If Confucius(孔子) were alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But that doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past twenty years, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually include Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学). Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantage of(利用) ancient Chinese wisdom to make up the drawbacks(缺陷) Western philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well. Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West. As for the old thinker, he will not be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.
1.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ________.
A. provide some key facts about Confucius
B. attract the readers’ interest in the subject
C. show great respect for the ancient thinker
D. prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations
2.We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students ________.
A. take an active part in Chinese competitions
B. try to get high scores in Chinese exams
C. have a great interest in studying Chinese
D. fight for a chance to learn Chinese
3.What is the best title for this passage?
A. Forgotten Wisdom in America
B. Huge Fans of the Chinese Language
C. Chinese Culture for Westerners
D. Old Thinker with a Big Future
4.The passage is likely to appear in ________.
A. a biography B. a history paper
C. a philosophy textbook D. a newspaper
Rich, heavy food is a major part of the end of the year holidays in the United States. People in the U. S. celebrate Thanksgiving on the third Thursday of November. People around the world celebrate Christmas on December 25. Both holidays involve(包含) traditions of cooking very large meals. The food at these meals usually has lots of sugar, salt, and butter in it. Turkey and pie are some of the most common foods in these holidays.
Terri Price has hosted a holiday party on the last Saturday before every Christmas for 30 years. It started when her children were very, very small. She has been preparing many of the dishes for most of the 30 years.
But over time, some traditions do change. The Neveldines are a family who hope to be healthier by changing what they eat. Mick Fury, the Neveldine’s oldest child, said this change is important during the holidays and the rest of the year, too.
Mick and his wife, Michelle, try to eat only organic food. Organic food is any plant or animal food product made without the use of unnatural chemicals or processes. But, Mick is not the only Neveldine who changed their diet. Felicia Neveldine, Mick’s sister, decided nine years ago to become a vegan. A vegan is a person who does not eat or use animal products of any kind.
Felicia became a vegan because of her concern for the treatment of animals and the environmental effects of animal farming. She said that her change in diet also improved her health.
Choosing these special diets means the Neveldines choose their foods carefully. Mick grows a garden behind his house where he gets fresh vegetables.
Holiday traditions may not change, but the way these traditions happen just might.
1.Which of the following best describes the food in American traditional holidays?
A.Delicious to eat and welcome by all.
B.Traditional in holidays but too wasteful.
C.Too rich in nutrition and large in quantity.
D.Good in taste and beneficial to health.
2.What do we learn about the Neveldines’ holiday diets?
A.They have turned healthier. B.They have become less tasty.
C.They have remained the same. D.They have grown unhealthy.
3.What do Mick and his wife concern most about their food?
A.Convenience. B.Safety.
C.Cost. D.Taste.
4.What does the underlined word “vegan” in paragraph 4 mean?
A.健康 B.志愿者
C.语言 D.素食主义者
When I was a child, my parents often took me to an old house in a thick forest. No other children ever stayed there. I didn’t even have the choice of playing with a brother or sister.
I could never understand what the attraction of the house was, even for my parents, who enjoyed nothing better than to sit in silence with a good book. The woman in the house, my father’s distant cousin, was a terrible cook and her food was inedible.
One day, when I was wandering around the garden behind the house, I noticed a wooden house which had clearly been abandoned (被遗弃的). As I walked towards it, I heard a noise, like an animal moving hurriedly away. Then I saw a man with a long beard (胡须) standing at the door. I was greatly surprised.
“Please don’t tell them you saw me,” he said. “They never use this place, and I have nowhere else to live.” “Don’t worry,” I said. “I won’t tell anyone. But are you all right out here? I mean — do you have enough to eat?” The old man shook his head.
The same evening, I took a small plastic bag into the dining room and, while no one was looking, emptied some of the food into it. Later, I got out of the back door secretly and gave the food to the old man, whose name I had discovered was Tom.
I have never seen anything else as lovely as the smile of satisfaction on Tom’s face when he ate the food. From then on, my visits to the old house had a purpose, and I enjoyed every minute of the rest of my stay.
1.How did the writer feel about staying in the old house at first?
A.He felt very lonely. B.He was happy to be with his parents.
C.He was pleased with the woods. D.He enjoyed reading good books there.
2.The underlined word “inedible” is closest in meaning to “________”.
A.nice to look at B.too bad to eat
C.not enough to eat D.as delicious as usual
3.What can we know about the old man from the passage?
A.He liked to play computer games. B.He helped to repair the old house.
C.He was poor and hungry. D.He raised many animals.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A.It’s valuable to help others. B.It’s good to live in the forest.
C.It’s comfortable to live in the old house. D.It’s nice to raise wild animals.
Dynasty Exploration
6 Days Beijing-Xi’an
Full Itinerary (预定行程)
Day 1 Arrival in Beijing
Our guide will greet you at Beijing Capital Airport and take you to the reserved(已预定的) hotel.
Meals: No meals
Accommodation (住宿): Holiday Inn Central Plaza Hotel
Day 2 Beijing
In the morning, you’ll meet other members at the hotel. Here starts your exciting trip. First comes a walk across Tian’anmen Square. The Forbidden City is your next stop. After enjoying a healthy lunch, you’ll visit the Temple of Heaven. In the morning, you’ll enjoy the excellent Chinese Kung fu Show at a Red Theater.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast(西式自助早餐), A healthy lunch
Day 3 Beijing
Your guide will take you to visit the Badaling Great Wall first. Lunch is arranged on your own. Afterwards, you’ll be taken to the Sacred Way and the Ming Tomb. On the way back, you’ll visit the Bird’s Nest Stadium.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Day 4 Beijing-Xi’an
In the morning, you’ll travel around the Summer Palace Garden. Then enjoy the old Beijing culture by visiting Hutongs. After a healthy lunch, you’ll fly to Xi’an. There, the local guide will welcome you and take you to the hotel.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A healthy lunch
Accommodation: Shangri-la Golden Flower Hotel
Day 5 Xi’an
Your visit today will start from the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Around noon, we’ll arrange a homely cooked healthy lunch. In the afternoon, explore the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. In the evening, the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show will give you great enjoyment.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Home-cooked healthy lunch
Day 6 Departure from Xi’an
The whole morning will be devoted to the City Wall and Shaanxi History Museum. And a healthy lunch will be arranged at a local restaurant. After that, you’ll head to the airport by yourself. For departure flight tickets, please feel free to contact us.
Meals: Western buffet breakfast, A healthy lunch
1.Where will the six-day trip get started?
A.On Tian’anmen Square. B.At the Bird’s Nest Stadium.
C.At Shangri-la Golden Flower Hotel. D.At Holiday Inn Central Plaza Hotel.
2.What will visitors do on the morning of Day 3?
A.Enjoy a Chinese Kung fu Show. B.Visit the Badaling Great Wall.
C.Take a walk along the Sacred Way. D.Travel around the Summer Palace Garden.
3.When can visitors enjoy the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show?
A.On Day 2. B.On Day 3. C.On Day 5. D.On Day 4.
阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一个完整的短文
It was late, about 10:15 p.m., when Janice Esposito arrived at the Bellport, New York, train station, jumped into her minivan and began the 20-minute drive home to her husband and seven-year-old son. She’s just returned from visiting her mother and had traveled the route so many times, she practically drove on autopilot: a left onto Station Road, then a left on Montauk Highway, and then ----wham! Out of nowhere on that awful night of October 10, 2017, a car hit Esposito's minivan, forcing her backward some 100 feet onto the railroad tracks. She sat in the minivan, injured but mostly just stunned(吓晕) by the impact and by the vehicle's airbags.
As it happened, Pete Dipinto was getting for bed. He'd just closed his book and was ready to sleep when he heard the loud noise of metal on metal and broken glass coming from not far outside his bedroom window. A volunteer firefighter and retired teacher, DiPinto, 64, never stopped to think. He grabbed a flashlight and, still in his pajamas(睡衣), ran out of the door. ''Any firefighter would have done what I did,'' he said. ''We're always on duty.''
The first car he came upon, 2000 feet from his front yard, was the one that had hit Esposito. Once DiPinto concluded the driver was OK, he looked around and spotted Esposito's minivan straddling(横跨) the railroad tracks. And then he heard a shocking sound: the bells signaling an oncoming train.
''I see the headlight of the train. '' he said. DiPinto ran to Esposito's minivan and banged on the driver's side window. She just looked at him, her eyes unfocused. ''I don't know where I am,'' she said. She seemed unhurt.
注意:
1、所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2、 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4、续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
''Honey, you're on the railroad tracks, and we have to get you off right now! '' DiPinto shouted.
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Paragraph 2:
Esposito was rushed to the nearest hospital and DiPinto kept her company until her family came.
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假如你是李华，你的外国网友Tom打算暑期来盐城旅游，现在他想对盐城有一个初步的了解。请你结合实际情况给他回信，内容包括:
1. 对他表示欢迎；
2. 举例介绍盐城的旅游或文化特色。
注意:
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3.信的开头已为你写好。
Dear Tom,
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