An unexpected Chinese presence, the Chinese steamed buns (馒头), known as mantou in Chinese, made an appearance at La Fête du pain, the annual bread festival held in front of the Notre Dames (圣母院), Paris, from May 7 to May 16.
On May 9, a Chinese netizen who attended the bread festival, posted a video on Douyin. In the video, a line of mantou
In no time, “Chinese Steamed Buns Compete at the French Bread Festival” became
Mantou can be enjoyed in various ways. When freshly
According to the video, the label called it mantao, and described it
2 . How To Find Spring Fashion Trends
Fashion changes faster than most people can keep up with.
Look through fashion magazines to get fashion ideas. Magazines like GQ, Vogue, and Cosmo are generally considered “taste makers”.
Find your favorite fashion blogs. What’s on the catwalk isn’t necessarily what’s on the streets, so I also like getting inspiration from travel blogs, fashion blogs, and smaller designers. Many brands, designers, and fashionistas post their inspiration online, as well as recommendations on where to find the best new fashions.
Explore social media. More and more often, people are using the Internet to broadcast their personal fashion recommendations, which is a great way to get a pulse on spring fashion. Sites like Tumblr and Pintrest have specific sections devoted to fashion.
Make your own spring trends. Having confidence in yourself and rocking your outfit is more important than following any trend. Sometimes you still can’t figure out what spring fashion trend to follow.
A.Make notes of fashions you see often |
B.Look to warmer areas for inspiration |
C.They are selling the right clothes for the right season |
D.Find an outfit you like and make up your own trend |
E.They are in touch with the big clothing designers |
F.Spring is often when people launch new and inventive fashion for the warming weather |
G.Search “Spring Fashion Blogs” and browse through a few to see styles you enjoy |
3 . The UK is experiencing a boom in book clubs, according to new data from event listing companies. Book club listings on the ticketing site Eventbrite increased by 350% between 2019 and 2023. Between 2022 and 2023 alone, book club listings on the site rose by 41%. Another event listing site, Meetup, reported a 14% increase in the number of RSVPs to book clubs between January 2023 and January 2024, compared with a 4% increase in RSVPs for all UK-based events.
Victoria Okafor, who co-runs the book club Between2Books, said the heightened interest in reading may be partly the result of a general “shift in hobbies”, as GenZ (the generation around 00s) turned to other ways to spend their free time. Besides, during the global health crisis period, many people were forced to slow down and pick up or reignite hobbies, and online book clubs provided a platform to connect with others.
Social media may be helping with the visibility of book clubs, too, said Okafor. “People may come across your page accidentally, but from there people have the knowledge to attend should they wish. I think this makes a big difference compared to just hearing things from word of mouth.”
Many of the book clubs listed on Eventbrite carry specific themes — Sheffield Feminist Book Club, Bring Your Baby Book Club, and Modern Chinese Literature Online Book Club.
Okafor’s club, Between2Books, focuses on books by writers traditionally excluded (排除) from the classics. She thought she began seeking out such stories “embarrassingly late”. “Reading authors of color brought back a joy to my reading that came from not only seeing elements of myself and culture reflected in novels but also reading stories that could be funny or empowering as opposed to the accounts of struggle that can often surround stories of people of color,” she said. “The variety of books makes reading and discussion so rich and I think that’s what attenders are drawn to.”
1. How is paragraph 1 mainly developed?A.By giving examples. | B.By listing figures. |
C.By analyzing causes. | D.By presenting theories. |
A.Return. | B.Reward. | C.Regain. | D.Reconnect. |
A.The influence of social media. | B.The recommendation of old generations. |
C.GenZ having a stronger thirst for knowledge. | D.Some people shifting the focus of their lives. |
A.The diversity of books. | B.The reputation of writers. |
C.The humor of the works. | D.The suggestion of the organizer. |
4 . Seven years ago, my wife bought me a terrific birthday present. For $70, she
My
I
We need to
And who doesn’t need to have
A.sold | B.offered | C.guaranteed | D.rented |
A.use | B.access | C.storage | D.entrance |
A.comment | B.difference | C.charge | D.way |
A.measure | B.decorate | C.design | D.operate |
A.initial | B.risky | C.heavy | D.wise |
A.responsibility | B.qualification | C.ambition | D.experience |
A.occupied | B.divided | C.beloved | D.possessed |
A.lecturers | B.strangers | C.farmers | D.competitors |
A.harvest | B.irrigate | C.grow | D.classify |
A.waste | B.collect | C.earn | D.invest |
A.habit | B.value | C.room | D.time |
A.calm down | B.appeal to | C.connect with | D.believe in |
A.doubt | B.curiosity | C.care | D.dignity |
A.fun | B.money | C.fame | D.fortune |
A.tolerant | B.specific | C.positive | D.convenient |
5 . Late last month a team of researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine transplanted a genetically modified pig heart into a person — the second such surgery ever attempted — and it has kept him alive for the past few weeks.
The patient, 58-year-old Lawrence Faucette, underwent the highly experimental procedure under a “compassionate use” pathway, in which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration permits an unapproved therapy when a person is seriously ill or dying and has no other options available. Faucette was not eligible for a conventional human heart transplant because he had peripheral vascular disease and other complications, which narrowed the outlook for success.
By mid-October, Faucette was continuing to recover. “He’s had a rough time,” however, Bartley Griffith, a surgeon who performed Faucette’s procedure as well as the previous one, said at that time. According to Griffith, Faucette was living at home when the FDA first approved the surgery, but he was subsequently hospitalized with fluid in his lungs. Then he suffered a cardiac arrest the night before the surgery. Still, he had so far responded well to the transplant.
More than 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant, so researchers have long been exploring xenotransplantation (异种器官移植): transplanting other species’ organs into humans. To prevent the human immune system from attacking these alien organs, scientists have begun to breed genetically modified donor pigs that lack certain genes or have other genes added.
In the past couple of years, pig xenotransplants have been tested in both nonhuman primates and deceased humans — but the ultimate goal is to conduct human clinical trials on a bigger scale. The results of the recent compassionate use transplant will likely influence the FDA’s consideration of whether and when to allow such trials to take place. Many researchers hope this could happen in the next year or two.
“We took a pretty good swing at the ball the first time, and we got very close to a prolonged success, we think,” Griffith says. Although there were some unforeseen circumstances in that first xenotransplant, his team and others have developed better methods to test for these conditions.
1. Why did Faucette undergo the pig-to-human heart transplant?A.Because he was seriously ill and there was no better options. |
B.Because the pig heart fits well in human body. |
C.Because FDA has long approved such transplant. |
D.Because the surgery has been applied in medical treatment already. |
A.Faucette highly praises the surgery. |
B.Faucette responds well to the alien organ. |
C.Faucette has suffered a lot after the transplant. |
D.Faucette experienced cardic arrest after the surgery. |
A.The FDA is taking great care on human clinical trials. |
B.The patients will receive the best of care after the transplant. |
C.The human immune system is greatly changed before the transplant. |
D.Scientists modified the donor pig’s genes or added other genes before breeding it. |
A.Skeptical. | B.Neutral. | C.Supportive. | D.Indifferent. |
6 . This week I saw a video of a mountain climber lying on the back of the Sherpa guide who helped rescue him.
Gelje says he was
Gelje stopped the climb of his own client. Then he rescued the
“We
A helicopter met them to lift the
We don't know how the Malaysian climber
A.urging | B.sponsoring | C.guiding | D.contacting |
A.hanging onto | B.spreading out | C.checking on | D.passing down |
A.foot | B.sea | C.climate | D.zone |
A.destinations | B.directions | C.reaches | D.ranges |
A.wander | B.die | C.multiply | D.dry |
A.freezing | B.missing | C.appealing | D.demanding |
A.supported | B.dragged | C.pressed | D.comforted |
A.conversation | B.activity | C.rescue | D.operation |
A.lied | B.relaxed | C.wrapped | D.lifted |
A.tears | B.pain | C.need | D.turns |
A.injured | B.frightened | C.committed | D.trapped |
A.found | B.ensured | C.exposed | D.behaved |
A.cliffs | B.caves | C.mountains | D.rivers |
A.protect | B.caution | C.approach | D.save |
A.extraordinary | B.important | C.selfless | D.available |
7 . I was ten years old when I started watching lawn tennis. Having developed interest in tennis, I started following and gaining knowledge about the game. The play of the 100th seed was the best according to me until I asked my father who is the number 1 ranked player in the world, to which he replied — Roger Federer.
That was it! I watched his play at Wimbledon and really couldn’t stop admiring this personality. His silky smooth movement, flawless serve, unreachable powerful forehand, amazing footwork—all of it was pretty amazing. I started playing tennis because of him; he was undoubtedly my role model. I followed his career off the tennis court and learned things about him that really made me a better person in life.
There is a feeling of joy in each stroke that Federer plays and a feeling of excitement in each thing he does whether it is giving an interview, doing a press conference, practicing on court or mere signing the tennis balls for fans. There is never a dull moment when he is around, which inspires everyone to be happy and joyous in life in whatever they do. One of the most important things about him which inspires me is his sense of humor.
Federer first congratulates his opponents and never shies from telling them they played wonderfully well, and that luck was on his side today or that he had a good day, instead of attributing the victory to his hours of hard work and training. He always looks for opportunities to praise others.
Another admirable thing about Federer is his love for the game. It teaches me that it’s great to do what you love. You can excel in any profession if you love it from your heart; it then becomes no more a profession but a thing of joy from which you can get satisfaction and fulfilment each day you practice it. It is no more a duty but a sense of fulfilment(成就).
He is the most respected player in the game and everyone feels privileged to play against him, and some don’t even mind losing to him! This kind of respect is not gained in a few days but in many years by achieving perfectionism both on and off the court, by inspiring and motivating generations to come and becoming a part of history, by not just getting awards on the court but also by being a good man. Federer’s energy motivates me to keep moving on and on in my life, fighting difficulties with a smile and cherishing good moments as well as not so good.
1. How did the author initially know Federer?A.By watching the play of the 100th seed player. |
B.By following a Wimbledon tournament. |
C.By participating in a tennis camp. |
D.By requiring his father. |
A.Federer’s optimistic and humorous features. |
B.How Federer reacted when being interviewed. |
C.The influence Federer has on his fans. |
D.How Federer achieved victories through hard exercise. |
A.We should never cares about losing a game. |
B.We’d better keep a good relationship with anyone. |
C.We should treasure both good and not-so-good moments in life. |
D.We can learn to handle challenges brought by our opponents. |
A.The Significance of Following a Model | B.An Inspiring Legend: Roger Federer |
C.The Way to Gain the Sense of Fulfilment | D.The Privilege of Being a Tennis Star |
8 . The greatest sports moments often have a wonderful flow state behind the victories or performances. Being in flow refers to the moments where distraction reduces, and concentration
It was a
Facing the desperate situation, I could
5 points to go, 4 points to go... My opponent started getting visibly
Despite a small game, it inspired me a lot. Not being able to control how our opponent plays, we can
A.limits | B.decreases | C.heightens | D.changes |
A.tough | B.competitive | C.crazy | D.close |
A.lose | B.win | C.tie | D.restart |
A.adjustments | B.reservations | C.efforts | D.mistakes |
A.call | B.make | C.leave | D.take |
A.defense | B.attack | C.celebration | D.relief |
A.figured | B.tried | C.pointed | D.stuck |
A.Sighing | B.Breathing | C.Regretting | D.Struggling |
A.attention | B.interest | C.insight | D.appreciation |
A.confused | B.desperate | C.exhausted | D.uneasy |
A.right | B.impossible | C.opposite | D.previous |
A.swollen | B.bright | C.sharp | D.bloodshot |
A.wild | B.silent | C.mad | D.deaf |
A.Going against | B.Cutting off | C.Holding to | D.Recovering from |
A.wonder | B.determine | C.predict | D.consider |
9 . Spanish class scared me in the freshman year. I knew little Spanish before starting the class, and I thought it would be
Before the exam, Mary often asked us to
Mary was
Mary’s
A.exciting | B.easy | C.boring | D.beneficial |
A.variation | B.disturbance | C.annoyance | D.inconvenience |
A.explain | B.describe | C.prepare | D.review |
A.challenged | B.enjoyed | C.trusted | D.developed |
A.experience | B.time | C.losses | D.mistakes |
A.seriously | B.roughly | C.modestly | D.curiously |
A.amused | B.respected | C.judged | D.spotted |
A.understanding | B.humble | C.athletic | D.courageous |
A.discouraged | B.suspected | C.heartened | D.comforted |
A.stand out | B.reach out | C.get around | D.get by |
A.passive | B.conventional | C.voluntary | D.innovative |
A.fear | B.sorrow | C.anger | D.confusion |
A.know | B.match | C.enhance | D.assess |
A.secure | B.supportive | C.economic | D.competitive |
A.pity | B.profit | C.debate | D.desire |
10 . Thanksgiving is basically a harvest-related festival which celebrates communal harmony. Though this festival is said to have originated in America, a number of other countries also celebrate harvest-related festivals. The festival is observed with different names and in different seasons. In Australia we can see a number of harvest festivals.
Apple Festival & Grape Festival
The harvest for apples and grapes takes place in the month of March in Australia in the granite belt, a special area. The festival is celebrated for 3-4 days. During the festival, various cultural and fun events are organized. Activities like grape crushing competitions, apple picking competitions, street carnivals (狂欢), and grand parades are also part of the festival.
Renmark Orange Week Festival
In August or September, the large orange growing area along the Murray River in South Australia holds a festival in Renmark, which is called the Renmark Orange Week. All kinds of games, competitions and fun last for a week during the carnival. Fireworks are another feature of the festival. The two varieties that are being harvested in Australia are the Valencia, which is from October to May and the Navel, which is from May to October.
Cane Festival
The cane is harvested from June to December in Australia. Most of the cane crop is grow n in Queensland and some in Maclean, New South Wales. And June is time for cane festivals. Just before harvest, the cane is burnt to remove dead leaves and to drive out pests. Machines are being used to cut the cane to the ground.
Wheat Festival
Wheat is harvested in the month of December and is usually finished by the end of January. Harvesting is done by machines. A new harvester invented by Headlie Taylor makes it easier to harvest crops which get flattened or damaged by bad weather.
1. Which festival takes place in June?A.Cane Festival. | B.Wheat Festival. |
C.Renmark Orange Week Festival. | D.Apple Festival & Grape Festival. |
A.Appreciate fireworks. | B.Taste delicious grape wine. |
C.Join in apple eating competitions. | D.Take part in grand parades. |
A.Wheat Festival begins in January. |
B.Harvest-related festivals originated in America. |
C.Oranges are being harvested in Australia all the year round. |
D.Renmark Orange Week Festival takes place in the granite belt. |