1 . The kites in Weifang never disappoint. Every year the Weifang International Kite Festival amazes visitors and netizens (网民) with innovative kites, as “paper birds” of unimaginable designs keep appearing in the sky.
The origin of kites in China can be traced back to the Warring States Period when the great Chinese philosopher Mozi in the State of Lu (part of today’s Shandong Province) made the first “wooden kite”. Kites didn’t actually become popular until the Ming Dynasty. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, artists specialized in kite making began to appear in Weifang. In 1984, the first Weifang International Kite Festival was held.
Kites were used in China for military purposes at the very beginning. They were made to signal and measure distance, providing intelligence to aid moving large armies across difficult terrain (地形). For example, they can be used to calculate and record wind readings, similar to ship flags at sea. Over time, kites became associated with leisure activities, and were often flown during festivals and holidays.
Today, kite-flying is a popular leisure activity in China, and the Weifang International Kite Festival is one of the largest kite festivals in the world. In 2023, 622 kite artists from 59 countries and regions participated in the event. Compared with previous festivals, the 2023 event was highlighted by many innovations by both veteran (经验丰富的) and young kite makers. Zhang Xiaodong, 74, as a national intangible culture inheritor of Weifang kites, he has attended all 40 festivals. In the early days, he only brought traditional kites to take part in the competitions, but this time, he applied sound and light to make the fairy tale of Chang'e flying to the moon come “alive”.
The Weifang kite festival is not only a platform to share kite-making skills, but also a way to enhance friendship between people from different countries. The innovative kites presented in 2023 brought many pleasant surprises to kite lovers all over the world, and brought the people of China and other countries closer. As one netizen put it, “No matter how far away kite lovers go, there is always a ‘thread’ in their heart that can pull them together.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The history of kites in China. | B．The popularity of kites in Weifang. |
| C．The introduction to great kite artists. | D．The development of kite-making skills. |
| A．To serve as gifts at festivals. | B．To judge the height of mountains. |
| C．To measure wind speed for sailors at sea. | D．To provide important information for armies. |
| A．It involved more creative kite artworks. |
| B．It became the largest kite festival in the world. |
| C．It contained plenty of Chinese traditional elements. |
| D．It attracted many young kite artists’ wide attention. |
| A．It inspires artists to create a lot of surprises. |
| B．It is a good platform for kite makers to share skills. |
| C．It promotes the spread of traditional Chinese culture. |
| D．It strengthens the bond between kite lovers all over the world. |
2 . Tea originated in China over two thousand years ago. Today, the country owns over 2,000 varieties of tea, differing in taste, sweet and purpose. Some teas, such as Huang Shan, refresh the sense of taste with their special flavor, while others, such as spicy chai, are added with spices (香料) .
China first started exporting tea during the Ming dynasty (1368—1644), and the drink has since come to lead humanity’s drinking habits far beyond Asia. It is the most widely consumed drink on Earth today, aside from water and coffee.
In Chinese mythology, tea was first discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong (“Divine Farmer”) in 737BC， when a soft wind carried some leaves into a pot of boiling water. However, the oldest dependable evidence comes from ancient plant remains found in 2016 in Xi’an and western Tibet, showing that tea was grown at least 2,100 years ago during the Western Handy nasty when it was most likely used as medicine.
Generation after generation of tea makers experimented with different brewing (冲泡) techniques, leaves, and ceremonies, resulting in today’s tea culture full of life. There’s no doubt that China’s tea culture has become one of the most popular, diverse, and unique traditions in the world.
China is already the world’s largest tea exporter. The inclusion of the country’s traditional tea-making process on the UNESCO list will obviously generate practical benefits for tea makers in the country and across the world as more resources are given to protect and preserve such millennia-old tea culture and technical practices. As additional attention is brought to this traditional technique, the Chinese tea sector will further tap its potential and improve its growth.
As one of China’s oldest cultural practices, traditional tea processing techniques show the spirit of modesty (谦逊), peace, and comity (礼让). No matter your preference for green or dark tea, with milk or without, Chinese tea isn’t just brews. Instead, it is a bridge connecting different cultures and peoples.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?| A．Chinese tea has a fresh taste. | B．Chinese tea is added with spices. |
| C．Chinese tea has a long history. | D．Chinese tea has a rich variety. |
| A．In about 737 BC. |
| B．Two thousand years ago. |
| C．During the Ming dynasty. |
| D．During the Western Handy nasty. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Objective. | C．Careless. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Chinese Tea Benefits the Globe a Lot |
| B．Chinese Protect and Develop Its Tea Culture |
| C．Chinese Tea Is Included in the UNESCO List |
| D．China Plays a Vital Part in Cultural Diversity |
3 . Andrew Kirby was used to sitting alone at lunch. The high school sophomore was never especially social and making friends hasn’t been easy. He was born with a neurological disorder and has undergone several major surgeries over his life.
“A lot of times at lunch I’ll text Andrew,” explained his mom, Kay Kirby. “I said, ‘Are you eating with anyone?’ And he said ‘No.’ And I sat at my desk at work and just prayed ‘Good Lord, please send somebody to eat with him.’”
But that changed on the first day of school this year when members of the Student Council noticed that Andrew was eating alone and invited him to join them.
“If we were sitting by ourselves, we would want someone to sit with us so we didn’t want kids to have to sit by themselves,” one student said. Added another, “Everyone needs to have someone and anyone can be a help with that.”
“It’s very encouraging to know that there are teenagers out there that took their time. They weren’t being in their own clique, they weren’t being selfish, and they took their time to reach out to somebody who might be different. And you know, you never know what a child is going through—maybe they’ve got a bad home life, maybe they’re depressed, and there’s a kid sitting by themselves and they noticed that,” Kay said. “I have peace at lunch now. I don’t feel like I need to text him and check on him.”
What started as a small act of kindness has even gone beyond the lunchroom. The group invited Andrew to go to the movies with them a couple weeks ago.
What’s more, he’s been eating lunch with them every day since.
1. What problem did Andrew have at school?| A．He wasn’t easy-going to deal with. | B．He liked to eat alone at lunch. |
| C．He was joked more by his classmates. | D．He had trouble spending time with others. |
| A．Sitting alone at lunch. | B．Undergoing major surgeries. |
| C．Texting at lunchtime. | D．Making friends. |
| A．Worried. | B．Pleased. | C．Puzzled. | D．Embarrassed. |
| A．They belong to their own groups. | B．They are difficult to understand. |
| C．They are actually full of love. | D．They are different in character. |
4 . On April 18—the International Day for Monuments and Sites, China Daily’s digital employee Yuanxi and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes’ official virtual cartoon figure Jiayao together introduced an interactive digital platform that hosts a virtual copy of the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave(藏经洞) to the world.
The platform was developed jointly by the Dunhuang Academy and the Chinese tech firm Tencent. It uses gaming technologies to show the historical scenes of the Library Cave in the digital world.
The Library Cave in Mogao Grottoes was discovered in 1900, with more than 60,000 cultural relics dating from the 4th century to the 11th century unearthed. It was one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.
On the platform, visitors can role-play and “time travel” to ancient dynasties and talk with eight historical figures. The public can enter the platform through the Digital Dunhuang website and its WeChat mini program.
In the digital age, the model of “culture+technology” has been introduced to promote the development of Chinese culture. The digitalization rate of China’s precious cultural relics is now over 70 percent, according to the 2022 China Digital Collection Industry Research Report released by iResearch.
Institutions such as the Palace Museum have also started online digital services of their own. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology allows the public to view the interior of the buildings through the Palace Museum’s WeChat mini program.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also encouraged the development and transformation of cultural intellectual property(知识产权) by digital means. China Central Television has created a series of digital collections with different Dunhuang themes, such as the Dunhuang divine deer(神鹿) Youyou. It was created based on the image of the nine-colored deer from Dunhuang murals(壁画). The public can see the divine deer on CCTV’s own digital platform.
Digital collections cater to the consumption habits of young people, who grow up in the information age. They not only protect the intellectual property of the collections but also bring the public closer to China’s “excellent traditional culture”, noted Dunhuang Art Institute.
Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy, told Xinhua that more efforts will be made to explore new forms for showing cultural relics and offer the public greater cultural experiences to develop Dunhuang culture.
1. What can visitors do on the interactive digital platform for the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave?| A．Play role-playing games set in ancient times. |
| B．Play video games featuring historical figures. |
| C．Talk to the designer of the digital Library Cave. |
| D．Design digital caves showing historical scenes. |
| A．To show the latest gaming technologies. |
| B．To help cultural institutions make a profit. |
| C．To promote the development of Chinese culture. |
| D．To encourage people to explore new forms of cultural relics. |
| A．To stress the importance of digital collections. |
| B．To describe its popularity among young people. |
| C．To present how digital collections are developed. |
| D．To introduce a successful example of digital collections. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Satisfy. |
| C．Challenge. | D．Change. |
5 . In 2000, Andréa Speranza achieved her dream of becoming a firefighter joining the Halifax Regional Fire Service. Her job was exactly as satisfying as she imagined it would be, except for one thing: she still hadn’t seen another woman in her role — not in a magazine, not on television, not in real life. Even today, less than five percent of firefighters in Canada are women. Speranza decided that she wanted to help young women see that they, too, could have a career like hers.
The result is Camp Courage, a program for girls aged 15 to 19 who want to learn more about firefighting. In 2006, Speranza and about 20 volunteers welcomed their first 17 participants, recruiting (招募) attendees through advertising in schools and recreation centers. Over the course of eight days, the girls discovered the ins and outs of being first responders: learning how to put out fires, deliver first aid and even use the jaws of life (救生钳) on a car.
Camp Courage now runs one session every year in Halifax and is free to attend. To offset costs, Speranza and her fellow campers fundraise by holding everything from car washes to comedy nights. Hopeful campers must also submit an essay describing how they plan to help their community, or a specific individual in need. And they have to deliver on the plan—from building a bench (长椅) for a senior at a bus stop to launching a local chapter of the Kids Help Phone.
Hundreds of girls have passed through Camp Courage, and 36 percent are doing exactly what 52-year-old Speranza hoped they would: working as first responders across the country. This past summer, the camp held its first session for young women in Halifax, as well as its first national camp in Calgary with plans to roll out more in 2023.
1. What was probably Speranza’s wish in 2001?| A．To see more female firefighters. |
| B．To make contact with more teenage girls. |
| C．To be recruited to the Halifax Regional Fire Service. |
| D．To work part-time in schools and recreation centers. |
| A．Risks. | B．Chances. | C．Details. | D．Purposes. |
| A．It is a nonprofit international organization. |
| B．It teaches the value of being helpful to others. |
| C．It requires its campers to write an essay every week. |
| D．It introduces boys and girls to the emergency services. |
| A．She had a burning ambition to play comedy. |
| B．She used to be reserved and disciplined. |
| C．She is intellectual and scholarly. |
| D．She is brave and inspiring. |
6 . “May 17, 2157
Dear diary,
Today, Tommy found a real book!...”
“What’s it about?” Margie asked.
“School.” replied Tommy, turning the yellow pages.
“Why would anyone write about school? I hope they can take my geography teacher away.”
“It’s not our school. This is the old sort that they had centuries ago.”
“Anyway, they had a teacher.” Margie said, reading the book over his shoulder.
“Sure, they had a teacher, but it wasn’t a regular teacher. It was a man.”
“A man? How could a man be a teacher?”
“Well, he just told the boys and girls things and gave them assignments and asked them questions.”
“A man isn’t smart enough.”
“Sure, he is. My father knows as much as my teacher.”
Margie wasn’t prepared to argue about that. She said, “I wouldn’t want a strange man in my house to teach me.”
Tommy laughed. “The teachers didn’t live in the house. They had a special building and all the kids went there.”
“And all the kids learned the same thing?”
“Sure, if they were the same age.”
“But my mother says a teacher has to be adjusted to fit the mind of each boy and girl it teaches and that each kid has to be taught differently.”
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to read the book.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t like it,” Margie said quickly.
They weren’t even half-finished when Margie’s mother called, “Margie! School!”
“Not yet, Mamma.”
“Now!” said Mrs. Jones.
Margie said to Tommy, “Can I read the book some more with you after school?”
“Maybe,” Tommy said.
Margie went into the schoolroom, right next to her bedroom, and the mechanical teacher was on waiting for her.
The screen was lit up, and it said, “Please insert yesterday’s assignments in the proper slot.”
Margie was still thinking about the old schools they had when her grandfather’s grandfather was a little boy. All the kids from the whole neighborhood came, laughing and shouting in the schoolyard, sitting together in the schoolroom, going home together at the end of the day. They learned the same things, so they could help one another on the assignments and discussed them.
And the teachers were people…
1. Which of the following can be inferred from the passage?| A．Margie doesn’t like her school. |
| B．It’s common to read paper books in 2157. |
| C．Online learning is what Margie wants. |
| D．Tommy feels his father is smarter than his teacher. |
| A．There are only female teachers at school. |
| B．Teachers give no assignments to students. |
| C．A special building is constructed for teachers. |
| D．Students learn different things at their own pace. |
| A．Envelope. | B．Opening. |
| C．Screen. | D．Schoolroom. |
| A．Longing. | B．Objection. |
| C．Suspicion. | D．Tolerance. |
7 . Welcome to the “Chicken Soup” family
The first Chicken Soup for the Soul book was released in 1993 and quickly became a holiday favourite. Thereafter, more than 250 books have been put together based on inspiring stories submitted by readers.
On this part of the website, you will find a list of our new book topics, our writing guidelines and our submission form. We welcome your stories, written in English, from all over the world!
Guidelines for a Chicken Soup for the Soul story
1. Tell an exciting, heart-warming or funny story about something that has happened to you or someone you know. Your story should be written in the first person.
2. Don’t be afraid to speak from the heart. We do let you use a pen-name for your story.
3. Keep your story to 1,200 words or less.
4. We love poems that tell a story, but we do not publish poems that seem overly focused on rhyming (押韵) or those which read more like greetings cards.
A few more tips about submitting your stories
1. The only way to submit your stories is via our website. If you have any problems when trying to fill out the form to submit your work, please contact us.
2. Please submit stories that have not been previously published. The only exception to this is if your work has only been published in a small local publication with limited circulation (发行量) or on your own blog.
3. Please do not send us any book manuscripts (手稿), unless through a literary agent (作家代理人), as they will be automatically discarded.
What happens after you submit your story?
Please complete all fields in the submission form. After you press the SUBMIT button, wait for the next screen to come up with a message that says: “Thank you! Your information has been received.” This is the only confirmation that your story has been entered into our database.
We do not send rejection letters, and we occasionally will save a submission for consideration for a future book. But in general, if you have not heard from us 60 days prior to the book’s on-sale date, that probably means we have decided not to use your story.
If we choose your story for a future book, we will notify (通知) you by email and request your permission to print it. You will be paid $200 one month after the publication of the book and receive ten free copies of the book your story appears in. You will also be entitled to buy books from us at half price.
1. According to the article, a Chicken Soup for the Soul story may be anything but a ________.| A．work of fiction | B．narrative poem |
| C．humorous story | D．tale of adventure |
| A．you don’t submit it on your own |
| B．you don’t use your real name in the story |
| C．it has already been published on a large scale |
| D．it seems similar to a story that has already been published |
| A．as soon as you submit your story on its website |
| B．after your story has been published in a new edition |
| C．when your story has been chosen for a future edition |
| D．45 days before its new edition is available for purchase |
8 . Nowadays, with the popularization of science and technology, people seem to have a painless, cost-effective new way to become pretty-photo retouching, currently a universal way to beautify photos through digital devices.
Even those who believe themselves to be unattractive can become easy on the eye with the push of a button. Some may say that retouching allows people to see a better side of themselves sand can help people build their confidence. However, it is more likely to deepen people’s anxieties regarding their appearance.
After you have taken a selfie and used a retouching program such as Photoshop or Meitu to glamorize yourself, you may finally see the more perfect self you’ve always desired to be. As a result, you may be boastful about yourself for a while, but when you turn your head and look at your real, imperfect self in the mirror, you will soon suffer from a strong sense of loss. Even though retouching can bring you short-term happiness and self-confidence, it can never change your actual appearance in real life. Eventually, the fantasy you had created for yourself by retouching your images will only come to make you feel more depressed after you are once again faced with the reality of how you actually appear.
Photo retouching may also lead to personal anxiety and low self-dignity. Before retouching technologies were invented, only a few celebrities and bloggers looked appealing on social media. Most people posted pictures of themselves on the internet that were very close to how their real, ordinary, everyday selves would appear in reality. They didn’t have to worry about whether their nose was delicate enough or whether they had any acne (痤疮) on their face because most of the others didn’t look flawless in pictures, either.
However, with the continuous emergence of retouching technologies, you may one day suddenly discover that all of the selfies of the people around you have become stunningly gorgeous. The delicate body curve, the doll-like enormous eyes and the supermodel-sized long legs are no longer exclusive to beauty-pageant (选美比赛) winners or movie stars.
Imagine yourself lying on the sofa while idly checking your WeChat Moments. You can’t take your eyes off these charming photos that have been posted by your colleagues, friends and classmates. Then you may have a glance at your own chubby belly and dark skin. Shame, anxiety and self-doubt begin growing in your heart. You plunge into deep fear and self-blame since you cannot figure out why everyone else looks so beautiful, while you are not. But actually, deep down in your heart, you know why, but you just can’t shake off this envy that’s going to drown you.
1. What does the underlined word “glamorize” in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．make somebody appear attractive | B．beautify oneself with more make-up |
| C．publicize the image that one is good-looking | D．present somebody’s image in a reasonable way |
| A．Becoming beautiful was an exclusive right for celebrities and bloggers. |
| B．There is no tolerance of one’s imperfection in contemporary society. |
| C．People posting selfies online used to enjoy the life without trouble. |
| D．Retouching causes an unhealthy mentality in one’s appearance. |
① a sense of seeming happiness and temporary confidence
② ever-worsening depression, anxiety and fear
③ inability to change one’s actual situation
④ bad influence on social relationships and information distribution
| A．①② | B．①②③ | C．②③ | D．②③④ |
| A．Ways to Decode the Retouching | B．Retouching: Causes and Treatment |
| C．Navigating Life without Retouching | D．Retouching: A Lift or a Lie? |
9 . It is no secret that China has an amazingly rich history and culture. My first exposure (接触) to Chinese culture came totally by chance. One day, I entered my grandfather’s personal library and took a book named Tao Te Ching from one of the shelves. As an 8-year-old, the book’s content completely confused me, but it provided me with an early connection to a beautiful and great philosophical (哲学的) tradition that still influences me today.
Around this time, I also came across several cartoons heavily inspired by traditional Chinese culture and martial arts such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat. Both cartoons describe beautiful landscapes and buildings similar to those found in classical Chinese paintings. This further developed my love of the rich and beautiful culture.
At school I began studying Chinese. My interest in the language developed early on, combining my love of travelling with my love of meeting new people. Later on, my interest in the language developed into exploring widespread Chinese culture. I wanted to challenge myself in a totally new linguistic (语言的) landscape and listen to the lives and stories of others in their own language. I have been lucky enough to have lived in China for around three years. I loved every second I spent there and there is never a shortage of things to see and do, people to meet, and foods to enjoy.
It is safe to say that my journey to studying Chinese has only just begun and these first steps are only a drop in the ocean of lifelong learning, but as the Chinese philosopher Laozi says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
1. How does the author like the book Tao Te Ching?| A．It encourages him to go to the library. |
| B．It improves his behavior and habits. |
| C．It has a long lasting influence on him. |
| D．It makes him know Chinese society better. |
| A．Watching some cartoons. | B．Admiring Chinese paintings. |
| C．Living abroad for long. | D．Cooking Chinese food. |
| A．Chinese culture differs greatly from others’. |
| B．Travelling takes up much of the author’s time. |
| C．It’s easy for the author to get on well with others. |
| D．The author learns languages in real surroundings. |
| A．My Grandpa’s Influence on Me | B．My Exploration of Chinese Culture |
| C．My Travel Experience in China | D．My Exposure to TaoTe Ching |
We all need a little motivation when it comes to working out, and GymPact is the perfect way to get inspired.
How does it work? Make a commitment to work out a certain number of times a week. Choose the amount of money you are willing to risk if you don’t reach your goal. If you don’t achieve your goal? Your credit card gets charged. Achieved your goal? You get paid! The days of being paid to work out have finally come!
Compatibility(兼容性): iOS and AndroidZombie, Run! 2
That’s right. The zombie craze has even reached the fitness world. This action packed app adds an element that is sometimes missing from other workout apps-fun.
Zombies, Run! and Zombies, Run! 2 mix games and stories into your run as you complete missions in a world with zombies. Whether you’re gathering supplies, saving a human, or out-running a crowd of the undead, this app excites your normal jog with imagination and competition.
Compatibility: iOS and AndroidWeight Watchers Mobile
Sure, you’ve heard of Weight Watchers, but there is a reason this company has been around so long. Their system gets great results—plain and simple.
Weight Watchers Mobile is a great way to track your calorie consumption by using their point system. Not only can you enter and search for different foods in their database, you can scan barcodes for instant information about what you’re eating. The app counts down your available calories by day and also by week.
Weight Watchers Mobile even has a section to find foods from your favourite restaurants, and information on portion control and healthy eating. Their clean-looking, easy-to-use interface makes dieting more manageable and straightforward.
Compatibility: iOS and Android1. What’s the purpose of GymPact?
| A．To reward those who keep their word. | B．To teach the importance of working out. |
| C．To show how to earn money by exercising. | D．To help people stick to their workout plan. |
| A．Zombies are used to train users to run faster. |
| B．The app users are to compete against zombies. |
| C．It is designed to make running more enjoyable. |
| D．This app can improve both health and imagination. |
| A．record your calorie intake | B．easily organize your diet |
| C．order foods from a restaurant | D．get information about foods |
