1 . Chinese fancy knots (中国结), also called Chinese knots, are very important in Chinese culture. They began as a form of traditional art in the Tang and Song Dynasties (朝代) in China, and became popular in the Ming Dynasty. Long ago, they found their way to Japan and other Southeast Asian countries, and were well received there. Now they are regarded as one of the symbols of Chinese culture.
As for the name itself, it is surely meaningful. The Chinese word for “knot”, jie, means “connection”. And the pronunciation of the Chinese word jie is very close to that of ji, “good luck”. As a result, Chinese knots are used as a way to express people’s strong wishes for marvellous things like happiness, love and good luck.
The knots are used widely in everyday life. They come in different sizes. Small ones are connected to jewellery (珠宝), clothes and gifts in order to draw people’s attention, while large ones are used to make a living room or study more beautiful. Whether large or small, they are named after their shapes and usages. For example, Double Coin Knots are called Shuangqian Jie because they are in the shape of two ancient Chinese coins, meaning “good things come in pairs”. Besides, Chinese knots are famous for their bright colors. Different colors have different traditional cultural meanings. Red means good luck and happiness, green means health, and yellow means wealth.
All in all, the famous Chinese fancy knots fully show the Chinese culture. These brightly colored knots with their endless chains (链条) of knots mean that life on earth will continue forever.
1. What did the writer want to express in this passage?A.Ask people to buy Chinese fancy knots. |
B.Introduce a traditional Chinese art form. |
C.Teach people how to make a Chinese knot. |
D.Describe the usages of Chinese fancy knots. |
A.pronunciation | B.size | C.shape and meaning | D.color |
A.The Chinese word for “knot” means “luck”. |
B.Chinese knots became popular in the Song Dynasty. |
C.All of the Chinese knots have the same sizes and colors. |
D.Chinese knots mean that life on earth will continue forever. |
A.Chinese Culture | B.Chinese Knots | C.Chinese Colors | D.Chinese Life |
2 . This may look like a mud-covered swamp (沼泽) creature, but it’s actually a kid enjoying Mud Day, an annual summer tradition at Nankin Mills Park in Wayne County, Michigan. Each July, thousands of people play in a mud-filled hole measuring 21 by 46 metres.
“It’s been one of the county’s most successful events,” says Beth Hughes, a representative of Wayne County. “The kids just love it.”
It might look like a lot of fun to dive into a huge pool of mud. But is this dirty activity safe? In general, mud is mostly harmless, says Steven Davis, a doctor in San Antonio, Texas. But mud can contain things like bacteria that can cause infections. If you’re planning on diving into the mud anytime soon, try to avoid getting it in your mouth, eyes, or nose, warns Davis. Also, wash off really well when you are finished. And if you have an open cut, the safest bet is to just stay out of the mud.
In some cases, covering your body with mud can actually be a good thing. Some mud, like that from the Dead Sea in the Middle East, is rich in elements (元素) that could be beneficial for the skin, such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. It’s also why some spas (休闲健身中心) offer mud baths as a beauty treatment.
“One of the reasons why people lie in the Dead Sea or cover themselves in mud is that the minerals in it may reduce swelling,” says Davis. A layer of mud may also act as a seal(密封) on the skin to trap in moisture (水分). Besides, the warmth of a mud bath just makes people feel good.
1. Mud Day is a tradition which .A.is celebrated twice a year |
B.is celebrated in June |
C.is very popular with children |
D.is the most successful event in Michigan |
A.Use a cloth to cover your mouth and nose while in the mud. |
B.Wash yourself simply as soon as you come out of the mud. |
C.Wash yourself before diving into the mud. |
D.Stay away from the mud if you have an open cut. |
A.hold in | B.prevent |
C.get rid of | D.absorb |
A.the minerals that mud contains |
B.the benefits of mud |
C.the history of Mud Day |
D.the medical use of mud |
The Internet brings us many advantages.
Internet use seems to cause a fall in psychological(心理的) health, according to research at Carnegie Mellon University.
The fact that Internet use reduces time used for family and friends may be the reason for the drop in health, researchers said. Faceless, bodiless “virtual(虚拟的)” communication may be less psychologically satisfying than actual conversations, and the relationships formed through it may not be so deep.
Introduction | a public holiday and an important festival in Chinese culture on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month |
History | It was started in honour of a great poet, Qu Yuan. He drowned himself in the Miluo River. People raced in their boats to save him but failed. They dropped rice balls into the river. |
celebration | hold dragon boat races eat zongzi |
2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Mike,
I’m happy you would like to learn about the Dragon Boat Festival as it is one of my favorite festivals.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Best wishes.
Yours
Li Hua
5 . Having an older brother comes with plenty of benefits. Big brothers tend to look after their younger brothers and sisters, and despite the occasional unpleasant moments here and there, many siblings(兄弟姐妹) enjoy life-long close relationships. However, a new study finds an interesting disadvantage. Children with older brothers take longer when it comes to developing language skills.
Researchers studied more than 1,000 children from birth to the age of five-and-a-half years old. Each child’s language skills were tested at ages 2, 3,and 5.5,using tests specially designed to measure lots of aspects of language development such as vocabulary, syntax(句法), and verbal(文字的)reasoning. What the research team discovered was significant. Children with an older brother had, on average, a two-month delay in their language development compared to studied children with an older sister.
As far as explaining this phenomenon(现象), researchers have proposed two assumptions. The first is that older sisters tend to talk more often than older brothers, which would compensate(补偿)for parents potentially being less present than they were for their first child. The second assumption is that older sisters usually compete with their siblings less than older brothers for their parents attention. The study’s authors say they can’t say for certain why children with older brothers have a harder time developing language skills. In the future they would like to study if culture or location impacts the prevalence(盛行)of these results.
The study is published in Psychological Science.
1. What did the new study find?A.Big brothers tend to look after their siblings. |
B.Siblings tend to fight each other. |
C.Many siblings enjoy life-long relationships. |
D.Children with older brothers are slower in learning language. |
A.To explain the approach of the research. |
B.To show some problems of the findings. |
C.To offer some evidence given by experts. |
D.To convince readers to get involved in. |
A.Older brothers fight for parents’attention. |
B.Older brothers are stronger than older sisters. |
C.Parents prefer older brothers to older sisters. |
D.Older sisters can’t control their siblings. |
A.Doubtful. | B.Negative. | C.Satisfied. | D.Excited. |
6 . Homeland Shopping Coupons(优惠券)
Hours of Free Parking ▼You will receive 2 hours of free parking if you spend $30 in our store. But if you spend $ 50 or more, you can get 8 hours of free parking and coupons (优惠券). And you can get a surprise with a coupon in the following stores. | |
20% Off ▼Get a 20% Off on any book you buy at the Wonderland Store. We have many books to choose from our store, including children’s books, novels, travel guides and hobbies. | Buy One, Get One Free ▼Buy one shirt or tie at David’s Menswear, and get one more shirt or tie of the same value free. |
Free Soft Drinks ▼Buy any meal for at least $ 8 at Tom’s Cafe, and receive a free soft drink. We serve the best hamburgers and snacks in the mall. | Half-price Movie Tickets ▼Buy any full-price movie ticket on weekdays, you can buy a second ticket for a friend for only half price! |
▼Welcome to our store. Get more coupons! They are due in two weeks! Tel: 869352761 |
A.2 hours. | B.4 hours. | C.6 hours. | D.8 hours. |
A.Wonderland Store | B.David’s Menswear |
C.Tom’s Cafe | D.the service desk |
A.$20. | B.$ 50. | C.$8. | D.10$. |
A.soft drinks | B.movie tickets | C.men’s shirts | D.ladies’ dresses |
Amy and her best friend Jenny
Many classmates gave her their
1. need a lot of money for the child’s education and daily necessities;
2. need a lot of time and energy to take care of a child;
3. more children means a bigger house, but the house price is too high;
4. mothers may lose their jobs because of having a baby;
5. women are independent and not willing to give up work.
注意:1.词数不少于100,开头和结尾已经给出,不计入总词数;2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Tom,
Glad to hear from you. As we all know fewer young people in China are willing to have a second child. The reasons are as follows:
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best wishes
Yours,
Li Hua
9 . Have you ever been to Thailand? When you travel in Thailand, you shouldn’t
Here you can find lots of eateries(饮食店) that have been open for many years. Enjoy
This tour is one of visitors’
A.miss | B.try | C.hire | D.join |
A.begin | B.think | C.plan | D.finish |
A.a great deal | B.a number of | C.a little | D.the number of |
A.you | B.your | C.yours | D.yourself |
A.influenced | B.expressed | C.celebrated | D.imagined |
A.such as | B.because of | C.so that | D.according to |
A.lasts | B.ends | C.rises | D.changes |
A.silly | B.fun | C.strange | D.wise |
A.peaceful | B.useful | C.favorite | D.easy |
A.smaller | B.closer | C.wider | D.bigger |
10 . It was raining. I went into a cate and asked for a coffee. While waiting for my drink, I saw many people playing computer games,
I stood up and walked between the tables. When I came to the biggest computer, I saw a thin, small man sitting in front of it. “I am Steve,” he finally answered after I asked him a couple of times what his name was. “I can’t talk with you. I’m busy,” he said. He was chatting online and, at the same time playing a computer game—a war game. I was surprised.
Why didn’t Steve want to talk with me? I tried again to speak to that computer geek (电脑迷), but not a word came out of his mouth. I touched his shoulder, but no reaction. I was unhappy. I put my hand in front of the monitor and he shouted, “Leave me alone.” I took a few steps back, wondering if all those people were having a nice conversation with their machines, not with people, especially Steve. I wouldn’t want to imagine the future of human beings if they preferred sharing their lives with machines instead of with people. I was worried and sank in my thoughts. I didn’t even realize that the coffee was bad, just as Steve didn’t notice there was a person next to him.
1. What was the weather like when the writer entered the cafe?A.Sunny. | B.Windy. | C.Snowy. | D.Rainy. |
—Because .
A.he thought the writer was ugly | B.he was playing a computer game and chatting online |
C.he didn’t know the writer | D.he was impolite |
A.显示器 | B.检测器 | C.主机 | D.鼠标 |
A.Polite. | B.Generous. | C.Patient. | D.Cold. |