1 . There are 56 ethnic (民族的) groups in China. Different ethnic groups have their own special cultures. Let’s enjoy some of them.

The Bai people use a very old way, tie-dye (扎染), to dye clothes. Tie-dye has a history of nearly 1,500 years. During the Tang and Song dynasties, people chose tie-dyed clothes as gifts.

The Mongolian people live in the Mongolian yurts (蒙古包). These yurts are large round tents and their tops look like umbrellas. They are the traditional homes of the Mongolian people. The yurts are usually white because they’re made of sheep’s wool. And white is a symbol of happiness.

The Zhuang people like singing even more than talking. On the third day of the third Chinese lunar month, they hold a big singing festival. It is exciting and wonderful. All the people can’t help singing happily. Men and women singers sing in pairs. The winners are the “king”, and “queen” of singing.

The Miao people have a special festival, Manghao Festival. It’s in the first Chinese lunar month every year. The Miao people consider Manghao as a hero who helped to protect their homes. At the festival, young men dress up like Manghao and touch others to express good wishes.

1. When did people choose tie-dyed clothes as gifts?

A．During the Yuan and Song dynasties.	B．During the Tang and Ming dynasties.
C．During the Tang and Song dynasties.	D．During the Ming and Qing dynasties.

2. What’s the Mongolian yurt according to the text?

A．A big umbrella.	B．A traditional building.
C．A sheep’s home.	D．A symbol of happiness.

3. Who likes singing even more than talking in this passage?

A．The Bai people.	B．The Miao people.
C．The Zhuang people.	D．The Mongolian people.

4. How do the Miao people celebrate Manghao Festival?

A．By choosing tie-dyed clothes as gifts.	B．By protecting their homes like a hero.
C．By sending some good wishes to others.	D．By dressing up and touching other people.

5. Which can be the best title for the passage?

A．Special Cultures of Some Ethnic Groups.	B．Special Food of Some Ethnic Groups.
C．Special Festivals of Some Ethnic Groups.	D．Special Clothes of Some Ethnic Groups.

2 . 根据短文内容，判断正误(正确“T”，错误“F”)。

Every spring, there are sports meetings at many middle schools. When students on the playground crowd into a circle and shout loudly, “One, two, one, two.” Do you know what game it is? It is tug of war (拔河).

Tug of war is a team sport between two teams at each end of a rope. It first came into being in China 2, 400 years ago. It is very popular in China and many other countries. But in other countries, their tug-of-war match is not the same as ours. They have eight men for each team, while we may have the match between two sides with equal number of men or women players. Of course, they are usually tall, strong and heavy.

For a tug-of-war match, we need a long thick rope. Each team stands at one end of the rope, holding it. There is a white line in the middle of the field. Then they try to pull the center of the rope to each of their own sides. The winning team is the one that pulls the other over the line.

Tug of war was once an Olympic sporting event. It lasted until 1920. Though it isn’t an Olympic sport now, people in many countries like playing it very much.

1. Tug of war first came into being in China 2, 500 years ago.
2. In other countries, a tug-of-war team has eight men players.
3. The team that pulls the other over the line is the losing team.
4. Now tug of war is still an Olympic sport and many people like playing it.
5. The passage mainly talks about a popular team sport—tug of war.

3 . We usually think fish can’t talk. But there are a lot of sounds under the ocean. In fact, scientists believe that all sea animals—at least 250,000 kinds—can “speak”! “If we stay focused when diving (潜水), we can hear animals all around us,” a UK scientist Steve Simpson said.

In the past years, scientists used sound recorders to hear fish’s “voices”. There are now thousands of recorders in the ocean. They help scientists match sounds with sea life.

A healthy coral reef (珊瑚礁) is one of the noisiest places in the ocean. Scientists can tell if it’s healthy by listening to it. A healthy coral reef should be full of clicks (咔嚓声) made by shrimps (小虾). When some coral reefs dicd in 2015 and 2016, they became quiet. After people set up the protected areas, scientists heard the animals come back.

With the help of listening to the ocean, scientists start to understand sea animals’ languages.

Strong clown fish make short “chirp (啁啾声)” sounds when going after small clown fish. They do this to show they are more powerful. A damsel fish can create a pop sound to scare other fish by quickly opening and closing its mouth. Mother dolphins can use a special voice to talk to their babies. They are saying “I’m here” to comfort the baby dolphins.

1. What is probably Steve Simpson’s attitude towards sea animals’ languages?

A．Positive.

B．Worried.

C．Unconcerned.

D．Doubtful.

2. What do scientists use “recorders” to do?

A．To protect the coral reefs.	B．To communicate with fish.
C．To look for new kinds of sea life.	D．To collect sounds from sea life.

3. Why is the coral reef a noisy place?

A．Because people feed animals there.

B．Because many shrimps live there.

C．Because the coral reef can give out sounds.

D．Because many fishes speak in dead coral reefs.

4. What way does the writer use to introduce sea animals’ languages in the last paragraph?

A．Telling a story.	B．Using a saying.
C．Asking questions.	D．Giving some examples.

5. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Sea animals can talk except fish.	B．Many recorders are in the sea.
C．Animals are very good at learning.	D．Dolphins can talk to the zookeeper.

4 . 根据短文内容，判断正误 (正确“T”，错误“F”)，并将所选答案涂到答题卡的相应位置上。

Do you know why different animals or insects have their own special colors? Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.

Some birds like eating locusts (蝗虫), but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors together with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown color as crops have. Some other insects with different colors from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves during the day and appear only at night.

If you study the animal life, you’ll find the main use of color is to protect themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters. This is because they have the colors much like the trees.

Have you ever found an even more strange act? A kind of fish in the sea can release a kind of black liquid (液体) when it faces danger. While the liquid spreads over, its enemies can’t find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it is not strong at all.

1. Locusts change their color to match the color of crops to avoid being eaten by birds.
2. Insects that look different from plants are active both during the day and at night.
3. Animals that have colors different from trees would be more easily noticed by hunters.
4. Some fish release a black liquid to kill their enemies when they are in danger.
5. The text mainly discusses how animals and insects use colors to protect themselves.

6 . By drawing pictures on a cup of tea, chabaixi, an ancient Chinese tea art, has become popular recently. Zhang Zhifeng, an inheritor(传承人) of chabaixi, noticed from a TV show that many people showed great interest in this art.

Chabaixi can create different pictures such as bamboos and mountains. There are many steps, from grinding (磨碎) tea, pouring boiled water, stirring (搅拌) the mixture, to finally drawing the pictures. After seven times of pouring water and stirring, there will be enough dark foam (泡沫). Then we can draw pictures on it with clear water and a stick. The process of drawing, or diancha, must be finished in 20 minutes before the foam disappears.

“Chabaixi is one of the many forms of tea art in China. It becomes popular not only because it is a special Chinese tradition, but also because it gives us a window to see people’s lifestyle in the Song Dynasty.” Zhang said.

Years ago, this special art was close to disappearing completely. Zhang Zhifeng started researching the origins (起源) of chabaixi in the 1980s and brought the art back in 2009 after years of testing and practicing. Chang thought it was really meaningful. In 2017, this art was listed as part of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage (非物质文化遗产).

“This art is key to the tea culture of the Song Dynasty, and it would be a shame to let it disappear. It is our duty to pass it on,” Zhang said.

1. What is NOT mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．Chabaixi was an ancient Chinese tea art.

B．Chabaixi has become popular recently.

C．Zhang is an inventor of chabaixi

D．Zhang is an inheritor of chabaixi.

2. What is the right process of performing chabaixi?
① stirring the mixture        ② grinding tea       ③ drawing the pictures   ④pouring boiled water

A．②→①→④→③	B．②→④→①→③
C．④→③→①→②	D．④→②→①→③

3. We can learn people’s lifestyle in ________ through chabaixi.

A．the Ming Dynasty

B．the Qing Dynasty

C．the Tang Dynasty

D．the Song Dynasty

4. When did Zhang Zhifeng bring chabaixi back?

A．In 1985.

B．In 2009.

C．In 2017.

D．In 2024.

5. What can be the best title for the text?

A．A Traditional Tea Art	B．A Tea Art Performer
C．A Way of Planting Tea	D．A Story of Chinese Tea

7 . 根据短文内容，判断正误 (正确 “T”，错误 “F”)。

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.

8 . In most situations, light helps us see. But now humans are using too much of it. In fact, it’s a kind of pollution.

According to scientific research, about 2,500 stars can be seen by the human’s eyes. But because of light pollution, you can only see 200 to 300 stars from today’s countryside, and no more than ten stars from a city. In most big cities, people can’t see the sky filled with stars like they did in their childhood.

Light pollution influences more than just our view of sky. Research shows that lots of nighttime light can harm wildlife, too. When birds fly to another place over cities, they sometimes get lost by bright light and fly in circles until they drop from tiredness. Sea turtles (海龟) need dark beaches for laying eggs, but they can’t find good places because of those bright lights. Too much light at night may even harm human’s health, but scientists are not sure of that. They are still learning more.

In order to stop things from going worse, the governments and organizations (组织) are working hard to reduce light pollution. Many cities and towns have taken actions to reduce the use of lights at night. Lights are used only when and where they are truly needed. They also shine lights down at the ground instead of up into the sky and use lower brightness levels.

Hopefully, in the near future, humans can enjoy the clear and beautiful sky again and all the wildlife will live a peaceful life, too.

1. With light pollution, how many stars can people see in the city?

A．About 10.

B．About 300.

C．About 2500.

D．About 100.

2. How does light pollution harm sea turtles?

A．They feel tired easily.	B．They may get lost by bright light.
C．It is too bright for them to find places to lay eggs.	D．It is too dark for them to find places to lay eggs.

3. Which is Not the way to reduce light pollution according to the passage?

A．People should only use light when they truly need it.	B．People should use lower brightness levels.
C．People should shine light down at the ground.	D．People should stop using all light they need.

4. How does the write show the harm to wildlife caused by light pollution?

A．By giving numbers.	B．By giving examples.
C．By drawing charts (图表).	D．By answering questions.

5. How does the writer feel about dealing with light pollution?

A．Worried.

B．Angry.

C．Hopeful.

D．Excited.

9 . In China, the year 2024 is known as long nian in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar. Over a long period of time, it has been called the Year of the Dragon in English. But actually, there are a lot of differences between the Chinese long and the Western dragon.

The Chinese long is made up of parts of some gentle animals, such as a rabbit’s eyes and an ox’s ears. In Chinese mythology, long is able to fly. In addition, it can also spray (喷洒) water from its mouth to create rain.

However, in Western culture, a dragon breathes fire and has the body of a snake and big wings of a bat. What’s more, you will find most of the Western dragons in dark colors because they usually stand for evil (邪恶). As a result, normally at the end of the stories, the evil dragon will be beaten by the superheroes.

What makes such differences? In fact, they have something to do with the cultural differences. In Chinese Confucian (儒家的) ideas, kindness and harmony (和谐) are very important. It is our duty to help each other and live a peaceful life. Western culture, on the other hand, prefers individual heroism (个人英雄主义). Whenever something terrible happens, there will be a superhero who is brave enough to stand out, fight against the enemy on his own, and, of course, save the whole world.

In recent years, Chinese have tried to translate long in another way. For example, Zhejiang’s Loong Air has already written long as Loong. One of the reasons is that Loong sounds the same as the Chinese character long. Besides, the letters “oo” in the word Loong look like the two big eyes of the animal, which makes it easier to memorize this word.

Anyway, no matter how long is translated, there is one thing for sure: the Chinese long is different from the Western dragon, and it is a symbol of good luck.

Wish you and your family the best in the Year of Loong!

1. Which of the following is the picture of a Western dragon?

A．

B．

C．

D．

2. According to the Chinese Confucian ideas, what might be the reason for long to spray water?

A．To fight against the evil dragon.	B．To help the farmers in the dry weather.
C．To show its power and ability.	D．To make itself the superhero in this world.

3. Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A．A dragon breathes fire and has the body of a bat.

B．2024 is the year of Loong in the traditional Chinese lunar calendar.

C．The Western dragon is a symbol of good luck.

D．Long can’t fly because it has no wings.

4. ________ make Loong the new translation of the Chinese character long according to the passage.

A．The historical background and cultural meaning	B．The historical background and spelling
C．The pronunciation and spelling	D．The cultural meaning and pronunciation

5. In which part of a magazine may we find this passage?

A．Healthy Life.

B．Creative Art.

C．Amazing Animals.

D．Colorful Culture.

10 . China has just opened its FAST radio telescope (射电望远镜) to international scientists. It means scientists across the world can apply for using the telescope to do astronomical observations.

FAST is short for Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope. It was completed in September 2016 and it officially began operating in January 2020. Measuring 500 meters in diameter. FAST is the world’s largest single-dish radio telescope, and is 10 times more sensitive than the 100-meter Radio Telescope Effelsberg in Germany.

The major scientific task of the telescope is the observation of pulsars (脉冲星). The study of pulsars can help to confirm the existence of gravitational radiation (引力辐射) and black holes, and help solve many other major questions in physics. Another major scientific goal of FAST is to search for life outside the Earth.

The telescope is located in a naturally deep and round karst depression (喀斯特洼地) in southwest China’s Guizhou Province. The first advantage of the selected site is the altitude (海拔). The average altitude of Guizhou is about 1,100 meters. Generally, the higher the altitude, the more the telescope can observe. Secondly, the radio telescope needs to have a “big pan” to receive better signals. The huge natural depression could reduce the difficulty of construction. Moreover, the selected site in Guizhou is far away from cities, and has a low population density, which reduces the interference (干扰) caused by wireless devices such as TVs, mobile phones and radios from human activities.

So far, FAST has found over 300 pulsars. Experts predict that the number could reach 1,000 in five years and that the telescope could find and locate the first pulsar outside the Galaxy.

1. Who can use FAST?

A．Chinese scientists.	B．Scientists from all countries.
C．Soldiers and policemen.	D．All Chinese citizens.

2. When did FAST start working officially?

A．In 2015.

B．In 2016.

C．In 2020.

D．In 2021.

3. What do we know from the fourth paragraph?

A．The advantages of the selected site for FAST.

B．Guizhou Province has the highest altitude in China.

C．The reasons for using mobile phones less.

D．FAST is built in a pan-shape place to keep people out.

4. What do scientists think FAST will probably be able to do in the future?

A．Identify more than 300 pulsars in five years.

B．Discover the first pulsar outside the Galaxy.

C．Locate wireless devices around the world.

D．Collect all kinds of sounds in space.

5. Where can you probably read this passage?

A．Human and Nature	B．Geography 101
C．Animals and Plants	D．Scientific World