1 . As a big country, China’s economic and political influence is felt around the world. And its influence in education and culture has been growing too. The Confucius Institute offering free language classes has gained increasing popularity in both Hungary and Serbia. By offering opportunities to learn Chinese language and traditional arts, Confucius Institutes bring Chinese culture closer to interested learners serving as bridges between nations.
During my childhood, I held an unspoken fascination for Asian culture a passion cultivated through watching dramas such as the Monkey King. At the time, the idea of studying this captivating region didn’t occupy my mind. My turning point came when the desire to challenge myself led me to choose China for further education. It was a decision — not only for academic growth, but also to experience the responsibility of looking after myself. Taking the road that is less traveled means less company, less comfort. But it also means forging a life with an entirely different perspective I am seeking.
Undertaking Chinese language training presented a remarkable opportunity for many reasons. I firmly believe that acquiring proficiency in the language of the culture is not merely useful, but is also an effective means to truly understand that culture. The combination of learning the language in a classroom setting and applying it in everyday life offers an enriching experience. I participated in the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations held by my local Confucius Institute, such as trying my hand at Chinese crafts providing me with a first-hand experience of the culture.
If given another chance, I would explore even deeper into the rich cultural tapestry that surrounds me. Exploring renowned landmarks like the oriental Pearl Tower previously unvisited, felt like embarking on a new journey of discovery. I can say that along this path, I am gradually learning that valuable lessons unfold step by step.
1. What is the main function of the Confucius Institute in global cultural exchanges?A.Offering language courses with a very small fee. |
B.Fostering international understanding of Chinese culture. |
C.Promoting Chinese tourism and business opportunities abroad. |
D.Serving as a platform for economic cooperation between countries. |
A.The TV drama the Monkey King. |
B.The Asian cultural fascination. |
C.The desire for whole-person growth. |
D.The dream to study in a foreign place. |
A.To highlight the challenges of living abroad. |
B.To encourage others to participate in local festivals. |
C.To criticize the traditional classroom language learning. |
D.To emphasize interactive learning in cultural understanding. |
A.The Path Less Traveled |
B.Language as a Bridge to Culture |
C.Guide to Studying Abroad in China |
D.Embracing Art: Beyond the Classroom |
2 . Bing, also known as a Chinese pancake, is a traditional Chinese recipe, similar to pancakes. It is commonly made of dough (面团).
Step 1: Combine the ingredients
Combine the ingredients for the dough (flour, salt, and cooking oil). Knead (揉) the dough until it has a soft consistency that isn’t too wet. During this time, you can adjust the consistency, for example, by adding more oil or flour.
Step 2: Separate the dough
Separate the dough into different pieces, the size that you want.
Step 3: Add spring onions
Add spring onions to the dough.
Step 4: Fry both sides
Fry both sides of the pancake on low-medium heat until the sides are golden brown. It takes 3-5 minutes per side. Remember to take it out before the sides get dark brown. Fry for a short time if you want a soft pancake, and fry it for a longer time to make it crispier.
Step 5: Serve and enjoy!
A.Divide it into ten equal pieces |
B.Cut the onions into tiny pieces |
C.It can be eaten as a casual food |
D.Make sure you have enough dough |
E.If this is already mouthwatering to you |
F.If you want to make the pancake bigger |
G.Heat up the pan while still working on the dough |
3 . Working in an industry that’s constantly evolving is no small feat for musicians. Giving fans a memorable show is crucial, and some artists are looking to virtual reality to do just that. Travis Scott for example, partnered with Fortnite to bring his virtual-reality concert, Astronomical, to a global audience. The event drew in 12 million viewers. But interest in VR concerts came earlier. In 2019, the entertainment-technology company Wave launched a multichannel virtual platform for live concerts through various digital means: video games, live streaming channels, social networks, and more. Wave has since teamed up with the likes of The Weekend, Justin Bieber, and John Legend.
The appeal of such immersive concerts, by placing the audience in a digital world that stimulates both sight and sound to create an experience that makes one feel like they are truly part of the event, lies heavily in their experimental mature. Artists can try new ways to connect with listeners in digital environments. For fans skirting painful concert-ticket prices avoiding large crowds at venues, and experiencing their favorite musicians in an alternate world are convincing benefits.
VR has its downside. Only about 13% of households in the US own a VR headset so the technology isn’t common. In a survey, 67% of respondents who didn’t own a VR headset said its price tag kept them from purchasing one. Some people who paid a pretty penny have returned the headset because they simply didn’t know how to set it up or didn’t think the image quality was worth the cost. Discomfort is another issue: long-term use of a headset could cause discomfort in the neck and eyes, and according to the Food and Drug Administration, motion sickness is the most commonly reported negative side effect of VR. There’s also the possibility of VR separating users too far from reality, which could rewire their brains if they don’t moderate headset use. However, looking ahead. Amy Dorsey, the managing director of Dorsey Pictures, said that developments in advanced digital reality would pave the way for the next version of entertainment.
1. Which artist cooperated with Fortnite to deliver a virtual-reality concert?A.Justin Bieber. | B.Wave. |
C.Travis Scott. | D.Astronomical. |
A.Cost-effective. | B.Environmentally friendly. |
C.Quick and efficient. | D.Engaging and surrounding. |
A.VR concerts could cause a decrease in video image quality. |
B.They may prevent people from attending live concerts altogether. |
C.Long-time standing with VR headsets may lead to motion disability. |
D.The high cost of VR headsets could limit accessibility for some fans. |
A.The historical development of VR technology. |
B.Future directions and innovations in VR. |
C.Present market trends in VR headset sales. |
D.Comparisons between VR and traditional concerts. |
4 . While conquering the world’s swimming pools in the late 1990s and the 2000s, Amanda Beard had already included breathing exercises in her training. Several years after the end of her athletic career, she discovered walking meditation. Today the seven-time US Olympic medalist practices walking meditation in nature, around the house, or while walking the dog. It’s a daily practice with the focused mindfulness of meditation that contributes positively to every aspect of her life, she says.
You don’t need equipment or a designated space to start. The idea of a walking meditation is to pay attention to the way your body feels, noticing things like the sky, trees, tuning into all of your senses. This means you can meditate “on the go” in the countryside, in the city, in your backyard, and virtually anywhere. A simple, 10-minute walking meditation for beginners requires that you just start at ease. Consider what you hear, smell and see. Think about how your feet touch the ground. Fully focus on these feelings.
A report in Health Promotion Perspectives also found that walking meditation can improve your balance, adjust your heart rate, boost your mental focus, and help you battle anxiety and depression. “The benefits of meditation are many,” says Dr. Schramm, a board-certified family physician and meditation teacher. “When we do this over and over again, we train the brain to focus on only one thing at a time and this increases both our blood flow and actual neuronal (神经元) changes within our brains.”
“The magic of meditation is to be able to help you connect with yourself; meditation shouldn’t feel a certain way,” says Tara Stiles, a yoga and wellness expert. It’s a common mistake in meditation: People fear a wandering mind. “A wandering mind is completely normal,” Stiles says. “Even experienced meditators aren’t sitting there never having a thought, but when they have the thought they choose to guide themselves back to their breath instead of getting frustrated.
1. What is walking meditation?A.Plain walking. | B.Mindful walking. |
C.A competitive sport. | D.Deep thought while stationary. |
A.A familiar environment. | B.A 10-minute walking time. |
C.A relaxed but observant state. | D.A piece of special equipment. |
A.Enhancing the blood flow. | B.Undergoing balance training. |
C.Having more active thoughts. | D.Decreasing neuronal changes. |
A.Carefree. | B.Frustrated. |
C.Concerned. | D.Positive. |
5 . Any good recipe needs an ingredient list, a cooking method, and if it’s particularly successful, there will be a personal touch describing how the recipe was developed through repeated tests until it was just right. It is a balance of these elements in recipes that ensures good cookbooks are the most important part of any kitchen.
Good communication is just like making a good dish. This is where The Art of Explanation: How to Communicate with Clarity and Confidence steps in. Written by journalist Ros Atkins, it is a recipe book for storytelling, made to be roughly looked through. The “ingredient list” is information required to communicate effectively. The methodology is given according to the different settings.
In this book, Atkins presents a seven-step method for giving a great explanation, from getting the main information to giving information in an easy-to-understand way. Reviewing a book of this nature is a test of how well I have understood the information in this guide. The most important parts of the method include: gathering information effectively; communicating it clearly; and achieving the delivery. But, for me, it is not this method that makes this book interesting but the “personal touch” stories, which draw on Atkins’ life, that give this book its edge.
I was most drawn to the practical examples in The Art of Explanation, because it offered a chance to know more about Atkins’ career, from starting out as a graduate to taking a new approach to explanation on a BBC’s program, Outside Source. As Atkins puts it himself, “Tell a good story, so people will pay attention to your every word.” Stories, and how they are told, are at the heart of journalism. It is no surprise that the stories told in the book are particularly attractive, such as how Atkins began his journalism career as a junior reporter in South Africa. These stories make The Art of Explanation worth reading, moving it from a textbook to something that works like a well-written cookbook.
1. Why does the author mention recipes in the first paragraph?A.To explain what a good recipe should be like. |
B.To compare them to effective communication. |
C.To encourage readers to make dishes themselves. |
D.To stress the importance of the personal touch in a book. |
A.The ingredient list. | B.The seven-step method. |
C.The personal stories of Atkins. | D.The way to deliver the message. |
A.It should be read word for word. |
B.It is written in an easy-to-understand way. |
C.The method introduced in the book is boring. |
D.The way that it tells stories is quite worth learning. |
A.Education. | B.Health. | C.Entertainment. | D.Science. |
Once upon a time, in a remote village, there lived two friends, Jack and Tom. They were inseparable, sharing every joy and sorrow, and always ready to start up new adventures together.
One day, they heard stories of a hidden treasure buried deep in the forbidden forest. Motivated, they decided to start up a search to find the treasure and make their fortune. Equipped with only a map, a compass, and their courage, Jack and Tom entered into the dense and dangerous forest. The trees towered overhead, blocking out the sun, and the undergrowth was thick and messy. They had to crawl and climb their way through, facing all sorts of barriers and creatures.
As they dug deeper into the forest, they encountered a fierce wolf that bared its teeth at them. They managed to escape by climbing a tall tree, but not before the wolf had torn their bag-pack to pieces, leaving them with only the essentials.
Determined and fearless, they pushed their way onward, following the clues on the map. They crossed swamps (湿地) and scaled cliffs, despite hunger and thirst. Their feet were bleeding and their clothes torn, but their spirits were high and their determination unshakable.
Finally, after days of hardship and danger, they hit on a clearing in the forest. In the center stood an ancient stone altar (祭坛), and beside it, a chest (箱子) that glowed with a mysterious light. They knew they had found the treasure.
注意: (1) 续写词数应为150个左右;(2) 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
But as they approached the chest, they heard a deep sound from the earth beneath their feet.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Finally, the two friends realized that the true treasure of their journey was not the gold and jewels.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________要点:1. 你的建议;
2. 你的祝福。
注意:1. 写作词数应为80左右;
2. 请按照如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear Charles,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Best regards,
Li Hua
Professor Yeh Chia-ying was born in 1924. After graduation, she had been working in Taiwan, China, for 15 years since 1954.
Poetry is almost the whole of Yeh Chia-ying’s life. Now she is all alone in her old age. Giving lectures to young people becomes her favorite thing
“I want to leave the soon-to-be-lost yinsong to the world and to those
9 . I loved being home with my little babies, but I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders. My husband and I had just purchased a house, and some unexpected expenses made our budget
One day, I was going to
My heart turned cold. “I don’t have fifteen dollars”. Upset and embarrassment
As we were having our lunch at the food court, the young woman
A.loose | B.tight | C.bitter | D.rough |
A.collect | B.gather | C.earn | D.found |
A.platform | B.district | C.counter | D.equipment |
A.additional | B.plain | C.vivid | D.appropriate |
A.forcing | B.creeping | C.exposing | D.pacing |
A.motivation | B.rejection | C.pressure | D.alternative |
A.anxiety | B.sympathy | C.admiration | D.excitement |
A.Apparently | B.Intentionally | C.Effectively | D.Adequately |
A.trapped | B.explored | C.experienced | D.sank |
A.took up | B.broke up | C.came up | D.pulled up |
A.palm | B.elbow | C.chin | D.wrist |
A.identify | B.approach | C.occupy | D.treasure |
A.Reminded | B.Engaged | C.Struck | D.Restricted |
A.reward | B.honor | C.item | D.favor |
A.Risky | B.Tough | C.Smooth | D.Casual |
10 . Cry Me a River
A dear friend of mine spent most of his life near the Severn River where salt water mixes with fresh water.
Happy crying and sad crying are both a response to emotional extremes, which suggests that tears help bring us back to a calm state of mind. Some researchers argue that we need to reset emotionally when things are just too wonderful. Wild joy feels great, but it distracts us from the business of life. Likewise, negative emotion is important and even life-saving in a crisis like being separated from loved ones or being under threat.
A.Crying is not a cure-all, of course. |
B.It creates a burning desire to act with force. |
C.It has the precise salinity (盐度) of human tears. |
D.It can accompany the greatest sadness or the deepest joy. |
E.It can bring balance, peace, and, just maybe, even a touch of humor. |
F.This is especially true for men who are ashamed of crying and afraid of burdening others. |
G.Although many species call out to signal a need for help, only humans weep for emotional reasons. |