Question

    What age does doukou nianhua refer to?

In one of his poems,Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu compared girls around the age of 13 to blooming cardamom （豆蔻） flowers. Since then,people have used the phrase to refer to teenage girls of this age.

Rather than using numbers,ancient Chinese people described someone's age using titles （称谓）. For example,Chuitiao,meaning "straight hair",referred to children from 3 to 8 years old. Chuitiao was a popular hairstyle for children of these ages.

Zongjiao,meaning "twisted （缠绕的） horn （角）",described children from 9 to 14 years old. Back then,children would comb their hair into two halves and twist each half into a knot. They looked like two horns on their heads.

Shufa,meaning a child ties his hair up,was used for boys who had reached the age of 15.

Ruoguan,or "junior cap" was used for young men in their twenties. These men would attend a hat-wearing ceremony when they turned 20,showing that they had become an adult.

"The year of independence" was the time when a man turned 30. He won't have a daydream any longer. He shouldn't speak more and work less.

At the age of 40,one has no doubts about the world.

When a man turned 50,he reached "the year of understanding the fate （命运）of heaven". It means he has become aware of his fate and will no longer make any useless efforts.

Finally,if you were lucky to live beyond 100 years,you would get the title "Qiyi".

1.What age does doukou nianhua refer to?

A.3-8 years old. B.13 years old. C.9-12 years old. D.18 years old.

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the psssage?

A.Zongjiao means one will not become puzzled .

B.Shufa was used for girls who had reached the age of 15.

C.Men at the age of 20 would attend a hat-wearing ceremony.

D.If people lived to be 100 years old,they would get Chuitiao.

3.When you turn 30,you are supposed to___________.

A.be responsible for your actions B.build a garden in the air

C.ask your parents for everything D.say more and do less

4.Which can be the best title of the passage?

A.The Different Styles of Hair. B.The Different Ages of People.

C.The Meaning of doukou nianhua. D.Chinese Titles about Age in Ancient Times.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.A

4.D

【解析】

短文主语介绍了古代中国人不是用数字来描述一个人的年龄，而是用头衔来描述一个人的年龄。例如：豆口年华，垂条，宗角，若官，独立之年等等。

1.细节理解题，根据“In one of his poems,Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu compared girls around the age of 13 to blooming cardamom （豆蔻） flowers. Since then,people have used the phrase to refer to teenage girls of this age.唐代诗人杜牧在他的一首诗中将13岁左右的女孩比作盛开的豆蔻花。从那时起，人们就用这个短语来指代这个年龄段的少女。”，可知答案，故选B。

2.正误判断题，根据“Zongjiao,meaning "twisted （缠绕的） horn （角）",described children from 9 to 14 years old.宗角，意思是“扭曲的号角”，描述的是从9岁到14岁的孩子。”可知选项A错误；根据“Shufa,meaning a child ties his hair up,was used for boys who had reached the age of 15.束发意思是孩子把头发扎起来，用于年龄在15岁的男孩。”，可知选项B错误；根据“Ruoguan,or "junior cap" was used for young men in their twenties. These men would attend a hat-wearing ceremony when they turned 20,showing that they had become an adult.若官，或称“初级帽”，是为20多岁的年轻人使用的。这些人在20岁时会参加一个戴帽子的仪式，以表明他们已经成年。”，可知选项C正确；根据“Finally,if you were lucky to live beyond 100 years,you would get the title "Qiyi".最后，如果你幸运地活到100岁以上，你将获得“奇艺”的称号。”，可知选项D错误，故选C。

3.细节理解题，根据“"The year of independence" was the time when a man turned 30. He won't have a daydream any longer. He shouldn't speak more and work less. “独立之年”是一个男人年满30岁的时候。他不会再做白日梦了。他不应该说得多，工作得少。”，可知答案，故选A。

4.最佳标题，短文主语介绍了古代中国人不是用数字来描述一个人的年龄，而是用头衔来描述一个人的年龄。所以主要介绍的年龄的表示，故选D。