1 . If it had not been for Fan Jinshi and her team, the world cultural heritage of Dunhuang Mogao Caves in a remote Chinese desert might have long been destroyed by sand, weather or humans.
Born in Beijing and raised in Shanghai, Fan has spent half a century fighting an uphill battle to preserve the ancient Buddhist wall paintings at Dunhuang, in Northwest China’s Gansu Province. The 1,653-year-old Dunhuang Mogao Caves are a huge collection of Buddhist art—more than 2,000 buddha figures and 45,000 square metres of paintings spread among 735 caves. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Archaeologist Fan was sent to Dunhuang after graduating from Peking University in 1963. While in Dunhuang, a remote village in the desert then, Fan lived in an abandoned temple. At first, she did not even dare to go out to the toilet at night. To protect the treasures from sand and dampness, Fan and other workers put doors on the caves, planted trees and started monitoring temperature and humidity in the caves. They also controlled the number of visitors.
In the late 1990s, with tourism booming nationwide since national holidays were extended, the local government planned to go public with Dunhuang Mogao Caves, but found Fan firmly in_their_way. “The heritage would have been destroyed if it had been listed,” she said.
Dunhuang Academy has now photographed and cataloged online all the sculptures and paintings. “Despite our efforts to minimise damage, we can’t completely stop them from being eroded. But the digital database will last.”
Fan was grateful when her husband joined her in Dunhuang in 1986 after 19 years of separation. Her two sons grew up seldom with her accompany. “I have not been a good mother or wife. With regard to my family, I’m full of guilt,” she said. Fan, 81, retired four years ago as the director of Dunhuang Academy but continues her efforts as a national political adviser.
1. When was Fan separated from her husband?A.In 1963. | B.In 1967. |
C.In 1986. | D.In the late 1990s. |
A.Go to a place. |
B.Be in favour of something. |
C.Reject something. |
D.Give in to something. |
A.The history of Dunhuang Mogao Caves. |
B.The attractions of Dunhuang Mogao Caves. |
C.Fan’s devotion to preserving Dunhuang Mogao Caves. |
D.The appeal for the protection of Dunhuang Mogao Caves. |
A.Considerate. | B.Kind. |
C.Humorous. | D.Devoted. |
2 . I had just arrived in this Asian country for a one-year teaching position. One day, I took a subway to visit some ancient palaces and temples in the downtown. What happened to me next on the subway has taught me much about culture difference.
Since all the seats were taken, I stood. Suddenly, I felt someone pulling on my bag. Assuming I probably was in someone’s way, I moved over slightly. But in one quick motion, I felt my bag removed from my back, and in a flash, it was gone. I turned around to see who the thief was. I looked at the people standing behind me, but didn’t see my bag or anyone suspicious. My heart began to beat wildly and I began to panic.
I looked around, only to find directly across from me was an elderly lady, and sitting on her lap was my bag. I tried to get it back from her lap. But as I began to pull it up, she quickly took it back and held onto it. I looked around at the people standing beside me, and those sitting beside her, but no one took any notice of the situation. Trying not to cause a scene, I tried to negotiate through gestures. I used my hands as much as I could, but she ignored my requests for my bag and pointed to my back. She picked up my bag, showing how heavy it was. I finally began to understand. She was holding my bag to help me.
At the next stop, a middle-aged woman got on the crowded subway. Another elderly woman sitting down took her bag, setting it on her lap. They didn’t talk; yet this older woman was more than pleased to sit with this stranger’s bag on her lap throughout her journey.
As the subway pulled into the main downtown station and I was getting ready to get off, the woman gently handed me back my bag. But before I had a chance to thank her, she had disappeared into the crowd.
1. What happened after the writer got on the subway?A.The writer’s bag was stolen by an elderly lady. | B.The writer stood in someone’s way. |
C.An old lady asked the writer to sit beside her. | D.A stranger offered help to the writer. |
A.Feel frightened. | B.Feel grateful. | C.Feel relaxed. | D.Feel ashamed. |
A.The middle-aged woman and the elderly woman were good friends. |
B.The passengers on the subway were very unfriendly. |
C.Helping standing passengers with heavy bags was common on local subways. |
D.There were many thieves on the subway. |
A.To warn us of the potential risks in travelling abroad. | B.To tell us a culture difference. |
C.To recommend a travel destination. | D.To give us some tips on taking a subway. |
3 . Columbus Day has been on American calendars since 1937, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared October 12 a federal holiday to honor the Italian explorer who “discovered” the Americas in 1492. However, the holiday has always been controversial. Many people believe that Christopher Columbus should not be given credit for “discovering” the continent, since native Americans had already been living there for generations.
Besides, the explorer’s mission was not a scientific “voyage of discovery”, but one intended to conquer the new land. Critics maintain that the Spanish army Columbus brought on his second voyage, caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of indigenous(土著的) people. Those that survived the massacre became slaves, working in mines. Many, therefore, believe that the explorer’s arrival should not be celebrated.
In 1977, a delegation of Native nations at the International Conference on Discrimination Against Indigenous Populations in the Americas, proposed renaming the holiday to “Indigenous People’s Day”. The proposal passed with a majority.
However, convincing the rest of the country to do the same was not that easy. It took 15 years before the city of Berkeley in California adopted the name in 1992 and then 22 more years before Minneapolis, MN and Seattle, WA did the same in 2014. The following year, eight more cities including Albuquerque, NM and Portland, OR, began celebrating the second Monday of October as “Indigenous People’s Day”. The movement really started to gain momentum in 2016 when 19 cities, including Boulder, CO and Phoenix, AZ, as well as the states of Minnesota and Vermont, all decided to rename the day to honor Native Americans. In 2017, 21 more cities, including Austin, TX and Los Angeles, CA have made the shift.
With the increasingly larger number of cities moving away from Columbus Day each year, it will be interesting to see if “Indigenous People’s Day” gets federal recognition. Meanwhile, it will continue to be the focal point of debates throughout the Americas.
1. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?A.Indigenous People’s Day Has Got Federal Recognition after Years’ Work |
B.Columbus Day Honoring the Italian Explorer Has Always Been Controversial |
C.Christopher Columbus Should Not Be Given Credit for Discovering Americas |
D.More Cities Have Replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous People’s Day |
A.Columbus discovered the continent |
B.Columbus was a remarkable explorer |
C.Native Americans were abused |
D.Columbus Day is a public holiday |
A.Columbus was well received by indigenous people |
B.The indigenous people hated the Columbus’ arrival |
C.The Spanish army rebelled against Columbus’ rule |
D.Few soldiers survived the attack by native Americans |
A.Portland | B.Phoenix |
C.Seattle | D.Los Angeles |
4 .
Gift giving should be a happy, positive experience.
A.When selecting a present in the Netherlands, dont buy kitchen knives or scissors. |
B.Punctuality is considered to be good manners all over the world. |
C.When traveling, it’s important to learn about the customs of the global village. |
D.Red carnations (康乃馨)are usually presented to Mothers. |
E.While eating, use the opposite end of your chopsticks to secure food from a shared plate. |
F.Being early or on time is viewed as being rude in Venezuela. |
G.Traditionally, red carnations are placed on the tombs of the dead. |