Ugandan student’s study and adaptation of traditional Chinese craft helps build bridges through art. With its balanced, rounded pot and cups, the tea set seems like Chinese ceramic (陶瓷) at first glance. But closer inspection of its pattern reveals an ancient Ugandan design. “My projects always aim to join some aspects of Chinese and Ugandan culture together,” says the tea set’s creator, Ocen Robert.
In 2015, Robert arrived in China from the East African nation to pursue a higher education in ceramic arts at Jingdezhen Ceramic University in East China’s Jiangxi province. The Ugandan is enrolled in a PhD program focusing on design, with his art pieces sold at national-level exhibitions in China.
He says, “I love it here not only because of its safety, but the raw materials and the production techniques for ceramics here are also among the best in the world.” During his time in China, Robert was given many opportunities to participate in ceramic production, exhibitions and even access to experts — all helping to grow the space where he could express his creativity.
To deepen his understanding and passion for traditional Chinese culture, Robert spends most of his free time in local museums’ culture and history sections. He also gets to know Chinese professionals inside and outside the ceramic world. “I would love to solidify my career as an artist here while helping to link Uganda and China,” Robert says.
“Ugandans are thankful, curious, and passionate about Chinese culture. I would love to introduce the artists back home to study and create ceramic artworks in China and promote them to the world.”
Robert says, “To be a modern artist in Chinese ceramics, one needs to comprehend the full flow of production, which requires years of practice and learning.” One of the most challenging areas of creating his pieces involves creating the “ideal shape and thickness”. He says “I fail at times, but I always practice and try again and again.” Robert has attained the essential spirit of Chinese ceramic arts — accepting and integrating the differences.
1. What is the goal of Robert’s art projects?| A．To promote traditional Chinese ceramics in Uganda. |
| B．To combine elements of Chinese and Ugandan culture. |
| C．To compete in the international exhibitions. |
| D．To restore and preserve ancient Ugandan arts. |
| A．joins | B．entitles | C．declares | D．extends |
| A．Creative and perseverant. | B．Kind and knowledgeable. |
| C．Humorous and passionate. | D．Courageous and intelligent. |
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【推荐1】The Chongyang Festival is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, which is also known as the Double Ninth Festival.
Climbing mountains
People like to climb mountains during this festival. One reason is that the ninth lunar month, with clear autumn sky and clean air, is a good time for sightseeing.
Climbing mountains also refers to “climbing to a higher position”. Another reason why climbing mountains is valued by people, especially by the elderly, is that it has a meaning of “climbing to longevity(长寿)”. Climbing mountains on the Double Ninth Festival was already popular in the Tang Dynasty.
Drinking the chrysanthemum flower (菊花) wine
The chrysanthemum flower wine is unique in brewing. In ancient times, people usually picked fresh chrysanthemum flowers and leaves on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, and put the mixture of them and grains into the wine.
The Double Ninth cake is also known as the “flower cake”. It is said that the cake was originally prepared after autumn harvests for farmers to have a taste of what was just in season, and it gradually grew into the present cake for people to eat on the Double Ninth Festival.
| A．Making the “flower cake” |
| B．Eating Double Ninth cakes |
| C．A lot of poems were devoted to this custom |
| D．Therefore, people love to go on an outing in this month |
| E．It would not be drunk until the same day of the next year |
| F．Here are some traditional customs of the Double Ninth Festival |
| G．However, few Chinese people are aware of the importance of the festival |
【推荐2】The annual Yuyuan Garden lantern show in Shanghai is an important event in the city’s Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations for 28 years. It is one of the country’s oldest lantern fairs, where locals go to experience the festive atmosphere and wish each other well during the Spring Festival.
This year, the beloved Yuyuan Garden lantern show took place outside of China for the very first time, with 60 large-sized bright structures and more than 2,000 lanterns lighting the Jardin d’Acclimatation — the oldest amusement park in Paris, as a way to celebrate the 2024 Year of the Dragon with an interesting combination of Eastern and Western culture.
From dragon-shaped lanterns to motifs (图腾) inspired by the legendary world of Shanhai Jing (a book dating back to 2,000 years ago, regarded as a major source of Chinese mythology), the Yuyuan Garden lantern show in Paris built a world of lights and imagination for visitors, showing the charm of traditional Chinese culture.
Highlighting various cultural and spiritual symbols, the lantern displays include mythical creatures such as Kunpeng and Yinglong, representing ambition and strength.
Beyond the lanterns, the celebration in Paris also consisted of market events. Visitors could also admire traditional Chinese costumes and accessories, and enjoy traditional Chinese cuisine.
With a mixture of dancing, acrobatics (杂技) and martial arts performances, the lantern show was an impressive experience in the world of Chinese folklore and lanterns, which was open until February 25, 2024.
More than just a lantern show, it also served as an opening activity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic (外交的) relations between China and France in 1964, which is also the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.
1. What was special about Yuyuan Garden lantern show this year?| A．It attracted more local visitors. |
| B．It was held in a foreign country. |
| C．It showed the long history of lanterns. |
| D．It had more larger lanterns than before. |
| A．Taste Chinese food. | B．Buy Chinese costumes. |
| C．Dance with the performers. | D．Learn to make lanterns. |
| A．To provide more opportunities for the performers. |
| B．To attract more visitors and improve the tourism. |
| C．To celebrate the friendship between China and France. |
| D．To show the its long history and worldwide popularity. |
| A．Yuyuan Lantern Festival Shines in Paris |
| B．Chinese-French Friendship Gets Strengthened |
| C．Yuyuan Lantern Festival Attracts Foreign Visitors |
| D．New Activities are Added to Yuyuan Lantern Festival |
【推荐3】When you take a closer look at the photos of the 36 contestants for CCTV 3’s talent show Bravo Youngsters , you may find something different.
Ling, one contestant on the show, is seemingly perfect. The 25-year-old Beijing woman is a social media influencer, whose realistic appearance is computer generated (生成).
Yet Ling behaves like an actual human social media star. She attends fashion events, promotes designer clothes and brands, and shares her life on Sina Weibo.
“I love traditional Chinese culture, especially Peking Opera, calligraphy and tai chi. I hope that I can interpret (阐释) these art forms in my own way on the stage,” Ling posted on her weibo account on Nov 22.
Actually, Ling herself is the best illustration of her love for Chinese traditional culture.
Her name, Ling, comes from the feathered headdress (头饰) worn in Peking Opera. Her voice in the talent show follows the school (流派) of the late Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang. And her face is even designed to look good while wearing Peking Opera makeup.
According to Chen Yan, founder of Beijing Next Generation Culture Media, the company behind Ling, they aimed to build the virtual idol (虚拟偶像) into a web influencer interested in guofeng (Chinese national style).
Chen Zhe from the company Frees Fund, believes that the rise of virtual influencers will bring opportunities.
“They have great advantages. Unlike human influencers who will get old, or may become involved in some sort of scandal (丑闻), digital influencers are young, flexible, manageable and controllable,” he said.
Chen Yan also pointed out that although influencers like Ling are virtual, their influence is real. Like it or not, they will bring big changes to the entertainment and fashion industries in the near future.
1. What sets Ling apart from the other contestants?| A．Her popularity on social media. | B．Her computer-generated existence. |
| C．Her seemingly perfect appearance. | D．Her love for designing clothes. |
| A．Ling performs Peking Opera on the show. |
| B．Ling dresses up like a Peking Opera singer. |
| C．She displays various Chinese cultural elements. |
| D．Ling likes promoting Chinese culture in the virtual world. |
| A．They are more attractive and talented. |
| B．They act flexibly in different situations. |
| C．They can be controlled and managed easily. |
| D．They can impact the entertainment and fashion industries. |
【推荐1】If feels like every time my mother and I start to have a conversation，it turns into an argument．We talk about something as simple as dinner plans and suddenly，my mother will push the conversation into World War？She'll talk about my lack of a bright future because I don't plan to be a doctor．And much to her disappointment，I don't want to do any job related to science，either．In fact，when I was pushed to say that I planned to major （主修） in English and communications，she nearly had a heart attack．
"Why can't you be like my coworker's son？"she bemoans all the time．Her coworker's son received a four year scholarship and is now earning 70，000 dollars a year as an engineer．I don't know what to answer except that I simply can't be like Mr Perfect as I've called the unnamed coworker's son．I can't be like him．I'm the type of person who loves to help out in the community，write until the sun goes down，and most of all，wants to achieve a career because I love it，not because of fame （名声） or salary．
I understand why my mother is worried about my future major．I've seen my mother struggle to raise me on her small salary and work long hours．She leaves the house around 6：30 am and usually comes home around 5 pm or even 6 pm．However，I want her to know that by becoming a doctor，it doesn't mean I'll be successful．I'd rather follow my dreams and create my own future．
1. Which of the following topics do the writer and his mother often talk about？ ______| A．The writer's studies． | B．The writer's future job． |
| C．Dinner plans． | D．Wars around the world． |
| A．doesn't want the writer to major in English |
| B．doesn't think the writer should be a doctor |
| C．gets along very well with the writer |
| D．doesn't think working in the science field is a good idea |
| A．agrees | B．shouts |
| C．complains | D．smiles |
| A．He wants to be like his mother's coworker's son． |
| B．He wants to find a job in his community in the future． |
| C．He doesn't think his mother's coworker's son is perfect． |
| D．He wants to do something he really likes in the future． |
【推荐2】As an only child, Nicole Renae often felt lonely in her youth. But that all changed when she turned ten. For her birthday, Renae’s grandmother surprised her with an adorable gray puppy named Chloe.
From the very start, the two were inseparable. “She was my best friend,” Renae says. But when Renae was 14, her father got a new job that came with devastating news: He’d be working at home, and the house needed to be free of audible noise.
With no easier option, the family sent Chloe to a humane society. Though they were optimistic that the dog would find a new home with people who loved her, they couldn’t know for sure.
In time, Renae grew up, got married, and had a child of her own. Remembering the joy that having a dog had brought her as a kid, Renae wanted her daughter to experience the same. She had it in her mind that she would adopt a puppy, but then one day she saw a post on Facebook about a senior dog that needed a new home. The dog in the photograph looked a lot like Chloe — she was even named Chloe. In an instant it was decided: She would adopt this older dog.
When she met Chloe, Renae was struck with a strange feeling. The dog seemed so familiar. And Chloe appeared to feel the same way about Renae. Chloe reminded Renae so much of her old dog that the emotion overwhelmed her.
“I was crying,” Renae says. “I just knew in my heart that it was her.”
Still, eight years had passed since Renae had seen Chloe last, so the notion (突然的想法) seemed to be little more than wishful thinking.
But her mom realized there was a way to test the theory: Their Chloe had been microchipped as a puppy. They found the ID number, then Renae took her new Chloe to the vet to be scanned. Sure enough, she also had a microchip.
“The numbers were a match,” Renae says. “I felt like I’d won the lottery (彩票).”
1. Why did the family get rid of Chloe when Renae was young?| A．To escape from noises. | B．To rehouse the senior dog. |
| C．To guarantee Renae’s safety. | D．To help build the humane society. |
| A．To give her daughter pleasure of keeping a pet. | B．To strike up a friendship with a pet. |
| C．To search for her old dog Chloe. | D．To remind herself of her Chloe. |
| A．With a careful health check. | B．By matching microchips. |
| C．By putting the dog to the test. | D．By letting their feelings be their guide. |
| A．Think highly of lasting friendship. |
| B．Appeal to people to care for animals. |
| C．Share a story with a thrilling ending. |
| D．Show many wrong decisions are hastily taken. |
【推荐3】It had been some time since Jack had seen the old man. College, career, and life itself got in the way. In fact, Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. There, in the rush of his busy life, Jack had little time to think about the past and often no time to spend with his wife and son. He was working on his future, and nothing could stop him.
Over the phone, his mother told him, “Mr. Belser died last night. The funeral is Wednesday.” Memories flashed through his mind like an old newsreel as he sat quietly remembering his childhood days.
“Jack, did you hear me?”
“Oh, sorry, Mom. Yes, I heard you. It’s been so long since I thought of him. I’m sorry, but I honestly thought he died years ago.” Jack said.
“Well, he didn’t forget you. Every time I saw him he’d ask how you were doing. He’d reminisce (回忆) about the many days you spent over ‘his side of the fence’ as he put it.” Mom told him.
“I loved that old house he lived in.” Jack said.
“You know, Jack, after your father died, Mr. Belser stepped in to make sure you had a man’s influence in your life.” she said.
“He’s the one who taught me carpentry. I wouldn’t be in this business if it weren’t for him. He spent a lot of time teaching me things he thought were important… Mom, I’ll be there for the funeral.” Jack said.
Busy as he was, he kept his word. Jack caught the next flight to his hometown. Mr. Belser’s funeral was small and uneventful. He had no children of his own, and most of his relatives had passed away.
The night before he had to return home, Jack and his Mom stopped by to see the old house next door one more time, which was exactly as he remembered. Every step held memories. Every picture, every piece of furniture… Jack stopped suddenly.
“What’s wrong, Jack?” his Mom asked.
“The box is gone.” he said.
“What box?” Mom asked.
“There was a small gold box that he kept locked on top of his desk. I must have asked him a thousand times what was inside. All he’d ever tell me was ‘the thing I value most’.” Jack said.
It was gone. Everything about the house was exactly how Jack remembered it, except for the box. He figured someone from the Belser family had taken it.
“Now, I’ll never know what was so valuable to him,” Jack said sadly.
Returning to his office the next day, he found a package on his desk. The return address caught his attention.
“Mr. Harold Belser” it read.
Jack tore open the package. There inside was the gold box and an envelope. Jack’s hands shook as he read the note inside.
“Upon my death, please forward this box and its contents to Jack Bennett. It’s the thing I valued most in my life.” A small key was taped to the letter. His heart racing, and tears filling his eyes, Jack carefully unlocked the box. There inside he found a beautiful gold pocket watch. Running his fingers slowly over the fine cover, he opened it.
Inside he found these words carved: “Jack, Thanks for your time! Harold Belser.”
“Oh, My God! This is the thing he valued most…” Jack held the watch for a few minutes, then called his assistant and cleared his appointments for the next two days.
“Why?” his assistant asked.
“I need some time to spend with my son.” he said.
1. Why did Jack think Mr. Belser died years ago?| A．College and career prevented him from remembering Mr. Bleser. |
| B．Jack was too busy realizing his dreams to think about Mr. Belser. |
| C．Jack was too busy with his business and family to think about Mr. Belser. |
| D．His present busy life washed away his childhood memories. |
| A．Mr. Belser died. |
| B．Jack moved clear across the country in pursuit of his dreams. |
| C．Before his mother’s call, Jack often thought of Mr. Belser. |
| D．Jack’s mother was grateful to Mr. Belser. |
| A．He was very tired of his work and wanted to have a good rest. |
| B．He came to realize the importance of the time with his family. |
| C．He had missed his son and his family for days. |
| D．He had promised to spare more time to stay with his son. |
| A．The Good Old Times | B．An Old Gold Watch |
| C．What He Valued Most | D．The Lost Childhood Days |
