In modern society, many Chinese traditional festivals are still an important part of Chinese culture, and
Some traditional festivals teach us a lot about our nation’s history. For example,
Moreover,
Finally, traditional festivals are a source of national pride and help shape our national identity. For example,
2 . It’s a hot time for Chinese language learning across the world, not only because of China’s higher position in the world but also because of the increasing economic and cultural connections between China and the other countries.
For example, the United Arab Emirates(UAE)plans to open Chinese language courses in 200 public primary and middle schools, so experienced Chinese teachers are needed.
Other Chinese courses opened across the world show the increasing need for Chinese-speaking talent. Mandarin(普通话)became an elective(选修的)foreign language in Russia＇s college entrance exam. Following English, German, French and Spanish, Mandarin has become the fifth elective test subject for the exam.
Spain has more than 40,000 people learning Chinese. Last year about 8,000 people took the Chinese Proficiency Test(HSK) exam. The number of people who took the test was the biggest, according to Xinhua News Agency.
In the USA, learning Chinese has been growing fast for many years and is now a popular choice for American children, especially those who were born in rich families. The children begin to learn Chinese at an early age because their parents believe that learning Chinese will help them build successful international business.
1. Why is Chinese language learning so hot?| A．Many foreigners like China’s culturc. |
| B．China helps a lot of countries to develop. |
| C．China has the highest position in the world. |
| D．China has more international influence around the world. |
| A．The UAE needs experienced English teachers. |
| B．All American children learn Chinese at an early age. |
| C．About one fifth of the Spanish learning Chinese took the HSK. |
| D．The Mandarin exam must be taken before going to Russia’s colleges. |
| A．Helpful. | B．Difficult. | C．Boring. | D．Interesting. |
| A．More people in the UAE begin to learn Chinese. |
| B．Chinese language learning is popular around the world. |
| C．Some foreign countries want more Chinese teachers. |
| D．Many American children are learning Chinese now. |
Beijing Opera is one of the traditional Chinese drama art forms with a history of more than 200 years.
Beijing Opera mixes different art forms, including
Beijing Opera has spread to many other places. Mei Lanfang, a famous performer, was the first
Beijing Opera is China’s national opera
4 . Chinese fancy knots (中国结), also called Chinese knots, are very important in Chinese culture. They began as a form of traditional art in the Tang and Song Dynasties (朝代) in China, and became popular in the Ming Dynasty. Long ago, they found their way to Japan and other Southeast Asian countries, and were well received there. Now they are regarded as one of the symbols of Chinese culture.
As for the name itself, it is surely meaningful. The Chinese word for “knot”, jie, means “connection”. And the pronunciation of the Chinese word jie is very close to that of ji, “good luck”. As a result, Chinese knots are used as a way to express people’s strong wishes for marvellous things like happiness, love and good luck.
The knots are used widely in everyday life. They come in different sizes. Small ones are connected to jewellery (珠宝), clothes and gifts in order to draw people’s attention, while large ones are used to make a living room or study more beautiful. Whether large or small, they are named after their shapes and usages. For example, Double Coin Knots are called Shuangqian Jie because they are in the shape of two ancient Chinese coins, meaning “good things come in pairs”. Besides, Chinese knots are famous for their bright colors. Different colors have different traditional cultural meanings. Red means good luck and happiness, green means health, and yellow means wealth.
All in all, the famous Chinese fancy knots fully show the Chinese culture. These brightly colored knots with their endless chains (链条) of knots mean that life on earth will continue forever.
1. What did the writer want to express in this passage?| A．Ask people to buy Chinese fancy knots. |
| B．Introduce a traditional Chinese art form. |
| C．Teach people how to make a Chinese knot. |
| D．Describe the usages of Chinese fancy knots. |
| A．pronunciation | B．size | C．shape and meaning | D．color |
| A．The Chinese word for “knot” means “luck”. |
| B．Chinese knots became popular in the Song Dynasty. |
| C．All of the Chinese knots have the same sizes and colors. |
| D．Chinese knots mean that life on earth will continue forever. |
| A．Chinese Culture | B．Chinese Knots | C．Chinese Colors | D．Chinese Life |
It is just past five o’clock on the Chinese New Year’s Eve, and Luo Yan lifts the cover of a large bowl to breathe in the rich smell of the soup
Luo Yan and his wife and son have settled in the big city far away from their hometown. Their journey from the city where they live and work back to their hometown was a
6 . I ran into quite a few language problems while vacationing ( 度假) with my family last summer. The most embarrassing was when my Mom apologized to the people we were staying with because her “pants were dirty”. They looked at her in amazement, not knowing how to react. You see, Mom had fallen over and gotten mud on her jeans. But in Britain, “pants” means underpants or knickers( 内裤；衬裤), not trousers as it does back home.
Katie — From America
I went to stay with a friend on the west coast last summer. Her flat was on the first floor of a high-rise building so I got the lift up. Then I wandered round for ages looking for her flat but couldn’t find it. Fed up and tired, I finally had to go out to find a phone box. She explained that her flat was on the first floor, which for me meant the ground floor.
David — From Britain
When I asked for the “restroom” in a big department store, people kept directing me to a room with seats where I could sit and “rest”. It took me years to get through to (使...明白)someone that I only wanted the toilet!
Tom — From America
Last summer we went on a two-week family touring holiday, so Dad hired a car over the Internet. This was an old vehicle and there turned out (结果是；证明是)to be lots of things wrong with it. When he phoned the hire company and tried to explain that the lock on the boot was broken, they thought he was talking about footwear! He had no idea their word for “boot” was “trunk”. In the end we went to a garage and just solved the problem.
Mary — From Britain
1. David went out to find a phone box to ________.| A．phone the police for help | B．phone his friend for help |
| C．tell his friends he couldn’t go to visit her | D．apologize for his being late |
| A．he wanted to have a rest. | B．he wanted the toilet |
| C．he wanted a chair | D．He wanted to go to a department store |
| A．a parking place | B．a car |
| C．a gas station | D．a place to repair cars |
| A．Pants. | B．Ground floor. |
| C．Restroom. | D．Trunk. |
7 . The Mayan Indians lived in Mexico for thousands of years. The Maya were so bright that they achieved a lot. They had farms, temples and cities with many buildings. They knew much about nature and the world around them. This knowledge helped them to live a better life than most people of that time.
In ancient Mexico there were many small clearings in the forest. In each clearing was a village with fields of crops around it. The Maya planted seeds after they cleared the land. A farmer was able to grow crops that produced for several people. But not every Maya had to be a farmer. Some were builders or priests (祭司)．
The Maya believed in many gods. They built large temples to honor them. Skillful workers built cities around these temples. It was difficult because they had to carry all of the building materials themselves. Today, many of these ancient Mayan cities and temples are still standing.
Although the Maya worked hard to build the beautiful cities, very few of them lived in them. Usually, only the priests lived in the cities. The other people lived in small villages in the forests. Their houses were much simpler. Most Maya lived a simple life close to nature.
Around the year 800, the Maya left their villages and beautiful cities, never to return. No one knows why this happened. They may have died from a deadly disease. They may have left because the soil could no longer grow crops. The lost secrets of the Maya are still beyond the reach of modern people. They are still one of our greatest mysteries.
1. The Maya lived better than most people of their times because ______．| A．they had skillful workers |
| B．they believed in many gods |
| C．they knew better about nature |
| D．they could measure time correctly |
| A．the priests were not highly respected by the ancient Maya |
| B．the ancient Mayan cities and temples were well built |
| C．the ancient Mayan people led a happy life in the cities |
| D．the ancient Mayan people died from a serious disease |
| A．the Mayan people | B．the Mayan villages |
| C．the Mayan cities | D．the lost secrets of the Maya |
| A．The Cities of the Maya | B．The Belief of the Maya |
| C．The Maya | D．The Buildings of the Maya |
