1 . From Asia to America and everywhere in between, Swing — an energetic form of dance that includes six-step and eight-step rhythms (节奏) — has taken the world by storm. Making a recent comeback, swing dance floors have popped up all over the world. Many clubs make fans of Swing happy by holding nights when swing music is played, and sometimes even offering classes to attract customers.
Though Swing is now popular worldwide, it first appeared alongside the jazz movements of the 1920s and 1930s in New York City. While listening to jazz, the young black people of that time developed the movements of the Lindy Hop — a style of dance that is best known for a break away or “swing out” move and sudden improvisation (即兴表演).
It was reportedly given this name when a reporter was interviewing a person at the dance hall who was watching other couples dance. When asked what that dance was called, the watcher looked at a newspaper next to him that had an article about Lindbergh — the first person to fly alone across the Atlantic (大西洋) — which was titled, “Lindy Hops the Atlantic”. Then the watcher announced that “Lindy Hop” was the name of the dance, and it has stuck since then.
In 1926, the Savoy Ballroom was the first large business to offer a place for people to listen to swing music and dance. With its huge dance floor, the Savoy became a big success overnight, attracting some of the best dancers and musicians in the New York area.
Within ten years, the Lindy Hop was sweeping through the United States and became a symbol of unity, as young people of all racial (种族的) backgrounds crowded into dance halls to swing the night away. Traditional dance teachers did not welcome it because they thought it was not even a real dance and were quite sure about its demise but Swing has proved them wrong; it continues to be one of the world’s most fun dances.
1. What’s the purpose of this passage?A.To introduce a popular form of dance. |
B.To discover the fun secrets of a dance. |
C.To tell stories about an energetic dance. |
D.To describe the special moves of a dance. |
A.Challenge. | B.Change. | C.Development. | D.Death. |
A.It’s a lively dance with strict rules. |
B.It has a close connection with a pilot. |
C.It has a history of over 90 years. |
D.It attracts mostly young black people. |
A.The dance style will soon be accepted by traditional dance teachers. |
B.The name was changed from “Lindy Hop” to “Swing” in the 1940s. |
C.The movements of different Swing dancers always look the same. |
D.The dance might have become unpopular sometime in its history. |
2 . Have you ever had this kind of childhood memory: a family sits together casually, drinking and tasting tea after lunch or dinner?
After being spread to different parts of the world,
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China consist of the knowledge, skills and practices concerning the management of tea plantations (茶园) as well as the picking of tea leaves, manual processing, drinking, and sharing of tea, noted UNESCO.
Weilu zhucha is a replacement in the cold seasons for the camping craze. Sitting around a stove, boiling some tea, people chat, admire the scenery and immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture by boiling tea together in person. “
A.Take tea making for example. |
B.This can be fully shown by weilu zhucha. |
C.tea is common in Chinese people’s daily lives. |
D.It’s good to feel the warm atmosphere when boiling tea. |
E.China now has 43 items on the intangible cultural heritage list. |
F.tea has delighted and fascinated the world for a thousand years. |
G.This has been a daily activity for Chinese people throughout their history. |
3 . Having spent more than a decade on the dance floor, ROME — Niccolo Filippi, a 23-year-old Italian dance performer, recently decided to explore Chinese culture and its traditional dance forms and believes that this experience will not only boost his career, but also broaden his horizons beyond the world of dance.
His interest in diversifying his skills grew after he stumbled upon a short video of traditional Chinese-styled dance on YouTube. “I saw it as an art that combines tradition and modernity, which was mostly the reason why I liked it,” says Filippi.
Ever since, he has been closely following Chinese dance performers and watching numerous videos to learn more about the traditional style that he admires. “I prefer the traditional style because of its light movements. It also reflects my personality with elegance,” he adds.
Filippi’s chance came when he was invited to perform for a Chinese New Year celebration in the central Italian city of Florence. He has since fully committed himself to the art form, learning several pieces and putting his newfound passion into practice.
“The biggest difference that I found (compared to other disciplines) is the change of mood and emotional expressions among dances,” says Filippi, adding that he needed to shift from the dynamic moves of hip-hop to the graceful and fluid movements of Chinese dance. Despite various obstacles, Filippi’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Two of his friends shared videos of his performances on social media, and the response was overwhelming. One video garnered 500,000 views, while the other received 200,000 views.
Filippi believes that learning about different cultures is priceless, and he sees it as a means of personal growth. “I like to think of a person as a book,” he says. “Embracing different traditions and cultures, such as Chinese culture and many others, is like adding new chapters to my book, making it more diverse and wonderful.”
1. What is the main reason why Filippi falls in love with traditional Chinese dance?A.Its potential to boost his career. | B.Its mix of traditional and modern elements. |
C.Its graceful and light movements. | D.Its true reflection of his elegant personality. |
A.By listing numbers. | B.By giving an example. |
C.By sharing a story. | D.By making a comparison. |
A.Filippi thinks little of learning from other cultures. |
B.People prefer to write down their past experiences. |
C.Accepting various cultures boosts personal growth. |
D.A book with chapters on traditions is more wonderful. |
A.Chinese-styled dance videos go viral on social media. |
B.An Italian’s dance journey towards specialization starts. |
C.Filippi’s desire for Chinese culture extends beyond dance. |
D.An Italian dancer shows passion for Chinese-styled dance. |
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_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________5 . According to research, about 21.5 million American children between the ages of six and seventeen are involved (参与的) in a team sport.
A 2006 report shows that taking up sports can increase both emotional and behavioral well-being in teenagers. And increased well-being can lead to higher confidence, which results in better overall performance.
Actually, sports give children an opportunity to communicate with adults in valuable and positive ways, which can help them develop closer relationships with adults. This effect is especially great when children don’t get along well with their family members.
Although most effects of sports on children are good, there can be disadvantages. If the pressure to win is overemphasized (过分强调) or the expectations of parents or coaches become too great, kids may experience lots of stress.
A.Being physically fit is linked to having a higher IQ. |
B.They may take part in sports for fun or to develop some skills. |
C.However, children hardly play sports when they become older. |
D.It can cause worries, headaches, stomach aches, and muscle pain. |
E.For example, children involved in sports are likely to do well in their studies. |
F.Organized sports require children to work together to achieve a common goal. |
G.Many children say sports have helped increase their conversations with parents. |
6 . Age has never been a problem for 16yearold Thessalonika ArzuEmbry. After all, she’s already got her master’s degree.
The North Chicagoarea teen started homeschooling at the age of 4. She began having an influence on others soon. When she was 6 years old, she was an inspirational (鼓舞人心的) speaker at an organization called Tabitha House Community Service, a shelter for people who were forced to leave their homes due to the situations such as earthquakes, flood and other natural disasters.
At the age of 11, she graduated from high school and then earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2013. She completed those classes online as she was traveling for leadership meetings.
She doesn’t stop there, though. The teen plans to focus on aviation psychology (航空心理学) for her further study, a decision inspired by her father who is a pilot. She grew up around airplanes and took flights all the time. Her goal is to use it to determine whether pilots are dealing with problems that could have deadly results once the plane takes off—a topic that has been in the news lately. For her, it’s a mix of two of her interests.
In her free time, Thessalonika enjoys playing tennis, swimming and being active in her youth group. She also has three selfpublished books, which are on her site. Jump the Education Barrier is written to help students finish college, and In the Future aims to help business owners deal with trends. Her third book The Genius Race has a wider appeal. It is designed to help people to be geniuses in various areas of life.
1. What can we know about Thessalonika from the passage?A.When she was 6 years old, she started homeschooling. |
B.She gained her master’s degree at the age of 11. |
C.She majored in science and technology. |
D.In 2013 she got her bachelor’s degree through completing courses online. |
A.Majoring in aviation psychology. |
B.Making inspiring speeches for leadership meetings. |
C.Being active in her youth group. |
D.Writing another book to help people to be geniuses. |
A.To help people to be geniuses. |
B.To give students a hand to complete college. |
C.To raise concern about psychology. |
D.To share her own experience with others. |
A.The Story of Thessalonika |
B.To Be a Genius |
C.Three Published Books |
D.Homeschooling |
7 . “Just sign here, sir,” the deliveryman said as he handed Oscar Reyna a package.
The package consisted of a long, narrow box
Oscar was 16 when he first saw the
Oscar
Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O’Brien’s house on their way home. He rang the bell, the door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. “May I
“I’d like to return it if it’s yours,” Oscar said,
“Why, yes! It’s mine,” replied Mrs. O’Brien with a
“No, ma’am,” he said. “My grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward.”
“Well, that’s
Years later Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O’Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how
As if
A.strictly | B.carefully | C.roughly | D.casually |
A.Opening | B.Seizing | C.Observing | D.Searching |
A.After | B.When | C.Since | D.Although |
A.average | B.unusual | C.plain | D.typical |
A.designer | B.seller | C.user | D.owner |
A.convinced | B.forced | C.encouraged | D.advised |
A.until | B.before | C.which | D.where |
A.invite | B.help | C.bother | D.know |
A.putting up | B.turning out | C.picking up | D.holding out |
A.wide | B.confident | C.proud | D.shy |
A.patience | B.kindness | C.courage | D.determination |
A.obviously | B.naturally | C.exactly | D.probably |
A.old | B.rare | C.precious | D.nice |
A.in contrast | B.in return | C.in exchange | D.in answer |
A.attractive | B.significant | C.unselfish | D.sympathetic |
8 . If you find yourself crossing one of London’s busy bridges and look down, you may notice that the height of the Thames changes over the course of the day. When the tide (潮水) is out, you may see people move down hidden stairs to walk slowly along the foreshore (前滩). These are “mudlarks” — and they play a key role in preserving the history of the Thames by picking up objects and artefacts (手工艺品) hidden in the river’s mud (泥).
Walking along the foreshore of the Thames is not everyone’s idea of a hobby — it can be cold and dirty. When the tide turns, it turns fast. You must always be aware of your way off of the foreshore. The mud is another hazard. A more experienced mudlark said he had once fallen into the mud. He was lucky to have a bucket to move out the mud.
Historically, being a mudlark was a low station in life. The term came about in the 18th and 19th centuries when the Thames was one of the major ways to transport goods into the city. At this time, the banks of the river would be full of mudlarks, mostly poor women and children. As the tide dropped, they would walk into the mud to pick up lumps of coal, pieces of rope or anything else careless boatmen had dropped overboard that they could sell.
Mudlarking is experiencing a renaissance (复兴). It has never been easier for people to explore the Thames: anyone looking for inspiration just has to follow the mudlarking posts on the Internet. The Thames Discovery Programme, a group of historians and volunteers, run guided tours of the foreshore where experts guide you and ensure that you stay safe and stick to Port of London Authority rules.
1. Why do people go mudlarking these days?A.To take more exercise. | B.To keep the river clean. |
C.To find historical objects. | D.To study how the tide changes. |
A.Power. | B.Danger. | C.Attraction. | D.Waste. |
A.It was considered as a hobby. | B.It was loved by most people. |
C.It promoted the development of transport. | D.It allowed poor people to make a living. |
A.To give support to mudlarks. | B.To test mudlarks’ working skills. |
C.To inspire mudlarks’ love for art. | D.To encourage mudlarks to volunteer. |
9 . There are so many interesting and different cultures around the world. Each comes with its own customs, traditions, and worldviews. Through travel, we’re able to broaden our minds by seeing how others live and think differently. Join us to take a look through some of the most unique and beautiful cultures in the world.
THE HIMBAThis native group live mainly in Northern Namibia in a semi-nomadic (半游牧的) lifestyle. Visually remarkable, with red skin and hair, fancy jewelry, and goat-hide clothing, this community is one of the most unique cultures found around the world. Their way of life is still preserved today, as they live in remote villages separate from the rest of Namibian society.
BERBERSThe Berbers are children of the pre-Arab population in North Africa, who lived across several countries but mainly settled in Morocco. They’re famous worldwide for their artistic heritage in pottery (陶器) and design. On our Best of Morocco tour, you’ll drink Berber tea with locals in a traditional Nomad house in Dades Valley.
RAJASTHANI PEOPLERajasthani culture is one of energy, beauty and civilization. Traditionally known as the ‘Land of Kings’, this part of India is rich and resourceful, attracting visitors worldwide with its magical architecture, joyous folk dances and impressive color scheme. On the Classical India with Nepal tour, you’ll visit one of Rajasthan’s famous colored cities -Jaipur, or ‘the pink city’.
BEDOUIN PEOPLEThe Bedouin people are desert-living nomadic people living in several countries in North Africa, the Middle Eastern deserts and Arabian peninsula. They are Arab-speaking and tribal, with a deep connection to the desert. Even their name, ‘Bedouin’, means ‘desert-dweller’. Have tea under the stars in the Jordanian desert with Bedouin locals on the Jordan Experience tour.
1. What are the Berbers famous for?A.The artistic heritage. | B.Their preserved lifestyle. |
C.Their unique appearance. | D.The traditional Berber tea. |
A.The Himba. | B.The Berbers. |
C.The Rajasthani. | D.The Bedouin. |
A.To promote the travel projects. | B.To prove the importance of travel. |
C.To compare the unique cultures. | D.To introduce the different cultures. |
Not so very long ago, people contacted their friends faraway only by writing letters. With
However, there is one disadvantage of making friends online. People tend
Although technology