2 . 阅读短文，在空白处填入适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th day of the 1st lunar month, usually in February or early March in the solar calendar.    1     (date) back to the Western Han Dynasty (202 BC-8 AD), it    2    (become) a grand festival with great significance. Till today, the festival is still held each year around the country.

In the daytime of the festival,     3    (performance) such as dragon dances, lion dances, land boat dances and beating drums while dancing are staged . At night, lanterns of different colors and shapes are lit up in the streets,     4     (attract)   crowds of people. Children will hold self-made or bought lanterns to walk on the streets,     5    (extreme) excited. People also like solving lantern riddles that day. Lantern owners write riddles on a piece of paper and post them on the lanterns. If visitors have solutions    6     the riddles, they can pull the paper out and go to the owners to check their answers. If they’re right, they will get    7     small gift as a reward. Besides, the festival is a day    8     (appreciate) the full moon and eat yuanxiao.

Some aspects of the festival are fading nowadays,     9     people still see the Lantern Festival as a chance to spend with family and wish for    10    (happy).

3 . 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。

On Thursday morning, Jason Sean joined a long line of people     1     (eager) waiting to buy a commemorative Year of the Dragon stamp     2     (issue) by the US Postal Service. He was among the     3     (participant) who waited at the International District/Chinatown Community Center in Seattle, Washington, for the first day of the issue ceremony for the stamp. Sean said     4     (purchase) stamps to celebrate the Lunar New Year is a tradition in his family.

For many Asian Americans, the Lunar New Year offers the chance     5     (leave) behind the troubles of the past year and invite prosperity and good luck moving forward. This Year of the Dragon stamp ceremony     6     (recognize) the importance of the diversity and cultural significance Asian Americans bring to the United States and provides Seattle with     7     opportunity to promote the significance of the Lunar New Year.

    8     more than three decades, the Postal Service has issued stamps highlighting the Lunar New Year, and it has been some of the most successful stamp releases in the long history of the Postal Service,     9     has various workplaces in the United States, and its customer base is as     10     (diversity) as the country itself. This stamp is a great example that reflects the nation’s rich, multicultural heritage and traditions.

4 . I hesitated when my friend suggested that we join the school’s new Tai Chi club. I used to think that tai chi was for the elderly. However, the first class changed my previous understanding of tai chi. A year later, I can say that tai chi has had a huge impact on me.

The first few tai chi classes were fun and easy, and the moves with descriptive names really caught my imagination, like “white crane spreading its wings” and “golden rooster standing on one leg.” When I asked my coach where these interesting names came from, he told me about the history of tai chi. Zhang Sanfeng, a 13th-century Taoist, was said to have invented tai chi after drawing inspiration from a fight between a snake and a bird. However, nowadays people tend to believe that Chen Wangting, a 17th-century master of Chinese martial arts, developed tai chi based on martial arts skills.

After the first few basic tai chi lessons, I found myself bored and aching from doing the same slow moves over and over again. Fortunately, my coach taught me how to relax my muscles and focus on peace of mind during ever, day practice. With these requirements of tai chi in mind, I found to my satisfaction that my balance and flexibility slowly improved, that I was able to do more difficult moves, and that my love for tai chi returned stronger than ever.

Meanwhile, I started to explore the ancient Chinese culture behind tai chi. I discovered that tai chi is deeply rooted in the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang, which are believed to form the the unity of opposite. Neither can exist independent of the other. The practice of tai chi aims to keep the balance of yin and yang in the body through opposite movements: forwards and backwards, up and down, left and right, breathing in and breathing out. Ultimately, tai chi brings about a state of physical balance and mental peace.

The experience of a year of tai chi has affected my everyday life positively. I sleep more soundly at night, and feel more energetic during the day. I feel happier and more confident. Tai chi has taught me to relax my mind, enabling me to stay calm in stressful situations. I am sure I will continue to practise tai chi and enjoy the benefits it has brought me.

1. Why did the author join the Tai Chi Club?

A．Because of his friend’s advice.	B．Because of his interest in it.
C．Because of the school’s request.	D．Because of his parents’ suggestion.

2. Which of the following words can describe the moves of tai chi?

A．Quick and beautiful.	B．Quick and free.
C．Slow and beautiful.	D．Slow and boring.

3. What is the Chinese culture behind tai chi?

A．Tai chi is influenced by Laozi’s philosophy of water.

B．Tai chi can have a positive effect in people’s lives.

C．You can find the origin of tai chi in the Chinese philosophy of yin and yang.

D．Tai chi can make people feel energetic and confident.

4. What does the underlined word mean?

A．Finally

B．Sometimes

C．Firstly

D．Constantly

5 . FROM PROBLEMS TO SOLUTIONS

Economic development is necessary if we want to improve society. There comes a time when the old must give way to the new, and it is not possible to preserve everything from our past as we move towards the future. Finding and keeping the right balance between progress and the protection of cultural sites can be a big challenge.

Big challenges, however, can sometimes lead to great solutions. In the 1950s, the Egyptian government wanted to build a new dam across the Nile in order to control floods, produce electricity, and supply water to more farmers in the area. But the proposal led to protests. Water from the dam would likely damage a number of temples and destroy cultural relics that were an important part of Egypt’s cultural heritage. After listening to the scientists who had studied the problem, and citizens who lived near the dam, the government turned to the United Nations for help in 1959.

A committee was established to limit damage to the Egyptian buildings and prevent the loss of cultural relics. The group asked for contributions from different departments and raised funds within the international community. Experts investigated the issue, conducted several tests, and then made a proposal for how the buildings could be saved. Finally, a document was signed, and the work began in 1960.

The project brought together governments and environmentalists from around the world. Temples and other cultural sites were taken down piece by piece, and then moved and put back together again in a place where they were safe from the water.In 1961, German engineers moved the first temple. Over the next 20 years, thousands of engineers and workers rescued 22 temples and countless cultural relics. Fifty countries donated nearly $80 million to the project.

When the project ended in 1980, it was considered a great success. Not only had the countries found a path to the future that did not run over the relics of the past, but they had also learnt that it was possible for countries to work together to build a better tomorrow.

The spirit of the Aswan Dam project is still alive today. Perhaps the best example is shown by UNESCO, which runs a programme that prevents world cultural heritage sites around the world from disappearing. If a problem seems too difficult for a single nation, the global community can sometimes provide a solution.

1. In which year is the first temple moved?

A．1959.

B．1961.

C．1960.

D．1980

2. Why did the Egyptian government want to attempt the building of the dam?

A．Because they wanted to control floods and help economic development.

B．Because they thought it not necessary to preserve everything from the past.

C．Because the project could bring together governments and environmentalists from around the world.

D．Because they could get help from the global community.

3. How were the temples and other cultural sites saved?

A．They were rebuilt in other higher places.

B．They were moved to places with no water.

C．They were preserved in museums.

D．They were taken down piece by piece and moved to other places where they would be safe from the water.

4. How long did it take to complete the project?

A．2 years.

B．19 years.

C．20 years.

D．21 years.

6 . The 24 solar terms are part of the traditional Chinese calendar. The Chinese people divided a year in-to 24 segments (片段) based on the sun’s position in the zodiac (黄道十二宫).     1     They reflect the changes of the seasons, climate and phenology (生物气候学). The Yellow River Basin in north-ern China is believed to be the cradle (摇篮) of the solar terms system.

Solar terms were instructions for agricultural production and people’s daily lives. They mark things like seasons, temperature, precipitation(降水), growth of the crops and weather conditions.     2     Most of the solar terms bear with them rich social and cultural meanings. For instance, during the “Start of Winter”, people eat dumplings.    3    , when people pay respect to those they have lost.

The ancient calendar remains relevant to this day.    4    , and we must protect it. The cultural legacy reflects the Chinese people’s respect for nature and tradition, their unique understanding of the universe, their wisdom to live in harmony with nature and the world’s cultural diversity, said Zhang Ling, an official with the Ministry of Culture in 2017.

    5    . Their creativity and consciousness can bring new life to ancient culture. Many young people have already been contributing their energy and strength to this feat. In fact, they have been living up to this challenge through rather artistic means. Many photos, essays and paintings have centered around the theme of the 24 solar terms and expressed the vitality and rich tradition of Chinese history.

A．Each segment is called a solar term

B．The “Pure Brightness” is also referred to as Tomb-Sweeping Day

C．The sun’s positions bring about many things related to human life

D．Their wisdom for life and nature made the traditional festival popular today

E．It is the youth of China who can best help carry on this significant part of our culture

F．Many farmers still rely on the solar terms to work in the fields

G．This has long been a central element of life in China

7 . The Lantern Festival falls on the 15th of the first month of the lunar calendar. This day is always the first full moon in the new year. Ancient people also called it Shangyuan Festival. Celebrations and traditions on this day began from the Han Dynasty and became popular in the Tang Dynasty.

Watching the red lanterns is one of the main traditions. Lanterns of different shapes and sizes are usually put on trees, or along river banks on show. It is said that sky lanterns were first used by Zhuge Kongming to ask for help when he was in trouble. Today, when the lanterns slowly rise into the air, people make wishes. Another tradition is guessing lantern riddles. The riddles are usually short, wise, and sometimes humorous (幽默的). The answer to a riddle can be a Chinese character, a famous person’s name, or a place name.

The most important thing is to eat sweet dumplings with different tastes. In northern China, they are called yuanxiao while in southern part they’re named tangyuan. Because making sweet dumplings is like a game or an activity, they are usually done happily by a group of friends or family members.

In old times, the Lantern Festival was also a good time for young people to find love. Watching lanterns gave young people a chance to meet each other. And there were many romantic stories about this festival. A line from Xin Qiji, a poet during the Song Dynasty, shows this, “Hundreds and thousands of times I searched for her in the crowd. Suddenly I turned, and there she stood in the dim light.”

In a word, the Lantern Festival has brought us Chinese so much fun and joy over the years. We hope the young people can carry on these traditions and take pride in Chinese culture.

1. In ancient times, sky lanterns were first used for ______by Zhuge Kongming.

A．ask for help	B．guessing lantern riddles
C．making wishes	D．celebrating people’s birthdays

2. Which of the following is NOT true about sweet dumplings?

A．They have different tastes.

B．People enjoy the process of making them.

C．They are named “yuanxiao” all over the country.

D．People usually make them with family and friends.

3. The line from Xin Qiji in the passage shows the Lantern Festival was ______in old times.

A．necessary

B．demanding

C．romantic

D．important

8 . 假定你是李华，春节将至，你的英语老师要求同学们写一篇关于春节的英语短文，内容包括：
1.你的春节计划；
2.你对大家的春节祝福。
注意：
1.写作词数应为 80 左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

My Plans for the Coming Spring Festival

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