1 .
| Daily News 27th April: 2023 Panda Ya Ya returns home! Ya Ya the giant panda has just arrived in Shanghai, east China on Thursday after 20 years of stay at the Memphis Zoo in the U.S. The flight was around 15.5 hours. Both Chinese and American vets are with Ya Ya.
Baby pandas are born pink and measure about 15 cm-that's about the size of a pencil. Giant pandas spend up to 12 hours a day eating bamboo. Pandas live for about 20 years in the wild, but in the zoos they can live for up to 35 years. Ya Ya was born at Beijing Zoo on August 3,2000. She arrived at Memphis Zoo in April, 2003. Ya Ya has become a bridge of friendship between Chinese and foreign people. She will spend a month in Shanghai before returning to her birthplace, Beijing Zoo. We do hope all pandas that are in foreign countries can be healthy and happy. |
1. Ya Ya had lived in U.S. for ________ years.
| A．10 | B．15 | C．20 |
| A．Shanghai | B．Beijing | C．Chengdu |
| A．Ya Ya is still a young panda now. |
| B．Ya Ya had a short flight coming back home. |
| C．Ya Ya helps foreigners know more about China. |
| A．a piece of news | B．an ad | C．a diary |
2 .
① Locals Care for Natural World Grasslands and lakes in Sanjiangyuan have taken on a new look and many wild animals have come back. On January 24, 2003, China set up Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve to protect the area and the wildlife. Local people joined in the project, picking up waste and protecting the animals. |
② China Successfully Grows Rice in Space How to grow food in space if humans live there one day? For nearly 40 years, China has developed over 260 new types of seeds (种子) in space. Recently growing rice at Tiangong Space Station makes a big step forward. It can also solve food problems on Earth. |
③ Doctors Sent to West Africa Doctors are flying to an island off the coast of West Africa after a new flu broke out. They will test different medicines to find a way to deal with it. To get things better, they will also offer medical care and help train local nurses there. |
④ Scientists Fight against Plastic Pollution A natural material, fungi (真菌), used to break down a type of plastic called polypropylene turned out to be useful. Scientists at the University of Sydney found that after 90 days, between 25% and 27% of polypropylene broke down and after 140 days, polypropylene became completely safe. |
| A．①② | B．②③ | C．①④ | D．③④ |
| A．Locals in Sanjiangyuan picked up waste and protected the animals for a living. |
| B．It is likely that China began to grow rice in space about 40 years ago. |
| C．Doctors have known how to deal with the new flu in West Africa. |
| D．Scientists discovered fungi could break down polypropylene. |
| A．Problems and Efforts. | B．Duties and Success. |
| C．Challenges and Chances. | D．Difficulties and Advantages. |
3 . Joel Sartore is a writer, teacher, and photographer. His words and beautiful images show his love of photography and of the natural world.
Question 1: How did you become a National Geographic photograpber?
My first job was for a newspaper. After a few years there, I met a National Geographic photographer. He liked my photos and said I should send some to the magazine. So I did. That led to a one-day job. And that led to a nine-day job, and so on.
Question 2: ________
To get into National Geographic, you have to give them something they don’t have. It’s not enough just to be a great photographer. You also have to be a scientist, for example, or be able to dive under sea ice, or spend maybe several days in a tree.
Question 3: Is it hard to get a job as a photographer today?
It’s now harder to work for magazines. Technology makes it easy to take good pictures, which means there are more photos and photographers. Also, the Web is filled with photos from all around the world that are free, or cost very little. These photos are often good enough to be put in books and magazines. What the magazines need to do these days is to pay for these photos.
Question 4: I want to be a photographer. Do you have any advice for me?
Advice? Well, work hard. Be passionate (热情的) about every project you work on. Take lots of pictures in different situations. Look at others’ photos thoughtfully and learn from them.
And be curious about everything. There’s something to photograph everywhere.
1. Which of the following can be Question 2?| A．Why do you want to work for National Geographic? |
| B．What do National Geographic photographers like to do? |
| C．What kind of photos do you give to National Geographic? |
| D．What kind of photographer is National Geographic looking for? |
| A．take as many photos as possible | B．there is beauty everywhere |
| C．it’s easy to be a good photographer | D．photographers should travel everywhere |
| A．Hanson, a photographer who has worked for many magazines. |
| B．Bowie, a photographer who learnt to take photos at an early age. |
| C．Marina, a photographer who is good at science and diving. |
| D．Jason, a photographer who keeps developing skills and ideas. |
| Archery on Ice
Ice Football
Downhill Ice Skating
|
1. In which SECTION of the newspaper can we read the news?
| A．SPORTS | B．ON SCREEN. | C．BUSINESS | D．BOOK CLUB. |
| A．冰蹴 | B．转龙射 | C．摆山子 | D．打滑挞 |
| A．was the same as cuju | B．was used to train the army |
| C．required much more skating skills | D．aimed to catch a silk ball hung by a rope |
①Pass through an arch. ②Slide down the slope. ③Win a flag
④Stop without falling. ⑤Wear ice skates. ⑥Show skating skills.
| A．⑤②③ | B．⑥①⑤ | C．②⑥④ | D．③①④ |
| A．the development of Qing Dynasty | B．on-ice culture in different countries |
| C．the most powerful scene in the north | D．bingxi celebrations in ancient China |
5 . I have always found Air Force pilots flying in the sky very cool, and I admire them for protecting our country.
Yin Shuo, 13, Tianjin
I am a PLA (中国人民解放军) Air Force pilot and now work as a teacher at the Air Force Aviation University (空军航空大学).
Wei Fangjie, 26, Shandong
Yin: How did you become a PLA Air Force pilot?
Wei: When I was a student, I saw a poster (海报) about becoming an Air Force pilot. I thought it looked cool, and I decided to have a try. I took some important tests, like Gaokao, and medical exams for pilots. I passed these exams, and in 2015 I started studying at the Air Force Aviation University.
Yin: What do you need to learn as an Air Force pilot?
Wei: Pilots need to not only study aviation knowledge, but also practice difficult flying skills like loops (筋斗).
Yin: What’s your advice for students who hope to become a PLA Air Force pilot?
Wei: First, do as much as you can in school exams. PLA Air Force pilots now need to be not only great pilots but also great learners. Second, it’s important to protect your eyes from myopia (近视). Once you get myopia, it is impossible to become a PLA Air Force pilot, even with vision correction surgery (视力矫正手术) later on. Third, do exercise to build up your body.
Yin: Good suggestions. Thank you!
1. What does Yin Shuo think of pilots?| A．Cool. | B．Important. | C．Difficult. | D．Impossible. |
| A．13. | B．16. | C．26. | D．17. |
| A．Played computer games. | B．Protected our country. |
| C．Worked hard. | D．Practiced flying skills. |
①Get good grades at school. ②Have good eyes.
③Do vision correction surgery. ④Build up a strong body.
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①③④ | D．①②④ |
| A．Poem. | B．Interview. | C．Ad. | D．E-mail. |
6 . Following the barbecue-driven travel craze to the city of Zibo in East China and the ice-snow tourism frenzy (旅游狂潮) in Harbin in the northeast, Chinese social media has once again showed its influence in highlighting (突出) the next internet-famous city worth exploring.
This time it’s Tianshui, a low-key city in Northwest China’s Gansu province that has become the focus. It has attracted a lot of attention on the Internet after being enthusiastically recommended by food lovers and social media influencers, celebrating the city’s iconic dish of hot pot and its rich cultural attractions, including the Maijishan Grottoes (麦积山石窟).
Known as Tianshui Malatang (麻辣烫), which means spicy and hot, the local dish is popular for its large piece of skewered (串在签子上的) meat, vegetables, and hand-made potato noodles in a pot of boiling soup, and served with a spoon of special chili oil.
As of March 13, “Tianshui Malatang” has become the most widely searched topic across China’s major social media platforms, and related short videos have received over 1 billion views. Searches for “Tianshui Malatang” on the Chinese lifestyle-sharing platform Xiaohongshu have resulted in over 30,000 related notes.
To keep the tourist flow, the city also makes efforts to ensure food safety and price control. To make things easier for tourists, the locals have developed various travel routes suitable for their different interests, whether it’s discovering local flavors (当地特色) or exploring cultural sites. Meanwhile, many locals have volunteered to offer free rides, picking up tourists from the stations.
1. Why has Tianshui become the focus?| A．Because of its low-key. | B．Because of its location. |
| C．Because of the influence of social media. | D．Because of its food and culture. |
| A．Tianshui Malatang is not spicy at all. | B．The food in Tianshui is very cheap. |
| C．More and more people will visit Tianshui. | D．There are no cultural attractions in Tianshui. |
| A．the locals’ | B．thc tourists’ | C．the city’s | D．the volunteers’ |
| A．Delicious Food in Tianshui | B．The Influence of Social Media |
| C．Interesting Places in Gansu | D．The Next Internet-Famous City |
| A．On a news website. | B．In a science book. | C．In a story book. | D．In a travel guide. |
7 .
Keeping Records of Birds Chinese researchers have started to use the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (北斗卫星导航系统) to help record the information during birds’ flight. They tie a small positioning equipment to a bird. It can better record where the birds go and rest, and information about how they fly, such as their flight speed. |
Quiet Carriages on High-speed Trains Some high-speed rail lines have introduced quiet carriage (车厢) services. In a quiet carriage, passengers aren’t allowed to put their phones, notebook computers or iPads on speaker. If they have to make a phone call, they must first go to the hallway to do so. Quiet carriage riders also need to make sure that their children are well-behaved to avoid troubling others. |
_________. The technology “AI” is going to make a big difference to the future. And it has been named the most popular word of 2023 by the dictionary publisher Collins. “AI was chosen because it has developed at such a fast speed and become the main conversation of 2023.” the publisher said. |
1. Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The technology— “AI” brings us great challenge. |
| B．Children can run and speak loudly in a quiet carriage. |
| C．The technology “AI” has developed at such a fast speed during 2023. |
| D．We can know the System can record the information of many animals. |
| A．“AI” Has Changed the World | B．“AI” Named Most Popular Word of 2023 |
| C．“AI” Developing at a Fast Speed | D．“AI” Making a Big Difference to the Future |
| A．Unexpected scientific discoveries. | B．International problems and efforts. |
| C．The popularity of culture. | D．Social development and progress. |
8 . The First Shenzhen (International) Intelligent Sanitation Cleaning Robot Competition was held at Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center (国际会展中心) in Baoan District in March 2024.
A total of 37 robots got awards at the competition. Four of them won first prizes, seven second prizes, ten third prizes, and the others received merit prizes.
At first, companies developed cleaning robots based on their understandings of market demands (需求). This competition, also the world’s first sanitation robot competition, however, was set to change this situation. It aimed to help he high-quality development of sanitation cleaning robots.
The driverless sweeper S330, developed by a company from Shenzhen, won one of the first prizes. It was the only one to successfully finish cleaning on a 20-degree slope at the competition. The sweeper S330 is a highly intelligent outdoor driverless sweeper and it has a large rubbish bin. It can dump rubbish by itself when it is full. It can also clean while spraying (喷) water to control dust. This sweeper has been used in Huafu Subdistrict and Shenzhen Book City CBD Store in Futian District.
At present, Shenzhen is leading in producing and researching and developing the AI sanitation equipment. It takes up more than 30% of these companies in this area in China. Shenzhen is playing a very important role in China, and even around the world.
1. How many robots got the merit prizes?| A．4. | B．7. | C．16. | D．37. |
| A．To satisfy market needs. | B．To better understand them |
| C．To clean on 20-degree slopes. | D．To get awards at competitions. |
| A．To attract foreign companies’ attention. |
| B．To build up a good environment for companies. |
| C．To improve the development of the cleaning robots. |
| D．To encourage more companies to join in competitions. |
a. It can do cleaning and spray water.
b. It can dump rubbish by itself.
c. It can do cleaning on a 20-degree slope.
d It’s been used everywhere in Shenzhen.
| A．abd. | B．bcd. | C．acd. | D．abc. |
| A．A study about making robots. |
| B．A plan for developing new robots. |
| C．A news report about a robot competition. |
| D．A guide to an international competition |
9 .
Recently, 16 Chinese online novels have been added to the collection of the British Library. Covering themes of science fiction, history, reality and fantasy, these works are considered the classics of Chinese online Literature from the past 20 years. The library usually selects works based on their popularity or by considering an item’s value. Readers can check the information about the 16 books on the library’s website, and borrow printed copies. _______________
Organized by the International Confucian Association, a new book series Ancient Classics Light up the World (Dian Liang Shi Jie Cong Shu) was launched in Beijing on Monday. President Xi Jinping mentioned 15 important inspirations we could gain from traditional Chinese culture, that could help solve problems modern people face. Famous scholars have been invited to compile (编写) these books. They chose words from ancient classics related to wisdom, and then they analyzed (分析) and explained them, so that readers can better understand the modern values of them.
On the southeast edge of the Tengger Desert (腾格里沙漠) in Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui autonomous region (回民自治区) sits a new desert library, awakening the lonely land with an oasis of knowledge for book lovers, tourists, and architects. Being able to shelve 40,000 books, newspapers, and magazines, the library is part of an ambitious desert culture and tourism project. This is the first modern library ever built in the desert in China, and it started serving the public last month, winning widespread praises for its modern design and various functions. |
1. In which SECTION of the newspaper can we read the news?
| A．CULTURE. | B．BUSINESS. | C．SPORTS. | D．ECONOMY |
| A．they enjoy great popularity | B．readers can borrow printed copies |
| C．they are of value | D．they are classic online literature |
| A．15 Inspirations Famous to the World | B．Ancient Works Inspire Modern Life |
| C．A New Book Series Light Up the World | D．How to Solve Problems We Met |
| A．has 40,000 book shelves | B．is the first desert library |
| C．was open to public last month | D．is on the southwest edge of the Tengger Desert |
| A．these Chinese online novels were written in the past 20 years |
| B．scholars chose words related to wisdom from modern Chinese classics |
| C．Ancient Classics Light up the World includes 15 inspirations in all |
| D．people speak highly of the new desert library |
10 .
Caring about fish A three-minute film made by Andrew Older, a 13-year-old student from the US, recently won an award at the One Earth Young Filmmakers Asian Contest. He used maps to show how invasive (入侵的) goby fish came to the local river and how they are making the water too crowded (拥挤的) for other fish. “Through this film festival, I hope to share my worry for fish. I also want to learn more about how it affects the environment (环境).” he told the local newspaper.  __________________ People throw trash (垃圾) on the beach and even into the ocean. The trash has become the “home” of hermit crabs (寄居蟹). These “trash shells” can bring danger to hermit crabs. It usually has bright colors, so predators (捕食者) can find hermit crabs more easily. The crabs could also find it difficult to get out of the bottles or the tires and starve to death (饿死).Would you wear your hair?  People wear wool sweaters in winter. But did you ever think of making a sweater with your own hair? A Dutch company did it. It also makes coats and other clothing with human hair. The company makes these clothes to save the environment. According to the company, European landfills (垃圾填埋场) receive 72 million kilograms of human hair waste every year. Making it into clothes is more friendly to our Earth. |
1. In which SECTION of the newspaper can we read the news?
| A．ANIMALS | B．SCIENCE | C．WORLD | D．ENVIRONMENT |
| A．can be made into clothes | B．saves the environment |
| C．is bad for the Earth | D．all goes to the landfills |
| A．Dangerous ocean trash | B．Terrible “home” for crabs |
| C．Trash brings danger to crabs | D．Crabs are in danger |
| A．cutting her hair short | B．making a sweater out of trash |
| C．wearing a sweater made of hair | D．working at a Dutch company |
| A．Their homes become too crowded. | B．More kinds of animals live with them. |
| C．Predators can find them more easily | D．They have no food to eat. |
