1 . From prehistoric villages in Scotland to Emperor Qin’s terra-cotta warriors in China, here are some of the most impressive archaeological sites you can explore and puzzle over.
Lascaux Cave Paintings, France
In the region of southwestern France lies the Lascaux cave system, where some of the world’s best-preserved Paleolithic cave paintings can be found. Nearly 20,000 years old, these images and engravings (雕刻) feature animals as well as abstract designs. Since 1963, the site has been off-limits to visitors to prevent worsening. However, a team of scientists have recreated this UNESCO World Heritage Site with advanced technology and you are able to have a specially arranged visit with prehistoric cave experts.
Skara Brae, Scotland
The ancient stone village of Skara Brae stands on a coast in Scotland’s islands, just one of many destinations you’ll visit on this trip to the United Kingdom. Settled about 5,000 years ago, it is also one of the best-preserved Neolithic sites in Europe. The ruins consist of a series of stone homes where nearly everything remains undamaged. This once-developed community of farmers, hunters and craftsmen was mysteriously deserted around 2500 BC.
The City of Tikal, Guatemala
Tikal is home to the ruins of a powerful Maya city that flourished (繁荣) from around AD 300 to 800. Located in the depths of the Guatemalan rainforest, this site was once inhabited by more than 60,000 people and covered an area of at least 47 square miles, making it one of the largest pre-Columbian cities. On this trip, you’ll explore a variety of Tikal’s unearthed structures, such as its palaces, temples and ball courts. But archaeologists still don’t have any clues as to the cause of Tikal’s decline.
1. What do we know about Lascaux Cave Paintings?| A．It has been recreated and allows for free visit. |
| B．It is always open to the public with limited access. |
| C．It only features engravings of animals’ images. |
| D．It is listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites. |
| A．They can date back to 5,000 years ago. |
| B．They once experienced rise and fall. |
| C．They consist of a variety of different structures. |
| D．They are well protected by the local people. |
| A．A news report. | B．A science textbook. |
| C．A travel magazine. | D．An academic article. |
2 . I was brought up in the British, stiff upper lip style. Strong feelings aren’t something you display in public. So, you can imagine that I was unprepared for the outpouring of public grief at a Chinese funeral.
My editorial team leader died recently after a short illness. He was 31. The news was so unexpected that it left us all shocked and upset. A female colleague burst into tears and cried sadly at her desk. Somehow, we got through the day’s work. The next day was the funeral.
Our big boss stepped forward to deliver a eulogy (悼词) and was soon in tears. She carried on, in Chinese of course, but at the end said in English: “There will be no more deadlines for you in heaven.” Next came a long-term colleague who also dissolved in tears but carried on with her speech despite being almost overcome by emotion. Then a close friend of the dead man paid tribute, weeping openly as he spoke. Sorrow is spreading. Men and women were now sobbing uncontrollably. Finally, the man’s mother, supported between two women, addressed her son in his coffin. She almost collapsed and had to be held up. We were invited to step forward to each lay a white rose on the casket. Our dead colleague looked as if he was taking a nap. At the end of the service I walked away from the funeral stunned at the outpouring of emotion.
In the UK, families grieve privately and then try to hold it together and not break down at a funeral. Here in China it would seem that grieving is a public affair. It strikes me that it is more releasing to cry your eyes out than try to keep it bottled up for fear of embarrassment, which is what many of us do in the West.
Afterwards, a Chinese colleague told me that the lamenting (哀悼) at the funeral had been restrained (克制) by Chinese standards. In some rural areas, she said, people used to be paid to mourn noisily. This struck me like something out of novel by Charles Dickens. But we have all seen on TV scenes of grief-stricken people in Gaza and the West Bank, in Afghanistan, Iraq and the relatives of victims of terrorist bombings around the world. Chinese grief is no different. I realized that it’s the reserved British way of mourning that is out of step with the rest of the world.
1. What does the underlined words “stiff upper lip style” mean?| A．cold-blooded | B．light-hearted | C．self-controlled | D．warm-hearted |
| A．Five individuals made speeches. | B．The writer was astonished by the scene. |
| C．Everyone was crying out loudly. | D．The boss’s speech was best thought of. |
| A．The English might cry noisily for the dead in Dickens’ time. |
| B．Victims of terrorist bombings should be greatly honored. |
| C．Chinese express their sadness quite unlike other peoples. |
| D．English funeral culture is more civilized than the others. |
| A．An editor’s death. | B．Funeral customs. |
| C．Cultural differences. | D．Western ways of grief. |
3 . The Africa Sourcing and Fashion Week held in Ethiopia in November attracted over 5,000 visitors. Though the number is not extremely high, the continent is becoming a new global fashion leader, according to a UNESCO report.
Although most African fashion businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises (企业), the report identified a growing number of high-fashion brands concentrated in key markets on the continent. What makes African fashion unique is its authenticity (真实性), according to Kenyan designer Aulga Nato. “If you check most fashion houses elsewhere in the world, they have done so much that they have less creativity in what they are putting out now. Africa, on the other hand, is rich in cloth. We are huge cotton growers, and we are rich in every single way. That’s our fashion,” she explained.
Africa is a major producer of raw materials (原材料) for the fashion industry, with 37 out of 54 African countries producing cotton and textile exports from the continent averaging $15.5 billion (about 110.2 billion yuan) a year. The continent also has a huge animal population from which it sources animal skins. However, there’s a huge shortage of chemicals to make the materials needed to treat the leather (皮革) from animals used in the clothing industry. And the continent still faces challenges related to the movement of people.
Despite these challenges, African designers are giving their best to their work and leading the world in sustainable fashion and practices. African governments have also taken measures to help designers in achieving their aims. It seems that their efforts have paid off. After checking clothing exhibits at a fashion event, Ghanaian exhibitor Solomon Dodoo noticed that every single cloth is unique and there are no two pieces of cloth that look alike.
1. What makes Africa have an unusual fashion?| A．Its increasing tourism. | B．Its huge cotton production. |
| C．A report from the UNESCO. | D．The authenticity of its fashion. |
| A．A great need for animal skins. |
| B．Lack of chemicals for treating leather. |
| C．The development of cotton production. |
| D．Shortage of creativity among designers. |
| A．They are supported by African governments. |
| B．They abandon unique and sustainable fashion. |
| C．They lead the world in the clothing industry. |
| D．They check clothing exhibits at a fashion event. |
| A．African Fashion is Popular in the World |
| B．African Designers Face Difficulties in Fashion |
| C．African Countries Have Materials for the Fashion Industry |
| D．Africa’s Advantages Promote Its Fashion Industry’s Success |
4 . Editor’s note: An increasing number of Chinese people, especially the young, are more willing to celebrate Western festivals. Should we celebrate foreign festivals? Forum readers share their opinions. You’re welcome to add yours.
Dinah (China)
I enjoy the happy atmosphere of both Chinese and Western festivals. As long as it is meaningful for me, I will celebrate it with my boyfriend, and my parents! I like Western festivals and often celebrate them without even knowing the origins of them. Why? Because what I really appreciate is just the happy atmosphere.
SharkMinnow (Canada)
Western Festivals are more like parties or games for some Chinese. Also, spending money = good for economy. Most Chinese don’t take Western festivals as seriously as their own. It’s like a game or party in my eyes. A way to blow off steam and have fun (and spend money).
Travis (UK)
As an Englishman teaching here in China for two years, my friends have got used to and enjoy celebrating my festivals. My school also likes it as well, although this year they asked me not to scare the teachers so much on Halloween. My Chinese friends enjoy taking part in my festivals, as they also learn more about my culture, and the history that goes with it…
Leesinchina (US)
Cherish your own festivals. It would be a pity if the Chinese accepted these Western days — first, because they have absolutely nothing to do with traditional Chinese culture. Second, they are a big trick by the big stores to get more money out of you. Stick to your own festivals — they actually mean something to you — rather than following western customs for no good reason.
1. What matters most according to Dinah?| A．The atmosphere when celebrating festivals. |
| B．The people with whom to celebrate festivals. |
| C．Celebrating Chinese festivals with her family. |
| D．Celebrating Western festivals in a good atmosphere. |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Indifferent. | C．Neutral. | D．Negative. |
| A．Entertainment. | B．Science. | C．Culture. | D．Education. |
5 . My hometown is in a county (县) called Yongtai which is in Fuzhou of southern China.
Several days before the Chinese New Year, every family starts to prepare for the celebration. First of all, we do the spring-cleaning to welcome a new and clean year.
On the first day of the Chinese New Year, fathers will set off fireworks to “wake up the Chinese New Year”; mothers start to prepare a big breakfast.
On the first day just family members spend time together. From the second day on, every family will start to welcome the visitors and they can enjoy the get-together time, which is really nice.
| A．My favourite dishes are niangao and fish |
| B．Children will stay up late on New Year’s Eve |
| C．A fish dish is a necessity on the table every year |
| D．The next step is to prepare food for the New Year’s Eve dinner |
| E．After the spring-cleaning, every family starts to decorate their house |
| F．When the evening of New Year’s Eve comes, children will be very excited |
| G．Everyone should wake up by themselves and appear at the table in their new clothes |
6 . My first visit to Angkor Wat (吴哥窟) was in 1980. The country had been at war for many years and the temple was deserted and falling to pieces. Plants were growing out of the roofs, and trees were growing in the yards.
Today, the temple is the scene of a busy repair program. A team of 15 Indian experts are organizing a workforce of 400 Cambodians, most of them women, who are cleaning, repairing and rebuilding parts of this temple.
As I walked through the yards, I noticed the Cambodian women devote hours to cleaning carefully a tiny area of stone. Boards are laid down to protect the precious painted stones while the repair work is going on. There are very few machines and little heavy equipment. Workers carry building materials in buckets at the end of long poles. Piles of stones lie in a corner of the yard, waiting to be replaced.
The work of cleaning the stones is watched over by three Indian chemists. It is a very slow task. First they clean the stones with brushes using buckets of a weak chemical. Then gaps between the stones are filled in. Finally another material is painted onto the stones which will protect them from water forever.
Work starts every day at 7 am and goes on until late afternoon six days a week, with a break at midday.
Evening is the best time to visit the temple, after the tour groups have left. As the sun sinks lower, shadows spread across the yard. After sunset, the sky turns pink. The grey stone towers take on a golden color before turning pink. Nowhere else in the world can there be such a quiet, beautiful place.
1. According to the author, which of the following plays the LEAST important role in the repair work?| A．The women workers. |
| B．The Indian workers. |
| C．Machines. |
| D．Skilled workers. |
| A．there was no one in the temple and it was in a poor state |
| B．the temple was built on a desert and nobody noticed it |
| C．the temple was very old with a long history |
| D．the temple was repaired by the Cambodians, most of whom were women |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．To get rid of certain types of plants. |
| B．To carry the building materials. |
| C．To replace the stones. |
| D．To clean the stones. |
7 . Njobati, a young woman from Cameroon, faced a challenging journey when she moved from her English-speaking area to a French-speaking area of the country to attend university. The sharp differences between these areas, once part of the British and French empires, made it difficult for her to fit in, which led her to examine her own identity—who she truly was.
Seeking guidance, she turned to her grandfather who also felt disconnected from his own culture. He expressed sadness about what the Nso had lost both culturally and materially, including Ngonnso statue. Ngonnso was the founder of Nso dating back to the 14th Century, whose statue was an important cultural symbol for the Nso. However, it was taken by the Germans in 1902 and has been housed in Berlin’s Ethnological Museum ever since.
Inspired by her grandfather’s desire and saddened by the loss of culture, Njobati made a promise to bring back the statue. She believed it would not only achieve her grandfather’s wish but connect her with her Nso heritage again.
Njobati did many researches about the statue and former unsuccessful attempts. She realized that restitution (归还) was actually about facing the colonial ( 殖民主义的) past. Njobati decided to try differently. To gather support online and offline, Njobati began a grassroots campaign. She organized meetings in community halls and churches, met people one-on-one, and used the power of social media.Through Twitter, she established contact with the Ethnological Museum.
Njobati’s tireless efforts paid off. She was told that a decision about Ngonnso statue was coming, which was an important moment for her.
“Finally, this is happening. Not just for me, but for the Nso people, and for Cameroon,” She cried. “This also lends a hand to other communities that are seeking justice for stolen culture relics.”
1. What made Njobati decide to bring back the Ngonnso statue?| A．Her interest in colonial history. |
| B．Her grandfather’s identity problem. |
| C．Her desire to reconnect with Nso culture. |
| D．Her experience in attending university. |
| A．She did wide and complete researches. |
| B．She turned to her grandfather for guidance. |
| C．She contacted the Ethnological Museum directly. |
| D．She organized meetings and using social media. |
| A．The fight for the statue. | B．The promise she made. |
| C．The grassroots campaign. | D．The return of the statue. |
| A．A fight against colonialism. | B．A cultural fighter. |
| C．A promise for grandpa. | D．A stolen cultural symbol. |
8 . It’s a race against time, as generations of cultural heritage conservators at the Dunhuang Academy make a great effort to protect the artistic charm of the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, despite erosion (侵蚀) by sand and wind.
The team is devoted to protecting the 45,000 square meters of murals (壁画) and more than 2,400 painted sculptures of the 735 caves of the site, the construction of which spans about a thousand years, from the 4th century to the 14th century. The cultural relics are the product of the cultural exchanges that took place over centuries on the ancient Silk Road. “Our work, repairing murals and painted sculptures, is to better preserve the caves, which promotes the great Dunhuang spirit of inclusiveness to the world and inspires modern people,” says Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy.
Commonly seen “diseases” affecting the murals include cracking and flaking, as well as erosion that is caused by changes in temperature and humidity of the caves, and the deposition of salts. To restore a mural requires an all-rounder. Restorers should know painting, master the skills of a mason and have some knowledge of chemistry and physics, to be able to recognize the problems and their corresponding causes and deliver a solution. They must also select proper materials and tools, and conduct experiments, before formally carrying out the restoration and evaluating the effect afterward.
The restoration should respect the original work and aim to maintain the status quo of the murals rather than repainting them. When the restorers find some parts of murals missing or fading away, they never repaint them to create a “perfect” appearance in restoration. “Cultural relics are witnesses of history,” explains Su. “When you pursue the so-called intact (完好无损的) look for artistic reasons, you will lose their key meaning.”
Cave conservation is about continuously solving problems. “It needs a long-term research to better preserve the caves, over a much wider time span that goes beyond our lifetimes,” Su says. But at least, they can keep the current look of the murals for as long as possible.
1. What is the main purpose of paragraph 2?| A．To show the popularity of Dunhuang murals. |
| B．To explain the history of the ancient Silk Road. |
| C．To stress the significance of the restoration work. |
| D．To present the ways of protecting cultural heritage. |
| A．Demanding. | B．Well-paid. | C．Interesting. | D．Creative. |
| A．Spotting the faded murals in time. |
| B．Fixing the missing parts of murals. |
| C．Maintaining the current look of murals. |
| D．Repainting to perfect the appearance of murals. |
| A．The Artistic Charm of Mural Paintings |
| B．The Mural Restoration in the Mogao Caves |
| C．The Successful Experiment on Cave Conservation |
| D．The Role of the Dunhuang Spirit in Chinese Culture |
9 . A vague image shows a nearly naked man in a vast field of rainforest, spear held up to the sky and pointed at the helicopter circling above him—a man defending his homeland and people from outside influence.
This very scene made front-page news some years ago in the UK. It instantly highlighted the loss of ancestral homelands some tribal communities face as a result of ever-expanding plantations. However, bad news has a way of hitting the headlines, so we’re of the opinion that all aboriginal communities are in decline-and that’s not true.
During my travels through India, Afghanistan and Pakistan in the early nineties, I spent some time living with the Kalash, a tribe that inhabits three valleys in the Hindu Kush mountain range. I became firm friends with Saifullah, the chief spokesperson, and we’re still in touch to this day.
Back then I remember talking to a very serious aid worker in the American Club in Peshawar who told me straightly that the Kalash, surrounded by conservative Islam, had no chance of survival and would be gone in 10 years. That was 25 years ago. When I caught up with Saifullah recently, asked what his response was to those who believe Kalash culture is dying.
“It’s not true,” he declared. “The Kalash culture and community is as strong today as it was when you first came. We still have our festivals. We still have a shaman and bow shakers. an Oazis who are holding the culture. the religion. Our younger people are becoming prouder of the culture they know they are different and they like it. Many are learning the old ways from the fathers,” he added.
Will Millard, a TV presenter who spent a year living with the Korawai of West Papua, agree “Perhaps tribal communities aren’t in decline, but just in transition (转型),” he told me.. “As human society, we are in a constant state of change. We accuse them of losing their culture because they’re wearing clothes, or using a gun instead of arrows, but a T-shirt doesn’t make them any of a Korawai man. Culture lives below the surface,” added Millard.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 1?| A．To introduce the topic of the text. | B．To call on people to protect forests. |
| C．To show conflicts between humans. | D．To describe tribal communities’ condition. |
| A．Skeptical. | B．Disapproving. | C．Uncaring. | D．Ambiguous. |
| A．The Kalash culture has been declining. |
| B．The younger generation have lost their traditions. |
| C．Original culture has made the Kalash richer |
| D．The younger generation have become more aware of their culture’s uniqueness. |
| A．Tribal culture is worth preserving. |
| B．Tribal communities have been damaged. |
| C．Tribal communities are not in decline but in transition. |
| D．Traditional communities’ lives are changing. |
10 . Literary festivals all over the USA offer opportunities for readers to meet their favorite authors and learn about their new projects. You can start planning your next literary vacation!
Summer WordsDates: June 19-22
Price: Free
It’s one of America’s most respected literary festivals and writing conferences. Authors are able to attend advanced workshops in order to improve the craft of writing. Besides, they can meet editors and literary agents and attend public panel discussions to gain inspiration and insight.
Book BonanzaDates: June 23-24
Price: $250
It is a celebration of books covering multiple styles and always nets a huge list of incredible author attendees. What makes it stand out, however, is not just its impressive list of attendees: it’s the charitable focus. All proceeds are donated to charitable causes, including those that benefit women and children.
Los Angeles Times Festival of BooksDates: April 22-23
Price: Free, although indoor panels will require tickets
It is a massive celebration of books and the bookish community, with book signings, panel discussions with distinguished professors and experts, art performances and book giveaways. The two-day event has grown to become an essential element of the L.A. cultural scene.
Imaginarium Book FestivalDates: May 20-21
Price: Free, but VIP tickets for early entry to signing rooms ($45), tickets for the brunch ($50)
It celebrates all things about fantasy and science fiction. In addition to panels where authors will answer your questions, you’ll get to meet and acquire signed books from your favorite authors and have the option of brunching with them at the cosmic (宇宙的) brunch buffet.
1. In which literary festival can you catch a show?| A．Summer Words. |
| B．Book Bonanza. |
| C．Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. |
| D．Imaginarium Book Festival. |
| A．Its profits go to charity. |
| B．It’s meant for women and children. |
| C．It doesn’t charge admission fee. |
| D．It features workshops for notable writers. |
| A．Get an author-signed photograph. |
| B．Dine with your admiring writers. |
| C．Interact with science fiction supermen. |
| D．Obtain one-on-one reading training. |
