1 . Officials from Brazil’s Indigenous (原住民) protection agency approached the hut in the middle of the Amazon rainforest. They were witnessing the first recorded dying out of an uncontacted tribe in the country’s history.
The man lying there, the last member of his tribe, had died and with him an entire culture and answers to a thousand questions.
Even his name was a mystery. He was known only as “the Man of the Hole” because of the dozens of holes he had dug over the years in his territory. His age, too, could only be guessed at. He appeared to be about 60, officials said.
It was a sad milestone for a country that in recent years has seen protections for Indigenous groups undermined by an administration that has prioritized (优先) development of the Amazon over conservation.
In Rondonia, the only resident of the 8,000-hectare area lived in complete isolation for at least 26 years after the rest of his group was killed by ranchers (农场主) advancing the agricultural frontier.
Brazil’s Indigenous protection agency, Funai, made direct contact with the last surviving man only in 1996. Marcelo dos Santos, an Indigenous expert, said he was found hiding in his hut. “We tried to establish a conversation and offered corn and arrows, but he was terrified and very aggressive (具有攻击性). From this moment on, we had to respect his isolation.”
Even with protections in place, the territory suffered widespread deforestation up until about 13 years ago. Attacks on the last surviving man continued, as well, including one by armed gunmen in 2009, according to local news reports.
“For me, he was somehow incredible: to be able to survive on his own, not speak to anybody and avoid all contact maybe out of grief or determination,” said Fionad Watson, a research director at Survival International, a London-based rights organization.
1. What did the death of “the Man of the Hole” suggest?| A．An uncontacted tribe went extinct. | B．An entire culture would be recorded. |
| C．The secrets around him would be unearthed. | D．The protection agency was unwilling to rescue him. |
| A．strengthened | B．monitored | C．sought | D．weakened |
| A．He made the protection agency’s approach a failure. |
| B．He witnessed the most severe deforestation in history. |
| C．He escaped being shot by a group of aggressive gunmen. |
| D．He learned more survival skills with arrows offered by Funai. |
| A．A mystery | B．An evolution | C．A wonder | D．A fortune |
2 . Famous world film festivals and awards
Venice International Film Festival, Venice, Italy
Held yearly from 1932, it’s the world’s oldest film festival. The awards are lion trophies (奖杯) including the Golden Lion and Silver Lion. Chinese director Zhang Yimou has won the Golden Lion twice.
Festival de Cannes, Cannes, France
It’s held yearly from 1946. Held in May in the beautiful French seaside town of Cannes, it celebrates and awards artistic achievement in film. The highest prize is the Golden Palm trophy (金棕榈奖). Chinese filmmaker Chen Kaige won the prize at the 1993 Cannes Film Festival.
Oscar Awards, Hollywood, USA
The first Academy Awards ceremony was held on May 16, 1929, at the Hotel Roosevelt in Hollywood to honor the outstanding film achievements of the 1927/1928 film season.
Winners had been announced three months earlier. However, that was changed in the second ceremony of the Academy Awards in 1930. Since then and during the first decade, the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11 p.m. on the night of the awards. This method was used until the Los Angeles Times announced the winners before the ceremony began. As a result, the Academy has used a sealed envelope to tell the name of the winners since 1941.
The Golden Globe Awards, Los Angeles, USA
It was first held in January, 1944 at the 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles, where the winners in five categories received scrolls. The actual Golden Globe award started in 1946, when the statuette of a “golden globe” was introduced. The list of award categories has grown and changed over the times.
1. Which of the following is held in France?| A．Venice International Film Festival. | B．Festival de Cannes. |
| C．Oscar Awards. | D．The Golden Globe Awards. |
| A．He won the Golden Lion twice. | B．He won the Oscar Awards twice. |
| C．He won the Golden Palm trophy once. | D．He won the Golden Globe awards once. |
| A．Chen Kaige won the Golden Palm trophy. | B．The first Oscar awards ceremony was held. |
| C．The world’s oldest film festival was held. | D．The 20th Century Fox studios launched. |
| A．In 1929. | B．In 1930. | C．In 1944. | D．In 1946. |
3 . 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. |
4 . You might think of it as a scene from 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 (非物质文化遗产): bamboo drifting.
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 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 great strength and balance it takes for one to master this act, bamboo drifting was included in the national intangible cultural heritage list in 2021.
Yang Liu, a 25-year-old inheritor of bamboo drifting, learned it at seven. “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 of the bamboo is not long enough, it will not be buoyant (有浮力的) enough to 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 18 years, she has drifted all year round, in cold winter and hot summer. As hanfu culture has been on the rise, Yang started wearing hanfu while performing, creating a more beautiful scene. 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 says.
1. What can be learned from the first two paragraphs?| A．Bamboo drifting involves lots of skills. |
| B．Nanmu was delivered to the north by land. |
| C．Bamboo was costly in Guizhou 2,000 years ago. |
| D．The martial arts movie is a form of cultural heritage. |
| A．Keeping balance. | B．Maintaining a fixed angle. |
| C．Finding the proper bamboo. | D．Holding the bamboo firmly in hands. |
| A．Impossible. | B．Confusing. | C．Unbelievable. | D．Complicated. |
| A．Balancing with Grace | B．Yang Liu: a Creative Performer |
| C．Transporting Bamboo down the River | D．Intangible Cultural Heritage in Guizhou |
5 . Some Thoughtful Mother’s Day Gifts
Mother’s Day is right around the corner and it’s a special day for showing some gratitude and appreciation to mothers worldwide for raising and caring for their children. Naturally there are a lot of potential gifts out there for the occasion to choose from, so we’ve put together some thoughtful gifts you can send.
Mother’s Day scrabble printThis scrabble frame offers a more personal and alternative touch for Mother’s Day, with a simple but thoughtful message. You can also customise the names on the pieces to your own family names.
Katie Loxton slim pouchSometimes a small and simple gift can do just the trick, so if you wanted to go that route, this Katie Loxton pouch would be a great choice. It’s made from vegan leather and carved with “Wonderful Mum” on its front. It’s pocket-sized and can also handily fit in a handbag as an option for carrying small items.
Jimmy Choo Blossom special edition-Eau de ParfumSpring is in the air and so are the fragrances that are commonly associated with it. Presented in a lovely, brightly-coloured bottle and also diamond-shaped cap, this Jimmy Choo fragrance is a great gift for Mother’s Day and the blossoming of a new season, with its sweet and warm floral scents.
Floral punch needle kitIf your mum is into crafts, needling or is a plant lover, then this is the perfect gift for her. Made from cotton, beech wood and recycled plastic, it’s a punch needle kit ideal for hanging on a wall or help decorate a table stand with its nature themed fern look. Every gift is wrapped in recyclable packaging as well. Included inside is: the needle fabric, a model design, and detailed needling instructions for beginners.
1. How can you show some gratitude to mothers on Mother’s Day?| A．By celebrating a special day. | B．By sending thoughtful gifts. |
| C．By appreciating gifts worldwide. | D．By raising and caring for children. |
| A．It’s personal and identical. | B．It’s expensive and thoughtful. |
| C．It includes our names on the pieces. | D．It can cover our own family names. |
| A．Floral punch needle kit | B．Katie Loxton slim pouch |
| C．Mother’s Day scrabble print | D．Jimmy Choo Blossom special edition-Eau de Parfum |
6 . While the UK’s music festivals are world-famous, there are much more to celebrate in the country.
Burns Night, Scotland
On 25 January, the Scots celebrate the life and works of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns by holding a special Bums Supper. This can be a casual gathering of friends or a huge formal dinner. Guests take it in turn to recite Burns’ poems or sing one of his songs.
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Wales
For 10 days from May to June each year, the small town of Hay-on-Wye on the edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales is filled with writers, filmmakers, musicians, comedians, politicians and people who come to hear them talk and exchange ideas. The festival celebrates great writing of all genres (体裁) and it all takes place in a tented village in the town.
Camp Bestival, Dorset
As a branch of a festival held in Dorset, it’s one of the best family festivals in the UK. Held in July every year in the grounds of the historic Lulworth Castle in Dorset, the festival includes top live music acts, with a wide variety of entertainments and workshops for kids.
Guy Fawkes Day or Bonfire Night
All over the UK on 5 November, the British light bonfires and set off fireworks in their back gardens or, more commonly these days, at organized events in public parks. They celebrate Guy Fawkes’ failed attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5 November, 1605.
1. Which festivals are related to literature?| A．Burns Night and Hay Festival. | B．Hay Festival and Camp Bestival. |
| C．Burns Night and Guy Fawkes Day. | D．Camp Bestival and Guy Fawkes Day. |
| A．In January. | B．In May. | C．In July. | D．In November. |
| A．A historical event. | B．A successful explosion. |
| C．An organized strike. | D．An impressive building. |
7 . Australians are pretty bold (大胆的) when it comes to humour. Not afraid of saying something insulting (冒犯的) in the name of a good laugh, they generally don’t hold back. This is always done in fun, however.
You get yourself a haircut before going to meet your new Aussie friend. You’re expecting to be praised, but what you hear is, “Did ya have a fight with a lawnmower (割草机)?” You might take this as an insult, but it’s just your friend’s way of saying that you’ve had a haircut.
Your friend comes knocking at your bedroom door one morning to tell you’re late for class. You were up studying late the night before and you look a mess. Your friend thinks you need to put a brush through your hair before leaving, but instead of just saying so he says, “Wow. Your hair looks like a bush pig’s arse.” He’s trying to be nice.
Australia is one of the cultures on this planet where making fun of someone is a sign of friendship. If you find yourself being made fun of lots, it could be that you’ve scored yourself a whole lot of new friends. Consider yourself lucky — these insults are all part of building a relationship.
Australians also use a lot of sarcasm (讽刺). You foolishly say something that’s obvious. For example, “A six pack of beer is named after the number of beers you get in the pack, the number being six.” A normal answer would be, “That is the most obvious statement I’ve ever heard”, but an Australian would say, “Really? You’re so clever.”
Now let’s say your teacher tells you that there will be a test the following day. Australians might say, “Great. I can’t wait to add preparing for a test to my already long to-do list. Thank you for this gift.”
1. What does the author advise you to do when you are laughed at by an Australian?| A．Accept it readily. |
| B．Fight back bravely. |
| C．Mind your behaviour. |
| D．End the relationship. |
| A．Dislike. | B．Worry. |
| C．Gladness. | D．Thankfulness. |
| A．By telling stories. |
| B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By providing examples. |
| D．By examining differences. |
| A．by telling funny jokes |
| B．by making fun of friends |
| C．by laughing at themselves |
| D．by showing unfriendliness |
8 . A bronze horse head sculpture, a treasure of China’s Old Summer Palace that went missing 160 years ago, returned to its original palace home Tuesday. It is the first time that a priceless cultural artifact from the Old Summer Palace has been sent from abroad and then returned to be kept there.
Twelve animal head sculptures once formed a zodiac (生肖) water clock in Beijing’s Yuanmingyuan, built by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty. The originals were looted (抢劫) from the royal garden by Anglo-French allied forces in 1860 during the second Opium War.
Macao billionaire Stanley Ho bought the bronze horse head and decided to donate it to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) and return it to its original home. The NCHA has spent one year refurbishing (刷新) the old Zhengjue Temple, the main place of worship for Qing Dynasty emperors in the garden, to an exhibition venue.
An exhibition in memory of the return of the horse head has kicked off at the temple, displaying about 100 items including relics and photographs. “The horse head sculpture was returned to its original palace home amid the challenges brought by COVID-19,” said an official. “It also led to an all-round upgrade of security at the Old Summer Palace, which allows for long-term exhibitions.”
“There is international consensus (共识) on returning lost cultural relics to their original homes, and China’s efforts to bring relics home in recent years have enhanced that consensus,” he added.
1. What do we know about the bronze horse head sculpture?| A．It was once stolen by French soldiers. |
| B．It was given back by a foreign country. |
| C．It has been put at its original location. |
| D．It was sold about 160 years ago. |
| A．Patriotic. | B．Persistent. | C．Capable. | D．Optimistic. |
| A．Started. | B．Prepared. | C．Organized. | D．Shown. |
| A．China is sure to get all the lost important cultural treasures back. |
| B．China has contributed greatly to the international consensus in recent years. |
| C．Returning lost cultural relics to their original homes has a long way to go. |
| D．More Chinese will buy lost important cultural relics from foreign countries. |
9 . On April 18—the International Day for Monuments and Sites, China Daily’s digital employee Yuanxi and Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes’ official virtual cartoon figure Jiayao together introduced an interactive digital platform that hosts a virtual copy of the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave(藏经洞) to the world.
The platform was developed jointly by the Dunhuang Academy and the Chinese tech firm Tencent. It uses gaming technologies to show the historical scenes of the Library Cave in the digital world.
The Library Cave in Mogao Grottoes was discovered in 1900, with more than 60,000 cultural relics dating from the 4th century to the 11th century unearthed. It was one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.
On the platform, visitors can role-play and “time travel” to ancient dynasties and talk with eight historical figures. The public can enter the platform through the Digital Dunhuang website and its WeChat mini program.
In the digital age, the model of “culture+technology” has been introduced to promote the development of Chinese culture. The digitalization rate of China’s precious cultural relics is now over 70 percent, according to the 2022 China Digital Collection Industry Research Report released by iResearch.
Institutions such as the Palace Museum have also started online digital services of their own. Artificial intelligence (AI) technology allows the public to view the interior of the buildings through the Palace Museum’s WeChat mini program.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has also encouraged the development and transformation of cultural intellectual property(知识产权) by digital means. China Central Television has created a series of digital collections with different Dunhuang themes, such as the Dunhuang divine deer(神鹿) Youyou. It was created based on the image of the nine-colored deer from Dunhuang murals(壁画). The public can see the divine deer on CCTV’s own digital platform.
Digital collections cater to the consumption habits of young people, who grow up in the information age. They not only protect the intellectual property of the collections but also bring the public closer to China’s “excellent traditional culture”, noted Dunhuang Art Institute.
Su Bomin, director of the Dunhuang Academy, told Xinhua that more efforts will be made to explore new forms for showing cultural relics and offer the public greater cultural experiences to develop Dunhuang culture.
1. What can visitors do on the interactive digital platform for the Mogao Grottoes’ Library Cave?| A．Play role-playing games set in ancient times. |
| B．Play video games featuring historical figures. |
| C．Talk to the designer of the digital Library Cave. |
| D．Design digital caves showing historical scenes. |
| A．To show the latest gaming technologies. |
| B．To help cultural institutions make a profit. |
| C．To promote the development of Chinese culture. |
| D．To encourage people to explore new forms of cultural relics. |
| A．To stress the importance of digital collections. |
| B．To describe its popularity among young people. |
| C．To present how digital collections are developed. |
| D．To introduce a successful example of digital collections. |
| A．Ignore. | B．Satisfy. |
| C．Challenge. | D．Change. |
10 . Cultural heritage is an essential part of our identity, history and traditions. It includes buildings, monuments, artworks, books, music and other artefacts.
So, what can we do to protect our cultural heritage? The first step is to raise awareness about its importance. People need to understand that cultural heritage is not just a collection of old things.
Another way to protect cultural heritage is through legislation.
Education plays a crucial role in preserving cultural heritage. Schools and universities can teach students about the value of cultural heritage and how to care for it
Technology can be a useful tool in protecting cultural heritage. Digitization allows us to preserve and share cultural artefacts with a wider audience, while also reducing the risk of damage or loss. Virtual reality can also be used to recreate historical sites and buildings, allowing people to experience them in a new and immersive way.
| A．Historic buildings are climate friendly. |
| B．It is also a symbol of our cultural diversity and creativity. |
| C．Protecting cultural heritage requires a collective effort. |
| D．To be kept alive, cultural heritage must be related to its community. |
| E．This non-renewable treasure should be passed down from one generation to another. |
| F．Governments can establish laws and regulations to protect historic sites, buildings and artifacts. |
| G．Museums and other cultural institutions can offer exhibitions and events that show the importance of cultural heritage. |
