1 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. craft     B. delicate C. displayed D. document E. enthusiasm   F. featuring G. focus H. highlighting I. involved J. recognized K. stunning

A Destination to Treasure

With the popularity of various online platforms, more and more people would like to share what they saw and what they did in life and travel. Long, a video blogger, is an example.

One of the videos featured on Long Yan's account on the short-video platform Douyin is a tour through the     1     natural landscape and folk customs of Guizhou Province. Long has produced more than 170 such videos,     2     the unique charm of destinations in the southwest of the country. In his view, Guizhou's natural and cultural landscape,       3    mountains, lakes and rivers, diverse ethnic customs and deep, profound history deserve to be better-known by online audiences.

Over the past three years, Long's video content has undergone noticeable changes.He originally focused on natural scenery but has been increasingly     4     in deeper exploration of humanity and cultural heritage.

Since December, Long launched his own project, aiming to     5     100 examples of intangible cultural heritage across the country in three years. To do his part, Long has     6     stories about inheritors of intangible cultural heritage and helped more people witness their commitment to their    7    . Long was exposed to a variety of fascinating examples of intangible cultural heritage. “It occurred to me that landscape scenery has a better chance of continuing to exist than human cultural forms do," he says. “That heritage would disappear quickly if not recorded and broadcast.” His first intangible cultural heritage video was about the     8     leaf-vein embroidery technique practiced in Tongren city,Guizhou.

Long has been     9     by Douyin as a “rural guardian" contributing to village development, and has delivered six videos on intangible cultural heritage so far. He has already seen positive results from his initial work. Many of his young followers have shown     10     for experiencing what he has posted. "They really enjoy intangible cultural heritage, and are rooting for the revival of traditional culture, as well as the establishment of national self-confidence," he says.

3 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A．experience       B. associated        C．position        D．claim       E．accompanied F．conducted        G．duration        H．preserve        I．breeze        J．representative K．weighed

One of the British royal traditions is that the king or queen can     1     ownership of any unmarked mute swan in open water in Britain. For many years, this tradition was     2     with Queen Elizabeth II. Every summer, the swans on the River Thames would be counted for Her Majesty. Now, with Britain having King Charles III on the throne, this centuries-old tradition known as the Swan Upping will continue to be     3     over five days during the third week of every July.

Several years ago, when I was living in London, I went along to     4     the tradition for myself. It was a completely enjoyable experience. School kids and elderly watchers gathered ahead of the day’s launch in Marlow (马洛，一个英国城镇) to meet the Royal Swan Marker — Queen Elizabeth II’s     5     in her absence — David Barber, and other Swan Uppers, or catchers.

The Uppers themselves are a mix of old boys and younger men-all dressed in uniforms. They paddle their way upriver in a fleet of wooden boats, shiny with gold detailing. Flags flutter behind them in the     6    .

The small fleet is     7     by an armada (舰队) of watchers. A boatload of journalists is there for the     8    . Hug e passenger boats cruise alongside, trying to get a view of each catch.

Not long after, the traditional call goes out: “All up!” it’s the first catch of the day. The Uppers carefully     9     their boats around the birds, moving closer, before catching and tying them. The young swans are taken ashore and     10    , measured and recorded with rings attached to their legs. And the adult swans are checked against the records. Then the young birds are released with their family, unharmed.

4 . 选词填空

A. ticks all the right boxes   B. put on   C. lives up to   D. get across   E. make an impact on      F. makes a comment on   G. are not familiar with   H. Dating back to   I. thanks to   J. on the edge of your seat   K. fall in love with

Cantonese opera is one of the oldest forms of traditional Chinese opera, whose art form will keep you     1      with its explosive effects. It certainly     2     its reputation (名声) with appealing performances.     3     the 12th century, Cantonese opera has developed a unique performance style since the Ming Dynasty. Wearing their colorful costumes and makeup, artists effortlessly     4     dramatic stories to the audiences. All too often, it     5     various social aspects. This cultural heritage continues to     6     audiences with its musical and theatrical qualities. All in all, Cantonese Opera     7     for a cultural experience; when it is    8    , its wide range of performance forms, including singing, recitation, acrobatics, fighting, and dancing amaze audiences. With the great interest in traditional art, young audiences who     9     this opera are now showing a strong passion for learning it. Besides, more and more international friends     10     it due to its popularity worldwide.

5 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. noble     B. might     C. distinct     D. splendour     E. significantly     F. integrated        G. predominantly     H. shaped     I. integral     J. generating     K. underlying

Welcoming the Year of the Dragon or the Loong?

As communities worldwide, both within and outside China, participate in diverse festivities to welcome the Year of the Dragon, the mythical creature has become the subject of debate. Some call it a dragon, while others prefer the term “loong”,     1     a discussion about the most accurate translation of this symbol of traditional Chinese culture.

Do dragon and loong convey the same meaning, or do they represent different creatures with     2     connotations? In Western culture,     3     by Greek mythology, the dragon is frequently portrayed as the guardian of treasure, embodying a symbol of greed and destruction. In China, however, the dragon is very positive. It’s an animal that helps humanity and that is     4    , with emperors often referring to themselves as the “true dragon sons of heaven”.

In the Chinese language, more than 100 idioms incorporate the word “dragon”,     5     conveying positive connotations such as excellence, prestige, royalty,     6     and good luck. The term “dragon” remains a pervasive and     7    element in everyday conversations. When people express admiration for a son-in-law, they often refer to him as “a swift son-in-law who rides the dragon”. During weddings, the groom is usually referred to as the dragon and the bride the phoenix.

Why has the loong been translated into English as dragon? In the early 19^th century, British missionary Robert Morrison compiled the first Chinese-English, English-Chinese dictionary in history, in which he translated the Chinese loong as dragon. The impact of this dictionary was profound, leading to the widespread adoption of the term dragon in the West. Language     8     influences human minds, and as a result, Westerners perceive it intriguing that the Chinese associate themselves with the concept of dragons. In their culture, dragons are symbols of malevolence, contributing to a cultural distortion and misinterpretation.

With China becoming more     9     into the global community and the world becoming more familiar with the Chinese zodiac sign, has the time come to translate the Chinese dragon to loong? The issue of translation may seem trivial. What matters more is conveying the true essence of the zodiac dragon. The Chinese people place great importance on welcoming people globally to immerse themselves in the Year of the Dragon’s celebratory spirit and share in the Spring Festival’s joy, warmth and     10    .

6 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. confusion   B. delivered     C. reflection        D. offer   E. context    F. set       G. signaled       H. fluent     I. torn       J. culture     K. genuine

This is a story about how a foreigner got confused about a Mexican word even though she could speak     1     Spanish. It happened when she     2     foot on Mexican soil for the first time. She asked an ice-cream seller for an ice-cream, and he said “ahorita.” She thought it would be     3     immediately because the word can be directly translated to “right now.” But she waited for half an hour and still no ice-cream came. When she asked the seller about it, he said “ahorita” again, with his face showing     4    . She felt     5     between waiting and walking away. Finally, she had to go home, so she     6     to the seller that she could not wait any longer. Years later back in Mexico, she came to realise that the meaning of “ahorita” changes according to its     7    . It could mean “tomorrow,” “within five years,” “never,” or even “no, thanks” when one wants to refuse an     8    . “Ahorita Time” is a     9     of different cultural understandings of time. That is, understanding “ahorita” takes not a fluency in the language, but a fluency in the    10    .

7 . 用所给单词的适当形式填空，每词限用一次，有两个词是多余的。

celebrate, admire,   energy,   starve,   feast,   memory,   origin, arrive,   agriculture,   custom,   gather,   gain

Thanksgiving Day is a special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends     1     to eat and give thanks for their blessings.

Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it     2     in late fall,   after the crops are harvested.

The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich     3     harvest. Early in the 16th century,   the     4     Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth,   Massachusetts. But in the first winter of their     5     they had a difficult time. They suffered a lot and many of the Pilgrims even     6     to death. It was in the next year that they     7     a good harvest. So Governor (州长) Bradford declared a three-day     8    . The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food. Such is the     9     of Thanksgiving Day.

In time,   other colonies (殖民地) began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before Thanksgiving Day became a national     10    . During the Civil War,   President Abraham Lincoln announced the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today,   Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November while Canadians, their neighbours, celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the second Monday in October.

10 . After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

A. harmony   B. refer   C. accompanied   D. respect   E. formal   F. select G. symbolic   H. youth   I. divided   J. left   K. entire

24 Solar Terms

The 24 Solar Terms are part of the traditional Chinese calendar. It is known as the “fifth great invention” of China, coming after paper-making, printing, gunpowder and compass.

In the ancient days, they were important instructions for the agricultural production as well as people's daily lives. Starting with the “Start of Spring” and ending with “Major Cold”, each season was    1     into six solar terms, each with a time span of 15 days.

The “Start of Spring”, “Start of Summer”, "Start of Autumn" and “Start of Winter” divided a year into four seasons. The “Vernal Equinox” and “Autumn Equinox”    2     to the time when the days and nights are of equal length, while the “Summer Solstice” sees the longest day and the shortest night in the Northern Hemisphere. It is the contrary on the day of the “Winter Solstice”. There are also some other solar terms which marks things like temperature, growth of the crops, and weather conditions.

From generation to generation, the experience in farming and daily life has been passed. Many farmers still rely on the solar terms now to decide what should do in the fields. The influences of the ancient way of dividing time have in fact gone beyond farming into the    3     lives of the Chinese people, even their mindset.

Most of the solar terms bear rich    4    , social and cultural connotations（含义）, such as traditional celebrations, rituals and even festivals. For instance, the “Pure Brightness” is also marked as the tomb-sweeping day, when people pay    5     to the lost ones.

Even today, people still eat dumplings during the “Start of Winter” and porridge when autumn starts. Besides, some rituals were also marked in different areas of China. The Zhuang people in south China hold    6     banquets to celebrate Frost Festival during the “Start of Spring”.

Every time a new term begins in China, the Chinese social media would see a wave of ceremonial posts from the    7    . The ancient calendar has never been    8     behind by the development of information technology.

    9     by the photos, paintings and essays, it is not hard to imagine that the ancient concept of respect for nature, as well as the philosophy of    10     between man and nature would have even longer life and stronger vitality, together with the Chinese history.