1 . After work, you go back home, open an app, place your order, and wait for your food to be delivered your home. This is how lots of young people eat in China these days. According to the latest report from the China Internet Network Information Center, 421 million Chinese people use online food delivery services. That’s just half of the total number of Internet users in China.
Which group of people is ordering food online the most? For sure, it is mainly young people. A recent report by Meituan, a food delivery service, showed that 86.3% of the service’s users are between 20 and 34 years old. These people are the main force driving the development of the food delivery industry.
Small families depend largely on food delivery services. Chinese families have changed in size over the past ten years. In 2002, only 7.7% of families have only one person. But this number increased to 15.6% in 2017. Two-person families rose from 18.4% in 2002 to 27.2% in 2017. For small families, cooking always takes a lot of time and energy, so ordering food online has become more popular.
The improvement of China’s food delivery services has also made more customers interested. According to Meituan’s report, the average time it takes to make a food delivery dropped from 38 minutes in 2016 to 28 minutes in 2022. Many delivery apps are also offering more services, delivering products such as fruit, vegetables, medicine and even flowers. As their services continue to improve, it’s certain that the food delivery industry will keep growing some day.
1. The writer introduces the topic by ________.| A．giving an example | B．telling a story |
| C．making a comparison | D．answering a question |
| A．86.3% of Internet users order food online. |
| B．Food delivery has developed rapidly. |
| C．Food delivery is popular with young people. |
| D．Most Internet users like to order food on Meituan. |
| A．Because people are lazier than before. | B．Because families are becoming smaller. |
| C．Because people aren’t good at cooking. | D．Because families prefer different food. |
| A．Food and vegetables. | B．Medicine. | C．Fruit and flowers. | D．All of the above. |
| A．It will be growing well. |
| B．Its service badly needs improving. |
| C．It shouldn’t offer other services. |
| D．Its development will slow down. |
In ancient China, willow branches (柳枝) were often used as a gift to friends and family members who would leave. Do you know why willow branches are a symbol of saying goodbye?
One reason is that willow trees are strong. They can live in any soil, wet or dry, north or south. Because of this special feature, when saying goodbye to loved ones, giving a willow branch is a way to tell them you hope they will easily get used to their new living environment.
Another reason is that, in Chinese, the pronunciation for the willow tree “柳” is similar to the character “留”. So giving a willow branch in ancient China was like asking the others to stay, even though you know that they must leave.
It is said that this custom became popular during the Han Dynasty. At that time, Baqiao, a bridge in Chang’ an, today’s Xi’an, was a common place to say goodbye. People often stopped there and handed willow branches to people who were going to depart.
willow branches, as a symbol of saying goodbye, were often mentioned in poems, especially at the time of the Tang and Song dynasties.
1. Willow branches were often used as a gift to friends and family members who would come back after being away for a long time in ancient China.2. Willow trees can live in any soil because they get used to new living environment easily.
3. People often stopped at Baqiao, a village in Chang’ an, and handed willow branches to people who were going to leave.
4. Willow branches were often mentioned in poems, especially at the time of the Han dynasties.
5. The passage mainly tells us the symbol of willow branches in ancient China.
3 . There are many deserts(沙漠) on the earth. And the following are some facts you may find interesting. Deserts can be hot and dry places. Rain may not fall there for months or years. Some deserts are sandy and stony.
Deserts can also be very windy places. The wind can change the shape of the deserts. It moves sand around from place from place.
Temperatures in the desert can vary a lot. During the daytime, the temperature may reach 45℃. At night deserts can become very cold, Sometimes the temperature difference is over 50℃.
The camel is sometimes called “the ship of the desert”. It stores food in its hump(驼峰) and can go for days without water. It has large feet that help it not fall into the soft sand. Its long eyelashes(眼睫毛) keep out the sand during sandstorms.
The Arabian Desert lies between the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf. In some parts or the desert, it is too hot for people to live. Oil was discovered underparts of the desert. This oil has made some countries in the area very rich. Much of the money has been spent building fine cities with lovely parks and lakes, and people live a comfortable life there.
1. Which of the following can best describe deserts?| A．Sandy and rainy. | B．Hot and dry. | C．Stony and wet. | D．Cold and snowy. |
| A．Be high. | B．Below. | C．Be similar. | D．Be different. |
| A．keep warm in deserts | B．walk for days without water |
| C．keep out the sand during sandstorms | D．help it not fall into the soft sand |
| A．Oil. | B．Sand. | C．Temperature. | D．Camels. |
| A．Where is the Arabian Desert? | B．What do you know about deserts? |
| C．How do people live in deserts? | D．How is the weather in deserts? |
Has your mother or grandmother ever made embroidered(刺绣的) clothes for you? In the past, Chinese people often embroidered on hats, shoes and dresses to show the beauty of nature or the best wishes to others. Some girls would even embroider on a sachet(香囊) as a gift for their lovers.
Shu embroidery comes from Sichuan. It is said that Shu embroidery is the oldest kind of embroidery in China. People began to make it during the Han Dynasty (202BC-220AD). They sold it to other countries such as ancient Rome.
Shu embroidery takes time. It might take as long as a whole day to finish just 10cm. Embroidery workers need to divide each silk thread (丝线) into more than 10 or even 30 smaller threads. Each smaller thread is thinner than a human hair.
Meng Dezhi, who used to work at the Chengdu Shu Embroidery Factory, has been making Shu embroidery for 40 years. She loves this form of art and wants more people to try it, so she gives lessons in universities. She said, “Although the work is hard, Shu embroidery stands for thousands of years of Sichuan culture. It is a symbol of Chinese culture as well.”
1. Ancient Chinese often embroidered to show beauty, wishes and love.2. People started to make Shu embroidery during the Tang Dynasty.
3. In ancient times, people did Shu embroidery trade only in China.
4. It doesn’t take time to finish Shu embroidery.
5. According to Meng Dezhi, Shu embroidery is a symbol of Chinese culture.
5 . 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. |
6 . 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 |
7 . 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.
8 . Honeybees (蜜蜂) are great dancers, but they don’t just dance for fun. Dancing is also their way of communicating. The bee dance is called the “waggle dance” (摇摆舞).
Waggle dance helps bees find food. If a bee finds something to eat, it will start dancing. First, the bee’s position shows other bees which way to go. Second, if the bee shakes a lot, that means the food is far away. Less shaking means the food is closer. Third, if the bee dances for a long time, it means the food is very delicious.
A research team studied honeybee dance moves. The scientists are from the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(中国科学院西双版纳热带植物园). They found out how bees learn the waggle dance. Young bees learn from older bees.
The scientists recorded videos of bees in a laboratory. Then they compared two groups of young bees. The bees were only 10 days old. In one group, young bees could watch older ones dance. These young bees became good dancers. In the other group, young bees could not watch older dancers. These young bees could not dance as well as the first group.
This study changed how scientists think about bees. They used to think all bees could do the waggle dance without having to learn it. Now they know young bees learn it by watching the older ones.
1. ________ is a way of communicating for honeybees.| A．Fighting | B．Flying | C．Speaking | D．Dancing |
| A．the food is closer | B．the food is terrible |
| C．the food is far away | D．the food is delicious |
| A．By recording videos. | B．By learning from older bees. |
| C．By dancing for 10 days. | D．By learning from scientists. |
| A．Scientists compared two groups of young bees. |
| B．Young bees could never dance as well as older bees. |
| C．All bees can do the waggle dance without having to learn it. |
| D．Now scientists still know nothing about how bees learn the waggle dance. |
| A．novel | B．guidebook | C．storybook | D．science magazine |
Xinzhai, a village of Baoshan city in Yunnan Province, is one of the earliest places to produce coffee in China. The proper temperature and soil make it a great place for growing high-quality (高质量的) coffee plants.
Villagers in Xinzhai began to plant coffee trees in 1952. But the Chinese people were not yet used to drinking coffee. As a result, the villagers ended up growing rice and corn instead. In the 1980s, when international coffee brands were introduced to China, the villagers began to plant coffee trees again. However, these international companies only bought low-quality coffee beans from Xinzhai to make cheap instant coffee (速溶咖啡). So it was hard for the villagers to make money.
Since 2007, Xinzhai village has been improving their coffee industry. High-quality coffee plants were chosen to produce high-quality coffee. The village also developed its own coffee brand. Today, the coffee growing area here is over 9 million square meters. The “Baoshan coffee” has won many international prizes and is sold all over the world.
Xinzhai village has also been developing local tourism. The Coffee Experience Hall, the Coffee Museum, and some farmhouses were built. Every year, about 120,000 come to Xinzhai. When visiting here, they can pick coffee beans, learn how to make coffee and taste the fresh and high-quality coffee.
1. Xinzhai village is a great place to grow high-quality coffee plants.2. In the 1980s, the Chinese people planted coffee trees for the first time.
3. You can drink the “Baoshan coffee” only in China.
4. Tourists can pick coffee beans and develop coffee brand in Xinzhai village.
5. The passage is mainly about the development of the coffee industry in Xinzhai village.
10 . Here comes the year 2023, the Year of the Rabbit! Rabbits are quiet, smart in Chinese culture. Many Chinese good sayings have rabbits in them. I’m sure you will come up with a few when you’re reading this sentence.
In Chinese culture, the rabbit stands for the moon. People used to believe a rabbit was living on the moon. The rabbit is called the Jade Rabbit or the Moon Rabbit. It’s the pet of the moon goddess Chang’e. It makes medicine by grinding herbs (捣草药). Rabbits can have a lot of babies in a short time. In this way, people in the past also saw the rabbit as a good sign. They believed having more children could bring them luck and happiness.
Western people also see the rabbit as a sign of good luck. They believe a rabbit’s foot can bring good luck to its holder. This may go back to an old tradition. When teenage hunters caught rabbits to provide food for the people, getting the rabbit foot means they are welcomed as both hunters and adults. Rabbits also show up in other areas of Western culture. In the book Alice in Wonderland, Alice follows a rabbit to get away from her world and start her adventure (冒险). There is the Easter Bunny, too. Rabbits are close to the idea of new life because they have lots of babies. The night before Easter, kids often make nice little homes in their gardens for the Easter Bunny.
1. In Chinese culture, rabbits are ________.| A．brave | B．clever | C．careful | D．understanding |
| A．The pet. | B．The moon. | C．The herbs. | D．The goddess. |
| A．成年人 | B．饲养人 | C．捣药人 | D．狩猎人 |
| A．There are few Chinese good sayings about rabbits. |
| B．Chang’e is the name of a pet rabbit living on the moon. |
| C．Alice runs after a rabbit in the book Alice in Wonderland. |
| D．The night before Easter, kids make gardens in their homes. |
| A．The Year of the Rabbit. | B．Jade Rabbit on the moon. |
| C．Rabbits in different cultures. | D．Rabbit foot and their good luck. |
