FestivalsSymbolNameDateCountry-优题课

Smog is a big problem in many Chinese cities. But it seems that besides wearing a mask (口罩), few of us know what has caused the smog and what to do to beat it. Chai Jing, former news anchor with Chinese Central Television, discussed the questions in her documentary Under the Dome (穹顶之下).
The 103-minute film was released on major Chinese video-sharing websites on Feb 28. In the film, Chai visits polluted places and talks to officials and scientists. She concludes that burning too much coal and oil are the main causes of PM2.5 and smog.
To make things worse, according to Chai, the coal and oil we are burning is of poor quality and doesn’t meet the standards (标准) for environmental protection. Therefore Chai says more harmful gas and particles (颗粒) have been produced to pollute the air. To solve the problem, Chai suggests that we should clean our coal and oil or replace(代替) them with cleaner energy such as natural gas.
In her film, Chai also suggested that we should do something to help control smog too. For example, she says we can live a greener life by using more public transportation. Or if we see things that harm the environment, we will try to stop it. In one scene from the film, Chai saw a dirt mound in a building site exposed in the air, she asked the person in charge to cover it. When she saw a restaurant cooking without any suitable filter facilities (过滤设备), she called the hotline 12369. The restaurant installed the filter a week later.
Chen Jining, the new minister of environmental protection, praised Chai. “This film encourages ordinary people to care for the environment. This is what we need in the future.”
Many people in China know the causes of smog, don’t they?
How long does the film Under the Dome last ?
What are the main causes of PM2.5 and smog?
Why does Chai say more harmful gas and particles have been produced to pollute the air ?
What energy can replace coal and oil to reduce air pollution?
What do you think of Chai’s film? How should we control smog as an ordinary person? (at least two suggestions)

When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of (感到难为情) my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her Chinese English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, did not give her good service, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother realized that she was poor at English. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was made to ask for information or even to shout at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker(股票经纪人). I said in an adolescent(青少年的) voice that was not very certain, “This is Mrs. Tan.” My mother was standing beside me saying, “Why he doesn’t send me check, already two weeks late.” And then, in perfect English I said: “I’m getting rather worried. You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.” My mother then talked more loudly. “What he want? I come to New York to tell him in front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t accept any more excuse. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I am going to have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English.
When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed(令人尴尬) me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is vivid, direct, and full of observation and wisdom. It was the language that helped me see things, express ideas, and make sense of the world.
Why was the writer’s mother poorly served?

A．She was unable to speak good English.

B．She was often treated unfairly.

C．She was not clearly heard.

D．She was not very polite.

From Paragraph 2, we know that the writer was ____________.

A．good at pretending

B．rude to the stockbroker

C．ready to help her mother

D．not willing to phone for her mother

After the writer made the phone call, the writer and her mum___________.

A．received the check at once

B．still failed to get the check

C．went to New York immediately

D．spoke to the stockbroker’s boss at once

What does the underlined phrase “make sense of” in last paragraph mean?

A．confuse	B．surprise.
C．understand	D．refuse.

We can know from the passage that Chinese English ___________.

A．is clear and natural to native speakers

B．is well received by native speakers

C．is widely used in America

D．may bring inconvenience in America

The best title of the passage might be __________.

A．Great Mother

B．Natural English

C．Mother’s Chinese English

D．Perfect English

Car Free Day encourages drivers to give up their cars for a day to protect the environment . People from around the world get together in the streets to remind the world that we don’t have to accept the society full of cars . It was first started by 34 cities in France and September 22 is Car Free Day . The first Car Free Day in China was in Chengdu in 2001. The slogan for the day is “If we drive for one less day , we can have one more nice day .”
Organized activities are held in many cities on Car Free Day . In Brussels, Car Free Day shall be valid (有效的)for everybody except persons with a special permit (许可证)， but they have to slow down to the speed of 30 kilometers per hour . The public transportation is free on that day. In London, they have special “green areas”. Walking, biking, and public transportation are encouraged. The streets are open only to walkers, bicycles and buses from 7:00a.m. to 7:00 p.m. In Beijing , it asks drivers to leave their cars at home for one day each month and walk or ride a bike to work . More and more people are joining in the activity. In the first quarter of this year ,Beijing only had 52 blue sky days , and you may see haze(雾霾) almost every day ! We must do more for Car Free Day as a Beijing driver said , “ We may not change the weather, but we can choose not to drive.”
But we do not want just one day and then a return to “ normal ” life . We should go on with Car Free Day.
Where was Car Free Day Started first?
How long should the car drivers not drive in the streets in London on Car Free Day ?
Who’s allowed to drive on Car Free Day in Brussels ?
What does Car Free Day ask Beijingers not to do every month ?
What’s the purpose of Car Free Day?

If you think GM food sounds far away from you, you are totally wrong. In fact, you may eat GM food every day. Four of every five people in the world are eating GM food, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.
According to Xinhua News Agency, in China, the only GM plants that are grown for sale are cotton and papaya. Also, China buys some GM plants from other countries, such as soybeans and corn. The GM plants are used to make other products.
A reporter once said, “In China, more than half of cooking oil is soybean oil. And 90 percent of that oil is made from GM soybeans.” So it’s possible that we eat GM food every day!
Scientists have changed GM plants’ DNA in a laboratory. Scientists usually do this to protect plants against bugs and diseases and have more harvests. Many people think it’s against nature. Also, they worry that eating such food might be bad for their health.
Is GM food safe? There’s no agreement. Some people say that GM food causes tumors. But there are no long-term safety studies about GM food. If you want to stay away from GM food, you can start by checking the cooking oil in your home.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture, _____people in the world aren’t eating GM food.

A．20%

B．40%

C．60%

D．80%

In China, people grow GM plants for sale like ______.

A．cotton and papaya	B．soybeans and corn
C．cotton and corn	D．soybeans and papaya

What does the underlined word “harvest” mean in Chinese?

A．损失

B．种子

C．收成

D．疾病

Which of the following is NOT TURE according to the passage?

A．In fact, GM food isn’t far away from us.

B．People use the GM plants to make other products.

C．In China, about a quarter of cooking oil is soybean oil.

D．Some people say that the GM food causes tumors.

What’s the main idea of this passage?

A．It’s about GM plants grown in the laboratory.

B．It’s about cooking oil made from GM soybeans.

C．It’s about some facts about GM food around us.

D．It’s about studies about the safety of GM food.

Nelson Mandela was regarded as one of the greatest leaders in the world. He died at the age of 95. He became his country’s first black president after 27 years in prison. Do you want to know why he spent so many years in prison? Read more and find more facts.
When Nelson Mandela was a young man, white and black people in South Africa lived separate lives. White people, who were a small part of the population, were in charge of the country. At that time, it was illegal for black people to use the same schools, hospitals, and even beaches as white people. Mandela was lucky. He was one of the few black people in the 1950s of South Africa to receive education and become a successful lawyer.
Nelson Mandela believed that everybody should be treated equally. He joined some different demonstrations to fight against a system called apartheid.
Sometimes the demonstrations turned violent and in 1962 Mandela was sent to a prison which was on Robben Island. But many people around the world campaigned for his release. Songs were written and big concerts were held in protest. Finally in 1990 the South African President FW de Klerk--a white man--allowed him to go free. Mandela had spent 27 years in prison and was greeted as a hero on his release.
After reading the passage, we can know apartheid is ______.

A．a party

B．a demonstration

C．a song

D．a system

FW de Klerk is the person ________.

A．who was in prison with Nelson Mandela.

B．who allowed Nelson Mandela to go free.

C．who helped to Nelson Mandela organize the demonstrations.

D．who wrote some songs about apartheid.

Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Nelson Mandela died when he was 90 years old.

B．Nelson Mandela received education and became a lawyer.

C．Nelson Mandela was sent to a prison on Robben Island in 1946.

D．Nobody was willing to help Nelson Mandela out of prison.

_______ were in charge of South Africa at that time?

A．Nelson Mandela

B．Black people

C．White people

D．British people

Which is the best title of this passage?

A．Nelson Manlenda

B．Some demonstration in the past.

C．Black people and White People

D．People in South Africa

Festivals
Symbol	Name	Date	Country
	Spring Festival	January or February	China
	Mother’s Day	The second Sunday in May	The USA
	Boy’s Day	5th May	Japan
	Christmas Day	25th December	Western countries

A．Christmas Day	B．Boys’ Day
C．Mother’s Day	D．Spring Festival

A．flowers	B．fishes
C．trees	D．dumplings

A．China	B．the USA
C．Japan	D．Canada