Chinese Fancy Knots, also called Chinese knots, refer to the traditional decorative knots in Chinese culture. They began as a form of folk art in the Tang and Song Dynasties in China. And they became popular in the Ming Dynasty. Now they are taken as one of the most representative symbols of Chinese culture and regarded as popular gifts for foreign friends.
As for the name itself, it is definitely meaningful. The Chinese character for “knot”, jie, means “connection” “combination”. It is associated with a wide range of cultural concepts — marriage, brotherhood, friendship, unity, reunion, etc. Meanwhile, the pronunciation of the Chinese character jie is very close to that of ji, “good luck”. As a result, Chinese knots perfectly serve as a way to express people’s strong wishes for good things like joy, love and good luck.
Besides, the knots, widely existing in the everyday life of the Chinese, come in various sizes. Small ones are attached to jewellery, clothes, gift-wrapping and furniture in order to attract people’s attention, while large ones are applied like fine paintings or photographs to decorate a living room or study.
In addition to their varied sizes and styles, Chinese knots are famous for their bright colors. Each knot is made of a single string of cotton, silk, gold or silver, and named according to its shape and meaning. But the colors of the strings are rich and have various traditional cultural meanings. Among the most commonly used base colors, red symbolizes good luck and happiness, green means health and harmony, and yellow, which was once known as the emperor’s color, may represent wealth and honour.
In brief, the famous Chinese fancy knots fully reflect the depth of Chinese culture.
1. When did Chinese knots start as a form of folk art?2. According to the passage, what do Chinese knots express?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Chinese knots come in different sizes, styles, and each knot is made of several strings.4. Besides Chinese knots, what would you like to choose as a gift representing Chinese culture for a foreign friend? Why? (In about 40 words)
2 . A lot of people think that they are not good at learning a new language.
Good language learners look for opportunities to hear and use the new language outside of the classroom on a daily basis and consequently learn the language more quickly.
In addition, good language learners try different ways to make their message understood. For example, if they do not know the word for “laundromat,” they might say “the place where you can wash clothes.”
Finally, good language learners are prepared to take risks.
| A．Becoming fluent in a language takes time. |
| B．But we can learn a new language through looking up new words. |
| C．If that does not work, they might even try drawing it or acting it out. |
| D．Besides, good language learners use various ways to learn English words. |
| E．They understand that making mistakes is natural and is necessary to learn. |
| F．If they’re studying in a country where the language is spoken, this is easy to do. |
| G．However, we can learn from good language learners to become better at languages. |
3 . The mangrove tree might not look very impressive, but it is an essential part of our ecosystem. However, more than half of the mangrove forests have been destroyed in the past century. Several World Heritage Sites have been listed largely because of their mangrove ecosystems. Among them are the Sundarbans across India and Bangladesh, the Everglades National Park in the US, and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Being a World Heritage Site requires for the mangroves to be protected. However, one country in Asia has gone further by having a five-year program to protect and conserve all their mangroves. They even have a mangrove museum and observe World Mangrove Day. This country is Sri Lanka. Why are mangrove trees so important to Sri Lanka and to other countries where mangroves grow?
The mangrove tree grows along coastal saltwater shorelines. They have adapted to the harsh coastal weather and have deep roots. This means that they are strong and cannot be easily removed. In countries where natural disasters such as tsunamis and cyclones occur, the forests provide protection. The villages in Sri Lanka with full mangrove forests have suffered less damage when hit by these natural disasters. The reason is that the mangroves break up the force and strength of the waves.
The mangroves also quickly absorb carbon dioxide and send oxygen into the atmosphere. This makes them an important part of the fight against climate change. They absorb far more carbon dioxide than other types of forest, and store it in their structure and even in the soil. This is important as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is believed to be a cause of detrimental changes in the weather, such as global warming.
The strong roots also provide protection for young fish as they grow. With the oceans around the world being overfished, it is important to maintain the ecological balance in the oceans. For Sri Lanka, one of the threats to the mangrove forests is the shrimp farms being set up. To build saltwater ponds for the shrimps, the mangroves are cut down. This has resulted in fewer fish surviving among the mangrove roots and fewer fish being caught by the fishermen. The local fishing communities noticed that they were losing money and it made them aware of how important the mangroves were. They are now helping to conserve the forests.
Sri Lanka is showing that a nation can preserve all of its mangroves. The conservation model they have can be used by other countries. It might take many years of planning, but the benefits of saving mangroves definitely outweigh the costs.
1. What do we know about the mangrove trees from the passage?| A．They are mainly grown in Australia. |
| B．They can prevent young fish from growing. |
| C．They have been damaged by natural disasters. |
| D．They are less impressive but important to the ecosystem. |
| A．A world mangrove festival has been founded. |
| B．Saltwater ponds for the shrimps have been set up. |
| C．A 5-year mangroves protecting program has been started. |
| D．More mangroves along the coastal areas have been grown. |
| A．The mangroves can keep the ecological balance in the oceans. |
| B．The mangroves are essential for fighting against climate change. |
| C．The mangroves have deep roots and hold the soil in place firmly. |
| D．The mangroves can break up the force and strength of the waves. |
| A．Positive. | B．Negative. | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
In most countries,
The young man in question, Charles Darwin, was a geologist and naturalist, fascinated by rocks, plants and animals. He
Florentijn Hofman is a Dutch artist,
7 . It was my first time skiing and I had been persuaded to come along with a group of friends. I was wondering whether I had made a
We arrived at our destination in the afternoon and my lessons didn’t start until the following morning. There was no way I was going to stay behind and
For all of about ten metres, I fell to the ground in shame. Again to my feet, again to the floor. And so the situation continued until finally, just once, I caught my
With proper instructions, I improved quickly. Harriet was a really
| A．mistake | B．deal | C．promise | D．contribution |
| A．ambition | B．assistance | C．pressure | D．experience |
| A．suggest | B．watch | C．help | D．order |
| A．broke | B．called | C．went | D．checked |
| A．tips | B．reasons | C．comments | D．gifts |
| A．tear | B．balance | C．coat | D．idea |
| A．accident | B．creativity | C．victory | D．wildness |
| A．amazing | B．boring | C．disappointing | D．relaxing |
| A．confident | B．funny | C．strange | D．patient |
| A．bitterly | B．curiously | C．excitedly | D．nervously |
8 . In the wild, it all depends on you with your survival knowledge and equipment to life.
You’d better take a compass. It is not heavy. It is entitled to a place in your equipment. The use of the compass is the most effective. Some people may say GPS is very popular now.
Besides that, I will talk about the role of fire. Fire plays an important role not only in cooking food, but also in helping us resist the cold.
No matter how high-end your outdoor clothing is, you still need to take a raincoat. Choosing a suitable raincoat is very important. The separation kind of raincoat is more convenient. The raincoat doesn’t just protect you from the rain.
If the survival of the wild is compared to a building, then the strong will is the foundation, the survival knowledge is the wall, the proper training is the roof, the equipment is just to make you live in more comfortable decoration.
| A．First, one better option is to take GPS. |
| B．The survival scarf in the wild is our essential survival tool. |
| C．Good equipment can let you have a more comfortable experience. |
| D．Bicycle raincoat can cover your bag but you can’t stretch out your hand. |
| E．However, the more complex things are, the more likely they are to go wrong. |
| F．In order to let you enjoy better treatment in the wild, you have to take a lighter. |
| G．It can also be used as tents and waterproof mats to keep you warm and get water for you. |
9 . Technology is having an impact on every sport, from individual sports such as swimming to team sports as diverse as soccer and sailing. Those with access to the best technologies are playing faster and smarter.
The main technological change in recent years has been through data collection and analysis. Data is collected by underwater cameras, tidal sensors (传感器), sensors worn by athletes, video analysis, and in many other ways. The data is then fed through computer software and analyzed by team managers, sports scientists, coaches, and players.
It is not only about improving performance, but also reducing injury and illness. Below are just a few examples.
In cycling, bike sensors measure speed, power, and pedal turns, which are then sent to the cyclist’s glasses. Cyclists can see important information without having to look away from the track. If they need to hit a specific time in their training, they can see how they are doing and speed up if required.
A British company, which usually services the aerospace and defence industries, has worked to enable British wheelchair athletes to achieve a 20 percent increase in the ability to gain speed. Not only are they faster, but the positional changes also reduce injury to players’ shoulders and elbows. For other disabled athletes, 3D-printed prosthetic limbs (四肢) are more lightweight, delivering improved power output.
More records are falling in swimming than those in any other sports, and technology is playing a huge role in this. At the University of Sheffield in England, naval research methods are being used in a pool to produce 3D computer simulations of swimmers. Small changes in swimmers’ positioning of their limbs, hands, or how far their head comes out of the water can cause a large impact on speed. These are then analyzed to develop better swimming styles for swimmers.
In boxing, software is available to some teams which provides detailed analysis of their competitors’ fight styles, and thus their threats and opportunities when facing a particular boxer. This helps them work on their strategies.
Some people argue that some of these technological advances go too far. They believe that they are a form of cheating because they give athletes an increased advantage that is better than their natural ability. It is yet up to the governing bodies of different sports to decide how far each technology can go.
1. What can we learn about technology in sports?| A．The data is collected by sports scientists. |
| B．Technologies have no impact on team sports. |
| C．The data is analyzed by people relevant to sports. |
| D．Software provides analysis of boxers’ own fight styles. |
| A．Cyclists can see important information through technology. |
| B．3D-printed prosthetic limbs are widely used among disabled athletes. |
| C．The British company services the aerospace industries with technology. |
| D．Disabled athletes can perform better and be less injured by using technology. |
| A．Objective. | B．Favorable. | C．Opposed. | D．Indifferent. |
10 . Have you heard of Yangshi Lei? For some 200 years, the Lei family provided their design and architectural talent to the Qing Dynasty as imperial builders. Spanning seven generations, their skills along with excellent craftsmanship ensured that they rose to great fame and influence in China. In their later work, they incorporated details of the southern architectural style and garden design ideas in their designs.
One of the places showing this is the Summer Palace. Situated in Haidian District, northwest of Beijing, it shows the beauty and the grandeur of royal gardens. In December 1998, UNESCO included the Summer Palace on its World Heritage List and described it as “a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design.” With over 3,000 man-made structures, which include bridges, pavilions, and corridors, even the lake area alone is a showcase of many of the Lei family’s excellent designs.
Kunming Lake is designed to represent the traditional Chinese gardening practice of “one pond, three hills.” There are three small islands within Kunming Lake: Nanhu Island, Zaojiantang Island, and Zhijingge Island.
Many features of Kunming Lake are inspired by the scenery from the region south of the Yangtze River. In particular, the West Dike is a recreation of the famous Sudi Dike on West Lake in Hangzhou. The causeway, which can be walked across, cuts diagonally through the southern part of the lake. Like the Sudi Dike, the West Dike is connected by six bridges, each with its own distinctive style. The largest bridge on Kunming Lake, however, is the 17-Arch Bridge. It combines features of the Precious Belt Bridge in Suzhou and the Lugou Bridge in Beijing. The entire bridge is 150 meters long and eight meters wide.
If you can’t go further than Beijing, then don’t miss the National Library of China. This is where most of the Lei family’s architectural design drafts are kept. These include projective drawings, front and side elevations, revolving drawings, and even some architectural models which look remarkably like digital models made today. This shows the advanced drawing technology and skill of the Lei architects. Their architectural ability was way ahead of their time.
Like the Summer Palace, many others of the Lei family’s structures have been declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Also, in 2007, their architectural drawings and models were included in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. The Lei family’s significant influence on Chinese imperial architecture ensures that their work is still remembered and appreciated.
1. What can we learn from this passage?| A．There are three small ponds within Kunming Lake. |
| B．The Summer Palace was put on the World Heritage List in 1998. |
| C．West Lake is described as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. |
| D．The 17-Arch Bridge on Kunming Lake is a copy of the Precious Belt Bridge in Suzhou. |
| A．Contained. | B．Ignored. | C．Compared. | D．Described. |
| A．see the drawings of famous painters |
| B．know about the new digital products |
| C．learn the history of the Qing Dynasty |
| D．see the design drafts of the Lei Family |
| A．To compare the architectural style between the north and the south. |
| B．To present the wonderful design and beautiful scenery of Kunming Lake. |
| C．To stress the Lei family’s great influence on Chinese imperial architecture. |
| D．To call on people to protect the scenery and architecture of the Summer Palace. |
