【推荐2】If you’re looking for travel or holiday shop or online travel agent, look no further. Book a flight, holiday, city break, hotel or car rental from our excellent travel section.

Hotelopia

www.hotelpoia.co.uk

Hotelopia offers both business and leisure travelers accommodation from budget to five star at reduced rates at over 9,000 properties in more than 500 destinations in Europe, North America, Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia.

Haven Holidays

www.havenholidays. com

Haven Holidays offer a range of UK fun-filled family holidays and have 34 great Parks in some of your favorite locations throughout England, Scotland and Wales.

Direct Holidays

www.directholidays.co.uk

If you’re looking for late holiday deals or cheap holidays, then Direct Holidays is an ideal choice. Discount deals direct from the tour operator, meaning there’s no middleman, so you get the right holiday for less money.

Responsible Travel

www.responsibletravel.com

Responsible Travel handpicks inspiring holidays from all over the globe. It helps local people to earn a fairer income from tourism, supports local conservation and ensures that any negative environmental impacts are reduced.

Virgin Holidays

www.virginholidays.co.uk

Virgin Holidays offer holidays to mainland USA, Canada, the Caribbean, the Far East, South Africa, the Middle East, Indian Ocean, Mauritius, New Zealand and Australia. They also have a well-established ski programme.

1. According to the text, what is special about Hotelopia?

A．It provides both online and offline service.

B．It offers both economy and first-class hotel.

C．Its discount is mainly from the middleman.

D．Its destinations spread all over the world.

2. On which website can you most probably find cheap holidays?

A．Virgin Holidays	B．Direct Holidays
C．Responsible Travel	D．Hotelopia

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Haven Holidays is your best choice for a visit to the great parks across the world.

B．Responsible is your best choice for a luxurious（奢华的）trip.

C．Virgin Holidays is your best choice if you like winter sports.

D．Direct Holidays is your best choice if you are a tour operator.

【推荐3】While we are burning hot here, it is winter in South America. The Andes Mountains are situated along the Argentina-Chile border. Once the first snow falls of early June start lo drop, skiers are ready to enjoy the nightlife of ski towns all along the border.

Caviahue

Meaning “site of gathering and celebration”, this spot draws people with its long ski season, natural beauty, and hot springs.

Season: June 15th to September 30th

Tel/Fax: （011）4314-8212/9180

Website: http://www.caviahue.com

Cerro Castor

The newest ski resort in Argentina, this winter playground is near Ushuaia—the world's southernmost city. The stable and cold temperatures of Castor allow it to offer the longest ski seasons in South America.

Season: June 17th to October 16th

Phone: 54 290-1499301

Fax: 54 290-1430680

Website: http://www.cerrocastor com

Perito Moreno

This resort features 11 skiable kilometers divided into 9 tracks, a double 1, 000-mcter-long chairlift line that joins the 900-meter-high and the 1,350-meter-high areas, where snow is guaranteed throughout the winter.

Season: From June 15th to October 5th

Phone: 54 294-4409000

Fax: 54 294-4409000, int. 118

Website: http:// www.cerro-periiomoreno.com

Cerro Catedral

Cerro Catedral was one of the first ski resorts in Argentina. Cerro Catedral has continued to gain a reputation for itself-all the while updating its facilities. The resort has 39 lifts, which allow access to 600 hectares （公顷）of skiable surface divided into 53 well-signaled runs of various difficulties.

Season: From June 18th to October 10th

Tel/Fax: （012） 4672-2947/7672

Website: http:" www.catedralaltapatagonia.com

1. Which number should you call if you want to take a hot spring bath?

A．54 294-4409000	B．54 290-1499301
C．（012）4672-2947/7672	D．（011）4314-8212/9180

2. Which of the following offers the longest ski season?

A．Caviahue	B．Cerro Castor
C．Perito Moreno	D．Cerro Catedral

3. What's the feature of Cerro Catedral?

A．Cultural appeal.	B．Beauty and comfort.
C．Advanced equipment.	D．Historical significance.

【推荐1】Earlier this month， the University of Glasgow in Scotland launched a course entitled： D'oh! The Simpsons Introduce Philosophy． The course's aim is to ease students into the typically heavy topic by relating it to the popular cartoon family．

"The Simpsons is one of the modern world's greatest cultural artifacts， partly because it is so full of philosophy，" John Donaldson， creator of the course， told the BBC． "Aristotle， Kant， Marx， Camus and many other great thinkers' ideas are represented in what is arguably the purest of philosophical forms - the comic cartoon．"

While this may seem like an unusual way to attract pupils to a traditionally dull topic， this class isn't the first of its kind． In 2009， Liverpool Hope University in the UK began offering a master's degree on the music of internationally known 60's group The Beatles， which still runs today． The following year， the UK's Durham University gave students the chance to enroll on a Harry Potter-themed module， covering contents such as "Gryffindor and Slytherin： prejudice and intolerance in the classroom" and "muggles and magic"．

To some， these courses may seem like a waste of a valuable education， but Donaldson believes that packaging certain topics into something easier to relate to will enhance the learning experience， without distraction from the main subject． "Firstly， scholars want to be taken seriously by other scholars and ideas like this can be seen as not serious，" he tells iNews． "There are definitely ways to incorporate popular culture into academic subjects that still remains substantial and doesn't take away from the quality of the ideas．"

Already booked full， Donaldson's Simpsons class isn't meant to be taken as seriously， however． The lecturer says that his one-day course， which will pose philosophical questions around morality， free will， and religion by relating them to scenarios from The Simpsons， aims to introduce students to his area of expertise greatly while they have a bit of fun．

1. From Paragraph 2， we can learn that ______ ．

A．many great thinkers appear in The Simpsons

B．The Simpsons contains many philosophical ideas

C．John Donaldson creates the cartoon The Simpsons

D．the main reason for The Simpsons' success is its philosophy

2. The third paragraph is developed mainly ______ ．

A．by making a comparison

B．by following the order of time

C．by analyzing the process

D．by giving examples

3. What does the underlined word " scenarios" in the last paragraph mean？ ______

A．Characters．	B．Settings．
C．Plots．	D．Images．

4. The passage mainly talks about ______ ．

A．a creative philosophy course

B．a popular comic cartoon

C．a reform of traditional subjects

D．an enterprising lecturer

【推荐2】When she first started learning about climate change from one of her elders, Fawn Sharp was invited on a helicopter flight over the Olympic Mountains to survey the Mount Anderson glacier.

But the glacier was gone, melted away by the warming climate.

Sharp, president of the Quinault Indian Nation, Washington, US, remembers a deep sense of loss when she discovered the glacier wasn’t there anymore.

Loss is a growing issue for people working and living on the front lines of climate change. And that gave Jennifer Wren Atkinson, a full-time lecturer at the University of Washington Bothell, US, an idea for a class.

This quarter, she taught students on the Bothell campus about the emotional burdens of environmental study. She drew on the experiences of Native American tribes (部落), scientists and activists, and asked her 24 students to face the reality that there is no easy fix – that “this is such an intractable problem that they’re going to be dealing with it for the rest of their lives.”

Student Cody Dillon used to be a climate science skeptic (怀疑论者). Then he did his own reading and research, and changed his mind.

Dillon isn’t going into environmental work – he’s a computer-science major. Yet, the potential for a worldwide environmental catastrophe seemed so real to him five years ago that he quit his job and became a full-time volunteer for an environmental group that worked on restoration projects.

But six months into the work, he decided that wasn’t the right response, either. “I didn’t really feel like I had an impact,” he said.

Atkinson’s class was just what he was looking for – a place where he could discuss his concerns about a changing climate, and also learn more about what’s being done in response. “You really see the amount of passion and drive a lot of these activists are putting in,” he said.

Atkinson said she hopes the class helped her students prepare themselves for the amount of environmental loss that will happen over their lifetimes.

“We are already transforming the planet – so many species and communities are going to be lost, displaced or massively (巨大地) impacted,” she said. “The future isn’t going to be what they imagined.”

Lauren Morrison, another student, said she felt empowered by learning about climate change actions around the globe.

“It’s easy to feel defeated, but all over the world, people are stepping up,” she said.

1. Why did the author mention the case of Fawn Sharp?

A．To lay a basis for Fawn Sharp’s further research.

B．To lead into the issue of loss caused by climate change.

C．To show scientists’ concern about the Mount Anderson glacier.

D．To show Fawn Sharp’s work is similar to Atkinson’s.

2. What’s the main purpose of Atkinson’s class?

A．To help students face emotional impact of a warming planet.

B．To explore how different people deal with climate change.

C．To find solutions to the Olympic Mountains’ environmental issue.

D．To make students aware of the current state of the global climate.

3. The underlined word “intractable” in Paragraph 5 is closest in meaning to ________.

A．simple	B．interesting
C．complicated	D．common

4. How did Atkinson’s class influence Dillon?

A．It changed his mind and aroused his interest in climate science.

B．It made him realize a planet-wide climate disaster would happen.

C．It encouraged him to be more involved in environmental protection.

D．It inspired him to work on restoration projects for the environment.

【推荐3】When you enter high school this fall, you’ll find yourself immersed (沉浸) in traditional Chinese culture.

In January, the Ministry of Education worked out a new set of curriculum standards (课程标准) for high school students, People’s Daily reported. One of the biggest changes will be a greater focus on traditional Chinese culture.

According to Professor Han Zhen from Beijing Foreign Language Studies University, the new standards echo (回应) President Xi Jinping’s call for strengthening education. “The standards help students build cultural confidence,” he told People’s Daily.

The new standards call for students to be able to recite 72 ancient poems or articles. The number used to be 14. Recommended classic literature from ancient China includes The Analects of Confucius, Records of the Grand Historian and more.

Apart from Chinese language, other subjects such as fine arts, music and physical education will also focus more on traditional Chinese culture. For example, fine arts will include new lessons on Chinese alligraphy and painting.

China has also seen a growing interest in traditional culture in the private education sector. According to Southern Metropolitan Daily, since 2004, more than 3,000 traditional private schools have been built. They mainly teach traditional Chinese classics.

According to Fu Yan, a Chinese language teacher at Hangzhou Xuejun High School, learning about traditional Chinese culture is a good thing for students.

“At their age, the students may be too young to understand some classics,” Fu told Qianjiang Evening News. “However, as their life experience builds up, they may develop their own thoughts about the wisdom of the classics, which could be a driving force for their growth.”

Ancient Chinese culture is gaining popularity in China. This is reflected not only in the new curriculum standards, but also in the increasing interest in cultural TV programs.

For example, the weekly show National Treasure has become a big hit. It was first aired on China Central Television (CCTV) last December. The show uses dramatic performances to present some of China’s finest cultural treasures.

Other cultural TV programs such as The Chinese Idiom Competition and The Chinese Poetry Competition have also made more people fall in love with traditional Chinese literature.

Throughout China’s history, scholars and authors have written many classics worth studying. Those classic writings also interest people.

Here are some of the country’s most well-known works:

● Three Character Classic ● Tao Te Ching
● The Book of Poetry   ● The Great Learning
● The Four Books   ● Mencius
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the new curriculum standards?

A．They came out last year.

B．There will be no change for students.

C．They focus more on culture worldwide.

D．They will help students develop cultural confidence.

2. The new standards require high school students to ________.

A．be able to recite 72 ancient poems or articles

B．introduce classic works to their classmates

C．spend two hours a day learning about traditional Chinese culture

D．take extra classes on Chinese calligraphy and painting

3. According to Fu Yan, _____.

A．learning the Chinese language is a good thing

B．students are too young to learn about classics

C．students need to develop their own thoughts

D．the classics could help students with their personal growth

4. How many aspects does the author describe to show ancient Chinese culture is gaining popularity in China?

A．2

B．3

C．4

D．5

5. What is the main idea of the story?

A．High school students like learning about traditional Chinese culture.

B．The new curriculum standards focus more on traditional Chinese culture.

C．China is making efforts to become an educational power.

D．People’s interest in traditional Chinese culture is growing.

【推荐2】Babysitter Wanted
I am seeking a babysitter for my 6-month-old son. A few hours on Saturdays and Sundays to help me and then additional times as needed. Applicant should be over 18, responsible, loving, warm, and have experience in caring for babies. The pay is $ 10 an hour.
If this sounds like a good fit for you, please reply to: rebecharv @ aol.com or call 800-4964. It is urgent!
Office Manager wanted
Our company is looking for a full-time manager to run the business. Strong skills and some experience are needed in organization and business management.Also, he or she should be familiar with computer.
Please send your resume to jim @ californiaaquatics. com or call 800-6978 to apply.
Waiter/ Waitress wanted
Specialty Restaurant is looking for an experienced waiter/waitress. A knowledge of wines and experience in dining are necessary. Must work well under pressure and understand the basics of fine dining and customer service.
If you're interested, please contact us at job-tkupe 1329358152 @ craigslist. Org to apply.
This is a part-time job. Please, no phone calls about this job!
Office Cleaner Wanted
Looking for Part-time work? A position available in the Mississauga area! Part-time 4 hours per day from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Some experience is necessary. Pay: $15 per hour.
Reply to: job-p3b7u-1365632206 @ craigslist.org or call 800-8197
1. The position of a(n) ___________ is full-time job.

A．babysitter	B．office manager
C．waiter/ waitress	D．office cleaner

2. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The office cleaner has to work three hours each day.

B．One can apply for a waiter or waitress by telephone.

C．Experience is necessary for all these four jobs.

D．A babysitter earns $5 more than an office cleaner per hour.

3. In which column can we read these messages in the newspaper?

A．Advertising	B．News
C．Entertainment	D．Sports

【推荐3】Whether you’re making a one-off trip to London or you’re a regular visitor, using an Oyster travel smartcard is the easiest way to travel around the city’s public transport network.

Advantages of a Visitor Oyster Card

A Visitor Oyster Card is one of the best ways to pay for single journeys on the bus, tube, DLR, tram, London Over-ground and most National Rail services in London:

•Save time - your card is ready to use as soon as you arrive in London.

•It’s more than 50% cheaper than buying a paper travel card or single tickets with cash.

•There is a daily price cap - once you have reached this limit, you won’t pay any more.

•Enjoy special offers and promotions at leading London restaurants, shops, and entertainment venues—plus discounts on the Emirates Air Line cable car and Thames Clippers River buses.

Buy a Visitor Oyster Card

Buy a Visitor Oyster card before you visit London and get it delivered to your home address. A card costs £3 (non-refundable) plus postage. Order online and arrive with your Oyster in hand! You can also buy a Visitor Oyster card from Gatwick Express ticket offices at Gatwick Airport Station and on-board Eurostar trains travelling to London.

Top Up(充值)Your Visitor Oyster Card

You can choose how much credit to add to your card. If you are visiting London for two days, you can start with £ 20 credit. If you run out of credit, add credit at the following locations:

•Touch screen ticket machines in tube, DLR, London Over-ground and some National Rail stations.

•Around 4,000 Oyster Ticket Stops found in newsagents and small shops across London.

•TFL Visitor and Travel Information Centers.

•Tube and London Over-ground station ticket offices.

•Emirates Air Line terminals.

1. What benefit will you get from a Visitor Oyster Card when travelling in London?

A．It increases your working efficiency.

B．It allows you to have meals free of charge.

C．It saves you money on transportation.

D．It provides a 50% discount at a London shop.

2. How many ways are mentioned to buy a Visitor Oyster Card in the passage?

A．2.

B．3.

C．4.

D．5.

3. Where can you top up your Visitor Oyster card?

A．At Gatwick Express ticket offices.

B．At a tube station ticket office.

C．On the Internet.

D．On Eurostar trains.

【推荐1】Scientists can figure out a movie's emotional tone from the gasps(喘气) of its audience. These gases could point the way to a subtle(微妙的，精细的) form of human communication, a new study suggests.

"When you see a movie, you can hear the music and see the pictures. However, you don't realize here are chemical signals in the air. And they, too, could be affecting you, says Williams, who led the study. As an atmospheric chemist, he studies the chemical makeup of the air around us.

Williams started out measuring the air in a soccer stadium. He noticed that levels of carbon dioxide and other gases changed wildly whenever the crowd cheered. That got him wondering -- Could the gases people breathe out be influenced by emotions?

To find out, he went to the movies.

Williams and his coworkers measured air samples collected over six weeks in two movie theaters. Overall, 9,500 movie goers watched 16 films. They included a mix of comedy, romance, action and horror films. Among them were The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Carrie, and Walking with Dinosaurs. The researchers gave scenes from the movies such labels as “suspense(悬疑)”, "laughter" and "crying". Then they looked for hundreds of chemicals in the air that showed up as people were watching particular movie scenes.

And certain scenes had distinct chemical "fingerprints". Scenes that had people laughing or on the edge of their seats were especially distinctive. During screenings of The Hunger Games, levels of carbon dioxide and isoprene got to the highest at two suspenseful moments. Because isoprene is related to muscle movement, the researchers think tense movie moments likely led to its spikes(尖峰). Williams and his colleagues think the increase in carbon dioxide was due to the viewers' increased pulse and breathing rates.

Scientists need more data to make stronger links between human emotions and what's in their breath. But Williams can see potential practical uses. Companies, for instance, could quickly measure the air during tests to see how people feel about new products. He pictures future studies recording other body variables(变数) as well. These might include heart rate and body temperature, for instance. "It's something to find out."

1. What was Williams's purpose of the research?

A．To know more about the makeup of the air.

B．To find out how the air changes in a crowded stadium.

C．To study how greatly the movies influence people's emotion.

D．To see whether people's emotion affects the air they breathe out.

2. What do we know about the experiment?

A．Each participant watched about 16 films.

B．The movies were a mixture of comedy and romance.

C．The film scenes were labeled with three main features.

D．The samples were taken in two theaters over six weeks.

3. In which situation are people most emotional?

A．Romantic moments.	B．Exciting situations.
C．Suspenseful situations.	D．Horrible moments.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Human emotions are strongly related to the chemicals humans breathe out.

B．People's temperature will be measured when they' re watching movies.

C．Williams thinks more measures should be taken for practical uses.

D．Companies will spend much money testing their new product.

【推荐2】In order to stay healthy, you should cut out fast-food, avoid late-night snacking and refuse all things cooked in oil. Now you may be thinking: What healthy food is tasty? Don’t worry. Your favorite foods might just be good and healthy for you!

The most important thing of all is to eat different foods. They can provide you with vitamins and minerals, which are important to your health. It’s vitamins that help our bodies grow and develop.

Vitamin A helps form healthy teeth and skin, and fight against disease. When choosing foods that provide vitamin A, think of colorful food, for example, carrots, eggs, potatoes, cheese and milk. There are many types of B vitamins, and each one helps your health. For example, vitamin B6 helps increase the amount of oxygen in the cells. Potatoes, bananas, chicken and beans are rich in vitamin Bs. Vitamin C is necessary for you to repair your body and immune(免疫) system. With vitamin C, your body is better able to repair itself—it can stop you getting ill and help you recover from an illness. Vitamin C can be found in many different foods like tomatoes, potatoes and oranges. One of the reasons that vitamin D is important is that it helps your body absorb (吸收) Calcium. Eggs, potatoes, fish and milk are all good sources of vitamin D. There are also some other important vitamins. Many fruit and vegetables lose vitamins when they are cooked, so it is sometimes better to eat them in their natural form.

Remember that different foods provide different kinds of nutrients. Whole foods, such as vegetables, fruits, meat and fish, should stay in your diet. Try to eat a balanced diet each day and you will be healthy.

1. If you want to keep healthy, you’d better ____.

A．eat anything you like

B．try to eat as many kinds of foods as possible

C．only eat the foods talked about in the passage

D．often take medicine that contains vitamins

2. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Late-night snacks are bad for the body.

B．Vitamin C can help your body to repair itself.

C．Milk is rich in vitamins A and D

D．We can drink milk instead of water.

3. We can know from the passage that______ .

A．B vitamins are useful for keeping people young

B．eating your favorite foods is enough to keep healthy

C．with vitamin D, one can absorb more other vitamins

D．one should try to eat some foods in their original form

4. What may happen if a child does not have enough vitamin C?

A．He may look old.

B．He may not have hair.

C．He may have bad eating habits.

D．He may often get ill.

【推荐3】A recent study finds that the dirt on the ground is likely to worsen climate change. Researchers have shown that warmer temperatures are heating the soil, which is causing microbes (微生物) to become more active and release more of the soil’s carbon into the atmosphere. These soil changes can potentially contribute to even higher temperatures.

Scientists studied device readings, soil measurements, plant growth details and satellite observations from around the world. Their work is the most complete study on the subject.

They found a sharp increase in carbon released into the atmosphere by bacteria and fungi (真菌) in soil from 1990 to 2014. Researchers explain that the carbon comes from the dead plants and leaves the microbes eat. As temperatures rise, the microbes eat more. And the more they eat, the more carbon can be made into carbon dioxide and released into the atmosphere.

This uncontrolled cycle speeds up and intensifies climate change. Overall, soil releases about nine times more carbon than human activities. But that is part of a natural cycle: the amount of carbon released into the air is about equal to the carbon oceans and plants take in.

However, carbon released from fossil fuel causes an imbalance. Burning coal, oil and natural gas puts more carbon into the atmosphere than nature can take in. The additional carbon heats the air and soil. And as the air and soil get hotter, the earth will release more carbon than it has been holding.

If something isn’t done, we are really in trouble. Proper soil conservation can help keep more carbon in soil. Conservation methods include avoiding turning the soil, covering off-season crops and leaving crop deposits on the ground.

1. Which word can best describe the scientists’ research data?

A．Rich.	B．Rare.
C．Limited.	D．Difficult.

2. What does the underlined word “intensifies” in Paragraph 4 mean?

A．Causes.	B．Demands.
C．Strengthens.	D．Shows.

3. What mainly causes the soil’s temperature to rise?

A．Active bacteria.

B．Human activities.

C．The overuses of soil.

D．The wastes of fossil fuels.

4. What can be a suitable title for the passage?

A．Warmer soil and more carbon.

B．The soil and the environment.

C．The microbes and the temperatures.

D．Hotter air and warmer environment.