Table Mountain is the most famous landmark (地标) of South Africa. Table Mountain is overlooking the city of Cape Town in South Africa. The mountain has a flat top which is about 1500 meters long and 200 meters wide. Table Mountain is often covered in cloud. The cloud that stays around the mountain is called “tablecloth”. The mountain hides many surprises that wait to be discovered.
There are about 2200 kinds of plants on Table Mountain. More than 70% of the plants found on the mountain are regional plants, which means they can’t be found anywhere else.
Although some animals such as Cape Lions and Mountain Zebras (斑马) are no longer found here, the mountain is still the home of Cape Rock Hyraxes (蹄兔、岩狸) and Chacm a Baboons (狒狒).
The height of this mountain is 1087 meters. The rocks on the mountain are over 60 million years old, which makes Table Mountain one of the oldest mountains in the world.
It is recorded that the first climb of the mountain was done by the Portuguese admiral (海军上将) Antonio da Saldanha in 1503. It was him who gave the mountain its name. He named it “Tab la da caba” that means “Table of the Cape”. Now more than 800 000 people from all over the world visit it every year. The cable ears for this mountain opened in 1929 and each cable car could carry 65 passengers at a time. Since then it was easier for people to reach the top than before.
1. People can take a wonderful photo of Cape Town on the top of Table Mountain if it’s fine.2. Table Mountain has about 2200 kinds of plants which can’t be found anywhere else.
3. Mountain Zebras can still be found on Table Mountain now.
4. Before 1929, people were not able to reach the top of Table Mountain by cable cars.
5. According to the record, we could know that Antonio da Saldanha was the first man to climbTable Mountain.
2 . Chinese researchers reached the top of Qomolangma on May 4th, 2022. They set up the world’s highest automatic（自动的）weather station at an altitude（海拔）8,830 meters. The station helps Chinese scientists to directly collect data （数据） from the top of the world’s highest mountain and study the effects of climate（气候）.
Collecting and studying data from Qomolangma is not easy. But the data will give valuable information about the condition of local glaciers（冰川）and mountain snow. The water from the glaciers and mountain snow has been the source（源头）for over 10 main rivers in Asia and it has fed more than 2.5 billion people.
It will also help scientists study and understand the global monsoon system（全球季风系统）, so experts can make proper decisions about climate change and sustainable（可持续的）development.
With the efforts of Chinese government and many years’ hard work by scientists, China has become a global front-runner in fields related to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
阅读短文，根据短文内容判断所给句子正（T）误（F）。
1. Chinese researchers reached the top of Qomolangma on May 4th, 2023.
2. Chinese researchers set up the world’s highest automatic weather station.
3. Collecting and studying data from Qomolangma is easy.
4. The station will also help scientists study and understand the global monsoon system.
5. China has become a global front-runner in fields related to the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
3 . “The one who gets wool（羊毛）is a kind person.” People in Tibet（西藏）always say this when they get together and eat “guthuk”. Guthuk is a kind of dough ball（面团）soup. It is the food for the new year festival in Tibet. The festival is also called, the Losar New Year. Guthuk is just like dumplings in the Spring Festival.
Eating guthuk is full of surprises. You can find some fun things in the dough balls. Each of the things has a special meaning. If you find wool inside a dough ball, it means you are kind; if you find salt inside, it means you are lazy; if you find a paper-drawn sun or a moon, it means you are lucky. A kid always wants to find a coin because it means the kid will get lots of pocket money in the new year. People eating guthuk must show the things they find. It’s really a wonderful experience.
Grandmas and moms usually make guthuk for the family. Kids’ job is to look for the wool, paper, and other fun things for them. People work together to make a nice and happy new year meal.
The Losar New Year is on the first day of the first month on the calendar of Tibet. It lasts for 15 days. This year, it started on February 21.
People always wear traditional clothes of Tibet during the festival. The clothes are wide and long, with lots of colors. Girls also wear beautiful necklaces and wool hats. People dress up to visit their family and friends. They say “Tashi Delek” for good luck.
People offer hada, a long scarf to each other with best wishes. They also put up hada scarves to make their houses beautiful.
根据短文内容，判断句子正（T）、误（F）。1. People in Tibet eat dumplings during the Losar New Year.
2. If you find salt inside the dough balls, it means you are lucky.
3. People must show the things in the dough balls when they eat guthuk.
4. People use hada to make their houses beautiful during the Losar New Year.
5. The passage talks about not only guthuk but also some customs of the Losar New Year.
4 . In ancient China, people passed down plenty of classic stories from generation(一代人) to generation. Here are the stories of two famous characters.
One person is Che Yin. He was from a poor family, but he loved studying. He had to work in the daytime, so he could only study in the evening. However, there was a problem. He couldn’t afford a lamp(灯). He didn’t worry about that in summer. In the evening, he caught some fireflies (萤火虫), put them in a bag and used it as a lamp. This lamp was not very bright, but Che Yin could do some reading by lamplight in the evening.
The other person is Sun Kang. He was smart, but he was so poor that he couldn’t go to school. So he studied at home. He had to read just at night. Like Che Yin, he couldn’t buy a lamp. On snowy nights, he went out and read in the snow. Why? There was the light of snow outside.
Later, people use “Nang Ying Ying Xue” to say that a strong spirit is very important no matter how hard the life is. When we are having a hard time in life, don’t lose heart. Never let life knock us down. Even in the hardest situation, there is hope that encourages us to move forward.
根据短文内容，判断下面各小题的正(T)误(F)。1. Che Yin could study from day to night.
2. Che Yin put fireflies in a bag as a lamp on summer evenings.
3. Like Che Yin, Sun Kang could afford a lamp.
4. Sun Kang did some reading by the light of snow outside at night.
5. Che Yin and Sun Kang set a good example to us.
In western countries, the birthday cake is a dessert on his or her birthday. Birthday cakes are usually decorated with the person’s name. They also place some candles on the cake. After lighting the candles, people usually close their eyes and make a wish before blowing them out. The number of the candles is the same as the age of the person.
Do you know the history of the birthday cake? In earlier times, the Greeks made round or moon-shaped honey cakes and took them to the Goddess of Moon. The cakes stood for moon. Nowadays, some people think that cake in the ancient world has something to do with the cycles of life and nature. Round shapes were preferred as the cycle. Also, some people believe that the tradition of birthday cake started in Germany.
1. Birthday cakes are usually decorated with the person’s name.2. People usually open their eyes and make a wish before blowing the candles out.
3. In earlier times, the Greeks made moon-shaped salty cakes.
4. The number of the candles is the same as the age of the person.
5. Some people believe that the tradition of birthday cake started in Germany.
Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, Ye Guangfu have come back! After flying around Earth for six months, the three astronauts(宇航员) of the Shenzhou XIII mission(任务) returned home on April 16. They successfully finished the manned spaceflight(载人航天飞行). The crew(机组人员) stayed in space for six months. It is the longest stay for Chinese astronauts in space in history. Shenzhou XIII is the fourth spacecraft to visit the Tiangong station and the second manned ship to transport astronauts to the orbiting outpost (轨道位置). Nine hours after leaving Tiangong, the capsule(返回舱) touched down on Earth at the Dongfeng Landing Site in Inner Mongolia(内蒙古). The astronauts were carried out of the capsule by ground workers and placed into chairs. They were in good condition.
1. The three astronauts flow around Earth for six months and returned home on April 16.2. Shenzhou XIII is the second spacecraft to visit the Tiangong station.
3. The capsule touched down on Earth at the Dongfeng Landing Site in Mongolia.
4. The astronauts were carried out of the capsule by ground police and placed into chair.
5. The three astronauts were in good condition.
Every Saturday, Wang Fokun travels 40 minutes to “watch” a movie with his friends. He became blind in his early 50s. However, he can still enjoy movies in a “talking movie” club-Xin Deng Theater. The club is in Kunming, Yunnan. A group of volunteers there describe movies to blind people.
“I listened to a movie for the first time in the summer of 2019, and it was amazing. The volunteers did a great job.” said Wang.
Describing movies to blind people can be challenging (有挑战性的). The volunteers must watch a movie three or four times to know everything in the movie. This way, they can describe the movie very clearly.
Zhou Quan started the club in 2017. “Movies are for everybody,” said Zhou. “Xin Deng Theater hopes to share movies with blind people and help to light up their lives.” Thanks to the special club, many blind people go out of their homes and their lives are more interesting.
Now many blind people come to Xin Deng Theater to “watch” movies every week. “They can enjoy the movies here. I’m so glad that I bring enjoyment to them.” said Zhou.
“It’s meaningful for us to spend our free time volunteering.” said one volunteer.
1. Wang Fokun goes to Xin Deng Theater three or four times a week.2. The volunteers in the club describe movies to blind people.
3. Xin Deng Theater was set up in 2019.
4. Both blind people and the volunteers enjoy spending time in the club.
5. The passage mainly talks about a movie.
Mars（火星）is a planet and is the 4th closest planet to the Sun. The distances from the Sun to Mars is more than 141 million miles. Mars is the largest planet in the solar system（太阳系）, which makes Mars the 2nd smallest planet in the solar system. Mars is one of the four planets in the solar system that is a rocky planet. These rocky planets are called “Terrestrial（类地的） Planets”.
It’s not known when Mars was found and by whom as Mars has been known for a very long time, and one of the planets that can be seen from the Earth without a telescope（望远镜）. Mars’s orbit（轨道）around the Sun is the 4th fastest orbit of all the solar system planets. Mars is red in colour and is very cold. Not the coldest of planets in the solar system but very cold all the same. The temperature on Mars is on average 80 degrees, and can get a lot colder at times.
At times in the summer near the Mars the temperature can reach 70 degrees. You may think it’s warm enough to live; however, the atmosphere（大气层）is over 95%. Mars orbits the Sun in 687 days, which means 1 Earth year on Mars is 687 days.
1. The distance from the Sun to Mars is fewer than 141 million miles.2. Mars is one of the planets that can be seen from the Earth with a telescope.
3. Mars is not the coldest planet in the solar system.
4. The average temperature on Mars is 70 degrees.
5. It takes 687 days for Mars to orbit the Sun.
9 . One day a shark met a monkey. The shark said, “Hello, my friend! Would you please come to my house? My mother and the others in my family want to see you. We talk so much about you every day, but we have never seen you.” “It’s very kind of you,” the monkey said, “but you see I can’t swim. How can I get there?” “Oh, it’s easy. You can sit on my back. I’ll carry you there.” The monkey sat on the shark’s back and set off(出发). On the way the shark said, “I must tell you that my mother is ill. She will be well again if she eats your heart(心脏). That’s why I bring you to her.” “But I am sorry, I forget to bring my heart with me. Carry me back to get it, please.” said the monkey. “You are so forgetful. Let’s go back for it.” the shark said. When they returned, the monkey climbed up the tree and kept the shark waiting for him in the sea.
1. The shark wanted to ask the monkey to visit his mother.2. The shark’s mother wanted to eat the monkey’s heart.
3. The monkey was not clever.
4. The shark didn’t get the heart of the monkey at last.
5. The shark and the monkey are friends.
