In the time before air-conditioning, southern China’s sky wells played a key role in keeping people’s homes cool. Could they do it again today?
A skywell, or “tian jing”, is atypical characteristic of traditional homes in southern and eastern China. Different from a northern Chinese courtyard, or “yuan zi”, a skywell is smaller and less open to the outdoor environment. Its size and design differ from place to place.
Skywells were designed to cool buildings at a time well before air-conditioning existed. When wind blows above a skywell house, it can enter the indoor space through the opening. Because outdoor air is often cooler than indoor air, the incoming wind travels down the walls to the lower stories and create airflows by replacing warmer indoor air, which rises and leaves through the opening.
Although skywell buildings have existed in China for hundreds of years, in recent times they have often been forgotten by people who prefer modern buildings. Over the past two decades, however, skywell buildings have been making a comeback.
Yu Youhong, 55, has spent more than 30 years restoring (修复) skywell homes in Wuyuan county of Jiangxi province, apart of the old Huizhou. One of the skywell homes restored by Yu is in the village of Yan, in Wuyuan county. The deserted 300-year-old house was bought by Edward Gawne, a former marketing director from the UK, and his Chinese wife, Liao Minx in, in 2015. The couple turned the three-storey house into a 14-room hotel with the help of Yu. They kept the spaces surrounding the sky wells in their original state: open and with natural airflow. Gawne says that even without air conditioning the skywell areas are very comfortable in summer.
Yu says he expects sky wells to be more and more popular among younger generations especially as sustainability (可持续性) becomes an important element for new buildings.
1．What do we know about the sky wells?| A．They had the same size and design. |
| B．They were commonly seen throughout China. |
| C．They acted as air-conditioners in the summer. |
| D．They were fully open to the outdoors like courtyard. |
| A．When sky wells appeared. |
| B．What sky wells look like. |
| C．Why sky wells are no longer popular. |
| D．How sky wells cool buildings. |
| A．They enlarged its rooms. |
| B．They moved the skywell. |
| C．They pulled it down and rebuilt it. |
| D．They kept part of its architectural characteristic. |
| A．The comeback of sky wells. |
| B．An introduction to an expert in sky wells. |
| C．The preservation of traditional Chinese architecture. |
| D．The influence of modernization on ancient buildings. |
I finally climbed into bed at 1: 20 in the morning. My friends had helped me celebrate my 31st birthday in the basement apartment, where I lived.
Earlier in the day I had prepared for the unlikely event of a flood. We are about a third of a mile from the banks of the Ahr River. It had been raining buckets that week and the government had sent out a flood warning, though not for where I was. Still, I’d placed sandbags on the floor outside my garden door and put electronics on tables. “Silly bro!” My friends laughed at me for doing that, but I thought, why take a chance?
As I drifted off to sleep, I was awakened by the sound of rushing water, as if I were lying beside a waterfall. When I got off the bed, I was shocked that cold water was rising fast. In darkness, I grabbed my cellphone and turned on the flashlight. When I stepped out of the bedroom, I saw water shooting through the gaps of the door.
I began to panic. I knew I had to get out—fast! In bare feet, I started to make my way to the only escape: the door that led upstairs to the main floor. Finally I made it to the door and tried several times to-pull it open even just a little bit, but the rushing water shut it again. I looked around for anything I could use to keep it open. There in the corner was a coat rack (架子). I took it and, once again, opened the door, throwing the coat rack between the door and the frame (门框) to keep the door from shutting. Finally, I managed to make a gap just wide enough to squeeze (挤) through and make it into the hallway.
I leaped on to the stairs and ran outside. I stood there in the darkness, wet through. What was once a lovely street was now a waterscape, with floating ruins instead of people and cars. The river had drowned (淹没) the neighborhood!
1．What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 2imply?| A．Better safe than sorry. |
| B．It never rains but it pours. |
| C．A lost chance never returns. |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
| A．Celebrating his birthday. |
| B．Sleeping in the basement. |
| C．Placing sandbags by the door. |
| D．Playing with electronic devices. |
| A．Making his way to the door. |
| B．Finding a coat rack. |
| C．Keeping the door from shutting. |
| D．Squeezing through the gap. |
| A．Sad and shocked. |
| B．Annoyed and anxious. |
| C．Surprised and disappointed. |
| D．Puzzled and awkward. |
These days, tourism is back in full swing. An increasing number of people prefer to take a break from big city life and start exploring those harder-to-reach towns.
Paraty, Brazil
Paray is a bays de town halfway between Rio and Sao Paulo. Here, life moves at the pace of a horse-and-cart moving across the road (no cars allowed in the historic Old Town). The boats in the harbor are not just there to look good. Pick your favorite and set sail for a deserted island beach nearby.
Avignon, France
One of the most recognizable historic towns is found in the south-eastern part of France. The Palace of the Popes here defines the city and is the city and is visible from a far. It once housed Europe’s largest library, and became a hotbed for thinkers, philosophers, composers, and musicians. Now it is protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site. Four million tourists visit Avignon every year to explore the ancient architecture.
Sakrisoy and Reine, Norway
This pair of tiny finishing villages sit far, far north. Admittedly, they are a bit of pain to reach: The long (but beautiful!) journey there will require some combination of one or two fights, a bus or a boat. If you can make it that far, though, you’ll be rewarded with some of the most impressive scenery on Earth. Look out across the mountains from the hike or enjoy the Northern Lights.
Old San Juan, US
The oldest settlement in the country was founded in the early 16th century. Today everything here is colorful: the houses differ in color and style and even the pavements are made of the blue bricks, making it a very attractive and amusing place.
1．What can visitors do in Avignon, France?| A．Take a boat trip. |
| B．Enjoy the Northern Lights. |
| C．Admire ancient architecture. |
| D．Explore the largest library in the world. |
| A．Paraty, Brazil. | B．Avignon, France. |
| C．Sakrisoy and Reine, Norway. | D．Old San Juan, US. |
| A．In a wellness book. | B．In a travel magazine. |
| C．In an adventure guide. | D．In a geography textbook. |
The New York Marathon (马拉松) is my goal for this year. I know I am never going to win a race but now, when I get anything negative, I will think of the kind gentleman who really believed, “You very good… you very fast.”
At the time, I was living in the Bay Area, and my mother had come to visit for a few days. On the last day of her stay, I was preparing to go out for a run. I picked up a T-shirt I just bought the other day from a Chinese clothing shop — it had some Chinese characters on the front, and a scene of Honolulu Chinatown on the back. I didn’t speak Chinese, but somehow this special T-shirt was quite soft and good for exercise.Working in a very negative environment, I found morning runs very beneficial — body tired but mind awake.
And I had always met an elderly Chinese gentleman walking on the opposite side of the trail (道路) when I was running on other mornings. I had always said, “Good morning,” and he had always smiled warmly and nodded his head slightly.
As I was going out the door, my mother suddenly said, “I don’t think running is so hot — that famous runner died.” I started to recount what I had read about Jim Fixx, and how running had probably been the contributing factor to his living far longer than most of the other members of his family, but I knew there was absolutely no point.
As I started running on my favorite trail, I found I couldn’t shake my mother’s statement. I was so discouraged that I could hardly run. I began thinking, “Why do I run at all? Serious runners probably think I look silly! I might have a heart attack on the trail — my dad had a fatal (致命的) heart attack at 50 years old, and he was seemingly in better shape than I am.”
My mother’s statement remained in my mind like a giant blanket.
Upon hearing the man’s words, I felt more unexplained strength in my step.
Yours
sincerely
Over the years, tai chi has gained increasing
Tai chi, together with other types of martial arts,
After a decade of climbing, I gradually started free soloing (单人徒手攀岩). I
The first choice was Half Dome, a 2,000-foot wall overlooking the east end of the valley. I didn't really know how to prepare, so I decided to
I figured it would be easy, which,
I needed to be
Then I reached, a foothold that I didn't quite trust. I changed my
Eventually, I could enjoy the sound of the birds singing around. It all felt like a(n)
| A．contributed to | B．built up | C．took in | D．stuck with |
| A．typical | B．familiar | C．extreme | D．challenging |
| A．prevent | B．skip | C．perform | D．remember |
| A．unsurprisingly | B．frequently | C．excitingly | D．conveniently |
| A．attack | B．strengthen | C．influence | D．approach |
| A．sharp | B．curious | C．calm | D．satisfied |
| A．languages | B．cries | C．words | D． sounds |
| A．summit | B．mountain | C．position | D．entrance |
| A．downward | B．upward | C．inward | D．outward |
| A．fingers | B．eyes | C．feet | D．ears |
| A．better | B．safer | C．worse | D．easier |
| A．floating | B．stretching | C．waving | D．racing |
| A．afraid | B．brave | C．busy | D．surprised |
| A．waved | B．marked | C．warned | D．reminded |
| A．celebration | B．shame | C．romance | D．horror |
Even small amounts of processed meat can greatly raise your cancer risk, the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) writes. The WCRF update their guidelines every decade, and in this one, they outline three main problems: tobacco, red processed meat, and alcohol (酒精).
No smoking
Avoid alcohol
Decades ago, people thought that you could enjoy alcohol in low to moderate quantities without causing a health risk. Recent research seems to suggest that even in low quantities, drinking alcohol can greatly increase, your risk of cancer.
Red meat
The list wouldn’t be complete without red meat. As other studies before it, the WCRF report further emphasizes that red meat is also associated with an important rise in cancer risk, especially processed red meat. 39.
The findings don’t necessarily offer something －they just repeat what mountains of research are already saying: if you want to avoid, cancer, you need to eat more things that are good for you, less of the things that are harmful to you, and be at least somewhat physically fit.
| A．Yes, even little drinking is bad for you. |
| B．A smoking area is planned for people who want to smoke. |
| C．The first thing you should do is give up smoking (if you do smoke). |
| D．However, in the modern world, that seems to be increasingly difficult. |
| E．Let me spell that out a different way: bacon and sausages are bad for you. |
| F．The WCRF report focuses on finding the causes of cancer and how to avoid them. |
| G．Besides affecting physical health, red meat also does harm to one’s mental health. |
Should martial arts be part of the school curriculum (课程)? In the United States and most of Europe, self-defense is not taught at schools. Yes, schools have after-school clubs with trainers from both inside and outside the school using the gyms and classroom to teach a big range of martial arts, but schools very rarely have it on their curriculum, let alone as a main subject.
But after new research that shows that obesity (肥胖) levels are still rising in the first world at a surprising rate, some are suggesting that martial arts may help fight obesity, and also help children become better adapted to the wider world in terms of self-defense and discipline (自律).
Martial arts provide not just a physical work out, but also a chance to develop self-defense skills while training both the body and mind to be disciplined and mindful. Studies have shown that there is a significant connection between practicing martial arts and self-esteem (自尊). Through the arts, students can develop discipline, and cultivate respect for different cultures-something even more important than ever before in our increasingly divided societies. Martial arts also strengthen muscles,improves flexibility and balance. Everyone knows that with better physical health, come better, happier lives.
However, some have been keen to point out that yes, martial arts in every school would be great, but finding those who are trained and qualified (合格的) to teach martial arts could probably prove to be challenge. They believe it is a chicken and egg situation, where without compulsory (强制的) curriculum of martial arts, those who are good at it may never find themselves in a dojo (武术馆) to find out. But to bring it to everyone you need experienced trainers who can teach the martial arts without fear of mishap (不幸事故) or physical damage.
1．What’s the topic of this text?| A．What martial arts are. |
| B．Whether martial arts should be on school curriculum. |
| C．Who should teach martial arts as a main subject at school. |
| D．How martial arts work for schools. |
| A．Self-defense is not taught at schools. |
| B．Obesity levels are still rising fast in the world. |
| C．It provides physical and mental benefits. |
| D．It can help prevent physical damage. |
| A．Building a dojo and finding the trainers.. |
| B．Teaching martial arts and the physical damage. |
| C．Lack of trainers and the fear of mishap. |
| D．Lack of trainers and no compulsory curriculum of martial arts. |
| A．Unclear. | B．Uninterested. | C．Disliking. | D．Negative. |
The Longtaitou Festivl, which means “dragon-raises head” in Chinese, is a traditional Chinese festival held on the second day of the second month in the Chinese lunar calendar. So, it’s also called Eryueer Festival. In Chinese culture, the dragon is an auspicious (吉利的) animal that dominates clouds and rains. The 2nd day of the 2nd lunar month is thought to be the day when dragon awakes and raises its head according to the Chinese folk legend. So the day is called Dragon Heads-raising Day. After the day, spring is coming and there will be more and more rain. People think these credits (功劳) go to the dragon. So the day is also called Spring Dragon Festival. Since the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), Chinese people have had the custom of spending the Spring Dragon Festival.
The most popular custom on the Dragon Heads-raising Day is cutting hair. Dragon is highly honored for its dignity (尊贵) and power for good. It is thought to be auspicious to cut hair on the Dragon Heads-raising Day. Luck and opportunities will always knock you in the year. So, on that day, barbershops’ (理发店的) businesses are growing and full of customers.
The most common foods for celebrating the festival are popcorns, pancakes, noodles, dumplings, fired soy beans and pig’s head. People in different areas have different traditions about the food on the day. In Beijing, people eat Lvdagunr (Glutinous Rice Rolls with Sweet Bean Flour) and spring pancakes on the day. In Shanxi, people like to eat fried dough twists (油条) and pancakes. In Shandong, fried soy beans, noodles and dumplings are the festival food. In Fuzhou, the salted porridge made of glutinous rice, celery, scallion, garlic, fry dried shrimps and shredded meat is eaten. These show people’s hope to be blessed (保佑) with favorable weather and plentiful grain harvest by the dragon.
1．Which of the following is true about the Longtaitou Festival?| A．It dates back to Song Dynasty. |
| B．It is celebrated for two days. |
| C．It attracts fewer people than other festivals. |
| D．It suggests the return of spring. |
| A．It is the most popular custom. |
| B．It is in honor of dragon’s dignity and power. |
| C．It is people’s wish for luck and opportunities. |
| D．It is a sign of barbershops’ prospering businesses. |
| A．People in China share the similar traditional foods on he day. |
| B．Foods for celebrating the festival usually bear people’s best wishes. |
| C．Salted foods are used to celebrate the festival throughout China. |
| D．Traditional foods on the day are prepared for the dragon to eat. |
| A．The Dragon Heads-raising Day. |
| B．The celebrations of the Longtaitou Festival. |
| C．The origin of the Longtaitou Festival. |
| D．The purpose of the Dragon Heads-raising Day. |
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