1 . Spring is the season when plants start to grow freely from the ground. In China, wild spring greens are traditionally thought of as a healthy food. They are still common in many dishes today.
| Chinese toon shoots (香椿芽) Toon shoots are usually the best just before guyu, the sixth of the 24 solar terms (节气). Guyu means that spring is almost to end. This is when the leaves are very tender (嫩的). It is often cooked with eggs to balance the sometimes strong taste of the leaves. It can also be prepared with tofu. |
| Indian aster (马兰头) The meaning of Indian aster is to make a horse turn its head. It is said that its tender taste could make a horse stop moving on. Perhaps because of the name, the green has become a goodbye gift, cooked when one wants to wish a friend a safe journey, according to the website The World of Chinese. The vegetable is usually boiled in water, cut and mixed with tofu and sesame oil. |
| Shepherd’s purse (荠菜) Shepherd’s purse is a green herb (草本植物) with an unusual smell. It grows early in spring and can be eaten both cooked and uncooked. It tastes a little bit bitter (苦的) and sweet and can be used in dumplings and wonton or cooked in soup. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to improve eyesight, deal with high blood pressure and stop bleeding. |
| Luhao (芦蒿) Taken as a symbol of spring, luhao was thought highly of by a famous Chinese poet. He said, “When the land is green and luhao is everywhere, spring has truly arrived.” Before or during guyu, luhao is very tender and is usually cooked with meat. It tastes light and can be simply cooked with ginger, spring onions and a little chilli. |
| Tips for eating wild vegetables | Do not eat wild vegetables you don’t know. Do not eat polluted wild vegetables. Do not eat wild vegetables which have been kept for a long time. Eat them fresh after picking them. Do not take wild vegetables as a main course. |
| A．To look more colorful. | B．To make it taste sweet. |
| C．To make it healthy to people. | D．To balance the strong taste. |
| A．Both of them can be mixed with tofu. | B．Both of them are very tender after guyu. |
| C．Both of them are green herbs with usual tastes. | D．Both of them can deal with high blood pressure. |
| A．We should stay healthy. |
| B．Protecting the environment is important. |
| C．We should keep away from danger. |
| D．Knowing about the wild vegetables and tips for eating wild vegetables. |
2 . The subway train is running fast. A boy is reading a book carefully in his seat in the subway while many other people are playing their phones.
To encourage reading, a Chinese company started the book-sharing activity. They put over 10,000 books around the underground, in taxis and on planes in Beijing. Since the activity started, it has earned the support of many people, even some popular stars. The book-sharing activity, however, drew much more criticism (批判) than praise. For some books were left untouched, some books were taken away by cleaners. People also complained that they couldn’t get to the books—the underground was too crowded.
Most people thought it could do little to encourage reading. “I think the best result is that people take selfies (自拍) when they pick up the books and write a post in WeChat. After that, they will just bring the books back home and put them on their bookshelves.” wrote one Weibo user.
Some pointed out that some stars who supported the activity didn’t seem to be reading much, they just wanted to draw other’s attention. Isn’t it embarrassing that the activity is supported by stars who don’t read a lot?
“The book-sharing activity is not at all a bad thing. In the past years, everybody has been busy with work. They don’t have time for reading,” said a famous Chinese writer, “however, just because Chinese people don’t often read, it doesn’t mean we should do nothing to encourage reading.”
1. How does the writer introduce the topic in Paragraph 1?| A．By asking a question. | B．By telling a story. |
| C．By describing a setting. | D．By listing numbers. |
| A．It was started by a Chinese writer. |
| B．Books are put on the trains. |
| C．Some books were left untouched by cleaners. |
| D．It drew much less praise than criticism. |
| A．People prefer reading in WeChat. |
| B．Most people like taking selfies. |
| C．Weibo users prefer reading books. |
| D．The book-sharing activity works little. |
| A．We shouldn’t give up encouraging reading. |
| B．The sharing books cause traffic accidents. |
| C．Chinese people are too busy to read books. |
| D．Working is more important than reading. |
| A．To show people the value of reading. |
| B．To ask people to return the books on time. |
| C．To improve people’s awareness (意识) of reading. |
| D．To advise people to give away some books. |
Carnival is the last big festival in summer in Brazil, which may begin 40 days before Easter every year. During the festival, to celebrate their traditions, Brazilians sing and dance in dancing halls and clubs, on the streets and beaches or anywhere else in Brazil |
Dragon Boat Festival is one of the most popular traditional festivals celebrated in China, falling on the fifth of the fifth lunar month. The most famous and greatest tradition is holding Dragon Boat races. In addition, during the festival, people make and eat Zongzi. |
Koreans celebrate Solnal, the lunar New Year, with other East Asian countries. Solnal is a time for Koreans to celebrate the traditions with their family. On New Year’s Day, people put on traditional clothes and put food on a special table for the dead members of their family. Family enjoy activities such as kite flying and dancing. |
Thanksgiving is one of the most important holidays in the US and it is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November each year. On the day, Americans say “Thank you” to their family, friends and people that help them, On Thanksgiving, people usually have a big turkey dinner and a special party with their family. |
| A．In Brazil. | B．In China. |
| C．In Korea. | D．In America. |
| A．Boat races. | B．Kite flying. | C．Turkey cooking. | D．Making Zongzi. |
| A．About 40 days before Easter. | B．On the fifth of the fifth lunar month. |
| C．On the last day of lunar year. | D．On the fourth Thursday of November. |
| A．They are celebrated on the same day. |
| B．People dance to celebrate their traditions. |
| C．They are both celebrated in East Asian countries. |
| D．People have a family gathering during the two festivals. |
4 . Make It a Good Day
Mom and Dad are going out today, and you’re in for a whole day of fun. However, Mom leaves you with a list of “duties”—finishing your homework, playing the violin and tidying up your messy wardrobe (衣柜). You also really want to play video games and read comics (漫画). There’s so much to do!It’s time to make a plan.
| A．A list you will do. | B．A thank-you note. |
| C．A diary you write. | D．A thing you like to do. |
| A．To begin with tidying up rooms. |
| B．To do all the things one by one. |
| C．To tell parents and let them help you. |
| D．To divide the things into different groups. |
| A．By doing things as usual. | B．By putting the list in order. |
| C．By using a helpful timer. | D．By doing things at the end of the day. |
| A．Does the writer want to show his busy day? |
| B．Does the writer help us do homework well? |
| C．Does the writer remind us to eat yummy fruits? |
| D．Does the writer teach us to take up a good habit? |
5 . Spend your holiday in a smart way with these apps!
| Grammarly is great for checking spelling, grammar, punctuation (标点) and other kinds of mistakes. Type your message and then Grammarly will check if there is a mistake. Next, the app will show you how to fix the mistake and why it is wrong. if you want to find some good synonyms (近义词) for your words, Grammarly can also help. |
| Do you always want to use a calculator (计算器) to help solve math problems? Now there is an app that does even more for you than calculators. This app is called Math Way. It can show you how to solve difficult math problems. Even better, the app can explain each step for solving math problems. This way, you can understand how to solve a math problem. |
| School, studies, family—we have so many things to do! How can we manage our tasks? Watoo can help us! it helps us sort out what is important or urgent (紧急的) by using its colorful faces. A big red face means a task is really important. A small, happy yellow face means we can take our time. Let’s use this app to organize your tasks in a fun way. |
| How can we exercise by ourselves safely? The app Fitbod can show you how to exercise correctly with clear and easy videos. If you have no equipment (器材), Fitbod can show you how to do simple exercise with just your body. Fitbod can change to meet your needs after each exercise. If some of your muscles (肌肉) are tired, the app will focus on practicing others. |
1. Which of the following app can help you correct mistakes in English homework?
| A．Math Way. | B．Watoo. | C．Grammarly. | D．Fitbod. |
| A．It can calculate at a faster speed. | B．It can show you answers more quickly. |
| C．It can help solve harder math problems. | D．It can explain steps for solving math problems. |
| A．It is fun to have so many things to do. |
| B．A small red face means that a task is important. |
| C．Watoo can help complete our tasks in a fun way. |
| D．A small happy yellow face means a task is not urgent. |
6 . Are you an “E” person or “I” person? A personality (性格) test called MBTI (人格类型量表) is very popular these days. Can knowing one’s personality type by using the MBTI and other personality tests really help? They may. Here are the benefits of personality tests.
Better understand others
After taking a personality test and seeing our results, we can have a better understanding of all the different reactions in the same situation. This is important because we all have different ways of seeing and communicate with the world. No personality type is “better” than any other —just different.
_______
Maybe we’ve always hated talking on the phone but never really understood why. Or perhaps we’ve always needed much time to think about a problem before making a decision. By using personality tests like the MBTI, we can learn more about ourselves. This helps us better understand why we prefer certain things and dislike others.
Know which situations are perfect for us
Learning more about our personality type can also help us discover new ways to face challenges. Knowing what might work best for our personality type can give us new ideas on how to solve problems, deal with stress, and manage our work habits.
1. How can we know one’s personality type according to paragraph 1?| A．By taking the MBTI test. | B．By giving new ideas. |
| C．By making a decision. | D．By talking on the phone. |
| A．ways | B．advantages | C．feelings | D．importance |
| A．Come up with new ideas | B．Deal with problems better |
| C．Hold on to ideas about who we are | D．Know our likes and dislikes |
| A．Only “E” people can succeed in social situation. |
| B．Some types are naturally more successful than others. |
| C．Personality types are simply different and each has its value. |
| D．People should try to change their personality if it’s not popular. |
| A．We can benefit a lot from personality tests. |
| B．The MBTI is a popular test but not useful to us. |
| C．Everyone should take a personality test to find out its type. |
| D．Knowing one’s personality type can solve all problems in life. |
7 . With more and more rain falling, it’s time for snakes to be active. Living in the city, it never crosses your mind that we might meet them face to face.
Most people are afraid of snakes. They may think snakes are dangerous and ugly. There are more than 2,000 kinds of snakes. Most of them live in mountains or forests, and in cities sometimes we can find them in grass or other dark places. Snakes can’t walk or run because they have no legs or feet, but these long and thin animals can move very fast on their stomachs. Snakes usually have green, yellow or black skins, which make it difficult for their enemies to find them. In winter they hibernate in holes. They look for a hole to stay inside, in the ground, or in a rock or a tree. They do not wake up again until spring comes. Snakes feed on mice, frogs, bird eggs and so on.
Snakes play an important part in nature. We can make useful medicine with them. Without their help, the rodents (啮齿动物) will be out of control. But many of them are in danger of disappearing. Houses and buildings take up the land where snakes live. Many snakes lose their lives in traffic, and people often kill snakes for their skins or meat.
1. Which month may it be active according to the text?| A．July. | B．November. | C．January. | D．March. |
| A．to sleep during winter | B．to catch something for food |
| C．to look for a place to keep warm | D．to protect oneself from other animals |
| A．We never see snakes in cities. | B．Snakes only eat mice as food. |
| C．Snakes are useless to nature. | D．Many snakes are in danger. |
| A．Science. | B．Geography. | C．Biology. | D．Weather. |
8 . You sometimes feel so close to your friends that they are like family to you. Why? A study by professor Diego has found you and your friends have more genes (基因) in common than strangers do. Maybe this gives you the answer.
Researchers looked at the genes of 1932 people and compared them in pairs of friends and strangers. They found that friends have one percent of genes that match.
“One percent may not sound like much to laypersons (外行), but to geneticists (遗传学家) it is a huge number,” Professor Nicholas said. “In fact, this is the same amount (量) of genes you share with your fourth cousins, those who have the same great-great-great grandparents as you.”
So is it a coincidence (巧合) that you become friends with people who share your genes? Not at all. “People who share certain genes also share skills and have similar likes and dislikes,” researchers said. In ancient times, it was important that people who were similar stayed together. For example, people who had a similar sensitivity (敏感性) to the cold were more likely to help each other. They would make a fire to give themselves a better chance to live. Researchers also found that among all the genes studied, those influencing the sense of smell were the most similar in friends. This is probably because people who smell things in the same way are more easily drawn to similar environments.
Based on the findings, the team has developed an interesting test called the “friendship score”. It can calculate how big the chances are that two people will be friends by studying their genes.
So, here is a question for you: Would you like to take this test to know who your friends are going to be?
1. You sometimes feel close to your friends probably because ________.| A．they act like your family | B．you influence each other a lot |
| C．you spend much time together | D．you have more genes in common |
| A．Our friends are actually relatives of ours. |
| B．One percent sounds like much to laypersons. |
| C．We have one percent of genes that match our fourth cousins. |
| D．we share the same amount of genes as our great-great grandparents. |
| A．smell things in the same way | B．have similarities in the look |
| C．develop a similar taste in music | D．have a similar sensitivity to the cold |
| A．work out | B．depend on | C．set up | D．think out |
| A．Our Friends, Our Family | B．Good Friends, Different Genes |
| C．Genes Help Us Become Friends | D．“Friendship Score”, an Interesting Test |
9 . Your best friend’s birthday is coming up, and you want to hold a great party for her. Depending on your friend, you might want to organize a small-themed dinner party at your house. Be sure to make the birthday memorable. The following ways may help.
| Step 1 | Brainstorm ideas with your friend. Start planning at least 3 weeks in advance (提前) and talk to your friend to get an idea of what she wants. At this point, it is important to decide what kind of party she wants and how many people to invite. Also, you need to answer the following questions: When is your friend’s birthday? Will you celebrate on her birthday or a few days later? What time will the party be? |
| Step 2 | Make a guest list and invite the guests. Work with your friend to create a guest list. Guests should receive the invitation 2 to 3 weeks in advance. When inviting guests, make sure to give them the following information: your friend’s name, the date and time of the party, the date on which guests should RSVP (回复) , your address and your contact information (email address and/or phone number). |
| Step 3 | Prepare food and songs. Make a list of everything you need. Have everything ready several days before the party. You can make food by yourself or buy some food and drinks. Don’t forget to place an order for a birthday cake, and buy birthday candles. Ask your friend for a list of her favorite songs, or create a playlist that fits the theme of the party. |
| Step 4 | Have fun and celebrate! As the focus of the party is on your friend, you’re the host and it is your job to make sure everything goes smoothly and everyone has a good time. For example, you should ask an uninvited guest to leave. |
1. What can you describe through “brainstorming ideas”?
| A．The kind of party you want. | B．The date of the birthday party. |
| C．The time to plan the party. | D．The place to have the party. |
| A．You can create a guest list all by yourself. |
| B．Guests should be told who else would come to the party. |
| C．Guests are supposed to reply to the invitation. |
| D．You should give invitations one day before the party. |
| A．To make sure the party goes well. |
| B．To save some food and drinks. |
| C．To find something to do at the party. |
| D．To help people focus on the birthday friend. |
| A．Did the writer tell us how to make a birthday cake? |
| B．Did the writer help us know where to hold a party? |
| C．Did the writer show us when to invite guests? |
| D．Did the writer teach us how to plan a birthday party? |
10 . Did you watch the opening ceremony (开幕式) of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 at the National Stadium in Beijing? It is totally different from that of the 2008 Summer Games. Because there were no stars, no famous people or professional (专业的) performers. Just common people showed the world who they are.
“It is time to show a modern China and common Chinese people, especially the younger people, to the world instead of always paying attention to the country’s 5,000-year history,” said Zhang Yimou, director of the opening ceremony. He also directed the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games ceremony. It offered people a look of China’s ancient and wonderful history.
At the opening ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, there were about 3,000 people from all walks of life. More than 90 percent of them are students between the ages of 5 and 25. Did you remember the children singing the Olympic Anthem? They were primary school students who came from Fuping, a small county in Hebei. Many live in villages and their parents are either farmers or migrant workers. It was the first time the 44 little singers had left home to perform in Beijing. Although most didn’t have any singing experience, their songs touched people’s hearts. It will be a meaningful experience for their whole lives.
Besides, square dancing is a popular national activity in China, where it’s seen as a form of daily exercise. So the square dancers from the ages of 5 to over 70 performed in the 30-minute warm-up show before the ceremony.
From the opening ceremony, the world got to know a modern China and the lives of common people. There were no famous performers, but everyone was sincere and wore a big smile. That warms people’s hearts.
1. Who showed at the 2022 opening ceremony?| A．Excellent Chinese stars. | B．Famous Chinese people. |
| C．Professional Chinese performers. | D．Common Chinese people. |
| A．Over 700 students. | B．About 3,000 students. |
| C．Less than 90 students. | D．Over 2,700 students. |
| A．Rich. | B．Brave. | C．Honest. | D．Funny. |
