As the Forbidden City approaches its 600th anniversary next year, a great change has been taking place, with dark and dusty corners of the palace brought back to their former glory for all to see. As recently as 2012, only 30 percent of the vast palace was open to the public. Now, 80 percent is accessible ― quickly filling with exhibition spaces, stylish restaurants and cafes, bookstores and highly profitable gift stores, as well as quiet walkways. Besides, great walls around it are now mostly open, allowing an overhead view of the grounds.
But even all that new space is not nearly enough to showcase(陈列) the treasures collected over the centuries by emperors. Now the Forbidden City can display only about 30,000 objects at a time, or 2 percent of its total.
By 2022, a new campus in the university district of Haidian, about 18 miles to the northwest, is scheduled to open to the public, a 153-acre area that will have room to show imperial carriages, carpets and regalia (礼服).
The museum staff members have also become more creative in using the space. During a visit, there was a show on how the imperial family celebrated the Chinese New Year, including reproductions of New Year’s couplets written by the Emperor Kang Xi, whose six-decade rule ended in 1722.
The new gift stores, which earned $220 million in sales in 2017, have also lifted their offerings. They once featured little more than key chains and ugly dolls; now, they have reproductions of porcelain (瓷器), textiles (织物) and even furniture.
Lisa Tan, a 38-year-old editor at a Beijing publishing house, said the new shops were attractive because they offered traditional porcelain made by government-recognized masters using traditional methods.
“It’s good that the Forbidden City is taking a lead in keeping these traditional practices alive,” Ms Tan said. “The gift store has even become fashionable in some circles.” And some of the more commercial activities are being limited, including photo studios where people can dress up like an emperor or empress.
Most visitors are still part of package tours that make people travel quickly through the central part of the palace. But taking a slower, more winding path through the Forbidden City is a better way to soak up the history and discover some of its secrets.
1.What’s the great change in the Forbidden City?
A.The great walls around it are open to the public.
B.The gift stores are a new visiting spot there.
C.It welcomes visitors on a large scale.
D.The new space is mainly for displaying treasures.
2.What makes the new gift stores attractive?
A.They bring in huge profits.
B.They focus on key chains and dolls.
C.They sell reproductions of furniture.
D.They offer a good variety of traditional items.
3.Why does the author say the museum staff are creative?
A.They create some quiet walkways.
B.They use the space for holding shows.
C.They manage the new gift stores successfully.
D.They guide visitors to find out history and secrets.
4.What can we learn from the passage?
A.The Emperor Kang Xi ruled the country for 60 years.
B.The district of Haidian covers an area of 153 acres.
C.One can explore the Forbidden City fully on package tours.
D.About 1,500,000 objects are on display now.
The British are known for their sense of humor. However, it is often difficult for foreigners to understand their jokes. The main point to remember is that the British often use understatement.
Understatement means saying less than you think or feel. For example, if someone gets very wet in a shower of rain, he might say, “It's a little damp outside.” Or, if someone is very impolite and shouts at another person, someone else might say, “She isn't exactly friendly.” Understatement is often used in unpleasant situation or to make another person look silly. Understatement plays an important part in British humor.
Another key to understanding British humor is that the British like to make fun of themselves as well as others. They often laugh about the silly and unpleasant things that happen to our everyday life when someone accidentally falls over in the street. They also like to make jokes about people from different classes of society. They like to make jokes about their accents, the way they dress and the way they behave. What's more, the British love to watch comedies about people who do not know how to behave in society. The comedies series Mr. Bean is a good example of this kind of humor.
Mr. Bean is the character created by British actor Rowan Atkinson in 1990. Mr. Bean doesn't talk often, and instead he uses his body movement and facial expressions to make people laugh. Perhaps what makes Mr. Bean so funny is that he does things that adults in the real world cannot do. Mr. Bean is popular in many countries around the world because you do not have to speak English to understand the humor. Because of this, many people have become familiar with the British sense of humor.
1.Why is it difficult for foreigners to understand British jokes?
A.The British often use overstatement.
B.The British try to understate something.
C.British jokes are not as funny as jokes in other countries.
D.British jokes are connected with many different cultures.
2.The author explains understatement by _______.
A.describing a process B.making comparisons
C.following time order D.using examples
3.Mr. Bean makes others laugh by ______.
A.using his body movement and facial expressions
B.making jokes about others’ accent
C.copying how others behave
D.telling funny stories
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.British Humor in Comedy B.Humor in Different Cultures
C.Understanding British Humor D.Developing Your Sense of Humor
Voluntary organizations
Horizon School Peru
Area: Peru
We are a non-profit organization based in Trujillo, Peru. We provide free English classes for the nearby area, which we believe can help the community get out of poverty. By learning English, people here will be able to get more job chances.
As a volunteer, you will have to teach English both in Horizon and at a local public school. It’s also a chance to explore Trujillo and the local beach town. Volunteers will get to experience the Peruvian culture and cooking as well as the language. Please get in touch with us at contact@horizonperu.com.
Do-it.org.uk
Area: the United Kingdom
If you want to make a difference, meet new people or learn new skills through volunteering, then look no further than do-it.org.uk — a volunteering website of the UK, which provides over a million chances to volunteer.
Just enter your postcode (邮编) and interest at www.do-it.org.uk, look through the chances and apply online. It’s as simple as that.
Aim Abroad
Area: India
Aim Abroad is a non-profit volunteer organization based in India. International volunteers are welcome to take part in the programs for the improvement of society. For more information, please visit www.aimabroad.org.
Adventist Nepal
Area: Nepal
We are a non-profit organization lying in Kathmandu, Nepal, with the purpose of providing volunteer services in Nepal in the field of education, health, human rights, writing, travel, etc. If you are interested in working as a volunteer and looking for help, please feel free to get in touch with us at info@adventistnepal.org. We also provide home stay service for visitors.
1.What are volunteers in Horizon School Peru required to do?
A.Attend English classes. B.Offer free English lessons.
C.Experience the local culture. D.Talk in English with the locals.
2.If you are concerned about health problems, which organization can you apply for?
A.Aim Abroad. B.Do-it.org.uk.
C.Adventist Nepal. D.Horizon School Peru.
3.What do the four organizations have in common?
A.Their aim is to help the poor. B.They only accept local volunteers.
C.Their volunteers must have many skills. D.Volunteers can apply for positions online.
假设你是李华，你的美国朋友James由于不爱运动、吃垃圾食品上瘾等原因陷入了肥胖的困扰中，非常苦恼，请你通过电子邮件给他提一些建议和意见，帮助他减肥。
注意:1.词数:100左右（开头和结尾已给出但不计入总词数）
2.可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear James,
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Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句最多有两处，每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\） 划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Dear Sir,
How are you? I’m a exchange student. I am writing to tell you I would prefer to move into a single room in next term, as I find it inconvenient to sharing a room with others. My roommate often held parties at night, that makes much noise.Besides, his friends are always visiting him, which disturb me a lot.So I hope to draw your attentions to this problem.If you think in my position, I am sure he will agree that the only solution for me is to get a room my own, one not in the same building but as near to the school campus as possible.I would be gratefully if you could do me the favor.
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Have you ever asked 1. (you) why children go to school? You will probably say that they go to learn languages, arithmetic, history, science and some other 2. (subject). That is quite accurate. But why do they learn these things?
We send our children to school 3. (prepare) them for the time when they will be big and will have to work for themselves. Nearly everything they study at school has some 4. (practice) use in their life. But is that the only reason for 5. they go to school?
There is more in education than just 6. (learn) factors. We go to school to learn how to learn, so that when we have left school, we can continue to learn. A man who really 7. (know) how to learn will always be successful, because when he has to do something new, he will not only be able to do it well himself, 8. be able to teach others how to do it in the best way. The uneducated person, on the other hand, is either unable to do something new, or just does it 9. (bad). The purpose of schools, therefore, is not to teach languages, arithmetic, history science, etc., but to teach pupils 10. way to learn.
