Weeks before Tomb Sweeping Day (清明节) on April 4 this year, hundreds of qingtuan were sold each day. The snack was still a must-have for many people.
In the southern part of China, eating qingtuan at the beginning of spring is a kind of tradition. Chinese people started to eat it more than 2,000 years ago. It is made of sticky rice (糯米) and red bean paste (红豆沙), and is famous for its softness, freshness and sweetness. The secret behind its mouth-watering taste is one of its materials—mugwort leaves (艾蒿叶). The plant is mainly found in the Yangtze River Delta (长江三角洲) where it has perfect conditions to grow.
People in this area usually put qingtuan on the tombs (墓) of their dead family members to cherish the past memory. Making qingtuan is also a chance for family members to get together at home. It really takes time and effort to make the snack.
Now, qingtuan has already spread its special taste to the northern part of China. Li Yuan, a 30-year-old engineer who grew up in Zhejiang Province, brought qingtuan back to Beijing where he works. “It tastes different in and out of my hometown,” he said. “There’s no place like home.”
Qingtuan has many different tastes inside it, such as apples and bean milk, to meet customers’ tastes. The difference of the taste shows that it’s getting more and more popular across the whole country.
Even though there is warm weather and green leaves in spring, the season wouldn’t be complete without a taste of qingtuan.
1. Tomb Sweeping Day is in ________.A.spring | B.summer | C.autumn | D.winter |
A.sticky rice | B.green color | C.red bean paste | D.mugwort leaves |
A.forget | B.miss | C.sweep | D.guess |
A.Growing up in Beijing | B.Planting Rice in Zhejiang |
C.Meeting Customers’ Tastes | D.Marking the Start of Spring |
相似题推荐
Welcome to Meal of the Day, we serve delicious food at good prices. Here are some of our specials.
Special 1 (only for kids) Mini hamburgers (Bread, lettuce, tomatoes and beef) $5 for each and half price for a second one. | Special 2 Handmade dumplings (Beef and carrots) $18 for a medium bowl and $22 for a large bowl. |
Special 3 Noodles (Eggs, mutton and cabbage) $15 for a medium bowl and $20 for a large bowl. | Special 4 (not for kids under 2) Mapo tofu (Only toufu) $20 for each and $22 for one with two bowls of rice. |
1. Only children can order ________ in Meal of the Day.
A.Mini hamburgers | B.Handmade dumplings |
C.Noodles | D.Mapo tofu |
A.We can take our pet dog or cat with us in the restaurant. |
B.There aren’t any vegetables in the handmade dumplings. |
C.Mary doesn’t want any meat, so she can order Mapo tofu. |
D.We can’t get any porridge in the restaurant or bring drinks. |
A.46 | B.33.5 | C.43.5 | D.36 |
Drink More Water
How long can we live without drinking water? Only three days! Our bodies are made up of about 60 percent water, water is necessary to keep our bodies working, so people need to drink more water. Here are some other reasons.
When you drink plenty of water, it helps your body keep a healthy balance of fluids. This, in turn, aids many important functions, including proper digestion.
Some of the body’s toxins can lead to skin problems. When you drink enough water, it gives you a clearer and more natural color of the skin on your face.
If you want to become thinner, you’d better drink more water before eating other food. Water makes people feel full and helps them eat less.
When you do exercise, muscle(肌肉)cramps may happen after losing too much water. It makes your arms or legs hurt. It’s important to drink plenty of water before and during exercise.
Being short of water usually brings a lot of body pains. Drinking water in time can help people prevent and relieve pain.
A.Weight Loss |
B.Clearer Skin |
C.Reduce Pain |
D.A Healthy Balance |
E.Improve Health Condition |
F.Prevent Muscle Problems |
【推荐3】Did you know that chocolate comes from a tree?
Wouldn’t you like to have a cacao tree in your garden so you could have your own special supply of chocolate? Well, don’t even think about it!
Chocolate is good for you as long as you don’t eat it all day long! It has iron(铁) , which is good for your body!
A.What a lot of work just to make a piece of chocolate! |
B.But remember where there is chocolate, there is sugar! |
C.Cacao trees can only grow in rainforests, where it is very hot and rainy all the time. |
D.They used chocolate to make a special drink that they used during their religious services(宗教活动) . |
E.The cacao tree gets large brown fruits called cocoa pods and inside the pods are cocoa beans. |
【推荐1】① Do you like drinking tea? Do you know anything about tea? Wuyi Rock Tea is one of the most famous tea in China.
② Zhang Huichun, a 65-year-old master of making Wuyi Rock Tea, shared his thoughts about Wuyi Rock Tea.
③ In 1980, Zhang learned to make the tea and opened a tea factory. After 10 years of learning, he could finally make the tea by himself. “The skills were not simple at all, so I must try to improve them day and night,” he said.
④ There are 13 steps to make it, including drying, shaking and roasting (烘烤). Drying is always the first step. And the most difficult was shaking. It takes strength (力气) and patience to shake the tea leaves by holding the round bamboo trays (竹盘). “You have to decide when the best time is to stop based on the color,” Zhang said. “Sometimes you stop after shaking dozens of (几十) times, while sometimes it can be hundreds of times. Only years of experience can help you make it successfully.” And the tea makers always try their best and keeping practice their skills.
⑤ The last step—roasting—is also important. It decides the quality and it usually takes more than 20 hours! The temperatures must be between 125℃ and 155℃. So Tea makers have to keep a close eye on the process. “Every 50 minutes, you have to turn over the leaves, or it might burn,” Zhang said. All the tea makers never stop becoming better and better.
⑥ The most wonderful part of making Wuyi Rock Tea is that every step is full of changes—different tea trees, weather and temperatures. Every time is an adventure (冒险).
⑦ However, behind every step lies the rigor (严谨) of Chinese people as well as the clever ideas of how to deal with changes.
⑧ In order to make Wuyi Rock Tea be known by more people, in recent years, Zhang has done many things. “It’s my duty to pass on the traditional skills,” he said.
1. The writer began this passage by ________.A.giving examples | B.asking questions | C.listing numbers | D.comparing facts |
a. shaking the tea leaves b. turning over the tea leaves
c. drying the tea leaves d. deciding when to stop shaking
A.a—c—b—d | B.a—c—d—b | C.c—a—b—d | D.c—a—d—b |
A. | B. | C. | D. |
4. Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.A Great Wuyi Tea Maker | B.How to Make Wuyi Rock Tea |
C.The History of Wuyi Rock Tea | D.Tea Maker Keeps Improving Skills |
【推荐2】From May to July, the Meishan Culture and Art Center (MCAC) will provide 11 night school courses in English for foreigners. Below are four of the courses. All four will be held in the Dong Po Building of the MCAC. Each course has 12 lessons.
Chinese Snacks The teacher will introduce the characteristics (特点) and ingredients of snacks in south China. You will learn how to make the snacks. Teacher: Zhong Jun, a chef (主厨) from the Dongpo International HotelDate: Thursday 7 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Classroom: Room 102 Fee (费用): Course fee: 680 yuan Materials: 80 yuan | Dongpo Pickled Vegetables The teacher will introduce the history and development of Dongpo Pickled Vegetables. You will learn how to pickle (腌制) different kinds of vegetables. Teacher: Wang Yan, a cook from the Meizhou Dongpo RestaurantDate: Tuesday 7 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Classroom: Room 103 Fee (费用): Course fee: 680 yuan Materials: 75 yuan |
Calligraphy You will learn how to appreciate the calligraphy (书法) works of the past dynasties. The teacher will also teach you how to write different kinds of calligraphy. Teacher: Xie Shun, a member of the Meishan Calligraphers Association(书法家协会)Date: Tuesday 7 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Classroom: Room 104 Fee: Course fee: 710 yuan Materials: 85 yuan | Traditional Bamboo Weaving The teachers will teach how to use bamboo to weave daily necessities. You will learn about bamboo culture, weaving (编织) culture and more. Teachers: Cindia Zhou, an bamboo weaving teacher; Ying Tang & Jing Li, intangible cultural heritage inheritors (非物质文化遗产传承人)Date: Thursday 7 p.m.—8:30 p.m. Classroom: Room 105 Fee: Course fee: 700 yuan Materials: 95 yuan |
1. If you want to learn how to make dumplings, which course can you attend?
A.Chinese Snacks. | B.Calligraphy. |
C.Traditional Bamboo weaving. | D.Dongpo Pickled Vegetables. |
A.Chinese Snacks. | B.Dongpo Pickled Vegetables. |
C.Calligraphy. | D.Traditional Bamboo weaving. |
A.How to plant bamboo. | B.How to use bamboo to write. |
C.How to weave bamboo artworks. | D.How to weave bamboo articles (物品) for daily use. |
【推荐3】Good manners are important things to have since they show that you’re polite to other people. If you’re having a meal with others, then make sure you use good manners while you’re eating to show that you’re respectful.
Set your phone to silent or vibrate, and keep it in a pocket or bag throughout your meal. Don’t answer it unless there is an emergency. If you need to take a phone call, excuse yourself from the table first by saying something like, “Excuse me, I need to take this. I’ll be right back.”
Don’t start eating immediately as you sit down since it’s rude to start if people don’t have their food. Instead, patiently wait in your seat before you take your first bite.
When you need to cut something, hold the knife in your right hand and your fork in your left. Once you cut your food, you can either use your fork in your left hand or set your knife down so you can use your fork with your right hand.
Chewing with your mouth open or talking while you’re eating is usually considered rude since no one wants to see the food in your mouth. Take small bites of your food and chew them completely with your mouth closed.
If you need to go to the bathroom during the meal, say “excuse me” before standing up so others know you need to go somewhere. You don’t need to give the reason why you’re leaving as long as you come back and sit down again. You may say, “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”
A.Hold your fork and knife properly like you’re holding a pencil. |
B.Avoid reaching across the table since you may get in other people’s way. |
C.Don’t chew with your mouth open. |
D.Wait until everyone else has been served before you start eating. |
E.Avoid setting your phone on the table while you’re eating with other people |
F.If you need to go somewhere, say “Excuse me” before leaving. |
【推荐1】Whenever you talk about China, there must be one thing you cannot ignore (忽略) — the Chinese food. Most Chinese consider food as an important thing. They do not greet each other with “How are you?” but instead they ask, “Have you eaten?” Chinese table manners are still studied today. Here are some examples.
Before a meal, guests should wait for the host to invite them to get seated. The seat that is given to the “guest of honor (荣誉)” or the oldest person in the family. The “seat of honor” is usually facing the entrance of the room.
The next rule that appears in the seating plan is connected with the “social ranking” of a person. This rule will be accepted even if the dinner is of family get-together. That is, if you are a manager, you may get a closer seat to the “guest of honor”. If you are just a worker, farther.
As for the host, he may take the “worst” seat, usually the one nearest the kitchen or the door. It is better to be seated after the “guest of honor” sits down.
Chinese people like sharing food together and the dishes are all placed in the center of a round table rather than a rectangular table like in the West. On the table there is a Lazy Susan, which makes all the diners equally reach the served meals and makes everybody feel respected.
In China, at the beginning of a formal dinner, the host must first toast (敬酒) to the guests to show his hospitality (热情). Wine, beer or even soda can be used to toast. If you hope to take a drink of wine at a formal dinner, you must first toast another dinner guest. Normally, your glass will be refilled immediately following a toast in preparation for the next one. So… Good luck!
Of course, there are still many important rules for you to explore.
1. The underlined words “a Lazy Susan” in Paragraph 5 means ________.A.a pair of chopsticks | B.a public spoon |
C.a round disc (圆盘) | D.a dinner plate |
A.Paragraph 3 | B.Paragraph 4 | C.Paragraph 5 | D.Paragraph 6 |
A.The host usually takes the seat facing the door. |
B.The guests are mainly offered seats according to their positions. |
C.Usually the oldest person toasts the host first at the beginning of the dinner. |
D.The culture of food plays the most important role in China. |
The World Cup is a world football competition, and it takes place every four years. In 2022, the host country is Qatar (卡塔尔). It is the first time for a country in the Middle East to host the game, and only the second time for an Asian country to host it. Here are some facts about Qatar and the World Cup 2022. Meaningful mascot (吉祥物) The mascot of the World Cup 2022 is named La’eeb! It means a “super-skilled player” in Arabic. Some Chinese internet users suggested it looked like a wonton skin or the flying carpet (毯子) in 1,001 Nights, Many football fans hope that La’eeb will bring the joy of soccer to everyone. Play football in winter Usually, the World Cup is played in summer. But this time, we need to enjoy it in winter. Why? The reason is simple. Qatar is too hot in summer! In summer, the temperature (温度) there could rise up to 50℃. When winter comes, it goes down to around 20-30℃. That’s much better for outdoor sports. Small but rich Qatar is a small country, and the whole country is even smaller than Beijing. People there mainly speak Arabic. Qatar is one of the richest countries in the world because it has lots of oil and natural gas. |
A.A wonton skin. | B.A super-skilled player. | C.A flying carpet. | D.A football fan. |
A.Qatar | B.football | C.the temperature | D.sports |
A.Food. | B.Season. | C.Host country. | D.Mascot. |
A.The World Cup is always played in winter. |
B.In summer, the temperature in Qatar could rise up to 60℃. |
C.Qatar is the first Asian country to host the World Cup. |
D.People hope La’eeb can bring everyone the joy of soccer. |
A.An encyclopaedia. | B.A history book. | C.A fashion magazine. | D.A storybook. |
【推荐3】In Canada you can find dogs, cats, horses, etc. in almost every family. These are their pets. People love these pets and have them as their good friends. Before they keep them in their houses, they take them to animal hospitals to give them injections(注射) so that they won’t carry diseases. They have special animal food stores, though they can get animal food in almost every kind of stores. Some people spend around two hundred Canadian dollars a month on animal food.
When you visit people’s houses, they would be very glad to show you their pets and they are very proud of them. You will also find that almost every family has a bird feeder in their garden. All kinds of birds are welcomed to come and have a good meal. They are free to come and go and nobody is allowed to kill any animal in Canada. They have a law against killing wild animals. If you killed an animal, you would be punished. If an animal happened to get run over by a car,people would be very sad about it.
People in Canada have many reasons to like animals. One of them might be: Their family ties(关系) are not as close as ours. When children grow up, they leave their parents and start their own life. Then the old will feel lonely. But pets can solve this problem. They can be good friends and never leave them alone.
1. Pets are given injections in animal hospitals ________ .A.because the pets are wild |
B.after being taken home |
C.because they want to stop them from carrying diseases |
D.because they are sick |
A.a person who gives food to birds | B.a container that has food for birds |
C.something that catches birds | D.an animal that eats birds |
A.they don’t love their parents any more |
B.they can only find jobs far from their parents |
C.their parents’ houses are too small |
D.they wouldn’t depend on their parents any more |
A.Pets eat better than people. |
B.People buy animal food only at the animal food stores. |
C.Any bird can come to the bird feeders to eat. |
D.Almost every family has a birdcage(鸟笼)in his house. |
A.how to keep diseases from pets | B.Canadians have pets as friends |
C.how to take good care of pets | D.life of the old in Canada |