1 . In ancient times, people didn’t have smartphones or computers to use for fun. Still, they had interesting games to play.
Kites
Kites have a very long history. People first used kites to send messages. In the Song Dynasty, kites got very popular with people. Now, Beijing, Tianjin, Nantong and Weifang are the four most important places of kite making.
Cuju
It is an ancient Chinese football game. At first, soldiers played the game as training. In the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty, the game was popular. People across the country loved playing it. Women also played the game.
Chuiwan
Chuiwan is a ball game. It’s a little like golf. The game got popular in the Song Dynasty. It was still popular in the Yuan Dynasty and Ming Dynasty. But the game got less popular in the Qing Dynasty.
Go
Go, or Weiqi, is a game for two players. It has a history of over 4,000 years and is still popular nowadays. People in ancient times thought it was a game for gentlemen.
1. What were kites first used to do in ancient times?| A．To have fun. | B．To do exercise. |
| C．To train soldiers. | D．To send messages. |
| A．In the Song Dynasty. | B．In the Qing Dynasty. |
| C．In the Ming Dynasty. | D．In the Yuan Dynasty. |
| A．They are all ball games. |
| B．They are all still played today. |
| C．They were all played for fun in ancient times. |
| D．They were all games only for men in ancient times. |
2 . A 37-year-old fast food courier(外卖小哥), Lei Haiwei, got the first prize in the third season of The Chinese Poetry Conference on CCTV on April 4th, 2018.
“My interest in ancient poems began as early as I was six years old,” Lei said after winning the poetry competition.
Lei Haiwei was born in a small village in Hunan Province. When he was young, his father taught him ancient poems by putting them on the kitchen wall for him to read.
“My father hoped I would grow up to be a man who keeps the mountains, rivers, lakes and seas in mind.” Lei said.
In 2001, Lei Haiwei graduated from a technical secondary school and found a job in Shanghai. There, he began to read books on ancient poems at bookstores or libraries in his free time because he didn’t have enough money to buy books. He also developed a habit of reciting(背诵)poems he liked and wrote them down after coming back home.
Lei Haiwei came to Hangzhou in 2008 and worked as a fast food courier. Every day, he had to take fast food to different people. On his busiest workdays, Lei Haiwei had to deliver more than 50 orders(订单)a day. Even so, his love for poems went on and he seized(抓住)any chance to recite poems.
As for his future plans, Lei Haiwei said he would go on reading and reciting more poems.
Will he take part in the next poetry competition?
1. When did Lei Haiwei get the first prize in the competition?| A．On March 7th, 2019. | B．On April 4th, 2018. |
| C．On May 5th, 2017. | D．On June 6th, 2016. |
| A．His sister. | B．His brother. | C．His mother. | D．His father. |
| A．he wanted to learn English there |
| B．he wanted to have a good rest there |
| C．he didn’t have any friends in the city |
| D．he didn’t have enough money to buy books |
| A．To take something to somebody. | B．To say something to somebody. |
| C．To lend something to somebody. | D．To speak something to somebody. |
| A．Fast Food Courier Won Sports Competition |
| B．Fast Food Courier Won Singing Competition |
| C．Fast Food Courier Won Poetry Competition |
| D．Fast Food Courier Won Dancing Competition |
3 . Chocolate is good for your heart, skin and brain. Usually, people think that chocolate is bad for their health. They describe chocolate as “something to die for” or say “death by chocolate”. Now they should bite their tongues! Evidence(证据)is showing that some kinds of chocolate are actually good for you in the following ways:
Scientists at Harvard University recently examined 136 studies on cocoa—the main ingredient(成分)in chocolate and found that it does seem to strengthen the heart.
Better blood pressure
Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University recently found that people with high blood pressure who ate 3.5 ounces(盎司) of dark chocolate per day for two weeks saw their blood pressure drop quickly.
Muscle magic
.
German researchers found that chocolate helped protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
| A．Better for your skin |
| B．A happier heart |
| C．Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout |
| D．Look after your appearance |
4 . Paris is the city of dreams. If you plan to head for Paris for a study period, perhaps a little reality check is in order. But my experience was a romantic one.
I paved my path to Paris through an exchange program. On arrival in Paris, I was constantly reminded of the official processes I had to complete—forms to fill in, meetings to attend—the list seemed endless.
Then the real work began. Once classes were underway, I found myself volunteering to do oral presentations and assignments first rather than last. This method proved to be very helpful.
Once I had finished classes for the week, I had an everincreasing list of museums to visit, neighborhoods to explore, and cafes to sit in. Maybe you can read books about Paris and talk to locals and other foreigners living there. But the one thing that reading a book or talking to someone cannot do is provide you with the experience of wandering Paris on foot. The people watching, the sounds of the city, and the colors as the seasons change, they all add to the ecstasy that I experienced in Paris as an exchange student.
After spending five months wandering through the charming neighborhoods, I fell in love with the atmosphere that came out from every open door and every spoken word. There is something comforting about walking to the market each Sunday to enjoy the beautiful display of fruits, vegetables and dairy products. There is warmth in saying Bonjour to the passersby.
On my last day in Paris, I confidently said “Bonjour Monsieur” as I passed the little store down the street. I guess the best part about going on exchange in Paris is falling in love with the city in your own way. And I know mine is unique and special to me—my own little pieces of Paris.
1. What does the underlined word “ecstasy” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?| A．Courage. | B．Imagination. | C．Happiness. | D．Depression. |
| A．The friendly people he met in Paris. |
| B．The special culture he experienced in the city. |
| C．The academic achievement he made in his study. |
| D．The presentations and assignments he did in class. |
| A．Because of the romantic locals. | B．Because of the pleasant weather. |
| C．Because of the fresh vegetables. | D．Because of the warm atmosphere. |
| A．An exchange student’s life. | B．Charming neighborhoods. |
| C．An exchange program. | D．A traveling experience. |
Luo Yan and his wife and son travelled back to their hometown for the Spring Festival. Their journey
On their arrival, they found Luo’s parents eagerly waiting for
With midnight
6 . Doctor Eleanor Love knows that weddings create a lot of leftover (遗留) flowers, and that means more chances for her to collect the after-wedding flowers and give them to her lonely hospital patients, many of whom don’t often get visitors, not to mention expensive flowers. The flowers are still in good shape, and the patients are very happy to have them.
Love worked at the Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital as a medical student. She wondered how she could help relieve (减轻) their suffering and how to treat them as a student doctor.
“One of the challenges of being a medical student is that it can be very difficult to contribute to the care team,” said Love. “You are there as a learner, but you want to make an impact on your patients, and you don’t have the same knowledge as physicians. How can I at this stage in my training make an impact on patients?”
So in 2022, she started The Simple Sunflower in Richmond, and so far she has delivered more than 760 bunches of flowers to patients. She brought fellow students and other people into her project, and now has more than 200 volunteers on the email list. When Love began the project, she called businesses such as wedding venues (场馆) and florists and asked them what events were scheduled. For each wedding, she organized a team of eight volunteers who helped pick up the flowers when the party was over and then spent time delivering them to individual patients.
People beyond the VCU community have heard about Love’s project and got involved.
“It’s so satisfying to see the patients who receive our flowers,” she said. “It reminds me why we do what we do.”
1. Why did Eleanor Love collect the flowers?| A．To sell them to volunteers. | B．To treat patients’ diseases. |
| C．To decorate a wedding venue. | D．To help relieve the patients’ suffering. |
| A．Eleanor Love started The Simple Sunflower in 2022 |
| B．Eleanor Love became a student doctor in Richmond |
| C．200 volunteers were needed for each wedding |
| D．760 bunches of flowers were bought for patients |
| A．Humorous. | B．Warm-hearted. | C．Honest. | D．Strict. |
| A．No Pain, No Gain | B．Hard Work Leads to Success |
| C．Deliver Flowers, Deliver Love | D．Love Me, Love My Dog |
7 . Book Information
Children’s Day is coming. Here is some information about children’s books in our bookshop.
All I Want for Christmas Is You Writer: Mariah Carey Age: for 3-7 years Price: $17.99 It is one of the bestsellers. It brings Christmas joy to readers. Its beautiful lyrics (歌词) will bring that same holiday spirit to readers in this picture-book about a young girl whose wish is for a new little dog. | A Bear’s Year Writer: Kathy Duval Age: for 4-8 years Price: $18. 99 When spring arrives, the mother bear and her kids wake up, and as the weather warms to summer, the mother bear teaches her kids to fish. In autumn, as food grows less, the family prepares for the coming winter. |
The Little Prince Writer: Exupéry. S Age: for 11-14 years Price: $20.99 The little prince lives on a small planet alone. One day he decides to leave his planet in search for the most important thing in his life. At last he finds out the answer from a fox of the Earth: the power of love. | The Only Child Writer: Guo Jing Age: for 5-9 years Price: $22.99 A little girl is lost in the forest. And she follows a deer deep into the woods. She finds herself in a strange world. But both her home and her family are very far away. How will she get back there? |
| A．$17.99. | B．$18.99. | C．$20.99. | D．$22.99. |
| A．Mariah Carey. | B．Kathy Duval. | C．Exupéry. S. | D．Guo Jing. |
| A．All I Want for Christmas Is You. | B．A Bear’s Year. |
| C．The Little Prince. | D．The Only Child. |
| A．a girl lost in the forest | B．a boy’s birthday gift |
| C．a mother panda and her babies | D．a father dog and his babies |
| A．Children’s movies | B．Children’s toys |
| C．Children’s shoes | D．Children’s books |
Yoghurt
It was a rough week. The price of oil skyrocketed as the temperature dropped sharply in Maine. We were looking at a high of eight degrees that week, and I had missed three days of work so my paycheck was going to be lower than normal. I was stressed, to say the least. I shopped strategically, looking for every possible way to cut pennies so I could buy groceries and keep the house warm.
My eight-year-old son didn't understand when I told him we were struggling that week. He wanted a special kind of yoghurt, but I didn't have the extra three dollars to buy it for him. It was the kind of yoghurt with a cartoon kid riding a skateboard on the front of the box, and a mere two spoonfuls in each cup. It was the kind of product that wastes a parent's money and makes me hate advertising.
I felt guilty as a parent when those big eyes looked at me with confusion, as if to say, “It's just yoghurt. What's the big deal?” So I found a way. I put something back as single mothers often do. He got his yoghurt.
On the way driving back from the grocery store, I noticed a homeless man holding a sign by the side of the road. My heart hurt, and I tried not to look at him. I watched people stay away from him on the street and walk by without even meeting his eyes. My son didn't seem to care much, either. I looked at the man closely then — bare hands grasping a piece of cardboard, snot frozen to his face, a worn-out jacket. And there I was struggling because I had to buy oil and groceries. But I decided to help. I pulled over to the man and handed him a five-dollar bill.
Paragraph 1:Seeing this, my son became confused and surprised.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Paragraph 2:
On that day, my son performed an act that most adults wouldn’t have done.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________When an important holiday comes, I usually think of what gifts to buy or prepare for my family members. It is the act
Life is unpredictable, and you never know what will happen tomorrow. When my son came back during the summer vacation, my wife and I, as usual,
Some people say children get too much care and love from their parents,
10 . Arriving at London Gatwick
Distance(距离) from central London: 28 miles/45 km
For travel information call: +44 (0)870 000 24 68.
How to get to the city centre
By train
The Gatwick Express goes from Gatwick Airport to London Victoria train and underground station in central London.
Trains go every 15 minutes and the journey to central London takes half an hour.
First Class tickets cost £ 25 (single), £ 48 (return).
Express Class costs £ 17 (single), £ 29 (return).
Southern Trains services run four times an hour to Victoria with a journey time of around 35 minutes.
By taxi
There are taxis outside the airport day and night. The journey to central London takes 55-70 minutes. A London taxi takes up to 5 people.
The average(平均的)cost from the airport to central London is £ 75- £ 100.
By car
Gatwick Airport is 28 miles (45 km) south of London. There are 4 car parks next to the airport and there are car rental (租赁) offices open from 8:00 to 18:00. The journey to London takes 60-75 minutes.
All cars pay a special £ 8 charge(收费) to go into central London.
By bus
National Express and EasyBus have services to central London. EasyBus services go every 20 minutes. The journey takes one hour and costs £ 2.
There is one National Express bus an hour. The journey takes 90 minutes and costs £ 7.60.
1. Someone in a hurry to Victoria station had better travel _____.| A．by train | B．by car |
| C．by taxi | D．by bus |
| A．They cost the same. | B．They're available at any time. |
| C．They require a special E 8 charge. | D．They take a similar period of time. |
| A．Gatwick Express. | B．National Express. |
| C．Easy Bus. | D．Southern Trains. |
| A．A short notice. | B．A travel guide. |
| C．A city introduction. | D．A TV advertisement. |
