【推荐1】

Here is some “breaking” news: the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has added breaking (霹雳舞) to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games!

Breaking might be one of the very unusual sports to be added to the Games, as it’s often seen as more of an art form than a sport.

The dance style first appeared on the streets of New York in the1970s. Performers dance to hip-hop music while using different movements. In the1980s, breaking swept around the world when it was adopted by pop stars such as Michael Jackson. Jackson’s moonwalk became popular among teenagers worldwide.

Why did the IOC choose breaking? Over the past few years, the Olympics has become less interesting to young people. The IOC is trying to make the Games more “youthful”, with sports that young people actually do in their spare time. “We want to take sports to the youth,” said IOC President.

To be added to the Olympics, a sport must be widely practiced by men in at least 75 countries and by women in no fewer than 40 countries. Breaking certainly meets this standard (标准), according to The Sydney Morning Herald. It is also competitive and requires strict training just like other sports. Dancers need to have the strong upper body and core (核心) strength.

“I train at least 10hours a week, and I’ve been training since I was a young kid,” top Australian break dancer Lowe said.

“It’s great that it gives us more recognition as a sport,” said British break dancer Karam. “Now, the efforts of break dancers are gradually accepted and even admired by a growing number of people. And for the Olympics, it will attract young people who may not follow some of the traditional sports.”

1. In 2024, the Olympic Games will be held in _______.

A．Japan

B．Canada

C．France

2. From the third paragraph, we can know that _______.

A．breaking was very popular in the1970s

B．there are different movements in breaking

C．Michael Jackson gave lessons of breaking to teenagers

3. The IOC chose breaking because _______.

A．the sport has been popular with only young people for a long time

B．it wants to make the Olympics more popular with young people

C．there are top break dancers in many countries, such as Australia and England

4. What does the underlined word “recognition” mean in the last paragraph?

A．认可

B．讨论

C．识别

5. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Breaking has been added to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

B．Breaking is interesting and good for people’s health.

C．Break dancers have trained hard for the Olympic Games.

【推荐2】

What is the World Cup?	The World Cup is an international football competition that takes place every four years. The first World Cup event was held in 1930 and it has only been cancelled (取消) twice in the history of the competition—in 1942 and 1946, because of the Second World War. This year, in 2022, the host country is the State of Qatar. It is the first time that a country in the Middle East is hosting the World Cup and only the second time that a country in Asia is hosting the competition.
Mascot (吉祥物) of the customs.	The Official Mascot for the Qatar World Cup is called La’eeb, in the form of a traditional square white headdress, but with eyebrows (眉毛), eyes and mouth and a lively personality. This idea was inspired (赋予灵感) by Qatari culture and customs.
The Stadiums (体育场).	There are eight stadiums that will be used for the 2022 Men’s World Cup. Al Thumamg Stadium is inspired (启发) by the traditional woven (织成的) cap worn by men and boys called the ghafiya. It is seen as a symbol of dignity (尊严). Lusail stadium was inspired by the lights and shadows created by the lantern. The shapes on the appearance of the stadium are similar to the decoration found on bowls and art found across the Islamic world.
The awards and prizes.	The winning team is presented with a gold trophy (奖杯), which is kept until the post-match celebrations are over. They then receive a gold-plated copy of the trophy to keep. All members of the top three teams receive medals with an image of the World Cup trophy on them. The winners receive gold medals, the team in second place receive silver medals and the team in third place receive bronze medals.

根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. How many times does a country in Asia host the World Cup?

A．Once.

B．Twice.

C．Three times.

D．Every time.

2. What’s La’eeb’s shape?

A．It’s square and white.	B．It’s round and white.
C．It’s long and white.	D．It’s square and red.

3. Which picture is Al Thumama Stadium?

A．

B．

C．

D．

4. Which part of the 2022 World Cup is not mentioned in the passage?

A．The awards and prizes of it.	B．The rules of it.
C．The symbols of it.	D．The stadiums of it.

5. Which information is TRUE about the 2022 World Cup?

A．The World Cup is a national football competition that takes place every four years.

B．The World Cup event was held each year since 1930.

C．The winning team can keep the gold trophy until the post-match celebrations are over.

D．We can read the passage in a story book.

【推荐1】阅读下面短文，从短文后的选项中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。每个选项仅使用一次。

The Unity (和谐) of Man and Nature

The “unity of man and nature” is necessary and important in the cultural tradition of China. The Chinese believe in the unity of man and nature, a basic way to their philosophy (哲学) of life.     1     They are also celebrated for nature.

The ancient Chinese never placed themselves above nature. Zhuangzi , for example, believed “Heaven (天) and earth are parents to all things in the world”. The beauty of nature is to “give birth to all things” and “let all things grow”, while the duty of humans is to “make all things perfect”. Heaven, earth, and humans should be one in unity.     2     They are necessary to each other, so they should treat each other with kindness.

The idea of unity of man and nature has been in the heart of Chinese people.     3     In most provinces of China, some rules have been made to reduce pollution. Many power stations that produce and provide safe and clean electricity have been built.     4    

Most of the Chinese, especially the young, are willing to protect the natural environment. China is now working with all other countries to make the earth a better place to live.

A．Each of the three has its own way.

B．The power is from water, wind, and sunlight.

C．There are plenty of great people in the history of China.

D．It encourages modern Chinese to take action to protect natural environment.

E．Most traditional Chinese festivals build a right order of relationships among humans.

【推荐2】When Xiong Chuanfa, a 34-year-old man, blew a lively tiger out of sugar in a few minutes, kids looked at him in surprise, thinking he was a magician.

Xiong has blown sugar figurines(糖人) for twenty years. Every morning, Xiong prepares the sugar and drives to different markets in Nanchang to start his magic show. He heats the sugar, pulls off a little to make a ball and blows it into different shapes—a rabbit, a monkey, and even Bing Dwen Dwen, the mascot of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

People, especially little kids, are interested in his skills. To draw young people closer to the art, he also stops in the universities. Many college students have been interested in the art, waiting in line for trying to do this by themselves. Among them, Simon, a foreign student, couldn’t help having a try. He found it difficult to make it. Thanks to Xiong’s help, Simon finally saw a horse slowly taking shape.

Simon was deeply moved after learning about the art. “I can’t believe the traditional folk art can be kept so well here. I love it. Chinese culture should be brought to more places in the world.”

This art has been passed down for four generations (代) in Xiong’s family. His 6-year-old son often blows sugar balloons, just like what he used to do as a child. “We will keep the skill and pass on the intangible cultural heritage(非物质文化遗产),” says Xiong.

1. From the passage we know that Xiong Chuanfa ________.

A．is a foreign magician

B．blows sugar into different balls

C．has blown sugar figurines since he was fourteen

D．works in a college to teach students Chinese traditional culture

2. According to Simon’s words, we can infer that he will most probably ________.

A．give up learning in China	B．offer Xiong a helping hand in class
C．learn more about Chinese culture	D．stop blowing sugar figurines

3. How does Xiong Chuanfa keep the skill of blowing sugar figurines and pass it on?

A．By learning the art in a university.	B．By giving sugar figurines to young people.
C．By helping foreigners try this skill.	D．By teaching his kid the skill at a young age.

【推荐3】

Have you enjoyed traditional woodcut prints (木刻画)? They are either black and white or simple in color, but reduction woodcuts (绝版木刻) can show rich colors. The reduction woodcut is a kind of woodcut that uses one piece of wood to make a colorful artwork. The artist cuts and prints different layers (层) in order on the same piece of wood.

Leng Guangmian is a reduction woodcut artist. He started learning the art in 2003. He said that making reduction woodcut prints is just like a magic trip. “Every time I cut a pattern (图案) on the wood and then print, I never know what it’ll be like in the end.” As he sees beautiful patterns layer by layer, he only gets more excited.

But finishing such work is not easy. Before cutting, he needs to plan for the whole print and choose colors for different layers. A big print usually takes months to finish. Leng hopes his artwork shows not only excellent woodcutting skills (技艺) but also local culture and life. “For my works, there are two parts: the Tea Horse Road and disappearing villages,” Leng said. “Pu’er is one of the starting points of that road. Many old villages in Pu’er need rebuilding because of safety reasons, so I want people to remember their beauty before they are gone.”

The reduction woodcut first started in Pu’er, Yunnan, in the 1980s. It became famous after a group of prints called Lahu Fengqing won a national prize. After more than 40 years of development (发展), the reduction woodcut has grown in Pu’er. Now, there is a popular saying that goes “What to buy in Pu’er? Reduction woodcut prints and Pu’er tea”.

Leng is now bringing the art into schools. To help students learn the art quickly, he even thought out a new idea of cardboard (纸板) printing. By using a small cardboard and making it simpler with three to five colors, students can get the beauty of the art quickly.

1. The writer writes Paragraph 1 to introduce ________.

A．reduction woodcuts	B．Chinese traditions
C．colorful wood pieces	D．some artists

2. Which is the right order for making a reduction woodcut print?
①Print.                                               ②Cut on the wood.
③Plan for the whole print.                    ④Choose colors for different layers.

A．③④①②

B．③④②①

C．①④③②

D．①④②③

3. Leng covers the Tea Horse Road and disappearing villages in his works to ________.

A．help people in Pu’er rebuild the villages

B．bring more travelers to visit Pu’er

C．show his talent in making reduction woodcut prints

D．keep the beauty of the old villages in people’s mind

4. If a friend from Pu’er comes to visit you, what would he/she probably bring to you?

A．Rich colors and wood.	B．Yunnan maps and an air ticket to Pu’er.
C．Photos and books of Yunnan.	D．Reduction woodcut prints and Pu’er tea.

5. What does Leng Guangmian think about making reduction woodcut prints?

A．He thinks it is easy.	B．He thinks it is like a magic trip.
C．He doesn’t like it.	D．He thinks it is useless for students to learn.

【推荐2】根据短文内容，判断下列句子正（T）、误（F）。       
       Many students in the US always take the school bus to school every day. Parents think taking the school bus is very safe(安全的). But sometimes it is also dangerous(危险的). Some students were injured(受伤) because they didn’t keep the school bus rules. What are the school bus rules?
       ◆Arrive at the bus station early.
       ◆Wait for the bus at the bus station.
       ◆Don’t play around the bus station.
       ◆Don’t run here and there at the bus station.
       ◆Don’t walk or fight on the bus when it is going.
       ◆Don’t get off the bus if it doesn’t stop.
       These rules are good for students. Remember them and don’t break them. So you can keep yourself safe.
根据短文内容，判断下列句子的正误（T/F）。
1. The students in the US all take the school bus to school.
2. Students can’t get to the bus station late.
3. Students can run near the bus station.
4. Students have to sit on their seats when the bus is going.
5. It can be dangerous if students don’t keep the school bus rules.

【推荐3】In China, the year 2024 is known as long nian in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. Over a long period of time, it has been called the Year of the Dragon in English. But actually, there are a lot of differences between the Chinese long and the Western dragon.

The Chinese long is made up of parts of some gentle animals, such as a rabbit’s eyes and an ox’s ears. In Chinese mythology, long is able to fly. In addition, it can also spray (喷洒) water from its mouth to create rain.

However, in Western culture, a dragon breathes fire and has the body of a snake and big wings of a bat. What’s more, you will find most of the Western dragons in dark colors because they usually stand for evil (邪恶). As a result, normally at the end of the stories, the evil dragon will be beaten by the superheroes.

What makes such differences? In fact, they have something to do with the cultural differences. In Chinese Confucian (儒家的) ideas, kindness and harmony (和谐) are very important. It is our duty to help each other and live a peaceful life. Western culture, on the other hand, prefers individual heroism (个人英雄主义). Whenever something terrible happens, there will be a superhero who is brave enough to stand out, fight against the enemy on his own, and, of course, save the whole world.

In recent years, Chinese have tried to translate long in another way. For example, Zhejiang’s Loong Air has already written long as Loong. One of the reasons is that Loong sounds the same as the Chinese character long. Besides, the letters “oo” in the word Loong look like the two big eyes of the animal, which makes it easier to memorize this word.

Anyway, no matter how long is translated, there is one thing for sure: the Chinese long is different from the Western dragon, and it is a symbol of good luck.

Wish you and your family the best in the Year of Loong!

1. Which of the following is the picture of a Western dragon?

A．

B．

C．

D．

2. According to the Chinese Confucian ideas, what might be the reason for long to spray water?

A．To fight against the evil dragon.	B．To help the farmers in the dry weather.
C．To show its power and ability.	D．To make itself the superhero in this world.

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

A．A dragon breathes fire and has the body of a bat.

B．2024 is the year of Loong in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar.

C．The Western dragon is a symbol of good luck.

D．Long can’t fly because it has no wings.

4. ________ make Loong the new translation of the Chinese character long according to the passage.

A．The historical background and cultural meaning	B．The historical background and spelling
C．The pronunciation and spelling	D．The cultural meaning and pronunciation

5. In which part of a magazine may we find this passage?

A．Healthy Life.

B．Creative Art.

C．Amazing Animals.

D．Colorful Culture.