Originated in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Kunqu Opera is said to be the mother of all Chinese operas and is one of the oldest forms of opera still
The development of Kunqu Opera went through several
Kunqu Opera is acknowledged as
Each morning, amateur
The over-2,000-year-old canal that Cui
Along the canal’s 75-km section
Originally known as the Imperial University of Peking, Peking University was established in 1898. The
Today, Peking University
Peking University’s library is one of the largest libraries in the world,
4 . We live surrounded by advanced technology.
Actually, all of our modern things are based on older technologies. Ancient people didn't necessarily have steel or wheels or, electronic communication. Yet, they built monument (纪念碑) even bigger than Stonehenge.
At first, scientists long believed that the ancients who lived 80,000 years ago were the first to throw spears with stone tips. Then came the discovery of 279,000-year-old stone spear tips in Ethiopia These pushed the date back.
Scientists have been trying to figure out how ancient people developed their tools and build their cities and monuments.
| A．Ancient people were really clever |
| B．Not all of these technologies are useful |
| C．For example, there are skyscrapers and spaceships |
| D．They also raised huge stone heads on Easter Island |
| E．They use modern technologies to explore the ancient places |
| F．Not all of advanced technologies were limited to modern people |
| G．And it has been suggested that even prehuman species hunted with spears |
5 . How did football become the most popular sport?
There’s no question that football is the global sport. Basketball, tennis, cricket, and other sports are popular too, but nothing comes close to football.
The global fame of teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, or Real Madrid and competitions such as the Champions League have ensured that football never dies.
Modern football originally appeared in Britain in the XIX century. Folk football matches have been played before in many cities and towns, but never on a professional level.
The Rules Development
The rules were dictated by each school, and this difference made it difficult for players to look at it in any other way than a leisure game. It all changed in 1849 at the University of Cambridge that invented a set of standard rules known as the Cambridge rules of football.
By the early XX century, football has spread all across Europe. Internal organization came in 1904, when FIFA was found by representatives of many international football associations.
England’s international success boosted the popularity of the sport in the country. The Premier League as it is now was established in 1992, but it was still present in another format before it. From the 1990s onward, it became a truly impressive piece of football machinery, becoming the world’s top football league in the process.
| A．The first official football rules were printed in 1863 |
| B．It is impossible for any other sport to take its place |
| C．Being played in every country in the world, football provides dozens of superstars |
| D．Urbanization and industrialization undermined the game’s status in the XIX century |
| E．With up to 6 clubs fighting for the title, the PL is surely the best football league in Europe |
| F．Major TV deals and player branded products have contributed to football’s status around the world |
| G．It became the governing body for numerous associations in Europe, giving birth to modern football |
6 . The United States is a country of immigrants. It is a place where people from all over the world come to build a better life. Some immigrants bring their families. Some bring a few of their favorite things. Others come alone with nothing but determination. One thing that every immigrant brings with them is their culture.
American immigration began in 1607 with the colony of Jamestown. In 1620, another group of people left England to build a settlement in America. They wanted to go to a place where they could practice their religion freely. Then many more people left their homes in Europe to build a better life in America. Many also came to America from Africa. By 1770, more than two million people had moved to America. Later on, more people came to the United States than ever before.
In cities all over America, you can see different cultures that formed this country. Many things that you may think of as being “American” are actually from a foreign culture. Some of the best examples of this are the foods people eat. Pizza and spaghetti are foods that all Americans know and love. But both of them are from Italy. Baseball is an all-American sport. But the hot dogs that people eat during the game are a type of food that was brought to America by German immigrants.
Over time, pizza and hot dogs have become a part of what is considered to be American food. In the same way, different groups of people have come together to define what an American is. An American can be a person of any background. An American can be of any faith . An American can be of any skin color. They can speak English clearly. They can speak English with an accent. Each new immigrant adds something new to American culture. It will keep changing as more people come to this country.
1. Why do many foreigners move to America ?| A．To achieve individual dreams |
| B．To avoid political punishment |
| C．To improve the life quality |
| D．To reunite with the beloved ones |
| A．the history of American immigration |
| B．why people chose to move to America |
| C．the rapid growth of the population of America |
| D．what immigrants have brought to America |
| A．they have a long history in America |
| B．they are very popular with Americans |
| C．America is a country full of tasty foods |
| D．America is made up of different cultures |
| A．simple | B．strange |
| C．diverse | D．advanced |
| A．Immigrants and their American dreams |
| B．America: a melting pot of cultures |
| C．America: a land of opportunity |
| D．Life in the US: culture shock |
7 . The first men and women came to Britain over two and a half million years ago.
3,000 years after Britain became an island, new tribes who came by boat from the mainland introduced farming.
Later on, people learned to build stone monuments. The most amazing is Stonehenge, a circle of huge stones begun about 4,500 years ago. Stonehenge is the world's most famous prehistoric monument.
3,000 years ago the climate in Britain became colder and wetter than before.
What we know about the first people in Britain has been worked out by archaeologists from the remains they left behind them. Pytheas, a Greek, was the first person who could read and write to come to Britain. His visit was in about 330 BC, over 2, 000 years after Stonehenge was begun. Unfortunately, what Pytheas wrote has been lost, so we don't have any written record of Britain until the Romans came.
| A．That was almost 300 years after he did! |
| B．As a result, people had to move down from high ground. |
| C．Because of the climate change, much of the ice has melted. |
| D．Many archaeologists believe that Britain was once covered by ice. |
| E．These tribes built earthworks for protection and as tombs for their dead bodies. |
| F．They were hunters and gatherers of food, who used stone tools and weapons. |
| G．We don't know what it was used for, though many different suggestions have been made. |
Ahh… Fish, chips and soft peas! There is nothing
The potato
Both Lancashire and London claim to be the first
Ordinary people soon decided that putting fried fish and chips together was a very tasty
The first fish and chip shop in the North of England was founded in Mossley around 1863. Mr. Lees sold fish and chips from a wooden house in the market and later he moved the business to a shop across the road
The Silk Road is in fact a relatively recent term. These ancient roads had no particular name until in the mid-nineteenth century, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen
In the nineteenth century, a new type of travelers stepped onto the Silk Road: archaeologists and geographers, enthusiastic explorers who were eager
Today, many historic
10 . The “Chong Yang Festival” is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, which is also known as the Double Ninth Festival.
Climbing Mountains
People like to climb mountains on this festival, so Double Ninth Festival is also called “Mountain-climbing Festival”.
The 9th lunar month, with clear autumn sky and bracing air, is a good time for sightseeing.
Climbing mounting also indicates “climbing to a higher position”. Another reason why climbing mountains are valued by people, especially by the elderly is that it has a meaning of “climbing to ligneous life”. Climbing mountains on Double Ninth Festival was already popular in the Tang Dynasty.
Drinking Chrysanthemum Flower(菊花) Wine
The chrysanthemum flower wine is unique in brewing. In ancient times, people usually picked fresh chrysanthemum flowers and leaves on the 9th of the 9th lunar month, and brewed the mixture of them and grains into the wine.
The Double Ninth cake is also known as “flower cake”. It dates back to the Zhou Dynasty. It is said that the cake was originally prepared after autumn harvests for farmers to have a taste of what was just in season, and it gradually grew into the present cake for people to eat on the Double Ninth Day.
| A．Eating Double Ninth Cake |
| B．Making “flower cake” with friends |
| C．A lot of poems were devoted to this custom |
| D．So people love to go sightseeing this month |
| E．It would not be drunk until the same day next year |
| F．Here are some traditional customs of the Double Ninth Festival |
| G．But few Chinese people are aware of the importance of the festival |
