1 . Chinese people love food made of flour. In the hands of skilled artisans (手艺人), flour is made into lovely models of people or animals to be enjoyed and played with, which brings a unique kind of pleasure. This art form is called dough figurine (面塑). Among the various art styles of dough figurines, Beijing’s Dough Figurine Lang is a unique folk art, which is filled with the rich history and customs of the capital city. In 2008, it was included in the list of national intangible (非物质的) cultural heritage.

It was created by Lang Shao’an. Most of the dough figurines are animals and characters from legends, historical stories, and local operas. The finished product is either put at the end of a thin stick or on a table for display. Some are mostly for children to eat or play with, with simple forms and vivid decorations, while some are fine pieces of artwork for display only. For this reason, during the making process they are often mixed with additives (添加剂) to better preserve the finished products.

Lang Jiaziyu, born in 1995, is the third-generation inheritor (继承人) of Dough Figurine Lang. When he was 15, he created Beijing Olympic Mascot (吉祥物) shaped dough figurines which were highly praised. He looks a bit more fashionable than other folk artisans. In his skilled hands, pop culture icons (偶像) are popular with young people.

Like most of the other intangible cultural heritage handicrafts in China, Dough Figurine Lang does not get as much attention from the public. Few young people are willing to take the time to master a skill that does not make money, which has led to a decline in the number of those who are devoted to the handicraft. Good handicrafts need the devotion of artisans from one generation to another.

1. What is special about Dough Figurine Lang?

A．It reflects Beijing’s culture.

B．It is created by many famous artists.

C．It shows people’s lifestyles and beliefs.

D．It is popular with both tourists and the locals.

2. Why do artisans add additives to dough figurines?

A．To make dough figurines taste good

B．To keep colors brighter and lasting longer

C．To help shape dough into various forms.

D．To better preserve the finished products

3. What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．Suggestions for other folk artisans.

B．Different art styles of dough figurines.

C．Lang Jiaziyu’s accomplishments as an artisan

D．The popularity of modern dough figurines

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To call on people to master a skill.

B．To appeal to people to value this folk art.

C．To teach people ways to appreciate the handicraft.

D．To persuade people to protect national cultural heritage.

3 . Happy April Fool’s Day! In celebration of the day, we have put together a list of some of the greatest hoaxes (恶作剧) in history. They are the lies that have been designed for innocent people who are ready to believe them.

▲INSTANT COLOR TV

In 1962 there was only one TV channel in Sweden, and it broadcast in black and white. The station’s Kjell Stepson, appeared on the news to announce that thanks to a newly developed technology, all viewers could now quickly and easily transform their existing sets to display color reception. All they had to do was pull a nylon stocking over their TV screen, and they would begin to see their favorite shows in color. Reportedly, hundreds of thousands of people, were taken in. Actual color TV transmission only started to appear in Sweden on April 1, 1970.

▲SAN SERRIFFE

In 1977 the British newspaper The Guardian published a special seven ­page supplement (增刊) in honor of the tenth anniversary of San Serriffe, a small republic located in the Indian Ocean. A series of articles affectionately asked for more information about the beautiful holiday spot. Few noticed that everything about the island was made up.

▲NIXON FOR PRESIDENT

In 1992 American National Public Radio’s Talk of the Nation program announced that Richard Nixon, in a surprise move, was running for President again. His new campaign slogan was, “I didn’t do anything wrong, and I won't do it again.” Accompanying this announcement were audio clips (片段) of Nixon delivering his election speech. Listeners responded immediately to the announcement, flooding the show with calls expressing shock and anger. Only during the second half of the show did the host John Huckleberry reveal that the announcement was a practical joke. Nixon’s voice was copied by comedian Rich Little.

1. Which of the following western countries is NOT mentioned in the text?

A．India.

B．The UK.

C．The United States.

D．Sweden.

2. Who worked as a host on the radio?

A．Kjell Stepson.

B．Rich Little.

C．Richard Nixon.

D．John Huckleberry.

3. Where can we probably read this article?

A．In an ad.

B．In a magazine.

C．In a novel.

D．In a news report.

4. Which is the best title of the passage?

A．Celebration Hoaxes	B．April Fool’s Day
C．Celebration of the Day	D．Hoaxes of April Fool’s Day

7 . Wine and beaches, fireworks and music...our readers recommend some fantastic festivals.

Festa delTUva e del Vino, Italy

Set on the beautiful shores of Lake Garda, this grapes and wine festival takes over the small town of Bardolino for four days every October. With local wines, food, art projections, fireworks and live music. people come from miles around to celebrate. First and foremost, it’s about great wine, but it’s worth visiting to soak up the great atmosphere.

Free,1-5 October

Quest festival, Vietnam

This is a weekend camping festival held just a 40-minute drive from Hanoi, bringing together locals and visitors in a celebration of underground live and electronic music culture. Held in the beautiful Son Tinh campsite, there are usually about 30 local and international DJs and 10 bands. There are also workshops, pop-up cafes, ire performances, dancing and much more.

Weekend tickets about ￡25,6-8 November

Estival, Switzerland

This is a free festival of jazz which takes place in the first weekend in July in the pretty squares and lakeside beaches and parks around the southern Swiss town of Lugano. People will enjoy the palm trees and summer air see some of Europe’s up and coming jazz bands.

Free, every July

Irish Redhead Convention, Ireland

A friendly gathering for all red-haired people is held in the small seaside village of Crosshaven where redheads from all over the world take part in light hearted events. There’s live music, art exhibitions, lectures and of course the traditional Parade of Redheads through the village led by the newly crowned Redhead King and Queen.

Free, every August

1. Jennifer, a girl with red hair, may be interested in        .

A．Estival

B．Quest festival

C．Festa deirtlva e del Vino

D．Irish Redhead Convention

2. What do these four festivals have in common?

A．They offer local food.

B．They have fireworks.

C．They are free of charge.

D．They have music activities.

3. Where can you probably find the text?

A．In a textbook.

B．In a magazine.

C．In a news report.

D．In a research paper.

8 . CULTURE AND CUISINE

The French author Jean Anthelme Brillat­Savarin once wrote, “Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.” Put more simply, this means “You are what you eat.” Most people today relate this saying to healthy eating. However, Brillat­Savarin was actually referring to our personality, character, and culture.

Certainly, in many ways this seems to be true. Chinese cuisine is a case in point. Prior to coming to China, my only experience with Chinese cooking was in America, with Chinese food that had been changed to suit American tastes. For example, America’s most popular Chinese dish is General Tso’s chicken, which consists of fried chicken covered in a sweet sauce, flavoured with hot red peppers. This is probably not an authentic Chinese recipe, however, so it cannot tell us much about the Chinese. On the other hand, it does tell us a lot about Americans. It tells us, for example, that Americans love bold, simple flavours. And, since the dish was also invented recently, it tells us that Americans are not afraid to try new foods.

Later, I had a chance to experience authentic Chinese food by coming to China. When my family and I had just arrived in China, we went looking for a good place to eat in Beijing. A Sichuan restaurant had been recommended to us by a friend, and finally, we found it. Tired, hungry, and not knowing a word of Chinese, we had no idea how to order, so the chef just began filling our table with the best food we had ever eaten. With this, we had the pleasure of experiencing an entirely new taste: Sichuan peppercorns. The food was wonderful and different, but what was even more important was the friendship offered us．

We soon moved to Shandong Province in the eastern part of North China. My favourite dish there was boiled dumplings served with vinegar. I observed that family is important to the people there. It has become a favourite traditional dish of the people in North China, where making dumplings has always been a family affair with everyone — from the youngest to the oldest — joining in to help. Later, I learnt that the most famous food in Shandong is pancake rolls stuffed with sliced Chinese green onions.

Then we moved to northern Xinjiang. Some of our friends were Kazak and Inner Mongolian. These groups traditionally wandered the open range on horses. As a result, their traditional foods are what you can cook over an open fire — usually boiled or roasted meat, such as lamb kebab．

Our travels then took us to South China, and then on to central China. In each place we went, we experienced wonderful local dishes, from Guangdong’s elegant dim sum — small servings of food in bamboo steamers — to the exceptional stewed noodles in Henan. Everywhere, the food was as varied as the people However, one thing is always true: Through food, Chinese people everywhere show friendship and kindness.

At a minimum, the kinds of food local people consume tell us what they grow in their region, what kinds of lives they lead, and what they like and do not like. Could we also say, for example, that those who like bold flavours are bold themselves? Or, that those who like spicy food tend to have a hot temper? Maybe. Maybe not. What we can say, however, is that culture and cuisine go hand in hand, and if you do not experience one, you can never really know the other.

1. What’s the main idea of the text?

A．What people eat is related to their culture.	B．Chinese foods are delicious.
C．Americans are bold to try new foods.	D．What you eat reflects your health state.

2. Of the following, which is adventurous?

A．Chinese.

B．French.

C．Japanese.

D．Americans.

3. Where can you experience the taste of peppers most in China?

A．Beijing.

B．Ji’nan.

C．Chengdu.

D．Urumqi.

4. If you would like to enjoy lamb kebab, you’d go to         .

A．an ocean beach

B．a vast grassland

C．a mountainous village

D．Zhujiang Delta

5. Which of the statements is true according to the text?

A．Cuisine is never seperated from culture.	B．Cuisine is always healthy no matter where it comes.
C．Cuisine always determines a man’s character.	D．Cuisine in China is kind of the same.

10 . The Sister Rice Festival is held every year in Guizhou’s Taijiang County, where 97 percent of the 168,000 people are from the Miao ethnic (民族的) group. It is an ancient tradition, which brings men and women together through food, gifts and music.

In the days before the festival, young women gather leaves and wild flowers, which they use to dye (给……染色) sticky rice with bright colors. This brightly colored rice, known as Sister Rice, gives the festival its name. During the festival, the young women dress in beautiful traditional clothes with large amounts of silver jewelry (首饰).

The festival includes parades, horse races and musical performances. But the real focus is the interaction between the young women and the young men who visit from surrounding villages and sing songs. In one traditional type of song, a man and a woman take turns to sing to each other, and the first one to make a mistake loses the game. The loser must give the winner a gift, but the winner is expected to give a gift in return, too.

After meeting the men, the women send them home with a bamboo basket containing dyed rice and hidden objects with special meanings. For example, a pair of chopsticks indicates that she wants to marry the man, while garlic shows that she is not interested.

One of several stories about the festival’s origin is about a girl and a boy who fell in love. The girl’s parents wanted her to marry her uncle’s son. She refused, and the boy likewise refused to marry anyone else. For a time, they could only meet in a field and pass hidden messages to each other through rice in a bamboo basket. Finally, the pair overcame their parents’ opposition and were allowed to marry.

The Sister Rice Festival is perhaps the oldest festival in Asia that encourages love.

1. What is the purpose of young women collecting leaves and wild flowers?

A．To decorate their rooms.

B．To sell them and make money.

C．To give sticky rice different colors.

D．To cover some objects in a basket.

2. Which of the following is the activity taking place in the festival?

A．Water skiing.

B．Kicking balls.

C．Making food.

D．Singing songs.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．A woman often loses the game.

B．A hidden pair of chopsticks suggests good things.

C．The winner need not send a gift.

D．Often a man needs to sing songs to a young woman.

4. What does the story in Paragraph 5 tell us?

A．The boy’s parents didn’t like the girl.

B．They were not married in the end.

C．The boy refused to marry the girl at first.

D．The rice in the bamboo basket carried their love.