Gulangyu Island, off the coast of Xiamen, Fujian, was certificated a world heritage site by UNESCO. Every year,
The recognition of this beautiful and
Gulangyu Island and every world heritage item are worthy of care and protection. Since they came into existence, they
Terra-cotta Warriors in Xi’an,
In 221 B.C., Emperor Qin Shi Huang of Qin Dynasty established the first centralized feudal dynasty in China. After his death, he
Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum is the
Terra-cotta Warriors is
3 . Guanmei, a 65-year-old woman of the Dong ethnic group, is the inheritor of the Grand Song of Dong (侗族大歌), a national intangible cultural heritage in China. Her hometown Zaidai Village in Guizhou, southwestern China, is home to the Grand Song of the Dong ethnic group.
The Grand Song of Dong dates from more than 2,500 years ago. The way Dong singers use their vocal cords (声带) is different from how formally trained singers do. It is a folk chorus with multi-parts, no conductor, and no accompaniment. Organically growing from their natural surroundings, it is recognized internationally as “the sound of Nature.”
Before the Dong people had a writing system in 1958, the Dong culture, their history and stories were all recorded by means of songs. As a Dong saying goes, “Rice feeds the body and songs enrich the soul”. The Dong people sing right from their childhood. While not singing, they all work in their rice field.
Guanmei has been singing the Grand Song of Dong all her life, making her a famous singing teacher in her hometown and nearby areas. “The songs are our means of passing on wisdom, knowledge and life experiences to others. I will not exist in this world 100 years later, but Grand songs will. I’m honored to do this job, ” Guanmei said.
Kind-hearted, Guanmei has been volunteering to teach the Grand Song of Dong to the Dong children for over 30 years. Now she has more than 300 students. Guanmei is pleased to see the village children come to her house willingly when they have free time.
“Nowadays, more and more young people leave the village and settle in cities. Decades later, the Dong children out of the village might know nothing about Grand songs. We should do something just now. It’s our mission. What is once lost might be lost forever,” added Guanmei.
1. What makes the Grand Song of Dong known as “the sound of Nature”?| A．The outstanding conductor. |
| B．The special musical instrument. |
| C．The attractive natural environment. |
| D．The inspiration from nature. |
| A．The Dong singers are professionals. |
| B．The Dong culture before 1958 has been largely lost. |
| C．Singing is of vital importance to the Dong people. |
| D．They have a written language with a history of over 2,500 years. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Sympathetic. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Satisfied. |
| A．To call on young people to return to the Dong village. |
| B．To guide the Dong children to learn the Grand Song of Dong. |
| C．To show a woman’s efforts to keep the Dong culture alive. |
| D．To instruct people to appreciate the Grand Song of Dong. |
4 . Americans: Restless? Illiterate(文盲)？
Americans are queer people; they can’t rest. They have more time, more leisure, shorter work hours, more holidays, and more vacations than any other people in the world. But they can’t rest. They rush up and down across their continent as tourists; they move about in great herds to conventions(大会); they search the wilderness; they flood the mountains; they keep the hotels full. But they can’t rest. The scenery rushes past them. They learn it, but they don’t see it. Battles and monuments are announced to them on a tour bus. They hear them, but they don’t get them. They never stop moving; they rush up and down as Shriners, Masons, Old Graduates, Bankers—they are a new thing each day, always rushing to a reunion or something. So they go on rushing about till eventually the undertaker(殡葬工)gather them to a last convention.
Americans are queer people; they can’t read. They have more schools, and better schools and spend more money on schools and colleges than all Europe. But they can’t read. They print more books in a year than the French print in ten. But they can’t read. They cover their country with one hundred thousand tons of Sunday newspapers every week. But they don’t read them. They’re too busy. They use them for fires and to make more paper with. They buy eagerly thousands of new novels at two dollars each. But they read only page one. Their streets are full of huge signs. They won’t look at them. Their streetcars are filled with advertising; they turn their eyes away. Transparent colors, cart wheels, and mechanical flares whirl and flicker in the crowded streets at night. No one sees them. Tons of letters pour into the mail boxes, through the houses, and down the garbage cans. No one reads them.
1. The underlined word“queer”mean _________________.| A．strange | B．difficult | C．forgetful | D．friendly |
| A．When they are not allowed to. |
| B．When they feel tired and sleepy. |
| C．When they stop breathing eventually. |
| D．When they are seriously ill in bed. |
| A．by driving there in person |
| B．when they are on the tour bus |
| C．from books and magazines |
| D．from their friends and co-workers |
| A．To tell people the Americans are illiterate. |
| B．To prove the Americans to be a queer nation. |
| C．To make fun of the American way of life. |
| D．To give the readers information about USA. |
5 . Sitting on the peaceful coast of the Calapagos Islands, Ecuador, watching the sun move quietly into the sea, you shouldn’t forget the Charles Darwin (1809-1882) arrived here in 1835. He stayed on the islands for five weeks, observing various animals. This finally inspired his famous work On the Origin of Species. You can certainly follow Darwin’s footsteps and enjoy a trip from four to seven days to the islands.
The islands are certainly a paradise (天堂) for wildlife, as there are no natural killers on the islands and the number of boats and visitors is under government control. Though you cannot walk freely as Darwin did about 200 years ago, each day is as impressive as it could be.
The most well-known animals of the Calapagos is the giant tortoise (巨型陆龟), which can be seen moving slowly around the highlands of Sanra Cruz, the second largest island in the archipelago (群岛). Some of these creatures are so old that they might have been seen in their youth by Darwin himself.
Despite strict control over activities and timing, your stay on the Galapagos will be remembered as a chain of incomparable pictures: diving with sea lions that swim and play within inches of you; feeling small sharks touch your feet as you swim; and, most magically, seeing a whale and her baby surface with a great breath of air.
Travelling between the islands and observing the wildlife that so inspired Darwin, you will feel as though you are getting a special view of an untouched world. At night you will sleep on board the ship, leaving the wildlife in complete occupation of the islands, which are as undisturbed now as they have been since the beginning of time.
1. What do we know about Darwin’s visit to the islands?| A．He studied different creatures on the islands. |
| B．He completed his famous book on the istands. |
| C．He was touched by the geography of the islands. |
| D．He was attracted by well-known animals of the islands. |
| A．Animals on the islands feed on grass. |
| B．Local government forbids killing wildlife. |
| C．People cannot visit the islands as they wish. |
| D．Tourists are not allowed to touch the animals. |
| A．the beautiful sea views |
| B．Darwin’s inspiring trip |
| C．a closer view of animals |
| D．various daring activities |
| A．A Unique Attraction for Wildlife Lovers |
| B．Calapagos as a Paradise for Adventurers |
| C．Charles Darwin as a Symbol of Calapagos |
| D．A Successful Example of Wildlife Protection |
