1 . Spring Festival is traditionally a family holiday, but there are plenty of ways for travellers to celebrate Chinese New Year, which falls on February 12, 2021.
Watch a lion or dragon dance
Lion and dragon dances have been part of the festival since the Tang Dynasty. Closely related to kung fu, these dances demand strength and balance. Dragon dances are performed by a group of people who work together to bring the dragon's powerful yet graceful movements to life. Look out for the final and also the most exciting part of the dance called cai qing which means “picking the greens”. Competing groups will battle each other very hard to get the red envelope hidden in the green vegetables.
Eat and dress yourself up lucky
Like any festival in China, Chinese New Year is all about food. So prepare to eat yourself lucky. A whole fish is a popular choice. It means you'll have plenty of riches. Likewise, dumplings are also a lucky dish because they are said to look like the ancient silver coins. For more good luck, wear red underwear. If you happen to have been born in the Year of the Cow, you'd better wear them all year, as your ben ming nian is believed to be a year of bad luck. Also, on New Year's Day, don't clean anything-even yourself - or you'll be washing away the good luck.
Travel smart and cheap
Generally speaking, it is best to avoid travel in China at all during the busy Spring Festival period known as chunyun. But if you fly on New Year's Day, when offices are closed and Chinese families stay together, it can be surprisingly cheap with few passengers, particularly on popular routes, such as Beijing to Shanghai. You should avoid trying to head to major cities by public transport later than five days before or after New Year's Day, when millions of urban workers make their way home or back to work.
1. Why do dance groups fight so hard at the end of the dance?| A．To prove their power. | B．To show their kung fu. |
| C．To get the red envelope. | D．To hide the lucky vegetables. |
| A．Eating fish. | B．Wearing red underwear. |
| C．Making dumplings. | D．Having a shower in the evening. |
| A．On February 6. | B．On February 8. |
| C．On February 12. | D．On February 18. |
2 . London is a real treat for museum lovers and museums are a popular destination among London's many attractions. Below is a list of London's top museums.
London Transport Museum
Travel through the museum, which hosts exhibitions （展品展示）about transport with the social and cultural history of London. Inside, you'll find more than 80 vehicles covering 200 years of London's history, including a red Routemaster bus and the world's first underground steam train. There are great posters and artworks too!
Price: Adult ticket: £18.50 per ticket, child ticket: Free. Save £1.50 when purchasing tickets online in advance.
Opening time: 10:00 -18:00 daily.
British Museum
Spend hours wandering the world-famous British Museum, which exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times, collected from around the world. Don't miss the Rosetta Stone and the mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection.
Price: Free. A donation of £5 is recommended. Entrance fee for special exhibitions and some events.
Opening time: 10:00 - 17:30 daily. Open late on Fridays until 20:00.
Natural History Museum
As well as the dinosaur exhibition, the Natural History Museum keeps a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. See a life-sized blue whale and a 40-million-year-old spider.
Price: Free. Entrance fee for some of the special exhibitions and events.
Opening time: 10:00 - 17:50 daily. Open late on the last Friday of each month. Closed 24 - 26 December.
The Design Museum
The Design Museum is the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form. Check out the regular exhibitions showcasing the rich creativity found in all forms of design, and its importance to our world.
Price: Adult ticket: £10.00, child ticket: £5.00 （children under 6 go free）.
Opening time: 10:00 - 18:00. Open except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
1. Which museum attracts fans of Ancient Egypt most?| A．British Museum | B．Natural History Museum |
| C．London Transport Museum | D．The Design Museum |
| A．It is free of charge. |
| B．It closes on Christmas Day. |
| C．It collects special animals in the world. |
| D．It exhibits rarest mummies in the world. |
| A．Free | B．£5 | C．£10 | D．£15 |
3 . A 15-year-old Indian girl, Kumari, who pedalled her injured father more than a thousand kilometres across India, has been invited to try out for the national cycling team.
In January, a motor-bike driver, Mohan Paswan, who made a living by carrying passengers in New Delhi, was injured in a traffic accident. After the accident, Paswan couldn't drive. So his daughter, Kumari took a train across the country to take care of him. But without income, Paswan could no longer afford the rent and they were running out of food. They decided to go home. With the last $20, the 15-year-old girl bought an old bicycle, and planned to take her father to their home village across India --- in a heroic, life-saving ride.
Kumari rode a bicycle with her father, sitting on the pillion(后座)and holding their belongings from Gurugram city, near New Delhi, to their village in the northeastern state of Bihar. They arrived home on May 16 after covering 1,200 kilometres (745 miles) in seven days.
The father and daughter's arduous journey on a second-hand bike bought with their remaining funds made headlines. It also caught the attention of the Cycling Federation of India, which offered Kumari the chance to try out for the country's team. "She covered this long and difficult distance in seven days with her father and some luggage too. I thought she has something in her endurance level. We can try her," chairman Onkar Singh told the journalist.
“She said she only wants to pursue her studies. We told her that we also take care of studies at our academies. Singh said the federation would test Kumari to see if she is suitable for competitive cycling.
There were also other people who praised Kumari's efforts, describing it as a "'beautiful model of endurance and love."
1. What made Kumari have to ride a bike back home?| A．That her father was injured. |
| B．That she could only afford a bike. |
| C．That her home village was far away. |
| D．That she wanted to join in the cycling race. |
| A．dangerous | B．lovely | C．pleasant | D．tough |
| A．Because she has extraordinary physical ability. |
| B．Because he didn't have anyone better than her. |
| C．Because she only wants to pursue her studies. |
| D．Because she is suitable for competitive cycling. |
| A．strong and caring | B．positive and confident |
| C．warm-hearted and brave | D．hard-working and beautiful |
4 . In October, 2019, Beijing Daily warned the youth that they shouldn't let Internet slang （俚语） deepen the generation gap（代沟），after People Daily started a discussion on Chinese microblog Weibo on how to "explain" the youth's Internet slang terms to parents. The post got 40,000 likes. People were commenting that they couldn't keep up with the rapidly developing Internet lingo （术语）in China.
People also fear that Chinese Internet slang will negatively influence broader linguistic （语言的） trends of Mandarin Chinese, in particular, the gradual taking over of pinyin, the romanization of traditional Chinese characters using the Western alphabet. As pinyin gets widely used when people text or write on mobile phones or computers, while less and less people write characters by hand, people gradually forget how to write them, which is called "character amnesia" in China.
2019’s latest slang terms add a further simplification: the use of pinyin acronyms. "Awsl" in pinyin, for instance, means Ah, wo si le (Oh, I'm gonna die), and is used if something is too cute or adorable. "Nsdd" stands for ni shuo de dui (you're right).
Certainly, as an age-old written language, Chinese has been evolving and developing over the years. But the Chinese Internet lingo is unlikely to replace the existing use of Mandarin Chinese, but will rather be enriching it by adding another layer.
Acronyms aren't new. They have appeared with the limited space available in early-generation cell phone messaging. Some of them have become a part of the English language, such as BTW (by the way) and LOL (laugh out loud), while others had a rather short lifetime. That's likely to be what's going to happen with China's Internet slang terms. Some are going to be old in a few weeks, while others might make it into mainstream use, and as they do, young net users are coming up with new slang words to differentiate themselves.
In China, using Internet slang means belonging to a certain generation that likes to watch the same talk shows, play the same games, etc., and therefore, creates unity. Older generations don't have to feel left out, and certainly don't have to fear a degradation (没落)of the Chinese language. While language development is unavoidable, Internet slang is not going to let 6,000 years of Chinese written language completely change overnight.
1. The public are worried about Chinese Internet slang abuse because| A．It's used by children to keep secrets from parents. |
| B．It can cause confusion even among young people. |
| C．It was invented in response to the limited messaging space. |
| D．It will rarely have a positive effect on linguistic trends of Chinese. |
| A．They add variety to the language. |
| B．They are replacing its traditional vocabulary. |
| C．They make the language more global. |
| D．They only have temporary effects on Chinese. |
| A．a sense of purpose |
| B．a sense of group identity |
| C．a sense of cultural pride |
| D．a sense of safety |
| A．Is Media Helping Older Generation Understand Internet Slang? |
| B．Is Chinese Language Too Powerful to Be Largely Affected? |
| C．Is Mandarin Chinese Useful to Bridge the Generation Gap? |
| D．Is Internet Slang Deepening the Generation Gap, Ruining Chinese? |
5 . Paintings and sculptures can be a feast for the eyes of visitors to art museums, but today their viewing is also an unconventional treatment for people with mental illness.
Last month, a group of Canadian doctors started to write a new kind of prescription（处方）,which gives patients free access to the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts（MMFA）. There, they will have a "relaxing, revitalizing experience" looking at the museum's collections, according to MMFA.
Nathalie Bondil, the museum's director general, believes that being in contact with culture and arts can help with wellbeing. "In the 21st century, culture will be what physical activity was for health in the 20th century," she said.
Each prescription will allow not only the patients but also their families or friends to go with them. In the museum, the visitor can appreciate the artworks, and take part in a wide range of activities including drawing, sewing（缝纫）and making a sculpture with recycled materials.
The new treatment is said to be the first of its kind in the world. But there's increasing evidence that the display of visual art, especially art depicting（描绘）nature, can have positive effects on people with depression, anxiety and self-esteem（自尊）problems.
In 2017, the UK's All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing（APPGAHW）also released a report stating that "the time has come to recognise the powerful contribution the arts can make to our health and wellbeing".
Is it possible for art to improve overall health? We may not know the answer yet. But one thing is certain, more and more people today are persuaded by the idea that "art is good medicine".
1. What prescription did the group of Canadian doctors give to mental patients?| A．Get conventional treatment. |
| B．Relax by experiencing nature. |
| C．Join in some physical activities. |
| D．Appreciate paintings and sculptures. |
| A．Contacting culture and arts can make people rich. |
| B．Visiting art museums can help keep people healthy. |
| C．Culture will replace physical activities in the 21st century |
| D．Mental patients should go to museums with their families. |
| A．It can help with mental problems. |
| B．Nothing has proved it right so far. |
| C．It was used before by visual artists. |
| D．APPGAHW doubted its value. |
| A．Will MMFA be open to patients? |
| B．Is there a new treatment for artists? |
| C．Will fine arts improve mental health? |
| D．Is there a better medicine than art? |
6 . Feeling hungry? Then what’s the easiest way to satisfy your hunger? Many of us will reach for a takeaway menu and order some delicious- but possibly unhealthy -food. And our increasingly busy and stressful lives add to our need to buy ready-made food on the go or delivered to home.
Eating options are endless, and new technology means we can feed our desires at the push of a button. Takeaway delivery apps make ordering food quick and convenient, and during the recent coronavirus（冠状病毒）crisis, it provided a lifeline to those stuck at home with nothing to cook or who lacked the skills to prepare a meal for themselves. It’s estimated that in the UK alone, people eat three million takeaway meals a day, and the three biggest delivery apps together offer a choice of 100 dishes from 60, 000 restaurants.
It’s no wonder we are tempted to skip the grocery shopping, bypass the kitchen, and enjoy something that someone else has prepared. But ordering a pizza, a spicy curry or a box of noodles, can come at a price both financially and to our health. Eating too much processed and unhealthy fast food has some effect on obesity and the risk of developing certain diseases. A few years ago, The BBC Good Food Nation Survey found that most people ate fast food on average two days per week. But, in the 16 to 20-year-old category, one in six ate fast food at least twice a day.
Of course, reducing salt, sugar and fat is one way to make takeaway food healthier, as well as offering smaller portion sizes. But the best advice is to find a cooking book and try making your own healthy meal. And if you haven’t got time, try ordering a healthier alternative from the menu.
1. What has made ordering and delivering takeaway food easy?| A．The fast-pace lifestyle. | B．Takeaway delivery apps. |
| C．The coronavirus crisis. | D．Lack of cooking skills. |
| A．Processed food is usually sold at a low price. |
| B．It’s unbelievable for people to enjoy fast food. |
| C．Fast food does less harm to the health of adults. |
| D．The youth consume fast food more frequently. |
| A．Preparing meals yourself. | B．Eating in large restaurants. |
| C．Eating takeaway occasionally | D．Adding vegetables and fruit. |
| A．The popularity of takeaway. | B．The necessity of cooking at home. |
| C．The harm caused by takeaway. | D．The dilemma takeaway faces. |
7 . Online eating shows, or Mukbang(直播吃饭), originated in South Korea and have gained popularity globally.
Many hosts of such shows have become popular for their ability to eat large amounts of food. But these shows have also received criticism for their waste of food. While some hosts actually do consume the amount of food shown, others may be faking it.
On Aug 12, CCTV exposed several Chinese hosts who were pretending to eat large amounts of food while on camera, but actually later threw it away.
To discourage this practice, many video and livestreaming platforms, including Douyin, Kuaishow and Bilibili, have removed videos that show food waste, and have promoted messages to “stop food waste and eat reasonably.”
In June 2020, the United Nations warned that the world is on the verge of the worst food crisis in 50 years.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, about a third of the world’s food-1.3 billion tons- is wasted every year. In China alone, 50 million tons of food ends up in landfills every year, according to Beijing News.
Recently, campaigns against food waste have been further promoted. In August, President Xi Jinping stressed the need for safeguarding food security and stopping food waste.
According to China Daily, restaurants and catering associations in more than 18 provinces and all 4 municipal cities have issued guidelines to control food waste.
In Shanxi province, local restaurants have been asked to serve half portions to avoid waste. The Wuhan Catering Association proposed that restaurants adopt the “N-1 mode”. For example, a group of 10 diners should only order enough for nine people first. More food is only brought to the table if required.
In addition, a nationwide “Clear Your Plate” campaign has been launched online. Users of Sina Weibo are encouraged to share photos or videos of empty plates after finishing their meals.
Meanwhile, new laws are also being considered, according to China daily. “We will make new laws that give clear instructions on avoiding food waste,” said Zhang Guilong from the legislative Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress. The instructions will be detailed in every year of food production, purchasing storage, transportation, processing and consumption, according to Zhang.
1. What is CCTV’s attitude toward online eating shows?| A．Supportive. | B．Critical. | C．Objective. | D．Unclear. |
| A．Most video media are contributing to stopping food waste. |
| B．We should eat up all the food on the table. |
| C．It’s hard to carry out "Clear Your Plate campaign. |
| D．All the videos that show food waste have been removed. |
| A．We can adopt the “N+1 mode”. |
| B．We can eat more food than we need. |
| C．We can choose not to watch online eating shows. |
| D．We can ask the restaurants to serve us half portions. |
| A．Online eating shows should be banned. |
| B．New laws should be made to avoid food waste. |
| C．Measures are being taken to stop food waste. |
| D．We should share photos or videos of empty plates. |
8 . More than a billion people around the world have smart phones, almost all of which come with some kind of navigation（导航） app such as Apple Maps or Amap. This raises the age﹣old question we meet with any technology： What abilities is our brain losing to these apps？ But also, importantly： What abilities are we gaining？
Talking with people who are good at finding their way around or good at using paper maps, I often hear a lot of annoyance with digital maps. North/south direction gets messed up, and you can see only a small section at a time. I can really understand that it may be quite disturbing for the already skilled to be limited to a small phone screen.
But consider what digital navigation aids have meant for someone like me. Although being a frequent traveler, I'm so terrible at finding my way that I still use Apple Maps almost every day in the small town where I have lived for many years.
In many developed nations, street names and house numbers can be meaningful, and instructions such as "go north for three blocks and ---then west" make sense to those familiar with these rules. In Istanbul, however, where I grew up none of those hold true. For one thing, the locals seldom use street names. Besides, the city is full of winding and ancient alleys（小巷） that cross with newer streets at many angles.In such places, you'd better turn to the locals. In the American countryside, however, there is often nobody outside to ask, In fact, along came Apple Maps, like a fairy grandmother whispering directions in my ear. Since then, I travel with a lot more confidence, and my world has opened up.
Which brings me back to my original question： While we often lose some skills after depending on new technology, this new equipment may also allow us to gain new abilities. Maybe when technology closes door, we should also look for the doors it opens.
1. Why do people who are skilled at reading paper maps feel upset？| A．They like reading paper maps. |
| B．They are confused by digital maps direction. |
| C．They don't know how to use navigation apps. |
| D．They are limited to a single smartphone app. |
| A．Asking local people the way. |
| B．Following the navigation app. |
| C．Getting familiar with the city rules. |
| D．Looking for street names and house numbers. |
| A．Cautious. |
| B．Negative. |
| C．Favorable. |
| D．Critical. |
| A．Benefits of Navigation Apps |
| B．Disadvantages of Navigation Apps |
| C．My World Opens Up by New Technology |
| D．Have Navigation Apps Worsened Our Brain？ |
9 . Lake Tekapo lies in the center of the South Island in an area known as the Mackenzie Basin in New Zealand. Tekapo Tourism provides one of the most comprehensive accommodation (住宿) listings in the region. All accommodation providers in Tekapo are listed as follows.
• The Chalet Boutique Motel
It’s only a short distance from the Church of the Good Shepherd. You’ll find the Chalet Boutique Motel very close to the shores of Lake Tekapo.
At the Chalet Boutique Motel you have the choice of six self-contained (独立的) apartments varying in size from 2-bedroom apartments to studio apartments (单间公寓). Some offer excellent views of the lake and mountains.
Address: Pioneer Drive, PO Box 2, Lake Tekapo
• Tekapo B2 Apartment
Tekapo B2 apartment is a self-contained, one-bedroom, upstairs apartment with views overlooking Lake Tekapo. It’s only a short walk from the town center. The bedroom is suitable for two people. A double sofa bed is available for a third person or child.
Address: 2 Murray Place, Lake Tekapo
• Mt John Historic Homestead
Built in 1911，the Mount John Homestead has recently been renovated (整修). An original collection of art by a local artist and thousands of local photos are displayed throughout the rooms.
The yard is also available for special occasions such as weddings, family reunions or small parties. A minimum (最少的) booking of 2 nights is required.
Address: State Highway 8，PO Box 91，Lake Tekapo
1. If Lily wants to take a walk along the shores of Lake Tekapo, she’d better stay in .| A．the Church of the Good Shepherd | B．the Chalet Boutique Motel |
| C．Tekapo B2 Apartment | D．Mt John Historic Homestead |
| A．Both have a long history. | B．Both have recently been renovated. |
| C．Both have local photos in the rooms. | D．Both have rooms with a lake view. |
| A．It has studio apartments. | B．It is near the town center. |
| C．It can hold a wedding. | D．It is the cheapest of the three. |
10 . Every animal species carries unique viruses that have specifically adapted to infecting it. Over time, some of these have jumped to humans — these are known as “zoonotic” viruses.
As the population grows, we move into wild areas, which brings us into more frequent contact with animals we don’t normally have contact with. Thus viruses can jump from animals to humans and they can spread between humans, through close contact with body fluids (体液) like blood or urine.
Because every virus has evolved to target a particular species, it’s rare for a virus to beable to jump to another species. When this does happen, it’s by chance, and it usually requires a large amount of contact with the virus.
Initially, the virus is usually not well-suited to its new host and doesn’t spread easily. Over time, however, it can evolve in the new host to produce variants that are better adapted.
When viruses jump to a new host, a process called zoonosis, they often cause more severe disease. This is because viruses and their initial hosts have evolved together, and the species has time to build up resistance. The new host species, on the other hand, might not have evolved the ability to tackle (应对) the virus. For example, when we come into contact with bats and their viruses, we may develop rabies or Ebola virus disease, while the bats themselves are less affected.
It’s likely that bats are the original source of three recently emerged coronaviruses: SARS-CoV (2003), MERS-CoV (2012) and SARS-CoV-2. All of these jump from bats to humans via an intermediate animal; in the case of SARS-CoV-2, this may have been pangolins (穿山甲), but more research is needed.
1. Why is it rare for a virus to infect another species?| A．The new host can deal with the virus. |
| B．The new species builds up resistance. |
| C．Every virus can’t adapt to the new species. |
| D．Each virus develops to target a specific species. |
| A．The resistance of the old species. |
| B．The ability of the new host species. |
| C．The process of the viral infection. |
| D．The reason for the virus variation. |
| A．SARS-CoV. | B．SARS-CoV-2. |
| C．Not mentioned. | D．MERS-CoV. |
| A．Humans should not move into wild areas. |
| B．Wild animals are actually our best friends. |
| C．A virus can spread from animals to humans. |
| D．A virus can vary to infect another species. |
