Mahjong, that favorite pastime of “old folks” in Shanghai, is finding a new audience among younger players, and many university students are becoming mad about this traditional Chinese game. Students at Fudan University have even formed a Mahjong club.

This resurgence of the game, however, is not without its critics. Some people still associate the game with gambling and for many years Mahjong was banned in China. One critic, surnamed Meng, was quoted as saying, “Mahjong is a bad custom that will distract students from studies.” But Yu Guangyuan, former vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences(中国社会科学院), says Mahjong is a “healthy, scientific, friendly mind game.”

Mr. Yu’s opinion seems to be shared by the majority of Chinese. They see the game as an activity that requires great concentration and intellectual skill. They also see the game as an important part of Chinese culture and a pastime that brings family and friends closer together. This Spring Festival many families will no doubt spend hours around the Mahjong table getting reacquainted with each other. For them, playing Mahjong is a way of spending quality family time. No one knows who invented Mahjong. Some say it was Confucius, others say the current form of the game was developed right here in Shanghai in the late19th century. It is certainly because of Shanghai that the game enjoys its worldwide popularity. It was brought to America in the 1920s and has since spread throughout Europe and other parts of Asia. There is now a World Championship of Mahjong which is held every year. This year’s championship was held in Chongqing and attracted players from America, Europe and Russia, as well as students from Peking University, Tshinghua University and Nankai University. There was no prize money, but the players delighted in using their wits and their understanding of statistics and probability theory(概率论)to defeat their clever opponents.

Of course, Mahjong doesn’t have to always be that intense. For young people it can be a way to relax and to socialize, a chance to get away from their computers and talk to other people face to face. So, this Spring Festival, why not get out the “old folks” tiles: it’s good to be mad about Mahjong!

67. Why do young people in China like Mahjong so much?

A. It’s an activity that requires great concentration and intellectual skill

B. It’s an important part of Chinese culture and a pastime that brings family and friends closer together.

C. It’s a way to relax and to socialize, a chance to stay away from their computers and have face-to-face communication with other people.

D. It’s a healthy, scientific, friendly mind game.

68. Who invented Mahjong?

A. Confucius 　　B. People of Shanghai　 　 C. People of Chongqing 　D. Unsure

69. Why do students from Peking University, Tshinghua University and Nankai University take part in the World Championship of Mahjong?

　 A. Because they can happily use their wisdom and what they have learned to defeat their clever opponents.

B. Because they can win a large amount of prize money.

C. They want to make more friends through Mahjong.

D. Because it’s a thrilling game.

70. What is the best title of the passage?

A. Mad About Mahjong　　　　 B. World Championship of Mahjong

C. The History of Mahjong D. The Favorite Pastime of “Old Folks”

—— Do young people in that country like to be engaged in teaching?

—— Not really, for teachers strongly feel that school systems____ them ____.

—— Do young people in that country like to be engaged in teaching?
—— Not really, for teachers strongly feel that school systems____ them ____.

—— Do young people in that country like to be engaged in teaching?

—— Not really, for teachers strongly feel that school systems____ them ____.

A. let; down            B. let; off                 C. let; go                  D. let; alone

What’s your idea of a good time? What about dancing in a rainy field with one hundred and fifty thousand other people while a famous rock band plays on a stage so far away that the performers look like ants?
It may sound strange but that is what many hundreds of thousands of young people in the UK do every summer．Why? Because summer is the time for outdoor music festivals．
Held on a farm, the Glastonbury Festival is the most well-known and popular festival in the UK．It began in 1970 and the first festival was attended by one thousand five hundred people each paying an admission price of ￡1 — the ticket included free milk from the farm．
Since then the Glastonbury Festival has gone from strength to strength — in 2004 one hundred and fifty thousand fans attended, paying ￡112 each for a ticket to the three-day event．Tickets for the event sold out within three hours．Performers included superstars, such as Paul McCartney and James Brown, as well as new talent, like Franz Ferdinand and Joss Stone．
Although many summer festivals are run on a profit-making basis, Glastonbury is a charity event, donating millions of pounds to local and international charities．
Glastonbury is not unique(独特的) in using live music to raise money to fight global poverty．In July of this year, the Live 8 concerts were held simultaneously （同时） in London, Paris, Rome and Berlin．Superstars such as Madonna, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder performed in order to highlight international poverty and debt．
【小题1】 What does the author mean by saying “the Glastonbury Festival has gone from strength to strength”?