The year 2026 marks the Year of the Horse in the Chinese lunar calendar. Horses are liked by people all over the world. But how much do you know about them?

The eyes of horses are located on the sides of their heads, so they can see almost 360 degrees around themselves. They can move their ears to hear sounds. They can even hear other horses from up to 2 kilometers away. A horse’s lungs can hold about 60 liters of air while a human’s can only hold around 6 liters. This helps horses breathe in lots of oxygen when they run and play. However, they only sleep about 3 hours a day and sometimes sleep standing up. Isn’t it amazing?

Though horses may be of less practical importance in modern society, their spirits still run deeply through Chinese culture. We can experience them in many Chinese idioms (习语). A talented person is often called qianlima, an energetic horse that covers a thousand li a day. If someone takes the lead in an activity, we will say yimadangxian. Besides, there are also some horse-related English idioms. A dark horse is a little-known person or team that surprises everyone by winning. A workhorse is a person who does a lot of work without complaints.

   ▲    They can remember their human friends after long periods of separation (分离). Horses are loyal. They stick to their owners through wind and rain and never leave easily. Horses are determined (坚定的). They keep finishing long-distance races no matter how tired they are.

People born in the Year of the Horse are said to share such good qualities. So, do you have a friend or a family member who enjoys 2026 as his or her animal year?

1. How does the writer make the facts about horses more interesting in Paragraph 2?

A. By listing numbers.  B. By comparing ideas.

C. By asking questions.  D. By using time order.

2. What do you call a little-known person who surprises everyone by winning in Paragraph 3?

A. Qianlima.B. Yimadangxian.C. A dark horse.D. A workhorse.

3. Which sentence can be put in the “   ▲   ” in Paragraph 4?

A. Horses are brave.B. Horses are clever.C. Horses are energetic.D. Horses are powerful.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A. Horses are easily tired.  B. Horses are determined.

C. Some horse-related Chinese idioms.D. Some features and spirits of horses.

1.1. How does the writer make the facts about horses more interesting in Paragraph 2?

A By listing numbers.

B By comparing ideas.

C By asking questions.

D By using time order.

解析：选A。1.A. By listing numbers. 第二段出现 360 degrees、2 kilometers、60 liters、6 liters、3 hours，用列数字的方式介绍马的特征。 线索词：360 degrees、2 kilometers、60 liters、6 liters、3 hours

2.2. What do you call a little-known person who surprises everyone by winning in Paragraph 3?

A Qianlima.

B Yimadangxian.

C A dark horse.

D A workhorse.

解析：选C。2.C. A dark horse. 原文：A dark horse is a little-known person or team that surprises everyone by winning. 线索词：dark horse，little-known，surprises everyone by winning

3.3. Which sentence can be put in the “ ▲ ” in Paragraph 4?

A Horses are brave.

B Horses are clever.

C Horses are energetic.

D Horses are powerful.

解析：选B。3.B. Horses are clever. 后文：它们分开很久还能记住人类朋友，体现聪明。loyal（忠诚）、determined（坚毅）是后面另外两点。 线索词：remember their human friends after long periods of separation

4.4. What is the text mainly about?

A Horses are easily tired.

B Horses are determined.

C Some horse-related Chinese idioms.

D Some features and spirits of horses.

解析：选D。4.D. Some features and spirits of horses. 全文先讲马的身体特征，再讲文化中的马、马的品质。A 错误；B、C 都只是局部内容。 线索词：全文结构：生理特点→习语文化→美好品质