1 . Students’ Journey to Empower Rural Heritage
From Aug. 18 to 22 a team of 15 Tsinghua University students, representing diverse backgrounds from China, South Korea, Malaysia, and Indonesia, set foot on an overseas research exploration focusing on rural revitalization(振兴) in Indonesian villages, particularly within Nusa Tenggara Barat(NTB).
With the diverse cultural heritage, Indonesia is home to over 83,000 villages, each radiating its own charm and character.
The research mission took the students to Sukarara and Sade villages, two of NTB’s tourist destinations.
As the journey came to an end, the students carry with them not only the memories of their experiences there, but also the responsibility to make a positive impact on these remarkable places.
| A．While these villages possess undeniable fascination, many remain underdeveloped. |
| B．This effort includes the knowledge exchange between the students and local villagers |
| C．Both were selected for revitalization efforts led by the Village Revitalization Team. |
| D．In Sukarara, a local tradition requires girls master weaving skills before marriage |
| E．They decide to be a bridge between tradition and progress, united for their growth |
| F．It’s about preserving the cultural heritage and ensuring traditions being passed down |
2 . Day of the Dead
Here’s one thing we know: Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is not a Mexican version of Halloween.
Day of the Dead originated several thousand years ago with the Aztec, Toltec, and other Nahua people, who considered mourning the dead disrespectful.
Today’s Día de los Muertos celebration is a mash-up(混聚) of pre-Hispanic religious rites and Christian feasts. It takes place on November 1 and 2—All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day on the Catholic calendar—around the time of the fall maize harvest.
Cultural heritage is not just monuments and collections of objects. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) says that cultural heritage also includes living expressions of culture—traditions—passed down from generation to generation.
Day of the Dead is an extremely social holiday that spills into streets and public squares at all hours of the day and night. Dressing up as skeletons is part of the fun. People of all ages have their faces artfully painted to resemble skulls, and, mimicking the Calavera Catrina, they don suits and fancy dresses.
| A．In 2008, UNESCO recognized the importance of Día de los Muertos by adding the holiday to its list of Intangible(无形的) Cultural Heritage of Humanity. |
| B．Some families place their dead loved one’s favorite meal on the altar(祭坛). |
| C．Though related, the two annual events differ greatly in traditions and tone. |
| D．Many revelers wear shells or other noisemakers to fuel the excitement—and also possibly to rouse the dead and keep them close during the fun. |
| E．Today, the calavera Catrina, or elegant skull, is the Day of the Dead’s most ubiquitous symbol. |
| F．For these pre-Hispanic(前西班牙时期的) cultures, death was a natural phase in life’s long continuum. |
3 . This Halloween, scare off evil spirits while protecting the earth!
1. Create home-made costumes
Apart from the fact that they’re expensive, flammable and mostly unoriginal, shop bought Halloween outfits are a terrific burden on the environment. From the much-too-high amount of water that is used to create them to the seven million costumes that will be thrown straight into the bin, and the microfibres released into the water from the ones that do get washed there are PLENTY of reasons against shop buying.
And let’s be frank, home-made costumes are far more unique and fun to create. For the scariest costume we could possibly imagine, why not dress up as the earth on fire?
2. Be considerate with your pumpkins
Pumpkins are a wonderful Halloween tradition but can be more damaging to the environment than you’d originally think. Harmful pesticides and fertilizers are used during farming and the nature of their large-scale production means they can be transported over vast distances Similarly, how you dispose of them once you’re done determines how big an impact they have.
Don’t let their delicious innards go to waste and instead make a yummy pumpkin treat, even go so far as to save the pumpkin seeds either for you or the birds. Then, once your carved pumpkin is past it’s best, make sure to compost (制成堆肥) it rather than throwing it in the bin-this will prevent the release of methane as it breaks down.
3. Scare yourself silly at home
Rather than travelling to far-flung places, keep the frights closer to home.
Halloween party to get everyone together and encourage car-pooling or the use of public transport.
Read scary stories and create a Halloween hunt in your garden for children to run around and find treats.
4. Make your own trick-or-treating goodies
If you’ve taken on the American tradition of trick-or- treating, why not whip up a few Halloween treats of your own? Apart from being tastier and more fun to look at, they’ll also reduce your consumption of packaging and likely will have a lower carbon footprint. Suggest to any neighbours that they might do the same, and if you go trick-or-treating yourself, be sure to use a reusable carrier.
1. What can we do to help the environment during the Halloween according to the passage?| A．Making use of the pumpkin innards to make fertilizers for your garden. |
| B．Going to the local shop to buy some costumes and recycling them after using. |
| C．Throwing a Halloween party with your friends out of town. |
| D．Inviting your neighbors to taste your home-made treats. |
| A．Harmful pesticides. | B．High carbon footprint. |
| C．Damage to birds. | D．Harmful gas emission. |
| A．What to do to celebrate the Halloween traditionally |
| B．Why is it important to have an eco-friendly Halloween |
| C．How to have a Halloween beneficial to the environment |
| D．How to celebrate the Halloween to cheer yourself up |
4 . The Rio Carnival(狂欢节)
What is it?
The Rio de Janeiro carnival, held annually in the month of February, is a spectacular celebration of life that attracts millions of people onto the streets of the Brazilian city. The whole country stops to watch, either in the city itself or on the television. It is estimated that each year 700,000 visitors come to watch from all over the world.
“Samba” schools
The music played throughout the carnival procession is called the “samba”. Many participants belong to “samba” schools where they learn to dance and play the music which is so popular throughout Brazil. There are about 30 “samba” schools with thousands of members. They perform for four entire nights in a huge area called the “Sambadrome”. The schools take part in an official competition and the best of them is awarded a prize. Each school is assessed on its costumes, the theme of its performance and the quality of the music. Some “samba” schools hold street parties and perform in their local areas because many people cannot afford to buy a ticket for the official competition.
The stars of the show
Each school is led by a queen followed by hundreds of drummers and brightly decorated carnival vehicles. The Carnival Queens are the biggest stars and they are chosen from amongst the most beautiful women in each community. As well as beauty, the queen has to be very fit to lead her group of drummers on the slow procession through the streets of Rio.
“Blocos” parades
“Blocos” parades have become an important feature of Rio’s carnival in addition to the “samba” schools. These parades are less formal and include groups of musicians from the same neighborhood who just want to sing, dance and have a good time. Today, they number more than 100 and the groups increase each year. They all dress in costumes or T-shirts with special themes or logos. Before the show they gather in a square, then parade through sections of the city, before performing near to the beach. Some of them have a particular place such as a cafe where they play and dance to attract spectators.
1. Which of the following details illustates that the Rio de Janeiro carnival is the largest show in the world?| A．It is usually held at the beginning of each year. |
| B．The whole country stops to watch its live shows on TV. |
| C．More than half a million visitors come for it every year. |
| D．The city streets all over Brazil are crowded because of it. |
| A．They teach children to dance to the music of samba. |
| B．They choose samba queens from people on the street. |
| C．They collect money for those cannot afford a ticket. |
| D．They usually give performances at night during the carnival. |
| A．popular | B．formal | C．unusual | D．noisy |
5 . Ivrea is a town in the Piedmont province of northern Italy. It is known for its local carnival（狂欢节）organized in February.
The main part of the carnival is the famous Battle of the Oranges (La battaglia delle arance). The Battle includes nine teams who throw oranges at each other during three carnival days – Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.
Oranges were not always used in the battle. In the middle ages people used beans. Twice a year the local feudal lord gave a pot of beans to the poor families who, as sign of rebellion, threw them out of their homes. Later beans became part of carnival as sort of “ammunition” for throwing at people passing by.
It is still not known why exactly people started using oranges. It is believed that the origin for this tradition is in the mid 19th century. The legend says that local girls, standing on balconies, started to throw some oranges, together with confetti, lupins(白羽扇豆)and flowers, onto the parade carriages. The girls actually wanted to draw attention of boys in the carriages. Boys “answered” by throwing some objects back at girls. Little battle started that way.
Battle of the Oranges got strict rules after the World War II. The battles are organized on town's squares. The battles are fought between teams in carriages (symbolizing local the guards of local tyrant(恶霸)) and the teams walking beside those carriages (symbolizing rebellious people of Ivrea).
Oranges for the event are brought from the island of Sicily. The oranges used are of low quality, not suitable for humans. About 270,000 kilograms of oranges are used each year.
The carnival ends with a silent march on the night of “Fat Tuesday”. The Carnival "general" says goodbye to everyone with the phrase "See you next Fat Thursday at 1 p.m."
Special prizes are awarded to three best foot teams, three carriages drawn by two horses and three carriages drawn by four horses. Different elements are judged like for example throwing ability, fair play or decoration of carriages.
1. The word "ammunition" (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to________.| A．decoration | B．bullets | C．advertisement | D．presents |
| A．the Carnival general | B．the local feudal lord |
| C．the rebellious people of Ivrea | D．the guards of local tyrant(暴君) |
| A．In the middle ages, people threw beans out of homes as a sign of rebellion. |
| B．Girls throw oranges towards carriages in the parade to attract the attention of boys inside. |
| C．Tons of oranges are used every year to hold the festival. |
| D．People started to throw oranges because they are of low quality and not suitable to eat. |
| A．A traditional activity in an Italian carnival |
| B．The origin of Battle of the Orange |
| C．How people enjoy themselves in the Orange Carnival |
| D．The rules of activities in carnivals in Italy |
6 . Last - Minute Father’s Day gift ideas
Okay, it’s officially last minute for deciding and choosing Father’s Day gifts. Here are some last-minute ideas.
The gift of music. If you’ve got the cash, and think Dad might like his own MP3 player to enjoy, go with an Apple iPod nano ($ 60), which would allow him to listen to and wirelessly buy all kinds of music via a Yahoo! Music subscription. If he’s strictly a CD man, burn one for him with some new tunes you think he’d like. |
Digital camera. The most expensive thing on this last-minute list, the Canon PowerShot SD600 IS Digital Elph ($ 102) is a can’t - miss choice for excellent photos with simple - to - use features. It slips into a pocket and makes taking great pictures of the kids nearly effortless. |
Do something for him. Sometimes the best gift is noticing what Dad does around the house to keep things running smoothly, and then offering to do it in his stead. Mow the lawn. Take out the garbage and recycling for a month. If you don’t live near your Dad, you can promise to do a few things to help out around the house on the next visit. Remember it is free of charge! |
Something simple. Kids can make a unique, personal T-shirt ($5) for Dad quickly and easily with EasyImage. |
Sunday will be here before we know it. Don’t put it off another day!
1. If Tom’s father is crazy about music, how much will it cost Tom to buy the gift for him?| A．$102 | B．$60 | C．$10 | D．$5 |
| A．A senior high school student with little pocket money . |
| B．A father who likes traveling and taking photos for his kids |
| C．A professional photographer |
| D．A grandpa who is too sick to walk about |
| A．mow the lawn | B．wash the car |
| C．take out the garbage | D．make a unique, personal T-shirt |
Venice Carnival
The annual Venice Carnival is in full swing, with thousands of revelers (狂欢者) gathering the city’s canals and squares in elaborate costumes and extraordinary masks
The Carnevale di Venezia is thought to date back to the 11th century, making it one of the world’s oldest. Carnivals are held in many Catholic countries: such as Spain and Brazil, where they serve as a last chance to cat, drink end be merry before the deprivations or Lent, the 40 days of fasting (斋戒) that precede Easter.
It is thought that the masks allowed Venetians to hide their identities, allowing the poor to mix with the wealthy, breaking strict social order, even if only for a brief and controlled period.
To prevent overcrowding, authorities have installed turnstiles at the entrances to the historic St. Marks’Square, closing it off to new visitors once 23,000 revelers have entered. Costumed revelers are also searched as they enter the square.
Venice is situated across a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The islands are located in the shallow Venetian Lagoon, an enclosed bay that lies between the mouths of the Po and the Piave Rivers
Although most visitors stick to the traditional Carnival costumes of baroque gowns and be jeweled masks for women and black capes and threatening masks for men, more and more people are opting for their own unique interpretations.
Some visitors use Carnival as an opportunity to show off a fantastic creation they’ve always reamed of wearing. It doesn’t have to be Venetian
| A．This year’s Carnival festivities kicked off on February 16 and go on until March 5. |
| B．During the 18 days of Carnival, the city fills with thousands of tourists from across Italy and around the world. |
| C．Parts of Venice are well known for the beauty of their settings, their architectureand artwork. |
| D．The Italian government decided to bring back the history and culture of Venice by seeking to use the traditional Carnival. |
| E．It doesn’t have to be traditional. |
| F．Carnival virtually disappeared when Napoleon’s troops brought an end to the Venetian Republic in 1797. |
