Twelve animal head statues of the Chinese zodiac ( 生 肖 ) are well-known treasures from Yuanmingyuan, or the Old Summer Palace. After Anglo-French troops broke
On Nov 13,
In the past 70 years, the Chinese government and many compatriots
1. What does the speaker think of the wedding in Italy?
A.It is typical. | B.It is boring. | C.It is impressive. |
A.In Italy. | B.In France. | C.In England. |
A.Long speeches are given. |
B.A big dinner is served before the wedding. |
C.Everything about wedding is made at home. |
A.To play a joke on the bridegroom. |
B.To make the bridegroom different. |
C.To raise money for the new couple. |
Tomb-Sweeping Day is a Chinese holiday that
The day is also regarded as the start of spring. As trees turn green and the sun shines brightly, people will go outside and enjoy the
On Tomb Sweeping Day, people often eat a kind of green colored balls
All in all, Tomb-Sweeping Day is a combination of sadness and
4 . The annual Yuyuan Garden lantern show in Shanghai is an important event in the city’s Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations for 28 years. It is one of the country’s oldest lantern fairs, where locals go to experience the festive atmosphere and wish each other well during the Spring Festival.
This year, the beloved Yuyuan Garden lantern show took place outside of China for the very first time, with 60 large-sized bright structures and more than 2,000 lanterns lighting the Jardin d’Acclimatation — the oldest amusement park in Paris, as a way to celebrate the 2024 Year of the Dragon with an interesting combination of Eastern and Western culture.
From dragon-shaped lanterns to motifs (图腾) inspired by the legendary world of Shanhai Jing (a book dating back to 2,000 years ago, regarded as a major source of Chinese mythology), the Yuyuan Garden lantern show in Paris built a world of lights and imagination for visitors, showing the charm of traditional Chinese culture.
Highlighting various cultural and spiritual symbols, the lantern displays include mythical creatures such as Kunpeng and Yinglong, representing ambition and strength.
Beyond the lanterns, the celebration in Paris also consisted of market events. Visitors could also admire traditional Chinese costumes and accessories, and enjoy traditional Chinese cuisine.
With a mixture of dancing, acrobatics (杂技) and martial arts performances, the lantern show was an impressive experience in the world of Chinese folklore and lanterns, which was open until February 25, 2024.
More than just a lantern show, it also served as an opening activity to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic (外交的) relations between China and France in 1964, which is also the China-France Year of Culture and Tourism.
1. What was special about Yuyuan Garden lantern show this year?A.It attracted more local visitors. |
B.It was held in a foreign country. |
C.It showed the long history of lanterns. |
D.It had more larger lanterns than before. |
A.Taste Chinese food. | B.Buy Chinese costumes. |
C.Dance with the performers. | D.Learn to make lanterns. |
A.To provide more opportunities for the performers. |
B.To attract more visitors and improve the tourism. |
C.To celebrate the friendship between China and France. |
D.To show the its long history and worldwide popularity. |
A.Yuyuan Lantern Festival Shines in Paris |
B.Chinese-French Friendship Gets Strengthened |
C.Yuyuan Lantern Festival Attracts Foreign Visitors |
D.New Activities are Added to Yuyuan Lantern Festival |
The classical gardens of Suzhou, Jiangsu province, date back to the 6th century
Built in the 11th century on the site of an earlier destroyed garden, Canglang Pavilion has the
The classical gardens of Suzhou are the most vivid specimens (样本) of culture from the East Yangtze Delta region,
The Lantern Festival arrives as the first full moon of the new lunar year lights up the sky.
It is time
Yuanxiao are popular in northern China while tangyuan dominate (控制) the south. They are both soft glutinous rice balls with fillings. Although similar in
The practice of eating these rice balls is a way of
7 . Chinese Festivals
As an ancient country, China has various festivals.
The Spring FestivalIn the evening before the Spring Festival, families get together and have a big meal. Children also get lucky money from parents.
The Lantern FestivalDuring this festival, there is special food called “tang yuan”, which is said to symbolize both the first full moon and family unity and completeness. Part of the Lantern Festival tradition involves a game to guess riddles (谜语) attached to the lanterns.
Stilt walking, drumming and the dragon and lion dance are the main entertainment forms of the Lantern Festival.
The Dragon Boat FestivalIt is to celebrate the patriotic poet Qu Yuan, a loyal and highly respected minister, who brought peace and prosperity (繁荣) to the state but ended up drowning himself in a river as a result of being vilified (诽谤).
The Double Seventh FestivalOn the 7th day of the 7th lunar month, there is a traditional festival full of romance. Recently the youth have celebrated it as Valentine’s Day in China.
The Mid-Autumn FestivalIt is a traditional festival for both the Han and minority nationalities in China.The custom of worshipping (礼拜) the moon can be dated back to the ancient Xia and Shang dynasties. The Mid-Autumn Festival is also a holiday for members of a family to get together.
The Double Ninth FestivalOn the ninth day of the ninth month in the Chinese lunar calendar, people celebrate the Double Ninth Festival. People usually climb mountains and eat double-ninth cakes, which means our life will become better and better.
1. Which is NOT included in the entertainments of the Lantern Festival?A.Guessing riddles. | B.Lucky money. |
C.Drumming. | D.Dragon dance. |
A.The Dragon Boat Festival. | B.The Spring Festival. |
C.The Double Seventh Festival. | D.The Mid-Autumn Festival. |
A.Families’ reunion. |
B.Festival full of romance. |
C.Worshipping the moon. |
D.Symbolizing the first full moon. |
8 . Traditions are customs and beliefs that form a part of our culture. They are practiced to remind us of our history and are passed down from generation to generation. Some traditions are interesting and widespread, while others are quite strange and practiced only by a small group of people. Continue reading to dig more into some interesting traditions from around the world.
Smigus Dyngus in PolandAlso known as “Wet Monday”, Smigus Dyngus is a unique tradition practiced in Poland, where people throw water at each other. It is celebrated annually on Easter Monday. The traditional way to do it is for boys to throw water at girls, and it is believed that the girl who receives the most water has the greatest chance of getting married.
Hanging coffins (棺椁) in Sagada, the PhilippinesThere is an old tradition in Sagada where people hang their coffins in stone caves. It was carried out by the Igorot tribe (部落) of Mountain Province. The people there believe this custom prevents large animals from taking the dead bodies, and also purifies or blesses the departed soul.
The Polterabend custom in GermanyFamily members and friends of future married couples meet at dinner, and break a lot of porcelain (瓷器). The couple is then asked to clean up the entire mess. This is supposedly to teach them the importance of unity and hard work, and bring good luck. Germans think this tradition is essential in making marriages last a lifetime.
Boryeong Mud Festival in the ROKThe Boryeong Mud Festival in the ROK is a fascinating and unique celebration that draws crowds from around the world. It is a major cultural event, attracting over a million visitors annually. People participate in various mud-related activities, including mud baths, mud wrestling and even a mud marathon. The festival features live music, food stalls, and wonderful street performances.
1. Why are the coffins hung in caves in Sagada?A.To pray for good luck. |
B.To protect the dead bodies. |
C.To ensure a future reunion. |
D.To conserve more land resources. |
A.Smigus Dyngus. |
B.Hanging coffins in Sagada. |
C.The Polterabend custom. |
D.Boryeong Mud Festival. |
A.Throw water at girls. |
B.Learn about Igorot culture. |
C.Meet famous people. |
D.Enjoy mud baths. |
9 . Some Christmas traditions are pretty standard in mainstream(主流)American culture: put up the tree, string up the lights, visit grandma, and so on.
Then there’s the one my Colombian family does every year: the Novena de Aguinaldos. We pray(祈祷)for nine days without a stop, and this Novena counts down the nine days before Christmas. Most Americans have never heard of it, but in Colombia, it’s a big deal.
Like all good traditions, especially around the holidays, this tradition is about community and getting together with friends and family. My family immigrated(移民)from Colombia when I was just two months old. Every year, we gather with a group of Colombian friends for as many of the nine nights as we can.
There are three parts to the Novena de Aguinaldos. The first is the reading: each kid takes turns to read a book. Next comes the gozos, which means “The Joys”. That’s where the music comes in, and everyone gets an instrument, a maraca, a drum, a tin can—whatever you can use to make a sound. And then, the villancicos——Spanish Christmas carols(颂歌)come.
I’ve lived my whole life in the US. There’s not a lot of Colombian culture that we still hang onto. Why do we still carry on with the tradition of celebrating the Novenas, then?
When I asked my parents the other day, the answer was that immigrants didn’t belong anywhere—not where you were, nor where you were from. So my parents helped create a space where we did. Even if the Novenas were nothing like what we might have celebrated if we’d stayed in Colombia, the Novenas became the heart of our community.
But our Novenas are starting to feel a little more breakable. It’s getting harder and harder for everyone to get together each year. Last year, I was studying abroad in Italy and couldn’t make it to any gathering; my brother went off to college and had exams late into December; my sister just moved to a new city, and my parents have taken up jobs in different countries.
1. What is paragraph 4 mainly about?A.The process of celebrating the Novena. |
B.The development of a Colombian tradition. |
C.The background of the Colombian family. |
D.The differences between the Novena and Christmas. |
A.To remember their dead friends. | B.To find a sense of belonging. |
C.To show their respect for Americans. | D.To understand the local culture. |
A.Lack of money. | B.Their separate busy life. |
C.American laws. | D.Friends’ complaints. |
A.Growing Up | B.Colorful Culture |
C.Exploring American Christmas Traditions | D.Colombian Family’s Novena in the US |
KUNMING, April 15 (Xinhua) -- The Dai ethnic group in southwest China’s Yunnan Province has been busy
The three-day festival, from Thursday to Saturday,
The water festival is celebrated by over 1.3 million Dai people living in China, mainly in Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture