1 . The ancient Babylonians （巴比伦人）are thought to have been the first people to set New Year's resolutions. They made promises to gods that they would return any objects they had borrowed from others. If they did this, then it was said that gods would protect them in the year ahead. Since then, resolutions have changed from promises to gods to promises to ourselves and others. That could be starting a new hobby, trying to be healthier or learning a new language. Given the difficulties that any people have in keeping their New Years resolutions, though, should people wait a little longer before deciding what they'll be? Is January the right time to set New Years resolutions?
Yes — it gets the year off to a good start. They're called New Year's resolutions, not Half-Year resolutions. The whole point of setting New Year's resolutions is that it's done at the start of the year.Waiting longer just defeats the purpose of it. New Year's resolutions are a fun tradition to discuss with family and friends. You won't be able to talk about it in the same way if you're all setting them at different times. Besides, the more you put it off, the less likely it is that you'll ever decide on what your resolutions are going to be. You can always set new ones, or change your goals, but it's important to start off with something. By the time you've decided on some resolutions, you'll have less time to do them — which only increases your chances of failure.
No — January isn't the right time. January is a cold and dark month. Why would you want to start something new then? During the winter months, most people just want to stay nice and warm indoors, rather than try something new. People should make resolutions to lead happier, healthier lives whenever they want, not just on 1 January. Waiting longer means that you'll have more time to plan and will have a better idea of what you want to do in the year ahead. This will result in better resolutions, which have a stronger chance of success. One study found that by 6 January, one in five people had failed to stick to their resolutions. By not rushing into it, you're less likely to get discouraged and give up if you haven't succeeded right away.
Now that you've read a bit more about it, tell us what you think by voting in our poll at theweekjunior. co. uk/polls.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Babylonians returned to gods what they had borrowed from them. |
| B．Babylonians assumed that they would be permanently protected by gods. |
| C．Resolutions have been shifted into commitments to people rather than gods. |
| D．Setting New Year's resolutions in January is better than in any other months |
| A．succeed easily | B．end up with nothing |
| C．doubt the fun tradition | D．reach your ultimate aims |
| A．Happier, healthier lives | B．More time to make plans |
| C．Losing heart and quitting | D．Failure to make decisions |
| A．To call for donations | B．To build up a tradition |
| C．To introduce a practice | D．To stimulate discussions |
主要内容包括：
1. 开幕式2月4号恰逢第一个节气立春；
2. 开幕式以24秒倒计时开始，24秒用二十四个节气，每个节气都配上一句诗词。
参考词汇：二十四节气solar terms 立春Beginning of Spring 倒计时countdown
注意：1. 词数80词左右； 2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Sam
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Yours sincerely
Lihua
3 . Yangzhou paper cutting, with a history of 2,000 years, can be dated back to the Sui Dynasty, making Yangzhou one of the places where paper cutting first became popular.
In the Sui Dynasty, the people of Yangzhou would cut colourful paper or silk and satin (缎子) to celebrate festivals. It is said that Emperor Yang came to Yangzhou three times. In winter, the flowers and trees in the garden became dry and weak. The emperor ordered the gril servants to cut fine silk and satin into flowers and leaves and use them to decorate the trees and lakes. Since then, “colorful cutting” has become a popular art in Yangzhou.
In the Tang Dynasty, the paper cutting industry was highly developed and a large amount of high-quality paper was made as presents to the Court (宫廷).
In the Qing Dynasty, because of the economic development, the people of Yangzhou became interested in wearing fine clothing, especially embroidered (刺绣的) clothing. The embroidered designs were based on paper-cuts, the most well-know of them was from Bao Jun, a paper cutting master. He won a high reputation (名声) as Magic Scissors for his wonderful cutting skills.
After the People’s Republic of China was started, the Chinese government accepted the importance of paper cutting like many other arts and skills. In 2007, China Paper-cuts Museum opened to the public in the back garden of the Wang’s Residence (住所), Yangzhou, greatly helping the development of Yangzhou paper cutting.
1. When did “colourful cutting” become a popular art in Yangzhou?| A．In the Sui Dynasty. | B．In the Tang Dynasty. |
| C．In the Ming Dynasty. | D．In the Qing Dynasty. |
| A．种植 | B．装饰 | C．浇水 | D．砍伐 |
| A．In 2007. | B．In 2008. | C．In 2009. | D．In 2010. |
| A．How to make paper cutting. |
| B．The way to cut paper. |
| C．The importance of Yangzhou paper cutting. |
| D．The history and development of Yangzhou paper cutting. |
In recent years, there
