In the past year, I had an unforgettable experience of learning tai chi. Honestly speaking, I admitted that I
It is all about keeping a balance between yin and yang,
I also experienced a short period of tiredness and boredom. Thanks to the patient guidance of professional coach, I gradually found to my
2 . Ru Ling loves spending time in skywells. To her, these courtyards of old houses are the perfect place to be in on a hot and humid day. From 2014 to 2021, Ru lived in a century-old wood-framed home in the village of eastern China’s Anhui province. She moved there for a change of life after living and working in air-conditioned buildings for many years.
A skywell, or “tian jing”, is a typical feature of a traditional home in southern and eastern China. They are relatively common in historic residences in Sichuan, Jiangsu, Anhui and Jiangxi. In today’s rapidly urbanizing (城市化) China, fewer and fewer people live in skywell dwellings—air-conditioned flats in multi-storeyed buildings and tower blocks are the main forms of homes.
But a revival (复苏) of interest in traditional Chinese architecture is leading some of historic buildings with skywells to be restored for modern times. Meanwhile, as a government push has made low-carbon innovations in the building sector a trend, some architects are drawing inspiration from skywells and other traditional Chinese architectural features to help keep new buildings cooler.
Ancient “green wisdom” such as skywells continues to inspire today’s climate adaptive design and innovations in passive cooling, according to Wang Zhengfeng, a researcher at the Institute for Area Studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands. Passive cooling is a method that incorporates design and technology to cool a building without the use of power.
However, Wang points out some challenges for bringing skywells into modern designs. The mechanisms of courtyards facilitating natural lighting, ventilation and rain collection are well known, but applying these principles needs to be site-specific. Because traditional skywells had different shapes, sizes and features, adding skywells into modern buildings requires designers to be sensitive to their project’s context (环境) and situation, she explains. When asked about why skywells have appealed to modern Chinese people, Wang says that the courtyard is also designed to serve as a gathering space for families or communities. “Perhaps changes in the lifestyle could also lead to nostalgia among people living in concrete and glass forests.”
1. What is the purpose of the first paragragh?A.To introduce Ru Ling’s love for skywells. |
B.To inform readers of the benefits of skywells. |
C.To lead in the topic of popularity of skywells. |
D.To support the idea of living in skywells. |
A.Features and importance of the historic residences. |
B.Appreciation for traditional Chinese architecture. |
C.Reasons for the comeback of traditional skywells. |
D.Great efforts to restore the past glory of skywells. |
A.combine | B.collect | C.invent | D.replace |
A.Lack of enough money and experience. | B.Dependence on natural surroundings. |
C.People’s specific requirements. | D.The fast speed of urbanization. |
A.would put | B.had put | C.has put | D.put |
A.keeps | B.keep | C.to keep | D.kept |
6 . Grandparents are known as great companions (陪伴) and often give their grandchildren lots of love. Being a grandparent is a big job, but grandparents have a lot of experience. In many cultures, grandparents are looked up to as a source of wisdom (智慧).
Some kids live far away from their grandparents so they stay in touch by phone, through email, and with letters. Other kids live close to their grandparents, making it easy to visit often. And still other kids live with their grandparents.
Sometimes, the family is sharing the grandparents’ house and sometimes the grandparents move into the family’s house. Any change can be difficult to adjust (适应) to. But after the adjustment period, you might find you enjoy having someone else in the house and a new person to spend time with. If your grandparent needs help, you might be the one to lend a hand. And your grandparent might be able to help you by playing a game with you, telling the best stories or fixing you a snack after school.
Quite a few kids live with grandparents who take care of them in place of their parents. Kids who live with grandparents might miss their moms or dads and wish they could live with them instead. The grandparent may find it difficult to keep up with a kid and all of his or her needs. In this situation, both the kid and the grandparent should work together. Loving and caring for each other can be the glue that keeps everything together.
And one more thing: You might want to put the first Sunday after Labor Day on your calendar. Why? It’s Grandparent’s Day!
1. In many countries, grandparents ________.A.look forward to having a job | B.live far away from their grandchildren |
C.are regarded as rich in knowledge and experience | D.are considered to be the best friends and companions |
A.kids don’t like to live with their grandparents |
B.parents shouldn’t leave children to their grandparents |
C.grandparents find it too hard to live with their grandchildren |
D.living together does good to grandparents and grandchildren |
A.By sharing the best stories. | B.By having common interests. |
C.By meeting each other’s needs. | D.By loving and looking after each other. |
A.to celebrate Grandparent’s Day | B.to visit grandparents on Sunday |
C.that Labor Day is an important day | D.that Grandparent’s Day is on Sunday |
1. Why does Ben want a job?
A.He has a lot of experience. |
B.He just graduated from college. |
C.He wants to save up some money. |
A.Before 5:00 a.m. | B.At 9:00 a.m. | C.Before 5:00 p.m. |
A.$60. | B.$30. | C.$15. |
Mi Fu, also known as Mi Fei, was a Chinese painter, poet, and calligrapher born in Taiyuan, Shanxi during the Song dynasty. In painting he gained
He is best known for his calligraphy,
As