1. (2023高二上·泸县开学考)  阅读理解

The kites in Weifang never disappoint. Every year the Weifang International Kite Festival amazes visitors and netizens (网民) with innovative kites, as "paper birds" of unimaginable designs keep appearing in the sky.

The origin of kites in China can be traced back to the Warring States Period when the great Chinese philosopher Mozi in the State of Lu (part of today's Shandong Province) made the first "wooden kite". Kites didn't actually become popular until the Ming Dynasty. By the middle of the Qing Dynasty, artists specialized in kite making began to appear in Weifang. In 1984, the first Weifang International Kite Festival was held.

Kites were used in China for military purposes at the very beginning. They were made to signal and measure distance, providing intelligence to aid moving large armies across difficult terrain (地形). For example, they can be used to calculate and record wind readings, similar to ship flags at sea. Over time, kites became associated with leisure activities, and were often flown during festivals and holidays.

Today, kite-flying is a popular leisure activity in China, and the Weifang International Kite Festival is one of the largest kite festivals in the world. In 2023, 622 kite artists from 59 countries and regions participated in the event. Compared with previous festivals, the 2023 event was highlighted by many innovations by both veteran (经验丰富的) and young kite makers. Zhang Xiaodong, 74, as a national intangible culture inheritor of Weifang kites, he has attended all 40 festivals. In the early days, he only brought traditional kites to take part in the competitions, but this time, he applied sound and light to make the fairy tale of Chang'e flying to the moon come "alive".

The Weifang kite festival is not only a platform to share kite-making skills, but also a way to enhance friendship between people from different countries. The innovative kites presented in 2023 brought many pleasant surprises to kite lovers all over the world, and brought the people of China and other countries closer. As one netizen put it, "No matter how far away kite lovers go, there is always a ‘thread' in their heart that can pull them together."

1. （1） What is paragraph 2 mainly about?

   A . The history of kites in China. B . The popularity of kites in Weifang. C . The introduction to great kite artists. D . The development of kite-making skills.
3. （2） What was the original function of kites in China?

   A . To serve as gifts at festivals. B . To judge the height of mountains. C . To measure wind speed for sailors at sea. D . To provide important information for armies.
5. （3） How was the Weifang kite festival in 2023 different from the previous ones?

   A . It involved more creative kite artworks. B . It became the largest kite festival in the world. C . It contained plenty of Chinese traditional elements. D . It attracted many young kite artists' wide attention.
7. （4） What can we infer about the Weifang kite festival from the netizen's words?

   A . It inspires artists to create a lot of surprises. B . It is a good platform for kite makers to share skills. C . It promotes the spread of traditional Chinese culture. D . It strengthens the bond between kite lovers all over the world.