阅读理解热点话题综合练习04-备战2023高考英语阅读理解热点话题分类训练（高考模拟真题+名校最新真题）

阅读理解热点话题综合练习04 （2023·四川遂宁·统考三模）Instead of throwing the pits (核) or nuts after eating fruits like many people, inheritors of nut carving will collect them and turn them into artworks. “One nut, ranging from 0.8 to 6 centimeters, can be shaped into delicate earrings, buttons, seals, etc,” said Tan Wanhai, an inheritor of Weifang nut carving. Weifang nut carving can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty, during which a retired royal craftsman Wang Dayan spread the skill to the locals in Shandong. Craftsmen back then often used peach pits to display their artistic skills. Due to the demanding carving skills and its rich artistic content including many different elements, Weifang nut carving was listed as a national intangible cultural heritage as early as 2008. Tan has studied the nut carving over 25 years and has created many nut carvings along the way. Yet, the 48-year-old craftsman also admitted that the journey of bringing this kind of masterpiece to life is not all smooth sailing. “Unlike some pits like olive pits whose surfaces are flat, each peach pit has a unique texture like fingerprints,” Tan said, adding that craftsmen should have the capability to trace each peach pit carefully to plan their artwork besides the carving technique itself. Also, craftsmen need to have a wide foundation of knowledge when it comes to carving nuts. According to Tan, they have to master skills in painting, seal carving and calligraphy from many traditional cultures. Sometimes, to depict classic folktales or legends in their artworks better, they need to read many books to prepare themselves.   It is this kind of dedication that Tan and others possess that allows Weifang nut carving to thrive when many traditional skills are gradually disappearing. “In recent years, Weifang nut carving artworks have been increasingly welcomed by people in China for their inventive layout and novel ideas,” Tan said. This popularity, in turn, has also attracted many people to learn the skill of nut ca