1 . The film YOLO (You Only Live Once) directed by Jia Ling, China’s most successful female filmmaker has become a hit recently. In the film, Jia plays Le Ying, a jobless woman in her thirties who still lives with her parents until one day, she meets a boxing coach (拳击教练), Hao Kun (played by Lei Jiayin), and later finds strength and hope in boxing training and changes her life. The actress-director lost 50 kilos which became a hot topic in social media.
After watching the film, many people start trying to lose weight. Some people plan to join gyms, but not all of them can stick to exercise. So how do you make sure you find a gym you like, and more importantly, one where you feel comfortable?
To answer the questions, Jarrod Saracco, a fitness (健身) coach with 20 years of experience in the field, gives his advice. “From the moment you walk in, it should be about the energy and the experience. Do they greet you? Do people working out look like they’re having a good time?”
However, there are so many gyms in China, so choosing the right one may take you a little time. Here are some tips about how to choose a good gym.
Find a gym close to your home. You can walk to the gym to do some sports. It’s better to drive less than 15 minutes. If you find a good place to park your car, your choice may be right.
Visit at your best workout time. Saturday afternoon may be the right hour to check out a gym. You can go and have a look at it. If it is very crowded, try another gym.
Check for clean machines. Keeping things clean or not means the gym is good or bad. A professional staff member should also be wiping (擦拭) down machines in the day. While you are visiting, watch to see whether there’s a strict rule of wiping down everything after use. If not, try another gym.
1. Which of the following is right according to the passage?| A．In the movie, Le Ying met Hao Kun in the gym where she worked. |
| B．It became a hot topic in social media that Jia Ling lost 50 fans. |
| C．The film YOLO was directed by China’s most successful male filmmaker. |
| D．It means more to people to feel comfortable in a gym. |
| A．it takes less than 15 minutes to walk there |
| B．many people work out there and they seem to enjoy themselves |
| C．the coaches there are energetic, experienced and good-looking |
| D．the machines there are always cleaned well |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．None. |
| A．①②/③/④⑤⑥⑦ | B．①/②③④/⑤⑥⑦ |
| C．①/②③/④⑤⑥⑦ | D．①②③/④⑤⑥/⑦ |
| A．YOLO—A Great Movie! | B．Let’s Go To Gyms! |
| C．Check for Clean Machines! | D．Stick To Exercise! |
When you feel disappointed, you should know it is natural and normal, and everyone will experience it in their life. Sometimes life brings us a difficult hand, and events and trials (考验) we can’t control happen to us. Other times it is our own actions themselves that cause our trials. Even so, disappointment is part of life’s journey. Whether we have a better life depends on how we deal with it. Here are some steps to help us to make our journey more enjoyable.
Firstly, redefine (重新定义) our rules. It is considered that everyone has his own “rule” in their mind. If our own rules are too perfect, then they will disappoint us greatly. When we feel disappointed, it is wise to review and redefine our rules. Try an encouraging rule: I am happy and I am successful since I have made my greatest efforts.
Secondly, remind ourselves now and then of the reasons why we are working towards the goal. It is of great help to remember the reasons when we feel down. By revisiting those reasons, we will likely renew our promises and not get hung up on the disappointment of the moment.
Thirdly, think about our larger vision (视野) and recommit (重新提交) to it. It really helps.
Disappointment is a very valuable experience, which serves as a good educator and makes us more able to meet the challenges of the future.
Finally, reset and have a new start. It helps prevent us from getting into self-pity and force us to get up and move forward. Don’t live in the past. Take what the past has taught us and keep moving. Wake up the very next day as if our whole life is ahead of us and we have the chance to restart.
Nothing that happened in the past can stop us from creating the life that we have always desired or from achieving the goals that we are working towards.
| Learning to deal with disappointment | ||
| Introduction | It’s too natural and normal to feel disappointed and learning to deal with it is part of a fulfilling life. | |
| Causes of disappointment | Events and trials in life are sometimes out of | |
| Redefine our rules | ||
| Remind our whys | Being reminded often of our whys helps us renew our promises and get over the disappointment. | |
| Recommit to our vision | ||
| Reset and start a new life | Instead of living in the past, we take what we have learned from the past and move forward. | |
| Conclusion | Dealing with disappointment properly can improve | |
There is no object which is more closely connected with us than the furniture in our rooms from ancient to now. The bed we sleep in every day, the table we have food at, the chair we take rest in …they all add fun to our daily life. And in turn, we have given them new meaning in the long river of years.
People used to sit on the floor before the Wei and Jin Dynasties, so the furniture at that time was relatively (相对地) low. The bed was the most widely used in the room.
At that time the bed was used for sitting and lying. Then there came the bed couch.
In fact, as early as the Zhou Dynasty, a kind of furniture that has both practical value and traditional art beauty was born —the screen. By the Han Dynasty, the use of the screen had increased, and it could act as a partition (分隔物). During the Tang Dynasty, the screen began to enter the house of common people, becoming a necessary part of their daily life.
People’s lifestyle started to change during the Tang Dynasty. People started to get used to sitting on a relatively higher place with their feet hanging down. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the traditional Chinese furniture industry reached its top, and truly pushed the Chinese furniture to the highest achievement of art.
In fact, the traditional furniture shows the effect (影响) of traditional culture and human-centered thoughts. So, we can feel the courage and resilience (单力) from the traditional furniture, which shows the wisdom of ancient Chinese culture. Besides, each of the patterns in these pieces of furniture has its own meaning to express.
| Two the bed: uses for sitting and lying → the screen: practical value and traditional art beauty →a partition | The Before the Wei and Jin Dynasties, the furniture was relatively low. During the Tang Dynasty the furniture was relatively higher. During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the furniture industry reached its top . | The value and meaning: ■Show the effect of traditional culture, human-centered thoughts and ■Express its own meaning through each of the patterns. |
4 . September is a big month for students in China since the new term begins from now on.In ancient China, the school entrance ceremony (入学典礼) was one of the most important ceremonies.
Children began school between the ages of 4—7 in ancient China.Since there was no certain time to begin a new term at that time, the most important thing for parents was to choose a lucky day for their children to enter school.Next, parents would prepare some school things for their children, including desks, chairs and four treasures of the study.
In ancient times, teachers were usually very knowledgeable local persons. Parents would prepare many gifts, and then write a letter of invitation to ask a knowledgeable man to be their children's teacher.
On the day their children entered school, parents would take them to take part in the First Writing Ceremony. Before that, children would kowtow (叩头) to the statue of Confucius (孔子像) 9 times and then to their teacher 3 times to show their deep respect (尊敬). During the ceremony, the teacher would put a red point on the students' forehead (前额) as it meant opening the wisdom eye. Children would also ring a certain bell to start a new term. After that, they could finally sit down in their seats and begin to study. The First Writing Ceremony was a very Important ceremony for every student.
Every day, students would arrive at school earlier than their teacher, and kowtow to the statue of Confucius, and then go back to the seats. Usually the teacher would give every student a new name, which was used for future Imperial Examination (科举考试).
Today, some schools are starting to hold an entrance ceremony like they did in ancient times. Students put on traditional costumes and how to the statue of Confucius and their teachers. This means that from this moment, they take a step in the lifelong journey of learning.
1. At what age did children begin school in ancient China?2. What did parents prepare for children to enter school in ancient China?
3. Why would children kowtow to the statue of Confucius and their teacher before the First Writing Ceremony?
4. What would children do during the First Writing Ceremony?
5. What do you think of the school entrance ceremony?And why?
Say hello to “Tong Mei’er”, it’s the amazing mascot for the Chengdu International Horticultural Expo 2024, also known as the Chengdu World Garden Expo. It’s inspired by the dove tree, a unique (独一无二的) plant only in China, and the ancient Bronze Bird from the Sanxingdui culture. Tong Mei’er is a symbol of peace, inclusiveness, and the rich cultural heritage (遗产) of the Sichuan.
The design (设计) of Tong Mei’er comes from the following three:
Dove Tree: The mascot’s crown comes from the dove tree, an ancient, endangered and national-level protected plant. It shows not only Chengdu’s ecological (生态的) beauty but also different kinds of animals and plants.
Bronze Bird: The beak, tail, and wing patterns of Tong Mei’er creatively draw from the Bronze Bird, an artifact of Sanxingdui. It reflects the long history and deep culture of Sichuan and the beauty of the ancient Shu culture.
Peace Dove: The design also includes the image of a peace dove. That means the values like peace, friendship, equality, and freedom, as well as the wishes of friendly international relations.
The name “Tong Mei’er” is similar to a local lovely term for a little girl in Chengdu. It’s good for increasing a touch of friendliness and ease for remembrance and spread.
For Tong Mei’er, the pointed beak, uplifted tail, and wing decorations are inspired by the Sun Bird found on the Bronze Tree. The dove tree flower on top is the symbol of ancient Shu civilization and the resolution for ecological and cultural development.
The design of Tong Mei’er not only reflects Chengdu’s natural ecology and cultural essence (精髓) but also shows the city’s scene as a “Park City”. It expresses the hopes and blessings for the successful hosting of the World Garden Expo.
As the official mascot, Tong Mei’er will play an important role in future activities, it’ll serve as a friendly envoy that connect Chengdu with the world.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The tradition of birthday parties started a long time ago. There are some traditions that you can find almost anywhere, anytime, such as sending birthday cards, blowing out the candles on a birthday cake and singing the “Happy Birthday” song. Others are only found for certain ages and in certain countries.
In China, on a child’s second birthday, family members put many things on the floor around the child. They believe that the first thing that the child picks up tells them what profession (职业) the child will choose later in life.
For Japanese children, the third, fifth and seventh birthdays are especially important. At these ages, there is a special celebration Shichi-Go-San (seven, five, three in Japanese) when children go to the temple wearing a new kimono (和服). They are given special sweets, and the parents usually organize a party in their home.
In Argentina, Mexico and several other Latin American countries, girls have a special birthday celebration when they reach the age of fifteen. After a special ceremony, the girls dance a waltz with their father and other boys.
In many English-speaking countries, a twenty-first birthday cake often has a key on top, or the cake itself sometimes looks like a key. The key means that the young person is now old enough to leave and enter the family home at any time they want to!
| Some birthday traditions are similar all over the world. But some can be only found in certain countries. | ||
Some special traditions in different countries | In China | People learn about children’s |
| In | Children wear a new kimono and go to the temple to celebrate their third, fifth and seventh birthdays. Children can usually have a party organized by their parents at home. | |
| In some Latin American countries | Girls have a special ceremony on their They dance a waltz after the ceremony with their father and other boys. | |
| In many English- speaking countries | Either put a key on the top of the cake or make the cake be in the After the twenty-first birthday, it becomes free for young people to leave and enter the family home. | |
7 . The new and publicly-available ChatGPT is a type of AI that has been “trained” by looking at over 8 million web pages. When asked a question, ChatGPT uses this training to produce detailed (详尽的) answers as if they were written by a human. You can ask it anything and it will give you answers to not only follow-up questions but also professional questions (although it does sometimes make mistakes). You can also ask it to write text, such as short stories or essays. The technology is so promising (有前途的) that some people believe it will overtake Google in the near future.
For many years it has been expected that AI will become an important part of our lives, and for just as long there has been concern (担心) of the trouble that AI could cause. In the 20th century, scientists, philosophers and writers sometimes worried that AI would become too powerful. In the short story I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, a very large supercomputer has killed every human on earth except five people it keeps to torture (折磨). And in the 1984 film The Terminator, a powerful AI called Skynet used time travel to send a robot into the past to try to kill the mother of a brave and strong fighter against AI. On the other hand, some people were optimistic (乐观的) about advanced technologies’ potential (潜力) to build a better world. In the 1960s TV show Lost in Space, a family of humans were helped by a friendly robot named Robby.
Nowadays, there is less concern of an all-powerful AI trying to destroy the world, and we are not expecting friendly robots just yet. That doesn’t mean there is not a lot of excitement and concern being felt towards new technologies like AI, though. ChatGPT is a great example of a modern technology that is causing mixed feelings.
It’s too soon to say what kind of influence ChatGPT will have on our lives. Let’s hope that, if ChatGPT does become bigger and more popular, its effects are mostly positive (积极的). So, what do you think? Will ChatGPT be good, bad, or somewhere in between for humans?
1. Why can ChatGPT produce detailed answers like they are from a human?| A．ChatGPT has looked at over 8 million web pages. |
| B．Scientists teach ChatGPT to talk like a human. |
| C．ChatGPT depends on Google’s basic information. |
| D．Many people answer the question on the Internet. |
| A．The Terminator | B．Lost in Space |
| C．Skynet | D．I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream |
| A．拿走 | B．超过 | C．带来 | D．占领 |
| A．ChatGPT can solve many problems. | B．ChatGPT can offer help in writing essays. |
| C．ChatGPT will make mistakes sometimes. | D．ChatGPT can take the place of humankind. |
| A．People are always crazy about new technologies. |
| B．People become more worried about AI at present. |
| C．ChatGPT brings people a mixture of joy and worries. |
| D．ChatGPT is a perfect AI technology with no doubt. |
8 . When a young elephant is born, it stands quickly on its feet. It drinks milk from its mother for a few years.
The mother elephant teaches it how to use its nose. She teaches it many things. The mother elephant is very important to a young elephant.
Elephants travel a lot. Sometimes they have to cross rivers. A young elephant can be washed down a river. Or it can fall into a hole. When a young elephant is separated from its mother, it becomes an orphan. Sometimes a young elephant becomes an orphan because its mother has been killed.
In the wild, a young elephant needs its mother. It can’t live without her. It can get sick.
Some people, called keepers, take care of the orphan elephants in a park. The keepers take care of the elephants until they can take care of themselves. Then, the keepers take the elephants back to the wild.
The keepers need to teach a young elephant how to feed. To make it more comfortable, they rest its nose against a huge coat, which feels a little like its mother.
In the wild, a young elephant will go under its mother to find protection from the sun. In the park, the keepers put an umbrella over them.
Orphan elephants don’t forget where they were cared for.
1. How long does a young elephant drink milk from its mother?| A．For a few years. | B．For a few months. |
| C．For a few days. | D．For a few hours. |
| A．侄儿 | B．成人 | C．饲养员 | D．孤儿 |
| A．Because it likes its mother. | B．Because it can get sick. |
| C．Because it has no keepers. | D．Because it dislikes the wild. |
| A．By using a huge coat. | B．By taking down to the wild. |
| C．By putting an umbrella over them. | D．By washing down a river. |
| A．In a novel. | B．In a cooking book. |
| C．In a history magazine. | D．In a science book. |
The dragon enjoys a high position in Chinese culture as a master of rain and wind. According to Chinese folk stories, the second day of the second lunar month is the day that the dragon wakes up and raises its head. And this day always falls among “Li Chun”, “Yu Shui” and “Jing Zhe”. They are at the beginning of the whole year. Because of these things, the day is called Dragon Heads-raising Day (龙抬头). Actually, based on the rules of Chinese lunar calendar, we met the day twice last year (2023). The first one was on February, 21st while the second one fell on 30 days later.
On the day in ancient times, people put ashes (灰烬) in the kitchen to lead the dragon into the house, which can bring back the good luck. Besides, people believed that with the help of the dragon there would be plenty of rain to produce a great harvest (丰收) in autumn. So people also perform dragon dance to expect enough rain.
Traditionally, it’s seen as good luck to eat foods that are named after the dragon’s body parts on the day. For example, spring pancakes used to be called dragon scales, dumplings were called dragon ears and noodles were called dragon beard.
There are also some things we can’t do on this day. People are not allowed to do needle (针线) work. Because the dragon will raise its head, and people think needles may cause pain to its eyes. In some places, clothes are also not washed because people are worried about hurting the dragon’s skin.
Dragon Heads-raising Day | ||
| Date | It’s usually the second day of the second lunar month. But we met the day twice in 2023, the first one was on February, 21st, the second one fell on | |
| Origin | In Chinese folk stories, the dragon wakes up and raises its head on this day. | |
| | Things people can do | ·Put ashes in the kitchen ·Perform ·Eat foods that are named after the dragon’s body parts. |
| Things people should | ·Needle work—It may ·Washing clothes—It may hurt dragon’s skin. | |
A video series, Escape (逃跑) from the British Museum,was released (上映) on August 30th, 2023. It has caused hot discussions in China’s social media recently.
Two Chinese vloggers (视频创作者) made the video series. It tells the story of how a Chinese cultural relic (文物) escapes from the British Museum and finds its way back to China. In the video series, a woman vlogger plays the role of an ancient Chinese jade teapot. Her partner is a reporter who helps the jade teapot return to China.
The videos were inspired by an Internet friend. He suggested making a video to record the hard way of Chinese cultural relics returning home from the UK to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year. ▲ The story is about historic facts and aims to draw attention to the Chinese cultural relics that were held abroad (海外).
The success of the series led to calls for the return of Chinese cultural relics from the British Museum. It is reported that the British Museum has a total of 23,000 Chinese relics. About 2,000 Chinese relics are on long-term show. The Chinese objects, from the New Stone Age to the present, include paintings, prints, jades and so on.
For long, the British has said that the cultural relics are safer and better protected at the British Museum, to refuse their return. But the British Museum was reported to have lost some cultural relics. The news shocked the world and many countries asked the British Museum to return the cultural relics. Hope these cultural relics can return home as soon as possible!
1. What does the story in the video tell us?| A．The way to make videos popular. |
| B．The way to get Chinese cultural relics. |
| C．A hard way of a woman vlogger becoming an ancient Chinese jade teapot. |
| D．A hard way of a Chinese cultural relic escaping from the British Museum to China. |
| A．Their friend was interested in Chinese cultural relics. |
| B．So the three persons decided to make a big difference. |
| C．After watching the videos,people all speak highly of them. |
| D．So the two vloggers went to the UK and spent three months shooting the video. |
| A．To celebrate the Chinese lunar New Year. |
| B．To draw attention to the Chinese cultural relics. |
| C．To cause hot discussions in China’s social media. |
| D．To ask British Museum to return Chinese cultural relics. |
| A．Over 2,000 Chinese relics are on long-term show. |
| B．The British Museum has lost some cultural relics. |
| C．Escape from the British Museum is popular abroad. |
| D．British Museum has a total of 24,000 Chinese relics. |
| A．He hopes they can return to China soon. |
| B．He is not interested in the fact of Chinese cultural relics held abroad. |
| C．He is proud that Chinese cultural relics are shared with other countries. |
| D．He is glad that the British Museum has done a good job in protecting them. |
