World Sleep Day, organized by the World Sleep Day Committee of the World Association of Sleep Medicine since 2008, is on March 21 every year. World Sleep Day is to celebrate the benefits of good and healthy sleep.
Sleep quality plays an important role in people’s health. Researchers say that there are a lot of advantages (优点) if we always get enough sleep. We can be smarter, thinner, healthier and more cheerful. Also we’re to have better skin, better memories and longer lives.
When you lose even one hour of sleep for any reason, it will influence (影响) your performance the next day.
In general, adults need to sleep at least eight hours of sleep a night, but a recent survey found that, on workdays, only 21% of them really get a full eight hours of sleep and another 21% get less than six. For teenagers, a healthy sleep is about eight to nine hours per night. However, about 80% of high school students don’t get enough sleep because of their schoolwork or some bad habits.
Twenty-seven percent of people in the world have sleep problems. Now there are over 80 kinds of sleep disorders (紊乱), and most people know little about their danger. So, for our good life and work, it’s necessary for us to realize the importance of sleep and try to have a good sleep.
1. When is World Sleep Day?2. How many hours should a teenager sleep every night according to the writer?
3. Why don’t most high school students get enough sleep?
4. What percent of people have sleeping problems in the world?
5. What can you learn from this passage?
2 . Why did Chinese people have more than one name in ancient times?
In ancient China, people’s names had three parts, their family name, given name and courtesy name. Take famous poet Li Bai for example. His family name, which came from his father’s name, was Li. His given name was Bai, and his courtesy name was Taibai.
People used their given names when they were among family members. But in social life, they called each other by their courtesy names to show respect. This was mostly done among people of similar ages. If you were talking about yourself, or if your elders were talking about you, the given name would be used instead of the courtesy name.
Men would get their courtesy names when they turned 20. It was a symbol of adulthood (成年礼). Women would get their courtesy names after getting married.
One’s courtesy name often had something to do with one’s given name. For example, the name of Mencius was Meng Ke. His courtesy name was Ziyu. Both Ke and Ziyu mean “carriage (马车)”. Zhuge Liang’s given name was Liang, which means “bright”. His courtesy name was Kongming, which means “very bright”.
1. How many parts are there in people’s names in ancient China?| A．3. | B．4. | C．5. | D．6. |
| A．To show their love. | B．To show their good relationship. |
| C．To show their kindness. | D．To show their respect. |
| A．Family name. | B．Nickname. |
| C．Given name. | D．Courtesy name. |
| A．By telling stories. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By comparing differences. | D．By listing numbers. |
International Poetry Competition
World Poetry Day is celebrated on 21 March. Its purpose is to improve people’s ability to read, write, and teach poems all over the world.
This year, the International Poetry Centre is holding a poetry competition to celebrate the festival! The competition is open to all the poets (诗人) aged 18 and over from all over the world, and they will be divided into two groups:
Open Group (open to all the poets aged 18 and over)
ESL Group (open to all the poets aged 18 and over who can write in English as a Second Language)
The winners of each group will receive £1, 000.
RULES:
◆All the poems must be unpublished (未出版的) works
◆Poems will not be returned, so please keep a copy.
◆The poem(s) must be in English and created by the poet himself/ herself
◆ Poems can be written on any proper subject. No subject on violence (暴力) or drugs. The competition begins on 3 March, 2017 and ends on 28 August, 2017.
To enter the competition, please visit the Centre Shop to pay £5 for each poem. Once the payment is made, please ail the poem(s) to poetrycomp@center.uk. Remember to mark Open or ESL in the top right-hand corner of document (文档) to show which group to enter before emailing your poem(s).
Questions about the competition can be emailed to poetrycomp@center.uk.
1. When is the World Poetry Day?
2. What is the purpose of the World Poetry Day?
3. Who can take part in the poetry competition?
4. How many rules are there in the poetry competition?
5. Why should the poets keep a copy?
The animated film Chang An has become
Chang An is undoubtedly a masterpiece that shows the unique
Print is a medium for mass communication, which has enabled
The Prints-A Riot of Colors, an exhibition
In 1931, the famous writer and social activist Lu Xun
Nowadays, more and more countries around the world are holding celebrations for Chinese Spring Festival. What’s more, not only are these
1. What are the speakers talking about?
| A．Single parties. | B．A special festival. | C．Online shopping. |
| A．To promote online sales. |
| B．To help people show love. |
| C．To help people get together. |
8 . Unique Birthday Traditions
The editors of our international editions share traditions reserved for counting yourself one year older.
Lithuania
“In my native country, it is customary for the birthday person to sit in a decorated chair and to be lifted up by the party guests,” says editor Eva Mackevic. “How many times the chair is raised will correspond with his or her age.”
Japan
In Japan, when a child turns one, a ceremony called erabitori is held, where the birthday child chooses from a selection of items spread out around that represent the potential future. When a person turns 20, a coming-of-age celebration will be held on the second Monday January.
The Netherlands
When someone turns 50, a large doll will be placed in the birthday person’s garden or by heir front door; men have an “Abraham” doll, women a “Sarah”, based on a Bible passage.
Australia
A child’s first birthday is often celebrated with balloons and specially made “fairy bread”. Some families in Australia also mark the age of 21 with a souvenir “key to the door”, representing the young adult’s privilege to come and go from the family home as they please.
Germany
“In Germany, when unmarried men turn thirty, they are supposed to sweep the stairs of the local church or town hall,” editor Michael Kallinger says, “while women have to deal with the door handle.” This public act is meant to embarrass the person and motivate them to marry.
1. Which is part of a one-year-old boy’s birthday celebration in Japan?| A．Predicting the boy’s future. | B．Deciding the boy’s career. |
| C．Seeking items at the birthday party. | D．Holding a coming-of-age ceremony. |
| A．Love from parents. | B．Time to move out. |
| C．End of the 21st birthday. | D．Recognition of independence. |
| A．Germany. | B．Australia. |
| C．Lithuania. | D．The Netherlands. |
9 . Stargazing Festivals in 2023
As more areas grow brighter with light pollution, national parks across the country have become dark-sky havens. Over the years, they are making a push to get certified as havens for sky-watching by the International Dark Sky Association, and they even host events like stargazing festivals to get travelers excited about astronomy.
·Bryce Canyon National Park—June 14-17
Situated in southern Utah, Bryce Canyon earned its dark-sky title in 2019. The 35,835-acre park is an ideal place to stay up late. This year, its annual astronomy festival includes guided stargazing sessions, lectures and “star stories” presentations, family-friendly activities, and even a performance by strings musicians in the northern Arizona-based Dark Sky Quartet.
·Shenandoah National Park—August 11-13
Conveniently located within a day’s drive from two-thirds of Americans, Shenandoah National Park’s night sky festival is a low-lift way to dabble in astronomy. The nearly 200,000-acre park will host ranger talks, public stargazing sessions, lectures, presentations, and activities for kids. Staffers are still working on this year’s full schedule, but past events have covered topics ranging from space weather to nocturnal(夜间的) creatures.
·Great Basin National Park—September 14-16
Great Basin is one of the least crowded national parks, making it the perfect place to quietly appreciate the mysteries of the cosmos. Its annual astronomy festival is scheduled for this fall and includes guest speakers, constellation talks, observatory tours, and a photography workshop. During the festival’s unique “Art in the Dark” program, participants will get to paint in low-light conditions and experiment with how their eyes perceive color.
·Joshua Tree National Park—October 13-14
Joshua Tree National Park, as the International Dark Sky Association notes, is the “nearest convenient place to go stargazing under a relatively dark sky” for the 18 million people who live in the Los Angeles area. It became an official dark sky park in 2017, and each year, it hosts a night sky festival in the fall. As luck would have it, this year’s dates overlap with an annular “ring of fire” solar eclipse. From Joshua Tree, the moon will appear to obscure between 70 and 80 percent of the sun.
1. What is the purpose of Stargazing Festivals?| A．To raise public interest in astronomy. |
| B．To call for action against light pollution. |
| C．To provide a platform to observe stars. |
| D．To collect money for more observatories. |
| A．Bryce Canyon National Park. | B．Shenandoah National Park. |
| C．Great Basin National Park. | D．Joshua Tree National Park. |
| A．An observatory tour. | B．A photography workshop. |
| C．A stargazing tour. | D．A solar eclipse. |
10 . Four European Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss in 2023
Festival Medieval (中世纪的) de Sedan
For an unforgettable slice of Medieval France, head to Festival Medieval de Sedan in May. Held at the largest medieval castle in Europe, the Chateau de Sedan, the festival brings the spirit of the Middle Ages alive. Exciting tournaments and atmospheric parades take place around the castle grounds. Around 15,000 people come to explore the castle. Just be prepared to climb a lot of stairs!
La Fete de la Musique
There’s music in the air throughout France on 21 June. This is when La Fete de la Musique (Music Day) takes place. The first all-day musical celebration was first held in Paris in 1982 but later became celebrated in 120 countries around the world. During the festival, thousands of musicians gather in the streets, bars, and cafes giving free public performances.
Festival d’ Avignon
Another fantastic French festival not to miss is the Festival d’ Avignon. The annual theater festival is held in July in the courtyard of the Palais des Papes in Avignon. During this time, Avignon transforms its architectural heritage into various grand performance venues. Tens of thousands of theater lovers of all ages come to enjoy theatre, dance, visual arts, and live music.
Bastille Day
Celebrated nationwide on 14 July, Bastille Day is the biggest and most important festival in the French calendar. It marks the day that Parisian civilians and peasants stormed the fortress (堡垒) and prison of Bastille. This caused events that would end the monarchy (君主制) and start the age of liberty and equality. Celebrations are held all over France, including large-scale public events and parties.
1. Which of the following holidays takes place earliest?| A．Bastille Day. | B．Festival d’ Avignon. |
| C．La Fete de la Musique. | D．Festival Medieval de Sedan. |
| A．Enjoy beautiful music. | B．Explore some castles. |
| C．Make delicious coffee. | D．Learn about the monarchy. |
| A．In May. | B．In June. | C．In July. | D．In August. |
