1 . Many people still remember the magic of Father Christmas from when they were children. As parents, they try to keep that magic alive for their children for as long as they can.

That is why Letters from Father Christmas could be the perfect book for those who regard Christmas as a special time of year. The man who wrote these letters is one of the most famous names in English literature — J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings. The letters were Tolkien’s way of keeping Father Christmas alive for his four children, over a period of more than twenty years.

Every Christmas, an envelope with a North Pole stamp arrived. It was addressed to Tolkien’s children. Who could it be from? The children must have been very excited as they opened it. Inside, they would find a handwritten letter from Father Christmas. The letters were also beautifully illustrated—each must have taken its true author, Tolkien, a long time to complete.

The letters told wonderful stories about Father Christmas’s life and adventures at the North Pole. A regular character in the letters was Polar Bear, who once climbed the North Pole (an actual pole in this case) and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house. In another letter, Father Christmas complained about how he could not stop his helpers playing games with the toys instead of wrapping them up. Interestingly, the letters did not contain the usual warnings to children that they might not receive their presents if they were not good. The letters did, however, change as Tolkien’s children got older：

...but if you find that not many of the things you asked for have come, and not perhaps quite as many as sometimes, remember that this Christmas all over the world here are a terrible number of poor and starving people.

Letters from Father Christmas tells us that as well as enjoying the adventures of Father Christmas, Polar Bear and other characters at the North Pole, we can all share the true spirit of giving at Christmas time. By expressing love for his children in such a special way, Tolkien may indeed have been the real Father Christmas.

1. What is Tolkien famous for?

A．His novel The Lord of the Rings.	B．His letters to Father Christmas.
C．His fantasy childhood memories.	D．His introduction to Father Christmas.

2. Why did the letters take Tolkien a long time to finish?

A．They were sent from Father Christmas.	B．They were wrapped up in good boxes.
C．It was hard to write the different stories.	D．The beautiful pictures were hard to make.

3. What message was included in letters from Father Christmas?

A．Life will be easy if you work hard.	B．It’s no use complaining about life.
C．We should learn to give care to others.	D．Children love presents with pictures.

4. In what way is Tolkien regarded as real Father Christmas?

A．He addressed all his letters to Father Christmas.

B．He showed his love for his children in a special way.

C．He got others to know some people were starving.

D．He discovered the spirit of Father Christmas.

3 . You might think of martial arts movies when you see people performing graceful moves down the river, all standing on a bamboo strip, but actually it is a form of intangible cultural heritage: bamboo drifting (漂流).

Over 2,000 years ago, the high-quality wood, nanmu, in Guizhou was in great demand by the royal court more than 2,000 kilometers to the north. With no better transportation, people had to stand on one log (原木) to drift down the river. Later, local people began to compete along the way and the game of wood drifting was born. In the Qing Dynasty, wood drifting became bamboo drifting because of bamboo’s lower price. Due to the skills it takes for one to master this act, bamboo drifting was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list last year.

Yang Liu, a 24-year-old inheritor of bamboo drifting, learned it at 7. “Usually, the bamboo under your feet is about 9 meters long, and the bamboo in your hands is about 5 meters. If the length or diameter (直径) of the bamboo is not long enough, it will not float. Keeping our feet firmly positioned on the narrow bamboo pole is the key, so we should fight against the current by constantly changing the angle. I lost my balance and fell in the water many times while practicing. Once I fell, I gave it another try until I knew how to handle the most difficult part, ” she said.

The love for the ancient skill keeps Yang going. In the past 17 years, she has drifted all year round, in winter cold and summer heat. A hanfu culture has been on the rise, Yang started wearing hanfu while performing, creating a more beautiful feel. In 2020, Yang began to post her videos on social media. “I’m extremely proud to get responses from viewers that bamboo drifting makes the line between what is possible and impossible unclear. It’s my mission to keep it alive and known to more people,” Yang Liu told China Daily.

1. What can be learned from the first two paragraphs?

A．The martial arts movie is a form of cultural heritage.

B．Nanmu was delivered to the north by land.

C．Bamboo was costly in Guizhou 2,000 years ago.

D．Bamboo drifting involves lots of skills.

2. What is the biggest challenge in bamboo drifting?

A．Finding the proper bamboo.	B．Holding the bamboo firmly in hands.
C．Maintaining a fixed angle.	D．Keeping balance.

3. What do the viewers think of bamboo drifting?

A．Unbelievable.

B．Elegant.

C．Confusing.

D．Complicated.

4. Which of the following is a suitable title for the text?

A．Transporting Bamboo down the River

B．Intangible Cultural Heritage in Guizhou

C．Balancing with Grace

D．Yang Liu: A Creative Performer

4 . If Indian food is your cup of tea, please come to some food festivals in India.

National Street Food Festival

This is the most popular food festival in India. All of the mouthwatering goodness comes together to New Delhi for this festival, where visitors can make a pig of themselves with much-loved street delicacies (美味佳肴) from all over the country. Taking a walk around the city can be just like dining in a five-star restaurant.

Goa Food and Cultural Festival

The southern state of Goa is famous for its spicy fish, curries, cashew nuts and cold Kingfisher beer. It's easy to add a Goan beach vacation on to a winter foodie tour. The annual food festival has more than 70 stalls (货摊) set up in an open-air market in the capital city, just a half-hour drive from the sunshine state's beautiful coast.

The Great Indian Food Festival

With more than 75 food stalls from 12 different states, this is perhaps the mother of all food festivals in India in terms of national variety. It takes place in early November, and features not only food from all over India, but various activities such as eating contests (竞赛), cooking shows and cultural performances.

International Mango Festival

Who doesn't love mangos? In India, more than 500 varieties of its national fruit exist. Mango harvest is celebrated at the annual International Mango Festival every summer. Visitors who come to celebrate this event can expect activities such as mango-eating contests, mango carving and taking a bite of everything with mangos from stalls.

1. What can you do at National Street Food Festival?

A．Eat as many mangos as possible.

B．Get a feeling of eating in a grand restaurant.

C．Walk along the sunshine state’s beautiful coast.

D．Enjoy the celebration of good harvest of the year.

2. Which festival is suitable for spicy fish lovers?

A．National Street Food Festival.	B．Goa Food and Cultural Festival.
C．The Great Indian Food Festival.	D．International Mango Festival

3. What do the last two festivals have in common?

A．They provide cooking performances.	B．They are famous for various fruits
C．They hold food eating contests.	D．They are held in November

5 . The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Winter Solstice (冬至), the 22nd solar term of the year, begins this year on Dec 21.

On the first day of Winter Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere (北半球) experiences the shortest day and the longest night in the year, as the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Capricorn (南回归线). From then on, the days become longer and the nights become shorter. The Winter Solstice also marks the arrival of the coldest season in the year.

There was a saying in ancient China, “The Winter Solstice is as significant as the Spring Festival.”

As early as the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256BC), people worshipped the gods on the first day of the Winter Solstice, which also was the first day of the new year. The Winter Solstice became a winter festival during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220AD). The celebratory activities were officially organized. On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest.

During subsequent dynasties, such as the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911), the Winter Solstice was a day to offer sacrifices to Heaven and to ancestors.

During Winter Solstice in North China, eating dumplings is essential to the festival. There is a saying that goes “Have dumplings on the first day of Winter Solstice and noodles on the first day of Summer Solstice.” People in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, are accustomed to eating wontons in midwinter. In places such as Shanghai, people eat tangyuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made of glutinous rice flour, to celebrate Winter Solstice. In Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, people call midwinter the “Ghost Festival”. On that day, it is customary for people there to drink mutton and vermicelli soup and eat the dumplings in the soup. They give the midwinter soup a strange name “brain” and share it with their neighbors. During the Winter Solstice, Hangzhou residents traditionally eat rice cakes. In some regions south of the Yangtze River on the first day of Winter Solstice, the whole family gets together to have a meal made of red bean and glutinous rice to drive away ghosts and other evil things.

1. Which of the following is TRUE about Winter Solstice?

A．The days are the shortest and the nights are the longest in the world.

B．The nights become longer after Winter Solstice in southern hemisphere.

C．The days become shorter after Winter Solstice in northern hemisphere.

D．The coldest season is approaching.

2. In ancient China, the Winter Solstice Festival ________.

A．originated from the Zhou Dynasty

B．was also the first day of the Spring Festival

C．was a day to worship the gods and ancestors

D．was a holiday for people to have a rest in Song dynasty

3. These are the traditional foods to celebrate the Winter Solstice except ________.

A．wontons and tangyuan	B．mutton and vermicelli soup
C．peanuts and hazelnuts.	D．rice cakes

4. What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Winter Solstice in North China.	B．The beginning of Winter Solstice.
C．Different customs of Winter Solstice.	D．Reasons for eating dumplings in Winter Solstice.

6 . Here are four activities in October. Go and get yourself out of your house.

Activity 1: Hope with Every Step 5K Race

It will be held on Saturday, October 7 at Taglienti Field on the Spruce Mountain High School campus. This event is held in honor of Josh Brochu, 13 and his sister Brook Brochu, 10, both of whom have a rare disease that affects children. All the money collected from the event will go to the A-T Childrens’ Project, a non-profit (非盈利的) organization which raises money for medical research and health centers. Visit www. atcp. org for more information.

Activity 2: A Free Movie Supported by Farmington Baptist Church

It will be shown at 7: 00 pm on October 3 at 194 Whittier Road in Farmington. The movie When the Game Stands Tall tells the true story of the De La Salle Spartans High School football team, which set 151-game winning streak (连胜) record. Football coach Bob Ladouceur’s belief always was, “We don’t expect you to play perfectly, but to give a perfect effort.”

Activity 3: Wilton Free Public Library’s Birthday Party

The library is turning 100 years old! All are welcome to attend the party celebrating 100 years of the beautiful library building. From 10: 00 am to 1: 00 pm on October 3, families are welcome to come to the library for some food and fun! There will be historical displays, fun book-themed food, face painting, and games and presents for kids. Please come and celebrate!

Activity 4: The Fourth Annual Pumpkin Festival

It will take place on Saturday, October 7. There will be various family activities, including movies, dog shows and children’s gifts.

All events will take place in the Front Street Neighborhood. For more information, please visit the website: farmingtonpumpkin festival. net.

1. Where will the Fourth Annual Pumpkin Festival be held?

A．At 194 Whittier Road.	B．At Taglienti Field.
C．In Wilton Free Public Library.	D．In the Front Street Neighborhood.

2. What is the aim of Activity 3?

A．To collect money.	B．To explore nature.
C．To celebrate something.	D．To start an organization.

3. When will the film When the Game Stands Tall start?

A．At 10: 00 am on October 3.	B．At 7: 00 pm on October 3.
C．At 7: 00 pm on October 7.	D．At 1: 00 pm on October 7.

7 . Chinese mooncake is the representative food of the Mid-Autumn Festival. It is a kind of round cookie with various fillings and different artistic patterns on the surface.

In Chinese culture, roundness symbolizes completeness and togetherness. The mooncake is not just a food. It’s a cultural tradition deep in Chinese people’s hearts, symbolizing a spiritual feeling. At Mid-Autumn Festival, people eat mooncakes together with family, and present mooncakes to relatives or friends to express love and best wishes.

As early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties in what today are Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in east China, there was a kind of “Taishi cake” thick at the center and thin at the edge, which was the origin of the mooncake. In the Han Dynasty, sesame (芝麻) and walnuts were introduced into China, and round cookies filled with these foods appeared. It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the name “mooncake” was used for the first time. In the Northern Song Dynasty, mooncakes got popular in the royal palace. In the Ming Dynasty, the custom of eating these cookies during the Mid-Autumn Festival became popular.

Mooncakes vary according to different regional styles and tastes. Cantonese-style mooncakes are known for their sweetness. Suzhou-style mooncakes have existed for more than a thousand years. They have soft layers of dough (面团) and lots of sugar and lard, making them available in sweet or salty tastes. Beijing-style mooncakes use sweetness delicately and are decorated well. Chaoshan-style mooncakes are usually larger than other mooncakes with common fillings of red bean paste and potato paste.

Most mooncakes contain high amounts of sugar and oil, which are not healthy. To decrease the harmfulness that high fat and calories bring to our body, some foods are recommended to eat together with mooncakes, including tea, sour fruit like grapes, and wine. They help digest and take away fat in our body. Also, do not eat too much at one time.

1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The features of moon cakes.	B．The history of the moon cakes.
C．The customs of the moon cakes.	D．The meaning behind moon cakes.

2. When was the name “mooncake” used for the first time?

A．In the Han Dynasty.	B．In the Tang Dynasty.
C．In the Ming Dynasty.	D．In the Northern Song Dynasty.

3. What is special about the Beijing-style mooncakes?

A．They contain less sugar.	B．They are generally larger in size.
C．They have a much longer history.	D．They feature fine decorative patterns.

4. What is the purpose of the last paragraph?

A．To stress the importance of a healthy diet.	B．To call on people to value traditional culture.
C．To tell people how to eat mooncakes healthily.	D．To recommend some new flavors of mooncakes.

10 . Do you like Chinese traditional painting and dance? They are two important parts of the traditional Chinese art. But what about when they meet each other?

This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala and became popular.

According to CCTV, this poetic dance program was inspired by the 900-year-old Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains (《千里江山图》), created by Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng at about 18. The painting is amazing in its sweeping size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported by CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape: mountains and groupings of infinite (无限的) rise and fall between cloudless sky and rippling (涟漪的) water.

When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only a drama but also an exhibition. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review. “More than a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still impress people as they did long ago.” Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows have featured Chinese traditional culture and received warm welcome. As for the reason, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.

“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mind. They accept Chinese culture and are proud of it,” Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.

1. What’s the writing purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To raise a question.	B．To introduce the topic.
C．To describe the art world.	D．To show a doubtful thought.

2. What pushed the poetic dance?

A．CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala.	B．A Chinese blue-green landscape.
C．Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng.	D．An old Chinese traditional painting.

3. Why did this poetic dance enjoy welcome?

A．Traditional culture is accepted and loved by people.

B．Green mountains and rivers greatly impress people.

C．The poetic dance can be staged in the theaters later.

D．Increasing modern shows feature Chinese traditional culture.

4. What’s the main idea of the whole text?

A．It explains why Chinese art enjoys popularity.

B．It shows us art can come to life through dance.

C．It highlights the beauty of Chinese traditional art.

D．It tells us the love for Chinese traditional painting.