2 . Reading books increases our knowledge and understanding of the world around us. To encourage people to find the fun of reading and pay tribute (表达敬意) to famous writers, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO 联合国教科文组织) fixed April 23rd as World Book and Copyright (版权) Day in 1926 in Spain.

The idea of specially choosing a day to celebrate books came from Spanish writer Vicente Clavel Andres. In 1922 he suggested the idea as a way to remember Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes. Four years later the first celebration took place on October 7th, because it is said to be Cervantes’ birthday. But the celebration was then moved to April 23rd, the date of his death in 1930.

In 1995, the UNESCO decided to pay tribute to writers and books around the world as a way of encouraging everyone to read books. Choosing April 23rd seemed proper. Because it’s not only the date of Cervantes’ death, but also the date of the famous writer William Shakespeare’s death. Besides, several famous writers were born on April 23rd, making the date special in the literature (文学) world.

Starting in 2001, every year, one city around the world would be the World Book Capital for a year. The chosen city always holds activities to encourage people of all ages at home and abroad to read and spread its values. Activities include reading books and plays, handing out bookmarks and announcing (公布) the winners of literary (文学) competitions.

1. When is World Book and Copyright Day?

A．On April 23rd.

B．On October 7th.

C．On April 22nd.

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true ?

A．The idea of choosing a day to celebrate books came from Miguel de Cervantes.

B．The first celebration of books took place on October 7th, 1926.

C．April 23rd is the date of Cervantes and William Shakespeare’s death.

3. According to the last paragraph, what does the chosen city always do?

A．To push people to enjoy reading and celebrate World Day and Copyright.

B．To help people find the fun of reading and pay tribute to famous writers.

C．To hold activities to encourage people of all ages to read and spread its values

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To introduce the World Book and Copyright Day.

B．To choose one city as the World Book Capital for a year.

C．To encourage people to become the winners of literary competitions.

3 . If someone asks which place is the “hottest” in China this winter, of course, Harbin. The Harbin Ice and Snow Festival became an Internet hit in early 2024. However, not everyone knows it is held on January 5th each year.

This year, because of the festival, Harbin attracted (吸引) thousands of people from all over the world. People who came from southern China to visit Harbin were given a cute name: little potatoes. To welcome the visitors, many local people drove their cars and picked them up for free. The city didn’t let any “little potato” get lost.

The festival had three main places—Ice and Snow World, Ice Lantern Garden Party and Sun Island Snow Expo(雪博会). “Sun Island” had huge snow sculptures(雕塑) of people and animals. “Ice and snow World” had sculptures of buildings. At night, these buildings lighted up with colorful lights. They made the Ice and Snow World look like a dream palace.

Visitors could do a lot of other activities, such as skiing and skating. They could also go swimming in the icy waters of Songhua River.

Tourists could see many traditional buildings in the city. If they took a walk down Central Street, they could see many nice European style buildings. People also called this street “the Eastern Moscow”.

Harbin’s Ice Festival lasted for about two months. During this period, the wonderful ice city shared its ice, art, and animals with visitors looking for something cool to do.

1. The underlined word “hit” means ________.

A．打击

B．很受欢迎的人（或事物）

C．命中率

D．碰撞

2. What does the “little potatoes” mean in this passage?

A．Visitors from the south.	B．A kind of vegetable.
C．Visitors from the north.	D．Little kids.

3. Which area had sculptures of buildings?

A．Ice Lantern Garden Party.	B．Sun Island Snow Expo.
C．Ice and snow World.	D．Songhua River.

4. People in Harbin had Ice and Snow Festival in ________.

A．November and December	B．March and May
C．December and January	D．January and February

8 . International Storytelling Week started on 30 January. Across the world, activities and events are held where people share stories.

The International Literacy Trust plans the week every year to tell people how important stories are. Stories teach people to understand others and share their feelings. They also encourage children to imagine future and learn about other worlds. Then, how to tell stories better?

Classrooms and communities (社区) around the world did a lot. Elderly people of a care home filmed themselves reading stories. Their video is expected to be played to children, so “no child goes to bed without a story”. National libraries held children’s storytelling competitions. A famous writer Wendy Shearer shared her top advice on storytelling on the Tiktok.

To help people become better storytellers, the International Literacy Trust has lots of ideas for activities. You could tell a story with a friend, talking about a journey or a family joke. Or try the game “Luckily, unluckily” with a group of people. The first person begins their sentence with “Luckily…”, and creates the first sentence of a story. The next person continues the story but starts, “Unluckily…”. This repeats as everyone in the group tells a sentence. The final story often has a surprising ending. The activity encourages people to think actively and become humorous.

During International Storytelling Week, the Week Junior Book Awards is also going on. It goes to books that inspire young people. The winners will be announced in October.

1. Why is International Storytelling Week planned every year?

A．To help plan for the future.

B．To offer a chance to have fun.

C．To show the importance of stories.

D．To encourage community activities.

2. What does the underlined word “They” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Stories

B．Feelings

C．Children

D．Worlds

3. What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?

A．A story could help children go to bed early.

B．Some elderly people filmed stories for children.

C．Much was done to help people tell stories better.

D．Many competitions were held by National libraries.

4. What can we learn about the game “Lucky, unlucky”?

A．It is a one-person game.

B．The story always ends the same.

C．The first person begins with “unluckily”.

D．Each person tells a sentence one by one.

5. What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Top Storytelling Advice

B．A Good Story for the World

C．International Storytelling Week

D．Inspiring Books for Young People

9 . 本题你将听到一篇短文。请你根据所听内容，完成下面的句子。每空一词。

Name	World Laughter Day	Holiday time	The first Sunday in May every year
Founder	Dr. Madan Kataria	Celebration	Laugh together
It is a     1     day that can be celebrated by anyone and anywhere. All the people have to do is to laugh loudly and     2    . The celebration is for world     3     and helps people all over the world build friendship through laughter. Laughter is a world language. It can bring people joy, and help them     4    . Laughing is a good way to deal with world problems. When different groups laugh together, they can get along     5    .

10 . 根据下面对话中的情境，在每个空白处填入一个适当的语句，使对话恢复完整。
A: Hello, Jill. Did you enjoy your May Day?
B: Yes, I had a good time.
A:     1    ?
B: I visited Qinhan Museum located in Qinhan New City.
A:Is it very interesting?
B:     2    . I like it very much. There are many great art works.Many tourists come to visit it.
A:     3    ?
B: No, I didn’t. Taking photos is not allowed in the museums.
A:I see. I am very interested in history. I want to visit it.     4    ?
B: No problem. I also want to visit it again. How about your May Day?
A:I spent my May Day in a home-stay hotel with my family. We cooked our meals over an open fire and fished in the lake.
B:     5    .
A: Yes. You can have a try next time.