1 . The term Scotch­Irish is an American term used to describe those Scots­Irish who live in America.In Britain the term Scots­Irish used for these people is Ulster­Scots. Then, where did the Scots­Irish come from on earth? To find the answer, you should get to know a little bit about the history of Scotland.

After the Celtic invasion (入侵) of Britain about 500 BC, what is now Scotland was controlled by the Celtic people known as the Picts. This name came from the Latin word pictus meaning “painted”. They painted their bodies with dyes (染料).

In the fifth century, the Scots from northern Ireland invaded what is now western Scotland and established a kingdom in the highlands. They spoke Gaelic, a Celtic language. At this same time the Anglo­Saxon invasion of Britain was taking place. Scotland is made up of the highlands and the lowlands, and the Gaelic name for the lowlands is a’Ghalldachd, meaning “the place of the foreigners”．And whom might those foreigners be? The Anglo­Saxon invasion of Britain included the Angles, the Saxons and the Jutes. The Jutes came from what is now northwestern Denmark.They settled (定居) in the southernmost part of Britain. The Saxons came from the northwest coast of Germany and they settled in the southern third of Britain. The Angles came from southwestern Denmark and they conquered what is now northern England and the lowlands of Scotland. They were the foreigners referred to in the Gaelic name for the lowlands.

In the 17th century, the British leaders decided to settle some of its people in the Northern Ireland province of Ulster. They chose the people from Lowland Scotland. This migration (移民) started about 1605.

When the British colonization (殖民) of North America began many of them chose to join this migration. By the time of the American Revolution it was said that one­sixth of the population was the Scots­Irish.

1. Which of the following had the custom of body painting?

A．The Scots.	B．The Picts.
C．The Scots­Irish.	D．The Anglo­Saxons.

2. What happened to what is now Scotland in the fifth century?

A．A kingdom was set up by the Scots fell.

B．The Scots lost the lowlands in a war.

C．Gaelic was widely spoken in the highlands.

D．The highlands were controlled by the Jutes.

3. The underlined word “them” in the last paragraph refers to the people who came from         ．

A．northern England

B．western Scotland

C．Ulster of Northern Ireland

D．southernmost part of Britain

4. What does the text mainly want to tell us?

A．Why the Scots­Irish chose America to settle.

B．The Anglo­Saxon invasion of Britain.

C．The history of the country Scotland.

D．Who the Scots­Irish were exactly.

2 . The kites in Weifang never disappoint. Every year the Weifang International Kite Festival amazes visitors and netizens (网民) with innovative kites, as “paper birds” of unimaginable designs keep appearing in the sky.

The origin of kites in China can be traced back to the Warring States Period when the great Chinese philosopher Mozi in the State of Lu (part of today’s Shandong Province) made the first “wooden kite”. Kites didn’t actually become popular until the Ming Dynasty. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, artists specialized in kite making began to appear in Weifang. In 1984, the first Weifang International Kite Festival was held.

Kites were used in China for military purposes at the very beginning. They were made to signal and measure distance, providing intelligence to aid moving large armies across difficult terrain (地形). For example, they can be used to calculate and record wind readings, similar to ship flags at sea. Over time, kites became associated with leisure activities, and were often flown during festivals and holidays.

Today, kite-flying is a popular leisure activity in China, and the Weifang International Kite Festival is one of the largest kite festivals in the world. In 2023, 622 kite artists from 59 countries and regions participated in the event. Compared with previous festivals, the 2023 event was highlighted by many innovations by both veteran (经验丰富的) and young kite makers. Zhang Xiaodong, 74, as a national intangible culture inheritor of Weifang kites, he has attended all 40 festivals. In the early days, he only brought traditional kites to take part in the competitions, but this time, he applied sound and light to make the fairy tale of Chang'e flying to the moon come “alive”.

The Weifang kite festival is not only a platform to share kite-making skills, but also a way to enhance friendship between people from different countries. The innovative kites presented in 2023 brought many pleasant surprises to kite lovers all over the world, and brought the people of China and other countries closer. As one netizen put it, “No matter how far away kite lovers go, there is always a ‘thread’ in their heart that can pull them together.”

1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．The history of kites in China.	B．The popularity of kites in Weifang.
C．The introduction to great kite artists.	D．The development of kite-making skills.

2. What was the original function of kites in China?

A．To serve as gifts at festivals.	B．To judge the height of mountains.
C．To measure wind speed for sailors at sea.	D．To provide important information for armies.

3. How was the Weifang kite festival in 2023 different from the previous ones?

A．It involved more creative kite artworks.

B．It became the largest kite festival in the world.

C．It contained plenty of Chinese traditional elements.

D．It attracted many young kite artists’ wide attention.

4. What can we infer about the Weifang kite festival from the netizen’s words?

A．It inspires artists to create a lot of surprises.

B．It is a good platform for kite makers to share skills.

C．It promotes the spread of traditional Chinese culture.

D．It strengthens the bond between kite lovers all over the world.

3 . Tea originated in China over two thousand years ago. Today, the country owns over 2,000 varieties of tea, differing in taste, sweet and purpose. Some teas, such as Huang Shan, refresh the sense of taste with their special flavor, while others, such as spicy chai, are added with spices (香料) .

China first started exporting tea during the Ming dynasty (1368—1644), and the drink has since come to lead humanity’s drinking habits far beyond Asia. It is the most widely consumed drink on Earth today, aside from water and coffee.

In Chinese mythology, tea was first discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong (“Divine Farmer”) in 737BC， when a soft wind carried some leaves into a pot of boiling water. However, the oldest dependable evidence comes from ancient plant remains found in 2016 in Xi’an and western Tibet, showing that tea was grown at least 2,100 years ago during the Western Handy nasty when it was most likely used as medicine.

Generation after generation of tea makers experimented with different brewing (冲泡) techniques, leaves, and ceremonies, resulting in today’s tea culture full of life. There’s no doubt that China’s tea culture has become one of the most popular, diverse, and unique traditions in the world.

China is already the world’s largest tea exporter. The inclusion of the country’s traditional tea-making process on the UNESCO list will obviously generate practical benefits for tea makers in the country and across the world as more resources are given to protect and preserve such millennia-old tea culture and technical practices. As additional attention is brought to this traditional technique, the Chinese tea sector will further tap its potential and improve its growth.

As one of China’s oldest cultural practices, traditional tea processing techniques show the spirit of modesty (谦逊), peace, and comity (礼让). No matter your preference for green or dark tea, with milk or without, Chinese tea isn’t just brews. Instead, it is a bridge connecting different cultures and peoples.

1. What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Chinese tea has a fresh taste.	B．Chinese tea is added with spices.
C．Chinese tea has a long history.	D．Chinese tea has a rich variety.

2. When did China begin to export tea?

A．In about 737 BC.

B．Two thousand years ago.

C．During the Ming dynasty.

D．During the Western Handy nasty.

3. How does the author find about Chinese tea?

A．Hopeful.

B．Objective.

C．Careless.

D．Disapproving.

4. What is the best tittle for the text?

A．Chinese Tea Benefits the Globe a Lot

B．Chinese Protect and Develop Its Tea Culture

C．Chinese Tea Is Included in the UNESCO List

D．China Plays a Vital Part in Cultural Diversity

4 . On April 18—the International Day for Monuments and Sites, China Daily’s digital employee Yuanxi and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes’ official virtual cartoon figure Jiayao together introduced an interactive digital platform that hosts a virtual copy of the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave(藏经洞) to the world.

The platform was developed jointly by the Dunhuang Academy and the Chinese tech firm Tencent. It uses gaming technologies to show the historical scenes of the Library Cave in the digital world.

The Library Cave in Mogao Grottoes was discovered in 1900, with more than 60,000 cultural relics dating from the 4th century to the 11th century unearthed. It was one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.

On the platform, visitors can role-play and “time travel” to ancient dynasties and talk with eight historical figures. The public can enter the platform through the Digital Dunhuang website and its WeChat mini program.

In the digital age, the model of “culture+technology” has been introduced to promote the development of Chinese culture. The digitalization rate of China’s precious cultural relics is now over 70 percent, according to the 2022 China Digital Collection Industry Research Report released by iResearch.

Institutions such as the Palace Museum have also started online digital services of their own. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology allows the public to view the interior of the buildings through the Palace Museum’s WeChat mini program.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also encouraged the development and transformation of cultural intellectual property(知识产权) by digital means. China Central Television has created a series of digital collections with different Dunhuang themes, such as the Dunhuang divine deer(神鹿) Youyou. It was created based on the image of the nine-colored deer from Dunhuang murals(壁画). The public can see the divine deer on CCTV’s own digital platform.

Digital collections cater to the consumption habits of young people, who grow up in the information age. They not only protect the intellectual property of the collections but also bring the public closer to China’s “excellent traditional culture”, noted Dunhuang Art Institute.

Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy, told Xinhua that more efforts will be made to explore new forms for showing cultural relics and offer the public greater cultural experiences to develop Dunhuang culture.

1. What can visitors do on the interactive digital platform for the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave?

A．Play role-playing games set in ancient times.

B．Play video games featuring historical figures.

C．Talk to the designer of the digital Library Cave.

D．Design digital caves showing historical scenes.

2. What is the purpose of developing digital platforms for cultural institutions?

A．To show the latest gaming technologies.

B．To help cultural institutions make a profit.

C．To promote the development of Chinese culture.

D．To encourage people to explore new forms of cultural relics.

3. Why does the article mention the Dunhuang divine deer Youyou?

A．To stress the importance of digital collections.

B．To describe its popularity among young people.

C．To present how digital collections are developed.

D．To introduce a successful example of digital collections.

4. What does the underlined phrase “cater to” in the second-to-last paragraph most probably mean?

A．Ignore.	B．Satisfy.
C．Challenge.	D．Change.

5 . At first glance, Huaguoshan kindergarten in Zhuzhou, a city in the southern province of Hunan, looks much like any other schools for kids in China. But it has a year-long waiting list, because of its widely advertised guoxue.

Children at Huaguoshan are taught how to bow, and how to greet each other politely. In some rooms they learn ancient techniques. In others, they recite poems, perform tea ceremonies and play Chinese chess. The school says that mastering skills is secondary to building character. “For example, our children learn to respect their rivals (对手) and accept defeat in chess,” explains one of the teachers.

Of course, the school charges hefty fees. Actually, the guoxue trend has already created a huge demand for education in kindergartens across China. Frost & Sullivan, a data firm, estimated that the market for preschool children was worth $73 billion in 2020, almost doubled its value in 2018.

Strictly speaking, guoxue content has long been part of the curriculums from primary to high schools in China. In 2014, the number of classical texts to be taught in primary schools increased from 14 to 72. In 2017, the government put out new guidelines for more comprehensive guoxue curriculums in primary and secondary schools by 2025. In 2020, more guoxue content was added to the university entrance exam. In May, 2021, the education ministry approved more guoxue classes to strengthen “a sense of belonging to and pride in the Chinese nation”.

Guoxue is the ancient system of thought that emphasizes respect for authority and usually involves learning traditional morals, thoughts, and classical Chinese texts, especially those associated with Confucius, who thought that such values were essential to achieve moral excellence as individuals. He thought that such upstanding citizens would form the basis for social harmony and stability.

After decades of welcoming foreign trends, many Chinese people are now interested in Chinese traditions. Television shows include “Chinese Poetry Conference”, in which participators are quizzed on classical poems. Young people wear traditional clothes in public.

1. Why is Huaguoshan kindergarten so popular?

A．It has the best teachers.	B．It has very pretty buildings.
C．It focuses on skill learning.	D．It stresses character building.

2. What does the underlined word “hefty” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Various.

B．Low.

C．Extraordinary.

D．Reasonable.

3. What phenomenon is described in paragraph 4?

A．The study burdens on students.	B．The increasing trend of guoxue.
C．The effects of guoxue education.	D．The huge guoxue market potential.

4. What is unlikely included in guoxue?

A．Classical poems.	B．Traditional morals.
C．Modern technology.	D．Confucian thoughts.

6 . Tea is a simple drink, and one that has long been central to the lives of millions of people, originally in the East, and now almost worldwide. There are six major types of tea in China—green tea, black tea, Oolong tea, dark tea, white tea, and reprocessed tea, distinguished(区分) mainly by different methods of production.

China, the homeland of tea, is a leading producer and customer, and the discovery and usage of tea have a history of four or five thousand years. Tea developed from the earliest fresh-boiled tea taken as a kind of soup, to later dried-and-preserved teas, and from simple green tea to the blending(融合) of six major kinds of tea.

Drinking tea first started to become popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and has continued into contemporary(当代的) times. The flavour of tea, which may be drunk weak or strong, contains both bitter and sweet elements. The origin of tea is lost among history and legend. What can be roughly confirmed is that tea originated in southwest China. In Yunnan, and elsewhere, there are still some wild tea trees that are over 1,000 years old.

It is said that the first person to discover the effects of tea was Shen Nong—the father of agriculture and herbal medicine in China. In ancient times, people knew very little about plants. In order to find out which plants could be eaten safely, Shen Nong tasted various kinds of plants to test them as food or medicine. After he had eaten the plants, Shen Nong observed their reactions in his stomach—he is said to have had a “transparent stomach”!

With the popularization of tea, people in different regions and of different nationalities developed their own unique customs of taking tea. In Guangdong, for example, people like drinking morning tea, while people of the Bai nationality treat their guests with “Three-Course Tea”. Tibetan people prefer buttered tea and those from Inner Mongolia like milk tea.

These various tea customs make up the rich and profound(深厚的) Chinese tea culture. Many traditional Chinese families drink tea after dinner or when greeting visitors. This is not only a healthy habit but also reflects rich culture and history.

1. How can we tell different types of tea?

A．By its colour.	B．By its popularity.
C．By its drinking way.	D．By its production method.

2. What can we learn about tea from the text?

A．It has been known for about 4,000 or 5,000 years.

B．It originated in Yunnan, southwest China.

C．It is most accepted for the sweet flavour.

D．It’s taken in a similar way despite regions.

3. What is Paragraph 4 mainly about?

A．How the effect of tea was discovered.

B．What the origin of tea is.

C．Why our ancestors grew tea.

D．When Shen Nong tasted tea.

4. What does the author think of Chinese tea culture?

A．Out of fashion.

B．Worthy of praise.

C．Money-making.

D．Eco-friendly.

7 . It is no secret that China has an amazingly rich history and culture. My first exposure (接触) to Chinese culture came totally by chance. One day, I entered my grandfather’s personal library and took a book named Tao Te Ching from one of the shelves. As an 8-year-old, the book’s content completely confused me, but it provided me with an early connection to a beautiful and great philosophical (哲学的) tradition that still influences me today.

Around this time, I also came across several cartoons heavily inspired by traditional Chinese culture and martial arts such as Avatar: The Last Airbender and Sagwa, the Chinese Siamese Cat. Both cartoons describe beautiful landscapes and buildings similar to those found in classical Chinese paintings. This further developed my love of the rich and beautiful culture.

At school I began studying Chinese. My interest in the language developed early on, combining my love of travelling with my love of meeting new people. Later on, my interest in the language developed into exploring widespread Chinese culture. I wanted to challenge myself in a totally new linguistic (语言的) landscape and listen to the lives and stories of others in their own language. I have been lucky enough to have lived in China for around three years. I loved every second I spent there and there is never a shortage of things to see and do, people to meet, and foods to enjoy.

It is safe to say that my journey to studying Chinese has only just begun and these first steps are only a drop in the ocean of lifelong learning, but as the Chinese philosopher Laozi says, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

1. How does the author like the book Tao Te Ching?

A．It encourages him to go to the library.

B．It improves his behavior and habits.

C．It has a long lasting influence on him.

D．It makes him know Chinese society better.

2. What makes the author more interested in Chinese culture?

A．Watching some cartoons.	B．Admiring Chinese paintings.
C．Living abroad for long.	D．Cooking Chinese food.

3. What can we learn from paragraph 3?

A．Chinese culture differs greatly from others’.

B．Travelling takes up much of the author’s time.

C．It’s easy for the author to get on well with others.

D．The author learns languages in real surroundings.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．My Grandpa’s Influence on Me	B．My Exploration of Chinese Culture
C．My Travel Experience in China	D．My Exposure to TaoTe Ching

8 . Social customs and ways of behaving change. Things which were considered impolite many years ago are now acceptable. Just a few years ago, it was considered impolite behavior for a man to smoke on the street. No man who thought of himself as being a gentleman would make a fool of himself by smoking when a lady was in a room.

Customs also differ from country to country. Does a man walk on the left or the right of a woman in your country? Or doesn’t it matter? What about table manners? Should you use both hands when you are eating? Should you leave one on your lap, or on the table?

The Americans and the British not only speak the same language but also share a large number of social customs. For example, in both America and England people shake hands when they meet each other for the first time. Also Englishmen will open a door for a woman or offer their seat to a woman, and so will most Americans. If a dinner invitation is for 7 o’clock, the dinner guest either arrives close to that time or calls up to explain his delay.

The important thing to remember about social customs is not to do anything that might make other people feel uncomfortable, especially if they are your guests. There is an old story about a man who gave a formal dinner party. When the food was served, one of the guests started to eat his peas (豆) with a knife. The other guests were amused or shocked, but the host calmly picked up his knife and began eating in the same way. It would have been bad manners to make his guest feel foolish or uncomfortable.

1. What’s the Chinese meaning of the underlined word?

A．礼貌的

B．可接受的

C．粗鲁的

D．拒绝的

2. If one has accepted a dinner invitation, what should he do if he is to be late for the dinner?

A．He should find an excuse.	B．He should ask for excuse.
C．He should say “sorry”.	D．He should telephone to explain his being late.

3. Which of the following do you think is the best title for this passage?

A．Social Customs and Behavior	B．Social Life.
C．American and British Customs.	D．To be on time is Important.

4. According to the text, the best host____________.

A．tries his best to make his guests feel comfortable

B．makes his guests feel excited

C．tries to avoid being naughty to his guests

D．tries to avoid being foolish

5. Which of the following do you think the author of this article may agree with?

A．The guest who ate his peas with a knife.

B．The other guests who were amused or shocked.

C．The host who picked up his knife and began eating in the same way.

D．None of the above.

9 . 假定你是李华，你在加拿大的好友Tom所在的学校将举办中国文化日活动(Chinese Culture Day)，活动项目有书法、剪纸和京剧，Tom不知道选择参加哪个项目，写邮件询问你的建议，请给他回一封英文邮件。内容包括：
1.建议Tom参加的活动项目及推荐理由；
2.对该活动项目的介绍；
3.参加该活动项目的建议。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.邮件开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,

I am writing to give you my recommendation on your activity on Chinese Culture Day.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

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 Chinese people believe that there is a balance between the Yin and Yang. The Yin stands for darkness while the Yang     1     (stand) for life and brightness. The Double Ninth Festival , or Chongyang Festival, is celebrated     2     the ninth day of the ninth lunar (阴历) month. The number nine is regarded as Yang. However , because the number nine is doubled, there is too much yang. Too much yang    3     (be) a bad thing. To avoid bad luck, people get together and spend the day    4     (climb) a mountain, drinking chrysanthemum wine (菊花酒) and wearing the dogwood plant. It is also    5     (tradition) for people to eat Double Ninth cakes for a better life on the day. these    6     (cake) are made of flour (面粉) and sugar with nuts in    7     (they).

In 1989, the Chinese government    8     (change) the festival into “Senior Day”to show respect and care for the aged. Now, on this day, the aged can take part in     9     (activity) like mountain climbing. Whatever your age, you are sure to have    10     good time if you join in the celebration!