1 . In recent years, traditional Chinese culture and art has gained a foothold on short video platforms and attracted a large number of young followers thanks to the explosive growth of the short video industry. Relaxing, emotional and fragmented, these video contents perfectly match the demands of the users. With the application of new technologies such as social communication and immersive experiencing, short video platforms are seeing more users, becoming a shining spot of new Internet media.
Recently, Huangmei Opera Female Consort Prince became a hit on short video platforms as a lot of young users covered the aria (咏叹调) in their own way and showed great artistic talents. The interactive platforms are expanding the charm of the traditional opera among young people.
Peking Opera was also well-received on short video platforms thanks to a series of AR effects. Users love to film clips with a set of virtual facial makeup, headwear and costumes. Statistics indicate that these effects were applied by more than 18 million users, most of whom were young people.
In addition to Chinese operas, intangible cultural heritage items, such as embroidery, paper-cutting, printing and dyeing, shadow play works, oiled paper umbrella making, and bamboo weaving are also actively promoted on short video platforms. In a word, short video platforms are becoming an important channel to display China’s intangible cultural heritage.
Short video platforms, offering a fun, popular and easy way to explore the traditional art forms, are receiving a lot of positive feedbacks from China’s young generations. The seconds, or minutes long videos have produced remarkable achievements in promoting traditional Chinese culture.
1. What mainly made the inheritance of traditional drama difficult?| A．The slow growth of industry. | B．The insufficient coverage of drama. |
| C．The poorly-met demands of the users. | D．The severe shortage of the drama actors. |
| A．The social communication. | B．The set of virtual facial makeup. |
| C．The positive feedbacks from users. | D．The application of new technologies. |
| A．To expand the charm of Chinese culture. |
| B．To offer new channels to display China’s arts. |
| C．To show the current situation of cultural heritage. |
| D．To prove traditional art forms are actively promoted. |
| A．The Bright Future of Huangmei Opera |
| B．The Explosive Growth of the Short Video Industry |
| C．The Simple Way to Explore the Traditional Art Form |
| D．The Creative Combination of Culture and Technologies |
1. Why do so many people come to visit Chicago’s Grant Park every year?
| A．Because the park is very beautiful. |
| B．Because there is a musical festival held there. |
| C．Because there is a food festival held there. |
| A．Over 70%. | B．70%. | C．Below 70%. |
| A．Free concerts by popular local and national artists. |
| B．Cooking demonstrations. |
| C．Barbecued ribs. |
| A．The wonderful food. | B．The great attractions. | C．Both A and B. |
3 . The Sanxingdui Museum in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province enjoyed huge popularity during the three-day Qingming Festival holidays by receiving nearly 20,000 visitors on the peak day, after the new archaeological(考古的) discoveries brought international attention.
According to media reports, the museum saw over 15,000 visitors on Saturday, the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays, breaking its record for daily visitors. And on the next day, more visitors swarmed into the museum to exceed 19,800. To cope with the large flow of people, on Sunday afternoon, the official Weibo account of the Sanxingdui Museum released a message to remind visitors of avoiding rush hours or rescheduling their visiting time.
The Sanxingdui Museum showcases various kinds of precious cultural relics unearthed at the site, such as the 2.62-meter-tall standing statue, 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask, and 3.95-meter-high bronze tree. Earlier on March 20, Chinese archaeologists announced some new major discoveries made during the 37th excavation (挖掘) since its last excavation 35 years ago. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1920s and first excavated in 1934. More than 500 important cultural relics have been unearthed in the six newly-found pits. Since the new discoveries were known to the public, the number of people visiting the Sanxingdui Museum has increased sharply.
The museum said although it was open as usual, the newly-found pits had not opened to the public yet and the newly-excavated cultural relics were still under restoration and couldn’t meet the public currently. But a hall for cultural relic conservation and restoration would be in pilot operation in April and officially opened on May 18. Visitors to it can see how the relics are restored, according to Zhu Yarong, vice director of the Sanxingdui Museum.
Dating back about 3,000 years, the Sanxingdui Ruins have shed light on the ancient Shu civilization and cultural origins of the Chinese nation, and have been regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.
1. What mainly brought about a surge in tourists visiting the Sanxingdui Museum?| A．Tourists’ enthusiasm. |
| B．Sichuan Province’s policy. |
| C．The Qingming Festival holidays. |
| D．New archaeological discoveries. |
| A．The Sanxingdui Ruins were first discovered in 1934. |
| B．Newly-excavated cultural relics on display attracted tourists very much. |
| C．The Sanxingdui Museum reacted immediately to the large flow of tourists. |
| D．Tourist numbers reached the peak on the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays. |
| A．Trial. | B．Private. | C．Official. | D．Personal. |
| A．The Sanxingdui Museum gives tourists insights into Chinese history. |
| B．Chinse people make full use of the Qingming Festival holidays to travel. |
| C．The Sanxingdui Ruins are a perfect tourist attraction over the Qingming Festival holidays. |
| D．New discoveries make the Sanxingdui Museum more popular during the Qingming Festival holidays. |
1. How does a person feel when he is in the first stage of culture shock?
| A．Everything is new and different. |
| B．Everyone is watching him. |
| C．Everything changes quickly. |
| A．The second stage. |
| B．The third stage. |
| C．The fourth stage. |
| A．I really enjoy living among the people here. |
| B．I want to live a happy life in the future. |
| C．I’m glad to return to my own country. |
| A．The stages of culture shock. |
| B．The causes of culture shock. |
| C．How to adjust to culture shock. |
5 . Around 6,200 years ago, farmers living on the eastern edges of Europe, in what is now Ukraine, left their villages. They moved into an area between the modern cities of Kiev and Odessa. They built new settlements up to 20 times the size of their old ones. Scientists believe the civilization might be an early attempt at urbanization. But it isn’t clear whether the sites, or perhaps the earliest cities, were fully inhabited (居住) year round and there is heated debate over what they were for.
This puzzling culture, known as the Cucuteni-Trypillia, predates the earliest known cities in Mesopotamia. Researcher Monica Smith, the author of Cities: The First 6.000 Years, thinks the very large sites may have had something in common with Gobekli Tepe in modern Turkey. It is a building complex which is at least 10,000 years old and seems to have been a place where people gathered together periodically for special gatherings.
By contrast, scientist Johannes Muller believes the very large sites were fully occupied all year round. But the inhabitants left the lightest of footprints in the landscape, and no human remains have been found. “Not a finger, not a tooth,” says researcher Alexey Nikitin. The evidence is extremely difficult to collect because Trypillians periodically burned their houses down in a controlled way.
Uruk and Tell Brak, which arose in Mesopotamia early in the 4th millennium BCE, are usually considered the world’s first cities. Their remains point to an increased density (密度) of habitation and a hierarchical (等级制度的) social structure-two features that are considered essential to the definition of a city. But the Trypillian sites don’t meet either of those standards.
Scientists John Chapman and Bisserka Gaydarska agree, saying. “Trypillian sites were a social system based on the belief that everyone was equal.” These were cities, but of a very different kind from the slave-owning (拥有奴隶的) societies of Mesopotamia a few centuries later. And our definition of a city may need expanding, argue Chapman and Gaydarska.
1. What might have been the purpose of the Trypillian sites according to Monica?| A．Protecting cities. | B．Attracting settlers. |
| C．Holding events. | D．Entertaining villagers. |
| A．It has little clear evidence. |
| B．It is mainly based on unusual ideas. |
| C．The data he collected is not convincing. |
| D．The research method he used is unscientific. |
| A．Trypillia had more houses. |
| B．Trypillia was densely populated. |
| C．Trypillia was a society full of equality. |
| D．Trypillia created a greater civilization. |
| A．Prehistoric remains in Ukraine |
| B．A different urban life of Trypillians |
| C．Mesopotamia’s slave-owning societies |
| D．The mysterious culture that invented civilization |
I just marked my first Mid-Autumn Festival celebration in China. Exactly a week after arriving for my graduate studies, I was kind of nostalgic-memories of past experiences back in Kenya with family and friends swapping scenes in my mind. In the morning of Friday 13, the atmosphere on the Central China Normal University (CCNU) grounds was very upbeat. Chinese students explained to us the importance of the day as gifts of mooncakes and osmanthus wine were exchanged.
Then came the night. The full moon dangled precariously in the sky. Like it was about to fall; as millions of eyes looked at it with reverence. Unlike previous nights, a cool breeze swept through the campus; and for the first time, I felt this liberating spirit. With African music playing on my headphones, a danced my way, floating in the wind, and forgetting myself for a moment.
The feeling was so wonderful. Perfectly aligned with nature while tapping into the human exuberance around me.
As I settled back into my hostel room, I was intrigued by the festival’s idea. My curious mind nudged me online where I stumbled upon the poem Prelude to Water Melody, by the renowned Chinese writer Su Dongpo.
This poem succinctly captured what I was going through. The message and the tone both resonated with my feelings. Writing to his family, Su wondered what time it was back at home. Given the time differences between China and Kenya, I was constantly trying to figure out what time it was back at home.
Riding the wind, there I would fly, goes a line in the poem. I too remembered how, with arms wind open, I chided the Wuhan breeze to lift me off the ground.
Finally, Su asks his family to join him in celebrating the timeless perfection of a full moon in a cloudless night. What a way to finish. I, too, was hoping that all was well with my family. That despite the distance and anxiety that comes with not seeing or hearing from a loved one; we were all flourishing under the watch of the full moon.
There was more. The poem speaks to the singularity of humanity. That geography is no barrier to shared destiny. Human experiences; though expressed in symbolic languages of the world converge where it matters the most.
And while we may go away from home, as happens from time to time; the family remains the most important unit to our productive existence. As the Chinese used the holiday to reunite with the loved ones, the Kenyan community in CCNU also got together, shared a meal and walked the streets of Wuhan under the neon lights.
As I write this, a day after the Festival, I cannot help but look forward to the next. Thanks to the Chinese friends whose generosity and candor played out to make me and a horde of other foreign students experience unforgettable 2019 Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Writer is a PhD Student of International Relations at Central China Normal University.
The opinions expressed here are those of the writer and do not represent the views of China Daily and China Daily website.
1. What was the overall impression of the author of the first Mid-Autumn Festival in China?2. How did the author celebrate the first Mid-Autumn Festival in China?
3. What did the author learn from the poem of Su Dongpo?
4. What did the author mean by “I cannot help but look forward to the next”?
5. As a Chinese, do you think the author had a correct understanding of Su Dongpo’s poem?
The night before the
Lurvy was in bed by eight-thirty
Down in the barn cellar, the animals, too, went to sleep early, all except Charlotte. Tomorrow would be Fair Day,
BEAUTIFUL IRELAND AND ITS TRADITIONS
Ireland’s beautiful countryside has always had a great influence on its people and traditions. The country has a long history of producing great writers and poets. Its beautiful countryside excites and inspires all, offering something for each of the senses. The peaceful landscape of the “Emerald Isle” and its many green counties is a true feast for the eyes, with its rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cattle. And down by the sea, the roar of the ocean waves and cries of the seabirds make up the music of the coast. On a quiet morning in the mountains, feel the sun on your skin, and breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song. With all this beauty, it is not surprising that Ireland has developed strong traditions that include music, dancing, and dining. To have a chance of experiencing this, stop by a village pub and relax with a glass of wine or a local beer. Better yet, enjoy a delicious traditional Irish Beef Stew. If you’re lucky, you might be able to enjoy some traditional music and dancing, too. And if you introduce yourself to a friendly face, you are more than likely to experience local culture and customs first-hand.
2. What are the best ways to experience some Irish traditions and culture?
3. What is the meaning of “breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song”?
4. What are the best ways to experience Chinese traditions and customs?
9 . Besides “wow” and “great”, what else would you say when flying over the Earth in space? Samantha Cristoforetti, the first Italian female astronaut in space, posted several lines of a famous ancient Chinese composition on Twitter to share her joy.
She first wrote in Chinese, and then attached an accurate translation of the lines in both Italian and English to help more people understand. “Looking up, I see the immensity of the cosmos; bowing my head, I look at the multitude of the world. The gaze flies, the heart expands, the joy of the senses can reach its peak, and indeed, this is true happiness,” it says. Two days before she landed on Earth, the beauty of space and Chinese literature resonated on her Twitter account. Before long, her posts went viral on Twitter with thousands of retweets, likes and replies.
The text she quoted is from the Preface to Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion,a Chinese calligraphy masterpiece by Wang Xizhi (303-361) of the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420). She also attached three photos taken in space of China’s Bohai Bay and the day-night view of Beijing. “The poem and views are both magnificent as well as healing. If everyone could enjoy the same sight, a lot of pain in the world would be ‘dissipated’,” one user comments.
As the first Italian female astronaut in space, Cristoforetti carried out her first space mission on Nov 23, 2014. In 2022, she started the second mission in April and returned to Earth on Friday night after a 127-day stay in orbit.
Cristoforetti has also been active in Sino-European cooperation in the field of manned spaceflight. She was a working group member with Chinese counterparts to define and implement cooperation in the field of astronaut operations. When not traveling for work, she is an eager reader and has a great passion for languages. Speaking clear Chinese, Cristoforetti once told the media that the teams from China and Europe were working very well together in the field of astronaut training.
1. What is the result of Cristoforetti’s post online?| A．The birth of a masterpiece. |
| B．A trend of journey to space. |
| C．An instant hot issue on Twitter. |
| D．Different translations of the lines. |
| A．Relieved. | B．Caused. |
| C．Increased. | D．Recognized. |
| A．Cristoforetti’s devotion to her career. |
| B．Cristoforetti’s language learning strategies. |
| C．The leadership Cristoforetti plays in her team. |
| D．The possible motivation for Cristoforetti’s post. |
| A．A female astronaut becomes online star |
| B．A Chinese poem gets popular abroad |
| C．Literature conveys the beauty of space |
| D．An Italian astronaut promotes Sino-European cooperation |
10 . “The arrow shot is so straight that it hits the bull’s eye, the young people will have good luck…” Dargye sang as he worked on his handmade bag.
Dargye, 56, an artist who excels at traditional craftsmanship and Tibetan folk music in Drinba village in Dragyib district, Nyingchi, Tibet autonomous region, remembers many folk songs he learned from his father and uncle. Now, it’s his turn to pass them on.
“I have liked traditional songs and dances since I was a child,” said Dargye, who has four apprentices (学徒).“The songs tell the histories of our ancestors and carry our unique culture, and-it’s always a lot of fun to perform these traditional songs and dances at various gatherings.” The song topics vary from archery, love, to labor and praise for the land. In addition to teaching these songs to/his family members and apprentices, he also uses social media platforms such as WeChat to teach songs.
His daughter, Chok Butri, also admires the folk culture. After posting a video of her daughter, Tsering Kyi, dancing on Douyin, she gained a lot of new fans on the popular short-video platform. “We are modern people living in a modern era, so it’s important and our responsibility that we use modern tools to pass on our traditional culture to make it last forever.” said Chok Butri, adding that she often posts songs and dances on WeChat and Douyin.
Dargye and his fellow villagers also recreate songs, adding modern elements such as aircraft and trains to the lyrics. Besides singing and dancing, Dargye makes handicrafts decorated with Tibetan cultural elements, including various hide and hair ropes, bags made of leather and cloth, and knife sheaths.
The local government encourages villagers to inherit (继承) and develop folk songs and other forms of traditional culture. Dargye’s efforts to preserve folk culture have been acknowledged by the government. In 2014, he was chosen as a county-level intangible (无形的) cultural inheritor and receives funds every year.
1. Why does Dargye want to pass the culture on?| A．He wants to satisfy his interest. | B．He wants to learn from the seniors. |
| C．He wants to bring people fun. | D．He wants to inherit and develop it. |
| A．To show folk music’s effect on her. | B．To stress Dargye’s influence on her. |
| C．To emphasize her love for folk culture. | D．To reveal the popularity of folk culture online. |
| A．Ambitious and honest. | B．Talented and curious. |
| C．Devoted and creative. | D．Generous and determined. |
| A．All efforts to preserve culture pay off |
| B．Craftsman carries tunes to preserve culture |
| C．An artist prefers traditional songs and dances |
| D．Tibetan culture is being protected and passed on |
