C．Give some examples of “me time”.	D．Offer ways to increase “me time”.

4. What is the best title of the text？

A．Me time: enjoy yourself alone.	B．A new way of travelling abroad.
C．The disadvantages of travelling alone.	D．How to find a proper partner in trips.

【推荐2】Hi, Dave Gieber here. Are you seriously thinking about starting a comic book(连环漫画册)collection yourself? Then “Comic Book Collecting, a Starting Point” was written just for you. This book was designed to help you jump-start your collection using Internet resources!

See what others are saying!

Dave,

As a layperson totally green about comic book collecting, the information provided in your book would allow someone like me to basically start a collection from the very beginning. The steps defined on what to look for and where to look when starting a collection are invaluable to a beginner. In addition, you provide information that not only appeals to those starting out but for those collecting for a long time as well. Great job.

Lorraine Cote

Dave,

I'm thinking it's a little long on history, but I am so impressed by all it presents. Wow! Quite an interesting read. I found the pieces on the Artists particularly interesting.

This is a great piece of work! I love artwork, and did a lot of watercolor work myself and was often fantasizing about comic book penciling myself someday.

If I have one negative thing to say about it…It has to be that I wish I had written it! Congratulations. Dave. This is a real winner.

James D. Tyler

Dear Dave,

Congratulations on a fine book. It is essential reading for people who want to turn their hobby into a money-making venture. I Only wish that I had had this information 40 years ago when I took 6 empty pop(汽水)bottles into the corner store and purchased my first comic book.

I'm amazed at the fact that 40 years ago 10 cents could buy a loaf of bread or the very first issue of The Fantastic Four. Today, 10 cents cannot buy you anything, but a near mint(未损坏的)copy of that comic book could bring you up to$35,000! Thanks for the good read.

Ian McBride

1. What do we know about Lorraine Cote?

A．She is inexperienced in comic book collecting.

B．She has been collecting comic books for years.

C．She asks for information about comic book collecting.

D．She knows nothing about comic book collecting.

2. What is the main reason James D. Tyler writes to Dave?

A．He enjoys reading.	B．He wishes to write a book.
C．He is interested in history.	D．He is interested in artwork.

3. What can be inferred about Ian McBride's first comic book he bought 40 years ago?

A．He bought it with the money for pop.	B．He bought it after he got six bottles of pop.
C．He made a lot of money by selling it later	D．He didn't realize its economic potential then.

【推荐1】A16-year-old girl from Changsha, Hunan province, successfully reached the top of Qomolangma, known as Mount Everest in the West, on Monday morning, becoming the youngest Chinese female to conquer the world’s highest top from the southern slope (坡).

Xu Zhuoyuan is a first year high school student from Hunan province. On April 15, she left Changsha for Nepal. On April 21, she began her long walk from Lukla. 7 days later, she arrived at the base camp and started her altitude adaptation training at once. At 10 pm Beijing time on May 14, Xu Started walking from Camp 4 at an altitude of 7,950 meters on the southern slope of Qomolangma. After a punishing 10-hour climb, she successfully reached the summit.

Xu Zhuoyuan’s father, Xu Jianglei, was the first person from Hunan province to reach the top of Qomolangma. Xu Zhuoyuan has been exploring remote areas with him since she was very young. Despite her young age, Xu Zhuoyuan has already climbed five mountains over 5,000 meters in China. When she was 12 years old, she made a statement on Hunan TV saying, “I will climb Qomolangma.”

Four years later, she achieved her promise. Although Xu Zhuoyuan has rich climbing experience, she has been experiencing high-intensity professional training non-stop to conquer Qomolangma. Last year, she climbed Mount Muztagata, which stands 7,546 meters. “Human beings are small in the face of nature. We should respect nature and get closer to Qomolangma,” said Xu Zhuoyuan.

She brought the gloves her father used when he reached the top with her as a form of inheritance and to bear witness to her own dream coming true. After finishing her university studies, she hopes to continue climbing and achieve the “7+2” (7 tops plus the North and South Poles).

1. When did Xu Zhuoyuan arrive at the base camp?

A．On April 15.

B．On April 21.

C．On April 28.

D．On May 14.

2. Which words can best describe Xu Zhuoyuan?

A．Honest and sincere.	B．Clever and smart.
C．Caring and devoted.	D．Determined and brave.

3. Why was Xu Jianglei mentioned in paragraph 3?

A．To describe his achievements.

B．To show his impact on his daughter.

C．To recognize his support for the girl.

D．To stress girls should be taken good care of.

4. What message does the text want to convey?

A．It’s better to be famous when you are young.

B．Qomolangma draws more and more people.

C．Great determination helps to conquer higher goals.

D．A great father is needed to shock the whole world.

【推荐2】Make the Best of a Bad Situation

Since Covid-19 spreads all over the world, many people have to stay indoors and work from home. For most of us, it greatly challenges our lives and brings boredom. But for a few people, working at home brings more creativity. Here are three famous historical figures who let their creativity flow during past pandemics.

Giovanni Boccaccio (1313-1375)

   

When a plague (瘟疫) hit Florence in 1348, Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio lost his father and stepmother. In order to survive, he left the city and hid in the countryside. Inspired by the experience, Boccaccio wrote The Decameron (《十日谈》), a collection of short novels framed as stories told by a group of friends, while he was quarantined (隔离) inside a house during the plague.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

   

In the early 17th century, a plague hit London, UK. When the number of deaths grew, the government postponed many celebrations and closed all the theaters. This meant that the entertainment industry at the time was paralyzed (瘫痪) for much of 1606. As an actor and dramatist, Shakespeare had to stop working in the playhouse. But he didn't waste a second of his time off. Instead, he used the time productively and wrote some of his most famous plays. Before the year was over, Shakespeare completed three plays—King Lear, Macbeth and Antony and Cleopatra.

Isaac Newton (1642-1727)

   

In 1665, when English mathematician Isaac Newton was in his early 20s, one of the last major outbreaks of the plague hit the UK, and many classes were canceled. Newton, as a student, went back home to continue his studies.

He devoted himself to his studies. The young mathematician produced some of his best works during his year in quarantine, writing the papers that would later become early calculus (微积分学), and developing his theories on physics in his bedroom. While working, an apple dropped from the apple tree outside his window and hit him or the head, which may inspired his theory of gravity.

1. What did Boccaccio do during the plague?

A．He left Italy and hid away.

B．He stayed indoors and read books.

C．He finished the great work: The Decameron.

D．He told his friends many interesting stories.

2. How did the plague affect Shakespeare?

A．He got more entertainment.

B．He got more free time to write plays.

C．He began to show interest in acting.

D．He was inspired to evaluate history.

3. What can we learn about Issac Newton in quarantine?

A．He had to stop his study on math.

B．He put the focus on physics study.

C．He got an idea for the theory of gravity.

D．He worked hard and completed his last work.