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单选题
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
1
阅读Passage One，回答C-1到C-4四个问题。请从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入题干空白处的最佳选项。
Passage One
The fourth round of heavy smog that hit Beijing in four weeks has sent more people to the hospital with respiratory(呼吸的) illnesses and led to calls for laws to control the pollution.
Pan Shiyi, a real estate developer, said he is planning to propose(提出) a Clean Air Act to the local government. As a representative of the Beijing Municipal People’s Congress, he started an online survey at 9:20 am. Within three hours，more than 25,000 web users, or 99 percent of total respondents, welcomed his proposal on Sina Weibo, China’s Twitter.
They have good reasons to stand alongside Pan. The latest round of haze(雾霾) reduced visibility to under 500 meters in many parts of the city. The smog has also led to a great increase in respiratory illnesses, particularly among children and the elderly. Anxious parents and doctors about all blame the smoggy air for the illnesses. Though most schoolchildren are home for the winter holidays, the bad air can easily move indoors. Besides, ordinary medical masks fail to provide adequate protection, so some people have turned to gas masks and respirators(呼吸器).
The causes of the scary smog are rather mysterious, though experts blame excessive emissions and the mountains around Beijing that trap pollution in winter, unless there is adequate wind to clear it away. Some critics have pointed fingers at China’s top two oil firms, China National Petroleum Corp and China Petrochemical Corporation, saying the companies’ outdated production technologies produce large quantities of substandard, highpolluting gas fuel.
Meanwhile, concerned Beijingers have moved their brainstorming sessions to cyberspace. If Pan’s proposal for a Clean Air Act is adopted, netizens say the new law should include items providing for “carfree days” in times of smog, higher standards for vehicle fuel, stricter restrictions on industrial and exhaust gas emissions，and more effective protection for the public.
Beijing is not the only city that has ever lost the blue sky. Five days of thick fog caused thousands of deaths in Britain in December 1952, urging the government to pass the first Clean Air Act in 1956, which introduced smokeless zones and cleaner fuels to reduce pollution. That may provide some experience for Beijing to refer to.
C-1. Why did Pan Shiyi started an online survey?
A
To investigate the public’s opinions on pollution.
B
To tell people the danger of the smoggy weather.
C
To call on more people to support his proposal.
D
To collect supporting evidences for his proposal.
学生答案：D
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
2
阅读C-1题干中Passage One材料，完成本题。
C-2. What can we learn from the passage?
A
People are clear about the causes of the smoggy weather.
B
Children staying indoors will not get respiratory illnesses.
C
Smog is worse for people with lower resistance to diseases.
D
Masks can give people protection against the smoggy weather.
学生答案：C
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
3
阅读C-1题干中Passage One材料，完成本题。
C-3. Britain is mentioned in the last paragraph to __________.
A
suggest Beijing should learn from other countries
B
let people know many places have this problem
C
tell people the situation in Britain is worse
D
call on the government to pass Britain’s Clean Air Act
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
4
阅读C-1题干中Passage One材料，完成本题。
C-4. What’s the best title for this passage?
A
The Use of Gas Masks and Respirators
B
Beijingers Call for a Clean Air Act
C
Effective Protection for Blue Sky
D
The Mysterious Causes of the Scary Smog
学生答案：B
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
5
阅读Passage Two,回答C-5到C-8四个问题。请从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入题干空白处的最佳选项。
Passage Two
The story happened during the Second World War. An old man lived in a small town of Germany. He had three sons and they all worked in the same factory where he had worked. After the war had begun, his sons were all made to join the army one after another and they all died in the fights. The old man was very sad. He didn’t have enough food and was often hungry. And nobody helped him and he didn’t know how to go on living.
It was a very cold winter night. The old man couldn’t go to sleep. He had been hungry for two days and it was so cold in his room that ice could be seen. He had to get up and began to run in the room until he lay down on the floor. The next morning he had to beg from door to door. He had been to a lot of cities and knew a lot.
Once he came to a village, but the villagers were all poor and couldn’t give him anything. He was too hungry to go to another village. He thought hard and found a way. He came to a police station and called out, “Hitler is a foolish pig!”
Out came an old policeman at once. He took the old man into a room, gave him some bread and a cup of tea. Then he said, “Don’t say so in our village, sir!”
“I’m sorry, sir,” said the old man. “I don’t know it’s Hitler’s home town.” “No, no, sir,” the policeman said in a hurry. “It’s pigs’ hometown!”
C-5. The old man’s sons joined the army because _______.
A
they were all strong
B
they loved their country
C
they wanted to be full
D
they had to do so
学生答案：D
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
6
阅读C-5题干中Passage Two材料，完成本题。
C-6. The villagers didn’t give the old man any food because _______.
A
they weren’t kind-hearted
B
his sons were in the army
C
they were also hungry
D
they hated him
学生答案：C
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
7
阅读C-5题干中Passage Two材料，完成本题。
C-7. Which of the following is true?
A
The old policeman would send the old man into prison.
B
The old policeman hated Hitler, too.
C
The old policeman thought Hitler was better than pigs.
D
The old man found a friend at the police station.
学生答案：B
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
8
阅读C-5题干中Passage Two材料，完成本题。
C-8. The policeman thought _______.
A
Hitler was more foolish than pigs
B
the old man insulted(侮辱) their hometown
C
the old man had to say sorry to him
D
the old man had to fight with Hitler
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
9
阅读Passage Three,回答C-9到C-12四个问题。请从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入题干空白处的最佳选项。
Passage Three
I recently heard a story about a famous research scientist who had made several very important medical achievements. A newspaper reporter interviewed him why he was able to be so much more creative than the average person. What set him so far apart from others?
He responded that it all came from an experience with his mother that occurred when he was about two years old. He had been trying to remove a bottle of milk from the refrigerator when he dropped the slippery bottle, spilling its contents all over the kitchen floor—a real sea of milk!
When his mother came into the kitchen，instead of shouting at him, giving him a lecture or punishing him, she said, “Robert, what a great and wonderful mess you have made! I have rarely seen such a huge pool of milk. Well, the damage has already been done. Would you like to get down and play in the milk for a few minutes before we clean it up?”
Indeed, the boy did. After a few minutes, his mother said, “You know, Robert, whenever you make a mess like this, eventually you have to clean it up and restore everything to its proper order. How would you like to do that? We could use a sponge(海绵), a towel or a mop. Which do you prefer?” He chose the sponge and together they cleaned up the spilled milk.
His mother then said, “You know，what we have here is a failed experiment in how to effectively carry a big milk bottle with two tiny hands. Let’s go out in the back yard and fill the bottle with water and see if you can find a way to carry it without dropping it. ”The little boy learned that if he grasped the bottle at the top near the lip with both hands, he could make it. What a wonderful lesson!
This famous scientist then said that it was at that moment that he knew he didn’t need to be afraid to make mistakes.
C-9．When the mother found the kitchen floor covered with milk, she ________.
A
gave the boy a lecture instead of shouting at him
B
praised the boy instead of punishing him
C
felt satisfied with the boy’s trying to help himself
D
calmed down the boy and helped him find a way to clean the floor
学生答案：D
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
10
阅读C-9题干中Passage Three材料，完成本题。
C-10．The child’s experience resulted in the following BUT ________.
A
offering the boy a chance to grasp the bottle
B
benefiting the boy all his life
C
helping the boy be more creative
D
making the boy realize the mistake is of value
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
11
阅读C-9题干中Passage Three材料，完成本题。
C-11．According to the passage, the way the scientist’s mother used is _____.
A
instructive
B
strict
C
formal
D
strange
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
12
阅读C-9题干中Passage Three材料，完成本题。
C-12．The purpose of the passage is to show ________.
A
a usual way to cultivate a child
B
a scientist’s medical achievements
C
a mother’s wise way of helping her child
D
the advantages of making mistakes
学生答案：C
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
13
阅读Passage Four,回答C-13到C-16四个问题。请从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入题干空白处的最佳选项。
Passage Four
Americans are getting ready for the biggest soccer event in the world. For the first time the world cup soccer competition will be held in the United States. While millions play the game around the world, soccer or football has only recently become popular here. It is only in the last 30 years that large numbers of young Americans became interested in soccer. Now it is the fastest growing sport in the country. A recent study found that almost 18 million young boys and girls play soccer in the United States.
The study also found that soccer is beginning to replace more traditional games like American football as the most popular sport among students. And so, when the world cup begins next week, more than one million Americans are expected to go and see the teams play. Organizers say this year’s world cup will be the biggest ever. All the seats at most of the 52 games have already been sold.
Soccer has been played in the United States for a little more than one hundred years. But how did the sport come to this country? And how long has it existed in other parts of the world? No one knows exactly where the idea for soccer came from, or when people began playing the game. Some scientists say there is evidence that ball games using the feet were played thousands of years ago. There is evidence that ancient Greeks and Romans and native American Indians all played games similar to soccer.
Most experts agree that Britain is the birthplace of modem soccer. They also agree that the British spread the game around the world. Unlike the game today, which uses balls of man-made material or leather, early soccer balls were often made of animal stomachs. The rules of early soccer games also differed from those we have today.
C-13. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the text?
A
Americans were preparing for the world cup when the author wrote this article.
B
More younger Americans became interested in soccer in the last 30 years.
C
Soccer is the fastest developing sport in the world.
D
The article was written before the world cup held in the United States.
学生答案：C
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
14
阅读C-13题干中Passage Four材料，完成本题。
C-14. Which was the most popular sport as a traditional game among students?
A
Basketball
B
American football
C
Soccer
D
Tennis
学生答案：B
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
15
阅读C-13题干中Passage Four材料，完成本题。
C-15. For how long has soccer been played in the United States?
A
About a hundred years.
B
About fifty years.
C
Only recently.
D
About thirty years.
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
16
阅读C-13题干中Passage Four材料，完成本题。
C-16. What is the author going to state in the next paragraph?
A
There have been attempts to start a professional soccer organization in the U. S..
B
In the 12th century soccer games in Britain often involved whole towns.
C
Professional soccer grew quickly in Europe.
D
Experts believed that the United States would win.
学生答案：B
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
17
阅读Passage Five,回答C-17到C-20四个问题。请从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出可以填入题干空白处的最佳选项。
Passage Five
The cohesiveness（内聚力） of a family seems to rely on members sharing certain routine practices and events. For a growing share of the American labor force, however，working shifts beyond the normal daylight hours—what we here call “shift work”—makes the lives of families difficult.
Existing research shows that both male and female shift workers express high levels of stress and a sense of conflict between the demands of work and family life. But shift work couples still maintain a traditional attitude to the meaning of marriage and the individual roles of husband and wife. They expressed a willingness to do “whatever it takes” to approximate their view of a proper marriage, including sacrificing sleep and doing conventional things at unconventional hours. For the majority of couples interviewed, even when wives worked outside their homes, a proper marriage is characterized by a very clear division of roles: husbands are “providers” whose major responsibility is to support the family; wives are “homemakers” who clean, cook, and care for husbands and children.
I expect him to be a good provider and there when I need him, loyal about the same things as he would expect out of me, expect that I expect him to dominate over me. But in a manner of speaking. when it’s time to be a man I expect him to stand up instead of sitting back expecting me to do everything.
To husbands, a good wife is someone who is:
Understanding of what I feel go through at work ,I need that respect at work, I hope I get it at work. I want my wife to realize what I expect at work. I don’t want her to give me a lot of shit when I come home from work because I don’t know if this makes much sense.
These views seemed critical to maintain the families of the shift workers.
C-17. Despite ______, shift work couples still hoped to maintain a stable life.
A
traditional beliefs about marriage
B
lack of control over time
C
a very clear division of roles
D
the demands of work workers were NOT satisfied with
学生答案：B
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
18
阅读C-17题干中Passage Five材料，完成本题。
C-18. From the selection, we can conclude that female shift workers were NOT satisfied with ______.
A
their work
B
their children
C
their husbands’ inability to protect the family and provide companionship
D
leisure activities
学生答案：C
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
19
阅读C-17题干中Passage Five材料，完成本题。
C-19. What is implied by the author?
A
Shift work had a direct effect on the attitudes and behavior of family members.
B
Shift workers could live a normal life.
C
Shift work couples had unconventional ideas about marriage.
D
Female shift workers were satisfied with the time spent together with their families.
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值2分难度：中等得分：2
20
阅读C-17题干中Passage Five材料，完成本题。
C-20. In order to continue the marriages of the shift workers, ______.
A
wives must learn to care for the children when their husbands are absent
B
shift work couples must administer their time and activities
C
wives mustn’t adapt their own feelings of boredom to their husbands’ work
D
all of these
学生答案：D
老师点评：
听力题
题型：听力题客观题分值30分难度：困难得分：0
1
C-21 请听录音，录音下方列出了十个不完整的句子，根据所听内容，从所给四个选项中选出正确的选项补全空出部分。
The Culture of Color.mp3
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
1
When it comes to color, our first reaction is mostly the seven-tone spectrum of the rainbow. Color has a particularly important and ______________ in China in both the language and aesthetics. Some rarely used Chinese characters are assigned a specific color, and these figurative prototypes have developed into poetic images with the changing of the times.
A
important role
B
key role
C
prominent role
D
marvelous role
学生答案：C
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
2
Incorporating Chinese colors and their ____________ into the campus is what educators at Yunjin Primary School in Chongqing believe a first step toward reviving the traditional aesthetic consciousness – using Chinese colors and patterns to ingeniously design their school logo and build up cultural meaning.
A
cultural essence
B
traditional festivals
C
cultural origin
D
traditional customs
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
3
According to designers for the school, Chinese colors are the precipitation and quintessence of Chinese culture, as well as the best educational resource for cultivating aesthetic qualities and _____________.
A
cultural precipitation
B
cultural self-confidence
C
cultural quintessence
D
cultural essence
学生答案：B
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
4
Recently more attention has been given to the topic partly as a result of the increasing popularity of _____________. Whether it’s the smashing TV series The Story of Yanxi Palace, or the historical costumes presented in the series The Longest Day in Chang’an that restored the standard color cards of the Tang Dynasty, all these authentic renderings have taken the audience by storm and aroused in them a yearning for Chinese classical colors.
A
Chinese operas
B
Chinese TV series
C
Chinese region dramas
D
Chinese costume dramas
学生答案：D
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
5
Low saturation color systems are featured and the restrained color matching, subdued and somber, consists mainly of muted whites and grays, complemented by beige, cream, almond and grayish blue. Many __________ claim that the color palette of The Story of Yanxi Palace strikes a remarkable resemblance to colors used by Italian painter Giorgio Morandi. The colors exude understated vintage quality.
A
netizens
B
citizens
C
residents
D
villagers
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
6
At the beginning of the year, the Cultural and Creative Center of China Academy of Art released the 2021 Chinese color power lychee red (gei li hong). Inspired by the red color of lychee, the team also use the homophonic pun (li stands for power and also lychee) to convey the wishes of the Chinese people to _______________ – gei li (powerful) in all aspects.
A
defeat the disease
B
overcome difficulties
C
overcome the epidemic
D
increase cohesion
学生答案：C
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
7
After repeated debugging and screening, dozens of lychee-related colors with the highest frequency were determined by the design team. Combining the classical names of lychee and red in traditional Chinese culture, the final version was named after_________________ – four different levels of red genealogy as the standard color of this project. The theme color is permeated with the vigorous oriental aesthetics.
A
xuan huang, chi xia, qing bai, cao qing
B
fei hong, jiang zi, ming huang, qing lu
C
dan hong, zhu bai, dan lan, qian huang
D
dan xia, xi lan, yu he and luo shen
学生答案：D
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
8
Despite the fact that the Chinese aesthetic has been eclipsed for a long time, scholar Guo Hao and designer Li Jianming are among the many who are willing to __________ this treasure trove.
A
explore deeply
B
compare carfully
C
dig deep into
D
invest largely into
学生答案：C
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
9
They have reviewed nearly 400 color-related literature and classics, conducted an unprecedented textual research and _________ 384 traditional Chinese color names.
A
summed up
B
amount to
C
average
D
count to
学生答案：A
老师点评：
题型：单选题客观题分值3分
10
Guo divides the words used by the ancients to describe colors into two categories: concrete and imagery. Concrete is the color of words that come from ___________. The imagery words are based on everything superimposed on the way humans perceive and record the world, derived from human activities, emotions and imagination.
A
the nature and the society
B
the humans and the nature
C
the heavens and the earth
D
the ancient and the modern
学生答案：C
老师点评：
简答题
题型：简答题主观题分值30分难度：困难得分：28
1
C-22（更新）— 阅读City walks step up in popularity，也可点击链接https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202307/26/WS64c04d4fa31035260b818757_1.html阅读。阅读材料围绕新兴的city walk这个轻松的话题展开，请同学阅读后，按照以下要求用英文完成不少于250字的写作。
1. 用约100字简单概述阅读材料内容；
2. 用约150字谈谈你对city walk的看法。
请不要用附件或者图片形式提交作业！
请不要用附件或者图片形式提交作业！
请不要用附件或者图片形式提交作业！
City walks step up in popularity
By XIN WEN | China Daily Global | Updated: 2023-07-26 07:03 https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/image_e/2020/facebook.png https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/image_e/2020/twitter.png https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/image_e/2020/linkedin.png https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/image_e/2017/more_art.gifhttps://www.chinadaily.com.cn/image_e/2017/app.gif
People pose for a photo during a city walk in late May around Shunchang Road in Huangpu district, Shanghai. CHINA DAILY
Organized cultural, historical tours finding favor with travelers, residents
For Fang Rui walking the streets of Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province, and taking in the buildings and culture of the historical city is almost a daily routine.
Born and raised in Nanjing, the 28-year-old works as a landscape designer in the city after studying overseas for several years. After she returned home she found that walking through the city, visiting and observing cultural and historical sites, gave her life new meaning.
In May, Fang organized a free city walk for around 50 people who came from all over the country to experience a deeper connection with Nanjing.
The city-walk pastime of following planned routes to explore a city’s history, culture and urban environment originated in London. The pastime is now attracting a growing number of followers in China, with many young people taking part.
The scale of the trend is hard to measure, but widely shared social media posts document different routes in various metropolises with detailed descriptions and pictures.
On Xiaohongshu, a lifestyle-sharing platform, the hashtag “Holiday citywalk” has more than 470 million views.
Data from Tongcheng Travel, a travel agency based in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, shows that travel searches related to “city walk” increased by 108 percent in July from the previous month. Walking routes in Beijing, Xi’an, Shaanxi province, Chengdu, Sichuan province, Suzhou and Changsha, Hunan province, have attracted great interest from young travelers.
For tourists as well as locals not fully familiar with a city’s history and culture, the organized walks are an authentic and immersive experience. Walk organizers provide the information and are passionate and care about a city’s cultural heritage. They also have a more personalized and deeper understanding of their city, which goes beyond just visiting iconic landmarks.
Different to regimented travel, where people try to visit as many places as possible in the shortest amount of time, city walks allow people to linger and absorb the surroundings.
Bonding with city
Fang’s organized walk in May through Nanjing’s Qinhuai district renewed her bond with the city and helped the tour participants better understand its cultural heritage in a tangible and interesting way.
She chose to walk in Cinna Lane, or Xinan Li, a tourist area that is not as popular or famous as other Nanjing landmarks such as Fuzimiao Confucius Temple or Sun Yat-sen Mausoleum. The district has preserved various historical buildings, with the most well-known being the former residence of the scholar Gan Xi, which was built during the reign of the Qing Emperor Jiaqing (1796-1820). In terms of its grand scale and layout, it is believed to be the largest and most complete ancient residential building compound in China.
The walk began at 10:30 am on May 28 and lasted about 90 minutes, with Fang’s group covering a distance of 3.91 kilometers. Two ancient sites in Pingshi Street, the main historical thoroughfare in Cinna Lane area, are worth exploring, she said.
One is the Daqiao Bridge located at the street’s northern end, where writers and poets gathered in ancient times during Lantern Festival in the first lunar month.
The other is a Jiangxi Guild Hall, also known as a Wanshou Palace, on Pingshi Street, which was said to be built for the birthday celebration of Empress Dowager Cixi (1835-1908) during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
During urban renewal, residents living in the old buildings along Pingshi Street were moved out, Fang said, but the historical structures were left standing. No. 89 residential building, constructed in the Republic of China era (1911-49) and located at the intersection of Pingshi Street and Pingzhang Alley, remains intact. Its weathered iron gate features an old-fashioned lion lock and symmetrical double doors are embedded in the horsehead wall. The features convey a feeling of stepping back in time.
“One of the aims of our city walks is to also let participants become witnesses to the transformation of the city itself,” Fang said.
“They may propose their own ideas about the future urban development of a historical neighborhood,” she said, adding this makes them feel part of the city and shows they care about the local community, the living environment and “the rapid process of urbanization”.
City walkers explore historical alleyways in Shanghai in late May. CHINA DAILY
Fang, who went to an elementary school near Pingshi Street, said the area used to be a labyrinth of alleys where houses were internally partitioned off to allow for more occupants.
However, many of the buildings had structural damage and hygiene problems, and in 2009 a restoration project began.
The district government restored 63 buildings listed under cultural relic protection. Some other old buildings that did not have such protection were also preserved through partial restoration work, according to the city’s historical and cultural street development company.
“There were many lively scenes in this neighborhood about 20 years ago, such as the locals starting their day by flocking to the market to buy fresh vegetables. The alleys teemed with people pedaling bicycles, and various stalls that were on roadsides have now vanished,” Fang said.
“Though the area is quite tidy now and the old buildings along the street have retained their original appearance, the hustle and bustle of city life seems to have gone in these alleyways. I feel a bit sad about that.”
The balance between urban development, retaining the appearance of historical buildings and allowing people to live in historical areas may need more consideration, she believes.
After walking the streets and alleys of Cinna Lane, Fang and her group couldn’t resist a pidu (pork rind) noodle shop across from the No. 89 building on Pingshi Street.
“It was near noon, and the tantalizing aroma of boiled pork rinds filled the air and drew us inside,” she said.
“I noticed that the shop belonged to an old chain of local gourmet restaurants in Nanjing. By noon, many residents who had once lived nearby had come to taste the authentic flavor of the fresh pidu noodles on the street corner.
“It was that moment that touched me. By preserving a few local noodle or pancake shops, the locals’ memories of their past lives were revived. Even if the neighboring areas have been completely commercialized, their memories of the old town can still be kept.”
Designing city-walk routes like Fang’s require time and effort. Fang said she spent about a month researching routes for Nanjing’s southern area and adjusted the walking map three times. She believes such routes are worth mapping out as “innovative exploration” helps ensure that tiny changes to urban environments don’t go unnoticed.
Young people participate in a city walk tour on Pingshi Street in Qinhuai district, Nanjing, in May. CHINA DAILY
Gateway to relaxation
In addition to the educational aspect of the city walks, they also provide good exercise and can help relieve the stress of the work week.
Many participants say what they like the most about city walks is the physical aspect, adding the activity is a “gateway to the weekend” and helps them relieve work stress.
Zha Beibei, 28, works at China’s biggest internet company, Baidu, and has lived in Beijing for almost 10 years. She likes to stroll the streets of the capital after work and at weekends. Her routes are not fixed, but she usually has a rough idea of where she wants to go before she sets out.
“Last year, I started going out regularly for walks,” Zha said. “I would have dinner in the downtown area of Beijing every weekend, then take a walk along the streets exploring interesting cafes. This has become my primary form of exercise.”
Other outdoor activities such as mountaineering or hiking usually require lengthy periods of walking, but Zha said with city walks she can get her exercise and also have a meal or go shopping.
“It’s a leisurely and enjoyable way that involves exercise with multiple elements,” she said. “The relaxation is addictive and these journeys of exploration have been very happy experiences.”
After the COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in December, Zha’s city walks become more detailed and her routes plotted paths to pleasurable pursuits. In January, she set out in search of cocktails on Friday evenings.
After finishing work at around 8 pm, she would have dinner with her friends at a Japanese restaurant near the Drum Tower in Beijing’s Dongcheng district or a burger and fries at a nearby eatery. Following the meal, she and her companions would walk for about 10 minutes along Andingmennei Street to reach a cocktail bar.
After that, they would stroll along Drum Tower East Avenue to Houhai Lake to enjoy the night scene, passing by the iconic Drum Tower and Bell Tower.
When they had completed their ramble around the lake, they would stop at a tavern for another drink. At around 11 pm, Zha and her friends would head home.
Zha Beibei pauses during a city walk around the Drum Tower and Bell Tower in Beijing in spring. CHINA DAILY
In May, as summer approached, she took a 3.7-kilometer walk through the streets and alleys of Dongsi subdistrict in Dongcheng district. Along the way, she passed art galleries and bookstores as well as landmarks such as the Peking University Red Building and the former site of the Sino-French University.
On one of her walks Zha was surprised to find a small restaurant that offers biangbiang noodles — a popular dish from Xi’an, Shaanxi — behind the National Art Museum of China. “I had never noticed it before,” she said. “The food there is delicious and I have recommended it to my friends who have yet to try it.”
Closer to home
While city walks are the current trendy pastime, many experts question their long-term popularity.
On travel platforms such as Trip.com, Fliggy and Mafengwo, city walks are the first choice for budget travelers. Some cities have even included them in their cultural tourism plans. Shanghai, ranked the best location in China for city walks, has set up special routes for tourists to experience the old architecture and the modern city.
“In an ever-changing city, its ongoing dynamics are hard to tell unless you walk along a street and see the old houses undergoing changes,” said Jin Yi, a researcher with the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Nanjing University.
Jin believes the renewed interest in urban environments is largely due to the COVID-19 epidemic, which forced city dwellers to notice what is happening in the vicinity of their homes. Places that may have been only a few kilometers away from residents’ homes were suddenly of interest after being ignored for a long time.
Visitors wander through Cinna Lane, or Xinan Li, in downtown Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province. CHINA DAILY
“In the post-pandemic era, areas where people live are being paid attention to again,” Jin said.
As new technologies erode the idea of proximity, the sense of belonging to a community has also dwindled, he said. City walks help people refocus on what is within proximity of them, and provide residents with a reminder of their urban surroundings.
Residents’ “mental maps” of their city can also be reshaped during city walks, Jin said. Awareness of physical surroundings and the nuances of daily life are sharpened by taking walks.
“By observing other people’s lives, we gain insight into our own lives, which at least enables us to establish a stronger sense of connection and helps us find a sense of purpose in bustling urban cities,” he said.
However, Jin was uncertain about the long-term commercial success of city walks. While the cost of a trip under 100 yuan ($14) is “not that expensive”, the walk planners must have a deep understanding of the city.
“The return on investment is difficult to quantify, and the sustainability of city walks as an emerging industry is uncertain,” he said.
However, Jin added that, “by understanding and caring about buildings and places that exist in a city”, residents can “experience something new and touch the fabric of a city”.
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