1 . Yunnan offers exciting experiences of unique customs. If you are already planning to visit Yunnan, see our festival tours.
The Torch (火把) Festival
Date: July /August (days 24 to 26 of the sixth lunar month)
Location: Lijiang
It is a traditional festival among the Yi, Naxi, and Bai minority (少数民族) groups. According to the ancient rule of the Naxi people, the Torch Festival should last three days, and every family should light a big torch in front of their doors for the three days.
Recommended Tour: 3-Day Ancient Lijiang Tour
The Water Splashing (泼酒) Festival
Date: April 13 to 15
Location: Xishuangbanna
It is the most important festival observed by the Dai people of Xishuangbanna in southen Yunnan. It involves splashing water, lantern floating and other joyful activities.
Recommended tour: 6-Day Xishaungbanna Tour
The Horse Race Festival
Date: May/June (5th of the fifth lunar month)
Location: Shangri-la
Falling on the same date as the Dragon Boat Festival, it is the biggest gathering of Tibetans in Yunnan and usually lasts about 3 days. During the celebrations, traditional performances and competitions like horse racing and wrestling (摔跤) will beheld.
Recommended tour: 8-Day Yunnan Tour of the Nu River and Tengchong
The Third Month Fair of the Bai Group
Date: April /May(days 15 to 21 of the third lunar month)
Location: Dali
It is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Bai people in Dali in western Yunnan. During the March Fair, the streets of Dali Ancient Town are packed with people selling amazing minority items.
Recommended tour: 6-Day Yunnan Minorities Tour
1. What do the Torch Festival and the Water Splashing Festival have in common?| A．The date. | B．The location. |
| C．The lasting time | D．The celebratory events. |
| A．The Torch Festival. | B．The Water Splashing Festival. |
| C．The Horse Race Festival. | D．The Third Month Fair of the Bai Group. |
| A．A business research. | B．A newspaper report. |
| C．An educational magazine. | D．An advertising leaflet. |
Dear Li Hua,
How is everything going?
I’m writing to tell you that I have joined in an exchange program. I’m leaving for Beijing next month and am going to study in Beijing for a year.
Although I have dreamed about it for a long time, I feel a little bit anxious now. You know my Chinese is not good enough for me to communicate with others. What is more, most Chinese traditional culture is still new to me. Both the problems make me feel worried about fitting in the new environment.
What can I do to deal with the problems? Could you give me any suggestions? Looking forward to your early reply!
Yours,
Jim
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Jim,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
(1)说明发邮件的目的；
(2)介绍中国春节以及春节的具体活动(除夕家宴、吃饺子等)；
(3)介绍中国人对春节的态度。
注意：
(1)词数不少于100；开头及结尾已给出, 不计入总词数;
(2)可以适当增加细节, 使行文连贯。
参考词汇：
红包 red envelopes 春晚 the Spring Festival Gala
除夕 New Year’s eve 拜年 New Year’s greetings
Dear Jack,
I hope this email finds you well.
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Looking forward to your response and your company during the Spring Festival.
Best,
Li Hua
China is widely known
5 . With the approaching of New Year, more and more visitors will come to China. Don’t know where you should go? Here are some places recommended for you.
Shanghai Expo Culture Park
The Shanghai Expo Culture Park will soon open its northern section to the public, in which the major attractions include a traditional garden that is similar in design to Shanghai’s famous Yuyuan Garden and a 400-meter avenue exhibiting the history of the area, while in the southern section lies a grand theater.
Macao Tower AJ Hackett Bungee Jump (蹦极)
The Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of activities, such as eating and entertainment. One of the activities which enjoy good fame is the bungee jump. The AJ Hackett Macao Tower Bungee Jump is 233 meters high, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial (商业的) bungee jump in the world. Raise your arms and off you go!
Harbin’s Frozen World
For those who have never been to Harbin, there is an almost endless list of things to do. At Harbin Ice — Snow World, you can not only see the world — famous ice architecture, but also have great fun! You can have hotpot at the restaurants which are made of ice, enjoying the product of both ice and fire, go down the world’s longest ice slide (滑梯) and join in the popular Ice and Snow Electronic Music Festival to welcome 2024.
The winter is cold and the night is long, so why not go to the theatre? Harbin was listed by the United Nations as a “music city” in 2010. Harbin Grand Theater is where artistic souls defrost (化霜) a little to share their love of art.
1. What is the purpose of the passage?| A．To entertain readers. | B．To introduce some attractions. |
| C．To introduce Macao Tower. | D．To tell an experience in Harbin. |
| A．The Macao Tower. | B．Shanghai Expo Culture Park. |
| C．Shangha’s Yuyuan Garden. | D．Harbin Ice—Snow World. |
| A．They have a high tower. | B．They have a long ice slide. |
| C．They have a grand theater. | D．They have traditional architecture. |
| A．In her mother’s. | B．In her sister’s. | C．At home. |
New Year pictures are an ancient Chinese folk art.
Traditional New Year pictures, famous for simple lines, brilliant colors and scenes of prosperity, have the
Besides, viewed
8 . London will see thousands of people join together for one of the biggest Chinese New Year celebrations outside Asia. Here's everything to expect on the big day.
When and where The parade (游行) will begin at 10 a.m, with activities starting in Trafalgar Square from 11 a.m. The parade will start on Charing Cross Road, heading north to Shaftesbury Avenue, before turning into the heart of Chinatown. |
How to get to Chinatown For anyone brave enough to try and drive in, there is a large Q-Park in Chinatown itself. That said, the train to Charing Cross or Piccadilly Circus will likely be your best choice. Follow the official @TfL on Twitter for real time service updates and be sure to check before you travel. |
What is on Throughout the day there will be plenty of live performances. Martial artists will perform in Trafalgar Square and many food stands will line the streets. People looking for entertainment designed for children can head to Lecester Square, where they'll likely find amazing activities, including sugar painting and dressing up opportunities. |
Where to eat In Chinatown there are plenty of top options. Dumplings’ Legend on Gerrard Street and Gold Mine on Wardour Street are best for excellent dumplings. |
What to wear Many will wear red for the day as this means good luck for the coming year— particularly so this year as the Rabbit is the luckiest of all the 12 zodiac signs (生肖). |
| A．On foot. | B．By train. | C．By bus. | D．By car. |
| A．Leicester Square. | B．Piccadilly Circus. |
| C．Trafalgar Square. | D．Wardour Street. |
| A．To introduce a celebration. | B．To recommend zodiac signs. |
| C．To describe a fun event. | D．To recall a Chinese festival. |
It is just past five o’clock on the Chinese New Year’s Eve, and the dinner table is already covered
Six-year-old Bofeng has not seen his grandparents for almost a year, and he is full of joy and
The Luo family’s journey back to their hometown was a long and
On their
After dinner, the hours until midnight go slowly by. The whole family are going to stay up late on the Chinese New Year’s Eve. They gather around the television to watch the Spring Festival Gala,
As midnight approaches, Luo Yan takes his parents, wife and son outside to set off firecrackers.The whole village is lit up with colourful fireworks. All over the country, people are celebrating their good fortune, celebrating their family’s togetherness, and celebrating their nation’s strength.
10 . It is widely known that any English conversation begins with the weather. Such a fixation with the weather finds expression in Dr. Johnson’s famous comment that “When two English meet, their first talk is of weather.” Though Johnson’s observation is as accurate now as it was over two hundred years ago, people fail to come up with a good explanation for this English weather-speak.
Bill Bryson, for example, says that, as the English weather is not at all exciting, the interest in it can hardly be understood. He argues that “To an outsider, the most striking thing about the English weather is that there is not very much of it.” Simply, the reason is that the unusual and unpredictable weather is almost unknown in the British Isles.
Jeremy Paxman, however, disagrees with Bryson, arguing that the English weather is by nature attractive. Bryson is wrong, he says, because the English preference for the weather has nothing to do with the natural phenomena (现象). “The interest is less in the phenomena themselves, but in uncertainty.” According to him, the weather in England is very changeable and uncertain and it draws the English as well as the outsider.
Bryson and Paxman stand for common misunderstandings about the weather-speak among the English. Both of them, somehow, are missing the point. The English weather conversation is not really about the weather at all. English weather-speak is a system of signs, which is developed to help the speakers overcome the natural reserve and actually talk to each other. Everyone knows conversations starting with weather-speak are not requests for weather data. Rather, they are greetings. In other words, English weather-speak is a means of social bonding.
1. Why does the author mention Dr. Johnson’s comment?| A．Because Dr. Johnson is famous. |
| B．To show that most people agree with Dr. Johnson. |
| C．Because the comment was accurate two hundred years ago. |
| D．To show that English conversations usually start with the weather. |
| A．Bill Bryson has little knowledge of the weather. |
| B．There is nothing special about the English weather. |
| C．The English weather attracts people to the British Isles. |
| D．English people talk about the weather for its uncertainty. |
| A．To explore. | B．To attract. | C．To ensure. | D．To digitise. |
| A．To analyse the weather in the UK. |
| B．To explain what English weather-speak is about. |
| C．To argue with both Bill Bryson and Jeremy Paxman. |
| D．To tell people that the English weather is changeable. |
