1 . The Mogao Grottoes were a center of Buddhist life and some of the world’s great cultures for hundreds of years. However, by the late Qing Dynasty they had been abandoned and nearly forgotten and many of the caves had become damaged by the elements. Around 1900, with the discovery of a library of thousands of ancient documents, the caves received new interest from Chinese and foreign researchers. Unfortunately, this resulted in tens of thousands of items from the caves being taken to foreign museums
In the 1940s, many researchers and artists visited the area to study traditional Chinese art. Copies of some of the artwork painted by respected artists such as Zhang Daqian and GuanShanyue helped people all over the country learn about Dunhuang. These artists were also inspired by the artwork they saw in the caves and it began to influence their painting styles. Others staved in the desert for much longer, Chang Shuhong stayed for the rest of his life — struggling to record the cultural treasures and protect them from the weather. As a result of their efforts the Dunhuang Academy was formed to protect and study the Mogao Grottoes.
In 1987, the Mogao Grottoes were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. While the caves are open to the public, access is now limited in order to protect the artwork. However, the caves can be seen online in digital form so that people around the world can study and enjoy them.
Despite its remoteness, the Mogao Grottoes continue to draw visitors. And just as the sand and desert have survived largely unchanged through the centuries, this small art gallery in the desert has also survived largely unchanged providing an amazing look at a world long ago past.
1. When did the Mogao Grottoes regain the world’s attention?| A．Hundreds of years ago. |
| B．In the late Qing Dynasty. |
| C．In the late eighties of the 20th century. |
| D．Around the beginning of the 20th century. |
| A．To learn about their works. |
| B．To show how hard they worked. |
| C．To compare their different styles. |
| D．To appreciate their contributions. |
| A．they can do researches online |
| B．they can enjoy the digital versions |
| C．they can watch copies in art galleries |
| D．they can study them in foreign museums |
| A．The Mogao Grottoes — Center of Buddhist Life |
| B．The Mogao Grottoes — Art Gallery in the Desert |
| C．Respected artists — Protectors of the Mogao Grottoes |
| D．An Amazing Tourist Attraction — The Mogao Grottoes |
2 . The Miao Sisters Festival is held every year in Guizhou’s Taijiang County, where 97 percent of the 168,000 people there are from the ethnic (民族) Miao 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 colours. This brightly coloured 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.
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 woman take turns singing 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 means she wants to marry the man, while garlic shows that she is not interested.
One of several stories is about the festival’s beginning of a girl and a boy who fell in love. The girl’s parents wanted her to marry her uncle’s son as it was traditional at the time. 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 Miao Sisters 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 colours. |
| D．To cover some objects in a basket. |
| A．Water skiing. | B．Horse races. |
| C．Parades. | D．Singing songs. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
3 . Have you ever had this kind of childhood memory: a family sits together casually, drinking and tasting tea after lunch or dinner?
After being spread to different parts of the world,
Traditional tea processing techniques and associated social practices in China consist of the knowledge, skills and practices concerning the management of tea plantations (茶园) as well as the picking of tea leaves, manual processing, drinking, and sharing of tea, noted UNESCO.
Weilu zhucha is a replacement in the cold seasons for the camping craze. Sitting around a stove, boiling some tea, people chat, admire the scenery and immerse themselves in traditional Chinese culture by boiling tea together in person. “
| A．Take tea making for example. |
| B．This can be fully shown by weilu zhucha. |
| C．tea is common in Chinese people’s daily lives. |
| D．It’s good to feel the warm atmosphere when boiling tea. |
| E．China now has 43 items on the intangible cultural heritage list. |
| F．tea has delighted and fascinated the world for a thousand years. |
| G．This has been a daily activity for Chinese people throughout their history. |
4 . Having spent more than a decade on the dance floor, ROME — Niccolo Filippi, a 23-year-old Italian dance performer, recently decided to explore Chinese culture and its traditional dance forms and believes that this experience will not only boost his career, but also broaden his horizons beyond the world of dance.
His interest in diversifying his skills grew after he stumbled upon a short video of traditional Chinese-styled dance on YouTube. “I saw it as an art that combines tradition and modernity, which was mostly the reason why I liked it,” says Filippi.
Ever since, he has been closely following Chinese dance performers and watching numerous videos to learn more about the traditional style that he admires. “I prefer the traditional style because of its light movements. It also reflects my personality with elegance,” he adds.
Filippi’s chance came when he was invited to perform for a Chinese New Year celebration in the central Italian city of Florence. He has since fully committed himself to the art form, learning several pieces and putting his newfound passion into practice.
“The biggest difference that I found (compared to other disciplines) is the change of mood and emotional expressions among dances,” says Filippi, adding that he needed to shift from the dynamic moves of hip-hop to the graceful and fluid movements of Chinese dance. Despite various obstacles, Filippi’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. Two of his friends shared videos of his performances on social media, and the response was overwhelming. One video garnered 500,000 views, while the other received 200,000 views.
Filippi believes that learning about different cultures is priceless, and he sees it as a means of personal growth. “I like to think of a person as a book,” he says. “Embracing different traditions and cultures, such as Chinese culture and many others, is like adding new chapters to my book, making it more diverse and wonderful.”
1. What is the main reason why Filippi falls in love with traditional Chinese dance?| A．Its potential to boost his career. | B．Its mix of traditional and modern elements. |
| C．Its graceful and light movements. | D．Its true reflection of his elegant personality. |
| A．By listing numbers. | B．By giving an example. |
| C．By sharing a story. | D．By making a comparison. |
| A．Filippi thinks little of learning from other cultures. |
| B．People prefer to write down their past experiences. |
| C．Accepting various cultures boosts personal growth. |
| D．A book with chapters on traditions is more wonderful. |
| A．Chinese-styled dance videos go viral on social media. |
| B．An Italian’s dance journey towards specialization starts. |
| C．Filippi’s desire for Chinese culture extends beyond dance. |
| D．An Italian dancer shows passion for Chinese-styled dance. |
5 . The Qingming Festival is usually celebrated with a three-day national holiday, whose name originates (起源) from the saying “Plants start to revive (复活) and prosper at Qingming in a clean and bright way.” Thus, the festival is called Qingming, which means “clean and bright”.
Traditional customs
Tomb sweeping.
Spring outings. The time around the Qingming Festival is one of the most suitable seasons for a spring outing, as plants are thriving and flowers are blooming. People can have a great time outdoors with their friends and family.
Traditional food
Qingtuan is a green rice ball tiny enough to fit into your hand.
| A．Each different look brings a good blessing. |
| B．The tradition of tomb sweeping originates from the Qin Dynasty. |
| C．The two main activities over the festival include tomb sweeping and going on a spring outing. |
| D．Family members gather together to celebrate and taste the food. |
| E．Playing football and flying kites are popular activities. |
| F．Many traditional customs are practiced to show respect for our ancestors. |
| G．It is popular in Jiangnan. |
6 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms (节气). The year starts from Beginning of Spring and ends with Greater Cold, moving in cycles. The solar term culture is still useful today to guide people’s lives through special foods, cultural ceremonies and even healthy living tips.
Grain Buds (小满) is the 8th solar term of the year. It means that the seeds (种子) from the grain are becoming full. During Grain Buds, the summer harvest is about to begin. A saying about rain during this time mentions, “Heavy rainfall makes the river full.” Because of the great increase in rainfall, rivers are full of water. This is a good time to enjoy fish. It is also a harvest season for fishermen.
Frost’s Descent (霜降), the 18th solar term of the year, is the last solar term of autumn. The weather becomes much colder than before and frost begins. The apple is one kind of recommended fruit during Frost’s Descent. There are many sayings about apples’ benefits (益处) in China, such as “ Eat an apple after meals. Even old men can be as strong as young men.”
Minor Cold (小寒) is the 23rd one. For most areas of China, it marks the start of the coldest days of the year and people always start preparing for Chinese New Year. According to traditional Chinese medicine thoughts, people need to eat food that has more yang energy to prevent cold from harming their bodies. Another important traditional food for Minor Cold is Laba porridge (腊八粥).
1. Which is the last solar term of a year?| A．Frost’s Descent. | B．Greater Cold. |
| C．Minor Cold. | D．Beginning of Spring. |
| A．Beginning of Spring. | B．Grain Buds. |
| C．Frost’s Descent. | D．Minor Cold. |
| A．An apple a day keeps the doctor away. |
| B．It’s more useful for old men to eat apples than young men. |
| C．If old men eat apples after meals, they will never die. |
| D．Old men will grow into young men after eating an apple. |
①prepare for Chinese New Year ②have Laba porridge
③say goodbye to the coldest days ④wear warmer clothes
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①②④ | D．①③④ |
7 . Using Google’s unique digital technology, the stories of some English Heritage Sites around the country — from Tintagel Castle in Cornwall to Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall — are brought to life and shared by way of the Google Arts & Culture platform.
 Stonehenge Skyscape | The English Heritage’s Stonehenge Skyscape enables people around the world to experience the skies above the stone circle, and learn about movements of the sun, moon and planets. Experience live and special sunrise over Stonehenge, see the journey of the stars and the moon from within the stone circle and learn more about the design of Stonehenge and how its builders may have understood their place in the universe. |
 Osborne House, the Isle of Wight | Take a 360⁃degree video tour of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s palatial (富丽堂皇的) holiday home on the Isle of Wight in the company of English Heritage director Michael Hunter, including the Italian terraces (露台) with views over the Solent, which reminded Prince Albert of the Bay of Naples, and the Indian-inspired Durbar Room, designed to show Queen Victoria’s position as Empress of India. |
 Audley End House and Gardens, Essex | Explore the story of one of the greatest houses of early 17th-century England deep in the heart of the Essex countryside, and fly over the great formal gardens designed by Capability Brown. |
 Tintagel Castle, Cornwall | Explore this medieval (中世纪的) castle set high on Cornwall’s north coast. Linked with the legend of King Arthur, for centuries this impressive castle has inspired the imaginations of writers and artists. Discover the early medieval history of a distant outpost (偏远村镇) trading objects from Spain, North Africa and Turkey. |
| A．Stonehenge Skyscape. |
| B．Osborne House, the Isle of Wight. |
| C．Audley End House and Gardens, Essex. |
| D．Tintagel Castle, Cornwall. |
| A．Both were built for their kings. |
| B．Both were built in the same age. |
| C．Both are related to previous rulers. |
| D．Both were palatial holiday homes for the rulers. |
| A．Language. | B．Education. | C．Geography. | D．Culture. |
8 . October 15th is Global Handwashing Day. Activities are planned in more than twenty countries to get millions of people in the developing world to wash their hands with soap.
Experts say people around the world wash their hands but very few use soap at so-called critical moments. These include after using the toilet, after cleaning a baby and before touching food.
Global Handwashing Day is the idea of the Public-Private Partnership for hand washing with soap. The goal, they say, is to create a culture of hand washing with soap. The organizers say all soap is equally effective at removing disease-causing germs (细菌). They say the correct way to wash is to wet your hands with a small amount of water and cover them with soap. Rub it into all areas, including under the fingernails. Then, wash well under running water. Finally, dry your hands with a clean cloth.
The Partnership says soap is important because it increases the time that people spend washing. Soap also helps to break up the dirt that holds most of the germs. And it usually leaves a pleasant smell, which increases the chances that people will wash again.
It also says that washing hands with soap before eating and after using the toilet could save more lives than any medicine. It could help reduce cases of diarrhea (痢疾), which is the second leading cause of child deaths, killing more than one and a half million children a year, by almost half.
1. What does the author intend to tell us in the passage?| A．To keep healthy by washing hands. |
| B．To wash hands with soap. |
| C．To take action to wash hands. |
| D．To wash hands often. |
a. Washing hands well.
b. Covering hands with soap.
c. Drying hands.
d. Rubbing hands with soap.
e. Wetting hands.
| A．a-c-b-e-d | B．e-d-a-b-c |
| C．a-c-b-d-e | D．e-b-d-a-c |
| A．It gives people a longer hand washing time. |
| B．It helps to remove a lot of germs from hands. |
| C．It attracts people to do more hand washing. |
| D．It gets all people into the habit of washing hands. |
| A．kills half of the kids in the developing countries a year |
| B．causes the greatest number of child deaths |
| C．can be prevented to some degree by washing hands with soap |
| D．can’t be cured without washing hands |
9 . Over 40 years ago, a country music DJ convention (大会) was held every year in Nashville. Many country performers used to attend the convention to give their performances. Fans would go to Nashville hoping to see their favorite performers. In the end, so many fans began showing up in Nashville that a festival named Fan Fair was born.
The first Fan Fair was held in April 1972, in Nashville for four days. Some of country music's biggest stars attended. There were about fifty thousand fans. The first Fan Fair was so successful that planning began almost immediately for 1973. The date was changed to June, when the weather would be better. Over one hundred thousand fans attended the second Fan Fair.
Every year brought so many performers and fans to Fan Fair that, in 1982, it was moved to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Fan Fair stayed at the fair grounds for another nineteen years.
There was always the unexpected during the festival. In 1974, former Beatle Paul McCartney attended. In 1992, more than six hundred reporters from Europe, Asia, and South America went to cover the appearance of a popular star, Billy Ray Cyrus, who had introduced a new country line dance. In 1996, Garth Brooks, who made a surprise appearance, signed autographs (签名) for 23 hours.
In 2001, Fan Fair returned to downtown Nashville as the world's biggest country music festival. Now, over one hundred and twenty-five thousand country music fans go to Nashville every June. As you can imagine, those who want to attend Fan Fair must plan ahead. For example, they need to buy a ticket several months ahead of time. Of course, there's much more to prepare.
1. What is paragraph 1 mainly talk about?| A．The love for music. |
| B．The birth of Fan Fair. |
| C．The importance of DJ convention. |
| D．The benefits of watching performances. |
| A．It was held in the spring of 1972. |
| B．It was more popular than the first one. |
| C．It was moved from Nashville to the fairgrounds. |
| D．It was attended by former Beatle Paul McCartney. |
| A．Romantic. | B．Traditional. | C．Attractive. | D．Failed. |
| A．Advice for fans. | B．Music in America. |
| C．Education in Nashville. | D．The future of country music. |
10 . The Chong Yang Festival has a history of over 2,000 years. It comes on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, so it is called the Double Ninth Festival.
There are many kinds of activities on the Chong Yang Festival. It is a time when it’s getting cold, so Chinese people make the festival a time for sending winter clothes for the dead family members. Because autumn has a clear sky and fresh air, it is a very good time to climb a mountain. Climbing a mountain has been the tradition of the Chong Yang Festival since the Western Han Dynasty. Also, it is good for our health. On the Chong Yang Festival, people also eat Chong Yang cakes, enjoy chrysanthemum(菊花) flowers, and drink chrysanthemum wine.
Today, the Chong Yang Festival has got its new meaning —a day for showing respect to the old. On the festival day, people show their respect, care and love to old people, and they also do lots of things to help the old. Many parks, communities and organizations plan the activities for old people, such as an autumn trip, singing songs or sending presents to them. We hope the old are happy and stay healthy by taking part in these activities. Many young people accompany(陪伴) the old on outings, or make some delicious food for them.
1. The Chong Yang Festival has a history of __________.| A．about one month |
| B．about nine months |
| C．over 3,000 years |
| D．over 2,000 years |
| A．Make wine. |
| B．Plant flowers. |
| C．Send clothes to the poor. |
| D．Eat Chong Yang cakes. |
| A．Because it is a way to remember the dead. |
| B．Because it’s a time when the weather is getting cold. |
| C．Because it’s a good time to climb a mountain. |
| D．Because it is a tradition from the Western Han Dynasty. |
| A．To go outing. |
| B．To show respect to the old. |
| C．To plan activities for young people. |
| D．To eat delicious food. |
