English playwright Arthur Wing Pinero said, “Where there’s tea, there’s hope.” Similarly, a Chinese saying goes that “Firewood, rice, cooking oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea are the seven necessary things to begin a day.”
Tea is, without doubt, welcomed all over the world. Tea production around the world increases year by year. It has become the most popular drink in the world—after water, of course. In order to celebrate the popular drink, the United Nations General Assembly (联合国大会) has made May 21st as International Tea Day. According to the UN, tea is much more than just a hot drink. It’s a big part of many cultures around the world.
You probably know that people in China use top-grade tea to show respect when receiving important guests. The British tradition of afternoon tea is an important part of that country’s culture. Making pulled tea has become a kind of art form in Malaysia. Mint (薄荷) tea is served when getting together in Morocco.
Besides its cultural importance, tea is also a medicine, used from ancient times to modern days. “Tea is cold and lowers the fire,” Chinese Ming Dynasty herbalist Li Shizhen once said. The health benefits of tea are still being discovered today: Preventing heart illness and cancer has been connected with drinking green tea. It’s believed that the mania for healthy tea products will continue into the next ten years. People, especially women, are crazy about wonderful tea products such as moisturizers (润肤霜) and other beauty products.
Hot or cold, bagged or loose-leaf, tea is more than a drink—it’s a social custom and also a magic medicine, a link to the past and a way of life.
1. What do the two sayings in Paragraph 1 show?| A．Tea is important. | B．All people like tea. |
| C．Tea has a long history. | D．There are different kinds of tea. |
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．High cost. | B．Great interest. | C．A mixed feeling. | D．Common sense. |
| A．To sell wonderful tea products. | B．To show tea is the most popular drink. |
| C．To encourage people to drink more tea. | D．To introduce more information about tea. |
2 . Kia ora! Are you a culture lover? If yes, take your bag and visit New Zealand! There you can discover Maori culture!
“Kia ora!” is a way to greet Maori. It doesn’t just mean “hello”—it also means life and health. It can be used to say “thank you” or “cheers” too. When Maori meet important guests, instead of handshakes, they do a hongi —touching their noses two or three times.
Maori are famous for kapa haka, which is a powerful combination (组合) of songs, dances and chanting. It is performed by Maori during special festivals. Pukana is an important facial (脸部的) expression of these dances. For Maori, pukana means opening their eyes and mouths wide. Though the expression may seem scaring, it is not a sign of anger but may express strong and deep-felt feelings.
Besides, Maori have a form of body art, known as tattoos (纹身) . And the facial tattoos have special meanings because Maori believe the head is the most important part of the body. For example, men receive mataora on their faces as a symbol of high positions in society. Moko kauae are received by women on their lips and chins. A moko shows a woman’s position and abilities in her community. It is a tradition passed down over many years from the ancient.
Today, Maori traditions are still celebrated all over New Zealand. In the country, you will always feel the alive Maori culture, which influences the life of the whole nation.
1. What do Maori do to greet each other?| A．They say kia ora. | B．They shake heads. |
| C．They talk about hongi. | D．They cheer loudly. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．How old the persons are. | B．When the persons were born. |
| C．Where the persons come from. | D．How important the persons are. |
| A．To give advice on meeting Maori. | B．To introduce the alive Maori culture. |
| C．To tell the influence of Maori dances. | D．To describe the famous Maori festivals. |
3 . Nowadays, mobile phones take up most of our time. We look at our mobile phones as we’re walking, play with them as we’re studying, and don’t want to put them down as we go to bed.
The China Security Perception Report (2021) by the Internet Development Research Institution of Peking University says over half of internet users say they want to get away from the internet and stay away from mobile phones. However, it is a very tall order especially now in China because we use our phones to pay for everything we bought every day.
There’s a new app which has a function to help users manage the time. For example, users can see how many times they’ve unlocked their phone, how many times they’ve checked their social media apps, and how much time they spend on each app every day. After seeing this information, the users will make some changes.
With the App Timer function, users can set a time limit for how long they can use each app for every day. After they’ve reached the limit, they won’t be able to use the app until the next day. And with another function, the app gets incoming calls silent when the user puts the phone face down.
But if people truly want to make full use of their free time instead of losing hours on their phones, it will not need to depend on any apps.
After all, who needs to use an app to stop you from using other apps? The easiest answer would be just to use your willpower.
1. According to the China Security Perception Report, how many internet users want to stop using their mobile phones?| A．60% or so. | B．Less than 50%. | C．About 36%. | D．30% or so. |
| A．长的订单 | B．长的命令 | C．困难的事情 | D．等待解决的问题 |
| A．It stops the users from using willpower. |
| B．It checks how much time the users spend on apps. |
| C．It lists the times the users have unlocked the phone. |
| D．It shows the times the users have checked social media apps. |
| A．Its functions are perfect. | B．It may be helpful to some people. |
| C．It needs more functions. | D．It has too many functions. |
4 . 
①Wool is a great natural material that has been used by humans. It comes from the soft coat of sheep. Humans have been wearing wool for over 12,000 years. Today, more than 1.3 billion sheep around the world are used each year for woollen products, like sweaters and scarves.
②Why do so many people like woollen products? One of the great things about wool is that it is a fantastic insulator. This means it keeps us warm when it’s cold outside. It also has tiny air pockets that trap (锁住) heat, making it perfect for those cold days.
③Another advantage of wool is that it is breathable. It allows air to pass through, keeping us cool in the summer as well. Unlike other materials, it can prevent us from overheating, and make us feel comfortable.
④Wool is not only warm and breathable, but it is also durable (耐用的) and long-lasting. It’s strong enough for outdoor activities like hiking or playing in the snow. Woollen clothes can be passed down from one generation (一代) to another, creating a beautiful connection between family members.
⑤Making wool products requires a lot of efforts and a series of processes, which start with cutting. The sheep farmers cut the wool off the sheep completely by hand in spring. Don’t worry: cutting is safe and painless for the sheep, just like getting a haircut! After the cutting, hundreds of kilos of wool are packed together. Once the wool is collected, it goes through a process called scouring. It means wool is washed to remove any dirt and oil. Then the wool is made into yarn (毛线), which is used to make different woollen products. After the yarn is coloured, skilled workers make it into various products.
⑥Wool is made into all kinds of woollen products after processing and is used widely in our daily life.
1. How does the writer show that wool is a great material in Paragraph 1?| A．By telling stories. | B．By explaining ideas. | C．By showing facts. | D．By comparing reasons. |
| A．It can be used for a long time. | B．It can stop air from passing through. |
| C．It can produce and give out heat. | D．It can be made into products easily. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
5 . “Are we alone? What’s out there?” Looking up at the stars, people have always wanted to learn more about space, and scientists have been working hard to find the secrets of the universe. Here we’re going to go through a timeline of the important moments of space exploration.
The Big Bang Theory is an idea about how our universe began. Many scientists believe that everything in the universe was pressed together and then it separated into smaller pieces very quickly about 14 billion years ago to create the universe. The Big Bang is thought to be the beginning of everything in the universe.
What is the Hubble Space Telescope?The Hubble Space Telescope was put into space in 1990. Hubble is as long as a large school bus and it weighs as much as two elephants. In order to stay above the atmosphere, it travels around the earth at about 5 miles a second. Hubble is able to get clear pictures of faraway stars. A picture called “Hubble Ultra Deep Field” shows some of the farthest galaxies. Pictures from Hubble help scientists learn more about the universe.
What is FAST?China’s Five-hundred-metre Aperture Spherical Telescope is better known as FAST. It is in Guizhou, China, and it has been used since September 25th, 2016. Its 500-metre dish is the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope. Scientists can use it to search for signals of communication that are not coming from the earth. If scientists find such things, maybe there is life somewhere else in the universe!
What is Shenzhou-16?Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship was sent into space from Jiuquan on May 30th, 2023. Shenzhou-16 connected with Tianhe Core Module 6.5 hours later, with three astronauts inside it. Surprisingly, one of the three astronauts is a university teacher. In the next months, the three astronauts will do some scientific tests and carry out several spacewalks outside China’s Space Station. Besides, they will give science lessons to students on the earth from the faraway space.
1. When did Georges Lemaître suggest the idea of the Big Bang Theory?| A．In 1927. | B．In 1990. | C．In 2016. | D．In 2023. |
| A．It is long and heavy enough. | B．It takes clear photos of space. |
| C．It can move 5 miles a second. | D．It travels far away from some galaxies. |
| A．FAST can send signals into the universe to help find life. |
| B．FAST is a dish-like radio telescope travelling in the universe. |
| C．The astronauts in Shenzhou-16 will work in space for several months. |
| D．The three astronauts are university teachers and good at giving lessons. |
| A．Space Exploration: Searching for Life in Space |
| B．Space Exploration: Exciting Moments of China |
| C．Space Exploration: A Better Future for Scientists |
| D．Space Exploration: Great Progress Humans Made |
6 . 
The Adventures of Tintin was created by the cartoonist Herge. Tintin, a journalist for a newspaper, has been popular with people of all ages. But do you know how Herge created Tintin and his around the world adventures?
In fact, Tintin appeared as a young man of age 15 to 19, with a round face and short red hair just like Herge’s younger brother Paul. Herge grew up together with him. As a result, Paul’s image stayed in his mind and he created a cartoon hero according to Paul.
It’s also believed that a French journalist, Robert Sexe prompted the creation of Tintin. Robert travelled with his best friend Milhoux while Tintin’s small white dog, Snowy, had a similar French name Milou. What’s more, Robert toured the same countries as Tintin did in the first few of Tintin’s adventures.
There is another real-life person in Tintin’s adventures. That’s “Chang”, a friend of Tintin’s. In 1934, Herge started to write about Tintin’s journey to China, but Hergé hadn’t been to the country yet. To know about China, he made friends with Zhang Chongren, a young Chinese student in an art college. With the help of Zhang, Tintin’s adventure The Blue Lotus came out. In this book, Zhang became “Chang” under the pen of Herge, introducing real China to Tintin as well as readers in Europe.
Herge’s works got ideas from his own life. No other stories may cover so much information from the real world like Tintin!
1. According to the passage, who did Tintin look like?| A．Milhoux. | B．Herge. | C．Robert. | D．Paul. |
| A．Cause. | B．Notice. | C．Avoid. | D．Celebrate. |
| A．He wrote The Blue Lotus for Herge. |
| B．He worked as a journalist for a newspaper. |
| C．He provided information about China for Herge. |
| D．He appeared in Tintin’s stories with his real name. |
| A．what Tintin’s stories talk about |
| B．where Tintin’s stories happened |
| C．who helped create Tintin’s stories |
| D．why Tintin’s stories are so popular |
7 . 
Are you sitting comfortably? Just stop for a moment and look at your posture (姿势) without making any changes. What are your legs doing?
Are they crossed? And are you a right or left crosser? Some 62 percent of people cross right over left, 26 percent go the other way, and 12 percent have no preference. There are typically two ways to sit in a chair and cross your legs. One is at the knee and the other is at the ankle (踝关节). But as comfortable as it may be to sit with your legs crossed, it is bad for your health and posture.
For a start, research shows that sitting cross-legged can increase the misalignment of the hips (髋关节错位), with one being higher than the other. And it changes the speed at which blood moves in the lower part of the body, which can increase the risk of blood clots (凝块).
Most of the research suggests crossing at the knees is worse than the ankles. Indeed, sitting this way can cause an increase in your blood pressure (血压) because of the pooling of blood and your heart having to work harder against this. And this can increase the risk of damage to your blood vessels (血管), which is why when you take your blood pressure, you should put your feet on the floor.
The longer and more often you sit cross legged, the more likely it is that you’ll have changes in the muscle and bone in your hip. Your neck can also be affected because one side of the body becomes weaker than the other.
So, in order to keep a healthy body, do not cross your legs when you’re reading on a chair or watching TV on the sofa.
1. The writer introduces the topic by ______.| A．giving a suggestion | B．raising questions |
| C．giving background information | D．showing facts with numbers |
| A．about 12% | B．about 26% |
| C．about 62% | D．about 88% |
| A．Sitting cross legged makes your heart work harder. |
| B．Research shows crossing at the ankles is worse than the knees. |
| C．Sitting cross-legged can change the muscle and bone in your neck. |
| D．Sitting cross-legged can make it possible for blood to clot in the whole body. |
| A．Are You a Leg-crosser? | B．Mind Your Blood Pressure |
| C．Sit Without Your Legs Crossed | D．Sit With Proper Posture |
The British have many traditions but there is nothing more special than “taking” afternoon tea. It was the invention of afternoon tea that turned drinking tea into a popular activity.
This social activity has been a tradition dating back to the 1840s, as a light snack to bridge the gap (间隙) between lunch and dinner. It went on to become popular for the nobles (贵族).
Now there is a resurgence (复兴) in its popularity in the UK and it’s available (可获得的) to anyone who is able to buy it. Although it can be enjoyed at home, the best way to experience it is at a smart hotel or cafe. But if you’re thinking of visiting such a place, remember the rules to stop from being asked to leave.
*Make sure you order the right thing—it is afternoon tea not high tea, or a cream tea. These are something different.
*Dress smartly—it’s an important occasion. Certain places require a man to wear a jacket and tie and ladies should wear a hat.
*Stir (搅拌) your tea correctly—do not knock (放) your spoon against the cup and do not leave it in the cup! Stir back and forth not around in circles.
*Start by eating the sandwiches first before moving on to the sweet things.
*The sandwiches are called “finger sandwiches” and therefore eaten by hand not with a knife and fork.
*When eating, take small bites and eat slowly. This will let you join in the conversation without always having a full mouth.
*Although you can ask for more sandwiches and cakes, don’t put them in your handbags to eat later!
1. Why did the British invent afternoon tea?| A．Because something was needed between lunch and dinner time. |
| B．Because the British couldn’t live without tea. |
| C．Because the British want to make delicious sweets to choose from. |
| D．Because the nobles are interested in it. |
| A．It was invented more than a thousand years ago. |
| B．Now it’s popular again for anyone in the UK. |
| C．It used to serve the rich and the nobles. |
| D．The best place to enjoy it is at someone’s home. |
| A．talk with other people with a full mouth |
| B．eat sandwiches with your hands |
| C．take away food to eat later |
| D．start eating with your favourite cake |
| A．How popular British afternoon tea used to be. |
| B．Who can afford the afternoon tea in the UK. |
| C．How to do well at a British afternoon tea. |
| D．Where the British like to enjoy afternoon tea. |
9 . People all love watching fireworks. But let’s stop and think about the price we pay for a few minutes of excitement.
To begin with, the amount of money we spend on fireworks is too much. The excitement is gone in a moment. What we really are doing is burning money. Yet, year after year, thousands of cities and towns spend our money on firework shows. Those tax dollars would be put into much better use feeding the hungry and housing the homeless.
Then, there is the matter of pollution. Fireworks have chemicals (化学品) that are harmful to people and animals. Over the years, these chemicals will pollute the air and the water we drink.
Next, let’s consider the rubbish left behind after a firework show. What a mess! We would expect that those who set off the fireworks would pick up the rubbish. But they don’t. The mess they leave behind shows the kind of attitude (态度) many people have towards our environment.
In my opinion, all fireworks should be stopped selling. Public firework shows should be paid for through volunteer money, not tax dollars. Finally, those people playing with firework shows should clean up the mess they make.
1. Which of the following sentences can be put into “_________” in the fifth paragraph?| A．Finally, fireworks are dangerous. |
| B．Lastly, hearing is important to us. |
| C．Last but not least, fireworks are too expensive. |
| D．Fourth, there are too many kinds of fireworks. |
| A．They do no harm to people and animals. |
| B．They can’t keep people safe and can bring hurts. |
| C．They don’t bring people a few of excitement |
| D．They don’t pollute the air and the water people drink. |
| A．Public firework shows should be paid for by tax dollars. |
| B．A small number of harmful chemicals in fireworks are nothing to be worried about. |
| C．Hearing loss is a small price to pay for the excitement that fireworks provide. |
| D．The money people spend on fireworks should be better spent helping others. |
| A．To talk about firework safety. |
| B．To express opinions on fireworks. |
| C．To describe different kinds of fireworks. |
| D．To talk about noise during firework shows. |
10 . Are you interested in science and technology in daily life? Are you crazy about new things? Have you heard of the following ones?
Game: GYA
This game will keep your fingers moving all day. You have to press the lights when they light up. You think it sounds easy? Well, think again because it’s very difficult in fact. If you miss a lot of lights, you’ll lose the game. You will not be able to put this game down, it will push you to challenge yourself.
Phones: Verballs
This might look like a toy, but it’s a talking Internet phone. Plug (插上) your Verballs into your USB on your computer and you can phone all your friends for free, all around the world! Verballs are not only useful, they’re also fun! When your friend speaks, your Verball’s lights flash, his arms wave and his mouth moves. Have fun!
Art: Painting by Numbers
This is a colourful set which will help you to paint like a real artist. Each colour has a number and the numbers are on the picture for you to follow. Painting beautifully has never been easier. Everyone will think you are the next clever person. Of course, it’s up to you if you want to tell them how you did it so well!
| A．make a call | B．draw pictures | C．improve English | D．practise fingers |
| A．GYA. | B．Verballs. | C．Painting by Numbers. | D．USB. |
| A．a children’s storybook | B．a student’s report |
| C．a science magazine | D．a guide book |
