Do you hear of the Old Tea Forest of Jingmai Mountain? The mountain is in the city of Pu’er, Yunnan province. On September 17, 2023, this cultural landscape (文化景观) was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List (《世界遗产名录》). It includes nine villages, three old tea planting places and three forests.
In the tenth century, the ancestors (祖先) of the Blang (布朗族) people came to the mountain. They discovered wild tea trees and started to produce tea from them. Later, the Dai and some other ethnic groups (民族) also came to live here with their colorful cultures. These cultures added something more to Jingmai.
Here, the locals hold important festivals. The Shankang Festival of the Blang people, for example, honors their “tea ancestors.” Another example is the Water Festival of the Dai people. During these festivals, they give their thanks to the tea trees. They also make good wishes for the tea forests.
In Blang culture, every tea tree is said to have a spirit (灵魂). For this reason, the Blang people there do not use pesticides (杀虫剂) on their tea trees. They use natural ways to get good tea.
In this place, the mountain nurtures (养育) tea, and tea nurtures people. Tea is an important part of the locals’ lives. They are thankful for the gifts from nature!
1. Jingmai Mountain is in Yunnan.2. The ancestors of the Dai people came to the mountain in the 10th century.
3. During the festivals, people there only give their thanks to the tea trees.
4. The Blang people think every tea tree has a spirit in their culture.
5. The passage tells us something about the Old Tea Forest of Jingmai Mountain in Pu’er.
2 . China’s Double Ninth Festival falls on the ninth day of the ninth month of the Chinese lunar calendar every year. It is a traditional folk holiday focusing on good health and long life. Let’s take a look at some key words related to this festival.
Nine
Nine is an important number in Chinese culture because its pronunciation means “long” in Chinese. According to the Book of Changes (《易经》), the number six is considered yin while nine is yang. The ninth day of the ninth lunar month in the Chinese calendar features two nines, so the day is given the Chinese name “Chongyang”.
Plants
When it comes to the Double Ninth Festival, two important plants, the cornel (茱萸) and chrysanthemum (菊花), have to be mentioned.
Cornel, famous in traditional Chinese medicine, is widely planted in the north and south of China. Ancient people believed that wearing the cornel on this day could help prevent illness and avoid disasters.
They also believed that the chrysanthemum could drive away bad luck and prevent one from getting a cold in late autumn. So, drinking chrysanthemum wine has always been a traditional custom at this festival.
Elders
As times change, the festival has been given more meaning. In 1989, the Chinese government set it as a day for the elders, to encourage all to respect and love them, so as to build a beautiful, age-friendly society.
1. What does the Double Ninth Festival focus on?| A．Wealth and happiness. | B．Good luck and healthy life. |
| C．Success and fame. | D．Good health and long life. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Technology. | B．Culture. | C．Nature. | D．Business. |
| A．The Double Ninth Festival falls on August 9th each year. |
| B．The number nine is considered yin while six is yang. |
| C．People plant cornel widely in the north and south of China. |
| D．It was believed that the chrysanthemum could bring wealth. |
| A．Two Important Plants | B．An Important Number |
| C．A Traditional Folk Holiday | D．Key Words in Double Ninth Festival |
A video of a black sun bear at the Hangzhou Zoo has become popular. In the video, the bear stands on its back legs and the fur (毛) on its behind is loose (松散的). Many people thought it was a person standing in a bear suit.
The zoo workers said that the sun bear was real. “If a person did wear a bear suit, they would be falling down within minutes because of the hot weather in summer. ”
Later, the zoo made a statement (声明) in the name of “Angela”, the sun bear. “Some people think I stand like a person. It seems you don’t understand me very well,” the statement said. “Let me say again to everyone that I am a sun bear—not a black bear, not a dog—a sun bear!”
Sun bears live in the forests of Southeast Asia. They are the smallest bears in the world. They are only about the size of a large dog. They can be 1.1-1.5 meters tall while standing on their back legs. They can weigh from 25 to 75 kilograms.
Sun bears are the least studied out of all the 8 kinds of bears. Maybe this is because they are shy and live far away from people. They are listed as vulnerable (易危的) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their numbers in the wild have fallen by 35% over the past thirty years, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). They need more protection.
1. The sun bear at the Hangzhou Zoo was a person standing in a bear suit.2. Sun bears are the smallest bears in the world.
3. A sun bear is much taller than an adult man.
4. There are eight kinds of bears in the world.
5. From the last paragraph, we know sun bears need more protection.
Do you know “guo nian hao” means “Happy New Year”? But in China, New Year isn’t the Spring Festival. The Spring Festival is a big festival in China. It means the beginning（开始）of a new year. In the Spring Festival, people welcome the new year and say goodbye to the old year.
People often do many things for the Spring Festival. They clean their houses. They buy new clothes. They make a big dinner.
During the Spring Festival, we can see some red things. In China, red is the symbol（象征）of good luck. Some people love to wear red clothes. Lanterns are red. Children can get red envelopes（红包）. Their parents or grandparents always put some money in red envelopes. Children are always happy when they get red envelopes.
1. In China, the Spring Festival is New Year.2. For the Spring Festival, people often do many things.
3. All the people love to wear red clothes during the Spring Festival.
4. Parents or grandparents always put some cards in red envelopes.
5. This passage is about the Spring Festival.
Are you interested in space? Do you want to be an astronaut? Let’s come close to them and know more.
Can anyone be an astronaut? Of course not. You don’t have to have a science degree, but most astronauts do. Most of them are pilots too. Life in a spaceship is hard so you must have a healthy body and mind. You need to be easy-going and helpful to spend so much time in a small space with other people.
What’s the training like? People have to train for a year to learn how to stay healthy and safe. They practice space walking and living in zero gravity (重力). They train in difficult situations to learn how to solve problems and to work on a team. Everyday life like eating, washing and sleeping can be difficult in a spaceship. There is no running water to wash hands. It’s hard to enjoy the dry food that astronauts have to eat. And to sleep, you must cover your eyes because the sun rises every 90 minutes on the International Space Station. You also must tie yourself to something, so you don’t fly away!
What health problems do astronauts have? Astronauts often get backache (背痛) because you grow in space-up to 8 centimeters! It’s also common to feel terrible at the beginning. So you must do a lot of exercise in space to stay healthy. And you must have vitamins to take the place of fresh fruit and vegetables.
1. Astronauts need to be easy-going and helpful.2. People can wash hands with running water in a spaceship.
3. The sun rises every ninety minutes on the International Space Station.
4. Astronauts often get backache because they do a lot of exercise in space.
5. The article is about the importance of being an astronaut.
6 . In early April, 2022, a United Nations (UN) climate (气候) group gave a 3,000-page report on climate change. The report introduces action that must be taken. As one of the report’s authors put it, “It’s now or never.”
One of the most striking (引人注目的) parts of the new UN report is that in order to limit (限制) global warming to 1.5℃, global emissions (排放物) can’t go any higher after 2025, and must drop greatly by 2030. That gives governments just a few years to take strong action.
The report says we are happy that we know what we have to do to avoid a climate disaster (灾难). Most of the green technologies needed for renewable power, such as wind, solar, and water power, are already there and getting cheaper and cheaper.
The report adds that simply cutting pollution won’t be enough. The polluting gas carbon dioxide (CO2) must also be removed from the air and stored. Since trees have already done this, protecting natural areas and planting more trees will be an important part of the solution.
For the first time in this report, the IPCC points out that people should do as these: not wasting food and eating less meat, walking or biking instead of driving, cutting out plane travel, and using less energy.
One of the report’s main authors said, “We know what to do, we know how to do it, and now it’s up to us to take action.”
1. What’s the purpose of the 3, 000-page report on climate change?| A．To search for some ways to limit global warming. |
| B．To warn people not to waste anything useful any more. |
| C．To tell us we must take action to limit global warming right away. |
| D．To tell us global emissions are harming the environment around us. |
| A．In 2030. | B．In 2025. | C．In 2024. | D．In 2023. |
| A．可再生的 | B．再循环的 | C．可回收的 | D．再利用的 |
①Say no to wasting food. ②Eat less meat. ③Walk or bike.
④Use less energy. ⑤Take a taxi.
| A．①③④⑤ | B．②③④⑤ | C．①②④⑤ | D．①②③④ |
| A．Trees are important to us. |
| B．Trees can remove and store carbon dioxide. |
| C．We should protect natural areas and plant more trees. |
| D．We should take more steps to reduce pollution. |
7 . Scientists in Japan have developed electric chopsticks that are designed to help people cut down on salt. Though human bodies need salt, many people eat far too much of it, which is unhealthy. It’s well known that eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and so on. The special chopsticks use a tiny bit of electricity to make food seem saltier than it is.
Kirin, a Japanese company that sells food and drink, worked with researchers at Miyashita Laboratory to develop the chopsticks. The chopsticks have a battery pack that can be worn on the wrist (手腕). When the tips of the chopsticks are put in the mouth, a very light electric current (电流)—too small to be felt as a shock—changes the way the tongue (舌头) tastes certain chemicals.
Experiments showed that with the chopsticks, food could have up to 30% less salt and still taste just as salty. So far Kirin hasn’t announced plans to sell the chopsticks. But it is looking into ways the technology could be used with other eating utensils (餐具), including spoons.
1. What’s the harm of eating too much salt?| A．It can make the food less delicious. |
| B．It can make people not want to eat. |
| C．It can cause nose bleeding. |
| D．It can lead to high blood pressure. |
| A．To help people cut down on salt. |
| B．To help people with heart disease eat healthily. |
| C．To help people realize the dangers of eating more salt. |
| D．To help people with high blood pressure. |
| A．The chopsticks are good for people’s health. |
| B．The chopsticks can’t be used without electricity. |
| C．Kirin doesn’t have any plan to sell the chopsticks. |
| D．The chopsticks can help people eat 30 percent less food. |
| A．No technology, no life. |
| B．Technology can change lives. |
| C．Chopsticks play an important role in our life. |
| D．The less salt you eat, the healthier you will be. |
| A．Eat less salt to become healthier |
| B．Cut down on salt with electric chopsticks |
| C．Use electric chopsticks to get healthier |
| D．Let’s buy electric chopsticks |
8 . The Longtaitou Festival, also known as the Eryue’er Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival. It is on the second day of the second month of the Chinese calendar. This year it falls on February 21st. As an old saying goes, “Er yue er, long tai tou.” It means on the second day of the second month, the dragon lifts his head.
Ancient people believed that after this day, the rain would increase because the rain—bringing Dragon King woke up from his winter sleep. So it marks the start of spring and farming.
There are many ways to celebrate the festival. The most famous tradition is to have a haircut. It is said that a haircut during the first lunar month may bring bad luck to the mother’s brothers. So many people have their hair cut on the Longtaitou Festival.
Also people eat special food on that day. People in Fujian Province eat tofu balls during the festival. They often make tofu and vegetable balls to pray for family and business. Eating chengyao cakes on this day is a tradition in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It is said that if you eat chengyao cakes on Longtaitou, your waist (腰) won’t hurt the whole year. People in parts of Shandong Province eat fried beans to celebrate the festival.
Other foods, like noodles, dumplings, spring rolls and popcorn, are all named after dragon. Noodles are called dragons’ beard (long xu), dumplings are dragons’ears (long er), spring rolls are dragons scales (long lin), and popcorn is called dragon seeds (long zi). It’s said that eating these foods on this day can bring good luck.
判断正误（正确“T”，错误“F”）1. The Longtaitou Festival is a traditional festival in the world.
2. The Longtaitou Festival of 2023 falls on February 21st.
3. The Eryue’er Festival marks the start of spring and farming.
4. Eating chengyao cakes on Longtaitou is a tradition in Yangzhou.
5. The passage is mainly about the Eryue’er Festival.
9 . With lion dance, Chinese Kung fu, Chinese crosstalk, songs and dances, and award-winning speeches, students from across New Zealand showcased their Chinese language skills in the annual (一年一次的) “Chinese Bridge” event held on September 24th, 2022.
Fifteen middle school students and two primary school students took part in the event, which was organized by the Confucius Institute in Auckland.
The event on September 24th was a prelude (前奏) to the New Zealand Chinese Language Week 2022, which was held from Sept. 25 to Oct. 1.
“We set up the New Zealand Chinese Language Week as another way to try to bridge the cultural gap (差距) between New Zealand and China,” said Jo Coughlan, chairperson of the New Zealand Chinese Language Week.
Elijah Grieve from the Lincoln High School started learning Chinese when he was eleven. It was his fifth time to take part in the “Chinese Bridge”. He said he wished to visit China. “I want to visit the Great Wall in Beijing, the Oriental Pearl Tower in Shanghai and the Yellow Crane Tower in Wuhan. I wish the friendship between China and New Zealand last forever.”
Ryan Mansbridge-Croy from the Christchurch Boy’s High School said that learning Chinese provides him more opportunities for future development. “It is excellent that learning Chinese could allow me to make friends with 1.4 billion (十亿) people,” said Mansbridge-Croy.
Colden Sapir from ACG Parnell College said that learning Chinese has opened a new door for him. “From learning Chinese, I started to understand the meaning of filial piety (孝道). It makes me closer to my parents. I learned Chinese very hard and wished the friendship between New Zealand and China makes further progress,” said Sapir.
1. When was the “Chinese Bridge” language event held in 2022?| A．On September 24th. | B．On September 25th. | C．On September 28th. | D．On October 1st. |
| A．2. | B．15. | C．17. | D．27. |
| A．To make more people learn Chinese. |
| B．To spread traditional Chinese culture. |
| C．To make New Zealand famous around the world. |
| D．To bridge the cultural gap between New Zealand and China. |
| A．The “Chinese Bridge” language event is held every four years. |
| B．Elijah Grieve has taken part in the “Chinese Bridge” language event five times. |
| C．Ryan Mansbridge-Croy is unwilling to learn Chinese. |
| D．Colden Sapir thought he could make friends with 1.4 billion people. |
| A．The “Chinese Bridge” Language Event | B．Opportunities for Future Development |
| C．Friendship Between China and New Zealand | D．The True Meaning of Filial Piety |
10 . In the minds of the Chinese, the moon is connected with gentleness and brightness, expressing their best wishes. On August 15 of the lunar calendar (阴历) each year, the moon is full and it’s time to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival.
In traditional Chinese culture, the moon is a carrier of human emotions (情感). In ancient times, from royalty to the ordinary family, it was an important custom to appreciate the full moon during the festival. Adults usually enjoyed delicious mooncakes with a cup of hot tea, while children ran around with bright lanterns. After nightfall, whole families went out for a walk under the stars, looking up at the full moon and thinking of their relatives or friends, as well as those who were far from home. A line from a poem “The moon viewed at home is brighter” expresses those feelings.
Besides, with respect to the history of Chinese civilization (文明) , China is the first nation to have the dream of flying to the sky. From the story of Chang’e to Dunhuang flying apsaras (飞天), all express Chinese ancestors’ desire to explore outer space. Many ancient Chinese poets also showed their preference for the moon through wonderful words. For example, the poet Li Bai wrote hundreds of poems about the moon during his lifetime.
The Chinese exploring moon project (探月工程), named after Chang’e, fully expresses this pursuit (追求) of the Chinese. The successful launch (发射) of Chang’e 1 not only laid the ground work for future exploration of the moon, but also made a long-held dream of the Chinese people come true.
1. What do Chinese people think of the moon?| A．The moon is a symbol of health and wealth. | B．The moon is not as bright as the sun. |
| C．The moon carries human emotions. | D．The moon viewed at home is brighter. |
| A．how ancient Chinese people celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival |
| B．when Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival |
| C．what poems Chinese people wrote about the moon |
| D．why Chinese people celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival |
| A．观点 | B．渴望 | C．遗憾 | D．惭愧 |
| A．a travel guide | B．a health magazine | C．a newspaper | D．a history textbook |
| A．The moon carries Chinese people’s best wishes and dreams. |
| B．China is the first nation to dream of exploring outer space. |
| C．Ancient Chinese poets wrote hundreds of poems about the moon. |
| D．The Chinese exploring moon project shows the love for the moon. |
