Flying kites is an activity loved by many Chinese in spring. It has been around for more than 2,300 years. It was first invented by Mozi, he spent three years in making a “bird” out of wood and flying it for a day before it fell down. His student Lu Ban replaced the wood with bamboo, and the “bamboo bird” was able to fly as long as three days.
It was not until the Tang Dynasty that the kite was used for fun. Because of the popularity of paper, common people were able to make kites with paper instead of expensive silk, and the kite were in different styles, making methods and decorations (装饰). Little lanterns are tied to the kite. And when the kites are flying in the sky, the lanterns look like stars at night.
The skeleton (骨架) of the kite is usually made of bamboo. The process of tying the skeleton includes choosing bamboo, cutting bamboo, bending bamboo strips (弯曲竹条) and making strips together. Then, you have to choose which material is put on the skeleton as cover. Silk and paper can be often seen as the cover. Painting, the third step, makes your kite come alive and beautiful.
Kites are not only flown during the day time but also in the evening. What makes flying kites during this day special is that people cut the string while the kite is in the sky to let it fly free. It is said this brings good luck.
【小题1】The first kite was made of ________.| A．bamboo | B．wood | C．stick | D．steel |
| A．One day. | B．Two days. | C．Three days. | D．Four days |
| A．The kite was first invented by Mozi. | B．Lu Ban made the kite fly longer. |
| C．The kite is used for fun in the Tang Dynasty. | D．You can see kite flying only during the daytime. |
| A．覆盖 | B．表面 | C．雕像 | D．毛毯 |
| A．How to fly a kite. | B．How to make a kite. |
| C．The introduction of kite. | D．The meaning of flying a kite. |
Mip, a playful robot, was developed by a Canadian toy maker named Wowwee. It stands 19 cm tall. You can control it just with your gestures (手势) or a smart phone. Mip can run, balance and dance on two wheels. It can also bring you a bottle of water.
Android Wear
Google is developing a smart watch called Android Wear. The watch uses a touchscreen and voice control. Just say “OK, Google” to ask what ever you want to know. For example, say “OK, Google. Where’s the nearest toy store?” Your watch will tell you the answer on Google Maps.
Le Pen
Do you like listening to music while doing homework? If you do, you will like Le Pen. With a music player planted inside, Le Pen plays music while you write on paper. The music stops when you stop writing. So if you want to enjoy more of your favourite songs, keep on writing.
One wheel
In the near future you may find a new way to escape traffic: a self-balancing skateboard called Onewheel. It can go as fast as 19 km an hour. On a single charge (充电), it can take you as far as 7-10 km.
【小题1】If you want to enjoy music while writing, you can choose ________.
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．play music while you’re writing on the paper |
| B．tell you how to get to some places |
| C．run, balance, dance and even serve you |
| D．go as fast as 19 km an hour |
| A．Culture. | B．Literature. |
| C．Science. | D．History. |
Every year, Time magazine shares its best inventions of the year. We have chosen four of them for you to check out. Which invention do you like best?
3D-printed houses for homeless About 1.2 billion people in the world don't have a proper house to live in. But 3D-printed houses may help to solve this problem. The company ICON can print a 60-square-meter house in only 12 to 24 hours. The walls are made of a special cement (水泥) that looks like cream. Later, it can be made stronger. 100 homes will be built for people in EI Salvador next year. Each house will cost just $ 10,000 (about 69,000 yuan). | Sugarcane flip-flops (甘蔗底夹趾拖) Most shoe soles (鞋底) are made from a plastic foam (塑料泡沫) called EVA. It's a major pollutant. Is there a shoe that is good for the environment? US company Allbirds has made a new material called SweetFoam that is made from sugarcane. It can be used to make soles for flip-flops. It is hoped that the material could also be used to make soles for other kinds of shoes in the future. |
LynQ tracker (追踪器) When you go out with your friends, the LynQ tracker can help you find your friends. LynQ can work without smartphones, apps or Wi-Fi. Before going out, you and your friends can put your LynQ devices next to each other and it will automatically pair the devices with each other. After pairing, you and your friends will have your personal network. If someone is too far away, the tracker vibrates (震动) and rings to alert the group. It's a great way for people to stay connected outdoors. | Iron Man suit Have you ever dreamed of flying like Iron Man? This suit made by a British company may make your dreams come true. The suit is powered by five mini engines. It can reach a top speed of 80 km per hour. That's nearly as fast as a car. But there is a long way to go before it can be available to everyone. The suit is quite expensive—one recent model sold for $ 440,000. It's also quite loud. Its inventors hope to improve it in the future. |
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE of the 3D-printed houses?
| A．They are 60 meters long and 60 meters wide. |
| B．It takes less than one day to make a 60-square-meter house. |
| C．Their walls are made of cream rather than cement. |
| D．These houses are more expensive than normal ones. |
| A．3D-printed houses for new couples. |
| B．Sports shoes with soles made of SweetFoam. |
| C．LynQ tracker when climbing the mountains in a group. |
| D．Iron Man suit which can help people fly. |
| A．encourage | B．warn | C．worry | D．teach |
When you walk down the streets, you can see signs that say North, South, East and West. These are four important directions and they can help people know their ways easily.
Before the compass (指南针) was invented, people knew directions by looking at the sky.
Chinese people always thought the south was the most important direction.
As time went by, the compass became more and more popular with people from all over the world. With its help, people will not get lost when they are traveling.
| A．But how do people make the compass? |
| B．But how do people know these directions? |
| C．All in all, the compass makes us travel much safer than before. |
| D．They told directions by looking at the Sun, the Moon and the stars. |
| E．This was the reason (理由) why they called the compass the south pointer. |
| F．They believed that they could live in harmony (和谐) with nature in this way. |
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