Paper-making is a reflection of ancient Chinese wisdom,
The
With the growing popularity of Xuan paper in recent years, the industry has expanded
2 . Walled Cities Of The World
There are numerous historical walled cities across the world, whose walls date back several centuries. These walls were fortification (碉堡), a necessity throughout medieval eras for defense. They have been preserved as historical monuments and popular tourist attractions in the modern time.
York, England
The city of York is a medieval city situated in the north of England. Historically, the city was ruled by the Romans, Angles, and the Vikings before being incorporated as part of the Kingdom of England in 954. Located in the city are walls built in 71 AD which have been restored and extended with time.
Xi’an, China
The city of Xian is one of the oldest cities in China. It prospered economically as the eastern last station of the Silk Road. The existing walls were originally built in 770 BC and reconstructed in the 14th century under the Ming Dynasty. The walls are well preserved and are a major tourist attraction in the city.
Quebec City, Canada
Quebec City was a colonial (殖民地的) town which was fortified by the settling Europeans. The walls began to be built in 1608 under both British and French regimes (政权). A fort was constructed by the British as an additional defensive measure and remains undamaged to date. The city’s fortifications were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
Mexico City, Mexico
Historically, the City of Mexico gained importance as the Aztec Capital. The Spanish then drove out the Aztecs and rebuilt it as the Spanish Capital. The walls protecting the city were built in 1521. Mexico City is also home to numerous colonial-era buildings which together with the walls are major tourist attractions in the city.
1. Which city has walls of the longest history?| A．York, England. | B．Xi’an, China. |
| C．Quebec City, Canada. | D．Mexico City, Mexico. |
| A．They were once colonies of other countries. |
| B．They were once the capital of the Aztec empire. |
| C．Their walls were once built under British regime. |
| D．Their walls were once damaged after construction. |
| A．Culture. | B．Entertainment. | C．Science. | D．Society |
3 . Britons are well known for the amount of tea that they drink. The average person in the UK consumes around 1.9 kg of tea yearly. That’s around 876 cups of tea. Tea is drunk by all sections of society. But tea is not native to Britain. Most tea is grown in India and China. So, how did it become an important part of British culture?
Tea arrived in London in the 1600s. At this time, British ships were exploring the world and came across the drink in China. It was not long before green tea was available to buy. However, this was only available to the richer sections of society.
At the beginning of the 1700s, the amount of tea arriving in Britain increased gradually. Black tea arrived at this time. At first people drank this tea exactly as it was in China. They soon discovered that it mixed really well with a little milk and sugar, giving the drink a special British characteristic.
In the 1800s tea was still a product enjoyed only by people with money. At this time they began to have “afternoon tea”. This involves drinking tea with a snack around 4 pm to avoid feeling hungry between lunch and dinner. It is a tradition that is still going today but has become less popular in recent times.
In the late 1800s, the price of tea decreased sharply as more tea began to arrive on ships from India and China. It was no longer a drink just for rich people. Tearooms — shops where you could buy and drink tea — started to appear across the country. People enjoyed drinking tea and socialising in these places. At the start of the 20th century, Britons began to make tea in their homes whenever they felt like it. Kettles became necessary in every kitchen.
1. How does the passage mainly develop?| A．By providing examples. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By following the order of time. | D．By following the order of importance. |
| A．Tea reached Britain from China centuries ago. | B．Britons are famous for planting tea. |
| C．Green tea was popular in China. | D．Most tea is grown in Britain. |
| A．In the early 1700s. | B．In the early 1800s. |
| C．In the late 1800s. | D．In the late 20th century. |
| A．To describe how to drink tea. | B．To explain why people love tea. |
| C．To compare black tea with green tea. | D．To introduce the history of British tea culture. |
Pillows
Based on historical records and unearthed artifacts, the development of pillows in China can be traced through various
In addition to providing support for head and neck during sleep
5 . The British has obeyed the “keep to the left” rule for long. Have you ever wondered why? There is a historical reason for this: it’s all to do with keeping your sword hand free! In the Middle Ages you never knew who you were going to meet when travelling on horseback. Most people are right-handed, so if a stranger passed by on the right of you, your right hand would be free to use your sword if required.
Indeed the “keep to the left” rule goes back even further in time; archaeologists have discovered evidence suggesting that the Romans drove carts and wagons on the left, and it is known that Roman soldiers always marched on the left. This “rule of the road” was officially sanctioned in 1300 AD when Pope (教皇) Boniface Ⅷ declared that all pilgrims (朝圣者) travelling to Rome should keep to the left.
This continued until the late 1700s when large wagons became popular for transporting goods. These wagons were drawn by several pairs of horses and had no driver’s seat. Instead, in order to control the horses, the driver sat on the horse at the back left, thus keeping his whip hand free. Sitting on the left however made it difficult to judge the traffic coming the other way, as anyone who has driven a left-hand drive car along the winding lanes of Britain will agree!
In Britain there wasn’t much call tor these massive wagons and the smaller British vehicles had seats for the driver to sit on behind the horses. As most people are right-handed, the driver would sit to the right of the seat so his whip hand was free. Traffic congestion in 18th century London led to a law being passed to make all traffic on London Bridge keep to the left in order to reduce collisions. This rule was incorporated (并入) into the Highway Act of 1835 and was adopted throughout the British Empire.
1. What probably happened in the Middle Ages?| A．Passers-by walked on the right. | B．Strangers fought every time they met. |
| C．People would be attacked by strangers. | D．Tourists travelled everywhere without limit. |
| A．Recognized. | B．Designed. | C．Explained. | D．Postponed. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Indifferent. | C．Negative. | D．Doubtful. |
| A．What Is the “Keep to the Left” Rule? | B．Why Do the British Drive on the Left? |
| C．Where Was “Drive on the Left” Carried Out? | D．When Is the “Keep to the Left” Rule Popular? |
The “24 solar terms” are a vital part of the Chinese calendar, which has
A complete set of “24 solar terms” first
The Chinese Agriculture Calendar is
7 . Discoveries at the famous Sanxingdui ruins in Southwest China show that the region’s ancient Shu Kingdom Civilization shared similarities with the Maya.
The Sanxingdui ruins belonged to the Shu Kingdom that existed at least 4,800 years ago and lasted more than 2,000 years, while the Mayan civilization built its city-states around 200 AD．
The bronze-made remains of trees unearthed at the ruins of the Shu Kingdom resemble the sacred ceiba tree, which symbolized the union of heaven, earth and the underworld in the Mayan civilization. “They are very important similarities,” says Santos, a Mexican archaeologist (考古学家) stressing that “the representations of trees in both cultures provide a symbolism that is very similar”.
The findings at the Sanxingdui ruins, considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, also show a new aspect of Bronze Age culture, indicating the ancient civilization already had technologies that were thought to have been developed much later.
While the time span between the Shu kingdom and the Mayan culture is great, the findings highlight the closeness between the two civilizations. They developed in areas with comparable climates and reflected their worldview through related symbols. “In the end, man is still man, independent of time and space. What we have is that, at this latitude (纬度), both the Shu people and the Mayans looked at the same sky and had the same stars on the horizon,” the expert says.
One notable feature of the recent discoveries at Sanxingdui was the cross-subject work and technology applied by teams of Chinese archaeologists, which allowed the unearthing of artifacts as fragile as silk remains, which other types of less careful digging methods would not have been able to register.
Cooperation between Chinese and Mexican archaeologists could benefit projects in the Mayan world, where the rainy climate and humidity are problematic for the conservation of ruins.
“Every time our cultural knowledge increases, regardless of whether we speak one language or another, what it shows us is that we continue to be sister cultures and, therefore, the exchange of such knowledge is fundamental,” says Santos.
1. What is a similarity between the Shu Kingdom and Maya civilization?| A．Their starting time. | B．Their historical origins. |
| C．Their cultural symbols. | D．Their ceremony traditions. |
| A．silk was a common clothing material then |
| B．some technologies were developed much earlier |
| C．the Bronze Age started earlier than previously assumed |
| D．the Shu Kingdom and the Mayan world had close contact |
| A．Damp weather. | B．Positioning of ruins. |
| C．High latitude. | D．Language barriers. |
| A．Our cultural knowledge is increasing. |
| B．The benefits of speaking a different language. |
| C．The increasing sisterhood in culture between China and Mexico. |
| D．The importance of the exchange of cultural knowledge. |
8 . A long lost 16th century civilization has been unearthed in rural Kansas-all thanks to a teen who helped archaeologists(考古学家)confirm the incredible discovery.
The long-lost city called Etzanoa-where up to 20,000 Indians once lived-was discovered in Arkansas City, in the south-central part of the state, when a high school boy found a cannon(炮)ball that tipped off the experts that their long-held suspicions about the existence of Etzanoa were correct.
The city, whose name means “The Great Settlement”, is believed to be the second-largest Native American city in the U.S. and was the site of a battle between Spanish explorers and Indian soldiers in 1601.
“The Spanish were amazed by the size of Etzanoa, ” according to Donald Blakeslee, a 73-year-old Wichita State University archaeologist, who announced the discovery. “They counted 2,000 houses that could hold ten people each. They said it would take two or three days to walk through it all.”
For years, he and other scientists hunted for the fabled city. They dug up pottery, knives and stone tools that would link it to records from Spanish explorers - but couldn’t confirm that it was Etzanoa. Then last year, Adam Ziegler, who attends a nearby high school, discovered a half-inch iron cannon ball — linking it to the 1601 battle. During the battle, the Spanish fired cannons at Indian soldiers, who eventually fled the city.
Kansas officials now want to turn the long-lost city into a scenic spot. “We’re looking at creating something that could be great for the region, and for 50 years and more down the road,” said Jay Warren, an Arkansas City Council member. “And we think the site could also be a hands-on field training facility for archaeologists from all over the world. ”
1. What does the underlined phrase “tipped off” in paragraph 2 refer to?| A．Gave information to. | B．Let down. |
| C．Played tricks on. | D．Knocked off. |
| A．It was once home to over 20,000 Indians. |
| B．It witnessed great changes in the last few centuries. |
| C．It was a famous tourist attraction in the 16th century. |
| D．It was the largest Indian settlement in the U.S. at the time. |
| A．The Indians were at war with the Spanish. |
| B．The Spanish explorers settled down in Arkansas City. |
| C．The Indians set up a large settlement in Arkansas City. |
| D．Etzanoa was abandoned by the Spanish and became a lost city. |
| A．A museum will be set up there. |
| B．Tourism will be promoted there. |
| C．It will be returned to the native Indians. |
| D．It will be rebuilt into a large settlement. |
1. How did the Doggerland people make a living?
| A．By hunting, | B．By farming. | C．By trading. |
| A．Scientists | B．Fishermen. | C．Historians. |
| A．Climate change. | B．Immigration. | C．Pollution. |
| A．The UN’s ancient flood stories. |
| B．The danger of flooding in the UK. |
| C．Ancient flooded land off the UK cone |
1. How did the Doggerland people make a living?
| A．By hunting, | B．By farming. | C．By trading. |
| A．Scientists | B．Fishermen. | C．Historians. |
| A．Climate change. | B．Immigration. | C．Pollution. |
| A．The UN's ancient flood stories. |
| B．The danger of flooding in the UK. |
| C．Ancient flooded land off the UK cone |
