1 . The ancient Babylonians （巴比伦人）are thought to have been the first people to set New Year's resolutions. They made promises to gods that they would return any objects they had borrowed from others. If they did this, then it was said that gods would protect them in the year ahead. Since then, resolutions have changed from promises to gods to promises to ourselves and others. That could be starting a new hobby, trying to be healthier or learning a new language. Given the difficulties that any people have in keeping their New Years resolutions, though, should people wait a little longer before deciding what they'll be? Is January the right time to set New Years resolutions?
Yes — it gets the year off to a good start. They're called New Year's resolutions, not Half-Year resolutions. The whole point of setting New Year's resolutions is that it's done at the start of the year.Waiting longer just defeats the purpose of it. New Year's resolutions are a fun tradition to discuss with family and friends. You won't be able to talk about it in the same way if you're all setting them at different times. Besides, the more you put it off, the less likely it is that you'll ever decide on what your resolutions are going to be. You can always set new ones, or change your goals, but it's important to start off with something. By the time you've decided on some resolutions, you'll have less time to do them — which only increases your chances of failure.
No — January isn't the right time. January is a cold and dark month. Why would you want to start something new then? During the winter months, most people just want to stay nice and warm indoors, rather than try something new. People should make resolutions to lead happier, healthier lives whenever they want, not just on 1 January. Waiting longer means that you'll have more time to plan and will have a better idea of what you want to do in the year ahead. This will result in better resolutions, which have a stronger chance of success. One study found that by 6 January, one in five people had failed to stick to their resolutions. By not rushing into it, you're less likely to get discouraged and give up if you haven't succeeded right away.
Now that you've read a bit more about it, tell us what you think by voting in our poll at theweekjunior. co. uk/polls.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?| A．Babylonians returned to gods what they had borrowed from them. |
| B．Babylonians assumed that they would be permanently protected by gods. |
| C．Resolutions have been shifted into commitments to people rather than gods. |
| D．Setting New Year's resolutions in January is better than in any other months |
| A．succeed easily | B．end up with nothing |
| C．doubt the fun tradition | D．reach your ultimate aims |
| A．Happier, healthier lives | B．More time to make plans |
| C．Losing heart and quitting | D．Failure to make decisions |
| A．To call for donations | B．To build up a tradition |
| C．To introduce a practice | D．To stimulate discussions |
2 . How did the ancient Chinese keep food warm in winter? In fact, ancient Chinese people used their own methods of heat preservation as early as the Shang and Zhou dynasties.
● “Wen Ding”, ancient rice cooker
One of the major functions of an electric rice cooker is to keep food warm. The “Wen Ding”, an ancient cooking container, served the same purpose. The “Wen Ding” unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age. The craftsmanship of making the “Wen Ding” was developed in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from Shang and Zhou dynasties took on different shapes and structures.
● “Ran LU”, ancient small hot pot
The “Ran LU” is a small size cooking vessel (器皿) made of bronze, which can be divided into three parts. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel’s structure suggests it may have been used as a small hot pot and that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period (475—221 BC).
●Bronze You, ancient kettle
The Bronze You was one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou dynasties. The Bronze You can also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening where charcoals could be placed. Just as people today can’t do without an electric kettle, the Bronze You allowed people to enjoy a hot drink
●Bronze Yan, ancient steamer
Although the “Wen Ding” was effective at keeping food warm, the ancient Chinese people later found that its burning produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Yan was made with a two-tier structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (AD 25-AD 220), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern-day steamer.
1. The Bronze You, unearthed in Jiangxi province, has an opening to________.| A．store wine | B．pour water |
| C．place charcoals | D．hold charcoal ashes |
| A．It is warm | B．It is convenient |
| C．It is useful | D．It is environment-friendly |
| A．The “Wen Ding” | B．The “Ren LU” |
| C．The Bronze You | D．The Bronze Yan |
3 . Yangzhou paper cutting, with a history of 2,000 years, can be dated back to the Sui Dynasty, making Yangzhou one of the places where paper cutting first became popular.
In the Sui Dynasty, the people of Yangzhou would cut colourful paper or silk and satin (缎子) to celebrate festivals. It is said that Emperor Yang came to Yangzhou three times. In winter, the flowers and trees in the garden became dry and weak. The emperor ordered the gril servants to cut fine silk and satin into flowers and leaves and use them to decorate the trees and lakes. Since then, “colorful cutting” has become a popular art in Yangzhou.
In the Tang Dynasty, the paper cutting industry was highly developed and a large amount of high-quality paper was made as presents to the Court (宫廷).
In the Qing Dynasty, because of the economic development, the people of Yangzhou became interested in wearing fine clothing, especially embroidered (刺绣的) clothing. The embroidered designs were based on paper-cuts, the most well-know of them was from Bao Jun, a paper cutting master. He won a high reputation (名声) as Magic Scissors for his wonderful cutting skills.
After the People’s Republic of China was started, the Chinese government accepted the importance of paper cutting like many other arts and skills. In 2007, China Paper-cuts Museum opened to the public in the back garden of the Wang’s Residence (住所), Yangzhou, greatly helping the development of Yangzhou paper cutting.
1. When did “colourful cutting” become a popular art in Yangzhou?| A．In the Sui Dynasty. | B．In the Tang Dynasty. |
| C．In the Ming Dynasty. | D．In the Qing Dynasty. |
| A．种植 | B．装饰 | C．浇水 | D．砍伐 |
| A．In 2007. | B．In 2008. | C．In 2009. | D．In 2010. |
| A．How to make paper cutting. |
| B．The way to cut paper. |
| C．The importance of Yangzhou paper cutting. |
| D．The history and development of Yangzhou paper cutting. |
4 . The remains of a gold mask were found at an archaeological site in China's Sichuan province in March 2021. Weighing about 280 grams and estimated to be made from 84% gold, the mask was one of over 500 items unearthed from six newly discovered sacrificial pits（坑）, according to the country's National Cultural Heritage Administration.
The finds were made at Sanxingdui, a 4.6-square-mile area outside the provincial capital of Chengdu. Some experts say the items may shine further light on the ancient Shu state, a kingdom that ruled in the western Sichuan basin until it was conquered in 316 BC.
In addition to the gold mask, archaeologists uncovered golds and artifacts（手工艺品）made from ivory and bone. The six pits, of which the largest has a footprint of 19 square meters, also yielded an as-yet-unopened wooden box.
More than 50,000 ancient artifacts have been found at Sanxingdui since the 1920s, when a local farmer accidentally came upon a number of relics at the site. A major breakthrough occurred in 1986, with the discovery of two pits containing over 1,000 items.
A third pit was then found in late 2019, which led to the discovery of a further five last year. Experts believe the pits were used for sacrificial purposes, explaining why many of the items contained were burned as they were dropped in and buried.
Sanxingdui is believed to have sat at the heart of the Shu state, which historians know relatively little about due to a shortage of written records. The site has revolutionized experts' understanding of how civilization developed in ancient China. In particular, evidence of a unique Shu culture suggests that the kingdom developed independently of neighboring societies in the Yellow River Valley, which was traditionally considered to be the cradle（摇篮）of Chinese civilization.
1. Why are the remains of a gold mask mentioned in paragraph 1?| A．To lead in the topic of the text. |
| B．To stress the importance of gold. |
| C．To show the symbolic meaning of gold. |
| D．To praise the skills of ancient Shu state. |
| A．3. | B．8. |
| C．9. | D．14. |
| A．promoted | B．strengthened |
| C．weakened | D．updated |
| A．A Complete Gold Mask Unearthed in Sichuan |
| B．The History of China's Ancient Shu State |
| C．Another Great Discovery in Sanxingdui |
| D．Mystery of Sanxingdui Solved in 2021 |
5 . Ostara, upon which Easter is based, is the Pagan celebration of the vernal equinox (春分).
The holiday is named after Eostre, a spring goddess of the Germanic tradition. There isn’t much written record of Eostre, and it is thought she was worshiped by tribes who used oral tradition rather than written words to record history. Eostre was a symbol of fertility—she may have been the original source of the association of eggs with springtime celebrations. She may also be responsible for the Easter rabbit—the spring equinox was a time when hares would come out and mate. A female hare can even conceive (受孕) while pregnant with another one—this remarkable fertility became a symbol of the season. Therefore, we get “Eostre rabbits” in the spring.
Growth and awakening are important parts of Ostara celebrations. Because the day marks the coming of the planting season, modern Pagans store seeds to later transfer outdoors after frost has disappeared. Caring for the seedling is like worshiping the goddess. Besides, drawings replace the pretty colors of new flowers.
For Pagans, Ostara is a time for spiritual awakening and rebirth. Walking meditation is a common practice and special attention is paid to the signs of nature coming back to life. New beginnings are coming, and there is much soul-searching and clearing away negative energy. This spiritual cleaning is also reflected in the practice of spring cleaning.
Whether you’re Pagan or not, you might have noticed many of your own springtime celebrations in Ostara celebrations, and there’s a reason why Pagan customs have been practiced pretty much in the same way because so much of it is simply human nature. Who could resist a springtime walk in a forest? Is there anyone who isn’t inspired by nature’s annual new beginning? So whatever your own tradition, honor the season with a spiritual cleaning and rebirth—to make room for beautiful things to come.
1. What can be inferred from the passage?| A．Ostara has a longer history than Easter. |
| B．Only Pagan celebrate Ostara nowadays. |
| C．Ostara is a celebration intended for females. |
| D．Most Ostara celebrations are not held outdoors. |
| A．Growth. | B．Drawings. |
| C．Flowers. | D．Spiritual awakening. |
| A．They can help to clean people’s spirit. |
| B．They are in need of some special attention. |
| C．It is common to hold the activities worldwide. |
| D．Written record of them is not talked about a lot. |
| A．They have the same origin and history. |
| B．It is human nature to pursue beautiful things. |
| C．Pagan customs have been spread to the world. |
| D．Pagans are good at learning from other cultures. |
6 . With paper flowers and music hanging around in the air, Lyu Jun was hosting a small farewell ceremony at an industrial zone in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. It was a funeral for a pet dog. Lyu came up with the idea of becoming a pet mortician (殡葬师) four years ago when he was preparing to start a business.
“At that time, there was only one brick-and-mortar(实体的) business that provided funeral services for pets in Shenzhen, but hundreds of pets die every day in this city,” he said. According to Lyu, many pet owners used to bury the remains of their beloved animals near their homes , which had a harmful impact on the environment and created the risk of spreading disease.
He saw a gap in the market for someone able to properly handle the death of pets. “A pet funeral service provides treatment of the bodies that is harm-free, and it is the greatest comfort to pet owners,” Lyu said.
He takes good care of the remains of the pets and tidies up their appearance before the funeral. In addition, he prepares funeral addresses and selects suitable tombs for the pets. He also films funerals for owners who cannot attend the ceremonies, and provides paper and pens for those who want to write down their blessings and hang the notes on the wishing tree.
Over the past four years, Lyu has bid farewell to more than 2,000 dogs, cats and other kinds of animals. He also does volunteer work in his spare time to promote responsible dog raising. “The pet funeral service industry is still in its babyhood, and I hope there will be a set of strict standards for people who take on this job and a belter environment for the industry,” Lyu said.
1. Why did Lyu start the business on pet funeral service?| A．Because he could earn a lot of money from it. |
| B．Because he thought it met the market requirement. |
| C．Because he thought it would be a unique and challenging business. |
| D．Because he could help owners bury their dead pets near their homes. |
| A．He delivers speeches to mourn the pets. |
| B．He gives best wishes to the pets' owners. |
| C．He makes films of the pets for their birth. |
| D．He nurses and cares for the pets carefully. |
| A．Lyu volunteers to raise pets on his own. |
| B．The pet funeral service has got a big success. |
| C．More strict standards should be set for pets' owners. |
| D．There remains a potential in the pet funeral industry. |
| A．A research report. | B．An advertisement. |
| C．A novel. | D．A magazine. |
7 . It may seem as if Mother's Day was invented by a company named Hallmark, but people have been taking time on the calendar to give a shout-out to Mom for a long time. The Greeks and Romans had mother goddess festivals — although their celebrations didn't involve the menfolk taking their underappreciated mothers out to dinner. A more recent tradition was Mothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday in April, young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.
Mother's Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers' Work Days” to promote health and hygiene(卫生 ) at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, furthering the cause by bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers and promoting a Mother's Day holiday.
Jarvis's work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870 Howe published her “Mother's Day Proclamation”, which envisioned(设想) the day not as appreciation of mothers by their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother's Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade she stopped footing the bill and the tradition faded away.
It was Jarvis's daughter Anna who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died, in May 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremony on the anniversary and conducting a tireless PR campaign to have the day made a holiday. In 1908 she succeeded in enlisting the support of John Wanamaker, the Philadelphia department store magnate and advertising pioneer, and by 1912 West Virginia and a few other states had adopted Mother's Day. Two years later, President Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution declaring the second Sunday in May a national holiday.
It wasn't long, though, before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under an amount of greeting cards and candy. By the 1920s Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had been instrumental in creating. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.
1. It can be inferred from the first paragraph that .| A．mothers didn't get enough appreciation in the past |
| B．Mother's Day was invented by Hallmark |
| C．young people all returned to their mothers' houses |
| D．Greeks and Romans were the first to celebrate Mother's Day |
| A．Ann Jarvis. | B．Julia Ward Howe. |
| C．Woodrow Wilson. | D．Anna Jarvis. |
| A．Because it was extremely emotional. |
| B．Because the festival was not profitable. |
| C．Because the celebrations went against the original spirit. |
| D．Because the day was celebrated in the form of exchanging greeting cards and candy. |
| A．The Definition of Mother’s Day |
| B．The Argument on Celebrating Mother's Day |
| C．The Story Behind the Creation of Mother's Day |
| D．Different Forms of Celebration on Mother's Day |
8 . London is a real treat for museum lovers and museums are a popular destination among London's many attractions. Below is a list of London's top museums.
London Transport Museum
Travel through the museum, which hosts exhibitions （展品展示）about transport with the social and cultural history of London. Inside, you'll find more than 80 vehicles covering 200 years of London's history, including a red Routemaster bus and the world's first underground steam train. There are great posters and artworks too!
Price: Adult ticket: £18.50 per ticket, child ticket: Free. Save £1.50 when purchasing tickets online in advance.
Opening time: 10:00 -18:00 daily.
British Museum
Spend hours wandering the world-famous British Museum, which exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times, collected from around the world. Don't miss the Rosetta Stone and the mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection.
Price: Free. A donation of £5 is recommended. Entrance fee for special exhibitions and some events.
Opening time: 10:00 - 17:30 daily. Open late on Fridays until 20:00.
Natural History Museum
As well as the dinosaur exhibition, the Natural History Museum keeps a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. See a life-sized blue whale and a 40-million-year-old spider.
Price: Free. Entrance fee for some of the special exhibitions and events.
Opening time: 10:00 - 17:50 daily. Open late on the last Friday of each month. Closed 24 - 26 December.
The Design Museum
The Design Museum is the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form. Check out the regular exhibitions showcasing the rich creativity found in all forms of design, and its importance to our world.
Price: Adult ticket: £10.00, child ticket: £5.00 （children under 6 go free）.
Opening time: 10:00 - 18:00. Open except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
1. Which museum attracts fans of Ancient Egypt most?| A．British Museum | B．Natural History Museum |
| C．London Transport Museum | D．The Design Museum |
| A．It is free of charge. |
| B．It closes on Christmas Day. |
| C．It collects special animals in the world. |
| D．It exhibits rarest mummies in the world. |
| A．Free | B．£5 | C．£10 | D．£15 |
9 . Color is considered one of the most useful and powerful design tools you have. People respond to different colors in different ways. Colors tell someone if you are friendly. In the same way they affect whether someone will continue clicking through your website. Colors determine if someone will start reading your article in a magazine or post on your website.
Colors also help to keep people involved on your website and determine how long they stay. Of course that’s not just about the content. Colors also influence how people will respond and behave.
The next time you go into a fast-food restaurant, look closely at the colors. Do they decorate with vivid reds and oranges because they encourage diners to eat and leave quickly like many of the fast-food establishments(企业)？That is exactly the response they want.
Different cultures have different attitudes and preferences; thus, they will have another color reaction. In China, “white” stands for death and in Brazil, it is the color purple while in America it is black. People from warm countries respond favorably to warm colors; people from colder climates prefer cooler colors. In America, green is associated with jealousy or money. Blue (the most popular) is associated with trust, responsibility, belonging and coolness.
This also means that color affects shopping habits. Different colors attract different kinds of customers. Red, orange, black and royal blue attract impulse(冲动的)buyers. Pink, light blue and navy attract smart budget shoppers. There is really a lot into it. To experience this, why not click on the following large companies’ websites that have spent the funds on this type of research now?
1. This passage mainly tells us ______| A．what colors mean to people in different countries. |
| B．colors affect people in many different countries. |
| C．which kind of color does good to people’s health. |
| D．a good website should have as many kinds of colors as possible. |
| A．Reds and oranges in a restaurant will make you stay there longer. |
| B．In Brazil, the color purple is associated with death. |
| C．People from warm countries will like cooler colors better. |
| D．People’s shopping habits will not be affected by colors |
| A．To offer some large companies’ websites. |
| B．To introduce what colors mean in different countries. |
| C．To tell us how to use colors in our daily life. |
| D．To give more examples about successful restaurants. |
10 . 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 has nothing to do with farming. |
| B．Its celebrations usually last two days. |
| C．It is a traditional festival of all China. |
| D．It is a festival to show worship of fire. |
| A．ancestors. | B．young people. |
| C．elders. | D．ethnic groups. |
| A．Why the festival is enjoyed. | B．Where the festival is celebrated. |
| C．How the festival is celebrated. | D．What torches are used for the festival. |
| A．Holding torch parades. | B．Tying fruits to torches with strings. |
| C．Struggling for fruits for good luck. | D．Using torches as hurdles for a horse race. |
