Section B: Information Matching

Directions: In this section, you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it. Each statement contains information given in one of the paragraphs. Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived. You may choose a paragraph more than once. Each paragraph is marked with a letter. Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on your Answer Sheet.

A Club Where Lions Dance and Traditions Take Root

[A] The first thing you notice in the staircase to the fourth-floor studio on Canal Street in Manhattan, New York, is the measured thumping coming from behind a metal door. Just beyond the entrance, large lion masks were twisting and turning to the drum-beat. On a recent Friday evening, the teenagers made their way across the studio floor as they practiced Chinese lion dancing.

[B] “You want to play in a circle,” Victor Fong, aged 24, told his students at the New York Chinese Freemasons Athletic Club. “Take it slow and do it again.” The dance group, made up of 60 members, performs throughout the year but was now preparing for its biggest events, Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, which will begin on Saturday and conclude on February 15. Teenagers comprise about half of the group, many of whom began lion dancing at the age of 14. About 100 current and past members of the dance group — which has been performing since 1956 — will be among the 220 groups marching through Chinatown in Manhattan for the 18th Lunar New Year Parade on February 5.

[C] Mr. Fong has been involved in the organization since he was 15 and began teaching lion dancing three years ago. But the club also acts as a recreation center and safe haven for teenagers, with video games readily available. As many as 20 students show up after school. “The basic requirement for hanging out here is you have to learn how to lion dance,” Mr. Fong said. While that is not a formal requirement for being a member, everyone finds a way to participate in the Lunar New Year Parade, whether it's by dancing, carrying a flag or beating a drum.

[D] Alvin Chau, aged 26, is an environmental consultant by day and a lion dancer on weekends. He has been a club member for 10 years and joined because of an interest in lion dance. “We're a big family,” he said, shaking hands with other members as they walked through the door. “You know everyone.”

[E] It is believed that the lion dance began in the third century. Stories vary about how lion dancing came to be, but most of them include a monster named Nian who would terrorize a village. The villagers finally banded together and scared the beast away with firecrackers and drums. While lions are not native to China, some versions of the story include the villagers creating a monster of their own in the shape of a lion to fight off the beast.

[F] Today, the dancers travel across Chinatown going from business to business to bring good luck for the coming year. The new year-according to the Chinese lunar calendar-will begin on Saturday and marks the Year of the Rooster, which is thought to be a symbol of positivity. “It's almost like the dark night is ending and the sun is coming up,” said Ya Yung Teng, the digital collections coordinator for the Museum of Chinese in America. “It's hopeful that we're going to have a new day.” Roosters and chickens are not particularly strong creatures, Ms. Teng said, but they are numerous. “In a way,” she said, the rooster “stands for 'We the People.'”

[G] The lion head and tail are operated by two people. As one person controls the head, a second follows under a train of fabric representing the body. The dancers move in harmony as they imitate the animal's natural movements in the wild, including the aggressiveness of an attack. A lion head figure weighs under 10 pounds and sits squarely on the dancer's shoulders. Inside, the dancer manipulates strings that open and close the lion's eyes, shake its ears and open its mouth to reveal a fire-orange tongue.

[H] “A good lion dancer will imitate a living creature,” said Karlin Chan, aged 59, who heads the athletic club's community public relations. “I started lion dancing when I was a kid,” he said. “Chinatown was much smaller then and it was a celebration with fireworks and firecrackers, which added a lot of flavor and meaning to it.”

[I] Mr. Chan buys a new lion head each year when he travels to China. A head costs about $1,500. “If you want the good stuff, the quality, you have to see it for yourself,” he said. “I'll inspect the product before we put it in the container and ship it over.” Mr. Chan, who has been involved with the club for nearly 50 years, said that passing the dance from one generation to the next was vital. “You need to pass on the traditions and the culture, and this is a part of our culture,” he said. “It's a great way to promote cultural understanding and exchange; we welcome that.”

[J] For Sara Pore, aged 17, another club member, lion dance is more than just tradition, it provides a creative outlet. “Lion dancing started 2,000 years ago — that's incredible,” she said. “But what makes you a competent lion dancer is that there's a sense of imagination involved. Lion dancing teaches competence in leadership because of this. You're constantly forced to push yourself past your limit.”

[L] Mr. Le comes by the dance as a legacy. “I was born into it,” Mr. Le said, noting that his uncle and father were club members. “Growing up, I would always watch my family and see the lion dance, and I slowly grew interested in it.” By the age of 14, he was fully enrolled in the athletic club's lion dance group. “I value my culture and tradition, being Chinese or Asian-American. I have a lot of pride in that,” he said. “I want to contribute and give back to the community.”

36. The lion dancers perform from door to door to bring New Year wishes to business people.

37. The New York dance club also serves as a place for entertainment where youngsters can enjoy themselves safely.

38. Lion dancers need to have a little imagination to perform well.

39. There are a number of different versions about the origin of the lion dance.

40. Some 50% of the members of a New York lion dance club are teenagers.

41. One club member says he feels proud of his cultural tradition.

42. Two dancers coordinate their movements, one manipulating the lion's head and the other its body.

43. One lion dancer compares their New York dance club to a family.

44. Lion dance should be handed down to future generations as part of Chinese culture.

45. One lion dancer learned how to perform from his elders.

Answers & Explanations

36. F。解析：题干中的 perform from door to door to bring New Year wishes to business people（挨家挨户表演为商界人士带来新年祝福）对应 [F] 段的首句 The dancers travel across Chinatown going from business to business to bring good luck for the coming year（舞者们在唐人街的商铺间穿梭，为即将到来的一年带来好运）。

37. C。解析：题干中的 a place for entertainment where youngsters can enjoy themselves safely（一个年轻人可以安全玩乐的娱乐场所）对应 [C] 段的 acts as a recreation center and safe haven for teenagers, with video games readily available（充当青少年的娱乐中心和避风港，并提供电子游戏）。

38. J。解析：题干中的 need to have a little imagination to perform well（需要一点想象力才能表演得好）对应 [J] 段的 what makes you a competent lion dancer is that there's a sense of imagination involved（让你成为一名合格舞者的关键在于需要发挥想象力）。

39. E。解析：题干中的 a number of different versions about the origin（关于起源有许多不同的版本）对应 [E] 段的 Stories vary about how lion dancing came to be（关于舞狮是如何产生的，故事各不相同）。

40. B。解析：题干中的 Some 50% of the members... are teenagers（大约50%的成员是青少年）对应 [B] 段的 Teenagers comprise about half of the group（青少年约占该群体的一半）。

41. L。解析：题干中的 feels proud of his cultural tradition（对他的文化传统感到自豪）对应 [L] 段的 I value my culture and tradition... I have a lot of pride in that（我重视我的文化和传统...我为此感到非常自豪）。

42. G。解析：题干中的 Two dancers coordinate their movements, one manipulating the lion's head and the other its body（两名舞者协调他们的动作，一个操纵狮头，另一个操纵狮身）对应 [G] 段的 The lion head and tail are operated by two people. As one person controls the head, a second follows under a train of fabric representing the body. The dancers move in harmony...（狮头和狮尾由两个人操作。一个人控制头部，另一个人跟在代表身体的布料下面。舞者们和谐地移动...）。

43. D。解析：题干中的 compares their... club to a family（将他们的俱乐部比作一个家庭）对应 [D] 段的 "We're a big family," he said（“我们是一个大家庭，”他说）。

44. I。解析：题干中的 handed down to future generations as part of Chinese culture（作为中国文化的一部分传承给后代）对应 [I] 段的 passing the dance from one generation to the next was vital... this is a part of our culture（将舞蹈代代相传至关重要...这是我们文化的一部分）。

45. L。解析：题干中的 learned how to perform from his elders（从长辈那里学习如何表演）对应 [L] 段的 noting that his uncle and father were club members. "Growing up, I would always watch my family and see the lion dance..."（指出他的叔叔和父亲都是俱乐部成员。“从小到大，我总是看着我的家人跳舞狮...”）。

核心搭配与高分句型

【核心搭配与高频短语】

• make one's way：行进，前往（made their way across the studio floor）
• comprise of：包含，由...组成（Teenagers comprise about half of the group）
• show up：出现，露面（As many as 20 students show up after school）
• hang out：闲逛，逗留（The basic requirement for hanging out here is...）
• band together：联合起来，团结起来（The villagers finally banded together）
• fight off：击退，打退（to fight off the beast）
• in harmony：协调一致地，和谐地（The dancers move in harmony）
• pass on：传承，传递（pass on the traditions and the culture）
• come by：得到，获得（comes by the dance as a legacy）
• give back to：回馈（give back to the community）

【亮点句型解析】

• Whether it's by... or... (让步状语从句)：
  "...everyone finds a way to participate in the Lunar New Year Parade, whether it's by dancing, carrying a flag or beating a drum."
  （...每个人都能找到参与农历新年游行的方式，无论是由跳舞、举旗还是打鼓。）`whether... or...` 句型表示“无论...还是...”，极大地丰富了句子的表现力，列举多种可能性，是四六级写作中凑字数且展现实力的好句型。
• It is believed that... (客观报道句型)：
  "It is believed that the lion dance began in the third century."
  （人们相信/据信，舞狮始于三世纪。）使用 `It is believed/thought/reported that...` 可以使表达更客观、正式，避免使用主观的 `People believe that...`，是说明文和新闻报道中的高频金句。