【推荐1】The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Located in New York City's Museum Mile area, the Metropolitan Museum of Art has over two million works of art within its permanent collection, which is divided into 19 sections of interest.

The Met's American paintings section also has one of their earliest sculptures from 1870 on display. Hiram Power's California was one of the first pieces that inspired them to focus on building the museum around American art. Their art section features paintings by Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Van Gogh among its 11, 000 paintings on hand.

The J. Paul Getty Museum

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is a privately-run museum that has a wide collection of European art, Greek and Roman sculptures, and classic drawings. There is also a research center that was opened in 1985, where staff researches information about the artifacts that exist and makes sure that the information can be used for other purposes.

The Musee du Louvre in Paris

The Musee du Louvre in Paris, France is one of the oldest, famous and most visited museums in the world. The museum was formally opened in 1750, and much of France's much neglected artists were allowed to present their works in this museum. It has owned works of famous artists like Rembrandt and Da Vinci for years and have them up on display to the public. Visitors can view some of the favourite famous pieces, like the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa, which has called the Louvre home for centuries.

1. According to the passage, ________.

A．the Musee du Louvre is the home to Mona Lisa for centuries

B．the J. Paul Getty Museum has 11, 000 paintings in store

C．the Metropolitan Museum opened a research centre in 1985

D．works of Rembrandt were only exhibited in the J. Paul Getty Museum

2. What does the underlined word “them” refer to in the last paragraph?

A．France's neglected artists.	B．Works by the artists who were not famous.
C．works of famous artists.	D．Visitors.

3. What is the purpose of the writer writing this article?

A．He intends to attract the tourists to visit the museums he has described.

B．He wants to make an introduction of some of the most famous art museums in the world.

C．He attempts to tell the readers that there are many valuable works of art in the art museums.

D．He wants to tell us that the Musee du Louvre is very famous.

【推荐2】If you want to have a garden full of life and motion, you have to attract some wildlife.

It’s not as difficult as it may sound. Your garden will attract insects, bugs, birds and mammals.    1     You will make yourself happy and at the same time you will provide a living space for these beautiful creatures. All you need to do is to follow this advice and you will have the garden of your dreams. If you think your garden has to be messy and untidy, you’re wrong. You need waves and long-living plants and strong curves of hedges(树篱) and paths.     2     It’s important to provide everything animals will need to live in your garden.

Provide food.     3     Planting native plants is what you have to do in order to attract wildlife. Plants like roses, honeysuckle and lavender attract different insects like bees and butterflies. Hummingbirds are fans of fuchsia and geraniums. Trees and shrubs that produce fruit, berries and seed are good sources of food for your little friends.

Provide some shelters for wildlife. You need to plant evergreen plants, too, because they are a suitable place for wildlife to take shelter.

Provide water. It’s important to provide water. Some animals can use even your pool to have a bath. Bees love shallow water.     4     It’s vital to change the water in your pond regularly to avoid breeding mosquitoes.

Provide a place for wildlife to raise young. A birdhouse or a pile of brush can be a nice place for wildlife to raise their young. It’s good to have climber-covered walls and fences to increase the possibilities not only for raising children, but also for feeding, nesting, roosting and hibernating.

    5     Some species will overtake your garden and make it unfriendly. If there are wild cats that threaten the wildlife in your garden, it would be wise to take steps to keep those out.

A．It’s advisable to have the grass.

B．Keep invasive species away.

C．Silence won’t bother you anymore and you won’t be alone.

D．It’s reasonable to keep native species.

E．Kill invasive species as soon as it appears.

F．This can be as simple as placing a bird feeder.

G．You can have a fountain and a small artificial pond.

【推荐3】The British Museum
What’s on
Although many parts of Asia have long been connected through trade along Silk Road and shared religious systems, there are strong regional differences. In addition to various languages, Asia has developed its cultural networks, patterns of government, technology and styles of artistic representation.
The diverse cultural life of Africa has been expressed through everyday cooking objects and unique works of art since ancient times. The Museum’s collection of over 200,000 African items includes archaeological and contemporary material from across the continent.
The Iron Age was a time of big change for the people of Britain and Europe.Iron replaced bronze as the material used to make tools and weapons, while religion, art, daily life, economics and politics changed greatly.
Admission and opening times
The Museum is free and open daily 10:00-17:30 except Friday, and is open until 20:30 on Fridays, except Good Friday. The Museum is open every day except for 24,25 and 26 December and 1 January.
Museum shops
Bookshop
Monday-Thursday 10:00-17:30 Friday 10:00-20:00
Saturday 10:30-17:30 Sunday 10:00-17:30
Collections shop
Monday-Thursday 09:30-17:30 Friday 09:30-20:00
Saturday 09:30-17:30 Sunday 10:00-17:30
Getting here
By Tube
Nearest underground stations:
Tottenham Court Road(500m) Holborn (500m)
Russell Square(800m) Goodge Street(800m)
By bus
Buses that stop near the Museum:1,8,19,X25,38,55,98,242
By car
The Museum lies within the Congestion(拥堵) Charge Zone. There is little on-street parking nearby. The nearest car park to the Museum is located at Bloomsbury Square. There is limited parking in the Museum’s open space for disabled visitors only.
1. In the museum, you may not see items from ________.

A．Asia

B．Africa

C．Europe

D．America

2. If you want to buy artists’ works of the Iron Age,you may go to the Museum at ________.

A．20:15 Friday, July 11

B．14:45 Saturday, January 1

C．18:00 Wednesday, February 14

D．10:30 Sunday, December 28

3. Which is TRUE according to the passage?

A．It is not convenient to drive cars to the Museum.

B．The No.55 bus stop is the nearest to the Museum.

C．It is 500 meters from Russell Square to the Museum.

D．The old can park their cars in the Museum’s open area.

【推荐2】Farming is destroying the planet, but there could be a much more environmentally friendly way to feed ourselves: using renewable energy to turn carbon dioxide into food. “This is becoming a reality,” says Pasi Vainikka at Solar Foods, a company that is building the first commercial-scale factory that will be able to make food directly from CO2.

There can be no doubt that immediate attention to find greener ways to grow food is required. Conventional agriculture, including organic farming, causes damage to the environment in many ways. It requires a lot of land, leading to habitat loss and deforestation. It is also the source of a third of all greenhouse gas emissions and releases other pollutants. It isn’t very efficient, either. Crops typically transform less than 1 percent of light energy into usable biomass (生物量).

Instead, Solar Foods plans to avoid photosynthesis (光合作用) altogether, and grow bacteria that use hydrogen as their source of energy. At the factory, renewable electricity will be used to split water to produce hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen will be added to large containers, where the bacteria grow, along with CO2 and ammonia (氨气). The end result will be a yellow powder called Solein.

Solein is made of bacterial cells and is up to 70 percent protein. It can be used as an ingredient in all kinds of foods. “We are aiming at replacing animal-sourced proteins, which we think have the highest environmental impact,” says Vainikka.

Compared with plant crops, Solein will use 100 times less water per kilogram of protein produced, 20 times less land and emit a fifth as much CO2, according to Solar Foods. There are other benefits, too: factories could be situated anywhere in the world and production won’t be affected by weather conditions.

“With Solar Foods and other companies scaling up their systems, this is truly beginning a new era of agriculture,” says Dorian Leger at Connectomix Bio in Germany. “I think these trends are exciting and will help bend the carbon curve as well as lead to improved global food supply security.”

1. What is the author’s purpose in mentioning conventional agriculture in paragraph 2?

A．To demonstrate its influence on crops.

B．To compare different farming methods.

C．To highlight the urgent need for alternatives.

D．To provide an example of agricultural types.

2. What is mainly presented in paragraph 3 concerning Solein?

A．Its production process.	B．Its storage condition.
C．Its ingredient materials.	D．Its investment potential.

3. What is one of the features of Solein?

A．It is low in protein.	B．Its production is weather sensitive.
C．It is resource-limited.	D．Its production is location-independent.

4. Which statement would Dorian Leger probably agree with?

A．The use of Solein may help reduce carbon emissions.

B．Solein will dominate the agricultural development.

C．Solein can help achieve global food safety.

D．The prospect of Solein remains to be seen.

【推荐1】Buckingham Palace Tour

Watching the traditional changing of the guard ceremony at Buckingham Palace is a must when in London, and on this 4.5-hour you’ll get to experience this event, as well as other typical British traditions. The package combines three major attractions: the changing of the guard, a tour of the State Apartments and traditional afternoon tea. The guided tour passes through St. James Park before stopping to watch the guard ceremony with soldiers dressed in traditional uniforms, followed by entry into Buckingham Palace for an audio tour. After, travelers will head to a luxury hotel for traditional afternoon tea, scones and sandwiches.

Thames River Sightseeing Cruise

Afternoon tea is a British tradition, and to make this casual, elegant experience even more relaxing, you can combine it with a sightseeing cruise of London’s Thames River, the main waterway that flows through the heart of the city. Board a window-lined vessel for an hour-and-a-half voyage from Tower Pier to Westminster that includes traditional tea service with pastries, scones and sandwiches. The boat will float past iconic sites like the Tower of London, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the London Eye, as well as Shakespeare’s famous Globe Theatre. On the return, feel free to wander the outside deck for photos and listen to informative commentary (解说) from the staff.

London Royal Parks Bike Tour

London has some spectacular parks that are located among the city’s most famous attractions and a guided bike tour is a fun and relaxing way to cover a lot of ground quickly and experience these lovely public spaces. The four-hour, morning or afternoon bike tour begins in Central London where bicycles and helmets are issued, followed by a leisurely ride through Westminster to the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben with narration from the tour guide followed by busy Trafalgar Square. Next, the ride heads to all four Royal Parks: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, Green Park and St James’s Park. Before returning to the start, riders can visit the Princess Diana Memorial at Kensington Palace.

Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip

If you’re interested in exploring some of the world-famous attractions outside of London, consider booking the Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip. The full-day tour departs from London in an air-conditioned bus, spans about nine hours and includes three of England’s architectural gems. The first stop is the Queen’s official residence: Windsor Castle for audio tours and a chance to see the changing of the guard followed be free time to explore the streets of Windsor. Next up is a visit to the mysterious UNESCO site of Stonehenge, followed by a walking tour of the city of Oxford. Along the way, the guide points out historical landmarks and other attractions and provides an in-depth commentary. Food and beverages (酒水) are not included, but you can pick something up in Windsor.

1. Which tour is the shortest?

A．Buckingham Palace Tour.

B．Thames River Sightseeing Cruise.

C．London Royal Parks Bike Tour.

D．Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip.

2. According to the passage, which of the following statement is NOT true?

A．Visitors can watch the changing of the guard with the Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip.

B．A Thames River Sightseeing Cruise can take you through the center of London.

C．You must have your helmet ready before joining the London Royal Parks Bike Tour.

D．Buckingham Palace Tour will offer an afternoon tea in a luxury hotel.

3. All the above tours are in London, except     .

A．Buckingham Palace Tour

B．Thames River Sightseeing Cruise

C．London Royal Parks Bike Tour

D．Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip

4. If you choose the Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and Oxford Day Trip, you may________.

A．see three gems

B．visit the Queen’s home

C．board a vessel

D．visit the Princess Diana Memorial

【推荐2】I was fortunate enough to discover my love for flying when I was very young. Lucky that some things went my way: my eyesight, for example, was good enough to allow me to become a fighter pilot. And lucky that when I left the army, I found work as an airline pilot, when such jobs weren’t plentiful. I still feel lucky, after all these years, to be able to follow my passion. The airline industry has its problems, and a lot of them can be troubling, but I still find purpose and satisfaction in flying.

There’s some freedom you feel when you’re flying above the surface of the earth, no longer limited by gravity. Even at a thousand feet, you get a wider perspective. Problems that seem large down below feel smaller from that height, and smaller still by the time you reach thirty-five thousand feet.

I love that flying is an intellectual challenge. If you change the angle(角度) of the nose by even one degree while traveling at a typical commercial airliner speed of seven miles a minute, it’s enough to increase or decrease your rate of climb or descent by seven hundred feet per minute. I enjoy keeping track of all the calculations, staying aware of the weather conditions, working with a team while knowing closely what the plane can and cannot do. I like the challenge of that.

I also like sharing my passion for flying. It’s a disappointment to me that a lot of kids today aren’t fascinated by flight. I’ve watched countless children walk past the plane without paying much attention; they’re too focused on their video games or their iPods.

When there are children who eagerly want a look inside “my office” at the front of the plane, it’s so rewarding to see their excitement about something I care deeply about. If we aren’t busy during boarding, the first officer and I enjoy inviting curious children to sit in our seats in the cockpit(驾驶舱), ask questions, and let their parents take photos of them wearing a captain’s hat.

Being a pilot has a tangible end result that is beneficial to society. It feels good to take a planeload of 183 people where they need or want to go. My job is to reunite people with family and friends, to send them on vacations, to bring them to loved ones’ funerals, to get them to their job interviews. By the end of a day, I feel as if I’ve accomplished something. All of them have their own stories, motivations, needs — and helping them brings a rewarding feeling.

This is what gets me ready for work, and one of the things I look forward to.

1. What makes the author feel lucky is that ________.

A．he was able to find a job as a pilot

B．his job is satisfying and totally free of trouble

C．he began flying even when he was very young

D．his physical condition enables him to be a spaceman

2. The author expresses regret that some children no longer seem to appreciate the ________.

A．beauty of the country	B．wonder of flight
C．excitement of taking photos	D．value of education

3. The underlined sentence in Paragraph 6 implies the author’s ________.

A．determination	B．devotion
C．satisfaction	D．confidence

4. The genre(体裁) of the passage can best be described as a ________.

A．personal account	B．science fiction
C．persuasive writing	D．historical story

【推荐3】The sun appears to experience far fewer changes in brightness and intensity than other stars like it. Researchers reported last week on their examination of 369 stars. They compared each one to the sun in terms of surface temperature, size and rotation. They found that on average, the other stars had five times more brightness variability than our sun.

The lead author was Timo Reinhold, an astronomer with the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research in Germany. He told the Reuters news agency that the variability in brightness results from dark spots on the surface of the star moving in and out of view.

“A direct measure of solar activity is the number of sunspots on the surface,” Reinhold said. “Finding such stars with very similar parameters as our sun but being five times more variable was surprising.”

The sun —made up mainly of hydrogen and helium—is an average-sized star that formed more than 4.5 billion years ago. It stretches about 1.4 million kilometers across and has a surface temperature of 5,500 degrees Celsius.

The researchers compared scientific data on the similar stars to historical records of the sun’s activity. The records included about 400 years of observational data on sunspots. The researchers also studied about 9,000 years of data based on chemical element variants in tree rings and ice buildup tied to solar activity. These records show the sun has not been much more active than it is now.

The researchers said increased magnetic activity related to sunspots can lead to electromagnetic events that effect Earth. For example, large releases of plasma—a collection of charged particles—from outer areas of the sun’s atmosphere could cause problems for satellites and other communications equipment.

The discovery may be good news for life on Earth A much more active sun might have had more major effects on Earth’s geology and ancient climate. “A ‘too active’ star would definitively change the conditions for life on the planet, so living with a quite boring star is not the worst option,” Reinhold said.

The findings, he noted, do not rule out the possibility that the sun may be in a quiet period and could become more variable in the future. However, the researchers say there are no signs that solar activity will be increasing any time soon.

1. According to Timo Reinhold, what causes the variability in brightness of the sun?

A．Hydrogen and helium in the sun.

B．The surface temperature of the sun.

C．The diameter (直径) of the sun.

D．Dark spots on its outer part.

2. Which of the following helped researchers prove the sun’s inactivity?

A．Scientific data of all the other stars.

B．Data of sunspots observed in the past 400 years.

C．9,000 years of data of the activities of the sun.

D．Data of chemical element variants in icy trees.

3. What will probably happen if the sun becomes very active?

A．There will be a decreased magnetic activity.

B．The geology and climate of the Earth will be different.

C．Satellites and other communications equipment will work better.

D．People on the Earth have to live with the quite boring star.

4. What is the best title of this article?

A．The sun: less active than similar stars

B．The sun: less bright and intense than before

C．Sun spots: a direct measure of solar activity

D．Sun spots: the cause of electromagnetic events on Earth

【推荐1】American researchers say they have found the strongest link yet between ozone pollution and damage to health. Their findings show that short-term increases in ozone lead to higher death rates in cities.

Ozone is a form of oxygen. The gas is produced naturally in the upper atmosphere to protect the Earth against radiation from the sun. But human activity can also create ozone in the lower atmosphere. Gasses from vehicles and industry react with sunlight to form this ozone. Levels usually increase in the warmer months. Ozone is the main chemical in smog, the air pollution that is a combination of fog and smoke.

Ozone has been linked to heart and lung problems especially, and to higher rates of hospital cases. Researchers from Yale University and Johns Hopkins University did the study. Michelle Bell of Yale was the lead researcher. The Journal of the American Medical Association published the results. The researchers collected information on 95 American cities. These contain about 40% of the national population. The study compared deaths rates to ozone levels between 1987 and 2000. The research suggests that even a small increase in ozone, ten parts per thousand million, can lead to higher death rates the following week. The study found that the average daily number of deaths rose point-five percent. Heart and lung related deaths rose point-six percent. And deaths among older people rose point-seven percent.

The study is one of the largest ever done of ozone and death rates. The researchers note that ozone is widespread in the United States and many other countries. The United States Environmental Protection Agency is re-examining its air pollution rules. The current limit for ozone is eighty parts per thousand million for an eight-hour period. Limits were higher in the past. But the researchers say they found an increase in deaths even below the current levels.

1. What can we know about the smog from Paragraph 2?

A．It is made up of water.	B．It can make the air clean.
C．Ozone is only a small part in it.	D．It is polluted air including fog and smoke.

2. What can we learn from the study?

A．The study placed the time between 1987 and 2000.

B．The old are easier to suffer from an increase in ozone.

C．The collected information is from 40% of American cities.

D．A small increase in ozone can't cause higher death rates.

3. What can we infer from the passage?

A．The present ozone level in America is safe to people.

B．There is no direct connection between ozone and death rates.

C．The study of ozone and death rates has been done several times.

D．America has a worse problem with ozone than other countries.

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Is ozone linked to heart and lung problems?

B．Can ozone levels cause environment to go worse and worse?

C．How can death rate be reduced by protecting environment?

D．What is the connection between death rates and ozone levels?

【推荐2】Nowadays there is less and less contact between the old and the young. There are many reasons for this, but the result is the same: increasing numbers of children without grandparents and old people who have no contact with children. And more old people who are lonely and feel use- less, along with more and more families with young children who desperately need more support. It’s a major problem in many societies.

That’s why intergenerational programmes, designed to bring the old and the young together, are growing in popularity all over the world, supported by UNESCO and other local and international organisations. There are examples of successful initiatives all over the world. Using young people to teach IT skills to older people is one obvious example. Using old people as volunteer assistants in schools is another, perhaps reading with children who need extra attention.

One successful scheme in France is combining a residential home for the elderly with a creche/nursery school in the same building. The children and the residents eat lunch together and share activities such as music, painting, gardening and caring for the pets which the residents are encouraged to keep. In the afternoons, the residents enjoy reading or telling stones to the children and, if a child is feeling sad or tired, there is always a kind lap to sit on and a cuddle (依偎). There are trips out and birthday parties too.

The advantages are enormous for everyone concerned. The children are happy because they get a lot more individual attention and respond well because someone has lime, for them. They also learn that old people are not different or frightening in any way. And of course, they see illness and death and learn to accept them. The residents are happy because they feel useful and needed. They are more active and more interested in life when the children are around and they take more interest in their appearance too. And the staff are happy because they see an improvement in the physical and psychological health of the residents and have an army of assistants to help with the children.

1. What is the social problem talked about in Paragraph 1?

A．A generation gap.	B．Caring for children.
C．Intergenerational contact.	D．The support for the aged.

2. What do the programmes mentioned in Paragraph 2 aim to do?

A．Make the old take care of children.

B．Help the old people learn new things.

C．Encourage the young to care for the old.

D．Increase contact between the old and the young.

3. What is special about the scheme in France?

A．Joining an elderly house with a kindergarten.

B．Hiring old people as child - care workers.

C．Helping children face misfortunes bravely.

D．Using children to accompany the old.

4. In which aspect does the scheme benefit the old?

A．It builds up their strength.

B．They live a healthier life.

C．It creates a family atmosphere.

D．They are closer to their relatives.

【推荐3】Probably one thing that Armenians wouldn’t forget when they sit at the table is bread. Armenians knew how to make wine and bake bread from the ancient times. Perhaps the pride of Armenian cuisine is the traditional and national bread Lavash.

Lavash is a traditional Armenian thin bread. The preparation of this demands special skills and great effort. In most cases, making tools is the duty of men but preparing bread is the job of women.

Generally, tondir, the most important tool, is located underground. For making Lavash, Armenians use flour, water, and salt. Firstly they make dough (面团) from flour, water and form them into balls. Then the balls are rolled into thin layers and stretched over a cushion. After preparing them with a special skill slap against the walls of the tondir. Waiting for a minute or thirty seconds, pull the already baked list from the wall.

According to tradition, the preparation was a ritual (仪式) of every family. Making dough was the duty of the elder women of the family and the preparation of it started with the rising of the Sun. Firstly they made the fire, then started making it. The process was accompanied by nice conversations, songs, and jokes.

Want to know what is the tastiest Armenian sandwich? Of course, it is made from Lavash, salty tasty cheese, greens and meats.

In July 2014 Lavash was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List as an expression of Armenian culture. Besides the cuisine, Lavash has a ritual role in weddings. When the couple comes to the groom’s house, his mother puts a list of Lavash on the shoulders of newly married couples as a sign of prosperity (繁荣).

Though the pride of the Armenian cuisine has a rich history and ancient origin, it still remains the top symbol of national dishes.

1. What can we learn about Lavash?

A．It is baked by men.	B．It is in the shape of a ball.
C．It should be stored underground.	D．It requires complex preparation.

2. How is Paragraph 3 mainly developed?

A．By making comparisons	B．By describing a process.
C．By explaining causes.	D．By giving an example.

3. How do Armenians feel when they are making Lavash?

A．Lucky.

B．Confident.

C．Pleased.

D．Calm.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．The origin of Lavash

B．The making of Lavash

C．Lavash-the king of the Armenian bread

D．Lavash-first experience with the Armenian cuisine