| A．unpleasant | B．negative | C．dynamic | D．worthy |
2 . The kites in Weifang never disappoint. Every year the Weifang International Kite Festival amazes visitors and netizens (网民) with innovative kites, as “paper birds” of unimaginable designs keep appearing in the sky.
The origin of kites in China can be traced back to the Warring States Period when the great Chinese philosopher Mozi in the State of Lu (part of today’s Shandong Province) made the first “wooden kite”. Kites didn’t actually become popular until the Ming Dynasty. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, artists specialized in kite making began to appear in Weifang. In 1984, the first Weifang International Kite Festival was held.
Kites were used in China for military purposes at the very beginning. They were made to signal and measure distance, providing intelligence to aid moving large armies across difficult terrain (地形). For example, they can be used to calculate and record wind readings, similar to ship flags at sea. Over time, kites became associated with leisure activities, and were often flown during festivals and holidays.
Today, kite-flying is a popular leisure activity in China, and the Weifang International Kite Festival is one of the largest kite festivals in the world. In 2023, 622 kite artists from 59 countries and regions participated in the event. Compared with previous festivals, the 2023 event was highlighted by many innovations by both veteran (经验丰富的) and young kite makers. Zhang Xiaodong, 74, as a national intangible culture inheritor of Weifang kites, he has attended all 40 festivals. In the early days, he only brought traditional kites to take part in the competitions, but this time, he applied sound and light to make the fairy tale of Chang'e flying to the moon come “alive”.
The Weifang kite festival is not only a platform to share kite-making skills, but also a way to enhance friendship between people from different countries. The innovative kites presented in 2023 brought many pleasant surprises to kite lovers all over the world, and brought the people of China and other countries closer. As one netizen put it, “No matter how far away kite lovers go, there is always a ‘thread’ in their heart that can pull them together.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The history of kites in China. | B．The popularity of kites in Weifang. |
| C．The introduction to great kite artists. | D．The development of kite-making skills. |
| A．To serve as gifts at festivals. | B．To judge the height of mountains. |
| C．To measure wind speed for sailors at sea. | D．To provide important information for armies. |
| A．It involved more creative kite artworks. |
| B．It became the largest kite festival in the world. |
| C．It contained plenty of Chinese traditional elements. |
| D．It attracted many young kite artists’ wide attention. |
| A．It inspires artists to create a lot of surprises. |
| B．It is a good platform for kite makers to share skills. |
| C．It promotes the spread of traditional Chinese culture. |
| D．It strengthens the bond between kite lovers all over the world. |
| A．delay | B．layer | C．motion | D．bleeding |
| A．percentage | B．principle | C．gravity | D．option |
5 . Tea originated in China over two thousand years ago. Today, the country owns over 2,000 varieties of tea, differing in taste, sweet and purpose. Some teas, such as Huang Shan, refresh the sense of taste with their special flavor, while others, such as spicy chai, are added with spices (香料) .
China first started exporting tea during the Ming dynasty (1368—1644), and the drink has since come to lead humanity’s drinking habits far beyond Asia. It is the most widely consumed drink on Earth today, aside from water and coffee.
In Chinese mythology, tea was first discovered by Chinese Emperor Shennong (“Divine Farmer”) in 737BC， when a soft wind carried some leaves into a pot of boiling water. However, the oldest dependable evidence comes from ancient plant remains found in 2016 in Xi’an and western Tibet, showing that tea was grown at least 2,100 years ago during the Western Handy nasty when it was most likely used as medicine.
Generation after generation of tea makers experimented with different brewing (冲泡) techniques, leaves, and ceremonies, resulting in today’s tea culture full of life. There’s no doubt that China’s tea culture has become one of the most popular, diverse, and unique traditions in the world.
China is already the world’s largest tea exporter. The inclusion of the country’s traditional tea-making process on the UNESCO list will obviously generate practical benefits for tea makers in the country and across the world as more resources are given to protect and preserve such millennia-old tea culture and technical practices. As additional attention is brought to this traditional technique, the Chinese tea sector will further tap its potential and improve its growth.
As one of China’s oldest cultural practices, traditional tea processing techniques show the spirit of modesty (谦逊), peace, and comity (礼让). No matter your preference for green or dark tea, with milk or without, Chinese tea isn’t just brews. Instead, it is a bridge connecting different cultures and peoples.
1. What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?| A．Chinese tea has a fresh taste. | B．Chinese tea is added with spices. |
| C．Chinese tea has a long history. | D．Chinese tea has a rich variety. |
| A．In about 737 BC. |
| B．Two thousand years ago. |
| C．During the Ming dynasty. |
| D．During the Western Handy nasty. |
| A．Hopeful. | B．Objective. | C．Careless. | D．Disapproving. |
| A．Chinese Tea Benefits the Globe a Lot |
| B．Chinese Protect and Develop Its Tea Culture |
| C．Chinese Tea Is Included in the UNESCO List |
| D．China Plays a Vital Part in Cultural Diversity |
| A．Going surfing. | B．Going cycling. | C．Going hiking. |
7 . We are pleased to announce the call for entries for Strokes of Genius by The Best of Drawing! Win prizes and publication by entering this exciting drawing competition, brought to you by Artists Network and Artists Magazine.
How to Enter
★You need to create a free Submittable account in order to download the forms.
★Fill out the Entry Form. This information will be reproduced exactly as submitted if you are selected as a winner.
★Upload a single digital image. Once you have uploaded your image, you will see a payment due.
There is no limit to the number of entries you may submit. You can save a draft of your work if you would like to finish filling out the form at a later date.
The Submittable platform works best on Google Chrome, Firefox and Safari. Internet Explorer and Microsoft Edge are not supported.
Deadlines and Notification
Super Early Bird Deadline: May 28, 2023
Entry Fee: $15 for Artists Network Members; $20 for nonmembers
Early Bird Deadline: June 16, 2023
Entry Fee: $25 for Artists Network Members; $30 for nonmembers
Final Deadline: August 20, 2023
Entry Fee: $35 for Artists Network Members; $40 for nonmembers
The final deadline is August 20, 2023 at 11:59 p. m. EST. Winners will be informed by email on or before September 20, 2023.
Prizes & Awards
First-Place Winner: $2,000 in cash
Second-Place Winner: $1,000 in cash
Third-Place Winner: $500 in cash
10 Honorable Mentions: $50 ArtistsNetwork.com Gift Card
Award winners will receive a free Artists Network Membership for 1 year ($99.99 value). Winning entries will be published in The Best of Drawing.
1. What is necessary to participate in the contest?| A．Uploading a family photo. | B．Setting up a bank account. |
| C．Completing an entry form. | D．Registering on Internet Explorer. |
| A．By submitting entries in person. | B．By submitting entries in early May. |
| C．By submitting entries as a professional. | D．By submitting at least two entries. |
| A．Cash prize and a free magazine. | B．$50 ArtistsNetwork.com Gift Card. |
| C．One-year discounted membership. | D．The publication of the winning entry. |
| A．put off | B．dropped off | C．turned off | D．shut off |
1. Where did Sue spend the nights in the countryside last weekend?
| A．In a farmhouse. | B．In the open air. | C．In a hotel. |
| A．Busy. | B．Rude. | C．Great. |
| A．By staying at home. |
| B．By relaxing on the beach. |
| C．By camping in the mountains. |
1. What is the woman?
| A．A writer. | B．A lawyer. | C．A police officer. |
| A．A month ago. | B．Seven years ago. | C．Ten years ago. |
| A．Take them for free rides. |
| B．Observe their everyday life. |
| C．Ask them to name characters in her book. |
