China’s Olympic gold medalist Zhang Yufei has set her sights on the 100 m butterfly (蝶泳) gold at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. “The 100 m butterfly title (冠军) is what I want the most. I hope to bring it back home,” said Zhang. Zhang won the women’s 200 m butterfly and 4×200m free style relay golds at the Tokyo Olympics, and she got the second place in the 100 m butterfly and mixed 4×100m medley relay (混合泳接力).
She is also hopeful about more relay success in Paris. She said, “Looking back to what we did at the Tokyo Olympics, we can still do better in Paris. I need to help younger teammates spiritually and improve their training level in these two years so that we can realize our dreams together.”
Zhang added that she has high expectations for the World Aquatics Championships (锦标赛) in Fukuoka, Japan in July and the Hangzhou Asian Games in September. “Hopefully I can make it this time,” she said. As for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, Zhang said she is looking forward to ________ and is trying to break the 100m butterfly world record.
After becoming an Olympic champion, Zhang said her mentality (心态) has changed over the past two years. She said, “For a while after the Tokyo Olympics, I was afraid of failure, which placed a heavy burden on me. I could not accept the second prize. But after the short-course world championships at the end of last year. I felt that my winning mentality was always there but I was no longer afraid of failure.”
The 24-year-old elite swimmer says she hopes younger teammates can step up and shoulder their responsibilities for China, and that more youths enjoy and engage in sports.
1. How many prizes did Zhang Yufei get at the Tokyo Olympic Games?| A．Two. | B．Three | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．stopping herself from giving up | B．staying away from being scared |
| C．hearing the cheers of the home crowd | D．getting along well with foreign swimmers |
| A．She is afraid of the result. | B．She doesn’t care about the result |
| C．She has the only goal to be the first. | D．She wants to win but is not afraid to lose |
| A．Hoping to do better at the Paris Olympic Games |
| B．Doing her best at the Tokyo Olympic Games |
| C．Fearing placed a heavy burden on her |
| D．Youths’ enjoying taking part in sports |
2 . The Shenzhou XVI crew (乘组) returned to Earth on Oct. 31st after a five-month mission (飞行任务). The crew members are Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao.
After everything was ready, the astronauts were carried out of the capsule (返回舱) one by one and placed on chairs in front of the capsule and they talked with a reporter.
Jing said, “We were excited to return to our motherland and it was a very cool trip in the space station.” Zhu, who is China’s first spaceflight engineer in space, said that they worked together very well. Gui, the country’s first civilian (民间的) astronaut and first payload (载荷) expert in space, said, “Each day of the mission was busy and great. I look forward to returning to the space station in the future.” After the interview, the astronauts were taken to have health check.
For the next six months, Tiangong will be manned by the Shenzhou XVII crew, who arrived at the space station on Nov. 2nd.
1. When did the Shenzhou XVI crew probably leave the Earth?| A．On April 30th | B．On May 30th | C．On June 30th | D．On July 30th |
| A．According to Jing Haipeng, the weather was very cool in the space station. |
| B．Zhu Yangzhu was China’s first civilian astronaut and first payload expert in space. |
| C．Gui Haichao hoped to go back to the space station again. |
| D．The three astronauts went back home after the interview. |
① The Shenzhou XVII crew reached the space station.
②The astronauts were taken to have health check.
③The astronauts were taken out of the capsule and interviewed by a reporter.
④The Shenzhou XVI crew came back to Earth.
| A．④①③② | B．③④②① | C．④③②① | D．①④③② |
| A．Life. | B．Travel. | C．Sports. | D．Science. |
3 . The UK’s only giant pandas, Yang Guang and Tian Tian, came back to China on December 5 after a 12-year stay at Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo. People there said goodbye to them in their own ways.
Yang Guang and Tian Tian arrived at the Edinburgh Zoo in December 2011. It was part of a 10-year agreement between Scotland and China. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic (疫情), they are coming home two years later than planned.
Before they left, the weather was cold, but the love of the UK people was still strong. Many held stuffed pandas (玩具熊猫) and dressed in clothes with pandas on them to show their love, and some even cos played (装扮) as giant pandas.
David Field, the zoological society’s leader, said that there are more than a million species (物种) about to die out now, and Yang Guang and Tian Tian made many people in the UK care about nature.
1. When did Yang Guang and Tian Tian comeback to China?| A．In spring. | B．In summer. | C．In autumn. | D．In winter. |
| A．价格 | B．过渡 | C．协议 | D．条件 |
| A．Yang Guang and Tian Tian, came back to China. |
| B．They are coming home later than planned. |
| C．David Field is the zoological society’s leader. |
| D．British people show their deep love for giant pandas. |
| A．In a text book. | B．In a newspaper. | C．In a story book. | D．In a travel guide. |
4 .
 | Stacked chairs reach new heights A restaurant manager, has broken the Guinness World Record for chair stacking (使成叠) in Canada. In April of 2021, Jay Ehsan carefully stacked chairs on top of each other to a height of 5.2 meters. The stacking took 45 minutes. Not only did he break the record but his efforts also raised more than ＄1,500 to help homeless people. |
 | During a beach walk on the Grand Beach, Canada, Andrew Eaton saw a glass bottle. His first thought was to recycle it, but then he saw a note inside. It was written in French and dated January 26, 2021. Andre Huet, from Scotland, had written it and the bottle had carried it about 2,200 miles across the Atlantic. He may be surprised to find that his bottle would be picked up by someone one year later. |
 | A couple float their dream house A couple from Toronto, Canada, saw their dream house right on the beach. They bought it and then they tried to use several motorboats to push it more than 1,000 meters across Newfoundland’s Bay of Islands, which was unexpected to most people. Sadly, four hours later, the boats lost control, and Daniele and Kirk watched their dream house go down under the waves. |
| A．made a living by stacking chairs |
| B．has given a hand to people without home |
| C．spent more than an hour finishing the challenge |
| D．was confident about breaking the record before the challenge |
| A．A bottle travels so long |
| B．A message matters a lot |
| C．A Scottish man shows creativity |
| D．A Canadian protects the environment |
| A．has a note inside written in English |
| B．travelled across the Pacific in two years |
| C．may be a surprising gift to Andrew Eaton |
| D．must have been thrown into the sea by a Frenchman |
| A．would like to live on the sea |
| B．found their dream house in a busy district |
| C．tried something others may not usually do |
| D．floated their dream house across the bay successfully |
| A．happened in the same year | B．took place in the same country |
| C．has something to do with travel | D．has something to do with charity |
5 . 
Booking a museum ticket this past summer was not easy. Visitors often found that tickets for the following week had been fully booked. Across China, museum halls were filled with visitors during the summer vacation. To many museums, such crowds had not often been seen before. So, what was behind this “museum craze (狂热)”?
Part of the reason is a growing interest in traditional Chinese culture, according to Guo Sike, leader of the Confucius Museum in Shandong province.
“Nowadays, young Chinese love traditional Chinese culture,” said Guo. He added that modern technologies have also played a role. They allow people to experience traditional culture in more ways.
The Shaanxi History Museum in the city of Xi’an also saw an increase in visitors. The museum can only allow 12,000 people to visit each day. Its ticket booking app, however, received more than 600,000 clicks a day. To solve the problem, the museum called off its Monday rest. It was also open for more hours on Sundays.
Popular study tours also helped bring more people to museums. The Confucius Museum saw many of these tours. In Xi’an, the Qinqiang Opera was a popular subject of study tours. Local museums offered chances to learn the culture.
“Museums are bridges. They connect the past, present and future,” said Yang Chaoming, a professor at Shandong University. “More and more people wish to better learn about traditional Chinese culture through museum visits.”
1. What can we know according to Guo Sike?| A．The Confucius Museum is playing an important role. | B．Modern technologies can greatly help to book tickets. |
| C．More and more Chinese enjoy our traditional culture. | D．The Qinqiang Opera is a popular subject of study tours. |
| A．advised | B．chose | C．stopped | D．provided |
| A．the price of the museum tickets will be higher and higher |
| B．bridges may be able to connect the past, present and future |
| C．the winter vacation must be the best time to visit museums |
| D．Chinese museums will find more ways to welcome visitors |
| A．China Sees a Museum Craze | B．Museums Requires More Visitors |
| C．Study Tours Spread Chinese Culture | D．People Touch the Traditional Culture |
School children in the UK are learning computer coding(编程). What do they think about it?
2014 was the 25th anniversary(周年纪念) of the founding of the internet. It was also the Year of Code. Starting from 2014, UK schools started to offer computer coding courses. School children aged 5—16 can learn coding.
Amy Mathers first tried coding at a science festival when she was 11.
She was recently named “European Digital Girl of the Year”. Now she teaches older kids how to code. She also gives speeches to encourage young people to try coding. Amy says that she isn’t surprised that coding is getting more and more popular.
School isn’t the only place where you can learn coding. There are groups of volunteers. They help young people learn these skills. Steven Flower is part of the Coder Dojo organization. It runs free coding clubs for people aged 5—17. All children need to bring is a parent, a laptop and the desire(渴望) to learn how to code. Lots of girls come to the group, although most are still boys.
UK school offer computer coding class for students. (CFP)
1. The news UK school offer computer coding classes for students was reported by ________.| A．Amy Mathers | B．CFP | C．China Daily | D．Steven Flower |
| A．was first introduced into UK as a school course in 2014 |
| B．can be learned both at home and school |
| C．is becoming increasingly popular with the help of Coder Dojo organization |
| D．seems harder for older kids to learn than younger ones |
| A．A parent’s company (陪伴). | B．Age from 5—16. | C．A laptop. | D．A strong wish. |
| A．encourage more girls to join Steven Flower |
| B．Say “Yes” to computer coding |
| C．praise Mathers’s efforts to increase the popularity of computer coding |
| D．ask parents to pay attention to their children’s education |
The 3lst FISU World University Games (世界大学生运动会) began on July 28 and closed on Aug 8 in Chengdu, Sichuan. It drew in 6,500 athletes (运动员) from 113 countries and regions (地区). Team China won 178 medals (奖牌), including 103 gold medals, to top the table, reported Xinhua. The event has seen many young athletes bring out their best, including runner Xia Yuyu and hurdler (跨栏选手) Wu Yanni. |
On Aug 6, the Chinese pop group TFBoys had a concert in Xi’an, Shanxi, to celebrate their 10th anniversary (纪念日). According to local data (数据), the city made 416 million yuan from tourists who came. But there were some problems too. Before the concert, some fans stormed (强冲) the concert gate and some had conflicts (冲突) with the organizers. |
1. How long did The 3lst FISU World University last?
| A．For 11 days. | B．For 12 days. | C．For13 days. | D．For 14 days. |
| A．178. | B．281. | C．103. | D．113. |
| A．In Chengdu, Sichuan. | B．In Xi’an, Sichuan. |
| C．In Xi’an, Shanxi. | D．In Chengdu, Shanxi. |
| A．on a movie poster | B．in a storybook |
| C．in a travel guide | D．in a newspaper |
Giant panda Ya Ya came back to China at the end of April. She was born at Beijing Zoo in 2000. She traveled to Memphis Zoo in 2003 as part of a giant panda protection and research program between China and the US. Ya Ya is now old, but panda keepers are taking good care of her. |
Cheered by 10,000 home fans, Liaoning team won the CBA championship（冠军） after beating Zhejiang team in the Finals on May 15th, 2023. The club has won the league trophy（联赛奖杯） twice in a row, and its third in total. The head coach Yang Ming took great pride and said, “It’s been a season full of ups and downs. Our teamwork helps us get through the challenging season.” |
Recently, Zibo has become so popular not only for its delicious barbecue（烧烤） but also for the warm-hearted people there. When the quarantine（隔离）was over, the local government offered many students who had to stay there a great barbecue dinner. It also invited the students to come back again the next spring. It’s a nice promise between them. |
AI education will become more and more important. In 2020, Zhejiang added AI education to textbooks from Grade 5 in primary school all the way to senior high. In Wenzhou, the goverment is planning to build 1, 000 Al schools by 2025. In the future, there will be more jobs that require AI knowledge. |
| A．23 | B．15 | C．20 | D．8 |
| A．first | B．second | C．third | D．fourth |
| A．why people in Zibo are warm-hearted | B．why Zibo has become popular |
| C．what the barbecue is like in Zibo | D．how Zibo invited college students |
| A．AI education is added to all the textbooks in Zhejiang |
| B．there has already been 1, 000 AI schools in Wenzhou |
| C．you can’t find a good job without AI knowledge |
| D．AI education will be more and more important in the future |
| A．A story book. | B．A comedy book. | C．A play. | D．A newspaper. |
9 . China has a long history of over 5,000 years. What can stand for (代表) China in foreign students’ eyes? The newspaper reporter interviewed some foreign students.
| Tom, America The Great Wall is a symbol (象征) of China in my eyes. It’s one of the ancient walls in the world. I went to the Great Wall with my family last year. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery (风景) when we got to the top. |
| Jill, Canada China is the name of a country. But the word china also means porcelain (瓷器). I think porcelain is the symbol of China. Chinese people invented it, so China is called “the nation of porcelain”. Chinese porcelain is sold at home and abroad. It is so beautiful that all my family like it. I even have a Chinese porcelain vase (花瓶) in my bedroom. |
| Grace, France In my eyes, chopsticks can stand for China. They are quite different from our tableware (餐具)—forks and knives. It is hard but fun for me to learn how to use chopsticks. I bought some beautiful chopsticks as gifts when I returned to France. |
| Joe, England When I think of China, dumplings come into my mind. Families in China always get together and make dumplings during festivals. When my family visited China, I learned how to make dumplings from my Chinese friends. We talked and laughed. It was a wonderful experience. |
| A．the Great Wall | B．porcelain | C．chopsticks | D．dumplings |
| A．painted | B．bought | C．invented | D．liked |
| A．relaxing | B．interesting | C．meaningful | D．impossible |
| A．return to England | B．buy porcelain |
| C．make dumplings | D．use chopsticks |
| A．storybook | B．textbook | C．magazine | D．newspaper |
From Shy Girl to Pop Star
For this month’s Young World magazine, I interviewed 19-year-old Asian pop star Candy Wang. Candy told me that she used to be really shy and took up singing to deal with her shyness. As she got better, she dared to sing in front of her class, and then for the whole school. Now she’s not shy anymore and loves singing in front of crowds.
I asked Candy how life was different after she became famous. She explained that there are many good things, like being able to travel and meet new people all the time. “I didn’t use to be popular in school, but now I get tons of attention everywhere I go.” how ever, too much attention can also be a bad thing. “I always have to worry about how I appear to others and I have to be very careful about what I say or do. And I don’t have much private time anymore. Hanging out with friends is almost impossible for me now because there are always guards around me.”
What does Candy have to say to all those young people who want to become famous? “Well,” she begins slowly, “you have to be prepared to give up your normal life. You can never imagine how difficult the road to success is. Many times I thought about giving up, but I fought on. You really require a lot of talent and hard work to succeed. Only a very small number of people make it to the top.
