1. What do we know about Beowulf?
A.Its writer is unknown. | B.It is a famous novel. | C.It is easy to understand. |
A.Between about AD 800 and AD 1066. |
B.Between about AD 1066 and AD 1150. |
C.Between about AD 1150 and AD 1500.. |
A.An English historian. | B.A Middle English poet | C.A modern English writer. |
A.Modern English. | B.Middle English. | C.Old English. |
In much of Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea,
Chopsticks are usually two long, thin
The Chinese have used chopsticks for five thousand years. People probably cooked
Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius,
Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, for example, most people
As winter comes, hands and feet can easily get cold. Thick gloves might be a good
There is no
Emperor Yangdi from the Sui Dynasty visited Jiangsu in winter. Due to the bitter cold, the local official asked craftsmen to make a small warmer for
Made of bronze or ceramics (陶器), ancient hand warmers had
Inside a hand warmer, simple coals were mixed with some flowers,
4 . Frozen in time, a 125-million-year-old mammal attacking a dinosaur. A 39-million-year-old whale, the heaviest animal that ever lived. The oldest known jellyfish, from 505 million years ago. Paleontology (古生物学) produces newsworthy discoveries.
Fossils (化石), moreover, provide direct evidence for the long history of life, allowing paleontologists to test hypotheses (假设) about evolution with data only they provide. They allow investigation of present and past life on Earth. Flows of biological diversity, appearances of new life forms and the extinctions of long existing ones, would go undiscovered without these efforts. But the headlines over exciting new fossils greatly underestimate the true importance of paleontology. Its real significance lies in how such discoveries brighten the grand history of life on Earth. From its beginnings, more than three billion years ago, to the present day, fossils record how life adapted or disappeared in the face of major environmental challenges.
Paleontologists provide us with a unique vantage on modern climate change. They play an essential role in interpreting ancient environments, in reconstructing ancient oceans, continents and climates. Fossils provide key limitation on the climate models that are essential for predicting future climate change. And the fossil record gives important insights into how life will respond to predicted future climate conditions, because these have occurred before in Earth’s history.
In addition, paleontology has provided a fundamental contribution to human thought: the reality of species extinction and thus of a world that has dramatically changed over time. In documenting the history of life, paleontologists recognized that many extinction episodes could occur suddenly, such as the event 66 million years ago that ended the dinosaurs. The search for the causes of past mass extinctions started pioneering studies from across the scientific spectrum (科学界), focusing on potential future threats to humanity.
Not only do paleontologists know what happens to life when things go bad, they also know how long it takes for ecosystems and biodiversity to recover from these disasters, which can take far longer than modern humans have existed.
Paleontologists thus provide a unique perspective on the nature and future long-term ecological impact of the current human-produced biodiversity crisis, the so-called Sixth Extinction, and therefore the importance of protecting modern biodiversity. The very concept of a Sixth Extinction would not exist without paleontologists documenting the first five.
Paleontologists know that understanding life’s past is critical to anticipating and adapting to life’s and humanity’s future. Paleontology is important because it brings its unique and critical perspective to current challenges in climate change, biodiversity loss and the environment. Paleontologists can predict the future because they know the past.
1. The first two paragraphs are written to _______.A.describe an event | B.raise a question |
C.present an opinion | D.make a comparison |
A.A positive effect. | B.A valuable suggestion. |
C.A quick decision. | D.A comprehensive view. |
A.Ecological recovery takes shorter than imagined. |
B.Past lessons can help to predict the future threats. |
C.Paleontologists can handle the biodiversity crisis. |
D.Fossil studies focus on the causes of mass extinctions. |
A.Paleontology: A Pioneering Study |
B.Paleontology: A History Recorder |
C.Paleontology Tells More About Nature Than Humans |
D.Paleontology Is Far More Than New Fossil Discoveries |
5 . After a long, cold and dry winter, life and color are starting to return. Flowers are everywhere, birds are singing and people are flying kites.Known as the birthplace of kites, Weifang in Shandong province has a long history of making kites.
It is believed that Weifang kite-making can be traced back (回溯) to 2, 000 years ago. At first, they were often used by the army for communication purposes. During the Ming Dynasty (1368—1644), kites started to be popular. Made from bamboo and covered with traditional Chinese paintings, Weifang kite-making was in the intangible cultural heritage (非物质文化遗产) lists in 2006. The International Kite Festival has been held in Wei fang every year since 1984.
Yang Hong wei, 56, is an inheritor (传承人) of the Wei fang kite-making. Born in a kite-making family, Yang often saw kites with bright colors and different shapes in her grandfather’s workshop. “Many places around the world have a tradition of flying kites,” Yang said. “ But I think behind our kites is the beauty of our nature and culture.”
On Yang’s kites, people can see not only common things like flowers and birds, but also some patterns (图案) telling about Chinese fairy tales and history. “It takes lots of time,” Yang added, “but when I explain the things on the kites to foreign customers, I feel a sense of great achievement.”
In her spare time, she also travels to different countries including Germany, Australia, the US and New Zealand to tell people about Chinese stories seen on kites and the traditional ways of making kites. “I’m an inheritor of the culture. It is an important job of mine to spread the heritage around the world and onto the next generation (一代人).” she said.
1. Which of the following is Not true about the weifang kite-making?A.They are made from bamboo. |
B.They are different shapes. |
C.They are covered with traditional Chinese paintings. |
D.They are only some common things like flowers and birds. |
A.The purposes of flying kites. |
B.The history of Wei fang kite-making. |
C.The materials to make Wei fang kites. |
D.The International Kite Festival. |
A.Yang’s kites are very common. |
B.Yang’s kites are easy to make. |
C.Yang’s kites show people the beauty of Chinese culture . |
D.Yang’s kites are only sold in China. |
A.common things. |
B.flowers and birds. |
C.leaves and flowers. |
D.Chinese fairy tales and history. |
A.The making of Weifang kites. |
B.The history of Weifang kites. |
C.The meaning of Weifang kites. |
D.The inheritor of the Weifang kite-making. |
Wandering sounds, irregular rhythms and a carrier of gentle emotions define the musical language of guqin, a seven string instrument created in ancient China.
The earliest piece of guqin in China,
The tone of a guqin is quiet, light and
The guqin
This graceful dialogue, flowing from brushed fingertips and
Dujiangyan Dam, 45km north of Chengdu, an ancient technological wonder of the country, was originally constructed around 256 BC by the State of Qin
During the Warring States period,
The archaeological ruins of Liangzhu in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, which date back 5,300 years,
The ruins,
The heritage site includes city ruins with palace
For example, cong — the jade piece that forms a rectangle tube with a circular inner section-is typical of artifact (器物)
Found in 2007, walls of the ruins and the
Come and see the Terracotta Army: more than 8,000 statues were made in the
10 . Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country, but only one of these—Quebec is known as “French Canada”. This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventurers discovered the rest.
Canada left the British Empire(帝国) in 1867 to become an independent country, and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since.
Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country. Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is rare.
The same goes for traffic signs and menus, for example, outside of Quebec, there are only a few places where you’ll see traffic signs in French. In restaurants, it’s almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland(中心地带) of French Canada. However, all products sold in Canada must, by law, have labels(标签) and instructions in both languages.
In Canada’s English-speaking provinces, official bilingualism means that students can choose to complete a special French language course. Under this program, they are taught most of their subjects in French. If a student begins the course in kindergarten(幼儿园) or Grade One, it is likely that all his lessons will be in French. But if he starts at junior high school, 25 percent of the teaching will continue to be in English.
1. Which country controlled Canada before its independence?A.France. | B.America. | C.The British Empire. | D.Germany. |
A.In Quebec and a few other places. | B.Only in Quebec. |
C.From the two national television networks. | D.All over Canada. |
A.外语教育 | B.双语教育 | C.母语教育 | D.语言教育 |
A.Only English courses are offered. |
B.Most of the courses in junior high schools are taught in English. |
C.The courses in primary schools are all taught in English. |
D.If you choose a special French language course in kindergarten, all of the lessons will be taught in French. |