2 . Chinese cuisine has a long history, and is one of the most diverse cooking heritage in the world. More than just delicious dishes, it reflects the distinctive and profound Chinese culture. With its long history, some of the Chinese food is listed into the intangible cultural heritage（非物质文化遗产) of the nation. We’ve chosen four dishes from the list, some of which you may find quite familiar with.

1. Nanxiang Steamed Bun

With a history of about 150 years, Nanxiang steamed bun (also known as Nanxiang xiaolongmantou or Nanxiang xiaolongbao), is still one signature dish of Chinese cuisine. It is famous for its thin wrapping and rich filling. When having the steamed bun, keep in mind to take a small bite first and enjoy the tasty juice that flows into your mouth.

2. Zhoucun Sesame Seed Cake

Zhoucun sesame seed cake is a healthy and nutritious snack suitable for the young and the old. It has a long history of around 1,800 years, and is named after its place of origin, Zhoucun village of Zibo, Shandong Province. It is widely known for being "shaped like the full moon, thin as an autumn leaf; breaking into pieces of jade (玉) when dropped on the floor, leaving a strong flavour in your mouth".

3. Dragon Beard Noodles

With great popularity in northern China, dragon beard noodles have a history of more than 300 years. It is not clear exactly how they were created in the first place, but the legend says that a royal chef first made them to please the emperor in the Ming Dynasty. It is said that they got the name for being almost as thin as a human hair.

4. Beijing Roast Duck

The history of Beijing roast duck can be traced back to the 13th century, when it was on the menu of the imperial family. It later became popular among the common people, as some royal chefs began to open their own restaurants. Today, it’s without any doubt one of the most famous

Chinese dishes, and there is hardly any tourist who would take the risk of missing it during their trip to Beijing.
1. What is Nanxiang steamed bun known for?

A．Its long history and strong flavour.

B．Its round shape and tasty juice.

C．Its thin wrapping and rich filling.

D．Its light flavour and delicious filling.

2. What do we know about Zhoucun sesame seed cake?

A．It was created by a royal chef who wanted to please the emperor.

B．It has a history of 300 years.

C．It is named after the place where it was created.

D．It is not suitable for the old.

3. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Top Four Chinese Dishes

B．A Bite of China’s Intangible Cultural Heritage

C．Stories Behind Chinese Snacks

D．Taking a Chinese Food Tour

4 . Hacking (侵入) isn’t just for computers or smart phones. According to a study published last week in Science, scientists have found a way to hack a plant’s genes in order to make it use sunlight more quickly. Someday, the result could increase the amount of food produced around the world.

Scientists who did the new study believe photosynthesis (光合作用) is a very slow process. Plants use less than one percent of the energy available to them. But by hacking a plant’s genes the scientists are able to increase the amount of leaf growth on plants between 14 and 20 percent.

Specially, scientists hacked the plant’s protective system. Normally, this system can be useful when a plant gets too much sunlight. When the plant senses the light, it removes extra energy and creates more leaves. When the plant can’t meet light, the protective system is turned off. But the process is slow. Stephen Long is the lead author of the study. He compared a plant’s protective system to light-adjusting glasses. “When a person wears the sunglasses outside during the day, the sunglasses darken and lighten depending on how sunny it is. Plants do the same thing,” he said. But in plants, the adjustment can take place anywhere, which lasts from 10 minutes to an hour. This makes it hard for plants to get the right amount of sunlight needed to create food.

The new study sped up the process. By changing the plant’s genes, the protective system turned on and off more quickly. As a result, leaf growth on the plants scientists used in the study increased. Leaf growth on two plants increased by 20 percent, while leaf growth on third plants increased by 14 percent. Scientists did the study on tobacco plants. But they think the genetic modification would produce the same results on corn and rice plants. Agriculture professor Tala Awanda said the study made senses, but cautioned the production might not be quite so high for traditional food crops. Still, she added in an email, “This study remains a breakthrough.”

1. What will happen when the plants’ genes are hacked?

A．The plants will use sunlight more properly.

B．The plants will remove the energy quickly.

C．The plants will turn on their protective system.

D．The plants will work faster to produce more food.

2. How do scientists make plants produce more leaves?

A．By making plants get less sunlight.

B．By using computers and smart phones.

C．By making photosynthesis become slow.

D．By changing the protective system of plants.

3. Why does the author mention the light-adjusting glasses?

A．To warn people of the hot and bright sun.

B．To explain the usage of plants’ protective system.

C．Just to better understand how sunny it is every day.

D．Just to talk about the adjustment of sunglasses to the sun.

4. What is Tala Awanda’s attitude towards the study?

A．Critical.

B．Negative.

C．Objective.

D．Doubtful.

5 . It was nearly dark; the sun was dropping down the mountains far away. Little Tom came back home, with tears in his eyes.

“What’s the matter, Tom? How’s your trip?” His mother asked with a big smile. “I failed. The mountain is so high and full of big or small stones on the way, I still go ahead. But I was tired and it was so late that I had to come back.” Tom cried. “It doesn’t matter, you are only 14 years old after all. You will have another chance.” His mother said. “But, standing at the top of the mountain is my dream!” Tom said. His father came over and asked, “Did you see the green trees on your way to the mountain?” “Sure, and there were a lot of beautiful flowers by the side of the road.” Tom replied. “Did you hear the birds singing?” His father asked. “There were many kinds of birds singing in the trees, and the sound was very sweet.” Tom said. “Did you feel the beauty of nature?” His father asked. “Yes, the blue sky, the white clouds, the green trees and the colorful flowers made a nice picture.” Tom answered. “That’s enough!” His father smiles and said, “Please remember, my son. For often, achieving what you expect is not the most important thing. Although you didn’t reach the top of the mountain, you got a lot on the way.”

It is true that not every goal will be achieved, not every job will end up with a success, and not every dream will come true. The most beautiful scenery is on the way.

1. Tom got back home ________ when the sun was dropping.

A．slowly

B．sadly

C．quickly

D．early

2. What’s the main reason that Tom didn’t reach the top of the mountain?

A．The mountain was so high.	B．The way was full of big or small stones.
C．He was tired and it was so late.	D．He was only 14 years old.

3. Tom saw a lot of things on the way to the mountain except ________.

A．clear water	B．blue sky
C．colorful flowers	D．green trees

4. The writer tries to tell us that ________.

A．the goal is not important	B．everyone should climb the mountain
C．the mountain is very beautiful	D．the process is more important than the result

7 .

For children Museum: Children’s Museum, Sundays, 89 North Street, 67641235 Story time: Children’s library, 106 Green Street, Wednesdays during 9:30 a.m—5:00 p.m. 66599624 Sports: Soccer Club, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 16 Yangtze Road, 96725643 Basketball club, Wednesdays and Fridays, 79071632 Cinema: New films for children, 99 Brick Road, 69001354

Useful Phone Numbers Fast Food Restaurant: 66387901 Hospital: 68787451 Visitor Information Center: 800-120-9847 Taxi: 79210583 Visitor Hotel Information: 800-739-7302

1. If children want to watch new films, they should go to ________.

A．16 Yangtze Road	B．89 North Street
C．106 Green Street	D．99 Brick Road

2. If you dial (拨号) 66387901, you can ________.

A．ask for some hotel information	B．do some shopping
C．have a good time	D．order fast food in a restaurant

3. You can not get any information about ________.

A．looking for a hotel	B．doing eye exercises
C．eating fast food	D．taking a taxi

8 . When I think of my childhood, I remember cycling with my friends and buying orange candies, but most of all, going home to see my grandma waiting at the doorstep and asking, “How was your day, bunny?”

Nana (I call my grandma Nana) saw me ________. She left me many great ________. She told me stories of the fairies and princesses but also of the wars and how she ________ those days.

Nana was born during the Second World War with a very different lifestyle and childhood from me. She didn’t get ________. In fact, she had to help with the housework. Even when her siblings (兄弟姐妹) got the ________ to learn, she would only watch them read and write. But she never ________. That is the most important lesson she had taught me.

She taught me to be ________ whatever things I had in my life. When I ________ to be selected in my school’s cheerleading team, I was very upset, but she made me realize that, if not in the cheerleading team, something else was out there in the world that was going to happen to ________, and it did. I ________ a state-level gymnast.

As years went by, Alzheimer’s disease (老年痴呆症) ate her from the ________. The ________ who once refused to call me by any name but her “little bunny”, now didn’t even remember what my ________ was. Soon, she forgot who I was until I sang Frank Sinatra’s Fly me to the Moon. The tiny spark (火花) of ________ in her eyes was what I ________. The little glimmer (微光) in her eyes meant that I was her “bunny” once again.

One day, the glimmer ________ disappeared from her eyes and that was the day when I knew I had lost my nana. On her last day on this earth, as I sat beside her bed watching her fall in and out of ________, I heard her hum Fly me to the Moon ________. That was the last time when I heard her ________, but I will keep it in my heart forever.

Nana took a piece of my childhood with her when she ________. She is my world, and I know she is proud of me.

1.

A．grow up

B．look out

C．look up

D．work out

2.

A．works

B．designs

C．truths

D．memories

3.

A．forgot

B．celebrated

C．survived

D．calculated

4.

A．care

B．education

C．assistance

D．fame

5.

A．invitation

B．law

C．burden

D．opportunity

6.

A．complained

B．cried

C．struggled

D．argued

7.

A．eager for

B．upset about

C．grateful for

D．curious about

8.

A．pretended

B．failed

C．wished

D．managed

9.

A．me

B．her

C．it

D．them

10.

A．trained

B．got

C．needed

D．became

11.

A．outside

B．inside

C．top

D．bottom

12.

A．woman

B．master

C．neighbour

D．colleague

13.

A．address

B．job

C．hobby

D．name

14.

A．ambition

B．separation

C．recognition

D．permission

15.

A．occupied

B．expected

C．represented

D．seized

16.

A．hardly

B．usually

C．completely

D．slightly

17.

A．sight

B．style

C．service

D．sleep

18.

A．loudly

B．beautifully

C．weakly

D．fluently

19.

A．voice

B．story

C．laughter

D．praise

20.

A．sank

B．dreamed

C．left

D．whispered

9 . The story of a 92-year-old book lover in a village of Chongqing has touched many recently. Sun Shiquan has collected more than 7,000 books over the decades and has offered a free local library for residents for years.

He was born in Pipa village in Xiuqi township of Chongqing’s Chengkou county. Being a bookworm as a child, he read all kinds of ancient books including the Four Books and the Five Classics. In the 1950s, he became one of only a handful of local college graduates and later served as a primary and middle school teacher in the county.

Sun said he started to collect books in 1983 and gradually built a diverse collection over more than 40 years. Among his holdings is a precious set known as the Complete Works of Chinese Classics, published during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It is one of only seven copies in the country.

Wearing glasses and using a magnifying glass, Sun reads for more than three hours every day. Now he has finished reading most of his collection.

Speaking of her father, Sun Ziyu said, “My father has a habit of making notes on each book. He makes a mark whenever he stops reading so that he can carry on reading from where he left off.” Village official Liu Jiao said, “Many children in the village love to visit Sun and listen to his stories.” She said the elderly man has earned respect from the whole village. People call him “Teacher Sun” and children call him “great-grandfather”.

Sun Ziyu said her father also writes poems and prose in his spare time and enjoys reading his works to the family. She said under her father’s influence, family members take the time to read together and exchange views. That’s their favorite part. “My father has loved reading for a lifetime,” Sun Ziyu said. “Reading is his meat and drink.”

1. What do we know about Sun Shiquan?

A．He was once a college teacher in Chongqing.

B．Reading wasn’t his preference when he was a child.

C．The Complete Works of Chinese Classics is his treasure.

D．He has just bought the Four Books and the Five Classics.

2. What does the underlined word “magnifying” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Costing less money than usual.

B．Shaped like a circle or a ball.

C．Greater in size than usual or average.

D．Making sth. look bigger than it really is.

3. How does Sun Shiquan read every book, according to his daughter?

A．He likes to take notes.

B．He loves to read quite quickly.

C．He is only fond of reading novels.

D．He doesn’t like to discuss them with others.

4. What can serve as the best title for the news report?

A．Sun Shiquan collects more than 7,000 books

B．Chongqing man, 92, gives gift of literature

C．Elderly man earns respect from whole village

D．Elderly man’s stories attract children in village

10 . Thirteen-year-old Kaylee has a lot of friends — 532, actually, if you count up her online friends. And she spends a lot of time with them.

But is it possible that Kaylee’s online friendships could be making her lonely? That’s what some experts believe. Connecting online is a great way to stay in touch, they say. However, some experts worry that many kids are so busy connecting online that they might be missing out on true friendships.

Could this be true? During your parents’ childhoods, connecting with friends usually meant spending time with them in the flesh. Kids played Scrabble around a table, not Words with Friends on their phones. When friends missed each other, they picked up the telephone. Friends might even write letters to each other.

Today, most communication takes place online. A typical teen sends 2,000 texts a month and spends more than 44 hours per week in front of a screen. Much of this time is spent on social media platforms (平台).

In fact, in many ways, online communication can make friendships stronger. “There’s definitely a positive influence. Kids can stay in constant contact, which means they can share more of their feelings with each other,” says Katie Davis, co-author of The App Generation.

Other experts, however, warn that too much online communication can get in the way of forming deep friendships. “If we are constantly checking in with our virtual (虚拟的) worlds, we will have little time for our real-world friendships,” says Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University. Rosen also worries that today’s kids might mistake the “friends” on the social media for true friends in life. However, in tough times, you don’t need someone to like your picture or share your blogs. You need someone who will keep your secrets and hold your hand. You would like to talk face to face.

1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?

A．To summarize the text.	B．To tell about true friends.
C．To bring up a discussion.	D．To encourage online friendship.

2. What does the underlined part “in the flesh” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．In any case.

B．In person.

C．In this way.

D．In advance.

3. What is Katie`s attitude towards online communication?

A．Worried.

B．Unconcerned.

C．Confused.

D．Positive.

4. What view does Rosen hold?

A．It`s wise to turn to friends online.

B．It`s easier to develop friendships in reality.

C．Teenagers need to focus on real-world friendships.

D．Social media help people stay closely connected.