【推荐1】In Qin dynasty, there was a man called Shang Yang. He was a statesman and worked out many reforms (改革) for the state. But his reforms were not easily accepted at first. Most people didn’t trust him. So he came up with an idea. He put a thin wooden pole (木杆) at the south gate of the Qin capital. Many people came to see him and the pole.

Then, in front of the crowd, Shang Yang said loudly, “The man who takes this people to the north gate will get to gold pieces.” It was a simple job and the reward (报酬) was so large. However, some time passed and no one stepped forward. People thought Shang Yang was making a joke. Hearing no answer, Shang Yang stepped forward and said, “The reward now goes to 50 gold pieces.”

This reward was unbelievably large. Finally, a man from the crowd came forward. He put the pole on his shoulders and walked to the north gate. True to his word, Shang Yang gave the man 50 gold pieces.

After that, the people of Qin were all talking about what Shang Yang did about the pole. They believed he was a man of his word. So when Shang Yang began carrying out his reforms, the people followed him.

Under these great reforms, Qin grew stronger and stronger. At last, Qin made all the seven states into one empire (帝国).

1. What did Shang Yang do?

A．A statesman.

B．A king.

C．A businessman.

D．A soldier.

2. In order to carry out his reforms, what idea did Shang Yang have?

A．Having a wooden pole carrying competition.

B．Having a wooden pole cutting competition.

C．The man stepping forward first would be praised.

D．The man carrying the pole from south gate to the north one would get some gold pieces.

3. Why did Shang Yang’s reward increase at last?

A．Because a man stepped forward.	B．Because there weren’t enough time.
C．Because Shang Yang heard no answer.	D．Because Shang Yang was happy.

4. What does the underlined part “a man of his word” mean?

A．A man who can speak loudly.	B．A man who likes to speak a lot.
C．A man who keeps his word.	D．A man who has few words.

5. After these great reforms, what happened in the history of China?

A．Shang Yang became the first king.	B．The first empire of China appeared.
C．The south gate fell down.	D．The state of Qin became weaker and weaker.

【推荐2】The Forbidden City turned 600 years old in 2020. Over the last six centuries, there have been many cultural exchanges inside the high walls of the world’s largest palace. Ancient China had little contact with the outside world until Matteo Ricci made his way to the imperial court during the Ming Dynasty.

Ricci made contributions to the fields of science and astronomy in China. He worked together with Chinese scientist Xu Guangqi to translate the first six books of Euclid’s Elements into Chinese. He also brought new knowledge about map-making and taught people that the world was round with the first European-style world map in Chinese.

Lots of foreigners followed in Ricci’s footsteps. Giuseppe Castiglione, also known as Lang Shining, was one of them. The talented painter was sent to China to work for a church in 1715 and was later invited to the imperial court to produce paintings for the Qing Dynasty’s Emperor Kangxi.

When serving in the imperial court, Castiglione designed many murals in the Forbidden City using techniques that were popular in Europe. From then on, a new style of painting appeared in China. It combined Western realism with traditional Chinese ways of painting.

The first Westerners to the imperial court also provided firsthand reports to Europe through their letters, notes and books about China. They made the West realize there was a country with great culture which was different from theirs. Their stories are just a small piece of the cultural communication between China and the outside world. But they show that the Forbidden City has provided a bridge for the communication.

Word Bank court   宫廷 mural 壁画 combine （使）结合

根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. When did Matteo Ricci make his way to the Chinese imperial court?

A．During the Tang Dynasty.	B．During the Qing Dynasty.
C．During the Song Dynasty.	D．During the Ming Dynasty.

2. What progress did China make because of Matteo Ricci?
①science     ②astronomy     ③swimming     ④map-making   ⑤poem

A．①②③

B．①②④

C．②③④

D．③④⑤

3. Who worked for a church in China according to the text?

A．Matteo Ricci.

B．Emperor Kangxi.

C．Giuseppe Ricci.

D．Giuseppe Castiglione.

4. What combined Western realism with traditional Chinese ways of painting?

A．The Forbidden City.	B．Western culture.
C．The new painting style.	D．The imperial court.

5. What can we infer（推断）from the passage?

A．Giuseppe Castiglione was sent to China to work for the court in 1715.

B．The Forbidden City is a cultural bridge for the communication.

C．Matteo Ricci brought new knowledge about painting to the Chinese people.

D．Ancient China communicated with their neighbors frequently.

【推荐2】What will the future be like? There may be many new achievements (成就) in science and technology. Maybe our planet will become difficult to live on. Maybe human life will become very convenient. As for future life, everyone has his own ideas. Here are some of my ideas about the future.

I think three things can sum up my ideas. The first is clean energy. We will have more and more clean energy. The pollution will be reduced. The second is artificial intelligence (人工智能). Robots have already played an important part in our life. In the future, robots will take the place of many workers. But everything has two sides. If robots take the place of many workers, many people will be jobless (失业的). It’s not good. And the third is traffic. We will have fast transportation. The traffic will be quicker. I hope there will be more ways to deal with current traffic problems.

I have my own ideas about my future life. I think I will have a simpler life. I believe that I will live in a comfortable and quiet house with my family. What’s more, I will not need to worry about my parents’ health because everyone can live long.

1. The underlined phrase “take the place of ” probably means “________” in Chinese.

A．照顾

B．代替

C．关心

D．负责

2. If robots take the place of many workers, many people will ________.

A．lose their jobs

B．get new jobs

C．feel pleased

D．feel satisfied

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The writer thinks four things can sum up his ideas.	B．The writer thinks he will have a busier life.
C．The writer believes he will live in a large house.	D．The writer thinks everyone can live long.

【推荐3】

Most people have flown a kite or have seen one fly up and down in strong spring wind. But not so many people know that kites were first made in China thousands of years ago. The ancient Chinese made and flew kites even before they began to write.

Kite flying is an important part of Chinese traditional culture. It is believed that the origin of kite flying can be traced back to (追溯到) the Warring States period. The Chinese made kites to use in wars. They would fly these war kites in the dark. The kites were fixed so that they made strange sounds. Men who were at war with them would hear these sounds and run away. They thought those strange sounds were made by gods in the sky. The ancient Chinese also flew kites to bring good luck and to make their crops (农作物) grow rich and tall.

Kites are made of bamboo, paper, silk and other materials. They come in different shapes and sizes, such as birds, butterflies, dragons and so on. Kite flying is a popular activity among people of all ages. It is a great way to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Kite flying is not only an activity, but also a form of art. People often decorate (装饰) their kites with colorful paints and patterns. Kite flying competitions are also held in many places. People compete to see who can fly their kites the highest and longest.

Kite flying is also a symbol of good luck. People often write wishes on their kites and fly them in the sky, hoping that their wishes will come true. In some places, people also fly kites to celebrate festivals and special occasions.

根据短文内容，判断句子正（T）、误（F）。
1. China was the hometown of kites.
2. The ancient Chinese only used kites in wars.
3. All the kites are made of bamboo.
4. Kite flying is also a form of art.
5. Many people believe that flying kites can bring good luck.