With his strong interest in national affairs, 37-year-old Song Zhigang was glued to the TV news during the 2014 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. He not only learned all the latest information about the event, he was also inspired to write a song for Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan. Titled Xi Dada Loves Peng Mama, the song tells of the love between the couple, which goes "Xi Dada loves Peng Mama. Their love is like a myth. Peng Mama loves Xi Dada. A nation with love is the strongest".
When the song was released in an online video on Nov 18, it became an instant viral hit, which has been viewed over 40 million times and stirred hot discussion. Many netizens said it's sweet to listen to the song while seeing such photos, and some believe that the couple sets a good example for China's young couples.
Born in Zhengzhou, Henan province, Song works as an independent songwriter along with his team there, including singer-songwriters Yu Runze, Xu An and Wu Bai. Song says that he finished the lyrics within an hour and sent it to his team via cellphone. The team finished composing(作曲) that night. They also made the music video by themselves, which was the first time that they had ever produced a music video and uploaded it online. The video of the song contains 33 photos and 2 cartoon illustrations of the couple, displaying small interactive moments, including tacit eye contact between the couple and hand touching when the couple played a swing. Nine children between 4 and 12 years old were invited to rap and sing along with the team. "When I watched the couple appearing on TV, they seemed just like any other ordinary couple and I felt close to them. With some small sweet moments, I could feel the love between the couple," says Song.
"Xi Dada" and "Peng Mama" have both become Internet buzz words, referring to the Chinese president and his popular wife. Song notes that the couple has attracted worldwide attention and even what Peng wears becomes headlines.
Yu Runze, 32, is one of the singers and also comes from Zhengzhou. She says the team started to release songs online around four years ago, mostly pop love ballads(歌曲,歌谣). Though they could make ends meet by making music, they remained unknown before this song. "We didn't expect that the song would gain so much popularity online. People share the same feeling we have about the couple, which is warm and sincere," says Yu, who is a graduate of the Qilu Conservatory of Music, Shandong province, and has released five albums since 2006.
"We want to sing the song at 2015's CCTV Spring Festival Gala."What does the underlined word “hit” mean?
| A.something that is successful but confusing. |
| B.something that is popular but complicated. |
| C.something that is popular and successful. |
| D.something that is popular and instructive. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A.The video “Xi Dada loves Peng Mama” has been watched 4 million times. |
| B.It took Song just an hour to finish the lyrics and the composition of the song. |
| C.Song and his team started to release songs online around four years ago, mostly folk songs. |
| D.Many netizens think that President Xi Jingping and his wife are the model couple. |
What might be the author’s purpose in writing the passage?
| A.To introduce something about the song and its writer. |
| B.To show the influence of the couple on young people. |
| C.To introduce the team that produced the song. |
| D.To show the importance of true love. |
Which section of the newspaper is the passage taken from?
| A.Politics | B.Health |
| C.Entertainment | D.Economy |
Recently, one of my best friends, whom I've shared just about everything with since the first day of kindergarten, spent the weekend with me. Since I moved to a new town several years ago,we've both always looked forward to the few times a year when we can see each other.
Over the weekend, we spent hours and hours, staying up late into the night, talking about the people she was hanging around with. She started telling me stories about her new boyfriend, about how he experimented with drugs and was into other selfdestructive(自我毁灭的) behavior. I was blown away! She told me how she had been lying to her parents about where she was going and even stealing out to see this guy because they didn't want her around him. No matter how hard I tried to tell her that she deserved better, she didn't believe me. Her selfrespect seemed to have disappeared.
I tried to convince her that she was ruining her future and heading for big trouble. I felt like I was getting nowhere. I just couldn't believe that she really thought it was acceptable to hang out with a group of losers, especially her boyfriend.
By the time she left,I was really worried about her and exhausted by the experience. It had been so frustrating,I had come close to telling her several times during the weekend that maybe we had just grown too far apart to continue our friendship, but I didn't. I put the power of friendship to the final test. We'd been friends for far too long. I had to hope that she valued me enough to know that I was trying to save her from hurting herself. I wanted to believe that our friendship could conquer anything.
A few days later, she called to say that she had thought long and hard about our conversation, and then she told me that she had broken up with her boyfriend. I just listened on the other end of the phone with tears of joy running down my face. It was one of the truly rewarding moments in my life. Never had I been so proud of a friend.In the writer's opinion,her friend ________.
| A.was a girl with no selfrespect |
| B.could find a better boyfriend |
| C.was brave enough to stick to her own choice |
| D.didn't value the writer's suggestion |
What did the writer worry about?
| A.She would lose the friendship with her. |
| B.Her friend's parents would be worried about their daughter. |
| C.Her friend would get into great trouble with the boy. |
| D.Her friend's boyfriend would be in great trouble. |
We may learn from Paragraph 3 that the writer________.
| A.didn't want to go anywhere else |
| B.understood her friend's hanging with her boyfriend |
| C.couldn't believe that her friend's choice was acceptable |
| D.doubted that she could in any way help her friend |
What can be concluded from the passage?
| A.Friendship starting from childhood is not reliable. |
| B.Friendship is a cure for any injury in life. |
| C.Friendship should be everlasting once begun. |
| D.Friendship can have magical power in life. |
If you want fully enjoy your vacation, then you’d better check the Durban City Tours! This is actually one of the best choices in South Africa today.
There is nothing more relaxing than to think about that there is a place to go and relax, right? City life is strained, but you can escape this situation and be in the place where there is nothing but relaxation. Here in Durban you will get to see all the amazing tourist attractions. If you love animals and want to see some elephants wandering around the streets, then Durban is the place to go. You can even get to ride one if you want!
Here you will also get to taste all the delicious South African food. You can choose from Italian cooking to its native dishes. Durban is a great place to tour with your friends and family. You will learn a lot about its history through the landmarks you will see down the streets. Tourists and even the local villagers just can’t get enough of these treats!
However, it is important that you make the necessary arrangements. There are actually lots of tour guides that will help you as you make your journey along the streets of Durban. But if you prefer the best tour guides here in Durban, then you’d better choose the Street Scene Tours. Their staff are all well-trained and professional. They will certainly make your stay here an unforgettable one. No wonder tourists prefer the Street Scene Tours when it comes to Durban City Tours.The underlined word“strained”in Para. 2 means ______.
| A.easy | B.stressful | C.relaxing | D.wonderful |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 2?
| A.Durban is relaxing city. |
| B.People don’t like city life. |
| C.It is good to have a place to relax. |
| D.One can have fun riding elephants. |
If you walk in the streets of Durban, what will impress you most?
| A.Tourists from all over the world. |
| B.The buildings and many kinds of animals. |
| C.The streets and some wandering elephants. |
| D.The friendly local people and the scenery. |
What does the last sentence in Paragraph 3 show?
| A.The food can’t satisfy them. |
| B.They are bored with the streets. |
| C.They are treated very well here. |
| D.never get tired of the sights. |
Student Membership-----Cambridge Arts Cinema
Cambridge Arts Cinema is one of the art houses in Britain and home of the internationally celebrated Cambridge Film Festival. Since 1947 generations of students have discovered the wealth of world cinema. Now you too can make most of it and save money.
Which of the following is the most famous event held at Cambridge Arts Cinema?
| A.Monthly premieres. | B.The preview screening. |
| C.Meetings with filmmakers. | D.The Cambridge Film Festival. |
If you're a member of Cambridge Arts Cinema, you will enjoy free_
| A.Darkroom Gallery shows | B.special film events |
| C.mailed programmes | D.film shows |
How long will the membership for Cambridge Arts Cinema last?
| A.One year. | B.Nine months |
| C.Eight months. | D.Four months. |
For what purpose is the text written?
| A.Increasing the cinema's membership. |
| B.Offering students cheaper tickets. |
| C.Telling the public of the cinema's address. |
| D.Announcing the opening of a premiere. |
TANG Dynasty writer Du Mu once wrote in a poem titled Qingming: "The ceaseless drizzle drips all the dismal day; So broken-hearted fares the traveler on the way.Where can a wine house be found to drown his sadness ?A cowherd points to Almond Flower (Xing Hua) Village in the distance."
Qingming, the traditional tomb-sweeping day on the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on April 4 this year. Qingming Jie was proclaimed(正式宣布) a Chinese national holiday in 2008. It is a time for remembering loved ones who have departed (去世). People visit their ancestors’ graves to sweep away the dirt and get rid of any weeds. They also leave offerings (祭品) of food and flowers, and burn incense (香) and paper money. Chinese tombs are usually built in the woods or on mountains, far from the city. It is believed that an area that faces south, with many pine trees, is a proper place for a tomb. People believe such a place will make the ancestors happy, and in return, they will look after the living family.
Nowadays, more and more residents are choosing environmental-friendly ways to spend the holiday such as flower sacrifices and memorial ceremonies on the Internet or at home. As one of the traditional ways to celebrate Tomb-sweeping Day – burning paper or incense – isn't exactly good for air quality
In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. At this time tourists are everywhere
Many people fly kites on Tomb Sweeping Day. They are usually made from a bamboo crossbow with coloured paper. The kite vibrates and buzzes as it rises into the sky, counterbalanced by its tail. Large kites can be as broad as three metres across, with a tail of six to ten metres. Most kites have a rectangular shape, and many have patterns of crabs, centipedes, butterflies, dragonflies, or Chinese characters such as "good fortune" or "long life".What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
| A.The cultural difference between the east and the west. |
| B.The traditional customs on tomb-sweeping day. |
| C.Various ways to care for the dead in the world. |
| D.Qingming Festival |
All of the following practices are mentioned on tomb-sweeping day EXCEPT_____ .
| A.Weeping over the passed-away. |
| B.Flying kites made from bamboo and paper |
| C.Sending flowers to their ancestors’ graves. |
| D.Burning incense and paper money for the dead. |
Which of the following is correct according to passage?
| A.Du Mu ,the well-known poet in Song Dynasty wrote a poem about Qing Ming. |
| B.Qingming Festival used to be a Chinese national holiday. |
| C.People have the custom of flying kites on Qing Ming. |
| D.Those whose ancestors were buried in proper places will have a bright future. |
The writer write the passage in order to____________ .
| A.enable us to observe traditional tomb-sweeping day. |
| B.show traditional and present ways to spend Qingming Festival . |
| C.educate people to show their respect to the ancestors |
| D.raise people’s awareness of environmental protection. |
It was the summer of 1936.The Olympic Games were being held in Berlin.I had trained, sweated and disciplined myself for 6 years on the running broad jump.A year before, as a college student at the Ohio State, I'd set the world's record of 26 feet 8 1/4 inches.Nearly everyone expected me to win.
I was in for a surprise.When the time came for the broad-jump trials(选拔赛), I was shocked to see a tall boy hitting the pit (坑) at almost 26 feet on his practice leaps.He turned out to be a German named Luz Long.He had easily qualified for the finals on his first attempt.
A nervous athlete is an athlete who will make mistakes.I fouled (犯规)twice on my qualifying jumps.Walking a few yards from the pit, I kicked at the dirt disgustedly.Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder.I turned to look into the friendly blue eyes of Luz Long."Hi, I'm Luz Long.I don't think we've met." "Glad to meet you," I said.Then, trying to hide my nervousness, I added, "How are you?" "I'm fine.Something must be eating you.You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed." He said.
He seemed to understand my nervousness, and took pains to reassure me.Finally, seeing that I had calmed down somewhat, he said, "What does it matter if you're not the first in the trials? Tomorrow is what counts." All the tension left my body as the truth of what he said hit me.Confidently I qualified with almost a foot to spare.
Luz broke his own record and pushed me on to a peak performance.The instant I landed from my final jump—the one which set the Olympic record of 26 feet 5 1/16 inches—he was at my side, congratulating me.The author said "I was in for a surprise" because he _____.
| A.beat Luz Long | B.met a great competitor |
| C.qualified for the final | D.joined in the Olympic Games |
What can we learn about the author from the passage?
| A.He remained confident in the Olympic Games. |
| B.He had qualified for the finals on his first attempt. |
| C.He broke the world record of the running broad jump. |
| D.He had prepared for Berlin Olympics in Ohio State. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A.A memorable experience in the Olympics. |
| B.A reliable man in the Olympic Games. |
| C.A surprising result in the Olympic Games. |
| D.A good suggestion on how to win in the Olympics |