1 . Welcome to this lecture, everyone. Today we are going to (A) talk about the Chinese explorer ZhangQian and the Silk Road.
Zhang Qian was a (B) ________ in setting up the Silk Road. He was an official in the Han Dynasty. At that time, (C) China knew little about the lands in the far West. The emperor sent Zhang Qian to travel to many countries and he made many useful reports on the people and cultures there. (D) His journeys helped lead to the development of the Silk Road.
The Silk Road got its name from the Chinese silk trade. It was started over 2,000 years ago. Although it was called a “road”, the Silk Road was actually many different routes, (E) ________ on land and by sea. These routes spread from East, South and West Asia to North and North-East Africa (F) as well as Europe. They allowed people to carry goods between countries, and (G) 帮助传播知识 and ideas across the world. The Silk Road was important in the development of countries such as China, India and Egypt.
阅读短文，然后按要求完成下列小题。
1. 写出文中画线部分 (A) 和 (F) 的同义词或近义词：China
5. 将文中画线部分 (G) 译成英语：
2 . Kung fu
“Kung fu” is the popular name given to Chinese martial arts in the West. It refers to a number of different styles of fighting that have developed over hundreds of years in China. These different styles are often called “schools”. One of the most famous schools is the Shaolin School. It comes from the Shaolin Temple at Songshan in Henan Province.
阅读短文，然后根据内容回答所提问题。
1. What is kung fu?3 . Hot dry noodles are a kind of traditional food of Wuhan. They have a history of about 90 years. They are a kind of traditional breakfast food in Wuhan, and are often sold in streets in other cities. Hot dry noodles can be offered from 5 in the morning to 12 at night in Wuhan.
It is said that in the early 1930s, there was a small restaurant. One day, the owner, Li Bao put some oil into his noodles. The next day, he boiled (煮) those noodles and added (添加) other condiments (调味料). His noodles soon became very popular because they were very delicious. Many people asked Li Bao what kind of noodles it was. Li Bao answered, “Hot dry noodles.”
The way of boiling hot dry noodles is different from other noodles. First, mix (混合) the cooked noodles with oil and dry them. When they are going to be eaten, put them in boiling water, mix them with green onions and many other condiments, and the noodles will be ready to eat. The finished noodles are very delicious. In 2013, hot dry noodles were the No. 1 among China’s Top 10 Famous Noodles.
1. Where is hot dry noodles from?2. What did people think of Li’s hot dry noodles when they were first made?
3. What’s the first step of making hot dry noodles?
4. What are hot dry noodles mixed with when they are going to be eaten?
5. Are hot dry noodles one of the most famous noodles in China?
4 . France is well-known for its fine art, delicious food and romantic scenery (浪漫的风景). Many visitors come here every year.
France is the largest country in Western Europe. The country is home to many famous places of interest, like the River Seine as well as the Eiffel Tower.
Many visitors also come for the country’s art. Sculptor (雕刻家) Auguste Rodin and painter Claude Monet once created their great works there. If you visit France today, it won’t be a surprise to meet street artists (艺术家) in the city or come across a singer in the subway.
No visit to Paris is complete (完成) without a trip to the Louvre Museum. It is one of the largest and most famous museums in the world. The Louvre Museum displays（展示) a lot of works of art, including the Mona Lisa by Da Vinci. It would take nine months to enjoy all the works.
In addition (此外), French food is world-famous. Bread is very important in France. The best-known French bread is called baguettes. They are long and salty (咸的). Snails (蜗牛) are also a must-have here. French people eat about 60, 000 tons (吨) of snails every year!
But France is not always good. Paris, the city of light, may also show its dark side (一侧) to visitors. Chinese visitors feel bad about the crowded (拥挤的) subway in Paris.
1. What is France famous for?2. According to Paragraph 2, please give two places of interest in France.
3. Is the Mona Lisa in the Louvre Museum?
4. How many snails do French people eat every year?
5. Why do Chinese visitors feel bad about the subway in Paris?
5 . Have you watched the TV show Home with Kids (《家有儿女》)? You might hear the laughter (笑声) when something funny happens. But every time, the laughter sounds the same.
This is called canned (预先录制的) laughter. The US sound engineer (工程师) Charley Douglass made it in the 1950s. He recorded (记录) different kinds of laughter. When editors (剪辑员) needed laughter in their shows, he just pressed the play button (按钮).
Canned laughter was popular during that time. When the audience (观众) heard it, they laughed along with the actors.
But about 10 years later, people started to think that canned laughter sounded silly. They wanted real laughter because it is more vivid. Some famous sitcoms (情景喜剧), such as Friends (《老友记》) and The Big Bang Theory (《生活大爆炸》), use this kind of laughter.
The Big Bang Theory has live audiences. They can attend the show when it is being recorded. All the laughter you hear is from real audiences!
Which kind of laughter do you like?
1. Charley Douglass invented canned laughter in the ________.| A．1950s | B．18th century | C．1960s | D．19th century |
| A．The TV show Friends used canned laughter. |
| B．In the 1960s, people started to think it sounded silly. |
| C．It is still popular these days. |
| D．A British sound engineer made it. |
| A．Famous. | B．Expensive. | C．Lifelike. | D．Modern. |
| A．Canned Laughter or Real Laughter | B．Movies or Famous Sitcoms |
| C．How to Make Canned Laughter | D．The Reason Why People Prefer Real Laughter |
6 . A 7-magnitude (震级) earthquake hit Ya’an, Sichuan at 8: 02 on April 20, 2013, and it killed at least 196 people and injured more than 11, 000.
Together with other students, Yang Xuelan ran out to the playground. She was safe. But all her textbooks and exercise books were buried (埋) in the teaching building.
What can we do when an earthquake happens? In fact, there’s little we can do to stop natural disasters (自然灾害) such as earthquakes happening. But, some methods can reduce the harm they cause. The American Red Cross introduced the “Drop, Cover & Hold on” method.
◆Drop down onto your hands and knees. This way can protect you from falling.
◆Cover your head under a strong table or desk. You can also stay along a wall, and cover your head with your arms and hands.
◆Hold on to (守住，抓牢) your shelter (遮蔽物) until the shaking stops. Be prepared to move with your shelter if the shaking continues.
Schools can normally take the earthquake drills (演练) to help students stay alive.
1. How many people lost their lives in the earthquake in Ya’an?| A．At least 196. | B．More than 11, 000. | C．Less than 196. | D．About 11, 196. |
| A．at home | B．at school |
| C．on her way to school | D．playing on the playground |
| A．提高 | B．阻止 | C．增加 | D．减少 |
| A．do nothing | B．stay at home |
| C．take some methods | D．run out of the house |
| A．Dropping down onto your hands and knees. |
| B．Covering your head under a strong table or desk. |
| C．Holding on to your shelter until the shaking stops. |
| D．A, B and C. |
7 . Save the world’s trees
“When it comes to the Earth, there is no time to waste.” says the Earth Day Network.
And that is right. Protecting our environment is very important, and World Earth Day was created in 1970 to ask more people to protect our environment. On April 22, people around the world celebrate Earth Day.
Every year there is a special topic, and this year it is “Trees for the Earth”, so Earth Day this year will be all about planting trees. They are planning to plant 7.8 billion trees within the next five years.
That’s a big goal, and you might wonder why trees are so important. Because they can take in carbon dioxide (CO2) and protect the air quality (质量). CO2 is a chemical in our atmosphere, but humans make too much of it. Each person makes about 2.3 tons a year, which is bad for the environment.
Well guess what! Planting new trees is important because people cut down a huge number of trees. Last year, there were 3 trillion trees in the world, about 139 billion in China. But according to China Daily, the world’s total number has been almost cut in half since human civilization (文明) began. That’s because 15 billion trees are cut down every year.
So we need to plant more to make up for (弥补) the ones we lost. One tree can take in 21.8 kilograms of CO2 per year. And it’s still one of the cheapest and best ways to get rid of CO2.
But don’t forget that we can also help the environment by cutting down on how much energy (能源) or water we use every day. Every little thing helps.
阅读短文，然后根据内容回答所提问题。
1. When do people around the world celebrate World Earth Day?8 . Electricity keeps us warm in winter and cool in summer, cooks our food, heats our water, washes our clothes and provides power for our TVs, radios and computers. Electricity makes wonderful things possible.
Electricity can be very dangerous, too. It can travel easily through our bodies. Because electricity moves quickly through water and the human body is 70% water! What will happen if you get shocked (电击)? You will find it hard to breathe, your heart will stop beating and you will get burns and even die! As electricity travels at the speed of light, it’s almost impossible for you to pull away if you really get shocked. And, you should never try to touch anyone who’s been shocked with your hands. You’d better call an adult to help you.
It sounds terrible. But if you remember the safety rules, you can always use electricity safely.
1. How does electricity make our lives?| A．More convenient. | B．More difficult. |
| C．More foolish. | D．More patient. |
| A．Electricity is made up of water. | B．Our bodies need electricity. |
| C．There is much water in our bodies. | D．Water can produce electricity. |
| A．breathing hard | B．having a cold | C．getting burns | D．dying |
| A．Touch him with your hands. | B．Tell him not to touch himself with his hands. |
| C．Try your best to make his heart beat. | D．Call an adult to help you. |
| A．When you save electricity. | B．When you remember the safety rules. |
| C．When you turn off electricity. | D．When you know electricity is dangerous. |
When you drive, there are some things you must do and some things you mustn’t do. For example, when you come to a traffic light, a red light means you must stop. A green light means you can go if it is safe.
There are also lots of traffic signs you must understand. For example, when there is a stop sign, you must stop, and then you must look carefully. You mustn’t continue to drive, because it is not safe. When you see a no-entry (禁止进入) sign, you mustn’t turn into that road.
If you see a keep-left sign, you must drive to the left of it, not to the right. A speed limit (限速) sign, for example, 70 kph, means you mustn’t go faster than 70 kph, but you can go more slowly. Safe driving.
1. What is the reading mainly about, traffic safety rules or safe driving?2. What does a red light mean?
3. Why mustn’t you continue to drive when you see a stop sign?
4. When you see a keep-left sign, what must you do?
5. What does a speed-limit sign of 70 kph mean?
Venice is in the north-east of Italy. It attracts more than three million tourists from all over the world every year.
Venice is a city of water, because it is built on 117 small islands in a saltwater lake along the Adriatic Sea (亚得里亚海). The city has more than 400 bridges to connect all these islands.
The city also has more than 177 canals (运河), so nobody can drive a car in Venice. Without the noise and pollution from the cars, Venice is among the most comfortable and quietest cities in the world for visitors. Then how do people move around the city? They have to walk around by themselves, or they can take a ride in the famous local boat—the gondola. In the past, it was the only way to travel in Venice. Now it’s mainly used by tourists to see this beautiful city.
Tourists can also take part in the Venice Carnival (狂欢节) in April or the Venice Film Festival in August to get a taste of this famous city on the water.
1. How many tourists visit Venice every year?2. What connects the islands in Venice?
3. Why can’t everybody drive a car in Venice?
4. How can tourists see the city of Venice?
5. When can you take part in the Venice Film Festival?
