1 . 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.

2 . 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    .

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. 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    .

4 . 选词填空

A. venturing	B. quoted	C. interview	D. sponsor	E. historical	F. launch
G. relatively	H. professional	I. traced	J. facilities	K. regularly

Jiading--Centuries of History, Decades of Change

A book entitled “Jiading–Centuries of History, Decades of Change” by American writer Kate Baker has recently been published in Shanghai. New book launch was held last week at the Old China Hand Style, a major    1    of a series of walking guide books called “Beyond the Concession: Six Walks in Shanghai’s Other Districts.” And Baker’s “Jiading” runs the fourth among the six.

From a foreign point of view, the book has    2    the history of Jiading District back between the year Tang Dynasty(618-907) and the Song Dynasty(960-1279), when Jiading had been “a leading economic and intellectual influence in the region long before Shanghai became a major trading port,” as Bakeris     3    in her book.

Baker first landed in Shanghai in 2011 with her husband, an engineer with Ford, who was sent to work in Shanghai to prepare for the    4    of the Lincoln brand in China. “I and my husband have been traveling around the world in the past 20 years,” Baker said at a(n)    5    with Shanghai Daily. “Wherever I go, I would jump into the local history and culture quickly and deeply.”

Having taken a 15-month online course of Chinese with Harvard’s “ChinaX”, Baker started    6    out on her own. An occasional excursion into the north west of Shanghai, she “discovered” and fell in love with Jiading. Since then, she has visited Jiading    7    , bringing family, friends, and tour groups. At the end of 2013, the Jiading Tourism Bureau officially invited Baker to write a book on Jiading.

With up-to-date facts, useful information and    8    pictures, Baker’s “Jiading” is a well researched guide about interesting areas less than one hour from Shanghai. There are chapters on celebrating the seasonal and agricultural festivals that are unique to the region; stories of    9    figures living in Jiading; changes to the Nanxiang Old Town; tours to numerous gardens, museums and temples; and the development of outdoor recreational activities in Jiading’s Anting Town, such as the F1 car racing, horse riding and golf.

With good public    10    and enough green space, Baker sees Jiading a high growth district of Shanghai, which offers a quality of lifestyle and tourism. “I see a better-planned and forward-thinking of the district government. And I sincerely thank the people of Jiading who welcomed me to their community and trusted me with their narrative,” Baker says.

5 . 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. astronomical     B. awe       C. enduring   D. facilitated     E. generated     F. massive   G. pointing       H. primitive I. represented   J. spirit       K. isolation

Stonehenge

Stonehenge in southern England ranks the world’s most symbolic archaeological (考古的) sites and one of its greatest mysteries. The huge stone circle on Salisbury Plain inspires     1     and fascination—but also intense debate some 4,600 years after it was built by ancient Britons who left no written record.

The monument’s mysterious past has     2     countless tales and theories. According to folklore, Stonehenge was created by Merlin, who magically transported the     3     stones from Ireland, where giants had put them up. Another legend says the armies from Denmark put the stones up, and another theory says they were the ruins of a Roman temple.

Modern debate over the monument’s meaning has two main camps: those who see it as a religious site, and others who believe it represents a scientific observatory and also a kind of     4     computer used for working out dates. Both camps base their theories on the site’s     5     influence. The position of the stones     6     to the sun and moon is taken as evidence of rituals linked to the changing seasons and the summer and winter solstices (冬至和夏至).

Competing to solve the     7     prehistoric puzzle is Sheffield University’s Mike Parker Pearson, co-leader of the Stonehenge Riverside Project, which is partly funded by the National Geographic Society. Discoveries by the project team supported the claim that Stonehenge was a center for religious activities linked by the River Avon and two ceremonial avenues to a matching wooden circle at nearby Durrington Walls. The two circles with their temporary and permanent structures     8    , respectively, the living and the dead, according to Parker Pearson.

“Stonehenge isn’t a monument in     9    ,” he says. “It is actually one of a pair—one in stone, one in wood. The theory is that Stonehenge is a kind of     10     home to the ancestors.”

6 . Directions: 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 more word than you need.

A. established       B. cultural       C. freely       D. introduce       E. official F. release       G. extremely       H. attraction       I. drew       J. unexpectedly K. mystery

A large-scale cultural exploration program National Treasure made its first show on CCTV on Sunday night. In the first episode, the Palace Museum in Beijing showcased three treasures.

As a     1     variety show, the National Treasure aims to showcase the background stories of national treasures and     2     various art forms. In the show, “national treasure keepers” acted by famous and common people will present treasures, telling their stories with the collections and interpreting the historical     3    . The show aims to inspire the ancient Chinese civilization and make the national treasures “come alive”.

This is not the first time for the Palace Museum in Beijing to be     4     welcomed online in China, thanks to its efforts in cultural products and self-promotion in recent years.

Last year, the museum     5     so much attention because of the huge success of the three-episode TV documentary, Masters in the Forbidden City and a movie with the same name. Over the last few years, the museum has     6     495 signposts and 1,400 new chairs have been provided. In addition, the Palace Museum opened a (an)     7     online store on e-commerce platform Taobao, selling related products. It also started their self-promotion through new media, publishing articles to promote the culture of the museum. It     8     swept the Internet by its humorous style and interesting content. At the same time, the Palace Museum has published several mobile apps, one of which saw over 200,000 downloads just two weeks after its     9     in 2013. Its self-promotion has achieved great results. In 2012, the museum saw 15 million visitors. And it received 16 million visitors last year.

The museum is also a popular     10     among foreign leaders. For example, US President Donald Trump and his wife visited the Palace Museum on Nov 8.

7 . 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. live B. adapted C. perspective D. maximize E. costumes F. inject G. credited H. directorial I. publicity J. prospect K. integrated

Young Chinese opera director broadens traditional art form

“Chinese opera art is like a huge sponge, constantly absorbing, transforming, merging and flourishing,” says traditional Chinese opera director Li Zhuoqun, who is     1    with creating a market for traditional opera shows in small theaters across China.

Performed in 2013, Li Zhuoqun’s first     2    work “Death Do Us Part” is a story     3    from the 14th-century Chinese classic novel “Water Margin”. Li, a graduate of the National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, says that performing this classic piece for today’s audience is an experiment and a challenge.

“We decided to shorten the divorce scene that lasted four or five days in order to     4     the effect of our vocals and dramatic performances. We also invited modern dancers to work with us. We     5    the performance methods of traditional opera with the rhythm of modern dance.”

Li defines her team as “small, deep, refined and broad”. She explained, “‘Small’ in its size, volume and     6    . ‘Deep’ refers to our performance and the depth of the script. ‘Refined’ refers to the production of the     7     makeup, props, sound and light. ‘Broad’ refers to its     8     and operation.”

“We target all ages and a wider audience.” To Li, traditional opera is “the art of regret” due to the unique charm of     9     performances. She aims to allow the audience to enjoy every minute of the show and draw more people to the theater. Li said, “We hope to find a possibility for small theater opera to make a breakthrough in terms of the market and target audience. With the development of aesthetics (审美) and society, our generation needs to     10    a wider and more varied artistic vocabulary into traditional opera. Yet it should still develop on the basis of maintaining the characteristics of traditional opera.”

8 . Directions: Complete the following passages 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. significant        B. collection        C. safe                     D. controversy       E. tolerance F. majority              G. restored              H. colonized        I. diverse        J. negotiated        K. shared

When we visit museums, we see cultural artifacts -from everyday household items to precious carvings and statues, that give us glimpses into the     1     cultures and communities from around the world. However,     2     surrounds these artifacts and whether or not countries should return these pieces of culture if they were stolen or forcefully taken during colonization.

By the 18th and 19th centuries, European countries such as Britain, France and the Netherlands had     3     many African and Asian countries. During their rule, they either seized artifacts or took them as spoils of wars, and brought them to their own countries where they are now displayed in museums.

In 2017, the Government of Benin in West Africa     4     with the British Museum in London to return their renowned Benin Bronzes, a     5     of thousands of metal sculptures and plaques, which were previously hung in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Benin.

The debate regarding this issue took a turn in 2018 when under President Emmanuel Macron a report was released that directed that all heritage objects brought to French museums (without the permission of their original countries) be     6    . With the official release of this report. museums all across Europe began reconsidering their previous policies on colonial treasures.

Those who propose returning these objects to their original homes argue that with technology enabling virtual museum tours, returning these artifacts to their homeland does not take away the opportunity to learn about them. Furthermore, the country of origin will receive a     7     part of their heritage back, and these artifacts will be given a chance to be truly appreciated under proper historical context. Those against the restoration claim that culture is a     8     treasure and the artifacts are in fact “cultural ambassadors” that promote     9     and understanding They believe that while stealing them was wrong, history is full of “good” and “bad” actors. Moreover, they feel that keeping the cultural objects in the current museums have kept millions of artifacts     10     from disfiguration and damage.