Peking opera, known as China’s national opera, is a combination of music, dance and art and is widely regarded as a full expression of Chinese culture. Today, this art form is facing the danger of extinction as the younger generation is mostly interested in pop culture.
A Peking opera project for primary and secondary schools was launched by China’s Ministry of Education. But it has met with a cold reaction from the public. More than half of the 1, 000 respondents from ten big cities expressed doubts about the practical meaning of the project in the survey conducted by the Social Survey Institute of China.
The project plans to add 15 Peking opera pieces into music courses in 200 schools in ten provinces. The pilot programs will last from March to July next year. At present, teaching materials and video tapes are still in production, China News Service reported. The Ministry of Education hopes that the promotional course can help students better appreciate Chinese culture and cultivate a love for the mother country.
The surveyed people do recognize Peking opera as a comprehensive (综合性的) art form and a representative of the traditional culture. They also understand the purpose of the educational project. However, they wonder whether it is necessary for every student to learn to sing Peking opera, when they are already stressed from endless exams. In fact, most music teachers themselves know little about this ancient art form, and thus are not confident in arousing (激起) students’ Interest in its slow pace and abstruse (深奥的) lyrics.
1. What’s Peking opera widely regarded as? (No more than 10 words)2. What does the underlined word “extinction” in Paragraph I mean? (No more than 3 words)
3. Why did China’s Ministry of Education launch a Peking opera project for primary and secondary schools? (No more than 20 words)
4. Why are most music teachers not confident in teaching Peking opera pieces? (No more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of the Peking opera project for schools? (No more than 20 words)
2 . Nowadays, it is common to see people wearing Hanfu, the traditional clothing of the Han ethnic group, at parks and attractions. More and more people are falling in love with Hanfu culture. The development of Hanfu culture has witnessed (见证) numerous changes in recent years and is taking on various forms.
Zhang Xiaomin has been a fan of Hanfu for five years now. Thanks to the popularity of social media, she can easily learn the latest trends and knowledge about Hanfu online now. “People used to only collect or appreciate Hanfu privately,” Zhang said. “But now it has moved to the mass market.” In the past, many people had the misunderstanding that “Han” refers to the Han Dynasty. Now more people are knowledgeable about Hanfu, and even expert in distinguishing (区分) the differences in Hanfu from different dynasties.
Miss Tang has also noticed a similar change. “Fans have become particular about the design and style of Hanfu,” Miss Tang said. “For advanced hobbyists, those seemingly fairy-like Hanfu dresses are not enough, since this style has been adapted to meet the tastes of the masses. They care more about how original Hanfu style are, like Quju (曲裾) and Mamianqun or ‘horse-face skirts’, which look more serious and complicated.”
The development of Hanfu has also triggered (引发) different events. You Gancheng has been in Hanfu circles for 13 years. “The Hanfu festival that a museum held in April offered many interesting activities like lectures, ceremonies, concerts and fairs,” she said. “Hanfu culture weeks, festivals and academic forums all provide platforms for fans to communicate.”
The rise of Hanfu culture also means the birth of an emerging business. Miss Cang has been running a Hanfu store for four years. The store provides Hanfu rental and photography services. “Many international schools now come to us for Hanfu events on traditional holidays,” Miss Cang said. Her store also actively participates in Hanfu festivals. “We often run a stand in Hanfu fairs, selling and displaying Hanfu we’ve designed. Sometimes we even provide Hanfu as prizes for competitions,” she said.
1. In recent years, the people who are interested in Hanfu ________.| A．are now focusing on the Han Dynasty style |
| B．have gained a deeper understanding of Hanfu |
| C．tend to collect or admire Hanfu privately |
| D．are exploring the regional diversity of Hanfu |
| A．Its fairy-like design. | B．Its historical accuracy. |
| C．Its modern adaptations. | D．Its practicality for everyday wear. |
| A．To give an example of a successful Hanfu store. |
| B．To show the increasing popularity of Hanfu culture. |
| C．To illustrate the impact of Hanfu culture on business. |
| D．To stress the role of Hanfu stores in promoting Hanfu. |
| A．The development of Hanfu culture. |
| B．The significance of Hanfu in Chinese society. |
| C．The growing interest in Hanfu around China. |
| D．The different types of Hanfu events and festivals. |
“Mom, look at this LEGO Star Wars set,” my eight-year-old son Nathan said. “Can I get it for my birthday?” I looked at the LEGO set in question.
“Nathan, this isn’t just a regular LEGO set. It’s an Advent calendar(降临历).” Seeing his questioning look, I explained, “An Advent calendar counts down the days until Christmas. Starting on December 1st, you open one box each day, and each box contains one small LEGO toy.”
“I want this really badly, Mom. Can I get it for my birthday?”
“Yes, but here’s the problem with that. It’s August right now, and your birthday is in September. If we bought this for your birthday, you couldn’t start opening the toys until December 1st. That would be a long time for you before playing with a new toy. Are you sure you want it?” He thought for a minute and said, “Yes, Mom, I really want that Advent calendar.” So we bought the calendar.
On Nathan’s birthday in mid-September, he received many presents, including the Advent calendar. He seemed as surprised and pleased with it as he did with other gifts that were actually a surprise. And then he started to open it.
“Remember that’s an Advent calendar. So we can’t open it yet.” His shoulders slumped(垂下来). “Oh, yeah, that’s right,” he said unwillingly.
We put the box in his closet. I hoped he’d forget about it, but that was wishful thinking.
“How many more days should I wait until I can start opening the toys in the calendar?” he asked the day after his birthday. I gave him a pocket calendar, and we counted how many days there were until December 1st.
After waiting for so long, it was December 1st finally. Nathan’s hands were practically shaking as he opened that first box. “I’m so glad I waited, Mom,” he told me.
People say that Christmas starts earlier and earlier every year. I know these complaints are about the over-commercialization of the holiday, and I see their point. But this year, Christmas came to our house very early, and it was so much fun.
1. What is an Advent calendar used to do? (no more than 10 words)2. Why was the author unwilling to buy the Advent calendar for Nathan at first? (no more than 12 words)
3. How can we understand the underlined sentence in Paragraph 7? (no more than 8 words)
4. Why do people say Christmas starts earlier and earlier? (no more than 10 words)
5. What do you think of Nathan’s birthday present? Why? (no more than 20 words)
4 . The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) opened its doors again this weekend for the University of Rochester’s Clothesline Arts Festival. This event has been an annual tradition at the Centennial Sculpture Park right outside the MAG for the last 62 years. Initially organized with less than 100 artists showing their work on clothes lines and fences, this festival has attracted over 500 artists from across the nation.
The park was decorated with colorful tents where artists proudly displayed their works. Each tent was a story within itself — a display of skill, creativity, and years of experience.
Piche Design, a unique custom creation art store owned by Chuck Peashy, had one of the most interesting tents: an eye-catching, old setting with lamps shaped like musical instruments. “People come to me with objects that belonged to their long-gone loved ones, and I make beautiful items out of those for them. It is, indeed, rewarding,” said Peashy.
Jill Schiller started doodling (涂鸦) when she was very young. Her hobby gave way to a series of super cool modern designs. She now draws with Swedish weaving techniques on scarves, carpets, bags, and T-shirts in her tent. Schiller believes that it is evidently a great method of expressing creativity and emotion.
George Banagis’ tent, which presented watercolor and pen and ink pieces, had a variety of options. His complicated pen and ink illustrations were available in the original full-size versions, which were made after weeks of effort, and also small, affordable postcards, notepads, and other souvenirs. Visitors loved this inexpensive form of art and flooded inside to buy.
Visitors also experienced all seven continents in one tent, Tatarzyn Photography. From penguins lined up on an Antarctic coastline to swans and wandering African elephants, Ted Tatarzyn has traveled all around the world to catch these moments of amazing creatures with a camera. “This is actually my second career,” said Tatarzyn, who interestingly worked at Kodak for many years before its shutdown. He then started touring around the world for the pictures.
Strolling across the little artistic showcases is a learning experience that every student should take advantage of. And Clothesline had many other stories to tell.
1. What was the Clothesline Arts Festival most probably named after at first?| A．The hosting place of the festival. | B．The diverse artists joining the event. |
| C．The unique way of displaying works. | D．The cloths and various materials used. |
| A．It focuses on the musical instrument design. | B．It helps people recall their loved ones. |
| C．It repairs valuable things for people. | D．It mainly sells classical furniture. |
| A．They are both about art drawings with strong personal styles. |
| B．They are both popular among university students. |
| C．They both display products with local cultures. |
| D．They are both about inexpensive paintings. |
| A．Travel experience sharing. | B．Artistic creativity training. |
| C．Professional camera skill teaching. | D．Animal photos displaying. |
| A．To remember a 62-year-old tradition. | B．To recommend some excellent artists. |
| C．To advertise a secondhand market. | D．To introduce a special artistic festival. |
It was a dark and stormy night. The ferocious wind shook the windows wildly, as though someone outside were beating on the glass. It was also New Year’s Eve. We were having our annual party and had a house full of people just starting to celebrate.
Suddenly, we heard loud explosions. Looking outside and up into the hills, we saw sparks(火花) flying from electrical transformers(变压器). One area after another went dark up in those hills. Then there was the loudest explosion of them all and our house went dark too. I tried to find every candle we had and lit them. The candles made everything look lovely. But we had problems. We had fifteen people standing around and we still had to cook dinner. How would we do that without electricity?
The barbecue! Why not cook on the barbecue? We men went outside, some holding flashlights and others cooking. We did a wonderful job. The women stayed inside and got the salads ready. Everything was delicious. There were still a few hours to go before the beginning of the new year, so we all sat around the dining room table and sang up until a few minutes before midnight. We couldn’t watch the ball drop in Times Square on television but that wouldn’t stop us from celebrating. I stood on a chair and, with the help of someone’s watch to tell us the time, we all counted down and I dropped a tennis ball! We all screamed Happy New Year. We didn’t need electricity for that!
Nowadays, we still get together with the same group to celebrate the New Year and we still talk about that special night. I don’t think we have ever laughed so much as we did on that New Year’s Eve.
1. What does the underlined word mean in Paragraph 1? (1 word)2. What made dinner preparation difficult according to Paragraph 2? (no more than 6 words)
3. How did the people celebrate on New Year’s Eve according to the passage? (no more than 10 words)
4. How does the author feel about that particular New Year’s Eve? (no more than 8 words)
5. What do you think is the most necessary quality when dealing with an unexpected difficult situation? Please explain why. (no more than 25words)
6 . Diwali（Deepavali）is a festival of lights observed in October or November each year in Canada. During the festival, various community groups, businesses, schools and associations celebrate it in different ways. Some companies have Diwali dinners and some communities organize gatherings that feature firework displays, dances, street lighting, and plays.
Many women wear fine jewelry and silk outfits to celebrate Diwali. Some women and girls use Mehendi, a dye decoration which can last a limited time, on their palms, and then they will finally get colorful hand paintings. Many homes that celebrate Diwali have various types of sweets, salty and spiced food as well as Diwali herbs （香料）. Various lights, candles and sparklers are lit inside and outside homes, particularly in courtyards, on Diwali. Diwali is not a nationwide public holiday in Canada but it is a prevalent festival celebrated in many towns and cities. There may be traffic jams and parking places may be full in areas where events are held to celebrate Diwali. Some Indian businesses may close early on Diwali.
Diwali is called the "Festival of Lights" and is celebrated to honor Rama, a hero who once fought and won a battle against the demons（恶魔）. In the past, people lit their houses to celebrate his victory over demons（light over darkness）. At the same time, every household did careful and complete cleaning at home in advance. It is believed that the goddess of happiness and good fortune, Lakshmi travels around the Earth on this day and enters the house that is pure, clean, and bright.
Diwali celebrations may vary in different communities but its spiritual meaning is generally "the awareness of the inner light". As the word “Deepavali” means “a row or cluster of light”, the festival symbolizes the victory of righteousness and the lifting of spiritual darkness.
1. What can we learn about Diwali from the first two paragraphs?| A．It is celebrated on a fixed day. |
| B．It centers on various local food. |
| C．People stay up late to prepare for It. |
| D．People from all walks of life enjoy celebrating it. |
| A．Popular. | B．Free. |
| C．Serious. | D．Funny. |
| A．To pray for good journey. |
| B．To expect joy and good luck. |
| C．To create a romantic atmosphere. |
| D．To welcome their friends to visit. |
| A．Showing respect for others. |
| B．Staying straight and positive. |
| C．Valuing your family members. |
| D．Improving your living environment. |
| A．To stress the importance of a public holiday. |
| B．To tell an interesting story about a Canadian festival. |
| C．To briefly introduce a traditional festival in Canada. |
| D．To show different holiday celebrations in Western cultures. |
7 . Christmas Traditions
Since about 400 AD, Christmas day has been celebrated on 25th December. This date was the old mid-winter festival in pre-Christian times, around the time of the longest night and the shortest day. Christmas in the 21st century has many traditions.
Shops can make about 60 per cent of their year's income in the three months before Christmas. So most shops get ready for it in October. The shopping centres are beautifully decorated and stay open late at night. The first time this happened was in 1867 when Macys', a famous shop in New York, stayed open until midnight on Christmas Eve (24th December).
By mid-December, almost every house, shop and street has a Christmas tree. This tradition was started by the Germans as early as 700 AD. In the northern countries of the world, winter is cold and dark and most trees lose their leaves. The beautiful green trees decorated with lights and coloured glass balls give people hope that spring will come again.
Father Christmas is known across the world with his white hair, red coat and big bag of toys. Young children are told that he lives it in the north of Finland and makes toys for them. By tradition, he brings the toys to children at midnight, on the night before Christmas.
On Christmas day a traditional meal is eaten, usually turkey and a rich, spicy cake. Some people hate Christmas. Others feel it is a magical and exciting time. They love seeing family and friends; they also love the traditions. Love it or hate it, Christmas is a time to look back over the old year and forward to the new one.
1. Christmas has been celebrated ________.| A．for over 3,000 years | B．for over 1,600 years |
| C．since the start of the 21st century | D．for 400 years |
| A．they can stay open later | B．they are beautifully decorated |
| C．much of the income is made | D．more people go shopping |
| A．they make people think of Germany | B．they are easy and cheap to get |
| C．they lose their leaves in winter | D．they make people think of spring |
| A．a real person who lives in Finland | B．a magical story for kids |
| C．a character in a film | D．a real person who makes toys |
| A．On Christmas day people love to visit friends. |
| B．Christmas time is loved by some people and hated by others |
| C．Christmas is a magical and exciting time for all. |
| D．On Christmas day turkey is a traditional meal. |
8 . Festivals and celebrations of all kinds have been held everywhere since ancient times. Most ancient festivals would celebrate the end of cold weather, planting in spring and harvest in autumn .Today's festivals have many origins: some are seasonal, some for special people and some for special events.
Dragon Boat Festival celebrations take place in China on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. They are held in memory of Qu Yuan, a famous person who wrote poems in Ancient China. It was the first traditional Chinese festival added to UNESCO'S List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Thanksgiving is celebrated mainly in North America, in October or November. Traditionally, it was a chance to give thanks for a good year, Now. i is also a time for families to get together for a big dinner.
May Day s a festival to celebrate the start of summer, with celebrations held across Europe and in parts of North America. People prepare decorations with flowers and dance around poles.
The Spring Festival that is also called Chinese New Year is one of the most important Festivals in China.It stars with a new moon and ends 15 day later on the full moon, marking the beginning of spring .During this festival,people eat dumpling, fish and meat and may give children lucky money in red paper. Nowadays, more and more countries around the world are holding celebrations for Chinese Spring Festival.
Festivals let us enjoy life , be proud of our customs and forget our work for a little while.
1. How many festivals are introduced in the text?| A．Two. | B．Three | C．Four | D．Five. |
| A．May Day. | B．Thanksgiving. |
| C．The Spring Festival. | D．Dragon Boat Festival |
| A．Pies and chicken. | B．Dumplings and fish. |
| C．Noodles and meat. | D．Sandwiches and Turkey. |
| A．In China | B．Across Europe. |
| C．in North America | D．In South Africa. |
| A．The introduction of some festivals. | B．The activities of some festivals. |
| C．The customs of some festivals. | D．The history of some festivals. |
9 . Many everyday American expressions are based on colors.
Red is a hot color. Americans may say they are red hot about something unfair. They are red hot when they are very angry about something. The small hot-tasting peppers found in many Mexican foods are called red hot for their color and their fiery(辣的) taste. Fast loud music is popular with many people. They may say the music is red hot, especially the kind called Dixieland jazz.
Pink is a lighter kind of red. People sometimes say they are in the pink when they are in good health. The expression was first used in America at the beginning of the twentieth century. It comes from the fact that many babies are born with nice pink skin that shows that they are in good health.
The color black is often used in expressions. People describe a day on which everything goes wrong as a black day. A blacklist(黑名单) is illegal now. But at one time, some businesses refused to employ people who were on a blacklist for belonging to unpopular organizations.
The color green is natural for trees and grass. But it is an unnatural color for humans. A person who has a sick feeling in his stomach may say he feels a little green. A passenger on a boat who is feeling very sick from high waves may look very green.
Sometimes a person may be upset because he does not have something as nice as a friend has. That person may say he is green with envy. Some people are green with envy because a friend has more dollars or green-backs. Dollars are called greenbacks because green is the color of the black side of the paper money.
1. Americans use “red hot” to describe the following EXCEPT_______.| A．something unfair |
| B．small hot-tasting peppers |
| C．the person who is very angry |
| D．popular music like Dixieland jazz |
| A．the expression has a very long history |
| B．the color pink makes people feel happy |
| C．people think the color pink is gentler than red |
| D．healthy babies are born with nice pink skin |
| A．enjoys himself/herself in boating | B．is hit by a high wave |
| C．has a stomach ache | D．likes trees and grass |
| A．Being sent a beautiful gift | B．Passing a very difficult test. |
| C．Being refused during and important interview | D．Being invited to an exciting party |
10 . Chichen Itza is an ancient site sitting in Yucatan State, Mexico, in Central America. This site has been listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Chichen Itza was an extremely important religious site for 1,000 years for the ancient Maya people. The Maya civilization began before 2000 BC and lasted until 1697 when Spain took away their last remaining city. The Maya people lived in southeastern Mexico, all of Guatemala and Belize, and the western parts of Honduras and EI Salvador.
From around 600 to 1050 AD, in Chichen Itza, people were able to buy things that were difficult to find. This was thanks to its port, Isla Cerritos, which allowed the city to trade through water. In the 10th century, it became the capital of the area from central Yucatan to the north coast.
The ancient city of Chichen Itza was well planned in design. The pyramids and temples were built in groups, with paved walkways in between. People have found over 80 of these walkways all over the site. The main building groups are the Great North Platform, the Old Chichen, plus the Ossario and Central Groups.
At the center of the site is a castle in a pyramid shape. In Spanish, it's called EI Castilo, which means the castle. But its real name is the Temple of Kukulkan and it actually sits on top of a much older temple. On the 20th of March and the 22nd of September, the sun's rays create a strange shadow across the Temple of Kukulkan. It looks just like a snake slithering down the pyramid staircase. And in fact, the temple is named after the Maya feathered snake god, Kukulkan.
1. What can we learn about the Maya civilization from the text?| A．Its development totally depended on Chichen Itza. |
| B．Its ancient site was mainly in eastern Mexico. |
| C．It lasted for 1,000 years. |
| D．It was put to an end by Spain. |
| A．It was a trade center. | B．It was partly destroyed. |
| C．It took control of Yucatan State. | D．It attracted many foreigners. |
| A．is a palace built by the Spanish | B．sits under an older temple |
| C．is a temple to honor God Kukulkan | D．draw people's attention for its walkways |
| A．Economy. | B．Science. | C．Culture. | D．Art. |
| A．To encourage us to visit Chichen Itza. | B．To talk about some pyramids in Mexico. |
| C．To let us lean about the ancient Maya people. | D．To introduce some basic facts about Chichen Itza. |
