It has been 10 years since the Clean Your Plate Campaign was started in 2013. Although some achievements have been made, there are still some problems.
Nowadays, in China, more and more people are ordering their meals online. The number of online food orderers is a lot more than before. A study found that every time someone orders food, they waste about 57.5 grams (克) on average.
Why is this happening? Well, sometimes when we order food, we get excited by discounts (折扣) and end up buying more than we need. This can mean we leave food uneaten. To stop this, China’s government has told food delivery (递送) websites to make sure restaurants offer smaller meal sizes and to change how discounts work. These websites also remind customers not to waste food when they pay online.
And it’s not just the websites doing their part, restaurants are too! Some restaurant workers, like Li in Beijing, say that people can now choose how big they want their meal to be when they order. Another restaurant owner, Mao, offers smaller rice portions (一份) , which saves customers money and cuts down on waste.
Leftover food isn’t being thrown away either. Some smart restaurant owners are making “surprise boxes” out of food that isn’t used. People can buy these boxes without knowing exactly what’s inside, which is fun and helps reduce waste.
China knows food waste is a big deal, so in 2013 they started the “Clear Your Plate” campaign, and in 2021, they enact (制定) laws to prevent food waste. All these efforts are there to make sure food isn’t wasted and everyone does their part to help!
The Clean Your Plate Campaign was started in 2013. So far, it has made some achievements. But food waste is still a problem. Nowadays, in China, more and more people are ordering their meals online. Some of them become Many restaurants have taken some actions. People can now China’s government has made |
Lantern Festival
| Country: China Time: Usually in January or February Celebration activities: going out to admire the moon, lighting lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, enjoying dragon lantern dances Traditional food: yuanxiao |
Fasnacht Carnival
| Country: Switzerland Time: Usually in February Celebration activities: people dressing up as elves and monsters (精灵和妖怪), joining the “Monsterkorso” with large bands, lights and lanterns Traditional food: high-calorie delicious food, high-fat foods like meat, eggs and cream |
Diwali
| Country: India Time: Usually in October or November, lasting for five days Celebration activities: lighting lamps, praying (祈祷) to the goddess Lakshmi, watching big colorful fireworks (烟花), enjoying the shows of music and dancing Traditional food: sweet food like Besanburfi |
Bonfire Night
| Country: UK Time: 5 November Celebration activities: building a very big fire, watching fireworks Traditional food: hot food like baked potatoes, sausages (香肠), burgers, toffee apples |
| A．Diwali and Lantern Festival. | B．Diwali and Fasnacht Carnival. |
| C．Lantern Festival and Bonfire Night. | D．Fasnacht Carnival and Bonfire Night. |
| A．During Diwali, people light lamps and pray to the goddess to celebrate it. |
| B．Fasnacht Carnival is held in January and people enjoy meat, eggs on that day. |
| C．On Bonfire Night, people usually build a very big fire and dress up as monsters. |
| D．On Lantern Festival, Chinese usually guess lantern riddles and eat hot food like sausages. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Culture. | C．Food. | D．Health. |
3 . With the development of society, people’s needs are becoming increasingly different and we have more expectations for the future. What do you expect to see in 2024? Let’s have a look.
In May, the Chang’e-6 is going to land on the far side of the moon and bring some soil (土壤) back. It will be the first time for Chinese astronauts (宇航员) to do this. This year, China is also going to send two Shenzhou spaceships to space. |
December 20th, 2024 will be the 25th anniversary (周年) of Macao’s return to China. During the past 25 years, Macao has made many achievements in economy (经济), culture and technology. Macao is building a bright future. |
The 33rd Olympic Games is going to be held in Paris. It will start on July 26th and end on August 11th. There will be four new events—breaking, surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding. We expect the players in the new events to bring us new feelings. |
Do you still remember the movie Nezha? It was first shown on July 26th, 2019. Good news for you! Nezha is coming back soon. In the new film Nezha Ⅱ, that brave boy is going to get himself a body which is made from lotus roots (莲藕). Are you ready to watch it? |
| A．land on the far side of the Mars | B．walk on the moon for the first time |
| C．send three spaceships to space | D．bring some soil back from the moon |
| A．economy | B．culture | C．technology | D．industry |
| A．Chang’e-6 will take some soil to the moon this year. |
| B．Macao returned to China on December 20th, 1999. |
| C．Snowboarding is a new event in 2024 Paris Olympic Games. |
| D．The movie Nezha Ⅱwas first shown on July 26th, 2019. |
What’s the local specialty (特产) in your hometown? When some provinces show theirs, many specialties turned out to be completely unexpected, even to many locals. “How did I not know this?”
As far as we know, cranberries are mostly from North America. Everyone is amazed to learn that Heilongjiang produces cranberries. However, as early as 2014, cranberries were introduced from North America to Fuyuan county (县) in Heilongjiang. By 2023, it had been the largest cranberry planting base in the country.
When it comes to foie gras, many people quickly think of France. However, in Huoqiu county, Lu’an, Anhui province, one can find authentic (正宗的) French-style foie gras. Lu’an has a history of raising geese and is known for the high-quality local white geese. Huoqiu has become the largest foie gras production base in the country.
When we talk about specialties from Xinjiang, most people only think of Hami melons, Aksu apples and raisins (葡萄干). However, Nilka County in Xinjiang also produces salmon. With the cold water from the Tianshan Mountains, Nilka provides an excellent natural environment for the growth of cold-water fish. Salmon from Nilka is not only sold throughout China but also finds its way to tables around the world. Other surprising local specialties include the caviar (鱼子酱) from Ya’an, Sichuan, the hairy crabs (大闸蟹) from Yuncheng, Shanxi and matcha (抹茶) from Tongren, Guizhou. Behind the question “How did I not know this?” lies a sense of pride in the rapid development of our hometowns. |
1. When did Heilongjiang start to plant cranberries?
| A．In 2014. | B．In 2019. | C．In 2023. |
| A．The foie gras. | B．The raisins. | C．The caviar. |
| A．It is only sold around China. |
| B．Nilka provides excellent weather for its growth. |
| C．The cold water from the Tianshan Mountains is good for its growth. |
| A．In Ya’an, Sichuan. | B．In Yuncheng, Shanxi. | C．In Tongren, Guizhou. |
| A．Cheerful. | B．Proud. | C．Satisfied. |
5 . Titles like “taoli” and “quanzi” have rooted (根植于) themselves deeply into ancient Chinese history and culture. Let’s have a look.
Modesty and respect
Chinese people often call their sons quanzi. When Chinese parents use quanzi to refer to their sons, they are being modest (谦虚的). Of course, most parents have high expectations for their children and want them to be successful. However, they don’t usually talk about this in front of others. Instead, they try to play it down. This is similar to that even rich Chinese people may call their big houses hanshe.
Although people are modest about themselves, they praise others a lot. They call their own sons quanzi, but others’ sons linglang, which is a respectful way to say “your son”.
Spreading seeds (种子) of education
There is a Chinese idiom (俗语) taoli mantianxia, referring to a teacher who has taught so many students that they spread across the country like peach and plum trees (桃树和李树). The idiom comes from a story about Zizhi. As a teacher, Zizhi was both kind and strict. He often pointed at a peach and plum tree in his yard when asking his students to work hard. “You should become a useful person to benefit society, just like when the peach and plum trees bloom (开花) and produce fruit,” he said.
Keeping these words in their minds, many of Zizhi’s students went on to different places around the country, achieving great things along the way. Since then, “peach and plum trees” has been used to refer to students who have been successful in their jobs.
1. Why do Chinese people call their sons “quanzi”?| A．To show their love of dogs. | B．To praise their sons. |
| C．To be modest about themselves. | D．To respect themselves. |
| A．把……放下来 | B．轻描淡写 | C．和善地对待 | D．放低身段 |
| A．Quanzi | B．Linglang. | C．Hanshe. | D．Taoli. |
| A．Hanshe means my cold house. |
| B．Quanzi is a respectful way to say “your son”. |
| C．Zizhi was kind and often encouraged his students to work hard. |
| D．“Peach and plum trees” has been used to refer to teachers who have been successful. |
6 . The 2023 Silk Road Week opened in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on July 12. This year’s theme was “The Silk Roads: Long Roads& Mutual Goals”.
The Silk Road Week, which started at the China National Silk Museum in 2020, is hosted by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Zhejiang provincial government. It has been strongly supported by UNESCO since it began.
It has drawn more than 200 organizations around the world each time over the past three years. This year was no different.
This year, Hungary was the Guest Country of Honor for the Silk Road Week. This initiative (倡议) was introduced last year when Uzbekistan became the first guest of Honor. Hungary is an important country located along the Silk Road. It was the first European country to join the Belt and Road Initiative.
A main show started on July 4 among the many activities for the Silk Road Week. Other shows featuring (以……为特色) Dunhuang, a main city along the ancient Silk Road, a photography show on Hungary and silk-road-themed workshops for the public were also presented.
It was hoped that the Silk Road Week could truly work as a platform (平台) for sharing and exchanges.
1. Who hosted The Silk Road Week?| A．the China National Silk Museum. |
| B．UNESCO. |
| C．the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Zhejiang provincial government. |
| D．200 organizations. |
| A．the Silk Road. | B．Hungary. |
| C．Dunhuang. | D．Hangzhou. |
| A．July 14th, 2020. | B．July 12th, 2023. |
| C．July 4th, 2023. | D．July 4th, 2020. |
| A．The 2023 Silk Road Week opened In Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, on June 12. |
| B．Hungary was the Guest Country of Honor for the Silk Road Week, This initiative (倡议) was introduced last year when Hungary became the first guest of Honor. |
| C．The Silk Road Week has worked as a platform (平台) for sharing and exchanges. |
| D．The Silk Road attracted more than 200 organizations around the world in 2023. |
7 . Many people depend on groundwater for drinking and other uses. It is a lifeline for people especially in parts of the world where rainfall and surface water are not enough, such as northwest India and the southwest United States. The reduction in groundwater can make it harder for people to get freshwater to drink and can result in land subsidence (下沉).
According to a new study, groundwater is reducing quickly in many parts of the world. The research studied groundwater from 170,000 wells in more than 40 countries. The study will help scientists know humans are having a great influence on this valuable underground resource (资源). Also the researchers studied 1,693 aquifer systems (蓄水层系统) and found groundwater levels fell in 71% of them between 2000 and 2022.
The study also stressed some success stories in Bangkok, Arizona and New Mexico, where groundwater has begun to get better. “I was touched by the clever ways that have been put into action to deal with groundwater reduction in several places, though these ‘good news’ stories are not common,” Jasechko said.
Now let’s have a look at their clever ways…
1. About the groundwater reduction, we can know ______.| A．it’s good for people | B．it can produce freshwater |
| C．it only happens in India | D．it can result in land subsidence |
| A．Aquifer systems. | B．Scientists’ resources. | C．Success stories. | D．Southwestern places. |
| A．Advantages of good news. | B．Reasons for the research. |
| C．The dangers scientists meet. | D．Clever ways to deal with it. |
8 . 
①Safer Internet Day is on the second Tuesday of February every year. This year, the theme (主题) is “Together for a better Internet”. On this day, people in around 170 countries take part in activities to try to make the Internet a safer place for children and young people.
②Safer Internet Day celebrates all the great things about being DAY online. We can use the Internet to learn new things, video call family members who live far away, chat with friends, listen to music, watch videos and play games. But there can also be dangers when we are online. Online bullying is when someone uses the Internet to make another person feel bad, often with bad messages on social media.
③Here is some advice on how to stay safe online.
④If you see something bad, tell an adult. If you see something online that makes you scared or worried, or if you know that someone is being bullied, tell a parent, a teacher or another adult who you trust.
⑤Don’t meet people who you only know online. It’s possible that people you meet online aren’t really who they are. It can be dangerous to go to meet them in real life.
⑥Don’t believe everything you read online! Not everything you read online is true. When you look for information, make sure that you use a website you can trust. And only share things with your friends if you know that they are true.
1. About Safer Internet Day, paragraph 1 gives us the following information EXCEPT______.| A．time | B．theme | C．history | D．purpose |
| A．How to learn things online. | B．Good things and dangers online. |
| C．What to do with online bullying. | D．Great things about being online. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
9 .
Say Hello Writer: Salina YoonStory: This book teaches children how to say “hello” and “goodbye” in seven different languages! Little learners lift a board to discover an expression in different languages. Suitable for: 0—3 years old |
If I Built a School Writer: Chris Van DusenStory: With an imagination bigger than life, Jack shares his dreams of designing his own school. This interesting story is popular with kids and will encourage fun conversations about their own creative schools. Suitable for: 4—8 years old |
Freedom Soup Writer: Tami CharlesStory: Food, freedom, and family make this picture book a pleasure to read. A little girl and her grandmother sing and dance as they make a traditional Haitian soup together. As they cook, the grandmother tells the girl about the Haitian Revolution and their family’s history. Suitable for: 5—9 years old |
Hands Writer: Torrey MaldonadoStory: It’s about a boy named Trev who must decide what kind of man he wants to be. To protect his family from his bad stepfather, Trev takes up boxing (拳击). But when his talent for art opens another way for protecting his family, Trev must decide whether to fight against an immediate (紧迫的) danger or work toward a better future. Suitable for: 10—12 years old |
1. Freedom Soup may be liked by ______.
| A．a ten-year-old cook | B．a six-year-old food lover |
| C．a two-year-old music fan | D．an eleven-year-old teenager |
| A．Salina Yoon. | B．Chris Van Dusen. | C．Tami Charles. | D．Torrey Maldonado. |
| A．Food safety. | B．Health care. | C．School life. | D．Recommended books. |
With the interest in traditional culture, the “new Chinese style” clothes are becoming popular during the Spring Festival this year! Different Hanfu suits, Song brocade combinations, and the horse-faced skirts have not only become hot searches on short videos, but have also become a travel choice for young people. They wear the “new Chinese style” clothes to go to popular tourist attractions, act out in restaurants, and visit temple fairs. It also becomes a beautiful scenery (风景) during the Chinese New Year. The “new Chinese style” clothes cleverly connect Chinese traditional elements (元素) with new styles. They win the hearts of Chinese young people and make them “awake their blood”.
Among all the “new Chinese style” of clothing, the horse-faced skirts have been the center of attention. Besides China, people can see horse-faced skirts all over the world. From France to Australia to America, many young Chinese wear them themselves, and also bring their foreign friends, lovers, classmates to wear them together. They confidently show off the beauty of the “new Chinese style” and a sense of national pride in front of famous buildings around the world.
With cultural confidence, the young Chinese can be seen in many fields of intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) inheritance (传承). They express the traditional culture in new ways, such as wearing intangible cultural heritage paper-cuts on their bodies, turning 2D pictures into 3D forms.
|
|
|
These intangible cultural heritages were almost endangered in the past and have now become top fashion on the Internet and a new sign of local tourism. It can be said that these positive and active young Chinese make efforts. Ancient traditional culture is the source of our creations, continuous innovation (创新) is the way of inheritance, and rich and long-lasting culture is our confidence to look at the world. Now it is finally understood by the Chinese young generation.
1. What becomes popular during the Spring Festival this year?2. Why do the young Chinese like the “new Chinese style” clothes?
3. What do Chinese young people do to spread the “new Chinese style” clothes to the world?
4. What does Wang Qiyang do to inherit (传承) the “sugar painting” traditional art?
5. What do Zhai Ziqian, Wang Qiyang and Jiang Xunqian have in common?
6. How do you inherit intangible cultural heritages?
