A recent study found people's lives are made shorter in North China. It is showed the life expectancy(平均寿命) had been cut down by 5.5 years there. Researchers（研究者）think that the heavy air pollution in China should be to blame(承担责任). It's really the truth. Our government has already done something. However, it doesn't seem to work so well.

    “Air pollution in China is doing harm to people's health. The harm is much more serious than we can imagine,” said Chen Yuyu of Beijing University, one of researchers of this study.

    Dirty air brings serious problems in North China. In January this year, the air pollution was worse than that in other places. That was caused by rising temperature and waste gas（气体）from coal heating（燃煤）.

    Chinese government should strongly fight with air pollution. They should think of more proper ways to deal with the problem. People should be encouraged to take buses, ride bicycles or walk, instead of driving cars. The factories that pollute heavily should be closed.

    “We need to improve our environment, although it might be expensive. Protecting our environment means protecting ourselves,” Li Hongbin, another researcher of the study said.

C

    Where can you learn about the cultural relies(文物)of our country? You may visit museums or read books, but now a CCTV show may give you a more fun way to learn about them.

    The show is called National Treasure, it has 10 episodes (集) it shows 27treasures from 9 museums across China. In order to make ancient culture relics come alive, the show uses different ways to explain the story history and culture behind them.

    Although it's a show about old relics, it looks modern and technical(技术的). An IMAX-sized LED sired screen on the stage shows the treasures in detail.

    The treasures are presented(呈现) by National treasure keepers(守护者), both famous people and common people. Instead of just telling the stories and history behind the treasures, the show invites famous actors to be national treasures keepers. And they act out, this stories on the stage. The actors even use the funny words to make their performances interesting and alive. For example, on the show, actor wang Kai played Emperor Qianlong TV viewers loved his performances.

    While telling the stories behind the treasures, National treasure keepers also tell their own stories. For example, an old man named Qiu Qingnian is good at making natural paints for repairing ancient paintings. For many years he has been looking for mines(矿) deep inside mountains. On the TV program, he shows TV viewers how to make natural paints.

    The show has become widely popular with its interesting plots(情节), good performances and funny words. It has promoted (推广)ancient cultural relics and has encouraged more people to visit museums.

任务一：从方框中选择合适的小标题与以下三条建议相匹配。

任务二：根据Tip2，从左图选择2项与其在野餐篮中相应的位置匹配。

How to Pack for the Picnic

Picnics are a fun way to enjoy time with your family or friends outside! If you want to go on one，planning ahead will help a lot. Choose a location and then decide what kind of food you want. Pack everything you need in a basket and cooler，and you're ready to head off on your adventure. But how can we pack for the picnic？Here are some tips. 

Tip 1：{#blank#}1{#/blank#} Whenever you're outside，you're going to run into bugs （虫子）. Pus（紧紧地） to keep the bugs out and the food in. 

Tip 2：{#blank#}2{#/blank#} Put food at the bottom （底部）. Place the tablecloth （桌布） or blanket at the very top so you can pull it out first to put on the ground or picnic table. 

Tip 3：{#blank#}3{#/blank#} If it's going to be cold，pack jackets，scarves；don't forget hats and bug spray. In either situation，always carry a bottle of sunscreen. 

{#blank#}4{#/blank#} {#blank#}5{#/blank#}

Peking Opera is one of the forms of ancient Chinese culture. In Peking Opera, each character has their own face painted in a 1 way. The audience (观众) can know who the good guy is and who the bad guy is by 2 the face painting. Where did this kind of face painting come from? An old story tells us that it was related to Prince Lanling. This prince was one of the four most 3 men in ancient China. Some soldiers in the prince's army 4 that he was weak because of his good looking face. So, to make himself look 5 , the prince wore a mask with an ugly face painted on it. Another story about face painting has something to do 6 Li Longji, an emperor in the Tang Dynasty.He loved opera very much. One day, the actor who played the clown in Peking Opera fell ill right before a performance (玉) 7 others wouldn't be able to recognize him. Therefore, the 8 on the clown's face became a convention (惯例). Later, the actor who played the clown 9 the jade with white powder (粉末). As time went on, face painting started being used to show the characters of different roles. It has become one of many special 10 of expression of Peking Opera.

The dragon is the fifth sign of the Chinese Zodiac (生肖). There are 12 Zodiac in Chinese culture. In fact, the Chinese dragon, also known as long, doesn't exist (存在). But Chinese people have loved it so much for {#blank#}1{#/blank#} of years.

Chinese Dragons play an {#blank#}2{#/blank#} role in Chinese culture. You can always find something about dragons when you are learning {#blank#}3{#/blank#} Chinese culture.

Emperors (皇帝) in ancient China were {#blank#}4{#/blank#} as the sons of dragons. Chinese dragons are the symbols of being lucky, {#blank#}5{#/blank#} and noble. But they are described as monsters in Western stories.

Chinese people believe dragons could control the weather. They live at the {#blank#}6{#/blank#} of seas, rivers, lakes or anywhere with water. In many {#blank#}7{#/blank#}, Chinese people perform a "dragon dance" to please the dragon king and make sure good weather and a good harvest. It was {#blank#}8{#/blank#} that a dragon helped Yandi and Huangdi open the prelude (序幕) to Chinese civilization (文明). So Chinese people call {#blank#}9{#/blank#} "descendants (子孙) of the long".

In the West, dragons also have a long history. What may be surprising, however, is that the dragons {#blank#}10{#/blank#} similar origins (起源). Both Eastern and Western records said dragons are like snakes.

The Australian Open (澳 网 公 开赛) is one of the biggest events in tennis. There are only four Grand Slam(大满贯) events in the world and the two- week Australian Open is the first each year, followed by the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. 

The world's best tennis players go to Melbourne each January to compete in the Australian Open. The action takes place at Melbourne Park, several big stadiums and outdoor courts (球场) right next to Melbourne's city centre. To see the tennis superstars and your favourite players, you can buy mid- price tickets, or you can spend more watching matches at Rod Laver Arena, which is considered the Championship centre court. 

One of the cheapest tickets is at Ground Pass which gives you access (机会) to the outdoor courts. Between matches, you can easily fill your day and night with enjoying the fan zones, shops, bars, live music and other attractions. 

The Australian Open also has the country's longest music festival, with 15 days of music acts. Many famous Australian and international bands come and play for the public. Parties take place at the popular grass riverside park, Hisense Arena, just outside the tennis stadiums. The public can watch the performance on the big screens. 

The event will have a special area for the little kids. The AO Ballpark is a wonderful park for kids and families with a wide group of exciting activities. A zip line(索道) allows children of all ages to have an exciting ride through the centre of the park. 

If you are considering the Australian Open for your next stop, click here at www. auso pen. com for more information.