1 . As a Chinese native religion, Taoism has a close relationship with Chinese folk customs. With the development of Taoism, it has become deep-rooted in, and the practices of, the ordinary people. This can be seen both in Taoist religious festivals and sacrifice-offerings.
There are many Taoist festivals, and quite a few of them have evolved into folk festivals. For example, the Double Ninth Festival on September 9 of lunar calendar came from the Taoist festival. It is said that in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220), there was a Taoist immortal named Fei Changfang, who was resourceful enough to drive all devils away. At that time, he had a pupil called Huan Jing. One day, Fei Changfang foresaw a disaster on September 9 in Huan Jing’s family, and told Huan Jing to fasten a bundle of dogwood onto his arm, and drink chrysanthemum wine in an elevated place so as to prevent the disaster. Having done what he had been told, Huan Jing’s family was indeed safe and sound. Along with the spreading of Taoism, this legend has evolved into the Double Ninth Festival. When the day comes, people will carry dogwood and drink chrysanthemum wine in elevated places.
Many immortals in Taoism came into being on the basis of earthy folk gods, and thus the Taoist god-worshiping system has much in common with the earthy folk god-worshiping. On the one hand, a number of earthy folk gods such as Caishen(mammon), Chenghuangshen(city god), Dongyuedadi(god of East Mountain) and Guanshengdi(god of Saint Guan) have become part of the pedigree of folk gods; on the other hand, Taoist immortals such as Laojun(Holy Lord), Yuhuangdadi(Jade Emperor) and Baxian(eight immortals) have become widespread and part of people’s life.
Moreover, some Taoist taboo tricks have an extensive influence on the folk society, especially in the countryside; or rather, they have constituted a necessary part of folk customs. The combination of Taoism and Chinese folk customs is in various aspects, but it is mainly embodied in celebrations of festivals and seasonal changes and spirit worshiping.
1. Where can you probably find this article?| A．From a history textbook. |
| B．From a travel brochure. |
| C．From a research paper. |
| D．From a cultural website. |
| A．By analyzing causes and effects. |
| B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. |
| D．By following time order. |
| A．A story. | B．An argumentation. |
| C．An exposition. | D．A news report. |
| A．Taoism and folk customs |
| B．Taoism, a Chinese native religion |
| C．The origin of Chinese folk customs |
| D．The development of Taoism |
2 . Wherever we go, we are surrounded by history. Across the globe, cultural heritage is passed down through the generations. It is in the buildings and structures around us. It is in the arts and artifacts (手工艺品) we treasure. It lives in the languages we speak and the stories we tell. But today, it is under attack as never before. Not only are the damages of time threatening our cultural heritage, but conflicts, climate change, globalization and tourism are all exacting a heavy price. Technology is now the most important weapon in the battle. Here’s how technology is preserving our cultural heritage.
As you can imagine, creating the replicas (复制品) by 2D images is extremely time-consuming. Increasingly, artificial intelligence(AI)algorithms (算法) allow millions of images to be stored in a matter of hours. AI will also make restoration and preservation of existing cultural heritage far easier and better than previous methods.
Virtual reality (VR) technology will play a leading role in preserving our cultural heritage in the coming years. Many of the most important sites and architecture are easily damaged. Human interaction with these locations is doing a great deal of harm. Wastes pile up everywhere, causing serious problems. As more cultural heritage sites and objects are digitally mapped and recorded, VR technology will increasingly become the way that people experience them. We’ll all finally be able to walk through places, look at (and touch) artifacts and works of art without ever seeing them with our own eyes.
Finally, our cultural heritage will be preserved by technology. Efforts in research, data sharing and project work will help promote and preserve the cultural heritage of countries all across the world.
1. What does the underlined word “exacting” in paragraph 1 mean?| A．Cutting. | B．Paying. | C．Receiving. | D．Demanding. |
| A．It generates 2D images. | B．It makes preservation safer. |
| C．It makes restoration easier. | D．It creates replicas in seconds. |
| A．By recycling huge amounts of waste. |
| B．By reducing human impact on the site. |
| C．By forbidding visitors from touching artifacts. |
| D．By educating people about the sites’ importance. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Objective. | C．Neutral. | D．Disapproving. |
3 . 24 Solar Terms: 8 things you may not know about Frost’s Descent
The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Frost’s Descent (霜降), the 18th solar term of the year, begins this year on Oct 23 and ends on Nov 6.
Frosty autumn
Eating fruit
Eating persimmons during Frost’s Descent can help people resist the cold and protect their bones. In the countryside, people believe that their lips will crack if they don’t eat persimmons during this period. The apple is one kind of recommended fruit during Frost’s Descent. Apples can moisten the lungs, quench one’s thirst and help one’s digestion.
Eating duck
It’s a custom to eat duck on the first day of Frost’s Descent in south Fujian province. There is a saying in Fujian which goes, “Even nourishing all year is not as good as nourishing the human body on the first day of Frost’s Descent.”
People in areas such as Daxin county in Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region celebrate the first day of Frost’s Descent. In the Frost’s Descent Festival, the Zhuang people offer sacrifices, dance and sing folk songs. With a history of more than 360 years, the festival is to commemorate Cen Yuyin, a heroine in battles against foreign aggression.
| A．Eating chestnuts |
| B．Frost’s Descent Festival |
| C．But eating too many could be harmful |
| D．Frost’s Descent is the last solar term of autumn |
| E．Eating duck is a way for people there to gain weight |
| F．The pear is another recommended fruit during Frost’s Descent |
| G．Frost consists of white ice crystals of frozen water vapor near the ground |
4 . Celebrating the Harvest Around the World
A harvest festival is a celebration of the fall months and the harvest that often accompanies these months. Many countries celebrate harvest festivals in different forms.
Canada
In Canada, people celebrate their harvest on Thanksgiving. This tradition is said to date back to the 16th century. The English explorer Martin Frobisher(1535—1594) came upon the land, searching for the “New World”. As he arrived in Canada in 1578, he celebrated surviving the long journey by holding a formal celebration and eating salt beef and peas. Today, it has become a recognized holiday in the country that falls on the second Monday in October. On Thanksgiving, most return home to gather with their family. One of the highlights(高潮) of the holiday is a big Thanksgiving Day meal, which usually includes turkey and bread, which are prepared and presented in a unique Canadian way.
The United Kingdom
Harvest festival activities are considered a special time for communities to come together in celebration. The harvest festival may start with carrying baskets of fruits and vegetables to a local church where people sing praise songs for a healthy harvest while praying for future harvests. A special effort may be made to give food to the less fortunate. Large dinners may also be hosted where each member brings a special dish to share with each other.
China
In 2023, the Farmers’ Harvest Festival was launched in China. It’s held on the day of the autumn equinox(秋分), which falls roughly on Sept. 22 or 23. Every year, a range of events are organized nationwide. In Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province, farmers brought 100 seed varieties to the main site of the ceremony in Hanhu District and placed them in a wall to mark the achievements of the seed industry. In Heilongjiang Province, the festival was combined with local traditions of the Daur people and the locals danced around bonfires.
1. Originally, Thanksgiving was celebrated in Canada for .| A．their harvest | B．finding the new world |
| C．surviving the long journey | D．gathering with their family |
| A．attending a church service | B．donating food to the poor |
| C．sharing food at a dinner party | D．dancing around bonfires |
| A．Different countries celebrate their harvest in different ways. |
| B．There are similarities in celebrating the harvest among different places. |
| C．The Farmers’ Harvest Festival is an annually nationwide thing in China. |
| D．Local traditions are included in celebrating the harvest around China. |
5 . Located at the foot of the Wudang Mountains in China’s Hubei Province is the home of 64-year-old Marc Verlant, which possesses a fascinating collection of Chinese artifacts. The artfully arranged decorations such as miniatures (微缩模型) of ancient Chinese towers, traditional wooden carvings and Chinese paintings clearly convey that the house owner is trying to creatively explore and develop a better understanding of Chinese culture.
As a keen enthusiast of martial arts, Chinese architecture and history, this Frenchman is currently savoring his 19th year of living in a rural Chinese-style environment and finds it pleasant to live here. “Wudang is like my second home, and some locals say that I am almost a native of Wudang,” said Verlant.
The Wudang Mountains, a UNESCO world cultural heritage site, are considered “the cradle of Tai Chi” and are home to numerous palaces and temples that show the wisdom and beauty of ancient China’s architecture. In 2004, to treat his body after an accident, Verlant moved here to learn Chinese martial arts, and gradually fell in love with martial arts as well as Wudang’s culture. For him, it all started when his French-language student, who was a local tour guide, aroused his interest in local culture. For years, he volunteered as a foreign-language interpreter and tour guide in the Wudang Mountains, sharing Wudang’s culture with tourists from across the world. During the past two decades, he has witnessed and experienced the rapid development of this mountainous region. “When I first arrived in Wudang, there was neither the high-speed railway nor the shuttle bus, and many foreigners didn’t know how to come here, ” he recalled.
The Frenchman’s enthusiasm inspired those around him. “I learned a lot about Wudang from Marc, and his positive attitude toward life also influenced me to be more outgoing and energetic,”said his wife, who is a native of Shiyan City, where the Wudang Mountains are located.
1. Why does the author mention the decorations of a house?| A．To sing the praises of traditional Chinese artifacts. |
| B．To highlight its owner’s insights into Chinese art. |
| C．To show its owner’s passion for Chinese culture. |
| D．To suggest the perfectly-matched decorating style. |
| A．Adjusting. | B．Exploring. | C．Rebuilding. | D．Enjoying. |
| A．He worked as a tour guide while teaching. |
| B．He contributed to the promotion of Wudang’s culture. |
| C．He became energetic under the influence of martial arts. |
| D．He offered great help to the development of the local economy. |
| A．A tourist attraction—Wudang. |
| B．An encounter with martial arts. |
| C．A journey of intercultural communication. |
| D．A French enthusiast of Wudang’s culture. |
6 . Canada is diverse and vast, and the festivals celebrated there reflect this. Here are some exciting ones that attract visitors worldwide.
Vancouver Celebration of Light
The largest fireworks competition in the world is held every summer in Vancouver. It consists of concerts, food stalls, and the Seawall Challenge, a popular urban adventure race. The festival, which lasts about a week, makes for a great way to get to know the city from a local standpoint.
Edmonton Folk Festival
From its humble beginning in 1980, Edmonton Folk Festival has grown to be one of the world’s famous folk festivals. Held each August, the lineup of the 10-day-long festival is always outstanding and ticket prices stay reasonable. Edmonton is also a gateway to Jasper and the Canadian Rockies, about two hours away in case you have extra time to explore after the festival.
Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the leading film festivals in the world, ranking closely with Cannes and Sundance. Films such as Hotel Rwanda, American Beauty, and The Big Chill made their premieres (首映) at this famous star-filled event held each September. The 11-day-long festival is also known as the kick-off of awards season, with many films that make their first public performance at TIFF going on to get nominated for Oscars and Golden Globe awards.
Montreal Comedy Festival
Since 1983, Montreal Comedy Festival, or, Just for Laughs as it is more commonly known, has been inviting people to get together just for fun, just for entertainment-just for laughs. The festival, which takes place every year for two weeks in July, has grown in popularity and reputation and today features some of the world’s greatest comedians and it also resulted in a television show that is broadcast internationally.
1. What do Vancouver Celebration of Light and Edmonton Folk Festival have in common?| A．They feature fireworks. | B．They require admission tickets. |
| C．They consist of concerts | D．They are held annually. |
| A．Edmonton Folk Festival. | B．Montreal Comedy Festival. |
| C．Vancouver Celebration of Light. | D．Toronto International Film Festival. |
| A．Vancouver. | B．Edmonton. | C．Toronto. | D．Montreal. |
7 . Chinese people love food made of flour, whether it be dumplings, or flatbread. In the hands of skilled artisans (手艺人), flour is made into lovely models of people or animals to be enjoyed and played with, which brings a unique kind of pleasure. This art form is called dough figurine (面塑). Among the various art styles of dough figurines, Beijing’s Dough Figurine Lang is a unique folk art, which is filled with the rich history and customs of the capital city. Their fine and lovely handicrafts tell stories of old and new Beijing. In 2008, it was included in the list of national intangible cultural heritage.
It was created by Lang Shao’an. Most dough figurines are animals and characters from legends, historical stories, and local operas. The finished product is either put at the end of a thin stick, or on a table for display. Some are designed for children to eat or play with, with simple forms and vivid decorations, while others are fine pieces of artwork for display only. For this reason, during the process of making them, they are often mixed with additives (添加剂) to prevent them from breaking up, being eaten by insects or growing moldy. Over the course of his long career, Lang Shao’an developed a set of skilled fingers with an elegant artistic sense.
Lang Jiaziyu, born in 1995, is a third-generation inheritor of Dough Figurine Lang. When he was 15, he created Beijing Olympic Mascot-shaped dough figurines which were highly praised. He looks a bit more fashionable than other folk artisans. In his skilled hands, pop culture icons such as figures based on Marvel comics characters and Chinese mythological figure Nezha with smoky makeup, resonate with young people.
Like most of the other intangible cultural heritage handicrafts in China, Dough Figurine Lang does not get as much attention from the public. Many young people are unwilling to take the time to master a skill that does not make money, which has led to a decline in the number of those who are devoted to the handicraft. Good handicrafts need the devotion of artisans from one generation to another.
1. What is special about Dough Figurine Lang?| A．It is a mirror of Beijing’s culture. | B．It shows people’s love for animals. |
| C．It is created by many famous artists. | D．It is the most popular folk art in Beijing. |
| A．To make dough figurines taste good. | B．To make colors brighter and last longer. |
| C．To help shape dough into various forms. | D．To better preserve the finished products. |
| A．Suggestions for other folk artisans. | B．Different art styles of dough figurines |
| C．Lang Jiaziyu’s achievements as an artisan. | D．The popularity of modern dough figurines. |
| A．To call on people to master a skill. |
| B．To appeal to people to value this folk art. |
| C．To teach people ways to appreciate the handicraft. |
| D．To persuade people to protect national cultural heritage. |
8 . A popular short video series titled Escape From the British Museum has captivated millions of viewers and sparked a renewed call to repatriate (遣送) unlawfully taken relics. The three-part series tells the story of a jade teapot that comes to life and embarks on a journey from the British Museum back to China. With over 340 million views and nearly 2 million comments on Douyin, a short-video platform, the series has had a significant effect.
In the story, the jade teapot transforms into a young woman and escapes from the museum. She meets a Chinese journalist named Zhang Yongan in the United Kingdom and implores him to take her back to China. Upon returning home, she not only travels across the country but also carries “letters” written by other artifacts in the museum to their respective families in China.
The series was created by two young Chinese vloggers using the pseudonyms (网名) “Jianbing Guozai” and “Xiatian Meimei”. Zhang Jiajun, whose real name is “Jianbing Guozai”, graduated from Sichuan University of Media and Communications.
Inspiration for the series came from a netizen’s suggestion to create a cartoon series where artifacts come to life and return home for Chinese New Year. Zhang turned this idea into a video and spent three months researching the British Museum and crafting the storyline.
The videos have deeply moved netizens, with scenes like “writing brushstrokes on English newspapers” and intense dialogues among the artifacts striking an emotional chord. In the comments, many netizens expressed their desire for cultural artifacts overseas to return home with dignity and honor.
The creator of the series, Zhang Jiajun, expresses gratitude for the love the series has received and hopes that more attention would be paid to the issue of cultural relics located overseas.
1. Which short video series has sparked a discussion about repatriating cultural relics？| A．“Escape From the British Museum” |
| B．“Journey Across China” |
| C．“Life of a Jade Teapot” |
| D．“Treasures of the British Museum” |
| A．A cartoon series featuring artifacts. |
| B．A suggestion from a netizen. |
| C．A 3-month visit to the British Museum. |
| D．A desire for cultural preservation. |
| A．Emphasize. | B．Embarrass. | C．Embrace. | D．Launch. |
| A．Scenes of writing brushstrokes on English newspapers. |
| B．Intense dialogues among the artifacts. |
| C．The desire for cultural artifacts to return home. |
| D．The loss of several items from the British Museum. |
9 . On most Sundays, the sound of hammers(锤子)and other tools hitting stone can be heard in a village in the Chimalhuacan area, on Mexico City’s east side. The sounds come from stone carvers(石雕师)who still work on a skill that has been passed down for generations(世代)—even after the local stone was used up. The village is filled with meter-high religious(宗教的)figures and other beautiful stone objects.
Generations of stone carvers in Chimalhuacan also created much of the stonework found on buildings and in parks in the capital’s downtown.
While carvers in other areas long ago turned to machines, the workers here only use hammers and other special hand tools. Many are self-taught, but some, like Tomás Ugarte, aged 86, learned in the traditional way. This method of rock cutting has been passed down between family members, dating back about five generations.
The rock cutters are generally old. There were about 600 official stone carvers about 10 years ago. Now, there are probably only around 300. The carvers are dying and their children generally do not want to take up the trade.
Still, the stone carvers keep the old traditions alive. Many people in the area use stone tools made by the stone carvers.
Rev. Alberto Sandoval, who has known the stone workers since 1990, described them as “the backbone of the community.” Most of the carvers have work areas at home, which provides them with some money. They sell carvings for prices from $500 to $2,000. But they often do not sell much.
Unlike many craftspeople who want to see their works shown in museums, the carvers here also work for free at repairing the stonework at the 250-year-old local church, Santa Maria de Guadalupe.
Asked if the trade will continue, carver Mario Olivares read a poem written on the church wall: “Your art, your tradition, your culture and the nobility(高贵)of the people keep the spirit of this town alive.”
1. What is special about the stone carvers in Chimalhuacan?| A．They have turned to machines. | B．They only use hand tools. |
| C．They are self-taught. | D．They mainly create religious figures. |
| A．The great loss of the local stone. | B．Different jobs the young choose. |
| C．The worrying future for the trade. | D．The long history of stone carving. |
| A．They work for free most of the time. | B．They like giving their works to museums. |
| C．They sell carvings at high prices. | D．They often make a little money. |
| A．Confident. | B．Uncaring. |
| C．Helpless. | D．Worried. |
10 . On a warm spring morning in 1984, Dong Yao-hui and his two young friends pulled on backpacks and set out on a hike of the Great Wall.
The walk of 17 months and 8, 850 kilometers tests persistence. But it’s well worth the effort.
On completing their journey, they published their experiences in a book. As they shared their adventures, it became clear that it was not just the physical demands but also the emotional impact that left lasting impressions.
The Cultural Relics Administrative Department has been given control over the overall protection of the Great Wall.
Dong places his hands on the weathered wall, as he did 35 years ago. But today, he thinks more deeply on a mission grander than his own journey. “Someone dug up some earth, making it into a brick,” he says. “Someone else brought it all the way up the mountain and built a wall. Then many people guarded the wall for hundreds of years. The Great Wall is definitely alive.
| A．It isn’t just a cold, stone wall. |
| B．Their walk began in Shanhai Pass. |
| C．Preservation requires the efforts of all society. |
| D．It wound its way and reached into the Bohai Sea. |
| E．It made them the first ever to walk the whole length. |
| F．Meanwhile, local villagers has recently been hired to act as guardians. |
| G．Preservation work began when the Great Wall was listed as a World Heritage Site. |
