1 . Grain Rain is the sixth solar term (节气) in the twenty-four solar terms, which is from an old Chinese saying — rain produces hundreds of grains.     1    .

The Chinese name of Grain Rain was originated from a folk story. When Cang Jie, an official in the Yellow Emperor period, created a set of characters from observing the tracks of animals, countless grain came down from the sky like rainfall.     2    . Because of the legend, April 20 has been named as the annual UN Chinese Language Day since 2010 by the United Nations’ Department of Public Information. It is roughly around the Grain Rain day, which falls between April 19 and April 21.

    3    . The southern China has the custom of picking tea in the Grain Rain season. The newly-picked spring tea in the Grain Rain season is rich in nutrients (营养物) and has the functions of heat-clearing and eyesight-clearing.     4    .

Seeing peonies (牡丹) three days after Grain Rain has become a tradition in northern China. Because the flowering of the peonies happens during Grain Rain, it is also known as the “Flower of the Grain Rain”.     5    . Chinese people also link peonies with wealth and rank.

A．There is an interesting folk story about Grain Rain

B．The customs of Grain Rain vary from place to place

C．Therefore, the Yellow Emperor named this day as guyu

D．The flower represents grace and honor in Chinese culture

E．They play an important role in our traditional farming society

F．This means the rain is important for the growth of grain at this time of year

G．On the day of Grain Rain, people will come to pick some new tea and drink it

2 . 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。

Every year, from the 15th to the 18th day of the lunar month of March, the girls in the Miaozhai Village, situated by the Dou Shui River     1     Wuzhishan City and Baoting County meet,     2     (happy) celebrate the traditional Sister Festival.

During these days, following the age-old customs of the Heinan Miao people, they have a special meal known as the “Sister Rice”. It     3     (make) by girls picking wildflowers and leaves from the mountains, dyeing (给……染色) the rice different colors,     4     steaming (蒸) it. After     5     (enjoy) the rice, they join young men in special clothes for sports activities by the river.

Legend has it that the festival originated from the following story: A long time ago, many girls lived by the Dou Shui River. Due to its remote location, it was difficult for them     6     (meet) people from other places, and as a result, they remained unmarried. Later they came up with a     7     (wonder) idea. In March, each girl contributed some rice and invited girls and young men from other areas for a meal. During the meal, they did various lively     8     (activity): some sang and danced, some raced horses, some played drums, and a few even did bullfighting. Over time, the local girls and the visiting young men developed deep friendships, which eventually led     9     lifelong partnerships.

Since then, the village     10     (continue) the tradition, celebrating the Sister Festival every year.

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。

Art Nova 100 has returned to its regular venues near Beijing’s Wangfujing commercial area, offering a more diverse program this year. It’s     1    , annual celebration launched 13 years ago to promote and support artists. Exhibitions are     2     (current) taking place at the Guardian ArtCenter and Longfu Plaza in Dongcheng district, as. well as at the Rong Art space in Haidian district. They showcase recent works of       3     (emerge) artists and foster connections within the historic city center and       4     (it) surrounding university neighborhoods.

Each year, the exhibitions serve as a platform, spotlighting the     5     (innovate) creations of young artists. And they also provide opportunities       6     potential collectors and sponsors to engage with and support these rapidly growing talents.

A new     7     (add) to this year’s program is a creative section, which links shops located in the hutong alleyways run by artists, designers, and other individuals. The aim of this is       8     (enhance) attendees’ experiences by demonstrating     9     art can be integrated into their lives, inspiring new ways of living.

The activities     10     (continue) throughout the following holiday week, offering compelling opportunity for art enthusiasts and the community at large to engage with and be inspired by the burgeoning creativity showcased at Art Nova 100.

4 . 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。

Everybody dreams, but different cultures have different theories about what dreams are and how they should     1     (interpret). Chinese dream theory is based on ancient texts, beliefs, and traditions, originates from the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine,     2     offers very different dream meanings to Western psychologists and theorists.

Dreaming of a baby, on the one hand, can indicate your own     3     (pure) and simplicity, or it can suggest your own fragility and desire to be loved. Do not be afraid if you dream of death. It is not     4     (necessary) a bad thing. Dreaming of a dead person could mean that you want to forget some unpleasant past events and are ready to come out of frustration and welcome     5     new life. Don’t rely too heavily     6     one dream interpretation to assess your character or your future. But do rationally be mindful of any warnings     7     (contain) within your dreams: your subconscious could be calling out to you in your sleep.

Dreams have unstable     8     (characteristic). They are affected by many factors, for example changes in your environment, changes in sleep patterns, negative emotions, psychological pressure, etc. Moreover, Chinese dream theory is only one thought system for     9     (analyze) dreams. Figuring out     10     your dream content relates to can sometimes be a challenge.

5 . 清明节（Tomb-Sweeping Day/Qingming Festival) 即将来临，假如你是李伟，为了让同学们更加了解这个中国的传统节日，请你用自己的英文博客发表一篇博客文章。简要介绍一下清明节，要点如下：
1.清明节时间：每年的4月4—6日，可追溯到2000年前
2.节日的意义和习俗：1）追思亲人2）祭祖扫墓3）出游踏青
注意：1.字数要求在100字左右：
2.内容完整，书写工整，表达通顺，语言连贯。
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6 . 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。

Born and raised in a village in Hunan province, Liu Dai’e     1     (introduce) a new technique to the traditional craft of Tujia brocade (锦缎) weaving over the past two years, which in 2006 was named as a national intangible cultural heritage.

Made by skilled weavers and     2     (involve) more than 10 processes, Tujia brocade features over 200classic designs.

Liu, who is     3     her 60s, said: “Only one side of these traditional products is woven with patterns, while     4     other side is left rough. It took me seven years to master the technique of presenting distinctive Tujia     5     (element) on both sides to my complete     6     (satisfy).”

As a national inheritor of the craft, Liu said, “Handwork is present throughout the entire process, and     7     (produce) designs that are more delicate than others, I use one shuttle line, instead of two.”

In 1986, Liu launched a Tujia brocade business with her sisters. She sensed the way in     8     the local brocade industry needed to develop, and took     9     to a high-end customized market. After that, Liu became     10     (intense) aware of the popularity of products featuring traditional designs made from materials such as silk and wool.

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。

Qingtuan, or sweet green rice balls, is     1     typical and popular Qingming Festival (Tomb Sweeping Day ) food in China’s eastern provinces.

Qingtuan     2     (make) of a mixture of glutinous (黏的) rice flour and green plant juice, and stuffed with sweetened bean paste. A green plant called mugwort, or “Ai Cao” in Chinese, is     3     brings the color to the delicacy. This time of year is when the plant has just jumped out of the earth and is at its     4     (fine).

With some soda     5     (add) to the water, the plant is boiled into a state of paste. Normal rice flour is mixed into glutinous rice flour to make the rice ball sticky,     6     not too soft to be shaped. Next, the liquid is poured into the powder. This rice dough is then kneaded (揉) into little green balls.

The green rice balls can have various fillings, most traditionally being sesame (芝麻) or bean paste. But nowadays some people also make     7     (one) filled with pork meat, pickled vegetables and bamboo shoots.

    8     (date) back to the Tang dynasty, the sweet green rice balls have been around for some 1000 years.     9     (original) a food to sacrifice to ancestors, they have gradually become a dish of the season. For people who leave their hometowns for work elsewhere, the sweet green rice balls are a delicacy reminding them     10     home.

8 . 听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1. What interests the man most?

A．Chinese history.

B．Chinese opera.

C．Chinese music.

2. Why does the man learn Chinese poetry and novels?

A．To develop a new interest.

B．To take part in a competition.

C．To get a better understanding.

3. What impresses the man about Chinese literature?

A．Imagination.

B．Language.

C．Development.

9 . 假如你是李华，你的英国朋友James对中国传统节日非常感兴趣，并想向你了解一下即将到来的清明节，请给他写一封电子邮件，介绍一下清明节。要点如下：
1.清明节的概况：时间、活动、意义等；
2.你今年清明节的安排；
3.邀请James来中国感受传统节日。
注意：
1.可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
2.词数100词左右；
3.参考词汇：pay respects to 祭拜     sweep tombs 扫墓     offer sacrifices 供奉祭品
Dear James,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

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。

Two things are unique about 2024. First, it’s a leap year, and second, it has     1     same calendar as 1996. This has made 1996 calendars a hot item on websites like eBay,     2    some are sold for almost $200. On certain Chinese online platforms, the keywords “1996 calendar” have surged to the top of the search rankings,     3    (result) in a significant increase in the prices of these special vintage calendars.

In this wave of discussions about calendars, some netizens also asked, “Are there still people using paper calendars currently?” Regarding this, some netizens said, “Although everyone now uses electronic     4    (product), just like some people love to collect stamps, there are also many people who have a hobby of collecting old calendars.” “Anyway, I buy a calendar every New Year.”

A netizen exclaims, “When     5    (use) a paper calendar, one can better experience the     6    (pass) of time from brand new to gradually turning yellow calendar pages, and also each important day     7    (mark). This is the time I have experienced.”

It is not unusual for leap year calendars to be     8    (entire) identical. Every 28-year cycle, leap year calendars will be precisely the same. Are you wondering when your 2024 calendar will repeat? You can reuse it in 2052.Netizens immediately subscribed     9    the view     10     it will be a “business opportunity,” suggesting “Let’s stockpile this year’s calendars and sell them online for a good price in 2052!”