1 . MY AMAZING NAADAM EXPERIENCE
I experienced the Naadam Festival in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region for the first time this year. The festival falls on the fourth day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar, usually lasting for three days. Naadam means “games” in Mongolian, and it is represented by three events: horse racing, wrestling, and archery, which are all so exciting to watch!
On the first day, I set off to the games early with my friend Burin. I saw a lot of people wearing fancy Mongolian robes. Some were feeding their horses, some were practising archery, and others were chatting or taking photographs. Burin told me that Mongolians travel every year from near and far to attend the festival, just as their ancestors had done for centuries.
After the opening ceremony and some amazing performances the wrestling competition began. Mongolian wrestling is different from the wrestling in the Olympic Games. There are no rounds, and wrestlers are not separated by weight. The wrestler loses if any part of his body above his knee touches the ground. After singing some songs, the competitors danced onto the green field waving their arms in the air as if they were eagles. I was quite moved by their show of strength and grace.
I absolutely enjoyed the archery, too, but the horse races were my favourite part. However, l was surprised to see that the riders were boys and girls! I heard it is because children are lighter and the horses can run faster and farther. At first, I was a little worried about the children’s safety, but Burin said, “Don’t worry. They’ve been riding horses all their lives. They’ll be just fine.” That was the moment I started to understand why people say “Horses are at the heart of Mongolian culture”. …
I’m finally back home now, feeling really tired, but celebrating Naadam with my friend was totally worth it. He invited me back for the winter to stay in a traditional Mongolian tent and eat hot pot. L can’t wait!
Question:1. From the title, we can find that the text is mainly about
2. Read the diary and try to find out the topic sentences of each paragraph.
Para.1
Para.2
Para.3
Para.4
Para.5
1. What present did Tina choose for her brother?
| A．A belt. | B．A coat. | C．A sweater. |
| A．Eating hotpot. | B．Watching fireworks. | C．Meeting her friends. |
| A．Decorating a Christmas tree. |
| B．Sending Christmas cards. |
| C．Helping the homeless. |
1. Who is the speaker?
| A．An official. | B．A teacher. | C．A tourist. |
| A．Go to work. | B．Go to church. | C．Have a holiday. |
| A．Collect money for the poor. |
| B．Raise money for athletic games. |
| C．Hold money for the ruler. |
1. How many participants are in the festival?
| A．200. | B．700. | C．1000. |
| A．It’s not free. | B．There are more prizes. | C．Donald Trump will be attending. |
| A．“The Grand Pumpkin”. | B．“Celebrity Pumpkin”. | C．“The Great Pumpkin”. |
| A．A news reporter. | B．A radio announcer. | C．A participant in the festival. |
1. What is the date of the man’s birthday?
| A．25th, December. | B．24th, December. | C．27th, December. |
| A．By train. | B．By bus. | C．By plane. |
| A．Lighting firecrackers. | B．Getting red pocket. | C．Eating traditional food. |
| A．Christmas Eve. | B．Christmas gifts. | C．Christmas party. |
Good morning! My name is Sarah Williams. It’s an honour to be here and to share with you the story of how music has had an impact on my life.
(A) Have you ever faced a time when things looked dark and you had no hope at all? Two years ago, I was told I had a serious disease which was difficult to cure. My body ached all the time and thus I thought I didn’t have much longer to live. I was very afraid and I felt so alone and discouraged. Then one day, I had to go through a two-hour medical treatment. The doctor wanted me to relax, so he had me listen to some music, and one of the songs was “Happy”. The song made me feel so much better that from then on I began to listen to music all the time. (B) John A. Logan said, “Music is the medicine of the mind.” And it’s true. Music helped me recover.
(C) Music gave me happiness. When I listened to music, (D) it made my spirits fly like a kite in the wind. (C) Music gave me strength and brought me relief. (E) It was the rock I leant on to become strong and to get through those hard times. Moreover, (C) music gave me hope and a sense of satisfaction. (F) It became my best friend. It spoke words of encouragement to the deepest part of my being.
Of course, I hope none of you have to go through the same kind of suffering that I did. At the same time, we all go through various periods when we feel sad or alone. During those times, music can help you in the same way that it helped me. I hope all of you will somehow begin to treasure music and make it a part of your life.
Thank you!
1. Reading for informationRead the speech and answer the questions.
(1) What was Sarah’s problem?
(2) How did music help her during her difficult time?
(3) What is her advice to others?
2. Reading for structure
Read the speech again and figure out the structure.
3. Reading for language features
Match the names of rhetorical devices to the lettered sentences in the speech.
metaphor
personification
quote
repetition
rhetorical question
simile
Discuss these questions in groups and then fill in the table.
What festivals do you celebrate with your family each year?
Why do you think people celebrate different festivals?
| Names of the festivals | Reasons for celebrating the festivals |
1. Have you ever written a poem before? If so, what did you write about?
2. What might inspire you to write poems?
