1 . The Water-Splashing Festival is a traditional festival for the Dai people in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province in the southwest of China. It is the New Year for the Dai, a festival to send off the old and greet the new. Usually, the festival takes place from April 13th to15th, about ten days after the Qingming Festival.
During the festival, the door of every house is decorated with multicolored pieces of paper. All the villagers dress up in their best clothes. Sheep and cows are killed for feasting, plus delicious glutinous rice cakes, rice noodles, and rice wine. The occasion is marked by all kinds of entertainment, including singing and dancing, fireworks displays, boat racing, etc. But the most popular event is water-splashing.
On the eve of the festival, activities include fireworks displays and dragon boat racing. The second day is known as Neuter Day, which belongs to neither the old year nor the new year. On this day, according to custom, people usually stay at home.
The third day means a lot to the Dai people, because it’s their New Year’s Day. In the morning, people dress up and go to the temple to show their respect for Buddha. They sit around the pagodas to listen respectfully to scripture and historical legends, and pray for good weather. In the afternoon, every woman will carry fresh water to clean the Buddha statue so she might get his blessing. People then splash water on each other, which symbolizes the blessing, rinsing(冲洗) away sickness and disaster with holy water for a happy life.
Water-splashing is central to all because water, the symbol of holiness, goodness and purity, is the most valuable thing to the Dai. During the festival, people gather by the roadside and in public parks and squares armed with buckets and basins of water, to drench each other in wishes for good luck and a happy new year.
The Water-Splashing Festival is an important event to show the traditional culture of Dai and it provides an opportunity to study the history of Dai, which has high academic value. At the same time, the festival is an important link to strengthening the unity of all ethnic groups in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, which plays a positive role in the friendly cooperation and contact between the area and southeast Asian countries.
1. Why people splash water on each other according to the text?2. List some important Chinese traditional festivals you know.
Chinese Spring Festival Going Global
Nowadays, more and more countries around the world are holding celebrations for Chinese Spring Festival. What’s more, not only are these attended and enjoyed by Chinese citizens living abroad, but by many other nationalities, too.
With colourful decorations of lanterns and lamps, shopping centres have been organising events and activities to celebrate Chinese Spring Festival for years, while concerts and other performances are also proving a big success. Tickets for the 2017 Grand Chinese New Year Concert in St Petersburg sold out, with 90% of the audience local Russians. People are also discovering the fun of interacting with the celebrations, rather than simply watching as part of an audience. To celebrate the 2017 festival, over 1,000 Ghanaian junior high school students got up on stage to perform Chinese songs and dances. Students in New York City, meanwhile, have since 2016 been able to enjoy an official day’s holiday for Chinese Spring Festival.
It seems that Chinese Spring Festival is becoming a global celebration of joy and love. What do you think of this phenomenon? Write to us to share your opinion!
1. Which countries are mentioned and how do they celebrate Chinese Spring Festival?2. Which event would you most like to attend? Why?
3. Why do you think Chinese Spring Festival is “going global”?
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?
PROMOTING CULTURE THROUGH DIGITAL IMAGES
Lanzhou, 9 August 2017. A group of researchers and scientists from China and other countries are working together to help increase knowledge and appreciation of China’s ancient cultural heritage. They are recording and collecting digital images of cultural relics from the Mogao Caves, which were a key stop along the Silk Road throughout China’s ancient history. Nearly 500,000 high-quality digital photographs have been produced since the international project started in 1994.
The Mogao Caves have long been a meeting point for different cultures and are part of the history of many countries. Today, the caves are just as international as they were at the time when people travelled the Silk Road. Tourists from all over the world visit Dunhuang to see the caves, and the Getty Museum in Los Angeles has even reproduced a copy of the caves and paintings for people to admire in America.
By sharing so many digital photos over the Internet, the group hopes to promote even wider interest around the world in China’s ancient history, culture, and traditions. They also hope to further educate people about the importance of safeguarding historic and cultural relics for future generations to understand and appreciate. As one researcher who is working on the project explains, “Appreciating one’s own cultural heritage is very Important for understanding oneself. Appreciating the cultural heritage of other countries is very important for international communication and understanding.”
1. What are the researchers and scientists trying to do? What modern technology are they using?2. Why are so many people interested in the Mogao Caves?
3. What do you think of the researcher’s opinion in the last paragraph?
In 138 BC, Chinese diplomat Zhang Qian carried with him the great expectations of the emperor of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCAD 24) to travel westward, seeking closer links with China’s neighbors in Central Asia. Dayuan, as it was called in ancient Chinese documents, became his first station on the route.
This state, located in Fergana Valley in present-day Uzbekistan, was influenced by Greek culture.
Zhang Qian’s journey has been widely hailed by scholars as one of the earliest recorded contacts between Chinese and Western civilizations, lifting the curtain on the centuries-long saga(传奇故事) of the ancient Silk Road.
From 2012 to 2018, a group of Chinese archaeologists cooperated with their Uzbek counterparts to unearth history in Fergana Valley. The splendor of the 2,000-year-old Mingtepa site emerged from beneath the soil.
According to Liu Tao, an archaeologist from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who led the excavation for a time, a large complex of city walls, gates, streets, remains of handicraft workshops and tombs were discovered at the site.
“That was the largest-scale excavation ever done at the Mingtepa site,” Liu recalled. “As the largest city ruin in the Fergana Valley, we had demonstrated that it was probably the capital city of Dayuan.”
In the past decade, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative, Chinese archaeologists have had frequent academic exchanges with Uzbekistan, helping to unveil(揭开) a grand historical picture concerning a much longer time spectrum.
Scholars from Northwest University based in Xi’an, Shaanxi province, joined local researchers to investigate and excavate along the western edge of the Tianshan Mountains. Among the 39 sites that were investigated, 31 were newly found by the joint team, revealing the histories of many key ancient civilizations such as the Bactria, Yuezhi and Kushan, as well as other nomadic cultures.
“The research also enabled Chinese archaeologists to contribute on the international stage in terms of Silk Road studies,” said Wang Jianxin, an archaeology professor at Northwest University. “We also bear the responsibility to protect the relics throughout our research. Archaeology can thereby enhance people-to-people connectivity.”
Based on an intergovernmental agreement reached between China and Uzbekistan in 2014, from 2016 to 2019, experts from the China Academy of Cultural Heritage carried out restoration work on two historical buildings located in the ancient city of Khiva－a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chinese experts faced the tough task of restoring the Amir Tura Madrasah, built in 1870, and the Khasahmurad Mosque, built in 1770, two buildings in Khiva that had fallen into unstable condition.
The team’s dedication to preserving history helped it overcome difficulties, such as ensuring that all restoration work used the same ancient materials as centuries earlier. Despite walls being cracked and foundations subsided, Chinese restorers also used the traditional constructional methods.
“Much historical information was left in those old components,” recalled Yan Ming, an engineer from the academy who led the restoration. “It would have been easier to replace them with modern materials, but we cannot lower our standards because history is important.”
The restoration team visited residents across the ancient city to look for old bricks, and they also patiently deferred to local artisans when discussing traditional craftsmanship in construction.
According to Yan, some local restorers of historical constructions were also provided with training during this program.
For the conservators of cultural heritage, another major concern was how to improve people’s livelihood and revitalize the glory of the ancient city through the restoration.
The historical neighborhood of Khiva was unsuitable for receiving large numbers of tourists, and so the conservation program aimed to not only bring historical glamour back to the two historical monuments, but also provide a comfortable environment for visitors. Better infrastructure was put in place, including lighting, roads and urban landscaping.
“We’re fully aware of how important these sites are to the local residents,” said Xu Yan, deputy director of the academy. “We’re like doctors trying to cure a patient, and we cannot fail in their trust.” (from www. chinadaily.com.cn)
1. What can be the best title for the passage?2. What did Zhang Qian’s journey mean to the ancient Silk Road?
3. What exact cultural relics did the experts need to restore?
4. What difficulties did the experts meet when restoring the work?
5. How did the experts overcome their difficulties in restoration?
6. How did the experts keep the balance between the past and the present of the relics?
7. What does the underline word “hailed” mean in the third paragraph?
6 . 阅读短文,按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
We have been through this first part of the year and have found ourselves already at spring break. If you're planning to spend a meaningful spring break, we have four fun-filled ideas to avoid the endless question: “What are we going to do today?”
Visit the museums.
Most museums, especially the smaller ones, offer day or even week long theme-specific camps.The camps are often a steal—nearly half-price of summer programmes. It's a great way to keep the young people in a structured routine while offering them a unique unit of study.
Get creative.
Each year our town hosts a chalk-drawing contest as part of a fundraiser. Why not use this as a jumping off point and organize a"Beautification Day"? It's easy enough to organize through social media channels; everyone brings their own chalk and, you’ve got yourself a group art class! Best part about it? Anyone can get involved. It brings the community together, and it costs nothing more than the price of chalk.
Act like a tourist.
Take this spring break and travel around the town like a tourist. Visit the historic farm. local art gallery, and public gardens with live music in your own town. Spend time in your own backyard, establish a positive connection to the place you live in and teach children all about appreciating where they live.
Take time out.
Spend this break dedicating time to others. Is there a food bank that needs reorganizing? A local park that needs weeding? Call your community board, or even local officials to find out an area of need that best suits your family. Spending time giving back to the community is a great way to build character and understand the importance of helping others.
1. What is the best title for the passage? (no more than 10 words)2. What is the authors purpose in writing the passage? (no more than 15 words)
3. What does the underlined word "steal" in paragraph 2 probably mean?(no more than 10 words)
4. How do you act like a tourist in your own town? List at least three activities. (no more than 30 words.
5. Which of the four ideas are you interested in most? Why? (no more than 25 words)
