Updated: Sept 27, 2023
Tangshan, Hebei Province, launches night tourism
Tangshan, Hebei province, kicked off a tourism activity for night travelers on Hetou Old Street called the “Hebei Night Tour in Golden Autumn” event, which will last eight days starting on Friday(Sept.29). Travelers can enjoy a special kind of night beauty while exploring Hebei during the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays.
Foreigners in Shanghai celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at Loutang ancient townForeigners living in Shanghai will gather at Loutang Ancient Town in Jiading on Friday to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival. During the event, people can engage in mooncake making as well as exploring other folk culture, such as Chinese shadow puppetry (皮影戏) and rabbit lanterns. They will also enjoy performances of Mid-Autumn Festival folk music while enjoying local traditional snacks.
Chinese in France share their culture at second Bellevill Mid-Autumn Food FestivalYoung Chinese living in France will seize an opportunity to introduce Chinese culture on Mid-Autumn Festival according to Chinese lunar calendar. Led by the Belleville Joint Chamber of Commerce Association (BJCCA) and supported by the Association d’Entraide à l’Entreprenariat Des Jeunes Chinois (AEEJC), the second annual Belleville Mid-Autumn Food Festival will offer an opportunity for French residents to enjoy true traditional Chinese tasty foods with a significant get-together cultural meaning.
1. Which day suits you best if you want to explore the beautiful night scenery in Tangshan?| A．Sept. 19, 2023. | B．Sept. 27, 2023. | C．Oct. 2, 2023. | D．Oct. 14, 2023. |
| A．Design dragon lanterns. | B．Compose folk music. |
| C．Try cooking local food. | D．Make Chinese mooncakes. |
| A．Enjoying Chinese art. | B．Spreading Chinese culture. |
| C．Sharing French food. | D．Introducing foreign festivals. |
2 . Food festivals are a common occurrence in the UK and take place in all sorts of places and at all sorts of times. Whatever your taste, there’s a food festival to match — no matter how specialized.
1. Meatopia
This three-day, London-based festival takes place at the end of August and is a meat lover’s paradise. In addition to a range of legally sourced meat products, from juicy burgers to tender steaks, attendees can listen to live music, watch butchery demonstrations, and attend informal meat-based workshops.
2. The National Honey Show
If you have a sweet tooth, then it could be that the National Honey Show, which started in 1921 and is the largest event of its kind, is the place for you to be. This three-day event attracts many local entries who showcase their sweet golden honey, some of which is sold globally.
3. The Orange Sauce Festival
Have you heard about a festival that is devoted only to orange sauce? Held in Cumbria, this sweet, fragrant festival has been running for 3 years. What attracts people most is a competition to find the best homemade orange sauce. There are thousands of participants from over 30 different countries across the globe, bringing their local snacks to share here.
4. The Ginger and Spice Festival
If you’d prefer something with a little more kick to it, then you could attend The Ginger (姜) and Spice Festival held in Market Drayton. Unlike other food festivals, it celebrates its town’s historic connection to Robert Clive, who returned from India with ginger. Because of this, they specialize in baking gingerbread, but also sell a range of traditional spices from mild to hot.
1. What do Meatopia and the National Honey Show have in common?| A．Both of them last for three days. | B．Both of them hold workshops. |
| C．Both of them originated from London. | D．Both of them have a long history. |
| A．The Meatopia. | B．The Ginger and Spice Festival. |
| C．The National Honey Show. | D．The Orange Sauce Festival. |
| A．It has something to do with a historic figure. |
| B．The ginger used in the festival is from India. |
| C．It sells spicy food. |
| D．The food is cooked by Robert Clive. |
3 . The Torch Festival (火把节) is a traditional festival which is celebrated among some ethnic groups in southwestern China, such as the Yi, Bai, Hani, Lisu, and Lahu, etc. It usually falls on the 24th or 25th of June, with three days of celebrations. The festival came from worship (崇拜) of fire by ancestors ( 祖 先 ). For some ethnic groups, it’s a tradition in the festival for elders to share farming experience with young people and educate them about taking care of crops.
During the festival, big torches are made to stand in all villages, with small torches placed in front of the door of each house. When night falls, the torches are lit and the villages are bright. At the same time, people walk around the fields and houses, holding small torches and placing the torches in the field corners. Inside the villages, young people are singing and dancing around the big torches that keep burning throughout the night. Other activities like horse races are also held during the festival.
In a horse race of the Yi people in Yunnan, torches are used to form hurdles for riders to get through. The Hani people in Yunnan traditionally tie fruits to torches with strings. When the strings are broken after the torches are lit, people struggle for the fruits for good luck.
For the Lisu people in Sichuan, the festival is an occasion for holding torch parades. Big torches are carried by teams of people, which is like a fire dragon. If different teams meet, it’s a tradition to exchange the big torches with one another.
1. What can we know about the Torch Festival from the first paragraph?| A．It is a festival to show worship of fire. | B．Its celebrations usually last two days. |
| C．It is a traditional festival of all China. | D．It has nothing to do with farming. |
| A．Why the festival is enjoyed. | B．How the festival is celebrated. |
| C．What torches are used for the festival. | D．Where the festival is celebrated. |
| A．Small torches are put in front of the door. |
| B．Big torches are burnt all day and all night. |
| C．Yi people use torches to form hurdles to get through. |
| D．Young people like singing and dancing around the big torches. |
| A．Struggling for fruits for good luck. | B．Tying fruits to torches with strings. |
| C．Holding torch parades. | D．Using torches as hurdles for a horse race. |
4 . Chinese Teapot Escaping from British Museum Goes Viral
Chinese state media has praised a viral video series telling the story of a jade teapot coming to life and fleeing the British Museum to make its way back home.
The set of three short videos, entitled Escape from the British Museum, shows the teapot turning into a young woman in a green dress, who then engages a London-based Chinese journalist to help her reunite with her family. It appears to have struck a chord (弦) in China after first being released by independent vloggers on Douyin. By Monday evening, it had reportedly received more than 310 million views. The plot line taps into growing Chinese criticism of the British Museum after reports last month that more than 1,500 priceless objects, including gold jewelry, semi-precious stones and glass, were missing, stolen or damaged.
In August the state media Global Times called for the return of Chinese artifacts from the museum “free of charge” in the wake of the controversy. “The huge holes in the management and security of cultural objects in the British Museum exposed by this scandal (丑闻) have led to the collapse of a long-standing and widely circulated claim that ‘foreign cultural objects are better protected in the British Museum’,” it said. It strongly supported the video series for touching on a “powerful message” about the importance of cultural heritage and reflecting “Chinese people’s desiring for the repatriation of the Chinese cultural relics.”
State broadcaster CCTV also gave the short films a glowing review saying: “We are very pleased to see Chinese young people are passionate about history and tradition... We are also looking forward to the early return of Chinese artifacts that have been displayed overseas.”
The museum scandal made headlines around the world and reawakened earlier demands by the Chinese media to restore the country’s relics. The new three-part show has triggered a wave of nationalism among viewers, with many praising the creative plot that reduced them to tears by showing how the teapot experienced the happiness of returning to China to see pandas and watch a flag-raising ceremony on Tiananmen Square.
1. What excuse does Britain give for keeping other nations’ cultural objects in its museum?| A．It has taken possession of these objects by all lawful means. |
| B．These objects are safer and taken better care of in its museum. |
| C．It is requested by other nations to protect their cultural objects. |
| D．These objects may come to life, flee their countries and go viral. |
| A．Repair. | B．Reflection. | C．Reserve. | D．Return. |
| A．China had already demanded the restoration of its cultural relics before the scandal. |
| B．The museum’s awful management and security systems are involved in the scandal. |
| C．The Britain Museum is under pressure to return the cultural relics to China sooner or later. |
| D．A London-based Chinese journalist has contributed a lot to the viral three-part video series. |
| A．To appeal to Britain to return China’s cultural objects. |
| B．To introduce a viral video series about a fleeing jade teapot. |
| C．To arouse readers’ concern about Chinese cultural objects abroad. |
| D．To praise Chinese young people’s passion for history and tradition. |
5 . Minor Snow, or “Xiaoxue” in Chinese, is the 20th of the 24 traditional Chinese solar terms, and will last from November 22 to December 6 this year. It is the second solar term of winter, and indicates that snow is about to arrive. From this solar term onwards, people in South China will begin to feel the coming of winter.
Pickling vegetables.
In Nanjing, it’s customary to make pickle during the Minor Snow period, and then salted meat during Major Snow. During Minor Snow,
Eating glutinous (黏的) rice cakes
In many areas of Southern China, people eat glutinous rice cakes during Minor Snow. In these places, there’s a saying: “十月朝，糍粑碌碌烧.” In this saying, “碌 (lu)” means that people use their chopsticks to pick up a glutinous rice cake and roll it like a wheel in a bowl full of sesame and peanut sugar, and “烧 (shao)” indicates that the glutinous rice cakes are steaming hot.
Cooking meat dishes
During Minor Snow, people in many regions of China will kill pigs, while during Major Snow, they will kill sheep. No matter which household kills the animal, neighbors and friends will all come to help. After the animal has been slaughtered (屠宰),
Eating more porridge and soup
Eating more porridge and soup in winter is good for your health. For instance, wheat porridge can nourish the heart, while radish porridge can improve digestion and reduce phlegm that often arrives with the changing weather. Soups also help keep people healthy and can improve the immune system.
Drinking more water
We already know that drinking more water is beneficial for metabolism. During the winter months, it is highly recommended to drink a cup of warm water on an empty stomach in the early morning. In this way, blood viscosity can be reduced, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases can be prevented. During Minor Snow, honey water, white radish water and pear water are excellent choices, as honey water can moisten dryness and help detoxify, white radish water can clear heat, while pear can moisten the lungs and relieve stubborn coughs.
Staying warm
The weather is cold, but not yet too cold. Therefore, many people forget to put on their hats and scarves,
| A．With the weather becoming increasingly cold, people wait expectantly for the first snow. |
| B．We suggest you prepare several sets of winter clothes. |
| C．which leaves them more likely to catch a cold. |
| D．For instance, fish soup is said to invigorate the spleen, stimulate appetite, and relieve coughs and colds. |
| E．every household will begin to make pickled and dried vegetables. |
| F．From this solar term onwards, the northeast wind will blow more frequently. |
| G．the host will prepare dishes and hold a party, which symbolizes unity, harmony, peace and prosperity. |
6 . What do the following places have in common: the Serengeti Desert, Edinburgh’s Old Town and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve?
The Serengeti Desert is in Tanzania and Kenya, Africa. It contains (包含) thousands of kilometers of dry grasslands and many rare kinds of animals.
Edinburgh’s Old Town is in the capital city of Scotland. It has many old buildings and streets.There are very few new buildings in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is near Mexico City in Mexico. It has beautiful flowers and forests. It is also the home of millions of butterflies in the winter.
There three places are very different. But they are all under special protection by UNESCO (联合国教科文组织). They are World Heritage Sites.
The story of World Heritage Sites begins more than 3, 000 years ago. At that time, the great king of Egypt built many temples. But after thousands of years, sand covered them.
Stories tell of a young boy named Abu Simbel who found the temples. One day, Abu Simbel saw something under the sand. Soon, the ancient temples of Ramses Ⅱ were officially rediscovered. But they were not safe. The government of Egypt planned to build a dam on the Nile River. It would create a large lake, which would cover the temples in water.
Many people did not want the temples destroyed. UNESCO agreed and raised 40 million dollars from around the world to save the temples. From 1964 to 1968, engineers took the temples apart in many pieces and rebuilt them hundreds of meters back from the Nile River. Today, they are called the Abu Simbel Temples, in memory of the young boy who first found them.
The effort to save the Abu Simbel Temples was a success. So in 1972, UNESCO formed the World Heritage Committee, which protects places on the earth that are of great cultural or natural value.
Any country in the world can ask for protection from UNESCO.The countries send a list of places to the World Heritage Committee. Once a year, the World Heritage Committee meets and votes on which places to protect. When they choose a place, it officially becomes a World Heritage Site.
1. What’s special about Edinburgh’s Old Town?| A．It has no new buildings. |
| B．It’s a World Heritage Site. |
| C．It’s in the capital city of Scotland. |
| D．It has the oldest streets in the world. |
| A．grew up to be a great engineer |
| B．took part in building the temples |
| C．lived in Egypt about 3, 000 years ago |
| D．was the first to discover the hidden temples |
| A．By storing their pieces away. |
| B．By keeping them under the sand. |
| C．By moving them to a much safer place. |
| D．By preventing the government building the dam. |
| A．how a World Heritage Site is chosen |
| B．why the World Heritage Committee was formed |
| C．how often the World Heritage Committee works |
| D．why countries ask for protection from UNESCO |
7 . In China, tea has become an important part of everyday life for thousands of years. As the tea-processing methods and tea culture have evolved over the years, tea sets have also changed to meet the practical and cultural needs.
During the Tang Dynasty(618~907AD), tea leaves were traded across the country and Asia. For the convenience of transportation and storage, tea leaves were pressed into bricks. To prepare tea, drinkers had to cut them into small pieces and boil them in heat-resistant teapots.
By the Song Dynasty(960-1279), drinkers started to turn the hard bricks into powders (粉末) that could be whipped (搅打) in a cup with boiled water. This whipped tea is most commonly associated with Japanese tea ceremonies today.
By the 1500s, tea bricks gave way to the form of rolled leaves. This innovation led to the invention and use of teapots as we know them today. These teapots originally came from the Yi Xing region of China and were soon copied throughout the world. Then Japanese teapot-makers moved the handle from the side to the top of the teapots.
Tea finally reached Europe in the 1600s, along with the necessary tea sets made in Japan and China. As English teapot-makers began to adapt the tea sets to their country men’s tastes, they eventually added a handle to the tea bowl because of the English habit of drinking hot black tea, which was consumed at higher temperatures. The size of teacups also grew to accommodate milk and sugar in their tea.
By the early 1900s, innovations in tea drinking became an American affair. The most revolutionary one was the tea bag, which was accidentally commercialized by Thomas Sullivan. He had been sending customers tea wrapped in silk bags. Rather than take the leaves out of the bags, as Sullivan intended, the customers put the bags into their teapots instead. Not only did the tea bags push the teapot back to the sidelines of tea service, they were also too large for teacups and led to the modern practice of drinking tea from mugs.
1. Which was used to make the whipped tea in Japan?| A．Rolled tea leaves. | B．Freshly picked tea leaves. |
| C．Powdered tea leaves. | D．Loosely pressed tea leaves. |
| A．Tea bags and mugs. | B．Tea bowls with handles. |
| C．Heat-resistant teapots. | D．Teapots with top handles. |
| A．Customers are very creative. | B．Innovations are relatively easy. |
| C．Marketing strategy is critical. | D．Good ideas can be born by accident. |
| A．The Development of Tea Sets | B．Varieties of Tea Leaves |
| C．Various Tea-making Methods | D．The Spread of Tea Trades |
8 . World’s Best Summer Festivals
The Governors Music Festival
A relative newcomer to the summer music festival scene, the Governors Ball offers a variety of performers and a taste of New York culture. Visitors can watch shows from rock, electronic, and performers, all while tasting food from popular New York City restaurants. To take a break from the music, festival goers can participate in activities such as Silent Disco or lawn (草坪) games.
WHERE: New York City
WHEN: June 3-5
Roskilde
Created by two Danish college students, Roskilde has developed from a hippie (嬉皮士) gathering ground to a mainstream music festival. The festival attracts followers from all over the world to watch their favorite artists perform in large tents.
WHERE: Roskilde, Denmark
WHEN: June 25-July 2
Montreux Jazz Festival
Set on Lake Geneva’s beautiful shoreline, the Montreux Jazz Festival attracts a global audience. Founded in 1967 as a jazz-only festival, Montreux has since evolved into a two-week-long showcase that attracts more than 200,000 music enthusiasts. Performances don’t end on the shore; visitors can catch themed shows from boats and train cars.
WHERE: Montreux, Switzerland
WHEN: July 1-16
Rock al Parque
Rock al Parque is proud of an attendance of 88,600 visitors a day. Most music festivals require tickets, but the participation in the three-day festival is free of charge. Festival-goers line up to watch performances from some of Latin America’s most popular artists, but the festival also offers performances from international bands.
WHERE: Bogota, Colombia
WHEN: July 2-4
1. What can you do while visiting the Governors Music Festival?| A．Feed yourself. | B．Tour a famous park. |
| C．Enjoy Latin America music. | D．Watch outdoor performances. |
| A．It lasts the longest. | B．It is free to watch. |
| C．It is held in large tents. | D．It offers games for visitors. |
| A．Roskilde. | B．Rock al Parque. |
| C．Montreux Jazz Festival. | D．The Governors Music Festival. |
9 . A music festival is a community event focusing on live performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme. On the list are the music festivals for fans around the world. Find your favorite now!
Field Day
January 1, 2023, Sydney
Field Day means New Year’s Day for young people in Sydney. Seen as the city’s original multi-stage party, it’s a gathering of friends coming together for a great fun-filled first day of the year. There’s an air of hope and positive energy on a perfect summer’s day.
The Envision Festival
February 27—March 6, 2023, Uvita
The Envision Festival is an annual gathering in Costa Rica that aims to provide an opportunity for different cultures to work with one another to create a better community. The festival encourages people to practice art, music, dance performances, and education. Meanwhile, our connection with nature is expected to be strengthened.
The McDowell Mountain Music Festival
March 2—4, 2023, Phoenix
The McDowell Mountain Music Festival is Phoenix’s musical celebration of community culture. Since its foundation in 2004, it has been the only 100% non-profit music festival designed to support, entertain and educate the community. The festival attracts thousands of visitors each year from around the country, and it is an opportunity to experience true culture.
The Old Settler’s Music Festival
April 20—23, 2023, Dale
The Old Settler’s Music Festival is a nationally known music festival for American music. The festival is held in the country of Texas at the height of the wild flower season. The Old Settler’s Music Festival offers great music and activities for the whole family.
1. In which city can people enjoy a fun New Year’s Day?| A．Phoenix. | B．Uvita. | C．Sydney. | D．Dale. |
| A．It encourages people to receive education. | B．It is not aimed at making money. |
| C．It provides an opportunity for friend gathering. | D．It focuses on cultural exchanges. |
| A．Field Day and the Envision Festival. |
| B．The Envision Festival and the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. |
| C．The Old Settler’s Music Festival and the McDowell Mountain Music Festival. |
| D．The Envision Festival and the Old Settler’s Music Festival. |
10 . Specialists (专家) say it is not easy to get used to life in a new culture. “Culture shock” is what these specialists use when talking about the feelings that people have in a new environment. The specialists say that there are three stages of culture shock. In the first stage, the newcomers like their new environment. Then, when the fresh experience dies, they begin to hate the city, the country, the people, and everything else. In the last stage, the newcomers begin to get used to their surroundings and, as a result, enjoy their life more.
There are some evident factors in culture shock. The weather may be unpleasant. The customs may be different. The public service systems — the telephones, post office, or transportation—may be difficult to work out. The simplest things seem to be the biggest problems. The language may be difficult.
Who feels culture shock? Everyone does in this way or that. But culture shock surprises most people. Very often the people having the worst culture shock are those who never had any difficulties in their own country. Coming to a new country, these people find they do not have the same position s as they have back home. They find themselves without any identify. They have to build a new self-image.
Culture shock gives rise to (使发生) a feeling of helplessness. This feeling may be homesickness. When homesick, people feel like staying inside all the time. They want to protect themselves from the strange environment, and create an escape inside their room for a sense of security. This escape does solve the problem of culture shock for a short time, but it does nothing to make the person familiar with the culture. Getting to know the new environment and gaining experience — these are the long-term solutions to the problem of culture shock.
1. When people move to a new country, they _________.| A．have well prepared for the new surroundings |
| B．will get used to their new surroundings with difficulty |
| C．will never be familiar with the culture of the country |
| D．will get used to the culture of the country quickly |
| A．the weather conditions and customs | B．the language communication |
| C．the homesickness | D．the public service systems |
| A．the more difficulties you may have abroad |
| B．the fewer difficulties you may have abroad |
| C．the less homesick you may feel abroad |
| D．the more money you will earn abroad |
| A．develop a strange sense of self-protection |
| B．protect ourselves from unfamiliar environment |
| C．return to our own country |
| D．get familiar with new culture |
