1 . In China, a host usually serves a visiting guest a cup of tea first when he enters his house. It is a traditional custom in China. But do you know how to serve a cup of tea to a visiting guest? Well, in different places, the ways of serving tea are different.
In Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, a clay cup is usually used to brew(冲泡) Longjing, Biluochun, Maojian or just green tea. Chrysanthemum tea is sometimes used in the hot summer season to reduce the hot from outside.
Serving a cup of tea is a very popular custom in the North China cities. In the colder north-eastern provinces, the hosts would provide warm black tea with sugar for their guests.
In some coastal provinces such as Guangdong Province and Fujian Province, a pot of Oolong tea or Pu-er tea is the usual treat.
Serving tea to guests is a common practice in China. However, different tea is used in different places. In Inner Mongolia(内蒙古), a guest is usually treated with milky tea. In the Jingpo family, you would be given baked tea (tea in water and baked in an oven to be made hot).
1. What kind of tea sets should be used to brew Longjing?| A．A glass cup | B．A paper cup | C．A plastic cup | D．A clay cup |
| A．Oolong tea | B．Pu-er tea | C．Chrysanthemum tea | D．Milky tea |
| A．Suzhou | B．Changchun | C．Hangzhou | D．Baotou |
| A．内陆的 | B．边境的 | C．沿海的 | D．沿河的 |
| A．the ways of serving tea in China. | B．the different kinds of tea in China. |
| C．the ways of drinking tea in China. | D．the reasons of serving tea in China. |
2 . In recent years, red tourism（旅游业）has developed quickly and is expected to become more and more popular as the nation celebrates the 100th anniversary（周年纪念日）of the Communist Party of China（CPC）（中国共产党）. And people’s hopes of learning and experiencing revolutionary（革命的）history and culture have become stronger.
From 2004 to 2019, national red tourism resources（资源）continued to increase and tourists visited an increasing number of revolutionary cultural relics（文物）. The number of such trips made by people increased from 140 million to 1.4 billion（十亿）over the same period and more and more people go to these red tourism areas, such as Yan’an in Shanxi Province.
In Pingshan, Hebei Province, where Xibaipo is located（位于）, people have depended on red tourism to develop farmhouses, gardens and tourist shops. This has helped to provide jobs for more than 80,000 local people.
Red tourism has not only met people’s travel needs but also their strong wishes for knowledge on revolutionary traditions. This has led to the economic（经济上的）development of old revolutionary areas. As the 100th anniversary of the CPC is coming, the Ministry（部）of Culture and Tourism will further develop red tourism and provide people with better products and services based on Party history education. Protection of revolutionary relics will also become stronger.
1. The Communist Party of China was founded（建立）________.| A．in 1911 | B．in 1921 | C．in 1931 | D．in 1949 |
| A．Hebei Province | B．Hubei Province | C．Henan Province | D．Shanxi Province |
| A．development of science | B．development of art |
| C．environmental protection | D．economic development |
| A．ancient history | B．modern art | C．cultural relics | D．Party history education |
| A．Tourist Shops | B．Farmhouses | C．Red Tourism | D．Beautiful Gardens |
3 . Tony and George were painting freely. Each of them had a bottle of blue paint(油漆) and a bottle of yellow paint.
Suddenly George said, “Look, Tony, I made green!”
“How did you do it?” asked Tony.
“I put yellow paint on top of my blue paint — yellow and blue put together make green!” shouted George. Other children came around to watch and wanted to do it themselves.
This is an example of discovery learning or hands—on learning.
People remember things better when they learn them by doing. Here is an example. How will you learn to play football?
Buy a book and read about how to play football or buy a video about football? Or go to the playground and ask a person to teach you?
Which way will help you learn the game best? Learning on the playground is the best way for most people because they try the game and learn the rules as they play. They learn in a hands—on way.
Hands—on learning is good for children. The learner takes an active part in it instead of just sitting and listening. This is the way that we want our children to learn. In order to learn best, children must take an active part in hands—on activities every day. Some good examples of hands—on activities are working puzzles, painting, playing simple board games together and so on.
1. George was _______ when he noticed the change of colors.| A．angry | B．disappointed | C．excited | D．peaceful |
| A．get another two bottles of paint |
| B．watch and want to have a try |
| C．find out what happened to Tony |
| D．ask George to paint a picture for them |
| A．learning method | B．learning result |
| C．learning plan | D．learning activity |
| A．read a book about swimming | B．think about it by yourself at home |
| C．learn it by watching online videos | D．learn from someone in a swimming pool |
| A．we can play football in many different ways. |
| B．Games can help people stay in touch with others. |
| C．A person should learn how to find out the fact. |
| D．Hands—on learning can help learn something new better. |
Have you been quite forgetful lately? Have you been worried? If you are worried about losing keys and forgetting names, here are some ways for you.
Find out your own learning style
We all have our own ways of learning and remembering. Some of us have to say something out loud to remember it; others may have to write it down. Whatever your learning style is, accept it and find out a way that will work with it, whether it is written/audio notes (音频笔记) or some other ways.
Repeat a lot
Do something many times, and it is possible for you to remember it.
Repeating can help you turn short-term memory into long-term memory. It can feel a little silly writing down everything, or saying something to yourself 10 times in order to get through your day, but if it’s necessary, then go ahead and do it.
Avoid unnecessary distractions (干扰)
With each day bringing fresh bad news, we have more distractions than ever before. However, there are many ways you can cut down the number of distractions.
The first one is trying to use your mobile phone less. Some studies show Internet use is making our attention last shorter and our memory worse. Although it’s almost impossible to keep away from the Internet, using your mobile phone less can help.
The second one is to avoid doing many things at the same time. It has also been shown to influence long-term memory.
Ways to Avoid Forgetfulness | |
| Find out your own learning style | ▲Both saying something loudly and writing down something can help you remember well. ▲ |
| ▲ ▲Although it sounds silly to repeat something to yourself 10 times a day, it’s necessary. | |
| Avoid unnecessary distractions | ▲Don’t use your mobile phone more, or it will make your attention ▲If you do many things at the same time, your long-term memory will |
Have your mom or grandma ever made embroidered (刺绣的) clothes for you? People in the past often embroidered on handkerchiefs (手帕), bed covers and dresses. Girls would embroider on a sachet (香囊) as a gift for their lovers.
Shu embroidery comes from Sichuan. It is the oldest kind of embroidery in China. People began to make it during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). They sold it to other countries along the South Silk Road.
Embroidery takes time. It might take as long as a whole day to finish just 10 cm. By the 1970s, Sichuan had as many as 5,000 embroiderers. But since modern machines can make cheaper embroidery products today, fewer people are buying handmade Shu embroidery products. Young people aren’t learning the skill. To protect this skill, Shu embroidery was added to China’s intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) list in 2006.
Meng Dezhi, a national-level inheritor (国家级传承人) of the skill, has been making Shu embroidery for 40 years. After her factory closed down in 2005, she didn’t give up loving this form of art. So she decided to teach others to make Shu embroidery. The work is hard and the pay is low. Not many people want to learn it. But Meng wants to change that. She now teaches it in universities and communities.
Shu embroidery stands for (代表) thousands of years of Sichuan culture. We should try to save it.
1. Where does Shu embroidery come from?________________________________________________________
2. How many embroiderers did Sichuan have by the 1970s?
________________________________________________________
3. Are many people buying handmade Shu embroidery products today?
________________________________________________________
4. How long has Meng Dezhi been making Shu embroidery?
________________________________________________________
5. What does Shu embroidery stand for?
________________________________________________________
6 . On April 1, the Xiongan New Area in Hebei Province celebrated its fourth “birthday”. The area covers 1,770 square kilometers. It’s about 100 km southwest of Beijing.
The Xiongan New Area is the third important new area after the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone（经济特区） and the Shanghai Pudong New Area. The Xiongan New Area will help solve problems in Beijing, like traffic jams（拥堵）and air pollution. For example, this year Hebei Province will speed up the building of an express line （机场快线） between Xiongan and Beijing Daxing International Airport. The express line is going to be finished by the end of 2023.
The building of an Internet industrial （工艺的）park and a science and technology park will also begin in Xiongan this year. What’s more, the area will improve the water quality （质量） of Baiyangdian Lake, one of the largest freshwater wetlands in North China.
Xiongan is also called China’s “city of the future”. According to the 2018-2035 master plan for the Xiongan New Area, the area will develop into a modern city that is green, smart and livable （宜居的） by 2035. It will also be a place for innovation （创新）.
1. Is Beijing about 100 km southwest of the Xiongan New Area?____________________________________________________________________
2. What problems can the Xiongan New Area help solve for Beijing in Paragraph 2?
____________________________________________________________________
3. When will the express line be finished?
____________________________________________________________________
4. Why is the Xiongan New Area important for Baiyangdian Lake?
____________________________________________________________________
5. What will the Xiongan New Area be according to the 2018-2035 master plan?
____________________________________________________________________
7 . Parents are often surprised at their children’s ability to use technology. A five-year-old child may easily find and use apps on a smart phone. A ten-year-old child can move up through the levels of a video game easily. Their parents may think their children were born geniuses （天 才）！
Natural geniuses, however, are not common. But your parents are right if they think you are smarter than them. Most children are born smarter than their parents. This has been proved（证明）on IQ tests around the world recently. These tests have shown that over the last 100 years, each new generation （一代人）has become smarter than the older ones. In other words, you are smarter than your parents and your parents are smarter than your grandparents.
This increase in intelligence is called the “Flynn Effect（效应）”. It was named after James Flynn. Flynn is a university professor （教授）in New Zealand. He first noticed this in 1980. According to his research, with each new generation, average （平均的）IQ scores would increase by twenty percent.
But why are people getting smarter? Flynn and many other researchers believe this has something to do with technology. New technologies have further developed our brains. They have made us think better. So we may be better at completing the missing parts of a puzzle than our parents.
But being smart doesn’t make you wise. Wisdom （智慧）comes with age and experience. A high score on a computer game will not help you solve the everyday problems of life. For that, a smart kid will turn to the wisdom of his parents and grandparents.
1. How do parents often feel about their children’s ability to use technology?| A．Surprised. | B．Worried. | C．Nervous. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．Children easily use apps on smart phones. |
| B．Most children play video games better than their parents. |
| C．Children are born with a high IQ. |
| D．Most children are born smarter than their parents. |
| A．Better education. | B．New technologies. |
| C．A better environment. | D．New experiences. |
| A．拼图 | B．困境 | C．迷惑 | D．阻碍 |
| A．A child may easily find apps on a smart phone |
| B．A child may be good at completing the missing parts of a puzzle |
| C．A high score on a video game won’t help solve the problems in life |
| D．A ten-year-old child can move up through the levels of a video game easily |
Champion （冠军）of the cold | |
Arctic tern 北极燕鸥 | Size: About 35 cm long Food: Fish and shells （贝类） Skill: We spend summer in the Arctic. When it is winter in the Arctic, we fly to Antarctica （南极）. We hold the record for the longest migration （迁徙）of any animal in the world! |
Lemming 旅鼠 | Size: 15 cm long Food: Grass Skill: We grow hard “shells” on our claws （爪子）. We can dig holes easily in the hard and icy land. |
Polar bear 北极熊 | Size: 2. 5 to 3 m long Food: Seals and fish Skill: Our thick and waterproof fur （防水毛皮）coat keeps us warm and dry after swimming. Under our fur, we have black skin （皮肤）. This helps us take in the sun's heat. |
Arctic fox 北极狐 | Size: 45 to 100 cm from head to tail Food: Lemmings, fish and birds Skill: We can change the color of our fur. Usually, we are white in winter and brown in summer. |
Harp seal 格陵兰海豹 | Size: 1. 5 to 1. 8 m long Food: Fish Skill: Our thick fur and fat keep our body temperature at 40°C. We can stay warm! |
1. Which animal holds the record for the longest migration of any animal in the world?
| A．Lemming. | B．Harp seal. | C．Arctic fox. | D．Arctic tern. |
| A．Brown. | B．Black. | C．White. | D．Yellow. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Lemmings can dig holes easily in the hard and icy land |
| B．Polar bears have black skin under their fur |
| C．Arctic foxes’ size is from 45 to 100 cm from head to tail |
| D．Harp seals’ thin fur and fat keep their body temperature at 40°C |
| A．art | B．animal | C．health | D．sports |
Shadow puppetry （皮影戏）started during the Western Han Dynasty and it has a long history of more than 2, 000 years. It used to be popular in the countryside because it was simple and cheap.
The puppets are usually made from leather （皮革）or paper. It is hard to make them. The puppet-makers have to take 24 steps, which include washing the leather, carving （雕刻） and painting, to make a puppet.
Just like many things that are in danger, traditional arts also face the risk of disappearing. “Many young people still think that shadow puppetry is an old-fashioned folk art, ” said Liu Chaokan, the sixth-generation inheritor （继承人）of shadow puppetry in Yunnan province.
Liu understands why old art forms couldn’t interest young people, so he connects new stories with the traditional form of storytelling. In a recent show based on the ancient Chinese novel Journey to the West, Baigujing dances to a Korean pop song. Popular Chinese cartoon characters, together with the modern factors （元素）, are Liu’s secret in getting the attention of children. “Since they couldn’t understand those old stories, why don’t we show them the cartoon characters they love in shadow puppetry shows?” said Liu.
To keep the old art forever young, Liu thinks they should respect （尊重）its traditions and protect the basic of the art.
1. How long has shadow puppetry been in China?______________________________________________________
2. What are the puppets made from?
______________________________________________________
3. How do many young people feel about shadow puppetry according to Liu Chaokan?
______________________________________________________
4. Which ancient Chinese novel is mentioned in the passage?
______________________________________________________
5. Do you think traditional arts like shadow puppetry will disappear? Why or why not?
______________________________________________________
10 . Not getting enough sleep is bad for health. Depending on the research from the scientists, people who don’t get enough sleep are less willing to socialize(社交) with others. They are simply too tired to go out.
The researchers did a small study. They tested 18 young people who had good sleep after a sleepless night. The participants watched videos of people with neutral(中性的) expressions walking towards them. When the person on the video got too “close” to them, they pushed a button to stop the video.
The participants kept the person at a distance of 60% further if they hadn’t got enough sleep. They felt that their personal space was being invaded(侵占). But when the participants got a good night’s sleep, they allowed the person to get much closer to them.
The result shows that the less sleep you get, the less you want to socialize with others. In turn, other people may think you strange and stay away from you. So if you want to be a more sociable(喜欢与人交往的) and popular person, sleeping well might help.
1. Not getting enough sleep ________.| A．isn’t good for health |
| B．makes people more active |
| C．makes school life busy |
| D．makes people more relaxed |
| A．管理者 | B．参与者 | C．研究者 | D．旁观者 |
| A．who had good sleep |
| B．who did a small study |
| C．who walked towards them |
| D．who were tired to go out |
| A．People like sharing their personal space. |
| B．Don’t get too close to sleepless people. |
| C．The less sleep you get, the more you want to socialize with others. |
| D．The better sleep you get, the closer you allow others to get. |
| A．Sleeping less makes people more popular. |
| B．Lonely people sleep much. |
| C．Sleeping well makes people more sociable. |
| D．Popular people never feel tired. |
