1 . Walt Disney: A Legacy of Dreams
The name “Disney” evokes a rush of images: from the enchanted kingdom of Disneyland to the heartwarming tales of Bambi and Simba. For almost a century, Disney, initiated by Walt Disney himself, has been synonymous with storytelling, imagination, and dreams-come-true. But what’s the journey behind this global empire of happiness?
Founded in 1923 by Walt and Roy O. Disney, the company started as a small animation studio in the back of a real estate office in Los Angeles.
Disney’s first full-length animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, premiered in 1937.
Disneyland, opened in 1955, was Walt’s most ambitious venture (经营项目).
With Walt’s death in 1966, there were doubts about the future of the company.
Walt Disney once said, “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.”
| A．The transformation from a humble beginning to a global business came with both achievements and challenges. |
| B．Each turn in the park promises a leap into fantasy, ensuring the magic is felt at every corner. |
| C．This venture greatly changed the landscape of cinematic history. |
| D．Though faced with initial skepticism, the park became an instant success. |
| E．Over the decades, it has redefined entertainment, proving that stories have no boundaries. |
| F．However, despite initial uncertainties in leadership and direction, the enterprise continued to grow. |
| G．It’s a universe of stories, where every character, every song, and every ride have a heart and soul. |
With the ideal time for harvesting fresh tea leaves approaching, locals celebrated the beginning of the tea-picking season with a spirited ceremony held at Jingmai Mountain in Yunnan province.
This annual event, which takes place towards the end of March, is a tradition among local minorities. Having been around for centuries, it is a perfect opportunity to show respect for the tea forest before harvesting the gifts of nature. Jingmai Mountain, renowned for its thick forests of ancient tea trees, has been an essential part of the locals’ lives for centuries. People there maintain an ancient method of tea cultivation featuring a unique multi-layered (层) ecosystem, which is regarded as the key to maintaining harmony between humans and nature.
The village has been located halfway up the mountain, close to the tea forest in the middle of the mountain, while farmland is in lower areas with abundant water sources, which can avoid disturbance to tea forests during planting.
The ancient tea forests are now refreshing as the younger generations are introducing new ideas aimed at better developing the tea industry in this area. Xian Gong, 39, started a farmers’ cooperative in 2010 in Jingmai village. Over time, she expanded the initiative by developing it into a company integrating the cooperative, a tea factory, a hostel and a shop under one roof. Today, the tea gardens cover an area of more than 600 hectares and generate an annual output of more than 200 tons, helping nearly 500 households increase their incomes.
A growing number of villagers are embracing new business opportunities by establishing cooperatives, tea factories and homestays. Many have adapted to the latest trends, such as selling tea through live streaming and sharing details of their daily lives and work on social media platforms.
The recent boom in the modern tea industry has motivated the residents to take better care of their ancient tea forests. In addition to their efforts to resist using chemicals and avoid planting other crops in the tea forests, the local government has applied over 20 rules and regulations for the protection of precious ancient tea forests. They hold a strong belief that the tea mountain is the most valuable gift left by their ancestors and it is their due responsibility to protect and make good use of it.
1. Why do the locals celebrate the beginning of the tea-picking season?2. What is the key feature of the ancient method of tea cultivation?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, and then underline it and explain why.
It is only due to the efforts made by the local residents that the ancient tea forests have been protected.
4. Give another example which mirrors human-nature harmony.
3 . Young German Man Studies TCM in China
Wu Ming is a young German born after 1995. Wu is a big fan of Chinese culture, such as the Shaolin kung fu, a traditional Chinese martial art. He has been learning traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) since 2016, almost seven years. Now he is studying for his master’s degree at Henan University of Chinese Medicine.
As he thought some diseases can’t be treated thoroughly with Western medicine, he decided to dig into TCM. Wu came to Central China’s Henan province in 2015, where a strong TCM culture can be enjoyed. After one-year of learning Chinese language, he started to learn Chinese medicine. “TCM is one of the best-protected aspects of Chinese culture”, said Wu. He hopes to solve problems and understand Chinese culture deeply by learning TCM.
In the early stages, Wu always tasted some Chinese herbal medicine by himself, just like Shennong, a character in ancient Chinese stories, who tasted most of the herbal medicine himself. To overcome difficulties in communicating, he also learned and practiced Chinese, especially the Henan dialect (方言), as his teachers, schoolmates, and even some patients speak in Henan dialect in their daily conversations. Although sometimes he still has trouble telling the difference between Mandarin (普通话) and the dialect, he can use the Henan dialect to communicate with others.
Studying TCM also changed Wu’s mind and lifestyle. He used to be addicted to electronic devices and stay up late every night, trapped in this fast but unhealthy daily life. But now, according to the Yin-Yang principle in TCM, he lives a balanced and peaceful life, practicing good habits such as drinking tea and reading ancient books.
In Wu’s opinion, there’s no big difference between China and Western countries. “We are the same. Misunderstanding comes from being out of touch”, said Wu. He plans to run a traditional Chinese clinic (诊所) in China or Germany after graduation, which could serve as a bridge between the two countries and attract public attention to TCM and its culture.
1. What is Wu’s purpose of studying TCM?| A．To get his master’s degree. |
| B．To prove his learning abilities. |
| C．To test some Chinese herbal medicine. |
| D．To better treat diseases and understand Chinese culture. |
| A．By reading ancient Chinese books. |
| B．By learning and practicing the Henan dialect. |
| C．By asking his teachers, schoolmates and patients for advice. |
| D．By studying the difference between Mandarin and the Henan dialect. |
| A．He stays up late every night. | B．He lives a fast and healthy lifestyle. |
| C．He is addicted to electronic devices. | D．He develops a good habit of drinking tea. |
| A．lacking communication | B．language barrier |
| C．being different from one another | D．mind and lifestyle |
| A．Gentle. | B．Honest. | C．Passionate. | D．Outgoing. |
 Samantha Cristoforetti The gaze flies, the heart expands, the joy of the senses can reach its peak, & indeed, this is true happiness.  ESA及另外4人  |
. 2022/10/12 …仰观宇宙之大，俯察品类之盛，所以游目骋怀，足以极视听之娱，信可乐也。Looking up, I see the immensity of the cosmos; bowing my head, I look at the multitude of the world. Besides ‘‘wow” and “great”, what else would you say when flying over the Earth in space? Samantha Cristoforetti, an Italian female astronaut, posted several lines of a famous ancient Chinese composition on Twitter during her mission at the International Space Station 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. The text she quoted is from the Preface to Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion, a Chinese calligraphy masterpiece by Wang Xizhi of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. She also attached three photos taken in space of China’s Bohai Bay and the day-night view of Beijing.
The beauty of space and Chinese literature resonated on Cristoforetti’s Twitter account. Her post went viral on Twitter with thousands of retweets, likes and replies in a few hours. “Her quotation of the lines shows that she observed the universe with the vision of Chinese civilization while observing China from space,” one user comments. “A European astronaut in space recites Chinese ancient poetry, how romantic,” says another.
Cristoforetti has been highly praised for her Chinese language skills. The Italian speaks half a dozen languages and has previously taken part in joint training between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the China Manned Space Agency. Apart from Cristoforetti, Matthias Maurer, a German astronaut from ESA who went to China together with Cristoforetti for the joint training, can also speak fluent Chinese. Since China and Europe have had friendly cooperation in the field of manned space flight, many foreign astronauts have shown great interest in learning Chinese.
ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher is positive about the unifying spirit of space exploration. He said, “Space is international. There is no way to put a boundary in space—because the space station and the satellites fly around the earth, cross boundaries, cross cultures, cross religions and different divides in terms of philosophy and history.”
While there may be many problems between nations here on Earth, in space, cooperation is strong.
1. What made Cristoforetti post the message on the Internet?| A．The desire to show off her Chinese. |
| B．The amazement at the view of the space. |
| C．The wish to work with Chinese astronauts. |
| D．The duty of popularizing space knowledge. |
| A．Cristoforetti spread Chinese civilization on her Twitter account. |
| B．Cristoforetti’s success in learning Chinese encouraged others. |
| C．Cristoforetti’s post became a hit on the Internet. |
| D．Cristoforetti is a genius at learning languages. |
| A．Space exploration settles differences between nations. |
| B．The longing for solving problems on Earth is universal. |
| C．Mastering more than one language is a trend among astronauts. |
| D．Cooperation in the space field bridges the gap between cultures. |
5 . A cultural view on personal space
It’s a well-known fact that the British prefer a large “bubble” of personal space around them.
Now, a study published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology has looked into why different cultures have such different approaches to personal space.
To a degree, this proved correct. Argentina becomes known as the most touchy-feely nation; people here keep the same distance from a stranger as a British person would an acquaintance and a Canadian individual a close friend or partner.
The academics leading this study admit that there is a lot more to do. But what we do know is to keep your distance in Canada; prepare for a hug in Argentina.
| A．It’s important to get the distance right, though. |
| B．Romanians clearly take longer to establish trust. |
| C．How close we stand to other people varies widely between countries. |
| D．And if you end up on good terms with a Norwegian, don’t draw back. |
| E．However, in India people will pack into trains and buses without a second thought. |
| F．One theory the researchers wanted to test was whether climate affects personal space. |
| G．The study certainly found that climate, age and gender have an effect on personal distance across cultures. |
6 . The Apostolic Library in Vatican City is home to ancient writings, rare books and reading rooms. Now, it is opening a small new space to the public where modern-day artwork can be seen next to the library's treasures.
The first show at the space is called Tutti, the Italian word for all. It was suggested by Pope(教皇) Francis' 2020 letter called “Brothers All”. The message appealed for environmental renewal, greater human unity and a more just socio-economic order in the world after the COVID-19 crisis.
Artist Pietro Ruffo of Italy's capital, Rome, was invited to design the first show. Maps and migration (迁徙) are among the common subjects of his work. At the Library, he transformed one room into a forest. In another room, Ruffo designed a modern version of one of the library's ancient maps of the Nile River. He placed both maps side by side.
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church and Vatican City ruler, Pope Francis, opened the Apostolic Library's new space last week. Pope Francis said the world was in need of new maps after COVID-19. He called for a greater sense of brotherhood. “Humanity needs new maps to discover the sense of love, of friendship and the common good,” he said. “We need a new beauty that isn't the usual reflection of power of some but a courageous map of everyone's diversity(多样性).”
The property of former US businessman Kirk Kerkorian paid for the project. Early in Francis' time as pope, he had appealed for the Apostolic Library to open itself up more to the outside world. In 2016, Francis declared the pope's summer home in Castel Gandolfo open to visitors.
The exhibit at the Apostolic Library is open on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Visitors must seek admission through an online request. The price of admission is about $17.
The Apostolic Library is separate from the Vatican Apostolic Archives((档案馆), which is home to all the documentation from pope's headquarters (总部) and embassies. Both the library and the archives are open to researchers upon request.
1. What is among the common subjects of Pietro Ruffo's work?| A．Brothers All. | B．Environmental renewal. |
| C．Maps and migration. | D．Treasures of modern art works. |
| A．Ticket sales. | B．Roman artists' donation. |
| C．The Pope's appeal and support. | D．The property of a businessman. |
| A．The exhibit at it opens twice a week. |
| B．It's outdated and backward. |
| C．It's unconditionally open to the audience. |
| D．It's owned by the Vatican Apostolic Archives. |
| A．To attract more scholars to visit. |
| B．To enrich background materials. |
| C．To stress the importance of the library. |
| D．To further explain the diversity and value of documents. |
8 March 2016 is the 106th International Women’s Day (IWD). Besides sharing your greetings to all women that you love and expressing thankfulness to those who love you, there are 10 things you should know about this special day.
While IWD is now largely aimed at inspiring women across the world and celebrating their achievements, its roots are in movements struggling for better pay and voting rights.
The first National Women’s Day was marked on 28 February 1909 in the United States after a declaration by the Socialist Party of America.
During an International Conference of Working Women in Copenhagen the following year, Clara Zetkin, leader of the “Women’s Office” for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, suggested the idea of an International Women’s Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day. The idea was met with no disagreement.
1911 saw IWD honoured for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19. Over a million people attended gatherings campaigning for women’s rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public offices and end discrimination (歧视).
On the eve of World War I campaigning for peace, Russian women celebrated their first IWD on the last Sunday in February 1913. In 1965, it was declared as a non—working day in the USSR.
IWD was changed to 8 March that same year and has remained the global date for the event ever since.
In 1975, the United Nations gave official permission to IWD and began sponsoring it.
The United States now names the whole month of March as “Women’s History Month”.
IWD is also an official holiday in 15 countries including China, Ukraine and Vietnam.
Over the past few years Google have marked the occasion with a “Google Doodle”, changing their logo on the search engine’s homepage to reflect the occasion.
1. What might be the possible title of the passage?2. What was the original aim of IWD?
3. In which year was the idea of an International Women’s Day suggested?
4. Since when has IWD been celebrated on the same day?
5. How many countries set IWD as an official holiday?
Chinese Fancy Knots, also called Chinese knots, refer to the traditional decorative knots in Chinese culture. They began as a form of folk art in the Tang and Song Dynasties in China. And they became popular in the Ming Dynasty. Now they are taken as one of the most representative symbols of Chinese culture and regarded as popular gifts for foreign friends.
As for the name itself, it is definitely meaningful. The Chinese character for “knot”, jie, means “connection” “combination”. It is associated with a wide range of cultural concepts — marriage, brotherhood, friendship, unity, reunion, etc. Meanwhile, the pronunciation of the Chinese character jie is very close to that of ji, “good luck”. As a result, Chinese knots perfectly serve as a way to express people’s strong wishes for good things like joy, love and good luck.
Besides, the knots, widely existing in the everyday life of the Chinese, come in various sizes. Small ones are attached to jewellery, clothes, gift-wrapping and furniture in order to attract people’s attention, while large ones are applied like fine paintings or photographs to decorate a living room or study.
In addition to their varied sizes and styles, Chinese knots are famous for their bright colors. Each knot is made of a single string of cotton, silk, gold or silver, and named according to its shape and meaning. But the colors of the strings are rich and have various traditional cultural meanings. Among the most commonly used base colors, red symbolizes good luck and happiness, green means health and harmony, and yellow, which was once known as the emperor’s color, may represent wealth and honour.
In brief, the famous Chinese fancy knots fully reflect the depth of Chinese culture.
1. When did Chinese knots start as a form of folk art?2. According to the passage, what do Chinese knots express?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Chinese knots come in different sizes, styles, and each knot is made of several strings.4. Besides Chinese knots, what would you like to choose as a gift representing Chinese culture for a foreign friend? Why? (In about 40 words)
9 . For many, Labor Day weekend signals the end of summer and an opportunity to host a socially-distanced barbecue (an outdoor meal). But this national holiday—celebrated every year in the United States and Canada on the first Monday in September—has revolutionary (革命性的) origins.
By the late 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had made working life miserable for people around the world. In many places, workers toiled for at least 12 hours a day six days a week in mines, factories, railroads, and mills. This holiday actually originated in the US on May 1, 1866, in what came to be known as the Haymarket Riot, workers flooded Chicago streets to demand an eight-hour workday.
It would take another conflict in the American Midwest to make Labor Day a national holiday. On May 11, 1894, workers at the Pullman Palace Car Company, a railroad car manufacturer near Chicago, went on strike to protest their low wages and 16-hour workdays. In August 1893, James Kyle introduced federal legislation (立法) to make Labor Day a public holiday, but for ten months the legislation was put on hold. To quiet the strikers and their supporters, the Senate quickly passed the bill on June 22. The bill passed the House four days later and President Grover Cleveland signed it into law on June 28, 1894.
The holiday is more information May Day labor celebrations. Many observers relax at home or head to outdoor recreational activities, such as boating, barbecues, and camping. It may also be marked with fireworks shows and other events. Labor Day has also become associated with retail sales, as many shop owners try to take advantage of the customers’ day off. It is one of the largest sales events of the year. meaning retail employees actually have to work more on this day. Parades are the most common model of celebration, which often feature processions of labor groups.
1. What do we know about the workers in the late 19th century?| A．They were paid well. | B．They had long workdays. |
| C．They often had a barbecue. | D．Their contributions were recognized. |
| A．Put off. | B．Introduced. | C．Got through. | D．Protected. |
| A．On May 1, 1886. | B．On August 22, 1893. | C．On May 11, 1894. | D．On June 28, 1894. |
| A．The origins of Labor Day. | B．The labor groups achievements. |
| C．The ways to celebrate Labor Day. | D．The official activities on Labor Day. |
10 . For millions of Facebook users, choosing which photo to use for an online profile is an important decision. According to a study by researchers at the UT Dallas Center, the photos we select may reflect individual preferences, but they also appear to reflect more deeply rooted, unconscious cultural differences. Previous research has shown that culture can affect not only language and custom, but also how we experience the world and process information. Western cultures, for example, condition people to think of themselves as highly independent entities(实体), whereas East Asian cultures stress collectivism and interdependence.
Dr. Denise Park, co-director of the Center at UT Dallas, and former graduate student Dr. Chih-Mao Huang of the University of Illinois, were curious about whether these patterns of cultural influence extend to cyberspace. In a paper published in the International Journal of Psychology, they examined the profile photographs of more than 500 active Facebook users from the United States and East Asia. Overall, they found that profile photos of Americans are more likely to focus on the individual’s face, while the profiles of East Asians tend to less emphasize the face and include more background features. Americans also show greater smile intensity compared to East Asian Facebook users.
The findings show marked cultural differences in the focus of attention among East Asian and American Facebook users. Moreover, they echo previous research on cultural influences on visual perception (感知), attention, and reasoning in the offline world.
“We believe these findings relate to a cultural bias to be more individualistic and independent in the US and more communal and interdependent in Asia,” said Park.
The research also found that cultural influences over our self-presentation online can shift over time and from place to place. In one of the study samples, Americans studying in Japan and Japanese studying in the United States both showed a tendency to adjust their profile photos to the general preferences of their host country.
“Facebook constitutes an extended social context in which personal profiles mirror various individual characteristics, private thoughts, and social behaviors,” noted Huang. “As such, the study presents a new approach to investigate cognition and behaviors across cultures by using Facebook as a data collection platform.”
1. The underlined word “condition” in the first paragraph probably means ________.| A．advise | B．instruct | C．shape | D．forbid |
| A．cultural influences | B．social behaviors |
| C．independent existence | D．collective power |
| A．use a picture of his face on Facebook |
| B．adjust to American preferences quickly |
| C．change his profile photos from time to time |
| D．put up a photo of his apartment on Facebook |
| A．make up a more extended social context |
| B．study the diversity of worldwide cultures |
| C．promote communication between east and west |
| D．combine different cultures from different aspects |
