1 . You may see some unusual fruit and vegetables when you visit a large supermarket, such as square watermelons, blue potatoes and purple cauliflower (菜花). So, why are they so unusual?
Some plants are unusual because they are grown in special ways. For example, square watermelons grow inside square glass cases. The square watermelon result is a specially shaped melon that is easy to cut and store in the fridge. People also grow heart-shaped tomatoes in the similar way. You can do this as well with your own backyard watermelons and tomatoes!
Some plants are designed when they are seeds (种子). Hybrids (杂交) are new plants created by scientists. They are a combination (结合) of different “parent” plants that form a whole new kind of plant. For example, a fruit called the pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot. It looks like a plum, but it is sweeter than most plums. Crossbreeding (杂交繁育) is when two plants of the same kind are combined to create a better plant. A farmer might crossbreed a small, sweet tomato and a large but tasteless tomato in order to create a large, sweet tomato. It will provide delicious slices that fit better on sandwiches. Farmers must choose the plants with qualities that people want and then grow more of these plants.
The next time you go to the supermarket and see a square watermelon or pluot, remember how much work went into producing it.
1. What do we know about square watermelons from the text?| A．They can be cut and stored easily. |
| B．Their seeds are specially designed. |
| C．They are a whole new kind of plant. |
| D．They’re bigger than other watermelons. |
| A．The plum. | B．The apricot. | C．The pluot. | D．The heart-shaped tomato. |
| A．The large, sweet tomato. |
| B．The small, sweet tomato. |
| C．The small, tasteless tomato. |
| D．The large, tasteless tomato. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．History. | B．Sports. | C．Science. | D．Travel. |
2 . WeChat, China’s popular multi-functional social media platform (多功能社交媒体平台), was set up by Tencent in 2011. In fact, the group had the idea in 2010. And it plays an increasingly important role in our daily life nowadays.
At first, most of people just considered it a communication App. We used it to share our lives and know others’ lives from the Moments (朋友圈). At that time, it really made our communication easier than before.
With the change of its version (版本), WeChat added many functions (功能), such as trade, games and Didi. Later, it also created several products like WeChat Official Accounts, mi-ni programs and WeChat Pay.
These changes above have a great influence on our lives. In recent years, it has provided many job chances for the young. Especially in 2020, because of a serious flu, millions of students who had graduated from college had trouble in finding jobs. Meanwhile, in order to fight against the flu, 11.1 percent of mini-program developers and 14.5 percent of WeChat service providers released (发布) new jobs to meet the need of online business, by creating 597, 000 jobs.
Young people and college graduates are among the main group who found jobs through WeChat. A report showed that over half of the staff (员工) of 55. 8 percent of companies on the platform are between the ages of 16 and 29, while more than half of the staff from 55 percent companies graduated from college.
1. WeChat was invented in ________.| A．2009 | B．2011 | C．2010 | D．2012 |
| A．finding jobs online | B．making videos |
| C．playing games online | D．communicating with others |
| A．trade | B．Didi | C．blog | D．game |
① create several products like WeChat Official Accounts, mi-ni programs and WeChat Pay.
②provide many job chances for the young.
③share our lives and know others’ lives from the Moments.
④add many functions, such as trade, game and Didi.
| A．③④①② | B．①③④② | C．②④①③ | D．②①③④ |
| A．to tell us how to use WeChat |
| B．to explain why WeChat is popular |
| C．to introduce what WeChat is |
| D．to introduce the functions of WeChat |
3 . Cross-bridge noodles, or crossing-the-bridge noodles, are a special dish that originated (起源) in Yunnan Province. It has become such a popular part of Yunnan’s culture that in 2008, it was listed as an item of the intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) of Kunming City.
There is a story behind the first creation of cross-bridge noodles. It is said that there was a learner during the Qing Dynasty. He studied every day on an island of Mengzi City in Yunnan. His favorite food was rice noodles, and his wife brought him the noodles every day. But she was disappointed because the noodles would get cold on the way to the island. One day, she discovered that boiling the rice noodles separately could make them taste better. The chicken soup could also stay warm during the trip. It was the oil layer (层) on top of the soup that kept the cold outside and the heat inside. Realizing this, the wife then came up with an idea. She brought the chicken soup, rice noodles, and other ingredients (原料) separately and then mixed them after she arrived on the island. That way, the dish stayed hot and the noodles were fresh when they were added just before eating.
The word spread of the delicious dish and the wife’s smart way of keeping the food hot. The dish became known as “crossing-the-bridge noodles” or simply “cross-bridge noodles” in memory of the wife.
1. When were cross-bridge noodles listed as an item of intangible cultural heritage?| A．2000 | B．2008 | C．2010 | D．2015 |
| A．In Kunming City. | B．In Dali City. | C．In Mengzi City. | D．In Pu’er City. |
| A．make the noodles more delicious | B．keep the dish hot |
| C．find a quicker way to cook the noodles | D．keep the noodles for longer |
| A．clever | B．lazy | C．patient | D．kind |
| A．The Secret of Yunnan Noodles | B．The Wife’s Clever Cooking Skills |
| C．The History of Chinese Noodles | D．A Dish with a Story: Cross-Bridge Noodles |
The China-Laos Railway is a big hit for travelers, making trips between China and Laos fun and easy. This year, over 5.19 million people rode on this train, and more than 60,000 of them went across the border. People love it because it’s quick and lets them see new places. Imagine having breakfast in Kunming, China, and then enjoying coffee in Vientiane, Laos, by evening!
This train line is special because it brings different cultures together. It helps people explore and connect with new places in a cool way. In Yunnan, China, this train has made traveling easier and more exciting. It connects Kunming to many places quickly, helping more people travel inside China and to Laos.
Lots of people are choosing to travel to beautiful spots in Yunnan like Xishuangbanna, Shangri-La, Dali, and Lijiang. To make traveling even better, there are new trains and trips designed for fun experiences. One of these is the “Elephant Towards Number” train, which goes around the province and is a big hit with tourists.
The train service is also thinking about older travelers by offering special trips to big cities. This makes traveling nicer for them. Plus, there are cool trains for sightseeing, like the Jianshui Ancient City mini train and the Shipping tourist train, which lots of visitors enjoy.
The China-Laos Railway is making travel cooler and helping people see more of China and Laos in fun and easy ways.
1. Over 5 million people have used the China-Laos Railway this year.2. The China-Laos Railway reduces travel time between Kunming and Laos to less than a day.
3. The “Elephant Towards Number” train offers tours within Yunnan Province.
4. Special train trips are available for younger travellers to explore major cities.
5. The article is likely from a travel magazine or website.
5 . Have you ever heard of the term “children of the stars”? It’s a special name for children with autism (自闭症). April 2 is World Autism Awareness Day. It was started by the United Nations to help people know more about autism and offer better care and support to those who have it.
Autism affects how a person grows and learns. It usually starts to show in the first three years of life. The official name for this condition is “autism spectrum disorder (自闭症谱系障碍).”
Doctors use a handbook called DSM-5 to diagnose (诊断) autism. It talks about two main autism signs: problems with talking and being with others and doing the same things over and over again.
“When I talk to my daughter or ask her to do something, she won’t pay attention to me,” said MengLingdi. Her daughter was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. “She doesn’t make as much eye contact with people as other kids do.”
Children with autism also feel physical pain. “Many of them have epilepsy (癫痫) because their brain activity is different from that of other kids,” said Sun Zhongkai at Beijing Stars and RainEducation Institute for Autism (Stars and Rain).
We don’t know exactly what causes autism. But scientists think it might be a mix of things like how we grow, our genes (基因), and our environment. If a family has a child with autism, the chance of their other children having autism is about 10 times higher than usual.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 refer to?| A．The term “children of the stars”. | B．The disease called Autism. |
| C．World Autism Awareness Day. | D．The better care and support. |
| A．Before birth. | B．On April 2nd. | C．At the age of 12. | D．In the first three years. |
| A．They can communicate with people easily. | B．They do the same things over and over again. |
| C．They pay attention to what their parents say. | D．They make much eye contact with people. |
| A．Autism won’t affect a person’s growth. | B．Doctors use DSM-5 to diagnose autism. |
| C．Children with autism cannot feel physical pain. | D．Scientists have found out what causes autism. |
| A．Nature. | B．Sports. | C．Health. | D．Travel. |
6 . Diaojiaolou, also called Diaolou, is a traditional house in southern China. You can find many of these houses beside a river or in the mountainous areas of Yunnan, Guangxi, Hunan and Sichuan. This type of building is popular among the Miao, Zhuang, Buyi, Dong, Shui, and Tujia peoples.
Diaojiaolou dates back to hundreds of years ago. When ancient Chinese pioneers moved from northern to southern China, they met many difficulties. They suffered a lot from the beasts (猛兽), snakes, and insects in the mountain forests. At first, they set fire to keep beasts away, but they were still often bitten by snakes. Then an old smart leader in the village invented Diaojiaolou. They are in fact 100% wooden houses built on silts (泥沙). These buildings are usually two to three storeys high. The whole house is really strong. Even if one of the stilts (支柱) was destroyed, the house would remain standing.
The stilt houses have many advantages. In ancient times, these buildings would provide protection from beasts. Nowadays they continue to provide protection from snakes and insects. What’s more, these buildings help prevent humidity-related (湿度相关的) illnesses that are common in southern China. In the mountainous areas of southern China, people can’t endure the wet ground in summer, so living on high floors is a wise choice.
And the special buildings are in perfect harmony (和谐) with the beautiful scenery—small bridges, flowing water, and green mountains. And many stilt buildings are hidden in ancient trees and bamboos, like traditional Chinese landscape paintings.
1. Where can people find Diaojiaolou?| A．Beside a river. | B．In a desert. | C．In a modern city. | D．In grassland. |
| A．To get a further view. | B．To separate the young from the old. |
| C．To get close to the nature. | D．To keep themselves safe. |
| A．It is really easy to build. |
| B．It is friendly to the environment. |
| C．It costs little to be made. |
| D．It is very strong and keeps people from some diseases. |
| A．忍受 | B．相信 | C．感觉 | D．触摸 |
| A．Pioneers from northern China. | B．A kind of traditional building. |
| C．Beautiful scenery in Yunnan. | D．The advantages of Diaojiaolou. |
7 . Yunnan is known for its natural beauty, ethnic (民族的) cultures and delicious local food. Here is a Yunnan travel guide according to the four different seasons.
| ◆Spring In March, the famous Hani Terraces are covered with water. They make colorful scenery under the blue sky. In April, Yunnan is filled with cherry blossoms (樱花), especially in Kunming’s Cuihu Park and Dali’s Butterfly Spring. |
| ◆Summer Summer in Yunnan is hot and humid (潮湿的), but it is a perfect time to visit the mountains. Visitors can also visit all kinds of lakes, such as Erhai Lake and Fuxian Lake. It is pleasant to enjoy water sports or just relax by beaches. |
| ◆Autumn In autumn, many places are painted in changing colors. Lugu Lake is covered in a sea of pink and purple flowers. Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jianshui Ancient Town are the best places to visit in this season. |
| ◆Winter Visitors can experience a special winter because of different festivals. Naxi and Lisu people have traditional festivals in winter. Kuoshi Festival (阔时节) is celebrated by Lisu people in December or the following January. Visitors can join them in singing, dancing, swinging and crossbow shooting (射弩箭). |
1. When can people go to Yunnan if they want to see cherry blossoms?
| A．In April. | B．In June. | C．In August. | D．In December. |
| A．Hot and dry. | B．Warm and wet. | C．Hot and wet. | D．Warm and dry. |
| A．Four. | B．Eight. | C．Ten. | D．Eleven. |
| A．People can visit Yunnan at any time. |
| B．Autumn is a good time to visit the mountains in Yunnan. |
| C．To enjoy water sports, people can go to Dali’s Butterfly Spring. |
| D．In spring, people can experience Naxi people’s traditional festivals. |
| A．People who like different flowers. | B．People who always visit lakes. |
| C．People who are good at dancing. | D．People who enjoy climbing mountains. |
8 . Have you ever seen a colorful rainbow in the sky right after it rains? That happens when the sunlight goes through the water in the air.
The sun’s light is actually made of many colors that don’t all move the same way. When this light goes into a raindrop, it bends (弯曲) a bit and splits into (裂成) all these colors like red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple.
As these colors come out of the raindrop, they bounce off (弹回) the inside back of the drop. This makes them bend again and spread out, making a shape like part of a circle, which is the rainbow we see. Purple bends a lot, but red not so much.
So, why do rainbows look like a curve? It’s because the raindrops are not all the same distance (距离) from us. They make a circle shape around a line from the sun to our eyes, creating that curve.
Rainbows are usually seen in the part of the sky opposite the sun. Sometimes, you might even see two rainbows at once! That’s when the sunlight bounces twice inside the raindrops.
Next time you see a rainbow, remember it’s just the sun and rain working together to make something really special and pretty in the sky.
1. What makes the sunlight show many colors?| A．The sun moves very fast. |
| B．The air near the raindrops gets warm. |
| C．The clouds break the sunlight. |
| D．The sunlight goes into a raindrop and bends. |
①Sunlight goes into a raindrop. ②The sunlight splits into many colors. ③Colors bounce off the inside back of the drop. ④The colors bend again and spread out.
| A．①→②→③→④ | B．①→③→②→④ | C．②→①→③→④ | D．②→③→①→④ |
| A．Right above you. | B．Close to the sun. | C．Opposite the sun. | D．All around the sky. |
| A．弧线 | B．直线 | C．三角 | D．立体 |
| A．The Sun and Its Magic |
| B．How Rainbows Form |
| C．Raindrops and Light |
| D．The Colors of the Sky |
In a faraway place in the mountain s of Yunnan, China, a new kind of village is appearing—a smart village. Imagine living where every home can go online through fast 4G and 5G networks, not just cables (电缆). This is not a story; it is really happening now.
Yunnan is known for its beautiful natural environment. In the past, a few homes often shared one internet connection. But things have changed thanks to hard work by people at China Telecom. Now every household can go online. This is part of a bigger plan to use technology to modernize farming and improve rural (农村的) life.
In these smart villages, farmers have some cool little tools to help them. For example, cows can eat a special capsule (胶囊). This capsule collects information about the cow’s health and sends it to a computer. This allows farmers to know exactly what cows need to stay healthy and produce good milk and meat.
But it’s not just about animals. In places like Dali and Lijiang, technology also watches crops like rice and mangoes. Cameras and sensors (传感器) can tell farmers the weather, soil conditions, and even if insects are harming crops right away. This means farmers can better take care of plants to ensure we have delicious, healthy food.
These villages also use technology for safety, better tourism management, and community services. Over 11, 000 village platforms have been built so far, making the dream of a modern, connected countryside come true.
1. Yunnan’s smart villages didn’t have an internet connection before 5G networks.2. Every household can go online in smart villages thanks to China Telecom’s efforts.
3. A special capsule is used by farmers to check crops’ health in smart villages.
4. Both cow health and crop conditions are watched using technology.
5. This article is likely from a technology magazine.
Tree-planting Day is the day when some countries widely advertise (宣传) the helpful effects of forests, and encourage people to plant trees. In this way, people can be inspired to plant and love forests, and the environment will be improved. Many countries in the world have set their Tree-planting Day based on their own real situations.
Tree-planting Day is on March 12 every year in China. There are two reasons for it. One is the sunshine, because spring is very warm and good for trees to grow. The other is to memorize SunYat-sen, who is considered the “Father of Modern China” for his role in the events that led to the end of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China. Sun Yat-sen passed away on March 12, 1925. When he was alive, he paid much attention to forests. China takes the death day of Sun Yat-sen as Chinese Tree-planting Day to memorize him. March 12, 2024 is China’s 46th Tree planting Day.
In America, Tree-planting Day is a state festival, so there is no nationwide date, but America will organize tree-planting activities in April or May every year, and even take a day off in some states. The first Tree-planting Day was held on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. People planted over one million trees on that day.
Every year, Cambodia celebrates Tree-planting Day (also called Arbor Day) in each of the twenty-five provinces of the country on July 9, with a tree-planting ceremony attended by the king of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
1. The first paragraph tells of the advantages of forests.2. March 12 is the date when Sun Yat-sen passed away.
3. Americans planted more than one million trees in April every year.
4. The king of the Kingdom of Cambodia takes Arbor Day seriously.
5. The passage is mainly about Tree-planting Day in different countries.
