1 . Top 4 must-see ancient villages in Beijing

Beijing is a world-famous historical and cultural city with a history of more than 3, 000 years. The rich and profound ancient village culture found in and around the city remains an important part of the capital’s history and culture. Below we recommend 4 must-see ancient villages in the Beijing area as the 2024 May Day holiday approaches.

Lingshui village

Located in the northwest of Mentougou district, Lingshui village was formed in the Liao and Jin dynasties. The ancient dwellings in Lingshui village are a model of rural residential buildings during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911) in northerm China, and their original appearance is well preserved. Tourists can explore over 120 folk houses, alongside many cultural relics in the village.

Shuiyu village

Shuiyu village is in Fangshan district. The village was built during the Ming and Qing dynasties. With 600 houses and more than 100 sets of courtyard houses from the Ming and Qing dynasties, the original cultural ecology of the village has been well maintained. Facing both north and south, the village is laid out in a circular shape, forming a unique architectural style.

Sangyu village

Sangyu village lies in the north of Mentougou district, Beijing, next to Lingshui village. Prior to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) , Sangyu village was called Sanyu or “encountering” in English, named for the three water channels that meet in the village. Dense mulberry tree forests surround the entire village, and when they bear fruit, purple mulberries light up the village valley.

Malan village

Malan village, which means “horse stable” in English, had a history of keeping horses that dates back to the Ming dynasty. The ancient buildings in Malan village are made of stone and mud. When building and repairing houses in the village, people try their best to maintain their original appearance. There is also an exhibition hall, a row of old houses, as well as 12 gate bridges in the the village.

1. Which village is designed round according to the text?

A．Lingshui village.	B．Shuiyu village.
C．Sangyu village.	D．Malan village.

2. What does Lingshui village and Malan village have in common?

A．They are models of rural buildings.

B．The houses are made of stones and mud.

C．Their original appearance are well maintained.

D．They were built during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

3. From which column of a newspaper can this passage probably be taken?

A．Nature.

B．Agriculture.

C．Geography.

D．Tourism.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

China has many famed explorers. There was Zhang Qian,     1     traveled into Central Asia,     2     (open) corridors of trade that became the Silk Road. Zheng He was a great mariner in the 15th century. Yet these voyages     3     (undertake) under the direction of governments Xu Xiake was different.

Born in 1587, Xu Xiake grew up in a rich family. Yet he rejected the     4     （comfort) life to travel the lost world of imperial China. As one of the greatest land explorers, Xu Xiake is said     5     (travel) thousands of miles of Chinese mountains and rivers on foot in his lifetime. The written work of Xu Xiake's travel records and diaries contains some 404, 000 Chinese characters,     6     enormous work for a single author of his time. It mixes     7     (detail) of geography, botany and local history with the ratings of the Ming Dynasty lodgings (住宿).

“On the surface, Xu's travel can neither be classified as great affairs of state     8     great undertakings that changed the course of history.” writes the cultural historian Zheng Peikai. “Xu traveled to satisfy his own     9    (curious) — he traveled for the sake of traveling.”

Xu Xiake traveled across China for 34 years. Perhaps his     10    (great) journey was his last. At age 50, he traveled to the tropical frontiers of Yunnan. Hundreds of years later, we follow. Naturally, he is the father of Chinese backpacking.

4 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

First-time visitors to Chengdu may find it to be a city with rich cultural heritage. The emblem(标志) of a gold leaf,     1     (feature) four flying birds surrounding the sun, can be seen everywhere in the city. The emblem, which represents Chengdu,    2    (choose) as the symbol of China Cultural Heritage by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage in 2005.

After the discovery of the Sanxingdui Ruins in the city of Guanghan in 1929,    3    was believed to be one of Sichuan’s most important archaeological finds, a 3,000-year-old gold-leaf sunbird was unearthed at the Jinsha Ruins in 2001. In 2018, Chengdu made the decision     4     (become) a world cultural city. In recent years, Chengdu’s efforts to globalize have accelerated,    5     a series of major international cultural and sports activities have been held, laying the foundation for it to build     6     into a world-famous tourist city.

Chengdu’s     7     (attract) range from giant pandas     8     the poetic legacy of the Du Fu Thatched Cottage. Hidden in thick greenery, the Temple of Marquis Wu was built as     9     memorial hall in honor of Zhuge Liang and now China’s personification of loyalty and wisdom. The city also offers a museum including a cottage modelled after the poetic descriptions of Du Fu, one of China’s     10     (great) poets, emphasizing his influence on Chinese literature.

5 . Arches（拱门）National Park

Why Go to Arches National Park

A trip to Arches National Park is like visiting another planet with thousands of natural sandstone arches, red rocks and amazing landscapes, as well as light that seems to change all the time. The way the shadows（阴影）pass through the arches makes the park particularly attractive for photographers.

Sitting 5 miles northwest of Moab, Utah, the park has 26 miles of scenic road and hikes for every level of fitness.

Best Months to Visit

The best time to visit Arches National Park is from April to May and from September to October. In summer, temperatures can go beyond 100 degrees, making exploring the park very uncomfortable. In late summer, violent storms often cause flash floods, which can be quite dangerous. Winter is a good time for sightseeing, with fewer crowds, but occasional snow and ice can make the paths wet, smooth and therefore easy to fall on. However, the visitor center is open daily.

What to Eat

There are no restaurants or hotels in Arches National Park, so you need to bring your own food or plan to eat in neighboring Moab, Utah, about 5 miles from the park entrance. There are several picnic areas in the park, so plan ahead if you want to eat with Arches as the background.

Getting Around Arches National Park

The best way to get around Arches National Park is by car. There is no public transport inside Arches National Park. Visitors can also ride bikes in the park, but there are no bike lanes or shoulders, so this is more of an option for experienced cyclists.

1. What may visitors do at Arches National Park?

A．Have dinner in restaurants.	B．Take some photographs.
C．Learn about another planet.	D．Stay in the hotel for a few days.

2. What is a disadvantage of visiting the park in winter?

A．The risk of falling.	B．The danger of flash floods.
C．The crowds of tourists.	D．The shutdown of the visitor center.

3. Where is this text probably taken from?

A．A travel journal.	B．A geography book.
C．A tourism website.	D．An academic article.

7 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Fan Jinshi, the honorary president of the Dunhuang Academy, is more widely known as the ” Daughter of Dunhuang“. She has spent more than four decades     1    (study) the preservation of the Mogao Caves. The Mogao Caves    2    (build) from the 4th century to the 14th century, and they consist of at least 490 caves    3    are carved into the cliffs (悬崖) above the Dunhuang River. For many reasons,the caves     4     (become) increasingly vulnerable (脆弱的) in the past years.

Fan, together with other scholars, has made several breakthroughs in cave preservation technologies such as     5     reduction of sandstorms’ impact on the Mogao Caves. Fan also works hard     6     (promote) cooperation between the Dunhuang Academy and overseas archaeological institutions. Thanks to her efforts, the surrounding environment has improved    7    (significant).

    8    Fan’s leadership, the Dunhuang Academy has grown into the world’s largest institution for Dunhuang studies, making many    9     (achieve) in digitisation, 3D scanning and virtual reality representation of the Dunhuang relics (遗迹).”The longer I’ve stayed here, the     10    (deep)my love has grown for Dunhuang,“ Fan said.

8 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Amid the heights of a mountain range in southwestern China, thousands of different species of flowers     1    (mysterious) live together in harmony, without fighting as they do in other areas for the pollinators that are crucial to their continued survival. The flowers’     2    (coexist) has left scientists confused for years, but a new study may offer answers.

A team of Chinese researchers set out    3    (understand) the phenomenon better. By documenting the flowering patterns of 34 different species, they discovered that they were not blooming at the same time,     4     at different points of the season,     5    (explain) their ability to thrive (繁荣)so closely to one another.

The Hengduan Mountains are known    6     their biological diversity, spanning deep rivers to tall peaks, and their weather,     7     ranges from the subtropical humidity to cold, snowy winters. In the botanist community, however, the mountains are also spectacular because of the estimated 12, 000 species of flowers that call    8    (they) home, some 3, 500 of which aren’t found naturally anywhere else on Earth.

There are around 272 different species of rhododendrons (杜鹃) native to the Hengduan region, according to the study. Qin Li,     9     postdoctoral researcher at the Chicago Field Museum, who spent over two months visiting more than 100 sites throughout the bloom season to document their blossoms and other characteristics, once     10    (describe) the species on the mountains as an “ocean of flowers”.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In Fujian province, over 3,000 Tulou scatter (散落) in the mountains, more than any other province in China. Some of them are circular, while others are rectangular (方形的). They also vary     1     size and height.

A Tulou usually has 3 to 5 floors, covering     2     area of around 5,000 square meters. A Tulou can accommodate hundreds of people, who live and work together,     3     (share) the public areas, as well as the public     4     (facility) such as the well and the stairs. So, a Tulou     5     (function) as a village unit. It brings unity to all the villagers, passing down the traditional culture.

The     6     (early) Tulou was built in the 13th century, when the Hakka people moved to Fujian during the war.     7     (settle) here permanently, the Hakka people built the Tulou based on the local geographical environment, for both living and defense purposes. Featuring mud walls     8     are over one meter thick, a specially-designed entrance, high windows and secret tunnels (地道), the Tulou can defend against enemies effectively.

In 2008, the Fujian Tulou were on the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Nowadays, the Tulou are no longer defensive buildings,     9     they still reflect the ideas of harmony and cooperation while living together.

When you get a chance, why not visit Fujian Tulou and take a look at these     10     (impress) earthen buildings?