【推荐1】

Kwanzaa is a celebration of African American history and culture. It begins on December 26th and continues until New Year's Day, January 1st.

During the festival, a family member, usually the youngest child, lights candles in a special candleholder. Each night a candle is lit. Traditionally there are three green candles, three red candles and a central black candle. They represent the seven Kwanzaa principles(原则). The principles are believed to play a big role in building strong, successful families and neighborhoods. In the evenings, adults share stories and explain how to follow the seven principles in daily life. On the sixth day, which falls on New Year's Eve, family and friends get together to enjoy a large meal.

Kyle, a third grader, wrote this about Kwanzaa, "When we celebrate Kwanzaa, we have many people at home, light the candles, and have a nice dinner. We learn the meaning of Kwanzaa and remember family members. We say something good about them. Last year, we remembered my grandmother."

In 1966, Dr. Karenga created Kwanzaa. He was studying the history of Africa at that time. Dr. Karenga wanted to create a holiday to bring African Americans together and celebrate their history and culture. He called the holiday "Kwanza". In fact, the name comes from an African language, and it means "first fruits of the harvest(收获季节).

1. How long does the festival of Kwanzaa last every year?

A．Two months.

B．Three weeks.

C．Four days.

D．Seven days.

2. What color are the candles?

A．Green, black and red.

B．Green, white and red.

C．Green, black and white.

D．Black, white and red.

3. According to the passage, which of the following is not an activity during Kwanzaa?

A．Have a big meal.

B．Light candles.

C．Tell stories

D．Build houses.

4. Who did Kyle remember during Kwanzaa last year?

A．His grandpa.

B．His father.

C．His grandma.

D．His aunt.

5. Which of the following is true about Kwanzaa?

A．It has a history of about 100 years.	B．Its name comes from an African language.
C．It is to celebrate the good harvest of the year.	D．All the neighbors get together during the festival

【推荐3】阅读下面短文，从每小题A、B、C三个选项中，选出一个最佳选项，并将其字母标号填入题前的括号内。

The Spring Festival is the most important festival in China. It is also known as Chinese New Year. It usually comes in late January or early February. People like the Spring Festival not because of the new clothes or nice food. It is the family reunion(团聚) time after one year's hard work. People do different things during the festival. Now let's see what the three students say about the Spring Festival.

Amy: It is my favorite festival. I'm from Guangdong. I get oranges when I say "Happy new year!" to my grandparents. We watch the Spring Festival Gala on TV. On the fourth day, my family usually get some water and wish a good new year. It is so fun.

Tom: I'm 12. I come from Shanxi. Before the festival, we clean our house at home. At the night before the Spring Festival, our family always have a big dinner. I eat noodles and dumplings on the Spring Festival. And I get lucky money(压岁钱) when I say "Happy new year!" to my grandparents. This year, my mom buys a pair of red socks for me. She says it's for good luck. I'm so happy.

Lucy: I am 12 years old, too. I'm from Jiangsu. My family buy red new clothes before the Spring Festival. On the Spring Festival, we go to temples(寺庙) for good luck. We eat tangyuan on the Spring Festival. It is delicious. I like the Spring Festival very much.

1. Chinese people like the Spring Festival because _______ according to the passage.

A．they can eat nice food

B．they can wear new clothes

C．they can be with our family

2. Amy gets _______ when she says "Happy new year!" to her grandparents.

A．oranges

B．lucky money

C．a pair of red socks

3. People _______ in Shanxi on the Spring Festival according to the article.

A．get some water

B．go to temples

C．eat noodles and dumplings

4. People in _______ usually eat tangyuan on the Spring Festival.

A．Guangdong

B．Jiangsu

C．Shanxi

5. Which is TRUE according to the article?

A．All the Chinese people do the same thing on the Spring Festival.

B．Both Lucy and Tom think that the Spring Festival is busy and boring.

C．People in different places have different customs(习俗) on the Spring Festival.

【推荐1】A British man has learned the skills which are needed to perform Beijing Opera, making the audience enjoy his lively performance of the Monkey King.

Ghaffar Pourazar, born in Iran, said he had been a big fan of Bruce Lee since he was a child and was full of interest in China. In 1993, he happened to watch Beijing Opera in London. It was performed by professionals from Jingju Theatre Company of Beijing. Ghaffar said he fell in love with the beautiful voices, colorful costumes, excellent shows and so on. So after one year, he arrived in China alone and became a student of Beijing Opera at a Beijing school.

At the age of 32, Ghaffar had to learn with teenage students every day, starting from the most basic training of the legs and waist (腰). At the time, he was mostly troubled by the dialogue in Beijing Opera. For him, it was the biggest problem. But he never gave up.

Four years later, he began to learn to perform the Monkey King, a traditional character from the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. He said he arrived at the workroom an hour earlier than other performers and also bought books and CDs to better understand the character.

Now Ghaffar is not only good at speaking Beijing dialect (方言), but also becomes famous for Beijing opera. He once got a top international prize for performing the Monkey King.

To help more people enjoy Beijing Opera, Ghaffar often teaches the traditional art form in schools in the United States, Britain and other countries. When he found that the language was difficult to understand, he started to translate Beijing Opera song lyrics. Ghaffar took a group of actors to perform 66 times a month and a half in the United States. He also took a 48-member team to perform in Malaysia. In the past 10 years, he has performed in more than 400 shows.

1. What does the underlined “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．being older than other teenage students	B．the training of the legs and waist
C．performing in Beijing Opera	D．the dialogue in Beijing Opera

2. Which of the following best describes Ghaffar?

A．Talented and lucky.	B．Hard-working and successful.
C．World-famous and humorous.	D．Strict but patient.

3. In what order did the following happen in Ghaffar’s experiences?
a. He went to China by himself.
b. He became interested in China.
c. He learned basic skills of Beijing Opera.
d. He learned to play the role of Monkey King.
e. He watched Beijing Opera performed by professionals.
f. He won an international prize for his performance as the Monkey King.

A．a→b→c→e→d→f	B．a→d→b→f→c→e
C．b→e→a→c→d→f	D．b→d→c→e→a→f

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The introduction of Beijing Opera.

B．A foreign friend’s love for Beijing Opera.

C．Ghaffar’s performances around the world.

D．Ghaffar’s journey of learning a Chinese traditional art form.

【推荐2】The elephant-foot drum is a very special instrument for the Dai people. The drum-making skill was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage in 2011.

The elephant-foot drum dance is very popular among the Dai people. It can be danced by one or two people or a group of people. It is often performed during festivals. This form of dance was at first used to scare off evil and welcome the new year. Now it is a way for the Dai people to show their joy as well as their village culture. It also shows that the Dai people are kind, friendly and inclusive (包容的).

Xie Wenping, who is 32 years old, learned how to make these drums from his grandfather. “I was determined (下定决心的) to make more and better drums when I grew up,” Xie said.

But making an elephant-foot drum is no easy task. “Making an elephant-foot drum takes about 30 steps and one month,” Xie explained. First, Xie needs to choose the right wood and shape it like an elephant’s leg. Then he needs to hollow out the inside and cover it with cowhide (牛皮). The cowhide needs to go through many steps before it can be used on the drum. After that, Xie paints the drum with special patterns and adds a protective layer (保护层) on top. The last steps are tuning (调音) the drum and making it look nice. “A good elephant-foot drum should sound loud and strong when you beat it,” Xie said.

Even though making these drums can be repetitive (重复), Xie always feels encouraged when he sees his grandfather’s smile while making them. “Over the years, the number of craftspeople (工匠) skilled in making elephant-foot drums has gone down,” Xie said. “I feel like it’s my job to keep this tradition alive.”

To make it easier for people to enjoy the elephant-foot drum outside of Yunnan, Xie came up with the idea of making a smaller version (版本) of the drum and designing key chains that look like the drum.

1. What is the purpose of the elephant-foot drum dance now?

A．To compete with other villages.	B．To show their sadness and losses.
C．To show their friendliness and culture.	D．To scare off evil and welcome the new year.

2. According to Xie, the process of making an elephant-foot drum is ________.

A．easy

B．challenging

C．creative

D．the most exciting

3. What is the situation of the drum-making skill?

A．The number of craftsmen is increasing.

B．The number of craftsmen is going down.

C．Its place has been taken by modem drums.

D．The tradition is no longer popular among the Dai people.

4. Which can replace “came up with” in the last paragraph?

A．thought out

B．listened to

C．paid attention to

D．gave up

5. Which can be the best title for the passage?

A．An Elephant-Foot Drum Maker	B．Making the Elephant-Foot Drum
C．Elephant-Foot Drum: A Cultural Treasure	D．The Art and Culture of Elephant-Foot Drum Dance

【推荐1】

When you eat something, your stomach breaks down its large molecules (分子) into smaller ones. Many people like to eat pineapples. So when you eat pineapples, they can “eat” you by breaking down the molecules that make up the cells (细胞) in your body.

Pineapples have certain enzymes (酶) that can break down proteins (蛋白质). Many smaller molecules like the pearls (珍珠) come together to form the long pearl necklace of a protein. You can cut a necklace with scissors. In the same way, the enzymes in pineapples “cut up” proteins.

All living things have proteins. They are an important part of the cells in your body. If an enzyme can break down a protein, it can break down cells as well. So will the cells of your tongue (舌头) when you eat pineapple. This is why your mouth will hurt if you eat too much pineapple.

But luckily, the cells in your tongue cure itself fast. And after you have swallowed the pineapple, the special enzymes will be broken down by your stomach. It won’t “eat” you anymore.

Why does pineapple have these enzymes? In fact, the enzymes in unripe (未成熟的) pineapple are stronger than those in ripe pineapple. Therefore, some scientists believe that they are created by the plant to prevent animals from eating its unripe fruit. Once the fruit is ripe, its enzymes won’t hurt an animal’s tongue and the fruit will be okay to eat.

Another reason is that the enzymes help the seed to grow up. They play an important role in sending messages to the cells of the plant. These messages tell the cells when to start and stop growing. Without these enzymes, the seed may not be able to properly develop.

1. How does a pine apple “eat” you?

A．By changing into a monster that eats people.

B．By cutting a necklace with a pair of scissors.

C．By breaking down its large molecules into smaller ones.

D．By breaking down the molecules that make up the cells in your body.

2. Why will your mouth hurt if you eat too much pineapple?

A．Because the pineapples contain proteins.

B．Because there are special cells in your mouth.

C．Because the enzymes will break down the cells of your tongue.

D．Because the proteins will break down the cells of your tongue.

3. What does the underlined word “they” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．Fruits.

B．Enzymes.

C．Plants.

D．Proteins.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Do You Eat Pineapples?	B．How Pineapples Grow up?
C．Why Pineapples Are Delicious?	D．Can Pineapples “Eat” You?

【推荐3】If music makes you smart and exercise helps you to think, surely exercising to music can turn you into a person who is better at learning and understanding.

A team of scientists from Ohio State University did experiments on 33 volunteers. They found that persons who exercised while listening to Italian musician Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons did much better in language ability (能力) tests than without music.

The volunteers said they felt better after exercising with or without the music. But their improvement on the test doubled（加倍) after listening to the music during exercise. “Exercise seems to cause positive changes in the nervous system（神经系统）and have a direct result on learning ability,” said the psychologist Charles Emery. Scientists have found that music can be good for health and education. It helps relieve stress, sadness and nervousness, encourages relaxation or sleep, wakes up the body and improves memory and thoughts.

Psychologists have been using Mozart’s music, especially his violin pieces, to help children with speech disorders（言语能力紊乱). Mozart is often chosen because his music is not only exciting. A study showed students who often exercise to Mozart’s music go on to score higher marks in tests. With important exams drawing near, your parents will not probably allow you to listen to music. But perhaps now you have good reasons to argue with them.

1. What does the underlined word “relieve” mean in Chinese?

A．加强

B．减轻

C．提高

2. How many great musicians are mentioned in the passage?

A．Two

B．There

C．Four.

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Students should not listen to music before exams.

B．Children are supposed to follow their parents’ words.

C．Music may help students to get higher grades in tests.

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Students can improve their studies greatly after exercising to music.

B．Music usually makes people too excited to go to sleep.

C．Exercising without music seems to cause many negative changes.

5. Which is the BEST title for this passage?

A．Scientists suggest great music.

B．Exercising to music makes you smarter.

C．Volunteers listened to Mozart’s violin pieces.

【推荐2】A well-known poem by Tang dynasty poet Du Mu tells of a sad scene in early April: “Rains fall heavily as Qingming comes, and passers-by with lowered spirits go.”

This scene takes place on Tomb Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival. Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival. It began in the Zhou dynasty, over 2500 years ago. Chinese people celebrate it to remember and honor their ancestors. This year, it falls on April 4. Tomb Sweeping Day became a public holiday in the Chinese mainland in 2008. People have one day off for that day.

On this day, families bring flowers, food and wine to the grave sites(墓地)of their ancestors. They place cakes, fruits in front of the graves and some may burn joss paper, as money for the dead. After that, they sweep the tombs and cherish(怀念)the memories of their dead family members.

Tomb Sweeping Day gives us a chance to show respect to our ancestors and family members who have passed away and show that we miss them. This tradition shows that family values are an important part of Chinese culture.

Tomb Sweeping Day is also the beginning of the time for gardening and outdoor activities in China. Families often get together for outings or fly kites at this time.

1. The Chinese meaning of the underlined word “passers-by” is ________.

A．行人

B．陌生人

C．故人

D．古代人

2. Tomb Sweeping Day is celebrated for people to ________.

A．go out to fly kites	B．have a public holiday
C．get together with their families	D．remember and honor their ancestors

3. What does the passage mainly discuss?

A．People bring many things to the grave sites.	B．Du Mu wrote a poem about Qingming.
C．Tomb Sweeping Day is a traditional Chinese festival.	D．Qingming Festival is a good time for outdoor activities.