1 . Of all the Chinese 24 solar terms, Clear and Bright (清明) is the only one whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival, the Qingming Festival. The words “clear” and “bright” describe the weather during this period. Temperatures begin to rise and rainfall increases, making it an important time for growing crops in the spring. As is known, it is a time to worship ancestors, however, here are several things you may not know about Clear and Bright.

Spring Outings

Not only is it a period to honor the dead, but it is also time for people to go out and enjoy nature. As trees turn green, flowers blossom, and the sun shines brightly, everything returns to life. It is a fine time to appreciate the beauty of nature.

Flying Kites

Flying kites is an activity favored by many Chinese during Tomb-Sweeping Day. Kites are not only flown during the day time but also in the evening. Little lanterns are tied to the kites. And when the kites are flying in the sky, the lanterns look like twinkling stars at night. What makes flying kites during this day special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly freely. It is said that this brings good luck and that diseases can be chased away by doing this.

Cuju

Cuju is an interesting game played during this period. Ju is a ball made of leather with hairs plugged in it. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor first invented it for training warriors. Later, Cuju was used by people to build up their bodies when they were unable to eat hot food during the Cold Food Festival.

Feasting on Qingtuan

In the lower parts of the Yangtze River region, qingtuan is very popular on Tomb-Sweeping Day. Qingtuan is a kind of round green cake. In order to make the cakes, people mash (捣碎) barnyard grass (艾草) to squeeze juice from it and mix the flour and juice to a paste. Then they put fillings into the paste and steam them. Pretty and delicate, qingtuan has a special flavor.

1. What is special about flying kites during Clear and Bright?

A．Flying kites with lanterns in the evening.

B．Flying kites to bring good luck.

C．Cutting the kite string to let it fly freely.

D．Flying kites both in the daytime and at night.

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．Clear and Bright is an important period for farming.

B．Qingtuan is traditionally eaten during the period of Clear and Bright all over China.

C．Cuju was invented by the Yellow Emperor to play in the Qingming Festival.

D．Clear and Bright is one of the 24 solar terms whose first day is also a traditional Chinese festival.

3. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．How to celebrate the Qingming Festival.

B．Flying kites in a special way.

C．Ways to have fun during Clear and Bright.

D．Some unknown customs about Clear and Bright.

2 . “Where should I eat?” We hope to answer that age-old question. This simple list provides a view into Montreal’s good restaurants.

Mastard

Chef Simon Mathys is celebrated as one of the best in the business. He owns and runs Mastard with his wife, Viki Brisson-Sylvestre. At Mastard, officially opened in January 2021, Mathys prepares five-course menus that are local-product driven, seasonal, inventive and delicious.

Vin Mon Lapin

When this restaurant said, mid-COVID, that it would be doubling its space, it may have sounded like a risky move — but it paid off. Mon Lapin has been one of the hottest tables around since it opened in March 2018. Its menu changes with the seasons, featuring fresh veggies and seafood.

Chez Ma Tante

Started in 1929, this Quebec-style restaurant first served steamed (蒸的) hot dogs out of a horse-drawn carriage (四轮马车). Later, it moved into a building on Fleury Street. Old-school in the best way, Chez Ma Tante remains one of the top hot dog suppliers (供应商) in the city. Open until 4 a.m. daily.

Dobe & Andy

Open since 1982, Dobe & Andy is Chinatown’s leading Hong Kong-style barbecue restaurant. It is now run by second-generation owners, the Ku brothers. Since taking over from their father, they have made some tasty additions, but the time-honoured char siu pork, crispy roast pork and roast duck remain headliners.

1. What do Mastard and Vin Mon Lapin have in common?

A．They both offer seasonal menus.	B．They both have five-course menus.
C．They both have world-famous chefs.	D．They both enlarged their restaurants in 2021.

2. What is special about Dobe & Andy?

A．It is run by a married couple.

B．It provides various Chinese dishes.

C．It remains one of the top hot dog makers in the city.

D．It is one of the most popular Quebec-style restaurants in the city.

3. Of the following restaurants, which is the oldest?

A．Mastard.

B．Vin Mon Lapin.

C．Chez Ma Tante.

D．Dobe & Andy.

3 . A group of fashion (时尚) design students have created 25 fidget blankets (毯子) to help senior patients keep busy while in the hospital — but what’s a fidget blanket?

The blankets offer sensory and tactile stimulators (感觉和触觉刺激物) for the restless hands of those with Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia (a serious illness of the mind), according to Windsor Regional Hospital (WRH) officials. The blankets have different things such as fur, pockets or buttons fixed on them and these things can stimulate activity.

The blankets help to kill boredom and calm the users down through repetitive movements.

“The students are trying to make the best use of the cloth given by the community,” St. Clair College fashion design program professor Elaine Chatwood said. “The blanket is a perfect example of green design, by using supplies that would have been thrown away.”

According to WRH officials, the college’s fashion design students have a long history of helping out patients. Students have created and given away things like sleepwear for young children, hospital gowns (罩衣) for patients and 640 cloth masks that were used during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I believe this is the third project our fashion design students have carried out with Windsor Regional Hospital. In the past, they created gowns for those having MRI exams and cloth face masks for doctors and nurses during the pandemic,” St. Clair College president Patti France said. “These fidget blankets are just the latest example of this mutually (相互地) beneficial relationship between our local educational and healthcare organizations. I hope this serves as a message to the whole community that if you think any of the programs at St. Clair might be able to help your organization, get in touch with us.”

The fidget blankets will be given out to patients in need in the coming months.

1. What can we learn about the fidget blanket?

A．It was made by old people.

B．It is worth about 25 dollars.

C．It can help fight off boredom.

D．It was developed for a competition.

2. Which of the following can best describe the fidget blanket?

A．Single-use.	B．Youth-centered.
C．Electricity-driven.	D．Environment-friendly.

3. What is paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．The good things done by fashion design students with their skills.

B．The work done by fashion design students during the pandemic.

C．The long history of St. Clair College fashion design program.

D．The needs of patients from Windsor Regional Hospital.

4. What does France want the community to do?

A．Pay more attention to local hospitals.

B．Give more support to St. Clair College.

C．Reach out to St. Clair College if need be.

D．Develop a lifelong interest in fashion design.

4 . I suffered a stroke (中风) in March 2013, then mostly recovered (康复) and realized I had been very ________. Six months after the stroke, I began to take piano lessons. Some people believe students can only learn music well when they’re ________. Money problems meant I never had that ________ as a child. But I had a dream, so this belief did not ________ the 52-year-old me.

I learned slowly with my first teacher. Then after two years, I started with a man. He seemed ________. In our first lesson, he asked me how my last teacher taught. I ________ how she would play each new song for me first and then help me work it out.

“I won’t be doing that,” he said. “I expect you to learn the ________ yourself and I expect you to practice. If not, you will have to find another ________.”

Our class lasted three months. However, in our last lesson before Christmas, he strongly criticized (批评) me, saying that I played with the ________ rhythm and tone (节奏和音调). I went home in a state of ________.

When I saw him again, I played the same ________ again and then said, “I practiced this piece about 500 times.”

There was silence. Then, surprisingly, he said he could see I had put ________ into it.

From that day, he changed. He became kind and warm. He ________ explained difficult terms and took care to ________ my creativity. Through him, I fell deeply in love with ________.

It is the piano that helps me get over the stroke and find my confidence again.

1.

A．free

B．tired

C．lucky

D．cold

2.

A．young

B．clever

C．famous

D．healthy

3.

A．feeling

B．chance

C．worry

D．trouble

4.

A．surprise

B．attract

C．save

D．discourage

5.

A．strict

B．mad

C．satisfied

D．funny

6.

A．asked

B．described

C．learned

D．considered

7.

A．benefits

B．stories

C．notes

D．letters

8.

A．teacher

B．student

C．doctor

D．family

9.

A．strong

B．common

C．different

D．wrong

10.

A．fear

B．peace

C．sadness

D．excitement

11.

A．song

B．trick

C．match

D．sport

12.

A．interest

B．pressure

C．money

D．effort

13.

A．angrily

B．patiently

C．secretly

D．probably

14.

A．challenge

B．limit

C．develop

D．copy

15.

A．painting

B．literature

C．running

D．music

5 . Low-maintenance (无须费神的) care is one of the biggest advantages of owning a cat. Cats are known for being independent. And unlike dogs, cats don’t require daily walks in order to get their exercise fix.     1     It’s necessary to make sure your cat has plenty of chances to move her body.

Why is Exercise Important for Cats?

Exercise is very important when it comes to keeping your cat healthy. Exercise, along with diet, is important for maintaining your cat’s weight.     2     Plus, that extra weight can put added pressure on the legs and feet, leading to mobility problems down the road.

Exercise is also good for mental health (精神健康).     3     As an added benefit, enough physical exercise can keep your cat from acting in destructive (破坏性的) ways.

How Much Exercise Does Your Cat Need?

The exact amount (数量) of recommended exercise differs from cat to cat.     4     This doesn’t necessarily mean running or walking for 30 minutes straight, though.

How to Help Your Cat Exercise

    5     Try playing together for at least 15 minutes or so per day with toys. With enough independent games, toys, and tools for your cat to use on her own terms, she will also get in more movement, like walking, climbing, and scratching (抓).

A．Cats are good at taking care of themselves.

B．Exercise helps to kill boredom and lower stress.

C．That doesn’t mean cat exercise isn’t important, though.

D．Taking your cat outside can inspire her interest in exercise.

E．For most adult cats, though, 30 minutes per day is recommended.

F．Fat cats may be cute, but being overweight can lead to health problems.

G．Playing with your cat every day is one of the best ways to help them exercise.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Nanjing, the capital city of China’s Jiangsu Province and located ( 位于) along the Yangtze River Delta (三角洲),     1     (be) once the capital of the Ming Dynasty and is recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China alongside Beijing, Xi’an     2     Luoyang.

But if you’ll only be visiting for 72 hours, there are a few     3     (experience) that you shouldn’t miss out on.

Any trip to Nanjing, no matter     4     short it is, wouldn’t be complete without some excellent food. Nanjing cuisine is a part of Jiangsu cuisine and often shows the area’s     5     (local) grown produce and fresh seafood.

The city is also considered the birthplace of Peking Duck, but it also prepares a local favorite: Nanjing salted duck,     6     is served cold after being cooked in very salty water.

The area’s close     7     (connect) to the river delta ensures that travelers will have a taste of seafood, such as hairy crab.

Nanjing is known for     8     (it) cultural and political importance. Today, travelers can visit numerous temples (寺庙) within the city and walk along Stone City, the remains of the city’s ancient fortifications (防御工事), at a local park.

Nanjing is also home     9     one UNESCO World Heritage Site — the Xiaoling Mausoleum of the Ming Dynasty, located in the Zhongshan Mountain National Park, where many other    10     (importance) sites, such as Dr. Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum, are also located.

7 . Scientists from Georgia Tech have developed a new robot named ESTHER (Experimental Sport Tennis Wheelchair Robot), which can move around the court and even return human serves.

The team believes the robot could serve as a training partner (搭档) for professional players in the future, lowering the pressure of training with another human.

The robot is the brainchild of Georgia Tech’s Matthew Gombolay, professor of robotics in the School of Interactive Computing. He wanted to develop a better training challenge than a ball feeder that stays in one place, one that would act like an always on-call partner or even team up with someone in doubles matches. The result is ESTHER, an adapted wheelchair tennis chair that can race to balls at ten metres per second and probably outplay a human.

Mr Gombolay explains: “The wheelchair has the ability to rapidly move around the court and get into position (恰当位置) to hit a ground stroke (击落地球). ESTHER can move up to two metres after a ball is struck to hit a successful return, which is comparable to the longest distance moved by human players for 80 per cent of shots (击球).”

The robot was named in homage to well-known wheelchair tennis player Esther Vergeer, who held the world No. 1 position in women’s wheelchair tennis for almost 13 years straight.

The team placed a network of cameras around a tennis court and used computer vision algorithms (视觉算法) to help ESTHER recognise an incoming tennis ball. Using cameras from different positions, they could know where the ball is in the air and feed this information to ESTHER. The team reached a breakthrough when they successfully and continually programmed ESTHER to track the tennis ball coming toward it and to hit a return.

ESTHER will now be developed to act as a highly-skilled tennis player.

1. What is ESTHER able to do?

A．Return a shot.

B．Clean up a court.

C．Push a wheelchair.

D．Control a ball feeder.

2. What does the underlined part “in homage to” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．In search of.

B．In honour of.

C．As a result of.

D．With the help of.

3. In what way are cameras helpful to ESTHER?

A．They improve its vision.	B．They direct it to the ball.
C．They help it stay in position.	D．They picture unexpected things in the air.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Athletes in wheelchairs	B．An all-purpose robot at home
C．Rules are changing for tennis courts	D．A robot moves around the tennis court