【推荐1】阅读理解
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

A city without cars would be very strange, right? But Venice is such a city.
Venice is in the northeast of Italy. It wasn’t built on land, like Beijing or Shanghai, but on more than 110 islands. Seawater is everywhere around the city.
Even so, travel isn’t difficult. The waterways have always been the best way to get around. There are 117 waterways and more than 400 bridges that can guide you where you want to go.   People in Venice move from place to place by boat.
Water makes the city special, but it is also a big problem. Sometimes tourists will have such strange experiences. One moment they walk across the Rialto Bridge, and there’s nothing special. But when they come back to the bridge an hour later, it’s underwater and everyone is wearing rain shoes.
Once, people used too much underground water. This made the city get lower little by little. Now the city has gone down by 23 centimeters. Another problem is the rising seawater. The temperature has risen over the years. This has made the ice of the Arctic Ocean (北冰洋) melt (融化). Every year, high waters hit the city in autumn and winter. When a lot of water comes, more than half of the city is underwater.
Scientists are trying different ways to stop the city from getting even lower. The Italian government has asked some of Italy’s biggest companies to build the MOST project, which was planned to be built under the seawater to stop the rising water. Anyway, this project is helping solve the problem.
1. Which is the best way to travel in Venice?

A．The waterways.	B．Taxis and cars.
C．400 bridges.	D．Boats and rain shoes.

2. What doesn’t cause Venice to get lower and lower?

A．The ice of the Arctic Ocean melt.

B．Seawater is everywhere around the city.

C．People used too much underground water

D．The temperature has become higher over the years.

3. What can we infer from the last passage?

A．Venice is sure to stop getting lower.

B．High waters won’t hit Venice any more.

C．Scientists can solve the problems easily.

D．Some possible ways help to solve the problem.

4. What’s the best title of this passage?

A．The History of Venice

B．The MOST Project of Venice.

C．The Places of Interest of Venice

D．The Specials and Problems of Venice

【推荐2】In the UK, the best racecourses (赛马场) are in all corners of the country, which means that it is accessible for all fans of the sport to see the biggest stars. So, what are the four best racecourses in the UK?

Cheltenham

Nothing comes close to excitement levels when the Cheltenham Festival is approaching. It is the home of National Hunt racing, and every year millions of fans are glued to the horse racing on the track. It is the festival for the die-hard lovers of the sport, as the racing takes front and centre of the attention as the biggest prizes are handed out.

Aintree

The race that draws the viewers to the sport is the Grand National. The race is an essential part of British life, as everyone makes a habit of watching the race annually with friends and family. It is a perfect course for visitors too, as it is situated just a short distance outside of Liverpool. There is extra emphasis on fashion when attending Aintree.

Ascot

For lovers of flat racing (无障碍平地赛马), Ascot meetings are a must. The biggest of the season is Royal Ascot, which is one of the most fashionable race days on the calendar, as all visitors entering certain zones must be wearing a top hat. However, there is no better reason to get dressed up.

Newmarket

Newmarket is a hotbed full of racing fans, and is a must-visit for all lovers of the sport. It is the headquarters of flat racing, as the whole town is devoted to the sport. There are two racecourses, the July Course and the Rowley Mile. The final race day of the season takes place in October. Regardless of when you visit in the season, you will feast your eyes!

1. What is the highlight of Cheltenham Festival?

A．It offers grand awards.	B．It invites millions of fans.
C．It promotes the local tourism.	D．It attracts a lot of film stars.

2. What do Aintree and Ascot have in common?

A．They are team-centred.	B．They are for flat racing.
C．They are for royal family.	D．They are fashion-featured.

3. Which of the following is the passage probably taken from?

A．A play review.	B．A travel guide.
C．A fashion magazine.	D．A university newspaper.

【推荐3】The dazzling beauty of abandoned cinemas

Old and historical cinemas are all around us and yet so unnoticed. A new photobook reveals their often overlooked beauty.

Loew’s Palace Theatre, Bridgeport, Connecticut

Originally opened as the Poli’s Palace Theatre in 1922 by architect Thomas W. Lamb as one of a double theatre complex along with the nearby Poli’s Majestic Theatre. In 1934, both theatres were taken over by Loew’s and operated as film theatres. In the late 1970s, an attempt to turn the building into a Christian Revival Centre never came to fruition. The theatre is presently vacant and awaiting restoration.

Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia

Originally founded as the Philadelphia Opera House in 1908, it was designed by local architect William H. McElfatrick, who was in charge of the design of 40 theatres in his career. The Philadelphia Opera House was designed for opera impresario Oscar Hammerstein as his ninth opera house. In 1910, it was sold to the Metropolitan Opera of New York City and was renamed the Met. Through the 1920s, it showed silent films in addition to hosting various opera companies. In the late 1930s, it became a ballroom, and in the 1940s a sports area for basketball, wrestling, and boxing events. It finally closed in 1954 and was turned into a church.

Robin’s Theatre, Warren, Ohio

Opened in 1923, it had 1,500 seats, and was designed by architects I. J. Goldston and Detroit-based C. Howard Crane. It was operated by The Robins Theatre Enterprises Co. , a local company founded by Daniel Robins, who was an early partner of Albert Warner of Warner Bros. It closed in 1974 and was vacant until 2018, when it was renovated and reopened as a multipurpose venue in 2020.

1. At present, which cinema are you likely to go to for a concert?

A．Poli’s Palace Theatre.

B．Robin’s Theatre, Warren, Ohio.

C．Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia.

D．Loew’s Palace Theatre, Bridgeport, Connecticut.

2. What do the three cinemas have in common?

A．All of them were renamed.

B．All of them are currently in use.

C．All of them have been restored.

D．All of them have undergone some changes.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．An illustrated magazine.	B．A campus poster.
C．An advertising brochure.	D．A research paper.

【推荐3】If, for some reason, you had 2,010 empty plastic bottles, what would you do? You’d probably sell them cheaply, right? But Xia Yu collected 2,010 bottles and built a boat with them. As you read this, Xia is, in fact, on a river somewhere in Anhui, slowly going towards his destination: the Expo Garden in Shanghai. 2,010 plastic bottles were to celebrate Expo (世博会) 2010 Shanghai. On the opening day of the Expo, Xia, together with five friends, went on a 1, 500km journey from Xiangtan to the Expo Garden, in spite of the doubt whether they’ll make it. After all, the boat they are on can hardly be called a boat. It cost only 2,000 yuan to build in a month.

What’s keeping Xia going is a major cause behind the trip. “We are examining water pollution through our journey and trying to promote a low-carbon (低碳) lifestyle. Before we started, no one believed we could sail the boat to the Dongting Lake. But we made it.” But as they expected, the journey has not always been smooth. Of the six from Xiangtan, four gave up. As of the press time (到发稿时), only Xia and his friend Huang Ying were on the boat. Huang suffered from a disease when they reached Jiujiang, Jiangxi province, Xia said, “There are so many things that can stop us from making it to Shanghai, like the weather, health, and sometimes swift river water”.

The boat was produced in a factory according to our design, and perhaps it’s not in a very good condition. But, Xia said, “we are wearing life jackets. Some boats passing by offered help”. What is more of a reward for Xia and Huang is that the Yangtze River turned out much cleaner than they had expected. Although Xia and Huang are uncertain about the journey ahead, they are quite happy with what they have already achieved. After all, it’s not the destination that counts. It’s always the course that matters the most.

1. Xia Yu doubts the success of the journey because of 　　　.

A．such a long journey on the river

B．the poor boat and the bad weather

C．few people taking part in the journey

D．the seriously polluted river in some parts

2. Which of the following is NOT the purpose of the journey?

A．To examine water pollution.

B．To celebrate Expo 2010 Shanghai.

C．To win a race on the water.

D．To promote a low-carbon lifestyle.

3. From the text we know that　　　.

A．they stay on the boat at night

B．three people gave up due to their bad health

C．Xia Yu and his mate have arrived in Shanghai

D．Huang suffered from a disease on the journey