1 . Looking for Canadian culture? Just put your eyes on the ice rink. “We love hockey,” says Marion Alexander, a Canadian English teacher in Beijing. “It really is Canada’s sport.”
There is no other sport so close to the hearts of Canadians and no other sport in which Canadians have been so successful. But how much do you know about hockey?
Hockey is played on a court of ice called a rink. Each team has six players: a goalie (goal keeper), a centre, two defensemen, and two forwards. All of them wear ice skates.
Instead of a ball, hockey uses a puck, which is a small black object that looks like a small, flat round cake made of rubber. Each team tries their best to hit the puck with their hockey sticks into the other team’s goal. The team which scores the most goals at the end of three periods is the winner.
“Hockey has a lot of rules,” says Alexander, “but once you are used to it, it seems very natural.”
In Canada, hockey is part of the national identity. Many Canadians play youth hockey when they are growing up, and many Canadian families make a tradition of watching the games.
“I played goalie when I was younger,” remembers Alexander. “My family would always watch the Calgary Flames (a team in the National Hockey League) play on TV.”
Hockey doesn’t just unite families. It also brings the whole country together, especially during the Olympics. “Canada is a diverse country that doesn’t have a strong unified culture like China. That is why hockey is so important. Supporting the national team brings all of Canada together,” says Alexander.
1. The passage is mainly about _____.| A．the origin and development of hockey | B．Canadians’ diverse sports culture |
| C．Marion Alexander’s view of hockey | D．the role of hockey in Canadian culture |
| A．it is Canadians’ favourite sport | B．it is an event at the Olympics |
| C．it is part of the national identity | D．it helps unite the whole country |
| A．Canada is more diverse than China. |
| B．Canadians are not as united as the Chinese. |
| C．There are not many things that bring all Canadian people together. |
| D．There are not so many sports in Canada as in China. |
| A．Hockey Brings Canadians Together | B．How to Play Hockey |
| C．The National Identity for Canadians | D．Finding Canadian Culture |
2 . Famous Modern Chinese Buildings
Beijing International Airport
The first place most visitors see when they arrive in China is Beijing International Airport. The airport was constructed in the 1950s. It has an indoor garden, a children’s playground, and over 70 food businesses in Terminal 3 alone.
Shanghai World Financial Center
Completed in 2008, SWFC took over 10 years to complete due to financial shortages and construction delays. Since its completion, it has won countless architectural awards.
Tourists are welcome at SWFC's viewing platform, which at 474 meters above ground is the worlds highest closed viewing platform.
The Water Cube
It was constructed for use during the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics. Now visitors can express surprise at the architecture of the building. They can enjoy the indoor atmosphere as well.
Among the offerings of the Water Cube are a restaurant and bar, a shopping area, and Water World, a family water park
The Bird's Nest, Beijing
It was designed mainly for the 2008 Summer Olympics. It can hold up to 80,000 people and has been used for a winter theme park. Nowadays, its main income is as a tourist attraction. It draws more than 20,000 tourists every day.
National Center for the Performing Arts
It was completed in 2007. The building is surrounded by a man-made lake, requiring guests to enter via an underground hallway. It is home to an Opera Hall, Music Hall, and Theater.
1. Which of the following buildings was first constructed?| A．Beijing International Airport. | B．Shanghai World Financial Center. |
| C．The Water Cube. | D．The Birds Nest, Beijing. |
| A．It needed more construction workers. | B．It was short of money. |
| C．It added an extra viewing-platform. | D．It faced too much terrible weather. |
| A．By renting the winter theme park. | B．By increasing its opening time. |
| C．By charging tourists for admission fees. | D．By giving some live concerts. |
| A．Enjoy sports events. | B．Play musical instruments. |
| C．Attend science lectures. | D．Watch different performances. |
