1 . Ma Xiaohui, a famous Chinese erhu performer, held a concert in New York City earlier this month. The concert began with an overture (序曲) titled Legend of the Silk Road, and then came the theme song from the movie Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which beautifully celebrated the classic dialogue between erhu and cello (大提琴).

“This beautiful and inspiring concert wonderfully mixed classical, Chinese and cross-cultural themes. It was a feast for the ears and souls. The performance was full of creativity centered around Ma’s mastery of the instrument.” says artist Ranjit Bhatnagar.

“As a guitarist, I had the honor to perform with Ma,” says Tim Kelly. “Her powerful, moving melodies (旋律) inspired both me and the audience. It seems that in her hands, the instrument can touch the heart of every listener.”

Influenced by the lively atmosphere, the 2023 World Madam Global Overall Champion, Sepideh Behboudi, danced to the music many times with his partner Ethan Rimes and other audience.

Ma says music is an international language, and national musical instruments have their own unique characteristics. Using them as messengers, they can spread melodies of truth, goodness and beauty to all. She expresses a hope that the world can feel the charm of Chinese culture, the spiritual beauty of Chinese art and the warmth of the erhu to touch hearts.

According to Ma, her tour was not limited to just music, but also brought a healing experience to the audience. Ma with the Middle Tennessee State University Symphony performed the erhu concerto (协奏曲) Tianshan Shepherdess, as if bringing the audience to the foot of the Tianshan Mountains to see the blue sky, white clouds and the carefree shepherd.

1. Who performed music with Ma Xiaohui?

A．Sepideh Behboudi.	B．Ethan Rimes.
C．Tim Kelly.	D．Ranjit Bhatnagar.

2. What does the underlined word “they” in paragraph 5refer to?

A．The audience.	B．Unique characteristics.
C．International languages.	D．National musical instruments.

3. What does Ma expect of her music tour?

A．It can make her rich.	B．It can help her with further study.
C．It can spread Chinese culture and art.	D．It can give her a chance to be a master.

4. Which words can best describe Ma’s Tianshan Shepherdess?

A．Serious and tiring.	B．Natural and relaxing.
C．Traditional and loud.	D．Fast and sad.

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。

Layue falls on the     1     (twelve) month of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese character “La” holds historical significance,     2     (appear) in ancient texts such as Book of Changes and Rites of Zhou.     3     (original), “La” meant “cured meat”. Layue is also the month with the richest traditional customs in one year.

The eighth day of Layue marks the Laba Festival, whose custom on this day is to enjoy Laba porridge. It is a delightful     4     (mix) of grains, peanuts, chestnuts, red dates, lotus seeds, and other ingredients (配料), all of     5     are mixed together to make it a main course of the Laba Festival. In the northern part of China, there is a saying, “Children, don’t be too eager; right after Laba, the new year is     6     its way.” Celebrating Laba means the approach of the Chinese New Year.

The Kitchen God Festival is a widespread custom     7     (observe) across the country. On this day, people would hang images of the Kitchen God     8     his wife around the kitchen stove (炉子). Today, many rural areas still uphold this tradition.

Layue     9     (regard) as preparation for the upcoming Spring Festival. If the Spring Festival is considered the most joyful celebration of the year, many would agree that the joy, noise and expectation of Layue are no     10     (little) significant than the main event.

3 . 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，并将答案填写在答题卡上。

Longmen Grottoes

Set on the banks of the Yi River, 12km south of the current Luoyang City, the Longmen Grottoes are ranked first of the Four Great Grotioes in China, together with Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, Yungang Grottoes in Datong and Mount Maiji Grottoes in Tianshui. They were also listed in the World Cultural Heritages and Relics by UNESCO in 2000.

    1     (Locate) between the Xiangshan Mountain and the Longmen Mountain, with the YiRiver flowing below, the Longmen Grottoes are     2     (harmony) with mountains, forests and rivers displaying a peaceful atmosphere. Viewing it at a distance, it looks like     3     natural gate, which gave it the name “Yi Que (the gate of the Yi River)”. According to legend,     4     Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty climbed on Mount Mang north of Luoyang, he was very pleased and ordered the eastern capital     5     (build) here with its palace gate opposite the Yique. Thus, it came to be named, Longmen Gate.

Longmen Gate also houses     6     (rough) 2860 stele inscriptions (碑刻), making     7     a treasure for ancient calligraphy study. In total, more than 100,000 Buddhist statues and niches     8     (carve) into the cliffs by ancient Chinese people ranging from the largest one, the Vairocana Buddha with a     9     (high) of 17.14 meters,     10     the smallest one of 2 centimeters.

Wandering in the Longmen Grottoes, one is amazed by the delicate carving skills, deep Buddhist culture and great art achievements of Chinese people.

4 . Thanksgiving is basically a harvest-related festival which celebrates communal harmony. Though this festival is said to have originated in America, a number of other countries also celebrate harvest-related festivals. The festival is observed with different names and in different seasons. In Australia we can see a number of harvest festivals.

Apple Festival & Grape Festival

The harvest for apples and grapes takes place in the month of March in Australia in the granite belt, a special area. The festival is celebrated for 3-4 days. During the festival, various cultural and fun events are organized. Activities like grape crushing competitions, apple picking competitions, street carnivals (狂欢), and grand parades are also part of the festival.

Renmark Orange Week Festival

In August or September, the large orange growing area along the Murray River in South Australia holds a festival in Renmark, which is called the Renmark Orange Week. All kinds of games, competitions and fun last for a week during the carnival. Fireworks are another feature of the festival. The two varieties that are being harvested in Australia are the Valencia, which is from October to May and the Navel, which is from May to October.

Cane Festival

The cane is harvested from June to December in Australia. Most of the cane crop is grow n in Queensland and some in Maclean, New South Wales. And June is time for cane festivals. Just before harvest, the cane is burnt to remove dead leaves and to drive out pests. Machines are being used to cut the cane to the ground.

Wheat Festival

Wheat is harvested in the month of December and is usually finished by the end of January. Harvesting is done by machines. A new harvester invented by Headlie Taylor makes it easier to harvest crops which get flattened or damaged by bad weather.

1. Which festival takes place in June?

A．Cane Festival.	B．Wheat Festival.
C．Renmark Orange Week Festival.	D．Apple Festival & Grape Festival.

2. What can people do during Apple Festival & Grape Festival?

A．Appreciate fireworks.	B．Taste delicious grape wine.
C．Join in apple eating competitions.	D．Take part in grand parades.

3. What can be known from the text?

A．Wheat Festival begins in January.

B．Harvest-related festivals originated in America.

C．Oranges are being harvested in Australia all the year round.

D．Renmark Orange Week Festival takes place in the granite belt.

5 . 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。

Holding fist is a form of ceremony originating from Chinese martial arts (武术). Traditionally, it is practiced by standing upright,     1     the body straight, holding the right fist tightly, straightening your left hand     2     (have) four fingers in a flat surface, wrapping the left four fingers together around the right fist and placing the two hands in front of your chest, without bringing the     3     (arm) up.

There are two traditional explanations for     4     practice. The left hand with its four fingers represents the four elements: virtue, wisdom, health, and art, all of     5     symbolize the spirit of martial arts. The left thumb (拇指) is slightly bent to imply that one should never be self-centered. Since the right hand is closed in a fist, it symbolizes attack; while the left hand, being virtuous and disciplined, stops the attack and symbolizes self-discipline and     6     (restrict).

The left hand symbolizes the five major lakes of China and the fist represents the four seas     7     (surround) the country. The two hands together show the unity of martial artists. This is exemplified in the saying “The people of the five lakes and four seas are all brothers”.

The holding fist can     8     (see) at every major Chinese event or festival, such as the Spring Festival. On festive occasions like weddings or birthday parties, guests can hold fist to express     9     (they) congratulations to the hosts. At farewell parties, people often hold fist while saying "Take care!" to one another.     10     (occasion), we hold fist to request forgiveness.

6 . 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。

Putian wood carving, one of the four well-known     1     (category) of the art of Chinese wood carving, originated in the Tang and Song Dynasties.     2     (serve) as a national intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) item in China, it is a traditional folk carving technique of southeast China’s Fujian Province.

Zheng Chunhui, Lin Jianjun and Chen Yushu are three     3     (exception) representatives of wood carving masters. Zheng is a provincial-level inheritor (继承人) of the wood carving art,     4     not only excels in traditional wood carving technique,     5     expresses his love for his family and nation through his works. To promote the art, Zheng opened a unique wood carving gallery, which is the     6     (one) in Putian run by an individual and free to the public. The delicately made wood carving works by Lin     7     (shine) at a BRICS summit (峰会) several years ago, and meanwhile, the Chinese-style antique furniture pieces that are made by Chen     8     (show) at many international exhibitions over the past few years.

Putian city is home     9     over 2,600 wood carving companies, and the wood carving works     10     (create) there were sold to more than 20 countries and regions around the world last year.

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，并将答案填写在答题卡上。

As is often the case, museums     1     (associate) with large buildings, eye-catching highlights and massive collections in down town areas. However, many museums devoted to unique local culture can now be found in China’s vast rural areas.

Located near wide cornfields     2     (be) a museum focusing on Mahu Opera, a traditional art of the Manchu ethnic group in Northeast China.     3     (lie) on a site formerly used as a primary school, this museum has five exhibition rooms with considerable     4     (object) on display, including manuscripts (手稿), masks, costumes, instruments and books. Besides, the items in the museum     5     (collect) from local people, such as traditional farming tools, also reflect the history of this village in Shuangyang district of Changchun, Northeast China’s Jilin province.

A villager said     6     had never occurred to him that these old things could be used. If they hadn’t been     7     (special) gathered in the museum, they might have been thrown away already.

In Xinjia village,     8     has a population of only about 2,800, there are now five museums built near local dwellings (民居). Museums function     9     cultural centers for villagers in rural regions, helping them learn more about the past     10     record local history.

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。

Chinese kung fu, also     1     (refer) to as martial arts, has developed over a long historical period in China. Nowadays, it     2     (regard）as a traditional sport gaining more and more     3     (popular) and even stands as a representative for Chinese culture. The styles, including Shaolin, t’ai chi and Qigong, have many followers worldwide. This traditional heritage has much influence     4     the locals’ lifestyle.

Kung fu advocates virtue and peace, not aggression or violence,     5     has been the common value held by martial artists from generation to generation. Though kung fu keeps its     6     (origin) function of self-defense, its value in body-building and fitness is also     7     (high) appreciated.

In recent years, learning Chinese martial arts has been more and more popular among people of different ages and nationalities. Therefore, many kung fu training centers or clubs     8     (establish) recently. A strong will and persistence (坚持) is     9     must to learn Chinese kung fu, One should follow a master or join a training school to learn systematically. The basic skills of legs, waist and shoulders need     10     (train) regularly.

9 . 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。

Tai chi is a Chinese martial art often practised with the purpose of     1     (improve) health. The practice forms of tai chi are well known for relaxing, circular movements that work in harmony with breath regulation (调节). It can not only keep your mind calm     2     also make your body strong. As you focus on your breathing and movements, your mind can clear itself of its worries,     3     does your whole body good,

    4     (influence) by Taoist and Confucian thoughts, and the ideas of traditional Chinese medicine, the practice has developed into several styles,     5     (usual) named after a master, such as Chen-style and Yang-style.

Chen Bin, one of the     6     (master) of the Chen-style tai chi, has been practising the martial art since he     7     (be) six years old. More than two decades of practice has made him a master. “One’s understanding of tai chi can develop when the practice continues. As one’s experience grows, it becomes much     8     (easy) to understand its cultural meaning,” Chen Bing explains.

Tai chi has taught Chen Bing     9     (stay) calm during life’s ups and downs, and to learn about the world with     10     open mind. Moreover, the martial art encourages using gentleness to get over toughness, and making use of weakness to win strength through one’s self-awareness, which shows the wisdom of Taoism.

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。

The 37th International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Mer opened and China made a wonderful    1    (appear) as the first-ever guest country of honor at the event.

Chinese cultural activities    2    (take)place at the festival, including     3    huge dragon-headed kite-flying performance, workshops for kite-making techniques as well as experiential activities from lion dances to martialarts (武术).

Liu Hongge, director of the China Cultural Center in Paris, delivered speeches. Liu said the kite is a key image,    4    (represent) the friendship between China and France. In 1958, the two countries produced a film     5    (title) Fengzheng (The Kite), the first color children’s film made by the People’s Republic of China,    6    the first coproduced with another country. It tells of the adventures and friendship between Chinese and French children created by a kite.

“As the organizer, the China Cultural Center in Paris continues to make the best of kites, using them    7    a medium to tell stories about kite culture in China and France, promote mutual(相互的) understanding and contribute to the success of the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism,” said Liu    8    (enthusiastic).

The International Kite Festival in Berck-sur-Meris the largest and most    9    (influence) kite-themed event in France,    10    visitors can not only observe a wide variety of kites, but they also have the chance to take part in art performances.