1 . China has named the nation’s first Mars rover (火星车) Zhu Rong. For all of us, Zhu Rong is a well-suited name.

In an ancient Chinese story, Zhu Rong had the face of a man and the body of an animal. H rode on two dragons.

When he had a big fight with Gong Gong, the god of water, Zhu Rong won. But after the fight, the human world came into complete darkness. Then he brought fire from heaven to the world.

“Zhu Rong is regarded as the earliest god of fire in traditional Chinese culture,” a space official said. “The first Mars rover was named Zhu Rong. The name symbolizes light and hope for space exploration in our country, and means to guide humans to continue exploration.”

After leaving the earth last summer, Zhu Rong circled Mars for several months and landed on it in May. In recent years, our country has sent up the world’s first quantum satellite (量子卫星), and Chang’e-4 has made a soft landing on the moon. We have made great progress in space technology and will soon start building our own space station.

1. What Zhu Rong brought from heaven to the world was ________.

A．fire

B．wars

C．water

D．animals

2. For China’s space exploration, the name Zhu Rong symbolizes ________.

A．a big fight

B．complete darkness

C．light and hope

D．Chinese culture

3. The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to “________”.

A．the earth

B．Mars

C．the moon

D．the sun

4. According to the passage, we can infer that ________.

A．Zhu Rong is a bad person in an ancient Chinese story

B．China has made great progress in space technology

C．the writer is proud of China’s space technology

D．the official doesn’t like the name Zhu Rong

2 . In traditional stick puppet shows in Shanxi, puppeteers hold up and manipulate (操控) the puppets using three rods (杆). The puppets are dressed in traditional costumes and frolic (嬉戏) on stage. They are able to change their facial expressions and perform complicated movements.

Such art can’t be created without the painstaking effort of puppet makers like Wang Maowei, 40, who is from Xiaoyi, Shanxi.

“When I chose puppet-making as a teenager, I gradually fell in love with it and decided to dedicate myself to the craft,” Wang said. In 2008, Xiaoyi’s stick puppet plays were added to the national intangible cultural heritage list.

It takes 40 to 50 days to make a stick puppet. The average height of a puppet is 75 centimeters to 1 meter, and they have different costumes to fit various plays and plots. “To make puppets, you need to have sensitivity and a basic foundation in the fine arts,” Wang said.

Traditional Xiaoyi puppet plays use the style of local operas, which are appealing to the elderly. Years ago, Wang realized that plays must cater to the market. He decided to start with the appearance of the puppets.

Stick puppets are traditionally carved from wood and are both time-consuming to make and heavy to hold. Wang found that a special kind of kraft paper is a perfect substitute (替代品). It means craftspeople can put things inside the puppets’ heads to allow them to be operated — the nose, eyes and mouth of a puppet can all move via the use of rods.

Journey to the West, a classic Chinese novel, has been frequently adapted in puppet shows. In the tale, the Monkey King can use his eyes to distinguish monsters from ordinary human beings. To recreate this power in his show, Wang makes the Monkey King puppet shoot laser beams (激光) from his eyes and spit (喷) fire from his mouth.

“It requires time and energy to create a delicate piece of work... These puppets are like my own children and I always take good care of them,” Wang said.

1. According to Wang Maowei, what specific skills are required for making stick puppets?

A．Creativity and imagination.

B．Patience and physical strength.

C．Sensitivity and a basic knowledge of fine arts.

D．Engineering and technological skills.

2. Why did Wang decide to use kraft paper for making stick puppets?

A．To reduce production time and effort.

B．To make puppets look more beautiful.

C．To reduce the costs of making puppets.

D．To make them lighter and easier to operate.

3. How does Wang make the Monkey King puppet unique?

A．By making it sing and dance.

B．By making it spit fire from its mouth.

C．By making it fly across the stage.

D．By making it shoot laser beams from its ears.

4. What does the underlined word “distinguish” in paragraph 7 most likely mean?

A．tell

B．appreciate

C．enjoy

D．prevent

3 . Long, long ago, rain stopped falling in China. The people prayed(祈祷)for rain to the Jade Emperor, who controlled everything in heaven(天庭), on the land and in the sea, but no matter how much they prayed, rain did not fall.

Four dragons in the East China Sea saw what was happening, and saw people eating grass from the ground, for the people had nothing else left to eat.

They thought of a way to help. They started swimming this way and that, scooping up water with their bodies. Then all four flew into the sky. Black Dragon flew to the north, Long Dragon to the west, Pearl Dragon to the south of China, and Yellow Dragon to the center of the country. All at once, they let the water fall from their mouths, arms, legs, and even their tails.The people could not see the dragons,         _ .“Rain!” they cried happily, and all the people and animals ran out into the rain and started to dance.

When the Jade Emperor saw the rain, he was very angry. Then he saw the four dragons flying around in the sky. He ordered Mountain God to kill the dragons.

When the four mountains landed on top of them and tried to crush(压扁) the four dragons, a strange thing happened. Suddenly four rivers formed, spreading across the whole country.

This is how the four great rivers (the Yangtze, the Yellow, the Pearl and the Heilongjiang) of China were created.

1. Why did the people pray Jade Emperor for rain?

A．Because he controlled the rain.	B．Because he had lots of rain.
C．Because he didn’t allow rain to fall.	D．Because there was much rain on earth.

2. What does the underlined word“they” refer to(指的是)?

A．The people.	B．The rivers.
C．The mountains.	D．The dragons.

3. Which of the following sentences can be put in the_      ?

A．but they could see the clouds from the sky

B．but they could see the rain falling from the sky

C．but they know the Jade Emperor helped them

D．but they think the Jade Emperor helped them

4. Which one is the best title for this passage?

A．Birth of four Chinese rivers	B．Punishment from Jade Emperor
C．Four Dragons and the Rain	D．Jade Emperor and Four Dragons

4 . ①Confucianism (儒家思想) has been followed by Chinese people for more than two thousand years.

②To help people understand how to behave towards others, Confucianism teaches the Five Constants (五常). These are ren, yi, li, zhi and xin. They are general virtues (美德) around the world. The most important two are ren and li.

③Ren is the feeling of care and love we should have for others. Confucius explained ren could best be understood as loving others. He is famous for teaching people “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” It is quite similar to what is known in the West as the Golden Rule (treat others as you wish to be treated).

④While the meaning of ren is easy to understand, li is a little harder to express. It can be thought of as duty or even respect. Generally, li is the way we should connect with people in our everyday life. In Confucian writings, discussions about li include the proper way to drink tea and how to remember ancestors (祖先). While ren is mostly about our opinions and feelings, li is about how we express our opinions and feelings towards others and towards the world around us.

⑤Perhaps the most well-known Confucian virtue is xiao. This is the duty children have to their parents. Xiao means loving, respecting, obeying and taking care of one’s parents in their old age. In Confucianism, xiao is important for a harmonious (和谐的) society: Without it, the whole world would fall into a mess.

1. What is the best Chinese translation of the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3?

A．博学于文，约之以礼。	B．学而不思则罔，思而不学则殆。
C．己所不欲，勿施于人。	D．君子和而不同，小人同而不和。

2. Which of the following is an example of li?

A．Building a peaceful society.	B．Taking care of one’s children.
C．Obeying rules for drinking tea.	D．Learning all through one’s life.

3. What’s the writer’s purpose of writing this passage?

A．To tell us about general virtues in Confucianism.

B．To let us know the long history of Confucianism.

C．To show us the new challenges in the development of Confucianism.

D．To explain the golden rules in Confucianism.

4. Which of the following shows the structure of this passage?

A．	B．
C．	D．

5 . The Lunar Calendar (农历) Modern Chinese use the solar calendar (阳历) as English people do. But at the same time, they use their own lunar calendar. Each lunar year is given the name of one of these animals: the rat, the ox, the tiger, the hare, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the goat, the monkey, the chicken, the dog and the pig. This list lasts for 12 years and then starts again.

Each Chinese month starts on the day of the new moon. And the full moon comes on the 15th day of the month. The New Year always starts between January 21 and February 20. On the last day of the lunar year, there is a big family dinner. All members of the family except married daughters try to be present at this meal, even they have to travel many miles to reach the home of their parents. Old quarrels are forgotten, and everybody is happy. After the dinner, the children keep awake to welcome the New Year.

The New Year celebrations last for 15 days, from the new moon to the full moon. On the first day , children and unmarried people go to visit their elders.

1. If next year is the year of the goat, what was the name of last year?

A．It was the year of tiger.	B．It was the year of the hare.
C．It was the year of snake.	D．It was the year of the ox.

2. Suppose that next Chinese New Year’s Day is on 15th February, when will people have their big family dinner ?

A．On February 15.

B．On February 16.

C．On February 14.

D．On February 17.

3. The family usually have their big family dinner at the home of ________ .

A．the married son

B．the married daughter

C．the unmarried son

D．the parents

4. From this selection we know that______.

A．old Chinese use the solar calendar (阳历) as English people do

B．each Chinese month starts on the day of the new sun

C．on the first day, children and married people go to visit their elders

D．each lunar year is given the name of animals

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Applause (掌声) rang across Zhaxizom town last month. The air was filled     1     excitement as players sang and danced     2     (happy). The event marked the beginning of the town’s music and food festival. Zhaxizom is at an altitude of 4,200 meters at the foot of Mount Qomolangma, the world’s highest peak, which is known in English as Mount Everest.

“I planned     3     (head) straight to Mount Qomolangma Base Camp, but when I arrived in this small town, the     4     (amaze) festival caught my eye and I decided to stay for several more days to enjoy the music and food here before     5     (continue) my journey,” said one traveler Zhang, who is from Liaoning province.

Migmar Lhamo, a college student     6     lives in Zhaxizom, said, “The festival will allow people to learn about our town. It will become a new     7     (attract) for people.” Migmar Lhamo believes the festival will play     8     important role in improving the development of the local culture and tourism.

According to the county government, more activities such as live music shows, firework displays and food fairs     9     (organize) as part of future festivals to provide both locals and     10     (tourist) with an extremely impressive experience of local culture. “The music and food festival will help the growth of the local economy,” Zhu said.

7 . 阅读下面短文, 在空白处填入 1 个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Flames in kilns (窑) around China    1     (burn) since the Xia and Shang dynasties. Along the way, porcelain (瓷器) was born.

Porcelain is made by heating raw materials, often a mix between China stone     2     clay, in a kiln at a temperature as high as 1,200 degree Celsius. Temperature is key    3     making porcelain. Going through the fire of reinvention at a high temperature bestows (给予) porcelain with greater strength and a feast of colors.

Celadon produced in Longquan, Zhejiang province, a technique passed down for more than 1,600 years,    4     (be) a typical example of caftsmen’s pursuit of the perfect green glint (闪耀). It takes 72 steps    5     (produce) Longquan celadon’s jade-like green. Plum green and light green, or tianqing, are two colors of the best quality.

Porcelain has also been a carrier for cultural exchanges. Along with China’s silk and tea, porcelain was one of the commodities    6     (trade) worldwide. As it travelled around the globe through the ancient Maritime Silk Road, porcelain enjoyed great    7     (popular) among royal families and upper classes in Europe.

Porcelain began as a practical utensil and    8     (grow) into pieces of art. Even when shattered (打碎) into pieces and buried deep in mud,    9     (culture) values attached to porcelain would never dissipate.

As a memory    10     can be felt with both hands, porcelain is touchable history.

8 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The official mascots (吉祥物) of the 19^th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 — three sporty robots    1    (name) Congcong, Lianlian, and Chenchen —    2     (introduce) to the public at a digital launch ceremony in Hangzhou, China    3    April 3, 2020. Each represents a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the host city.

The robot Congcong represents the Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu City. Its name comes from the Cong jade pendant (玉琮) — a classic relic unearthed from the Ruins    4    dates back around 5000 years. The robot Lianlian represents West Lake and its name means the endless lotus (莲花)     5     (leaf) on West Lake. The robot Chenchen represents the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and it takes its name from the Gongchen Bridge, a landmark structure on    6    Hangzhou section of the Grand Canal. They stand for not only the joy of sports but the peak of     7     (culture) and economic development.

Raja Randhir Singh, the acting president of the Olympic Council of Asia, said    8    the mascots showed the smart intelligence of the modern world     9    the energy of the future. “The mascots are rich in content, combining Chinese culture, the characteristics of the city of Hangzhou, and the spirit of the Asian Games and the Asian continent.” Together, they are calling out to Asia and the world, inviting everyone    10     (meet) in Hangzhou for the Asian Games 2022.

9 . Peng Jingxuan, a 26-year-old Chinese girl, is now studying in a music university in Paris. While learning abroad, she is also working at spreading traditional Chinese culture to the world. She can often be found on French streets, wearing a silk Han Dynasty-style dress and playing the guzheng to passers-by.

Born in 1995, Peng began to learn the guzheng when she was seven years old. After arriving in France in late 2017, she saw many people do street performances, but few of them knew about Chinese music. So she decided to play the guzheng on the streets.

Peng made her first performance in front of a theater in October, 2018. “I was very nervous at that time, but a lot of people said they enjoyed my performance,” Peng said. Then she started to perform during weekends and holidays. After being asked plenty of times by local people about the guzheng, Peng now carries a book that explains the instrument to foreigners. Later, she posted her first video of playing the guzheng online and it spread quickly. From then on, Peng has posted many videos of her street performances. The videos have got many likes and made her a very popular guzheng artist. She has millions of fans on the Internet now.

More and more people show great interest in the guzheng after watching Peng’s performances. “People come to me and praise me for the beauty of the instrument and the music. Every time they ask me which country the guzheng comes from, I am very happy to tell them it’s from China.” Peng feels she has more responsibility to spread traditional culture. “What is national is universal. I hope to play a bigger role in making Chinese music known by the world.” said Peng.

1. Why did Peng decide to play the guzheng on the streets in Paris?

A．Because she needed to make money for her education.

B．Because she wanted to become famous.

C．Because she found few people there knew about Chinese music.

D．Because she wanted to make videos to post online.

2. What’s the correct order of the following events?
①put her first video online
②got many fans
③went to Paris
④made her first performance

A．③④①②

B．①②③④

C．③①④②

D．①④②③

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Advising people to visit Pang.	B．Telling the story of a popular guzheng artist.
C．Asking people to learn the guzheng.	D．Encouraging readers to do street performances.

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

There is a popular Chinese saying-“Guilin’s landscape is the best under heaven”. A city in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, Guilin is one of the most popular tourist     1     (destination) in the country.

In 2022, it     2     (attract) hordes of theater lovers with its inaugural Guilin Festival, which took place from Dec 10 to 18.

In its second year, the festival     3     (hold) from Oct 27 to Nov 5, both indoors and outdoors,    4    (feature) live performances and screening of theatrical productions from home and abroad.

The festival is co-organized by the Central Academy of Drama.    5     the first time, the festival will offer a platform,    6     was co-initiated by the Central Academy of Drama in 2015 and aims     7     (promote) cultural exchange and the development of theater education.

“In 2022, the Guilin Festival was     8     great success, attracting more than 10, 000 attendees from around the country and staging over 128 performances,” says Liu Xinglin, a professor at the Central Academy of Drama and the artistic     9     (direct) of Guilin Festival.

“This year, the festival will continue to serve as a platform for global artists to communicate,    10     a destination for theater lovers to enjoy a diversity of programs.”