1 . You must have read or heard of the love story between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu from the classic Chinese novel A Dream of Red Mansions (《红楼梦》). But can you imagine the singing opera (歌剧) in English?
Recently, the novel has been made into an English-language opera. After being performed in San Francisco, US, the performances came to Beijing, Changsha and Wuhan. It is welcomed both at home and abroad. Many of the opera’s creators have backgrounds in both Chinese and American culture. Their understanding of both cultures helped them to change a Chinese classic into a foreign-language opera. The opera writer David Henry Huang cut down the number of characters to just seven. Huang, a Chinese-American, focused on the love story between Jia and Lin instead of the rise and fall of the Jia family so that everyone would understand. The art director Timmy Yip tried to help foreign people understand the characters using costumes and stage settings (布景). He compared Lin to water and gave her a light green costume. When Lin shows up on stage, there is usually water around her on the stage.
It isn’t the first time that they have made an opera adapted from Chinese literature (文学). The creators consider it to be a meaningful job to introduce a Chinese classic to western audiences, spreading Chinese culture to the world. They are happy to have made a contribution to the land where their parents were born.
1. The opera was ________.| A．sung in Japanese | B．first performed in San Francisco |
| C．written by Timmy Yip | D．performed in many languages |
| A．Because Chinese traditional classics show us how ancient people express their love. |
| B．Because foreign-language opera is welcomed both at home and abroad. |
| C．Because they have a better understanding of Chinese and American cultures. |
| D．Because only Chinese culture is the best culture in the world. |
| A．改编 | B．创作 | C．宣传 | D．测试 |
| A．it’s easy for the creators to make the opera |
| B．there may be more operas adapted from western literature |
| C．the creators feel proud to introduce Chinese culture to westerners |
| D．the creators made an opera adapted from Chinese literature only once |
| A．The Rise and Fall of the Jia Family |
| B．An English-language Opera of A Dream of Red Mansions |
| C．Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu Sing Foreign Opera |
| D．The Love Story Between Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu |
2 . From National Treasure to The Chinese Poetry Competition and then Everlasting Classics (《经典咏流传》), there are a growing number of TV shows about traditional Chinese culture and they’ve caught much attention. Now a new music show about traditional folk music, Flowers Bloom in Spring, has won praise since it first met the public last March.
This popular show was in the form of a singing competition and finally chose four best singers through its 12 episodes (集). A total of 28 groups of young artists took part in the show, and three well-known musicians played the role of Bole.
An Desheng, the producer of the show, said the artists performed over 140 folk music works. The show gave folk songs many modern elements (元素), making young people love to listen and sing. It also combined (使结合) traditional and classic folk songs with popular songs, allowing people to experience the folk songs in a fresh way.
“Now lots of traditional songs, which were created in the countryside, are nearly disappearing. We can’t admire the folk songs sung by the working people while taking a walk in the busy streets full of high buildings,” said Lei Jia, one of the three musicians, adding that she was touched by what the show had done to help young people develop an interest in folk music.
Flowers will bloom in spring, and folk songs will return to life with a brighter future. The new age has added wings to folk songs, and by singing, we’ll welcome the future together.
1. What do the four shows mentioned in Paragraph 1 have in common?| A．They all came out this year. | B．They invited the same musicians. |
| C．They weren’t popular in the beginning. | D．They’re all about traditional Chinese culture. |
| A．12. | B．28. | C．80. | D．140. |
| A．get young people interested in folk music |
| B．encourage people to create folk music works |
| C．raise people’s attention to young artists |
| D．bring young people closer to nature |
| A．It made her busy. | B．It moved her a lot. |
| C．It taught her to try her best. | D．It helped her make new friends. |
| A．the future of folk music | B．different kinds of folk music |
| C．a folk music show | D．three well-known musicians |
3 . When you are hungry, drawing a picture of a hamburger will not make you feel full. However, thanks to a new product (产品) from a Japanese printing company (打印公司), you can eat the paper that you draw on.
Moeka Hoda and Kanako Murakami work for this company. Not long after the two had joined the company, they took part in a project. They were asked to find a problem that people always meet with and then try to solve it.
Hoda and Murakami used the Internet for ideas. One complaint (抱怨) caught their eyes. “We can’t eat anything during class,” wrote one student. “When I get hungry, my stomach makes a big noise.” To help people with the same problem, Hoda and Murakami made a special set of notepads (便条) and pens. They used paper made from potato starch, oil and water. The pen’s ink was made from water, citric acid and coloring.
The two young men posted a video of their product on the Internet. To their surprise, many people liked it. Soon, the company started selling these notepads and pens. During three weeks, more than 500 sets were sold. Lots of customers are probably already eating their notes.
1. The new product can help ________ people.| A．thirsty | B．hungry | C．full | D．sad |
①used the Internet for ideas
②joined the company
③made a special set of notepads
④took part in a project
⑤posted a video on the Internet
| A．⑤④③②① | B．⑤②①③④ | C．②④①③⑤ | D．②④③①⑤ |
| A．Students can eat a real hamburger during class. | B．Cooks may lose their jobs. |
| C．Mothers will not need to cook. | D．The drawing paper is not bad to eat. |
| A．The product was not popular. | B．The company started selling the notepads and they sold well. |
| C．People draw on the special notepads but they don’t eat the special notepads. | D．The pen’s ink was made from soup. |
| A．①-②③④-⑤ | B．①②-③④-⑤ | C．①②③④-⑤ | D．①-②③④⑤ |
4 . In English, the word “pig” has many idioms (习语). Now, let’s pick up some of them.
Let’s begin with some very interesting expressions. We all know pigs spend a large amount of time eating. As a result, many pigs are fat. In English, we use the idiom “eat like a pig” to describe people who eat a lot. But it can be rude to use this idiom.
Another interesting idiom to learn is “lipstick (口红) on a pig”. While you think this expression describes a beautiful thing, the opposite is true. We use this idiom to say that no matter how well we decorate an ugly product, it is still ugly. Even the most expensive lipstick cannot fix it!
“Pigs might fly” is an idiom widely used in daily life. It’s used to show that you do not believe something will ever happen. For example, Rick has been smoking for twenty years. Once he said he would give it up. His friends all laughed and said, “Yes, and pigs might fly.”
The last idiom we are going to lean is “guinea pig” (豚鼠). The guinea pig is actually not a pig. It is a rat that has short legs and no tail. Many children keep the animal as a pet. But if we say someone is used as a guinea pig, it means new ideas. methods. or medical treatments are tested on them.
1. What’s the best title of the passage?| A．Pig Idioms. | B．Year of the Pig. | C．Different Pig. | D．Habits of the Pig. |
| A．eating like a pig | B．putting lipstick on a pig |
| C．decorating a flying pig | D．keeping a guinea pig |
| A．wonderful | B．fantastic | C．polite | D．impolite |
| A．磨刀不误砍柴工 | B．竹篮打水一场空 | C．失败乃成功之母 | D．太阳从西边出来 |
| A．cook for her | B．try her dishes |
| C．do some cleaning | D．buy the latest cookbook |
5 . With July comes, the summer vacation (暑假) begins. Children will have two months to relax. The summer vacation is the best time of the year for most children because they can do different kinds of interesting things they like. They can swim, go to summer camp or visit other places with their family.
The beaches (沙滩) are good places to relax. Some children are lucky to live near the sea (海洋). They can enjoy the beautiful beaches and sunshine at any time. But for the children who live far from the sea, they can only go to the beaches for only one or two weeks with their family in vacation.
Children spend their summer vacation on the beaches because they like the sunshine, the cool wind and the water. There are also lots of new things to see, delicious food to eat and exciting things to do.
1. The summer vacation always begins in ________.| A．June | B．July | C．August | D．September |
| A．do different kinds of things like swimming |
| B．do different kinds of things like watching TV |
| C．do different kinds of things like playing computer games |
| D．do different kinds of things like helping parents cook |
| A．one or two months | B．one or two years |
| C．one or two weeks | D．one or two days |
| A．eat some delicious food | B．ride a horse |
| C．pick some apples | D．feed some chickens |
| A．All the children can enjoy the beautiful beaches at any time. |
| B．The summer vacation is usually two months long. |
| C．Winter vacation is the best time for children. |
| D．There is hot wind on the beaches. |
6 . A report on hundreds of research studies says plastic pollution at sea is reaching worrying levels. The report warned that pollution will continue to grow even if immediate (立即的) action is taken to stop such waste from reaching the world’s oceans.
The report, by Germany’s Alfred Wegener Institute, examined almost 2,600 research studies on plastic pollution.
Some areas, such as the Mediterranean, East China and Yellow Seas, already have dangerous levels of plastic. Other bodies of water will become more polluted in the future, the report found.
The writers reported that almost every kind of ocean animal has been affected by plastic pollution. That pollution is harming important environmental systems.
As plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, it is eaten by many different sea creatures. It is harmful to them and those who eat them.
Melanie Bergmann, one of the report’s writers, said getting that plastic out of the water again is nearly impossible. She added that policymakers (政策制定者) should make an effort to prevent any more pollution from entering the oceans.
Heike Vesper is with the World Wildlife Fund. She said people can help reduce plastic pollution by changing their behavior. But she added that governments must help in dealing with the problem.
The United Nations Environment Assembly is expected to meet and discuss the plastic pollution problem.
1. The report found that ________ already have dangerous levels of plastic.| A．East China | B．the Mediterranean | C．Yellow Seas | D．all above |
| A．分开 | B．重视 | C．影响 | D．限制 |
| A．By stopping using plastic bags. | B．By writing more research reports. |
| C．By having more discussions. | D．By changing their behavior. |
| A．Technology. | B．Business. | C．Environment. | D．Travel. |
| A．Plastic pollution at sea is reaching worrying level. |
| B．It is nearly impossible to get that plastic out of the water. |
| C．Governments must help in dealing with the plastic pollution problem. |
| D．Policymakers should try their best to stop more pollution from entering the seas. |
Dear Motherland,
Happy birthday! You are 71 years old! How wonderful it is!
Over the past 71 years, many great changes have taken place.
Look! Our life has changed a lot! My grandma often tells me that in the past, life was hard. Every person was allowed to buy only 250 grams（克）of meat per month. Today we can buy whatever we want and eat as much meat as we like.
Look! Our cities have changed a lot! We have cleaner rivers, wider roads and clearer skies. We learned in our history classes that in the 1980s, Pudong was full of farm fields. There were few parks or shopping malls at the time. Today, Pudong has the world’s second-tallest building. People also have more ways to spend their weekends. They can go shopping, watch movies with friends or take a walk in a park.
China’s transportation（交通）has also changed greatly. My father remembers that in 1992, he spent 22 hours traveling from Shanghai to Beijing by train. Today the world’s fastest high-speed train rushes between Shanghai and Beijing. A one-way trip takes only four hours and 18 minutes.
The older generations（一代人）worked hard to make these changes happen. The future now lies in the hands of us young people. I believe we can make you stronger!
Best wishes,
A teenager from Shanghai
1. The writer’s grandma thinks the life was easy for her in the past.2. We can eat as much meat as we like today.
3. Pudong was full of factories in the 1980s.
4. People have more ways to spend their weekends now.
5. It takes only four hours and 18 minutes from Shanghai to Beijing by high-speed train now.
8 . Wukong, Tiangong, Tianwen… Do you know where the names of Chinese space programs come from?
Wukong, the Dark Matter Particle Explorer satellite (暗物质粒子探测卫星), is named after Chinese superhero Monkey King. According to Journey to the West, Monkey King has a pair of sharp eyes which can tell the difference between good and evil. The Wukong satellite is just as sharp-eyed as Monkey King to help scientists search for dark matter in space.
The name of the space station, Tiangong, means “Heavenly Palace”. In Chinese myths, this is the home of Tian Di. Now Tiangong Space Station is a home for Chinese astronauts in space. And China welcomes foreign astronauts to Tiangong so that they can work together.
Tianwen, China’s Mars missions (任务), gets its name from the poem Tianwen by Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan is a well-known poet from ancient China. In Tianwen, he had the questions about the sky, stars, nature, myths and the real world, showing his hunger for truth. Perhaps the Tianwen missions will end up answering some of Qu Yuan’s questions.
If you look into more names of Chinese space programs, you will find that they all have beautiful meanings. We, the Chinese people, have a long-cherished (珍藏已久的) space dream. So the naming of Chinese space programs is taken very seriously.
1. What is the Wukong satellite used for?| A．Answering some of Qu Yuan’s questions. |
| B．Finding the difference between good and evil. |
| C．Helping scientists search for dark matter in space. |
| D．Welcoming foreign astronauts to the space station. |
| A．诗歌 | B．神话 | C．谚语 | D．传记 |
| A．Qu Yuan’s poem Tianwen | B．an ancient novel |
| C．ancient Chinese myths | D．Journey to the West |
| A．We want to land on Mars. | B．We want to protect the Earth. |
| C．We have the hunger for truth. | D．We have a dream for space. |
| A．What Beautiful Names | B．What a Cherished Star |
| C．What Excellent Poems | D．What a Long Journey |
9 . We know many musical instruments well, such as pianos, violins, drums and so on. What about the erhu? The erhu is a traditional Chinese instrument. It is the most popular of the huqin family, and it has a long history.
The modern erhu developed from the xiqin, which was played by many ethnic minorities (少数民族) during the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, musicians began to use the erhu to perform different kinds of music, and it became quite a popular instrument. With the rise of some forms of folk art, the art of the erhu developed quickly during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. It became an important accompanying (伴奏) instrument in different folk music. At present, it is used in both traditional and modern music, such as in pop, rock and jazz. It has even become a solo (独奏) instrument. One of the most famous musical pieces played on the erhu is Erquan Yingyue.
As the erhu was mainly played by common people and the playing skills were passed down orally (口头地), there are few written records about the erhu that can be found. To study the history and the development of the erhu, historians (历史学者) usually turn to ancient paintings. The earliest pictures of this instrument were found in Yulin Caves and Eastern Thousand Buddha Caves in Gansu Province, where five erhu pictures were discovered on murals (壁画).
1. When did the erhu become a popular instrument?| A．In the Tang Dynasty. | B．In the Song Dynasty. |
| C．In the Ming Dynasty. | D．In recent years. |
| A．play the most famous erhu pieces | B．listen to different kinds of folk music |
| C．get help from ancient paintings | D．read some books about ethnic minorities |
| A．The huqin belongs to the erhu family. |
| B．Folk art stops the development of the erhu. |
| C．People can find plenty of written records about the erhu. |
| D．The erhu is used in both traditional and modern music now. |
| A．culture | B．business | C．health | D．nature |
| A．the forms of folk music | B．the history of the erhu |
| C．the rise of different dynasties | D．the development of Chinese instruments |
Hotpot is popular in China today. Did ancient Chinese people have hotpot?
Ancient Chinese people had hotpot as early as Shang Dynasty (16th—11th century BC). At that time, people boiled foods and soups in bronze cauldrons(青铜鼎). The cauldrons had two parts—one was the pot to cook foods in soup. The other part was a layer or a space inside the cauldron to hold fire-wood. But at that time, the cauldron was only for a single person to eat from.
During the Han Dynasty (206 BC— AD 220), people divided a pot into several parts to enjoy different flavors(口味).
During the Tang Dynasty (618—907), having hotpot was popular. When people held family feast(宴席), they would prepare hotpot. People of the Song Dynasty(960—1279) had hotpot to welcome winter.
Huoguo, the Chinese name for hotpot, was mentioned by Yuan Mei, a poet and foodie(美食家) in Qing Dynasty (1644—1911), in a book about all kinds of food. At that time, the hotpot was very popular. People put all kinds of meats and vegetables into pots made of different materials, such as copper(铜) and iron.
Hotpot also became a famous royal dish, called reguo (热锅). It’s said that Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty loved hotpot so much that he had it for almost every meal. He once held a big hotpot feast, inviting more than 5,000 people to enjoy about 1,550 hotpots.
1. Chinese people had hotpot as early as 1,000 years ago,2. People in the Han Dynasty began to have lattice(分格) hotpots.
3. During the Tang dynasty, people had hotpot to welcome winter.
4. Yuan Mei mentioned the Chinese name for hotpot in a book.
5. From the last paragraph, we learn that hotpot was very popular with the royal family during the Qing Dynasty.
