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. |
| A．easy | B．challenging | C．creative | D．the most exciting |
| 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. |
| A．thought out | B．listened to | C．paid attention to | D．gave up |
| 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 |
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This year is the Year of Dragon. Sanlin is an old town in Shanghai which is known as “China’s Dragon and Lion Sports Town”. Here, you can see Chinese dragons “come to life”.
The Sanlin dragon dance has a history of more than 1,000 years. It became popular during the Ming Dynasty. Today, Lu Dajie heads the Sanlin Dragon Dance Team. He first heard stories about the dance from his grandfather and became interested at once. As a child, he often ran after the dragon dancers along the streets of Sanlin and tried to learn the dance.
As he grew up, Lu learned more about dragon dances. In 1994, he set up the Sanlin Dragon Dance Team. The team has performed in France, Germany, Japan and many other countries. It has won more than 70 gold medals in competitions around the world. Many people say it’s the best dragon dance team in China. If you visit Sanlin Old Street, you’ll see the Sanlin Dragon Dance Exhibition (展览) Hall. There are many dragons in it and you can learn more about dragon dances. It would be a great way to celebrate the Year of the Loong!
1. The Sanlin dragon dance has a history of more than 1,500 years.2. Lu started to learn dragon dances when he was an adult.
3. The Sanlin Dragon Dance Team was set up in 1994 and has performed in many countries.
4. You can learn more about dragon dances in the Sanlin Dragon Dance Exhibition Hall.
5. The text comes from a music magazine.
【推荐2】Traditional Chinese Culture: Qin Qi Shu Hua
Chinese Folk Music Chinese folk music is connected with ancient Chinese stories. One of the classics, Shijing, included some folk songs from the West Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period. Traditional Chinese musical instruments such as guzheng, pipa, erhu, xiao are still played by artists today. |
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| Weiqi Weiqi, also called yi in ancient China, is a smart board game between two players with a history of over 3,000 years. With the development of weiqi, people create different kinds of chess games. Now it even becomes an event in the international chess games. | |||
Chinese Handwriting Chinese handwriting is a special art of Asian cultures. It is much loved around the world since many centuries ago. Wang Xizhi was very famous and he made a great achievement in brush handwriting. Many kids nowadays start to practice brush handwriting when they are very young. |
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| Chinese Painting In ancient China, most of the Chinese paintings were done on paper or silk. Traditional Chinese painting includes mountains and water, flowers and birds, animals, figures (人物). The highest form of Chinese painting is mountains and water, but it takes time and efforts to learn and become good at it. Now we need more young people to pass it on. | |||
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．弈. | B．羿. | C．异. | D．翼. |
| A．He was a great musician. |
| B．He was a great weiqi player. |
| C．He was good at Chinese painting. |
| D．He made a great achievement in Chinese handwriting. |
| A．Figures. | B．Flowers and birds. |
| C．Mountains and water. | D．Animals and plants. |
①explaining its name ② telling its history
③showing today’s development ④ listing symbol(s) or types
| A．①②③ | B．①②④ | C．②③④ | D．①②③④ |
【推荐3】Many Westerners have the assumption (假设) that everyone in China knows how to do kung fu. This is, of course, a silly belief. But it is true that kung fu is a big part of Chinese culture.
Like most people from the West, I was first introduced to kung fu through Hong Kong action films. Stars like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan made kung fu popular in the Western world. The flashy (闪光的) and impressive performances they gave in films like Rumble in the Bronx (Chan,《红番区》) and Enter the Dragon (Lee,《龙争虎斗》) made them household names in the US and elsewhere.
However, my own personal interest in kung fu was actually inspired (激发) by a hip-hop group. Wu-Tang Clan (武当派), founded in the early 1990s in New York City, is one of the most influential hip-hop groups in history.
In their songs, they sometimes mention philosophical concepts (哲学概念) that come from Wudang quan— a classic Chinese martial art (武术) from which they take their name—and the Shaolin Monastery. I was just a teenager when I first started listening to Wu-Tang Clan—little did I know that I would actually end up living in China later in my life!
I myself do not practice kung fu. However, the concepts behind it are quite interesting to me. There is a quote (引述) from Bruce Lee that I often think of when I’m struggling with challenges in life. “Be formless..shapeless, like water,” he once said. By this, he meant that you should be ready to adapt (适应) and change your attitudes or beliefs when you face difficulties. I think this is a good way to deal with life.
1. What does “a silly belief ” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．All Chinese people can do kung fu. |
| B．China is most famous for its kung fu. |
| C．Kung fu is a big part of Chinese culture. |
| A．It explains why the film stars are popular in the US. |
| B．It shows the influence of Hong Kong action movies. |
| C．It talks about how the author got to know about kung fu. |
| A．家喻户晓 | B．默默无闻 | C．声名狼藉 |
| A．They show others their life in China. |
| B．They have Chinese culture in their songs. |
| C．They teach people how to do Wudang quan. |
| A．The concepts of kung fu change from time to time. |
| B．Bruce Lee was the most excellent martial arts master. |
| C．The spirit of kung fu helps the author overcome difficulties. |
【推荐1】Imagine having everything you need—hospitals, stores, parks—just a few steps from home. This is the idea behind the 15-minute city. Here, people can get all the services they need within 15 minutes from home. This social model is being developed in cities around the world, from Paris to Moscow. It could make people healthier and build stronger relationships with neighbors.
Carlos Moreno is a strong supporter of the 15-minute city. He was encouraged by the need to fight against climate (气候) change. In a 15-minute city, car travel is not the best choice. People should build more foot roads and bike roads. Walking or biking across the city is of great use in cutting down CO2 emissions (排放).
Anne Hidalgo plans to develop 15-minute communities throughout France. That means the number of parking space will be reduced to 60000 by 2024 and more bike roads will be created on every street of the city.
This type of design does more than good to the planet. Joe Zehnder is the planner of the city Moscow. He is developing “15-minute neighborhoods.” “Having stores close to homes makes people able to eat healthier food and live a better life.” Zehnder says.
Syra Madad is also a key person behind the 15-minute-city plan. He wants to make these places inclusive (包容的). As a neighborhood becomes more convenient, housing costs may increase. Madad suggests trying creating more kinds of houses, so that people of different groups can have a chance to live there.
根据材料内容选择最佳答案。
1. What’s the best way to go outside in a 15-minute city?
| A．By bus. | B．By car. | C．By taxi. | D．On foot. |
| A．Carlos Moreno. | B．Anne Hidalgo. | C．Syra Madad. | D．Joe Brown. |
| A．By opening more stores close to homes. | B．By building more neighborhoods. |
| C．By increasing the housing costs. | D．By creating more kinds of houses. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．The Opinions of the 15-minute City | B．The Reason Why People Like the 15-minute City |
| C．The Time of Building a 15-minute City | D．The Way People Build the 15-minute City |
【推荐2】What is a museum? A museum is a good place to keep old and beautiful things. A museum may be a place to learn about science and a place to find out about art or people or animals.
What is inside a museum? Some museums have old cars and planes. Many museums have pictures and statues (雕塑). Others have rocks and old bones. One museum even has a real old street inside. It looks so real that one might feel he was back to the old times.
Many cities have museums. Some very small towns have museum, too. Indianapolis has a children’s museum. Children don’t have to pay to get in. Children often go to the museum. They like to look at the dinosaur bones (恐龙骨头). They can see a white bear ten feet tall.
On Saturday, Indianapolis children can hear talks about animals and trees. They see movies. They even learn to make things there.
1. A museum is a good place _______.①to do some shopping ②to learn about science
③to keep old and beautiful things ④to find out about art or people or animals
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②④ |
| A．see movies | B．listen to talks | C．play with bears | D．learn to make things |
| A．museums are all the same | B．there is only one museum for children |
| C．there is a real old street in the children’s museum | D．It’s free for children to visit the children’s museum |
【推荐3】Weekends, air conditioners (空调), takeouts… are all common things for modern people. Have you ever wondered if ancient people enjoyed the same lifestyles? Let’s take a look.
No weekends In ancient China, there were no weekends because people did not use a weekly calendar. But they could still relax after work. During the Han Dynasty, officers took one day off every five days. During the Tang Dynasty, officers worked for ten days and rested for one day. There were also many public holidays in ancient times, such as Spring Festival, winter solstice and Mid-Autumn Festival. People like farmers and businessmen usually worked most of the year, but even the most hard-working people would take a few days off during Spring Festival. |
Smart ways of staying cool In ancient times, though people didn’t have air conditioners, they had their own ways to get through the hot summer. People collected ice blocks in winter and stored them in an icehouse. When summer came, people could take the ice blocks home and use them to make their rooms cooler. There was a kind of pillow (枕头) made of porcelain (瓷器) that felt pleasantly cool. Ancient people also made bamboo into bed mats (垫子) to sleep on. They’re still used today. |
Takeouts not a new thing There was takeout as far back as the Song Dynasty. In the famous Song Dynasty painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival (《清明上河图》), a takeout worker can be seen with food in hand. People at the time even had special meal boxes for takeout dishes. They also used warming plates made of two layers (层) of porcelain. Hot water could be put between them to keep dishes warm. |
| A．Because ancient people were more hard-working than modern ones. |
| B．Because ancient people didn’t use a weekly calendar. |
| C．Because the emperors didn’t allow their people to have a rest. |
| D．Because ancient people wanted to make more money. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．They put hot water between plates. |
| B．They lit candles under the dishes. |
| C．They covered the dishes with thick cloth. |
| D．They walked fast to deliver (送) the dishes. |
| A．In ancient China, people like farmers and businessmen worked all year round. |
| B．Ancient people used bed mats made of silk to stay cool. |
| C．Along the River During the Qingming Festival was painted in Song Dynasty. |
| D．Modern people still have the same lifestyles as ancient people. |
| A．In a novel. | B．In a science book. |
| C．In a history magazine. | D．In a cooking book. |
【推荐1】Wang Wenhua, lover of miniature ceramic (微型瓷器), never expected that his short videos would have over 45 million clicks and 4.2 million likes on Douyin.
“I was first surprised and then very happy that my works were so popular even in foreign countries,” Wang told the Global Times.
Wang started to take great interest in porcelain (瓷器) when he was young. So he found a job in China’s “Porcelain Capital” Jingdezhen in Jiangxi Province. Having worked there for 14 years, Wang said he had once seen the world’s biggest ceramic here but he had never seen the smallest, so he decided to make miniature porcelain.
Things were not easy at the beginning. Many people questioned him. “They mocked me when I went to factories and asked them to help make miniature tools for me to create miniature porcelain, and even my family did not support (支持) me,” Wang said.
However, Wang did not give up. After about half a year, Wang finally made miniature tools and was able to complete his first miniature porcelain—a vase (花瓶). The smallest vase that Wang has made is only 2 millimetres (毫米) tall, 3 millimetres wide and1 millimetre thick.
“I think my success is mainly because of my love for ceramics,” Wang said.
1. What’s Wang’s hobby?| A．Making short videos. | B．Making big porcelain. |
| C．Making miniature porcelain. | D．Collecting miniature porcelain. |
| A．cared about | B．believed in | C．agreed with | D．laughed at |
| A．Wang’s determination (坚定) is the key to success |
| B．Wang found the smallest ceramic in Jingdezhen |
| C．Wang’s first miniature porcelain is 2 metres tall |
| D．Wang’s short videos have got 4.2 million clicks |
| A．Miniature Ceramic—A Traditional Art |
| B．The Home to Chinese Miniature Ceramics |
| C．Hobbies Give People a Second Life |
| D．A Ceramic Maker Surprises Douyin Users |
Beijing Silk Figurines (绢人)
For the younger generations (一代) in China, modern toys have always been attractive (有吸引力的). Recently, Beijing silk figurines, with fine clothing and lively facial expressions, have proved that they are just as attractive as modern toys.
As a form of National Intangible Cultural Heritage (国家级非物质文化遗产), Beijing silk figurines have a history of more than 1,000 years.
He Mei is an inheritor (传承者) of Beijing silk figurines. When first seeing the dolls, she was so attracted by their appearances that she decided to learn the skill of making them.
Now Her team is working hard to make Beijing silk figurines go further. “People are familiar with American Barbie dolls. I want to turn Beijing silk figurines into ‘Chinese Barbie dolls’,” she said.
To make its products more popular, Her team has developed complete DIY tool bags, so people can create a figurine of their own within an hour.
| A．It is one of the greatest inventions in human history. |
| B．Its history dates all the way to the Tang Dynasty (朝代). |
| C．Later she set up her company in 2013 to produce silk figurines. |
| D．Besides, her company has even worked with robot companies. |
| E．The inspiration (灵感) for their designs mainly comes from traditional Chinese culture. |
There were once two guitar makers in a town in Mexico. One was known for low prices and the other for the high quality(质量).
The young maker, who made the cheap guitars, could make guitars very quickly.
Everyone wanted to buy a guitar because it was a sign of being rich, so both makers were very busy.
But bad times came to the town and no one had much money. The young maker did well, but the old maker went out of business because no one could afford his guitars.
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind the crowd. “How can you blame(责怪)him?
“Please teach me how to make good guitars,” said the young man.
| A．He never said his guitars were perfect. |
| B．The old man taught him and the young man taught others. |
| C．Something that is really good takes a lot of time and effort. |
| D．The old maker took his time and paid much attention to the quality. |
| E．The old maker wasted much time making cheap guitars. |
| F．After a few years, the cheap guitars people bought began to fall apart. |
