1 . The setting of leap month is a way to fill the gap of days between the solar calendar and lunar calendar in one year, which is 11 or 12 days, so as to make sure the four seasons basically fit the months. “Leap month” refers to a repetitive month and there are some traditions and customs during leap month in China, which are varied in different places.
Send special-made pastry (糕点) to parents
In some parts of China’s Henan Province, daughters will prepare wild goose-shaped pastries for their parents before the leap month comes, wishing for good luck. In some parts of East China’s Shandong Province, the married daughters will send dough-made (面团) fish and toad (蟾蜍) to their parents, which symbolize “wealth” and “health” respectively.
Drink tea
People living near Mount Wuyi in China’s southeast Fujian Province have the tradition of drinking tea at leap month, and only women are proper to participate.
In Southeast China’s Taiwan Province, leap month has such traditions as well. The married daughter has to buy pig feet and thin noodles for her mother, usually two front feet and six bunches of thin noodles, and the noodles have to be tied with red silk threads and spring flowers.
Eat dinner together
Just like other festivals, a reunion dinner is essential among the traditions of the leap month.
| A．When leap month comes |
| B．Here are some special customs |
| C．Buy parents some special food |
| D．Give mother pig feet and thin noodles |
| E．Women in the village take turns holding the tea party |
| F．While men are not allowed to take part in the chatting |
| G．It is said that the dough fish is for a mother and the dough toad is for a father |
2 . While a lot of undergraduates live with loud roommates, 24-year-old Nikolai shares his home with over 600 noisy animals. It is no
Twenty years ago his parents bought a zoo in Denmark and started the first zoo and rescue centre for animals. Two years ago his dad unfortunately
Owning a zoo is busywork with Nikolai taking on many
“As it is a rescue zoo, everything
Having to support his mother and the zoo, Nikolai has come up with a
| A．wonder | B．possibility | C．use | D．pleasure |
| A．appealed to | B．came across | C．went through | D．died of |
| A．manage | B．guard | C．construct | D．decorate |
| A．projects | B．events | C．performances | D．jobs |
| A．plenty | B．richness | C．majority | D．maximum |
| A．grow | B．root | C．survive | D．last |
| A．focuses | B．reflects | C．functions | D．responds |
| A．historical | B．traditional | C．formal | D．royal |
| A．affection | B．command | C．schedule | D．responsibility |
| A．registered | B．introduced | C．transformed | D．directed |
| A．carefully | B．cruelly | C．sincerely | D．aimlessly |
| A．effects | B．results | C．diseases | D．marks |
| A．complex | B．creative | C．universal | D．common |
| A．scores | B．funds | C．allowances | D．profits |
| A．raised | B．spared | C．charged | D．saved |
3 . Fu Lei’s Family Letters is a book of letters written by Chinese translator and writer Fu Lei to his elder son Fu Cong, who is a famous pianist. Between 1954 and 1966, Fu Cong spent a lot of time away from home training as a piano player. As a result, writing letters became Fu Lei’s usual way of communicating with his elder son. Fu Min, Fu Lei’s younger son edited the letters and the book came out in 1981.
The book shows Fu Lei’s family tradition and value. To Fu Lei, the purpose of education of a person, is to make that person useful to the society. Fu Lei praised his son Fu Cong after winning a piano competition. Fu Lei wrote, “We are happy because you make your country proud. I am so excited when I think about your future. You will make great progress and serve more people, encourage them and heal them.”
In the family letters, Fu Cong was also advised to read famous Chinese texts. When reading these books, Fu Cong was told to connect ideas and feelings together, for that would help him become a better person. To Fu Lei, learning to be a good person comes before any academic training.
Fu Lei’s Family Letters has a great impact on people in China because it helps many young students understand how they should live their lives.
1. Who edited Fu Lei’s family letters?| A．Fu Lei. | B．Fu Cong. | C．Fu Min. | D．A translator. |
| A．Fu Lei’s family tradition and value are shown in the book. |
| B．People in the 1950s communicated with each other by books. |
| C．It’s difficult for parents to make their children well educated. |
| D．Praising children after taking part in a competition is important. |
| A．It would be uncertain. |
| B．It would be hopeful. |
| C．It would be difficult. |
| D．It would be interesting. |
| A．To be a richer man. |
| B．To do more academic training. |
| C．To help more people. |
| D．To become a better person. |
4 . A dozen years ago, William Dunn noticed his six-year-old neighbor, Camran, shouted at his mom angrily. He started a (n)
William asked Camran’s mom for
On weekends, William and a few other
William wants to share his
| A．conversation | B．fight | C．argument | D．experiment |
| A．mother | B．grandma | C．dad | D．grandpa |
| A．payment | B．invitation | C．permission | D．apology |
| A．protected | B．attracted | C．stopped | D．chosen |
| A．few | B．positive | C．normal | D．similar |
| A．travel | B．learn | C．live | D．fish |
| A．teachers | B．parents | C．journalists | D．volunteers |
| A．subject | B．history | C．swim | D．basics |
| A．lessons | B．challenges | C．choices | D．realities |
| A．work | B．joy | C．function | D．form |
| A．adults | B．retirees | C．children | D．consumers |
| A．adventure | B．honor | C．love | D．friendship |
| A．cared about | B．suffered from | C．depended on | D．belonged to |
| A．homes | B．dreams | C．bridges | D．relationships |
| A．hardly | B．regularly | C．finally | D．initially |
5 . The holidays can be a difficult time to stay on track with your fitness goals.
Planning is the best way to make sure you don’t lose track of your goals. Plan your workouts for the week and mark them in your schedule to assure they are a part of your day.
Exercise early.
Keep moving.
Research shows that getting up for just five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes and performing light activities reduces the risk of heart disease risk factors. Small efforts to get moving can help your overall health during the holidays. In addition to staying active, try to avoid sitting for long periods of time, such as when watching football games or eating.
Think out of the box.
The holidays are busy, but do your best to avoid the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to physical activity.
| A．Plan ahead |
| B．Plan out your route before you go |
| C．Exercising in the morning is one of the biggest tips |
| D．Remember: too much sitting is harmful to your health |
| E．Your schedule will be filled with family gatherings and celebrations |
| F．Get creative with exercise and make physical activity a family affair |
| G．Rather than skipping the gym altogether, make time for a quick workout |
6 . If you’re in search of some botanical inspiration for the summer, just look to the following!
Sky Garden — London
Situated on the 35th floor of the iconic “Walkie-Talkie” building in central London, this stunning garden consists of over three stories, combining Mediterranean and South African plantings. The garden temperature here is monitored around the clock to mirror the conditions these plants would experience in a warm temperate climate.
Bambalan — Bristol
Bristol’s Bambalan restaurant appeared in 2016. Known for its leisurely atmosphere, it’s located right in the middle of the city centre. Hidden in plain sight above Bristol’s busy and noisy city centre, the roof terrace is a true hidden garden. With Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food on the menu, this is the ideal place to bring a group, and enjoy the views and tasty treats.
Library of Birmingham — Birmingham
Hidden away on the seventh floor of Birmingham’s public library is a scenic rooftop garden offering an extremely quiet spot to enjoy a good book in the sun. Created entirely by volunteers and reached via glass elevator, the bright garden offers visitors spectacular views over the city. 3, 500 varieties of plants in this garden have been carefully selected to ensure the terrace will offer blooms all year round, so that visitors to this unique library can enjoy the inspiring views.
New Lanark Roof Garden — New Lanark
With impressive views from the roof of an old mill (磨坊) building in the heart of the New Lanark World Heritage Site, this garden isn’t one to miss. Created on the 9, 000 square feet roof of our historic mill, the New Lanark Roof Garden is the largest of its kind in Scotland. Imaginatively designed, the garden contains decorative planting with over 70 different plants and shrubs, a water feature and animal sculptures.
1. What can you do in Bambalan?| A．Make special flower gifts. | B．Buy beautiful jewels. |
| C．Walk in the countryside. | D．Enjoy tasty food. |
| A．Sky Garden. | B．Bambalan. |
| C．Library of Birmingham. | D．New Lanark Roof Garden. |
| A．Plants. | B．Food. | C．Books. | D．Animals. |
7 . As Teachers’ Day approached, I received an interview assignment to talk with a very special figure about teaching. President Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam talked with me about life’s toughest lessons and his mission of being a teacher to the Indian youth. He was now a leader and a wise old man. There was still a child in him though, and he was still curious about learning new things. To this day, he still remembered his first lesson in life and how it had changed his life.
“I was studying in fifth grade and must have been 10 years old. My teacher, Sri Sivasubramanialyer was telling us how birds flew. He drew a diagram of a bird on the blackboard, drawing the wings, the tail, the body and the head and then explained how birds flew into the sky. At the end of the class, I said I didn’t understand. Then he asked the other students if they had understood, but nobody had understood how birds flew.” he recalled.
“That evening, the entire class was taken to Rameshwaram shore by our teacher,” the President continued. “My teacher showed us sea birds. We saw wonderful formations of them flying and how their wings waved. Then my teacher asked us, ‘Where is the bird’s engine and how is it powered?’ I knew then that birds are powered by their own life and motivation. I understood all about birds’ dynamics. At last, he said to us with relief that we were very good.”
“That day from not understanding to the final understanding, as well as the gratitude to the teacher, has always impressed me. A proper education would help develop a sense of dignity (尊严) and self-respect among our youth,” said President Kalam.
1. What does the author probably do?| A．A reporter. | B．A president. | C．A teacher. | D．A painter. |
| A．It was a drawing class. | B．The teacher’s diagram was not complete. |
| C．What the teacher taught was quite difficult. | D．The students were too stupid to understand it. |
| A．By asking other teachers for help. | B．By taking them to see the real birds. |
| C．By bringing a bird to explain again. | D．By drawing another diagram for them. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Stressed. | C．Angry. | D．Grateful. |
8 . How Star Wars Changed Movie-making Forever
“May the force be with you!” If you are a Star Wars fan, then you have probably heard this phrase many times.
“A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...” is how Star Wars begins. Its plot was not ground-breaking.
It was the special effects that made Star Wars stand out from other movies. People still talk about the light swords that could cut，burn and melt through most substances. Spaceships sped through space and landed on huge, realistic-looking space stations.
Theaters needed more movies to show on all the additional movie screens and in all the new multiplexes. So new movie companies sprang up, including small ones creating experimental movies.
| A．They tried out new techniques. |
| B．In fact, it was quite old-fashioned. |
| C．Moviegoers had never seen anything like it. |
| D．Thus, audience began to enjoy science fiction movies there. |
| E．Star Wars was the first really successful movie trilogy in history. |
| F．If you are not a fan, you are still likely familiar with these words. |
| G．If you are a movie maker, you may be inspired by this classic film. |
9 . During the early morning journey from the suburbs(郊区), we sat sleepily, with collars standing firm below our ears. Although the group of people are in the same bus every day, we never
One July morning, a small grey man, one of the
The next day, another old man
One morning, Charlie was
The summer went by, and the
| A．argue | B．like | C．tend | D．greet |
| A．passengers | B．drivers | C．colleagues | D．neighbors |
| A．annoyed | B．surprised | C．mad | D．impatient |
| A．Unfortunately | B．Unhappily | C．Unexpectedly | D．Unfairly |
| A．left | B．boarded | C．hit | D．stopped |
| A．reply | B．advance | C．danger | D．need |
| A．man | B．driver | C．girl | D．boy |
| A．destroy | B．track | C．increase | D．affect |
| A．helping | B．comparing | C．talking | D．adapting |
| A．tying | B．lifting | C．biting | D．holding |
| A．anyway | B．anymore | C．anytime | D．anywhere |
| A．terrible | B．heavy | C．unforgettable | D．unhappy |
| A．giving out | B．giving in | C．giving up | D．giving off |
| A．spring | B．month | C．year | D．autumn |
| A．disappeared | B．happened | C．began | D．continued |
10 . There are many things to do in Macao. Macao is small, but that just means you can do and see a lot in a short amount of time.
Try the Macao Tower Bungee JumpThe Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of entertainment activities.
One of the activities is the bungee jump, which is popular with extreme sports lovers. The bungee-jumping height is 233 meters, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial bungee jump in the world.
Enjoy the Egg Tart of MacaoOne of the must-try local foods in Macao is the egg tart. This dessert is different from the Cantonese egg tart. One of the visible differences is the slightly burned caramel (焦糖) top. The creamy filling, tasty crust (酥皮) and the burned caramel top create an incredible mixture of flavor.
Gradually, the bakery has become a fixed tourist spot in Macao, where the queue outside will never be empty.
Grab a Selfie at the Ruins of St. PaulThe Ruins of St. Paul is one of the signature landmarks of Macao. The ruins consist of the St. Paul’s College and the Church of St. Paul, built in 1580. However, after three intense fires in 1595, 1601 and 1835, the church was seriously damaged.
Watch the Macao Grand PrixRacing through the small streets and roads of this tiny city, the Macao Grand Prix circuit (巡回赛) is the only street circuit racing in the world for car and motorcycle races. The Macao Grand Prix is a major worldwide car-racing event held every year, featuring over 300 top drivers a year.
1. Where should you go if you are an extreme sports lover?| A．The Macao Tower. | B．The small streets in Macao. |
| C．The Ruins of St. Paul. | D．The St. Paul’s College. |
| A．The creamy filling. | B．The tasty crust. |
| C．The slightly burned caramel top. | D．The mixture of flavor. |
| A．It is the most famous site in Macao. | B．It was built in 1595. |
| C．It was rebuilt only once. | D．It was damaged badly. |
