阅读理解

Harbin Ice Festival 2023

Ever think of what Elsa's ice palace might look like in real life? Ice stairs ice walls, and ice towers? When winter approaches, Harbin turns into a kingdom of ice and snow.

The annual Harbin Ice and Snow Festival opens in late December and lasts for around 3 months, till late February.

What's New for Harbin Ice Festival

Every year, there is a special theme for the Ice Festival. A huge Snowflake Ferris Wheel（摩天轮） has already been built inside the park. Visitors will be able to ride on the Ferris Wheel and overlook the ice castles in early 2023. For this upcoming festival, the highlight may be when the giant Snowflake is colorfully lit up at night, shining high in the sky.

Yearly Time Line

Dates	Activities
Early December	Ice Harvest
December	Carving and Building
Christmas period	Unofficial Opening
Jan.5, 2023	Opening Ceremony
Jan. 18 to Feb. 15, 2023	Special Celebrations for Chinese New Year
Late Feb. to early Mar.	Ice and snow sculptures start to melt

Click here and Book Now! Tickets for Harbin Ice and Snow World are on sale now! *Dec. 25, 2022—Jan.5, 2023： ¥ 170 / person （half price for children）

*Jan. 6, 2023—Feb. 28, 2023： ¥ 230 / person （half price for children）

Contact us for available tour dates before they are fully booked.

Attention

As long as the ice and snow sculptures are open to visitors, it is impossible to take photos of the charming ice buildings without any visitors in! This might be different from what you see in the media.

1. （1） When can visitors have a ride on the Ferris Wheel at the earliest?

   A . In late February, 2022. B . In late December, 2023. C . At the end of 2022. D . At the beginning of 2023.
3. （2） What will take place during the Christmas time?

   A . The opening ceremony will start officially. B . There will be special celebrations. C . The festival will open informally. D . Ice will begin to be carved.
5. （3） If a couple with their two kids attend the opening ceremony, how much should they pay?

   A . ¥ 425. B . ¥ 510. C . ¥ 340. D . ¥ 690.

阅读理解

Sharon Holland and her husband, Jer, are travelling around the world and saving money at the same time by swapping houses with strangers to keep the bills low. They only have to pay for their flights, meaning they save hundreds of pounds on their holidays each year.

The couple's occupation allows them to enjoy long periods of school holidays. Both work as school Deputy Principals, which allows them to take their children, Cian, 23, Miah, 13, and Faye, 11, abroad up to four times per year. On average, they pay£1, 250 per year for flights.

Sharon, from Cork, Ireland, has exchanged her home with a stranger 40 times in the last 13 years and says she never regrets. She said："I couldn't imagine travelling in any other way now. Swapping our Irish Georgian farmhouse for another house abroad is amazing. There are home-style houses, modern city apartments and beautiful architectural period houses too. Every holiday is different and staying in someone else's house makes our experience more rewarding and enjoyable. We are able to meet more locals and understand the culture more than we would if we were to stay at a hotel. We bring our laptops during the summer weeks as we are both responsible for timetabling and school planning but this can be done at a distance".

Sharon has visited various cities in America, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, the UK and their home country of Ireland. "But our favourite place is Italy. We have been lucky enough to visit there six times. Over the years, every experience has been great—from the architecture to the food. We have made some wonderful happy memories for less", adds she.

1. （1） Why do the couple travel by swapping houses with strangers?

   A . To avoid taking flights. B . To spread local culture. C . To improve their living condition. D . To cut down their travel costs.
3. （2） What does the underlined word"swapping"in paragraph 1 mean?

   A . buying. B . building. C . exchanging. D . borrowing.
5. （3） What does Sharon think of swapping houses with strangers?

   A . Embarrassing. B . Fantastic. C . Dangerous. D . Traditional.
7. （4） What's the main purpose of the text?

   A . To share a couple's special way of travelling. B . To advise more people to travel worldwide. C . To introduce ways of exchanging houses. D . To teach us how to save money while traveling.

阅读理解

For many years, I knew I wanted to be a music video director. After graduation, I moved to Los Angeles, where I earned a degree. Fortune smiled upon me as I quickly worked at important positions. Young and ambitious, I worked in the field I'd dreamed of for years.

One day, at an award show, one of the production managers remarked that I could be a "powerhouse". I knew I wanted to be happy and enjoyed what I did, but I wasn't sure if I could be a "powerhouse". Not long after that, I was laid off from my position. Back to Florida, I began to think about my next career.

In Florida, I worked at a financial company. The pay was good, but a few months later my creative spirit sent an S. O. S. to my brain, signaling I wasn't making the best use of my talents. I didn't have the money back to Los Angeles, nor could I stay in an unsatisfied job.

S. O. S. alarmed again. Then I did creative writing during my spare time. To motivate myself, I was devoted to authoring a children's book. I was also determined to get the book published. It was not that easy. However, I continued sending out my work. It took between three and four years to finally attract the interest of a publisher. I held a copy of my beautiful children's book in my hands.

I found a happy place within and a new realization. I may not have become a powerhouse, but I accomplished a goal. Success found within is how you define it, how you live it and always have something to fight for, not fear.

1. （1） What used to be the author's goal in life?

   A . To be a music video director. B . To be a powerhouse. C . To be a financial expert. D . To be a famous book writer.
3. （2） What was the author's attitude towards her first job?

   A . Indifferent. B . Satisfied. C . Disappointed. D . Puzzled.
5. （3） What did the author do when she got back to Florida?

   A . Define her goal in life. B . Move back to her home. C . Make a change in her career. D . Rediscover her talent.
7. （4） What can we learn from the text?

   A . Try different lifestyles. B . Find our own strength. C . Struggle for something bravely. D . Stick to the original goal.

阅读理解

Starting this fall, primary and middle school students in China will have at least one weekly course on labor education, according to a new curriculum standard released by the Ministry of Education（MOE）.

Labor education ranges from household chores to on-campus labor and community volunteer services, generally 3 types according to the new standards：the first refers to everyday chores, including cleaning, organizing, cooking, and using and maintaining home appliances（家电）；next is productive labor, including agriculture, making traditional handicrafts（手工艺品）, and applying new technologies such as 3 D printing；the third type is service work, including volunteer work. The new curriculum also calls for a week of extra-curricular and off-campus activities designed for labor education once every school year.

A recent study showed that primary and middle school students in China only spend an average of 12 minutes a day on chores, compared to 72 minutes in the US, 42 minutes in South Korea and 30 minutes in France. Many countries start students' labor education at a young age. Finland begins to develop students' life skills in primary school. Spinning, woodworking, cooking and other craftsmanship classes are offered. In Germany, pupils have two labor classes per week. Electronics, office technology, sewing, housekeeping, and career guidance are all taught there.

Adding labor education was out of concern that the country's youngsters do too little housework and look down on manual labor（体力劳动） jobs. Due to great academic pressure, schools tend to put their academic curriculat on the top, and parents sometimes see household chores as distractions. But, according to the MOE, labor education must be strengthened to help students develop social values, an interest in labor and finally an all-around development.

1. （1） What is the purpose of adding labor education?

   A . To enrich the students' off-campus life. B . To improve the students' performance on learning. C . To help students achieve an all-around development. D . To follow the education mode of some western countries.
3. （2） What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

   A . The history of labor education. B . The content of labor education. C . The significance of labor education. D . The future development of labor education.
5. （3） What does labor education in Finland and Germany have in common?

   A . They start labor education in the middle school. B . There are a wide variety of labor education courses. C . It is viewed more important than academic learning. D . Students spend more than 30 minutes on housework daily.
7. （4） What do we know about labor education in China?

   A . A week of extracuricular activities is a must every team. B . Students decide whether to take the courses on their own. C . Specially-designed courses have been applied for many years. D . The school has to recognize the importance of labor education.

阅读七选五

What Can We Learn from Gu Ailing, a Famous Olympic Champion（冠军）?

●Be yourself.

I've always dreamed big. My mom taught me that from day one. The ideas of "good" and "bad", when it comes to the way you behave yourself, are so subjective（主观的）that if you attempt to obey them, you'll never fully succeed. I learned that the only way to fit a mold（模式）is to create one for yourself and that takes courage.

● .

Right, sometimes you feel like as a young person. Oh, I have to wait until I'm older before I can make change, or before I can really do things that are important and effective to the world. But really, I think it's important to be a young person and to show that age doesn't decide one's ability, and that experience teaches more than anything else. And so, yeah, I think that is my biggest goal and it's something that I wish I had more of growing up. They are strong women and support my decision. They also serve as my role models.

●How to face failure.

One of my mottos（座右铭）is"If it were easy it wouldn't be a dream. "Adversity（逆境）and possibility of failure are what make life interesting. When I learn a new trick（技巧）, it's okay to be frightened. It's okay that I will probably fall a million times before I get it right. But then, you use that bravery to your advantage, and you work harder and practise more, and eventually you land that new trick.

A. Be young.

B. Find your role model.

C. It takes courage to be able to fall.

D. In the end, you achieve your big dreams.

E. I'm really thankful for my mom and my grandma.

F. She taught me the first person to believe in you must be yourself.

G. Feel free to dream big dreams and make small steps towards them.

完形填空

Two weeks ago my grandfather passed away. It really put me into deep 1 because my grandfather held a unique position in my life. For me，my grandpa was not only a 2 family member but a tutor （导师） who encouraged me to work hard and 3 well.

I'll never forget the first time I read a long piece of his writing. It was when I 4 for Princeton and he offered to write to the university on my behalf. He wrote in beautiful 5 and used poetic language，unafraid of sounding too "flowery". I read the 6 out loud so that I could hear the rhyming sounds.

My grandfather 7 hard work. Every time he came to visit us in New York，he would 8 my brothers and me for our good performance，which inspired me. I knew he had worked hard to 9 the big family during the Great Depression. He was awarded many military 10 for winning many battles in the Navy in World War Ⅱ.

At the funeral, a friend of my grandfather's walked to me and said that my grandfather had told him about a small 11 I had written. After it came out, I sent it to my grandfather 12 received no reply. This man told me that my book hit my grandfather's heart and brought 13 to his eyes. My grandfather said he was so14 of me.

Now I feel it's even more worthwhile to write well because I know my grandfather 15 it. I know he lives in my heart forever.

语法填空

As we all know, festivals （ celebrate） all around the world and they have wide range of origins, （ include） the seasons of the year, religions, famous figures, and important events. Of all the （ tradition） festivals, the harvest festival can be found in almost every culture. People celebrate （ show） that they are grateful for the year's supply of food. Customs play a significant role in festivals, sometimes they can change over time. With the （ develop） of modern society and the spread of new ideas, some traditions may fade away and others may be established. Festivals are becoming more and more commercial, with businesses （ take）advantage of the celebrations. Festivals are an important part of society, reflect people's wishes, beliefs, faiths, and attitudes towards life. And if you study festivals carefully, you may be surprised to find that different cultures actually have a lot common after all.

假定你是李华，你校将举办话题为"中国传统文化"的中文演讲比赛，请给你的英国朋友George写封邮件邀请他参加。内容包括：
1. 比赛时间、地点；
2. 演讲话题；
3. 报名方式。
注意：词数80左右。

Dear George,   Yours, Li Hua

阅读下面材料, 根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段, 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

It was a cold winter Monday morning. Manu an eight-year-old was sleeping comfortably in his bedroom upstairs, at the Khagal house. Mondays are usually very difficult for him after a weekend break from his school. "Manu, wake up! It's school time! " shouted out Manu's mother Akhila, from the kitchen. Manu pulled the blanket over him and ignored his mother's repeated attempts to wake him up. "Manu! It's already 6 o'clock and your school bus will be here by 7. So please wake up and get ready. Manu continued sleeping.

Finally, after much pestering and pampering （纠缠和纵容）, Manu got out of bed and started getting ready for school lazily. The school bus was already honking （按喇叭） in front of his house while Manu was brushing his teeth. Akhila requested the driver to wait for a few minutes. She quickly helped Manu get ready and helped him get to his school bus.

"Phew! Manu didn't miss his bus today" Akhila sighed. She was really concerned about her son. Manu couldn't do anything on time, waking up in the morning or any of his daily tasks. Akhila thought to herself "need to work out a plan to teach him a lesson in self-discipline （自律）. Repeated advice and warnings haven't changed him. "

The next day it was the usual scene at the Khagal house except that there was no effort from Akhila to wake up her son. The time was 7. The school bus honked and Akhila, unlike her usual self, asked the bus driver to leave. There was unusual confidence on Akhila's face. Manu finally woke up at around 9 o' clock. He ran down to the kitchen and cried out "Mom! Why didn't you wake me up? The school bus has already left and I am really late for school today. " He couldn't stop crying. "I have a math test today and Mrs. Mangat will punish me if I miss her class and the test. " The calm face of Akhila made Manu feel more anxious.

注意： 1. 续写词数应为150左右；
2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

"Mom, what should I do now? Please help! " said Manu weepingly.

The scene the next day at the Khagal house was a little different.