1 . While English is getting more important in our schools, Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. But Chinese can be more difficult to learn. At least 16-year-old Piao Chenglong thinks so. “English is easier for me. Chinese characters (汉字) have too many strokes (笔画),” said Piao. “But I want to learn it. I want to study at Beijing University when I grow up.” Piao is from Korea. He came to China in 2008.
In Korea, there are more than 300, 000 Chinese learners like Piao. Some Korean students begin to learn to write the language on their first day at school. To help students learn Chinese, Korea holds speaking competitions for high school students every year.
Chinese isn’t just popular in Korea. People from all the world want to learn it. The Ministry of Education of China says that nearly 130 million people from 85 countries are learning Chinese. This number will be increasing to 800 million in the coming years.
In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. Some American middle schools have Chinese classes. Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots (中国结). Some even try to write and draw in the Chinese way!
People want to learn Chinese because China is becoming such an important country. Foreign countries want to understand China better to help them with business. The Chinese government is also helping the world learn Chinese. It has sent more than 200 Chinese teachers to more than 60 countries in the world. Many more Confucius Institutes (孔子学院) will be set up in the world. These institutes will teach Chinese to foreign students.
1. Which of the following is the topic sentence for the text?| A．Chinese has become popular among foreign kids. |
| B．Chinese can be more difficult to learn. |
| C．In America, Chinese is the second most popular foreign language after Spanish. |
| D．Students learn to make jiaozi and tie Chinese knots. |
| A．China. | B．America. | C．Korea. | D．Spain. |
| A．making jiaozi |
| B．writing and drawing in the Chinese way |
| C．tying Chinese knots |
| D．singing Chinese songs |
| A．Because Chinese is getting more important in their schools. |
| B．Because Chinese characters have too many strokes. |
| C．Because the number of people learning Chinese will be 800 million. |
| D．Because China is becoming more and more important in the world. |
| Cox’s Hotel Tel: 87058366 E-mail: www.coxshotel.co.uk Website: www.coxshotrl.co.uk Opening times: Coffee shop: 9:00am-6:00pm Everyday Tea room: 10:30am-5:30pm Monday—Thursday Pub (酒吧): 6:00pm-11:30pm Friday- Saturday | Hamilton Zoo Over 600 animals: tigers, pandas… Opening hours: 9: 00am-5: 00pm Monday- Sunday An adult: ￡ 15 A child (under 12 years old): ￡ 10 Tel: 23653692 |
| Sunshine Club For young people from 12 to 18 years old Include games, music, dancing and more. Every Saturday: 6: 30am-9: 30pm 28 Oxford Street, London Tel: 76239652 Price: Just￡3 a time | Cartoon Museum Come and see the best of British cartoon art. There is something for everyone, including popular cartoon characters and a great shop full of funny books and cards. Price: free Opening times: Tuesday-Saturday: 10: 30am-5: 30pm Sunday: 11: 00 am-6: 00 pm Tel: 65235873 |
| A．A 10-year-old kid. | B．A 14-year-old kid. |
| C．A 19-year-old man. | D．A 30-year-old woman. |
| A．In the Cartoon Museum. | B．At Cox’s Hotel. |
| C．In the Sunshine Club. | D．In the Hamilton Zoo. |
| A．￡10 | B．￡15 | C．￡25 | D．￡4 |
3 . September is one of the very best months to visit France. Not only will you get to enjoy plenty of sunshine and warm weather, but the tourist season is beginning to wind down-which means cheaper airfares, lower prices at hotels, and fewer crowds. If this is your first trip to France, here is some handy information to help you get started planning your vacation!
Go Wine Tasting
September is the beginning of the grape harvest season in France, meaning there are plenty of wine-related events and festivals around the country. So September is a great time to visit the vineyards(葡萄园) around the country and go wine tasting. The Bordeaux, Loire and Burgundy regions are all lovely and great places to visit vineyards. Besides that, going to the castles of the Loire region in between visiting vineyards on such warm and sunny days is also very enjoyable.
Take a Barge Cruise
The temperatures are slightly lower, but plenty of sunshine makes for perfect conditions to enjoy a barge cruise on the canals of France. With such comfortable weather and beautiful scenery at this time of year, nothing equals hanging out on the deck of a barge.
Visit the Museums
Many museums in France have extended opening hours during the summer to accommodate the extra tourists and locals, and some museums also have extended opening hours into September. Wandering around the Louvre will take you into a wonder world, where you can enjoy world-famous art. Going out of the Louvre, you can walk to the modern and fashionable Champs Elysees to do some shopping.
Besides the above, riding a bike through France’s villages is also a welcome activity for young visitors in September. So, don’t hesitate and start to plan your September trip to France now.
1. Which of the following can best describe France in September?| A．Hot and quiet | B．Cool and noisy. | C．Warm and quiet. | D．Cold and noisy. |
| A．Paris | B．Bordeaux. | C．Burgundy. | D．Loire. |
| A．December | B．July | C．May | D．February |
4 . L. Bean Quad backpack
If you need a backpack that can carry large and small objects and is comfortable to wear, this is the backpack for you. The reasonable price and customers’ 100% satisfaction makes this a great buy any way you look at it. While it’s not the most beautiful backpack on the planet, it does look nice at first sight.
Kanken 15” backpack
This Kanken bag is a great choice for school kids of grade one to six or adults with narrow shoulders. Weighing under 450g, it’s easy and comfortable to carry this bag around. The simple design with a lot of eye-catching colors may have you fall in love with it at once.
Timbuk2 Command backpack
If you want to safely carry your laptop and look stylish, the Timbuk2 Command backpack is the one for you. The soft back is made for a comfortable wearing experience. The clean coloring and lines of the bag may make you more “grown-up”.
Amazon Basics backpack
With a lowest price among all these backpacks, the Amazon Basics backpack is a great choice for college students on a tight budget. There are tons of storage choices in this backpack, so it’s easy to forget exactly where you placed a certain object. It is a basic black backpack with a few designs and is never going to appear on a fashion T stage.
1. What makes L. Bean Quad backpack attractive?| A．The color and the design. |
| B．The style and the quality. |
| C．The cost and the public praise. |
| D．The lightweight and the simplicity. |
| A．Kanken 15” backpack. |
| B．L. Bean Quad backpack. |
| C．Amazon Basics backpack. |
| D．Timbuk2 Command backpack. |
| A．Fashion. | B．Price. | C．Comfort. | D．Storage. |
Peter lived in a village. He was always upset and treated others
Li Daiyu and her cousin Liu Qian went to Canada to visit their c
B
7 . Last Sunday, an earthquake struck the Napa Valley area of northern California. It happened in the middle of the night, becoming the strongest earthquake to strike the Napa Valley in 15 years. No one was killed, but many people were treated in hospitals.
I said to my seven-year-old twins, Brad and Brett, and three-year-old Meghan, “We have so much, and these poor people in trouble now have nothing. We’ll share what we have with them.”
I filled a box with foods and clothes. While I was doing this, I advised the boys to choose their toys and donate some of their less favourite things. Meghan watched quietly as the boys took out their old toys and put them together. Then she walked away. A few minutes later she came back with Lucy, her much-loved doll. She put the doll on top of the other toys.
“Oh, dear,” I said. “You don’t have to give Lucy. You love her so much.” Meghan said, “Lucy makes me happy, Mummy. Maybe she’ll make another little girl happy, too.”
I looked at Meghan for a long moment. She taught me a lesson. It’s easy to give something that we don’t want any more, but hard to give what we cherish (珍爱), isn’t it?
1. How many children does the writer have?| A．One. |
| B．Two. |
| C．Three. |
| D．Four. |
| A．The earthquake caused many deaths. |
| B．The earthquake is the biggest in history. |
| C．The earthquake happened at night. |
| D．The earthquake hit the city of California. |
| A．An old toy. |
| B．Clothes. |
| C．A doll. |
| D．Food. |
| A．A Family Story |
| B．The Spirit of Giving |
| C．A White Night |
| D．A Sad Experience |
The Double Ninth Festival has a history of over 2, 000 years. According to tradition, we should celebrate the festival by going mountain climbing,
Traditional festivals teach us a lot,
Besides, traditional festivals are carriers of culture,
Finally, traditional festivals are a source of national
Traditional festivals have been
9 . Better China Trip aims to be a bridge for you in China. Whether you are here on business or simply for sightseeing, we offer you a city-to-city transportation, tour guide, and interpreter service. We can also try to assist you in answering any questions you might have with your business in China. For sightseers, we aim to ensure you see the highlights of any particular city or location you want to visit. You can either research your trip by yourself and bring us a preferred itinerary (旅行日程), or make use of our expert local knowledge to suggest one to you. You’d better discuss it with us before you start out; simply email or ring us up. You can also register your personal information, and book any service you need. The following are our services that you can order.
We have Beijing car rental, Beijing van (货车) rental, and Beijing driver services. Better China Trip provides car rental services in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi’an, Guilin, etc.
Services available:
1. Car, van and bus rental for business/shopping/sightseeing.
2. Translators and interpreters from Chinese to English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Russian, etc.
3. Beijing airport transfers (pick-up and drop-off).
4. Hotel and air or train tickets booking.
5. Tour guides&services for the Great Wall, Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Temple of Heaven, the Ming Tombs, etc.
6. Tickets booking for Kungfu shows, magic, Peking Opera, etc.
7. Health care: traditional Chinese massage (推拿), foot massage, body massage.
8. Experiencing local Beijing Hutong life by tricycle.
Contact us:
You can visit our website at: www.betterchinatrip.com.
Tel:010 84026538 (within China); 008610 84026538 (outside China);
Email: bctrip01@gmail.com
MSN (Microsoft service Network): bctrip01@gmail.com
1. Whom will Better China Trip serve mainly?| A．The citizens who live or work in Beijing. |
| B．Whoever has language difficulty in China. |
| C．Whoever travels or does business in China. |
| D．The athletes coming to Beijing for big games. |
| A．Before you start out. |
| B．When you arrive in Beijing. |
| C．When you have any trouble. |
| D．After you start your travel. |
| A．getting a passport to go abroad |
| B．tour guides who speak many languages |
| C．driving you to any place at any time |
| D．getting the tickets to a Kungfu show |
On March 19, Malala Yousafzai, a 15-year-old Pakistani student and women’s education activist, returned to the classroom for the first time since being violently attacked by a member of the Taliban — a terrorist organization-on October 9,2012. Malala was shot on her way home from school in Mingora, Pakistan. A Taliban group took responsibility for the attack, claiming that the attack should serve as a warning toothers. Members of the group believe girls are not permitted to go to school. Malala was attacked because she was asking for girls’ rights to education in Swat Valley, Pakistan.
Malala recovers from the attack at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, England. After a long period of recovery, Malala is starting as a nine-year student at Edgbaston High School. It is the oldest independent girl school in Birmingham, England. Though she has no plans to return to Pakistan, Malala still speaks out as a voice for change in her country and everywhere.
“I am excited that today I have achieved my dreams of going back to school. I want all girls in the world to have this basic opportunity,” Malala said in a statement. “I miss my classmates from Pakistan very much but I am looking forward to meeting my teachers and making new friends here in Birmingham.”
Malala has been an Internet blogger, or writer, since she was 11 years old. In 2011 she was awarded Pakistan’s National Peace Award for her bravery in writing about difficulties of life and education in the shadow of Taliban. She has spoken publicly about children’s rights and been nominated for an international children’s peace prize.
After the attack in 2012, support for Malala poured in from around the world. The United Nations declared November 10 Malala Day. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the day honors Malala and shows the world that people of all sexes, all backgrounds and all countries stand behind the heroine.
1. When was Malala violently attacked by Taliban? (No more than 10 words)2. What would Malala do though she couldn’t return to Pakistan?(No more than 12 words)
3. Why did The United Nations declare November 10 Malala Day7 (No more than 12 words)
4. What does the underlined words mean? (No more than 3 words)
5. What do you think of Malala? Please share your reasons. (No more than 25 words)
