Hello! I am Emma. I love to volunteer (志愿者服务). I started volunteering when I was eight years old. At that time, my grandmother was helping at a community canteen (食堂), and I often went there with her. I tried to help but usually spent my time talking with the old people there because I was too young to do much.
As I grow older, I volunteer at different organizations (组织). Last year, I did two voluntary jobs (工作). The first one was at a food bank. I spent weekends packing bags there. Another one was at an animal hospital. I took care of animals with other volunteers.
Volunteering is great. When volunteering, I am not just making a difference in the lives of others, but also improving my own. I make new friends and learn something new. I love volunteering.
1. Emma started volunteering with her grandmother.2. Emma was young, but she helped a lot at the community canteen.
3. Emma helped pack bags in the food bank on weekends.
4. Emma can make new friends when volunteering.
5. The writer wrote the passage to tell us how to volunteer.
Why do we say maidongxi (买东西) instead of mainanbei, yijian xiangzuo (意见相左) instead of yijian xiangyou, and shangcesuo (上厕所) instead of xiacesuo? Many Chinese words have directions in them, and there is lots of history and culture hidden behind.
Where to buy things
When going shopping, Chinese people say maidongxi, instead of mainanbei. It is said that in the Tang Dynasty, there were two popular markets in Chang’an. One was called the East Market, and the other was called the West Market. When shopping, people usually went to the East Market first, and then went to the West Market. As time went by, people started to describe shopping as maidongxi.
Left or right
In Chinese, we say yijian xiangzuo when we have different opinions. Why is it not yijian xiangyou?
Most people are right-handed. They feel uncomfortable if they try to use their left hands to write or use chopsticks. This was true in old times as well. So in Chinese, “left” is always thought to be different, such as yijian xiangzuo.
Up or down
We use shangcesuo instead of xiacesuo to mean “go to the bathroom”. Why?
In ancient times, houses were laid out in a certain way. The gate of the house would face south, with the bathroom in the northeastern part of the house. On maps, north is usually at the top. In Chinese, we talk about “the north” as shang. So people would say they were going “up” to the bathroom rather than going “down” to the bathroom.
1. In the Tang Dynasty, people usually went shopping in the West Market first.2. People think that “left” means being different in Chinese.
3. In ancient times, Chinese people built their houses with the gates facing south.
4. On maps, north is usually at the top, so Chinese people describe it as xia.
5. This passage is mainly about the changes of Chinese words.
National medals and honorary titles (荣誉称号) are usually awarded to those who have got great achievements for our country every five years. As a part of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, President Xi Jinping awarded 42 people the Medal of the Republic, the Friendship Medal and National Honorary Titles. They come from different backgrounds, including scientists, lawmakers, educators, artists, model workers and 6 non-Chinese people. All have made big contributions to the nation’s construction and development. Here are some of the people we’ll know.
Chinese scientist Tu Youyou is one of the eight who were awarded the Medal of the Republic. Tu, who won the 2015 Nobel Prize for her discovery of the malaria drug artemisinin (抗疟药物青蒿素), is the first Chinese citizen to win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. She has saved millions of lives worldwide. She has also made important scientific innovations (创新) in traditional Chinese medicine.
Tu is not the only one who has given her life to the country’s development. Nan Rendong, before his death in 2017, led the research and development of China’s FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Telescope 500米口径球面斑电望远镜), the largest radio telescope on the earth, which is ready to receive radio waves in space like alien signals. He worked on the project for more than 20 years. His contributions to Chinese astronomy earned him the title, “the people’s scientist”.
1. 36 Chinese people were rewarded by Xi jing according to the passage.2. People of six different backgrounds are mentioned in the article except pilots.
3. The underlined word in the third paragraph “astronomy” means “地质学”.
4. Tu Youyou has made traditional Chinese medicine enter all the countries.
5. The main purpose of the passage is to introduce some of the people who won national awards and express thanks to them.
Spring is here, and it is time to enjoy West Lake Longjing tea. Usually, we think of workers picking tea leaves by hand. But now, some Longjing tea is being picked by smart tea-picking robots!
In a Hangzhou tea garden, a smart tea-picking robot developed by Zhejiang SciTech University begin to work for the first time. “We took thousands of pictures of new tea buds (芽) and put them into the robot for it to learn. The robot uses an AI model to recognize (识别) the buds it needs to pick,”said Professor Chen Jianneng, Party branch secretary (党支部书记) of the research team. This lets the robot find the right tea buds about 90% of the time.
The robot’s arm pulls and sucks (吸) up the tea buds. These buds are quickly moved into a special box. After the robot collects all the buds from the area it’s working at, it moves the buds from the box to a main box.
The robot was made because there are not enough people to pick tea leaves. In Zhejiang, about 400,000 more pickers are needed now. “Picking is the biggest challenge for the development of the tea industry,” said Professor Wu Chuanyu, who leads the research team.
“Tea-picking robots are a trend (趋势) of the future,” said Wu. About five years from now, the robots will do the job of picking West Lake Longjing tea instead of people, Wu added.
1. Spring is a time to enjoy West Lake Longjing tea.2. In a Lincang tea garden, some Longjing tea is being picked by robots.
3. The robot uses an AI model to find out the right tea buds it needs to pick.
4. In Zhejiang province, about 40,000 more pickers are needed now.
5. The text mainly talks about robots are created to help pick tea leaves.
A slow train in Southwest China with its own study room has drawn much attention. The train No. 5609/5610 runs between Chongqing and Xiushan county.
It is a public-welfare (公益的) “slow train”. In some carriages (车厢), some desks and chairs next to the windows take the place of seats in order to turn the carriage into a “study carriage” for passengers in need.
The train No. 5609/5610 is not the only one of this kind. Other “slow trains” have become “study carriages”, too, including No. 5619/5620 and 5633/5634. They run along the Chengdu-Kunming Railway. Students from nearby schools often take the trains between school and home. The trains are their “school buses” and they often use their travel time to finish homework. Many passengers also use their travel time to complete work.
On the train No. Z150, running between Guiyang and Beijing, a “book bar” carriage has been popular with college students. There are nearly 400 universities and colleges in the cities along the line, making the train the top choice for most students from those schools. Since 2015, the train’s dining car has been open for free at night. It provides students with a lending library, free tea and other services. It’s a relaxing place for the students to continue their studies.
1. The main passengers of the “slow train” are those who are busy with work.2. The seats on No. 5609/5610 are changed into desks and chairs to provide space for learning.
3. No. 5619/5620 connects Chengdu with Chongqing.
4. Students need to pay to study in the dining car of No. Z150 at night.
5. The text mainly talks about special “study trains”.
Tree-planting Day is the day when some countries widely advertise (宣传) the helpful effects of forests, and encourage people to plant trees. In this way, people can be inspired to plant and love forests, and the environment will be improved. Many countries in the world have set their Tree-planting Day based on their own real situations.
Tree-planting Day is on March 12 every year in China. There are two reasons for it. One is the sunshine, because spring is very warm and good for trees to grow. The other is to memorize SunYat-sen, who is considered the “Father of Modern China” for his role in the events that led to the end of the Qing Dynasty and the establishment of the Republic of China. Sun Yat-sen passed away on March 12, 1925. When he was alive, he paid much attention to forests. China takes the death day of Sun Yat-sen as Chinese Tree-planting Day to memorize him. March 12, 2024 is China’s 46th Tree planting Day.
In America, Tree-planting Day is a state festival, so there is no nationwide date, but America will organize tree-planting activities in April or May every year, and even take a day off in some states. The first Tree-planting Day was held on April 10, 1872 in Nebraska. People planted over one million trees on that day.
Every year, Cambodia celebrates Tree-planting Day (also called Arbor Day) in each of the twenty-five provinces of the country on July 9, with a tree-planting ceremony attended by the king of the Kingdom of Cambodia.
1. The first paragraph tells of the advantages of forests.2. March 12 is the date when Sun Yat-sen passed away.
3. Americans planted more than one million trees in April every year.
4. The king of the Kingdom of Cambodia takes Arbor Day seriously.
5. The passage is mainly about Tree-planting Day in different countries.
Many scientists find that colors can change people’s feelings. It’s very interesting. Some colors can make people feel relaxed, and some colors can make people feel nervous.
Now, this kind of knowledge (知识) is being used in many places. For example, school walls are always painted green because green makes students feel relaxed. It is also good for the students’ eyes. Some books are also green or light blue for the same reason. Restaurant owners not only have to know how to make food, but also have to know how to make money. Here are some things they’ve learned from scientific (科学的) studies. The colour red makes people hungry. Many fast food restaurants have red furniture or walls. Soft colors like pink and light blue make people feel relaxed, so they spend more time eating. Loud music may be nice at first, but it soon makes people want to leave. Hard seats also make customers want to eat quickly and leave. Many restaurants, especially fast food restaurants, use this knowledge to make customers eat faster.
1. Few scientist find that colors can change people’s feelings.2. The colour green is good for the students’ eyes.
3. The colour red makes most people feel worried.
4. Loud music is nice because it always makes people want to stay.
5. The passage is mainly about using colors to change feelings.
The British Museum is the biggest one in the world. It was built nearly 300 years ago by a doctor, Sir Hans Sloane. The man liked to collect things such as books, drawings, clothes and so on. He also hoped that his children and grandchildren kept his things well and so people would visit them after his death. His wish came true, and the museum opened in 1759, six years after Sir Hans Sloane died. Later, more antiques (古董) arrived at the museum and more people wanted to visit it.
The museum had a famous round Reading Room. There was something unusual in the room. Cool air came up through small holes in the tables. Hot air flowing under the floor kept readers’ feet warm. Since its opening, many famous people wrote and studied there.
It is open every day of the year, except two holidays (New Year’s Day and Christmas). Entrance (入场) is free. There are lots of special exhibitions and every day there are different films and talks, some of them for children. Small machines tell you about the museum as you walk around it.
So if you are one of the British Museum’s two million tourists this year, don’t try to see it all too quickly. There is a lifetime of looking in the British Museum.
1. People built the British Museum to remember Sir Hans Sloane.2. The doctor Sir Hans Sloane died in the year of 1753.
3. Tourists can visit the museum on New Year’s Day and Christmas Day.
4. The British Museum is worth spending much time visiting.
5. The text mainly talks about the Reading Room in the British Museum.
Every spring, there are sports meetings at many middle schools. When students on the playground crowd into a circle and shout loudly, “One, two, one, two.” Do you know what game it is? It is tug of war (拔河).
Tug of war is a team sport between two teams at each end of a rope. It first came into being in China 2, 400 years ago. It is very popular in China and many other countries. But in other countries, their tug-of-war match is not the same as ours. They have eight men for each team, while we may have the match between two sides with equal number of men or women players. Of course, they are usually tall, strong and heavy.
For a tug-of-war match, we need a long thick rope. Each team stands at one end of the rope, holding it. There is a white line in the middle of the field. Then they try to pull the center of the rope to each of their own sides. The winning team is the one that pulls the other over the line.
Tug of war was once an Olympic sporting event. It lasted until 1920. Though it isn’t an Olympic sport now, people in many countries like playing it very much.
1. Tug of war first came into being in China 2, 500 years ago.2. In other countries, a tug-of-war team has eight men players.
3. The team that pulls the other over the line is the losing team.
4. Now tug of war is still an Olympic sport and many people like playing it.
5. The passage mainly talks about a popular team sport—tug of war.
Do you know why different animals or insects have their own special colors? Colors in them seem to be used mainly to protect themselves.
Some birds like eating locusts (蝗虫), but birds cannot easily catch them. Why? It is because locusts change their colors together with the change of the colors of crops. When crops are green, locusts look green. But as the harvest time comes, locusts change to the same brown color as crops have. Some other insects with different colors from plants are easily found and eaten by others. So they have to hide themselves during the day and appear only at night.
If you study the animal life, you’ll find the main use of color is to protect themselves. Bears, lions and other animals move quietly through forests. They cannot be easily seen by hunters. This is because they have the colors much like the trees.
Have you ever found an even more strange act? A kind of fish in the sea can release a kind of black liquid (液体) when it faces danger. While the liquid spreads over, its enemies can’t find it. And it immediately swims away. So it has lived up to now though it is not strong at all.
1. Locusts change their color to match the color of crops to avoid being eaten by birds.2. Insects that look different from plants are active both during the day and at night.
3. Animals that have colors different from trees would be more easily noticed by hunters.
4. Some fish release a black liquid to kill their enemies when they are in danger.
5. The text mainly discusses how animals and insects use colors to protect themselves.
