Like many other foreigners, Rosalind Oliver’s first touch of Chinese Tai Chi came from popular kung fu movies. However, she has become a Tai Chi master herself, teaching it to both Chinese and foreigners.
Oliver’s journey with Tai Chi began in her early 20s, when her backache was always troubling her and she was turning to an exercise. Then she discovered advertisement classes about Tai Chi by accident and decided to try the “mysterious” eastern sport. Right away Oliver fell in love with the beautiful movement of Tai Chi. To her joy, she found that her back pains disappeared after years of practice.
Oliver later met her late husband, who was also her Tai Chi teacher. In the early 1990s, the couple opened their own Tai Chi school in the UK. To further understand Tai Chi, they decided to start a journey to China. However, three years after moving to Shanghai in 2000, her husband died, leaving her alone to work on Tai Chi.
The 58-year-old British woman recalled that it was a hard time for her. However, she was thankful to Chinese friends in Shanghai who supported her through the painful process. “They didn’t treat me like a foreigner, but rather like a friend.” Oliver said.
In 2005, Oliver set up the Double Dragon Alliance Cultural Center, which acts as a bridge for foreign people to get a better understanding of Chinese culture such as traditional Chinese medicine and Peking Opera.
Besides her Tai Chi classes, Oliver now teaches English at Shanghai University. Oliver expressed her deep love for cultural exchange and hoped to spread her work in this area.
1. When did Oliver’s journey with Tai Chi begin?2. What happened to Oliver’s back after years of practising Tai Chi?
3. Where did Oliver’s couple open their own Tai Chi school?
4. Why did Oliver set up the Double Dragon Alliance Cultural Center?
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Two men walked slowly, one after the other. All they could see were stones and earth. They had bags on their backs, but no food. They had guns, but no bullets.
Suddenly the man who followed fell over a stone. He hurt his foot badly and cried: “Bill. I’ve hurt my foot. Help me!” Bill continued straight on without looking back.
The man was alone in the empty land. His foot hurt, but it was nothing compared with his hunger. He had not eaten for many days and could hardly move his feet. Bill would be going to find the right way for them, he thought. He crawled about, on hands and knees: As he moved on, the bag became heavier and heavier. He opened the bag, which was full of small pieces of gold. He left the gold on a stone. In the evening, he built a fire and slept like a dead man.
Eleven days passed, days of rain and cold. One morning, he woke up and heard a noise behind him. Wolf, old and sick, was coming slowly toward him. He rose to his feet and moved forward, knowing well the sick wolf was following him. Later, he found some bones. Beside the bones was a small bag of gold, like his own. So Bill had carried his gold to the end. He looked at the bones. Would he, too, be bones tomorrow? And why not? This was life. Then why was he not ready to die? It was the life in him, unwilling to die, that drove him on.
The man had lost everything — his gun, and his gold. Only the wolf accompanied him. At last he could go on no further. He fell. The wolf came close to him, but the man was ready. He got on top of the wolf and held its mouth closed. Then he bit it with his last strength. He held the wolf with his teeth and killed it, and then he fell on his back and fell asleep.
Later that day, the people on a ship saw something strange lying on the beach. It was moving toward them very slowly — perhaps twenty feet an hour. They took a careful look and could hardly believe their eyes — it was a man!
1. When the man cried for help, Bill continued straight on because _________.| A．he didn’t hear the man’s words | B．he didn’t want to help the man |
| C．he saw a sick wolf coming to them | D．he went to find the right way for them |
| A．Stay with | B．Fight with | C．Care for | D．Worry about |
| A．Bill stole some gold from the man on the way. |
| B．The man found some bones of a wolf in the land. |
| C．The bag became heavier because the man got weaker. |
| D．The people searched for the man and finally found him. |
【推荐2】When Ana Dodson was 11 years old, she travelled to Peru(秘鲁). She went on more than just a vacation. She was visiting her native country.
Ana was born in Peru, but she was adopted (领养) by an American family and grew up in the United States.
While in Peru, Ana wanted to know what her life could have been like if she had not been adopted. She visited several orphanages (孤独院), including one in the hills of Cuzco, near her birthplace.
“The orphanage was really cold and dry,” Ana said. “The paint was falling off. The girls were in poor health.”
When Ana returned home, she kept thinking of the orphanage in Cuzco. “I really, couldn't get the girls out of my mind, and I really wanted to do something because I could have been one of those girls in that orphanage.”
Ana decided to start a group called Peruvian Hearts. She wanted to provide (提供) orphans in Peru with education, clothing and food. In the first two years, Peruvian Hearts raised about $18,000 for the orphanage. The group also built a chicken coop (鸡舍) so the girls could eat fresh eggs.
Ana’s efforts have been noticed. She won a Gloria Barron Prize, for Young Heroes. The prize is given to kids who make a difference. Ana says any kid can do what she did. “Really believe in yourself, and follow your heart,” she says.
1. Did Ana Dodson grow up in Peru?2. What did Ana Dodson do in Peru?
3. How did Ana Dodson like the orphanage in Cuzco?
4. Why did Ana Dodson start Peruvian Hearts?
5. Who can win Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes?
Yuhang in Hangzhou is known for making oil paper umbrellas for over 230 years. But in the 1970s, it was out of production (停产) as steel-ribbed (钢骨的) umbrellas became more popular.
In 2015, Liu Weixue gave up a well-paid job as a designer to learn from his grandfather the traditional art of making Yuhang oil paper umbrellas. “I fell in love with the art at a very young age. I want to bring it to life.” Liu said. “When it rains, someone uses the umbrella—that’s what I want to see.”
There are more than 70 steps, including making bamboo ribs (竹伞骨) and pasting (糊) papers. It takes at least a week to make an umbrella. After mastering the skills, Liu opened a studio (工作坊) and worked with local umbrella-making masters.
In order to win the hearts of young people, Liu improved the oil paper umbrellas. As the traditional paper breaks easily, he used a thicker (更厚的) paper. He uses a lighter kind of bamboo to make the ribs, so the umbrellas weigh less. As young people like hand-painted pictures, he invites painters to draw patterns (图案) on the umbrella cover.
Since online shopping is popular, Liu opened an online shop to sell umbrellas. It now has more than 80,000 followers. Still, Liu doesn’t hurry. To ensure quality (保证质量), his studio makes only 1,000 umbrellas each year.
Liu hopes the art will be passed on. He goes to local schools to teach students and shows up at events in different places to promote (推广) the art.
1. What made oil paper umbrellas out of production in the 1970s? (no more than 5 words)2. When did Liu fall in love with the oil paper umbrella making? (no more than 5 words)
3. How did Liu improve the umbrellas to win the hearts of young people? List at least 2 ways.
4. 将短文中划线的句子译成汉语。
5. 请给短文拟一个适当的英文标题。
My name is Sally. I’m in Green Middle School. I have two brothers—Dale and Eric. We love books and sports. We all like reading story books. But we like different (不同的) sports. I like playing basketball. I think it is an interesting sport. I always play basketball after school. Look at me in the photo. I’m very cool, right?
The boy in the photo is my brother Dale. He likes playing ping-pong. He can play it very well. He thinks it is easy for him. Dale has a ping-pong bat and some ping-pong balls. He always plays ping-pong with his friends. He likes watching ping-pong games on TV, too.
This boy in blue is my brother Eric. He is 13 years old. We are in the same school. What does he like? He likes soccer. He says soccer is relaxing. He always (总是) plays it after class.
It’s great to have two brothers. I love them and they love me, too.
1. 回答问题。What do Sally and her brothers love?They
2. 将文中划线的句子“I think it is an interesting sport.”译成汉语。
3. 回答问题。What does Dale have?
4. 回答问题。Which (哪一所) school is Eric in?
5. 从文中找出与“Having two brothers is great.”意思相近的句子。
Running is good for you.
Every day in newspapers and magazines there are articles telling us we should exercise more. And scientists now say that running is one of the best ways to keep fit.
Get started!
Make each day different!
Some people find running boring, so go cycling or swimming instead sometimes.
Enter a race!
If you’re a beginner, there are lots of ways to make exercise fun. You can join a group or you can exercise with a friend. Another idea is to enter a race.
| A. It can make you feel better and look better. B. Yes, you can run 5 km in six weeks! C. Also, you shouldn’t exercise every day. D. This can give you a reason to train and keep you interested in running. E. All you need for running are some comfortable clothes and a pair of trainers. |
1.
2.
3.
4.
5. What else can you do to make exercise fun? (请用15词以内回答)
【推荐3】Why should students play sports? Some people think that students play sports in order to get exercise. Others think it can help students have fun. But that is not enough. If students play sports, they can get more than healthy bodies. Why? Here are three more reasons.
Students who play sports do better in school. Some people think that doing exercise will take up students’ study time. But a recent study has shown that students who play sports get better scores in school than those who don’t. Exercise gets students to learn, remember things and concentrate (集中注意力)better.
Students who play sports develop their teamwork spirits and learn problem-solving skills. When they are working together with others to win games and reach goals, they’re learning how to be successful in practice. And these skills will be useful to them for study or their future work.
Playing sports can also improve confidence(自信). Students who play sports feel better about themselves. When they know they can improve and reach their goals by practicing, it builds their confidence. And sports can also help them communicate with others actively and make new friends.
Now, how about going out to play sports with your friends every day?
Why should students | |
| Common reasons | Students play sports to |
| More | Playing sports helps students get |
| Students who play sports can learn how to be Students develop teamwork spirits and learn problem-solving | |
| Playing sports can Sports can help students | |
| Advice | Students should |
Giving gifts is a way of showing thanks or love, and it helps to build friendship. The rules of accepting gifts are different in China and in the West.
When Lucy, from the UK, gave a gift to her Chinese friend for the first time, she couldn’t understand it. “He refused to accept it twice, and when he finally accepted it, he didn’t open it. He just took it and put it away. After that, I never heard about it again. He never said he liked it or not.”
In the West, it is polite（有礼貌的；客气的）to open it in front of the giver and say thanks. When you get a gift, the giver hopes that you are excited and really like it. But it is different in China. Usually, people don’t open the gift until the giver leaves. If they open the gift in front of the giver, the giver will think of them as impolite or greedy（贪婪的）. For the same reason, the Chinese will refuse a gift twice or three times before accepting it. If you are the giver, give it again until it is accepted after the third time.
Today, more and more young people in China are turning to Western（西方国家的）rules of accepting gifts. That’s OK, but it would be better to follow Chinese people when it comes to getting gifts from elders.
1、2题完成句子；3题写出划线it的指代对象；4题找出并写下全文的主题句；5题将文中划线句子翻译成汉语。
1. When Lucy’s friend refused her gift, she couldn’t
2. It’s polite to
3.
4.
5.
Among all traditional Chinese operas, types of facial makeup (脸谱) in Peking Opera have developed into the most systematic (系统化的) one. It is popular around the world, and has been regarded as the symbol of the traditional culture of the Chinese nation. Different colors of facial makeup are used to show different characters (人物).
Red is generally used to show that a role is loyal and honest. In fact, the red was originally just to show the color of people’s skin. Because many roles use red and black to show they’re very brave and honest, red gradually has another meaning. A typical “red full face” is Guan Yu, known for his loyalty (忠诚) to Liu Bei.
The role with the white face is bad in human nature. The typical character is Cao Cao, who was powerful but cruel in the time of the “Three Kingdoms”.
The black face shows either a rude and brave character or a fair and selfless personality (品格). Typical characters of the former (前者) are Zhang Fei with a black cross butterfly face of Romance of the Three Kingdoms (《三国演义》) and Li Kui of Water Margin (《水浒传》), and atypical character of the latter (后者) is Bao Zheng, a fearless and fair official of the Song Dynasty.
Later, other colors are gradually added to them, such as purple, standing for justice (正义); yellow used for soldiers, means bravery; blue, showing that a character has a strong personality.
1、2题完成句子；3题简略回答问题；4题找出并写下全文的主题句；5题将文中画线句子译成汉语。
1. People regard Peking Opera as
2. A red face shows a
3. What are Zhang Fei and Li Kui like?
4.
5.
It looks like a clay toy. But it can be used as a whistle (哨子). This is taiping nijiaojiao, a traditional toy from Zhenjiang Jiangsu. Its birthplace was Huashan village in Zhenjiang. It’s said to date back to the Southern Dynasty (420-589), with a history of more than 1,000 years.
People use mountain mud to make Taiping nijiaojiao. It takes more than 10 steps to make, including kneading (捏), making blowholes (吹孔), and coloring. From animals to plants, it can be made into anything. Often, it uses traditional cultural elements (元素) that carry good meanings, like plum blossoms (梅花). In 2016, the clay figurine (泥塑) art of taiping nijiaojiao was added to Jiangsu’ s intangible cultural heritage list.
About 20 years ago, Zhou Baokang first noticed taiping nijiaojiao during a temple fair (庙会) in Huashan village. As a lover of folk art, he was soon attracted to it. He later learned from local artists how to make the toys himself. Now the 60-year-old is an inheritor (传承人) of the taiping nijiaojiao art form.
According to Zhou, anyone can try making taiping nijiaojiao. The key is kneading it with your fingers. “Without any drafts (草图), you just turn a clump (团) of mud into the thing you want. It’s a good chance to free your imagination,” Zhou said.
Zhou works hard to pass on his skills. He has taught kids to make the toy at schools for nine years. He has also opened a folk art museum to display the toy. And he tries to combine (结合) the toy with products like penholders (笔架) and tea sets. “Taiping nijiaojiao is a small toy that carries traditional culture. We should pass it down (传递),” Zhou said.
1. How many steps does it take to make taiping nijiaojiao?2. How old was Zhou Baokang when he began to learn taiping nijiaojiao?
3. Can anyone make taiping nijiaojiao ?
4. Why does Zhou say we should pass down the art of taiping nijiaojiao?
5. How long has Zhou taught kids to make this toy at school?
Once there was a rich man named Tom. He was greedy(贪婪的). One day he was walking in his garden. He saw a strange bird in a bush. It had very beautiful and colorful feathers(羽毛). Its voice was also very sweet. He had never seen such a bird in his life. He slowly went near the bush and caught the bird.
“Why have you caught me?” the bird asked.
“I want to make money. I can sell you for a big amount,” replied Tom.
“You cannot sell me. Nobody will buy me, because I will lose my beautiful features and my sweet voice when I am caught.”
Tom said surprisingly, “Then I will kill you, and I will eat your meat.”
“Eat me! I am so small. You will not get any meat out of me,” replied the bird.
Tom could not answer.
The bird then suggested, “Set me free. In return I will teach you three simple but useful rules, these rules can profit (获益) you greatly.”
“Profit me! Really?” said Tom. “But how can I trust you? You may fly away.”
“I give you my word. And I always keep my word.” said the bird.
Tom wanted to take a chance. He released the bird. It flew up at once. Then it sat on the branch of a tree. Its color started changing. It became beautiful again.
Tom asked, “Now teach me the rules.”
“Certainly.” said the bird, “The first rule is ‘Never believe everything others say.’ The second rule is ‘Never be sad about something you do not have.’ The third rule is ‘________’”.
“You silly bird.” shouted Tom. These three rules are known to everyone. You cheated me.
But the bird said, “Tom, just think about all your actions of today. You had me in your hands, but you threw me away. You believed all that I said. And you are sad about not having me. The rules are simple, but you never followed them. Now do you see the value of the rules?”
So saying the bird flew away and disappeared from his sight.
1. Tom found the bird in the forest, didn’t he?2. Why did Tom catch the bird?
3. What would happen to the bird if the bird was caught?
4. How might Tom feel when he found he could do nothing with the bird?
5. What might be the third rule the bird said? (No more than 12 words)?
“Nothing will ever be the same again,” Ally whispered. She sank slowly into her father’s favorite chair and stared at the small American flag on his desk. It was the flag which Chief Russell had given to her after the funeral last summer, when he hugged her and told her how proud the Police Department was of her dad’s work for them. His tears had warmed Ally’s cheeks; her own tears were still frozen inside her heart.
Ally looked at her father’s picture on the bookcase. It was one of her favourite shots. “I miss you, Dad,” she said softly. By this time last year she had already taken dozens of pictures. When the was a little kid, she and Dad had been a team, searching the woods behind the house each weekend for the special wood warbler.
Ally reached for the first photo album that she and Dad had put together. On the cover a tiny orange bird with blue gray wings and sharp black eyes peered out of the photo her father had clipped from a local newspaper. Ally smiled, remembering the excited look on his face when he first showed her the pretty bird. “Ally. I bet if we search really hard, we’ll see this little guy together some day.”
They’d never spotted the warbler. Staring at the bird’s photo, suddenly, she knew exactly what she had to do. Grabbing the little flag, she placed her camera around her neck and hurried outside.
“Some things never change.” Ally thought as the familiar smells of fresh earth and mushrooms rose up to greet her. Ally felt as though she was back where she belonged. She could almost hear her father’s laughter as she listened for the sweet-sweet-sweet song of the special bird.
“I know Dad will send the warbler to me and I won’t stop searching until I spot it,” she promised herself.
Time passed pleasantly as Ally waited. All too soon the sun disappeared behind thick gray clouds. Determined to start out earlier the next morning, she was about to head home, when suddenly a ringing birdsong, prettier than any she had heard before, floated down to her. Sweet-sweet-sweet.
“I knew it!” She exclaimed, leaping to her feet. The tiny wood warbler just sat there, titling its head from side to side, as if it were waiting for something. “Thanks, Dad,” she whispered, slowly lifting her camera and taking careful aim.
“Things will be different without Dad,” she thought, “I’ll always miss our times together, but I feel better now.”
1. From the passage we can know Ally________ .| A．was proud of her dad’s work |
| B．cried sadly at her dad’s funeral |
| C．had a close relationship with her dad |
| D．learned how to take photos from her dad |
| A．hoped to find a wood warble here |
| B．knew where to spot the wood warbler |
| C．wanted to find the memory about Dad |
| D．remembered to take some photos there |
| A．Dad’s care and help for her |
| B．Ally’s feelings in the wood. |
| C．Dad’s activities in the wood |
| D．Ally’s love and thanks to Dad |
易读度：★★☆☆☆
The students are talking about what kind of animal they would like to be.
Xiao Gang, 13
I am a happy elephant in Thailand. The Thai people like me and they are friendly to me. Every day I work and play with them. But I dislike the bad people who kill(杀死) my friends to get our ivory(象牙). I hope they can stop doing that.
Shu Jun, 14
I am an eagle(鹰). I like the blue sky because I can fly freely in it. Each day I look for prey(猎物). If I find any prey, I’ll quickly catch it with my claws(爪). However, some people like to keep us as pets. I don’t like cages. I want to fly in the sky.
Yi Zhan, 15
I am a little dog. I like my owner very much. When she is doing homework, I’ll sit quietly beside her. It snowed last week. My owner and I went outside to play in the snow. We both played very happily.
Zhang Lin, 15
I am a white rabbit. I like carrots very much. If someone gives me a carrot, I will eat it up in a few minutes. Now the winter is here, and I like to sleep more because it makes me warm. I don’t like people waking me up when I am sleeping.
What kind of animal the students would like to be | ||||
| Name | Xiao Gang | Shu Jun | Yi Zhan | Zhang Lin |
| Age | 13 | 15 | 15 | |
| Animal | A(n) | An eagle | A(n) | A(n) |
| Reason | People are | He can fly freely in the blue sky. | She likes her | She likes |
| Problem | The bad people kill his | He may become some people’s | People | |
