Blue Lightning
Sally loved cars more than anything else. This spring she thought of building a go﹣kart to enter for the Go﹣Go Race. So she asked her dad for help.
"Well," he said. "How about this: you do some research first and then come back to me with a design."
A week later, Sally brought her notes and drawings to Dad. She named her go﹣kart "Blue Lightning". Dad looked over her work, thinking. "Well, that's interesting," he said. "Have a try. Just build Blue Lightning as you've designed."
Over three weekends of hard work, Sally turned her design into a real, working go﹣kart and painted it light blue. Dad asked her to take it for a test drive. Sally agreed.
After she did that, Sally drove back to Dad. "Well," she said. "Now I know why you wanted me to have a test drive."
"Oh, do you?" he said. "Please share."
"When I drove fast, there was a lot of pushback," she said. "I think it's because of the lightning bolt (闪电) shape."
"Very good!" Dad said.
"So, why didn't you tell me about that problem in the first place?" Sally asked.
Dad laughed. "Where's the fun in that? If you give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. But if you teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime."
Sally said, "I see. Anyway, designing is half the fun !"
Dad smiled. "Good. Sometimes, learning happens during the process. We learn how to do something right by doing it a few times first and making mistakes along the way."
That encouraged Sally and she worked even harder. When she showed Dad her new go﹣kart, he nodded with pride.
Finally came the race. Sally wasn't worried about whether she would win﹣in her mind, she had already won, by building something better than ever before.
(1)Sally thought of building a go﹣kart to .
A. practice driving
B. enter for a race
C. play with friends
D. do some research
(2)What did Sally's dad ask her to do after she built the go﹣kart?
A. To have a test drive.
B. To take a good rest.
C. To give it a cool name.
D. To paint it light blue.
(3)Sally's story mainly tells us that .
A. winning a race is important
B. fishing brings us a lot of fun
C. driving experience is necessary
D. learning happens during the process
Recently, my husband and I had the chance to do something good for two people who were complete strangers to us. It made us feel so good to be able to do it that I thought I should share, We were traveling to Thailand on New Year's Day with our family. Since I travel a lot for work, we have had enough flying miles to become the VIP (very important person.) of the flight to enjoy first class(头等舱) seats.
As we were sitting in the very first two seats in the first row of first class waiting for the plane to take off, I heard one of the flight attendants (航班服务员) telling the others that there was a young couple sitting in the back of the plane that had just been married several days before and were going on their honeymoon(蜜月). They had ordered their flight eight months before but, for some reason, had not been able to get seats together. No one else on the plane wanted to move and the bride(新娘) was in tears.
I turned to my husband and told him what I heard. We agreed without thinking twice and I called the flight attendant over to tell her that we would be happy to give up our seats for this young couple, The flight attendant seemed shocked and amazed and said. "Really? Are you sure?"
We said. "Sure!"
So, we moved to the back of the plane, I was in a middle seat in the back part and my husband,who is 63, in the window seat of the last row of the plane.
The flight attendants were very thankful for what we had done and cared for us carefully even though we were no longer sitting in first class, and we both made friends with the people sitting around us and had a great flight. I had to go back to the front of the plane to get a forgotten object back during the flight and noticed that the young couple were sitting very close together, happily sipping champagne (品尝香槟).
It really made my New Year to get on to such a wonderful start!
(1)When did the writer travel to Thailand?
A. |
On the first day of April. |
B. |
On the first day of January. |
C. |
On the first day of March. |
D. |
On the first day of February. |
(2)Why could the writer get the first class seats?
A. |
Because she was old. |
B. |
Because she was sick. |
C. |
Because she often traveled. |
D. |
Because she had much money. |
(3)Where did the writer sit at last?
A. |
In the first row. |
B. |
In a middle seat. |
C. |
In the last row. |
D. |
In the window seat. |
(4)What's the passage mainly about?
A. |
A young couple gave their seats to the old. |
B. |
The flight attendants helped the old couple. |
C. |
All the passengers helped the young couple. |
D. |
An old couple offered their seats to the strangers. |
Chinatown is the name given to an area in the middle of London. It is a large Chinese community with a lot of Chinese restaurants, supermarkets and shops.
In the 1950s, it was a poor area and everything was very cheap. At the same time, the world rice market changed and thousands of farm workers in Hong Kong lost their jobs. They began arriving in London to look for work. They found jobs in the restaurants in this area.
These restaurant workers often worked 17hours a day and had no time to learn English. As more Chinese arrived, more shops and businesses grew up. Wives came and joined their husbands and children came and joined their fathers. The community grew, and Chinatown was born.
In the 1970s and 1980s, British﹣born Chinese started to have a better education and this brought economic(经济的)success to the area. Many families moved out of Chinatown, and there was more space for businesses. Chinatown soon became a popular place for tourists.
Now everyone knows about London's Chinatown. During the Chinese New Year, the streets are seen with flags and thousands of Chinese go into the streets. For most of the year, though, Londoners and tourists go there mainly for the food in the Chinese restaurants. The best restaurants are the one where the Chinese eat.
56. From the text, we know that .
A. the first Chinese in Chinatown were mainly from Hongkong
B. many factory workers in Hongkong lost their jobs in the 1950s
C. there were many restaurants in the middle of England in the 1950s
57. It seemed easier for people from Hongkong to find jobsin the 1950s.
A. in hospitals
B. in churches
C. in restaurants
58. The restaurant workers didn't learn English because they .
A. didn't have time
B. couldn't pay for the course
C. found it too difficult
59. When did British﹣born Chinese start to have a better education?
A. At the beginning of the 1990s.
B. When the Chinese community was born.
C. Twenty to thirty years later after their parents' arrival.
60. What is the main idea of this text?
A. To introduce the history of Chinatown in London.
B. To introduce some popular Chinese restaurants in London.
C. To tell us the reason why people in Hongkong moved to London.
Imagine a perfect day: the weather is good and everything seems fine. When, suddenly, your mobile phone loses its signal, the television has no programs, and you can't get online with your computer.
What has happened? These are just the types of problems a solar storm(太阳风 暴)might cause. You may not think of storms as putting our society in danger. But today, a solar storm is as serious as other bad events, such as earthquakes.
A solar storm is caused by solar flares(太阳耀斑): large explosions(爆炸)near the sun that can give off lots of energy. The strong energy can stop the satellite systems(卫星系统)that control our computers, telecom networks and so on. These storms can even cause the power to go out for weeks or months.
In the past few months, scientists have recorded some of the strongest sun flares in years. The most recent one happened around Valentine's Day, 2011. It caused radio and satellite signals to go down in some northern cities in China.
"Solar flare activity is going to be much worse than what we've seen in the past. We're not talking about a few cities losing power, it could be half of the country, maybe more." SolarStorm Warning.com, a US website about space weather, warned.
Scientists say that little can be done to predict such a storm. Governments around the world are trying to work together before the next storm, although they are not sure when that may happen.
根据短文内容,选择最佳选项,并在答题卡上将选定的答案字母标号涂黑.
(1)According to the passage, a solar storm can cause many problems EXCEPT that .
A. |
earthquakes happen |
B. |
mobile phones have no signals |
C. |
people cannot get online |
D. |
the power may go out |
(2)According to the passage, solar flares are .
A. |
telecom networks |
B. |
solar storms |
C. |
large explosions near the sun |
D. |
US websites |
(3)From the passage, the right order of the following is .
a.solar flares give off lots of energy
b.people can't get online with their computers
c.solar storms happen
d.satellite systems are stopped
A. |
a﹣b﹣c﹣d |
B. |
a﹣c﹣d﹣b |
C. |
c﹣a﹣b﹣d |
D. |
c﹣b﹣a﹣d |
(4)The writer wrote the passage mainly to .
A.call for scientists to predict when the next solar storm will happen
B.tell people how to solve the problems caused by solar storms
C.introduce what solar storms are to people
D.ask people to work to prevent the solar storm from happening
(5)In Paragraph 1, the underlined word "signal" means .
A. |
电池 |
B. |
标志 |
C. |
力量 |
D. |
信号 |
How do you deal with plastic bags from the supermarket ?Throw them away or recycle them? How about eating them?
The bags are no harmful to the environment. Humans and animals can safely eat them.Indian company EnviGreen has made a bag with natural materials.It looks and feels just like plastic ,but can be broken down(分解) easily.
Ashwath Hedge who set up the EnviGreen company spent four years doing experiments(实验) with 12natural materials. They include potato ,corn,vegetable oil and banana.He made the materials into liquid and used the liquid to make the bag.
Although the EnviGreen bag is more expensive than a common plastic bag, it has many advantages.According to the Wall street Journal, it takes 1000years for common plastic bags to break down.But an EnviGreen bag can naturally break down in less than 180days.It also breaks down in less than a day in water.Hedge was happy to show it in his interview, he put an Envi Green bag in water and ate it with a smile.
There are more than 15000tons of plastic waste in India every day. But only 9,000tons are processed.In China,3billion plastic bags are used every day.Maybe EnviGreen bag could be a solution(解决办法)to the world problem of plastic plastic pollution.
46.According to Paragraph2, we can know the following EXCEPT
A.the EnviGreen bag can break down easily.
B.the EnviGreen bag is made from natural materials.
C. the EnviGreen bag can be eaten by humans and animals
D.the EnviGreen bag is a little bit harmful to the environment
47.The main idea of the third paragraph is " "
A.What Hedge thinks of the new bag
B.How Hedge makes the EnviGreen bag
C.Who sets up the EnviGreen bag company
D.How long it takes Hedge to make the bag
48.The underlined sentence in Paragraph 4shows that the EnviGreen bag
A.is safe and can break down quickly
B.is useful although it is more expensive
C.looks and feels like a common plastic bag
D.will be used more widely than a common bag.
49.The EnviGreen bag breaks down faster in ﹣
A.hot air
B.cold water
C.boiling water
D.natural air
50.From the last paragraph ,we can infer(推断)
A.all of India's plastic waste is processed
B.India has the most plastic waste in the world
C.China produces more plastic waste than India
D.the EnviGreen bag may help solve the problem of plastic pollution
Thousands of years ago, Shennong, who had an ox(牛)head and human body, lived in the south of ancient China. Seeing that local people were suffering from disease, he built ladders(梯子)and houses on a high mountain to store medical plants. To remember him, people named the place Shennongjia.
The story makes Shennongjia in Hubei an inviting place for tourists. Traveling there is a quite different experience, as you can see sceneries(风景)of the four seasons from different height."When the bottom of the mountain is summer, the top is spring and while the foothill is autumn, the top is covered with ice," local people say of the special climate of Shennongjia.
Shennongjia is also home to 5,000kinds of animals and plants. Many rare animals live there, such as the golden monkey and the Asian black bear.
One intersting thing about Shennongjia is its story of wild men. Some people said that they saw big foot marks. Yet so far, scientists haven't proved(证实)it is true and some say they are just bears.
The beautiful place has recently received a new title. It was added to United Nations World Heritage(遗产)list as a natural site. China now has 50world heritage sites, only less than Italy in the world.
46. According to Paragraph 1, Shennong .
A. had an ox body
B. grew medical plants for people
C. helped people with illness
47. In Shennongjia, .
A. there are 50,000kinds of animals and plants
B. people can experience four seasons up the mountain
C. people can climb ladders and get to the houses on a high mountain
48. " rare animals" are animals which are .
A. big and dangerous
B. smart and expensive
C. not often seen
49. Scientists are not sure about .
A. the story of Shennong
B. the truth of wild men in Shennongjia
C. the number of animals and plants in Shennongjia
50. Which of the following countries has the most world heritage sites?
A. Italy.
B. China.
C. The US.
Most viruses can be found and killed by our immune system as soon as they enter our bodies.However,some viruses,for example,the coronavirus,are sneaky.They are difficult to recognize and find.These viruses can cause deadly diseases,like COVID﹣19.Human﹣to﹣human transmission can easily occur,and pandemic will therefore break out.Vaccination is by now a simple,safe and effective way to protect us from the diseases.
▲Vaccines are something that "looks" exactly the same as the viruses,mainly made from the viruses that are weakened or killed.They will not make us really ill.They only stimulate and activate our immune system to work,telling it something harmful is coming in.The immune system will know what the "viruses" look like,and send B cells(lymphocytes)or antibodies to find and kill them.Meanwhile,B cells will remember them for the next kill.A vaccine may also give us passive immunity by providing B cells taken from an animal or a human to play the same role.
Scientists have developed more than 180 vaccines to fight against COVID49.The technical approaches of these vaccines can be a little different,but their aims are the same.
Take the inactivated vaccine as an example.In an inactivated vaccine,the coronaviruses are already killed or made into the ones unable to produce more new viruses.When the immune system "sees" them,it will try to kill them.The question is:without enough these viruses• how can B cells remember them?That's why we need to take the vaccine more than one time.Though this vaccine is safe,it might not be as effective as it is expected to be.
The live﹣attenuated vaccine is different.In this vaccine,the viruses are weakened,but they are alive.They can produce enough new viruses to train the immune system to kill and remember them,so people only need to take the vaccine once.The live﹣attenuated vaccine is considered the most effective,but there is a worry:what might happen once these viruses wake up?
Therefore,although vaccination is by now one of the best ways to protect us from COVID﹣19,it can be better.
(1)The coronavirus can .
A. |
not be killed |
B. |
not be found |
C. |
cause deaths |
D. |
stop pandemic |
(2)Which of the following can be the best topic sentence of Paragraph 2?
A. |
Vaccination can provide us with B cells. |
B. |
Vaccines are made from different viruses. |
C. |
Vaccination can prepare us against viruses. |
D. |
Vaccines won't make us ill as the viruses do. |
(3)Compared to the inactivated vaccine,the live﹣attenuated vaccine .
A. |
needs taking more than once |
B. |
is equally safe |
C. |
contains viruses that are killed |
D. |
is more effective |
(4)What can we learn from the passage?
A. |
Vaccination is good enough to treat COVID﹣19. |
B. |
The immune system can be more effective with vaccines. |
C. |
The viruses in inactivated vaccines can make new viruses. |
D. |
180 vaccines have been developed to fight against diseases. |
Marianne Carus,who started Cricket(蟋蟀)magazine in 1973 and served as Editor﹣in﹣Chief(总主编)until 2012,died on March 3 at the age of 92 this year.
Marianne believed that "only the best of the best is good enough for the young. "In Cricket,children would find wonderful stories with beautiful art,and be encouraged by ideas in the humanities and sciences.Marianne looked for stories from around the world to awaken admiration for different peoples and cultures.Most important,Cricket would never talk down to children.
Marianne knew that children were filled with fun,and she wanted Cricket to be,too - "humor from the heart that makes you laugh out loud. "And so she named her literary magazines after a funny group of bugs(虫子),such as Lady bung and Spider.
Over the years,Cricket has been read by millions of children and given many writers and artists their start.Marianne kept a special box of "love letters" to the magazine.She treasured these letters from Cricket readers,including long﹣ago readers.They told her that their interest in reading had begun with Cricket.
▲She considered other names,such as Troubadour or Taliesin,the singers and storytellers of old who traveled from one place to another to share their songs and stories.Then,one night,she was reading Isaac Bashevi Singer's memoir(回忆录)A Day of Pleasure,about his childhood in Warsaw.In it he wrote:There was a stove in Shosha's apartment behind which there lived a cricket.It chirped the nights through all winter long I imagined the cricket was telling a story that would never end. "That's exactly what Marianne wanted her children's magazine to do-to tell stories that would never end!So the name Cricket became her best choice.
Thank you for everything,Marianne.May the stories,and the laughter,never end!
(1)Cricket is a magazine most probably for .
A. |
writer |
B. |
children |
C. |
artists |
D. |
teachers |
(2)According to the passage,Marianne .
A. |
made an effort to find the best stories |
B. |
raised many bugs as her pets |
C. |
replied to long﹣ago Cricket readers |
D. |
started Cricket 39 years ago |
(3)Which of the following can be the best to fill in" ▲"in Paragraph 5?
A. |
How was the life of crickets? |
B. |
When was the magazine Cricket born? |
C. |
What did Marianne think of crickets? |
D. |
Why did Marianne name her magazine Cricket? |
(4)The best title for the passage can probably be .
A. |
The Life of a Cricket |
B. |
Admiration for Different Cultures |
C. |
Best Stories for the Young |
D. |
Achievements in Marianne 's Life |
Have you ever entered a tropical rainforest(热带雨林)?Rainforests make up only a small part of the Earth's surface,about six percent,but there are more kinds of tees than any other area in the whole world.
Tropical rainforests are in Africa,Asia,Central and South America,Australia,and on the Pacific islands.The largest tropical rainforest is the Amazon(亚马逊)Rainforest in South America,which covers 1.2 billion acres,or almost five million square kilometres.The second largest rainforest is in Western Africa.
Rainforests provide us with many things.In fact,the Amazon Rainforest is the "lungs of our planet" because it produces 20%of the world's oxygen (氧气).One fifth of the world's fresh water is also found in the Amazon Rainforest.Furthermore,one half of the world's species of animals,plants and insects live in the Earth's rainforests.80% of the food we eat first grew in the rainforest.25%of the drugs we take when we are sick are made of plants that grow only in rainforests.Some of these drugs are even used to fight and cure cancer.
There are four different levels of trees in a rainforest.The forest floor is the lowest layer full of animal life and receives the least amount of light.The under storey is the dark,cool environment under the leaves but over the ground.The canopy layer is the upper parts of most of the trees.The emergent layer contains a small number of very tall trees.
These different parts of a rainforest exist together to create an ecosystem for many animals,plants and human beings.
(1)This passage is mainly about .
A.kinds of forest
B.where rainforests are
C.facts about rainforests
D.how much oxygen rainforests make
(2)The Amazon Rainforest provides us with percent of the world's oxygen.
A. |
twenty |
B. |
twenty﹣five |
C. |
fifty |
D. |
eighty |
(3)Where can we probably find a tropical rainforest according to the passage?
A. |
In France. |
B. |
In China. |
C. |
In Canada. |
D. |
In Britain. |
(4)Which is the right picture to show four different levels of trees in a rainforest?
A. |
|
B. |
|
C. |
|
D. |
|
Dogs may be man's best friends,but for Sisu,a stray dog,the unicorn(独角兽)is his best friend.
Recently,Sisu broke into a store in North Carolina five times,trying to steal the same purple unicorn toy.But every time he got it,a salesman would find him,take the toy away and put it back on the shelf.When it turned out that Sisu wouldn't give up,the salesman had to lock the door and not let Sisu in,and then called Duplin County Animal Services for help.
Samantha Lane,the officer who answered the call,was so moved by Sisu's love for the unicorn that she bought the $10 toy for the dog.
"The only thing we can think of is that he came from a family that had a similar toy or had children who had one, " said Joe Newbum,a director of Duplin County Animal Services.
"It's a nice dog," Newbum added. "He likes to play and he is very smart.He sits,stays and shakes hands.He is very polite."
And whoever is lucky enough to adopt(收养)Sisu will get two best friends for the price of one.According to the Facebook post from Duplin County Animal Services,Sisu and his stuffed animal have already had an adopter.
(1)Why did Sisu break into the store in North Carolina?
A. |
To meet his adopter. |
B. |
To look for some food. |
C. |
To get the unicorn freely. |
(2)What can we learn from Joe Newbum's words?
A. |
The family had only one child. |
B. |
The family owned many unicorns. |
C. |
Joe Newbum thought highly of Sisu. |
(3)What is the right order according to the story?
a.Sisu was adopted at last.
b.Sisu broke into the store.
c.The salesman called for help.
d.The officer bought Sisu the unicorn.
A. |
b﹣d﹣a﹣c |
B. |
b﹣c﹣d﹣a |
C. |
c﹣d﹣b﹣a |
(4)What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. |
Brave for Love |
B. |
Kind to Animals |
C. |
Proper Feeding of Dogs |
When most people decide to buy food, they go to a grocery store. Grocery stores sell many different kinds of food in just one store. Some grocery stores also sell household goods such as kitchen paper, cleaning things, and diapers (尿布). A grocery store is a convenient place to shop for the kitchen and others.
Although it is comfortable and relaxing to shop at a grocery store, some people decide to buy their food from other places like farmers' markets. At a farmers' market, local farmers sell the foods they grow to customers. The foods they sell often include fruits, vegetables, and meats. Most of these foods are freshly harvested(收获)with no man-made additions.
There are several ways in which farmers' markets are less convenient than grocery stores. For example, packed foods usually are not sold at farmers' markets. Besides, many farmers do not accept credit(信用)cards or checks (支票)as payment for their goods. What is more, most farmers' markets are only open for business once or twice each week. This makes some people not want to shop at farmers' markets, but others are willing because of the fresh and local food there.
Deciding whether to shop for food at grocery stores or at farmers' markets is a personal choice. This choice reflects a person's values about life and about food. Those who value convenience and(多样)will probably choose to shop at a grocery store. People who value freshness and enjoy supporting local farmers will probably prefer the farmers' markets. Luckily, most communities provide choices for both kinds of shoppers.
(1)According to the passage,which of the following may not be sold at a farmers' market?
A. |
Apples. |
B. |
Potatoes. |
C. |
Beef. |
D. |
Kitchen paper. |
(2)We can NOT infer(推断) from Paragraph 3.
A. |
grocery stores sell packed foods |
B. |
people can use credit cards as payment at grocery stores |
C. |
grocery stores sell fresh and local food with no man﹣made additions |
D. |
grocery stores are open for business more often than farmers' market |
(3)In Paragraph 3,why does the writer mention that farmers' markets "are only open for business once or twice each week? "
A. |
To complain(抱怨)about the business time of farmers' markets. |
B. |
To help readers look for a better farmers' market. |
C. |
To explain why farmers' markets are less convenient than grocery stores. |
D. |
To make readers believe that farmers' markets are too uncomfortable to visit. |
(4)What's the main idea of the last paragraph?
A. |
If people want to have more choices,they'll probably prefer grocery stores. |
B. |
Where a person decides to shop depends on his or her personal values. |
C. |
If people want to support local farmers,they will probably prefer farmers' markets. |
D. |
In most communities,people can choose to shop either at grocery stores or at farmers' markets. |
(5)The writer writes the article mainly to .
A. |
compare two places where people buy food |
B. |
explain why the smartest people shop at grocery stores |
C. |
make readers believe that farmers' markets are better than grocery stores |
D. |
show that people should be judged (评价)according to the places where they buy food |
Chris recently completed a very unusual journey.Our reporter Mary met him at his home in south London and he told her all about the trip.
Reporter:What gave you the idea to travel around India on an elephant,Chris?
Chris:Well,it all started two years ago when I was planning a trip to India.I visited a photographic (摄影的) exhibition of elephants and I realized that the only way to travel around India was on an elephant.
Reporter:What did you do next?
Chris:I flew to New Delhi and started looking for an elephant.I needed an elephant trained to carry people.I didn't know anything about elephants,so I asked an expert for help.He taught me how to ride an elephant.He also helped me find an elephant.
Reporter:How long did it take to find a suitable elephant?
Chris:Not too long.I bought a female elephant called Tara for about USD 6,000.
Reporter:Can you tell me about the journey?
Chris:Tara and I set off from New Delhi a week later.We were heading to Sonepur in northern India where there is a big elephant market and I could sell Tara easily.And what a ride!Elephants can travel at about 6 miles an hour and Sonepur was more than 1,200 km away.It took us 64 days to complete the journey.
Reporter:Did you have any problems on your journey?
Chris:Yes,a few.But nothing serious.On the third day,Tara hurt her foot.But that got better quickly.Also,there was a lot of heavy rain during the first week and we got very wet!
Reporter:What happened when you reached Sonepur?
Chris:My plan was to sell Tara.But by now I was very fond of her.I couldn't take her back to Britain and I didn't want to sell her at the market.By chance,I met some people who wanted an elephant for their national park in southern India.I knew that Tara would be safe with them,so I gave her to them.I was very sad to say goodbye.
(1)Chris got the idea to travel around India on an elephant from .
A.a visit to an Indian zoo
B.an elephant expert from India
C.an old friend who lived in India
D.a photographic exhibition of elephants
(2)The elephant expert told Chris .
A.the price of elephants
B.how to ride an elephant
C.where to sell his elephant
D.how to feed an elephant
(3)Chris decided to travel to Sonepur because .
A.it is a very interesting place
B.elephants can t be sold anywhere else
C.he would be able to sell Tera there easily
D.it would only take 64 days to travel there
(4)When Chris arrived at Sonepur market,he .
A.sold Tara to a national park
B.visited a national park
C.realized that he didn't really want to sell Tara
D.decided to take Tara home with him
(5)The best title for the passage is .
A.Selling an Elephant
B.An Unusual Journey
C.An Exhibition of Elephants
D.How to Ride an Elephant
The Chinese kite is a symbol of the Chinese handicraft (手工艺品). Flying a kite is a very popular activity in China. In spring, large numbers of people gather in the squares or parks and fly beautiful kites there.
A philosopher (哲学家) called Mozi was said to be the inventor of the Chinese kite. His invention had the bird's name of "Yuan", a kind of bird of the hawk (鹰) family with a long tail. He made the kite out of wood. Later, his student Lu Ban improved it and made the kite out of bam boo.
With the development of papermaking, paper was introduced into the kite﹣ making. The kite got the name "Zhi Yuan", as "Zhi" in Chinese means paper. And during the Five Dynasties period, people tied the bamboo whistle (哨子) to the kite. When the kite was flying, the airflow (气流)
could make the whistle sound like Guzheng playing. So the kite carried the name "Fengzheng".
From then on, making and playing the kite became very popular in Weifang, Shandong Province. Every year in spring, when the weather became warm, almost every family went out to fly the kite and have a picnic on sunny and windy days. It was an exciting folk activity and a good time to display various beautiful kites. At the same time, they also enjoyed the warm weather and fresh air. The tradition has been well kept until today and has become the world﹣ famous Weifang International Kite Festival, which is held from 20th to 25th in April every year.
Flying a kite in spring does people much good. For example, it is a good way to reduce the backache (背痛). Besides, when people fly a kite, it can help them forget their stressful (压力重的) situations and reconnect (再连接) them to nature.
(1)From the second paragraph, we can know that "Yuan" is .
A. a bird's name
B. a kind of shape
C. a symbol of stress
D. an inventor's name
(2)How long does Weifang International Kite Festival last every year?
A.5 days.
B.6 days.
C.7 days.
D. 8 days.
(3)What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A. A lot of ways of making kites.
B. Some advantages of flying kites.
C. The dynasties of making kites.
D. The good places of flying kites.
You may have already forgotten the days when you had to learn how to use chopsticks.Every Chinese kid manages to use them for some time. But chopsticks are not just simple tools to pick up food. They come with their Own special rules and traditions.
Generally, people should not make noise with chopsticks. Playing with chopsticks is seen as bad manners, just as playing with forks and knives in a Western country would be rude.
There are also some superstitions (迷信) related to chopsticks. For example, some people believe that chopsticks should not be left standing upright in a bowl. It looks like the incense (香)that Chinese use to honor the dead.Doing it at the dinner table is believed to bring bad luck.
You should not tap(敲) chopsticks on the edge of the bowl either, as beggars (乞丐) do this to ask for food. Parents might get angry if children do this as they don't want their children to be as poor as beggars in the future.
Besides, chopsticks can also be a great gift. In Chinese, "chopsticks" are known as "kuaizi",so newlyweds (新婚夫妇) feel happy to receive chopsticks as a wedding gift. Skilled craftsmen (手艺人)paint beautiful pictures on chopsticks to make them look like fine artwork. Today, even people from western countries are leaning to use chopsticks and like to collect them as souvenirs(纪念品).
(1)The text is about .
A. history of chopsticks
B. stories behind chopsticks
C. rules and traditions of using chopsticks
(2)What is Chinese people's opinion of playing with chopsticks?
A. It is all right.
B. It is not polite.
C. It is funny.
(3)What does the underlined word "honor" mean?
A.挽救
B.复活
C.表达敬意
(4)Chinese parents might get angry when their children tap chopsticks on the edge of the bowl because they don't want their children to .
A. get ill
B. be poor
C. become lazy
(5)Giving newlyweds chopsticks is welcome because it means .
A. having a baby soon
B. having good meals
C. being rich quickly
China is called the Kingdom of Fans. Fans are everywhere in our daily life.But how much do you know about them?
It is said that fans were first used to cool the air during the Shang Dynasty. At that time, they were made of feathers, bamboo or silk. Some of them were round, while others were square.
Folding paper fans first became popular during the Song Dynasty. There were usually beautiful pictures on the fans.Some were mountains and rivers,others were flowers and animals.Many people, including Su Dongpo,a poet of the Song Dynasty, and Tang Bohu, a scholar of the Song Dynasty, even painted and wrote poems on fans. This made the fans into art works. Many rich and important people liked holding fans.
Today, fans are popular gifts. During the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games,folding fans were given to leaders and officials from other countries, as well as audience members.While they were having their fans to get cool air, they were also experiencing Chinese culture.
(1)The fans were made of different materials except during the Shang Dynasty.
A. |
paper |
B. |
bamboo |
C. |
silk |
D. |
feathers |
(2)When did folding fans first become popular?
A. |
The Shang Dynasty. |
B. |
The Song Dynasty. |
C. |
Today. |
D. |
In 2008. |
(3)What couldn't people see on fans in the Song Dynasty?
A. |
Mountains. |
B. |
Animals. |
C. |
Flowers. |
D. |
Audience. |
(4)Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. |
Fans were first used to cool the air during the Song Dynasty. |
B. |
Tang Bohu never wrote or painted on fans. |
C. |
Some fans were round, while others were square during the Shang Dynasty. |
D. |
Folding fans were only given to leaders and officials from China. |
(5)What's the best title of this passage?
A. |
The Development of Fans |
B. |
The Shapes of Fans |
C. |
When Fans Became Popular |
D. |
How Fans Became Art Works |