【推荐1】Imagine you are a citizen of Athens, enjoying a warm Mediterranean night in the Theater of Herodes Atticus. You are wearing jeans and a T-shirt, listening to a great concert.

Now rewind this picture 1,839 years. You are in the same seat, only you are watching classical Greek entertainment.

The city of Athens is a fun mix of the old and the new, the classic and the modern. Often a little shop is located next to the ruins of a temple, which is only a block from a large, air-conditioned hotel. The great city of 2,500 years ago is still visible today.

Ruins are the most obvious sign of ancient Athens, and the most famous of these is the Acropolis(卫城). The Acropolis is a large hill that was the center of life in Athens. On its slopes were temples, monuments, and theaters. From the top, you can see how the urban area of Athens stretches out in every direction.

On the top of the Acropolis is the Parthenon. This was once a huge temple to Athena, the city’s patron. It was first completed in 432 B.C., but has been damaged and destroyed several times. However, visitors can still see the “tricks” used in building the Parthenon. The columns along the outside lean inward, and are slightly fatter in the middle. The temple is also higher in the middle than on the sides. All these effects make the Parthenon look perfectly straight from a distance.

Only a block away from the Acropolis is the neighborhood of Plaka. The area, with its little shops and restaurants, is very popular with both tourists and locals, and is an important part of modern Athenian culture. Many great thinkers, writers, and political leaders lived in ancient Athens. The ruins of their homes and favorite spots are scattered throughout the busy port city. The hill where St. Paul addressed early Christian Athenians is located near the Acropolis. Great thinkers such as Perikles and Demosthenes spoke to the civil assemblies held at the Pnyx Hill. Today the Pnyx is an open-air theater for light and sound shows.

Tourism is very important to people who live in modern-day Athens. Thousands of people come every year to see these ruins and to tour the many museums that house artifacts from ancient times. This provides many jobs and brings money into Athens, which helps the city pay for improvements. Athenians take pride in the accomplishments of their ancestors, and people from all around the world come to admire them. By looking around the city today, we can imagine what life was like in ancient Athens.

1. Which of the following statements is INCORRECT about the city of Athens?

A．The culture of the city is a mixture of the old and modern.

B．Traces of the ancient city can still be found

C．Ruins and modern hotels co-exist in the city.

D．All the temples are not far away from air-conditioned hotels.

2. According to the context, “tricks” in Paragraph Five refer to ________.

A．naughty acts	B．confusing constructing skills
C．skillful constructing methods	D．constructing materials

3. The writer mentioned all the following benefits of tourism in Athens for Athenians EXCEPT ________.

A．offering job opportunities to Athenians

B．enriching Athenians by providing accommodation for tourists

C．enabling Athenians to improve the infrastructures

D．making Athenians proud of their ancestors

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Tourism in Athens	B．Athens: Then and Now
C．Historic Interests in Athens	D．The Magic of Ancient Athens

【推荐2】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。
Would you believe that the tallest bridge in France reaches higher than the Eiffel Tower?Each of the projects mentioned here has set at least one world record for its height,scale or ingenuity(独创性).Here are four amazing engineering wonders of the modern world.
Venice,Italy:The Venice Tide Barrier Project will be the largest flood prevention project in the world.The project has been debated in one form or another for over 40 years as a way to protect this historical city-on-the-water for future generations.With Venice slowly sinking,and the water around it slowly rising,and floods always a fear,Italians have known for a long time that something needs to be done.Finally,the Prime Minister of Italy approved the second phase of the plan,including 80 hinged barriers(用铰链连接的壁垒),each approximately 6,500 square feet.
Millau,France:The Millau Viaduct(米洛高架桥)is the highest bridge in the world.At 1,125 feet high(slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower,1,063 feet)and over 8,000 feet long,it sometimes sits above the cloud line.The engineered wonder of the bridge itself is nearly as amazing as the view of the valley below.
Zhangjiajie,China:The Bailong Elevator is the world’s largest outside elevator.At about 1,070 feet high,this elevator looms(隐约出现) high midway up a cliff overlooking a valley far below.Moreover,the elevator is mostly made of glass,affording passengers a dizzying view to the depths below.There is some concern,however,about the elevator’s long-term impact on the surrounding natural environment.
Norway to Britain:The Langeled Pipeline extends(延伸)from Nyhamna,Norway,to Easington in the UK.It is about 1,200 km long and before the completion of the Nord Stream pipeline,it was the longest underwater gas pipeline in the world.Gas is exported(出口)from the Ormen Lange field,situated at a depth of 1,000 metres and located 100 km northwest of the Norwegian coast to Nyhamna.From there the Langeled Pipeline runs to Easington in the UK via the Sleipner Riser Platform in the North Sea.It will eventually supply 20% of Britain’s gas needs.
1. In the first paragraph,the author began with a question in order to .

A．introduce the topic

B．amaze readers

C．show the height of the Eiffel Tower

D．ask readers to answer it

2. From Paragraph 2,we can learn that .

A．the project is designed to store water

B．all people agree with the project at first

C．floods are a fear to Venice

D．the hinged barriers are 6,500 square feet in all

3. What do the Bailong Elevator and the Millau Viaduct have in common?

A．They are in the same country.

B．They are both made of glass.

C．Both of them are taller than the Eiffel Tower.

D．Both of them have a bad effect on the environment.

4. We can learn from the passage that the Ormen Lange field is in .

A．Britain	B．Norway
C．France	D．Italy

【推荐3】The Bermuda Triangle is an area in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean, near Florida in the USA, where a number of aircraft and ships are said to have disappeared mysteriously.

①The earliest suggestion of unusual disappearances in the Bermuda area appeared in a September 17, 1950 article. Two years later, published “Sea Mystery at Our Back Door”, covering the loss of several planes and ships, including the loss of Flight 19. Flight 19 alone would be covered again in the April 1962 issue of American Legion magazine. In it, author Allan W. Eckert wrote that the flight leader had been heard saying, “We are entering white water. Nothing seems right. We don’t know where we are.” In the February 1964, the article “The Deadly Bermuda Triangle” argued that Flight 19 and other disappearances were just part of strange events in the area.

②Triangle writers have used a number of supernatural ideas to explain the events. One explanation refers to leftover technology from the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis. Some of the Triangle writers related the events to UFOs. This idea was used by Steven Spielberg for his science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, in which the lost Flight 19 aircrews were taken by aliens.

③But there are also some explanation relating to nature. For example, laboratory experiments carried out in Australia have proven that bubbles containing natural gas can sink a large ship by decreasing the density(密度) of the water. Because it has been assumed that the eruption of volcanoes(火山)may produce much natural gas, making large areas of bubbles under sea so that water is no longer able to provide enough supporting power for ships. If this were the case, such an area forming around a ship could cause it to sink very rapidly and without any warning.

④Violent weather is likely to be another reason. Powerful storms forming in tropical(热带的)waters have caused thousands of deaths and caused billions of dollars in damage. These storms have in the past caused a number of incidents related to the Triangle.

1. According to the passage, the loss of Flight 19 was first covered         .

A．in 1950	B．in 1952
C．in 1962	D．in 1964

2. The sentence “Persons accepting the Bermuda Triangle as a ‘Death Triangle’ have offered a number of ways to explain it.” should be put in          .

A．①	B．②
C．③	D．④

3. According to paragraph 4, which one is NOT the reason for the disappearance of ships?

A．the natural gas	B．large areas of bubbles
C．the eruption of volcanoes	D．the increase of water density

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The truth behind the disappearance in the Bermuda Triangle.

B．The puzzle of the Bermuda Triangle and its explanations.

C．Strange accidents that happened in the Bermuda Triangle.

D．The exploration of the Bermuda Triangle in history.

【推荐1】Award-winning food writer Sasha Martin started her blog in 2010. Her plan was simple: to prepare a meal from every country in the world. Over the next four years, she cooked over 650 dishes from 195 countries. In this interview, Martin describes her experience of cooking the world.
Was “cooking the world” a way to travel without leaving home?             

That’s right. I think the idea that exploration is for everyone is really important. There are so many people who dream of travel. But I think that you really can go on adventures without leaving home. With food, if you have the right ingredients, you can create the flavor of another place. It’s like armchair travel, but it’s faster and easier. I call it “stovetop travel.”

What did you hope to teach your daughter by cooking the world?

I wanted her to feel that she had a place in the world where she belonged. But I also feel it’s important for children to grow up knowing people from other countries-their global neighbors.        I call them neighbors because the world is so small now. I remember going on Facebook in its early days. I noticed there were people from different parts of the world commenting on posts, even arguing with each other. I feel that in that environment, young people need to be able to respect and understand each other.

So food is a great way to create that common ground?

Yes. I wanted to share recipes that were bridges to other cultures. A lot of celebrity TV chefs tend to choose the most shocking recipes. But I think you need a bridge first. Then people won’t put up a wall in their mind about that culture. They won’t just think, “Gross! Those people eat such odd things!”

1. What seems to be the name of Martin’s blog?

A．Cooking the World.	B．Armchair Travel.
C．Knowing Your Neighbors.	D．Cultures in Food.

2. Why is food a great way to create common ground according to Martin?

A．It makes the world colorful.	B．It is a universal topic.
C．It creates cultural connections.	D．It offers a sense of belonging.

3. Who might Martin’s blog be intended for?

A．Ordinary people.	B．People travelling abroad.
C．Celebrity TV chefs.	D．Parents with young children.

4. Which of the following Chinese recipes might not be shared on Martin’s blog?

A．Gong Bao Chicken.

B．Dim Sum.

C．Sichuan Hot Pot.

D．Stinky Tofu.

5. Which might best express your comment on Martin’s blog?

A．“Gross! Do they really eat such odd food? “

B．“Wow! You’ve been to so many amazing places!!”

C．“Awesome travel tips for getting around the world!”

D．“Incredible! I cooked black pudding by myself! Thanks!”

6. Where does this passage probably come from?

A．Talk Show.

B．Features.

C． Breaking News.

D．World Screen.

【推荐1】Leonardo da Vinci’s mother may have been a Chinese slave according to a new research by an Italian historian and novelist—Angelo Paratico, who has spent the last 20 years living and working in Hong Kong, researching the links between his homeland and China over the past half century.

Mr Paratico said the documents he has uncovered during two years of research form the basis of his latest book Leonardo Da Vinci, a Chinese scholar lost in Renaissance(文艺复兴)Italy. The book, which is due to be published next year, uncovers evidence that there’s a link between Da Vinci and the Far East.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, Mr Paratico said, “I am sure that Leonardo’s mother was from the East, but to make her a Chinese, we need to use a deductive method(演绎法). One wealthy client of Leonardo’s father had a slave called Caterina. After Leonardo’s date of birth, she disappeared from the documents．She was no longer working there.’’

It is believed that his mother was called Caterina, who, according to some reports, was a local peasant. But Mr Paratico’s new work claims it is most likely that Da Vinci’s mother was a slave. Supporting his theory, he said, “During the Renaissance, countries like Italy and Spain were full of slaves from the East.”

He claimed that there were certain aspects of Da Vinci’s life and works which suggest a Chinese link. For instance, he was writing with his left hand from left to right and he was also a vegetarian, which was not common. Mona Lisa is probably a portrait of his mother，as Sigmund Freud said in 1910. On the back of Mona Lisa, there is a Chinese landscape and even her face looks Chinese.

Mr Paratico said he believes the only way to solve the mystery is to dig out some of Da Vinci’s relations in Florence and extract some DNA.

1. What is Mr Paratico’s latest book based on?

A．His research findings．	B．His living experience．
C．His final visit to Italy．	D．His interest in Renaissance．

2. What may suggest there is a link between Da Vinci and Chinese?

A．His working habit．	B．His ways of writing．
C．His birth date．	D．His father’s friend．

3. What can we learn about Da Vinci’s mother?

A．She was a slave of Leonardo’s father．

B．She quit working after her marriage．

C．She was buried in Florence after death．

D．She was probably the model of Mona Lisa．

【推荐2】Every country has its heroes.   They may be soldiers or sports people, doctors or film stars. We admire（钦佩） them for their courage, their strength, their devotion（忠诚） to duty or their talent. Their example inspires us to live better, to work harder.

Terry Fox was a young student who loved life and who loved sports. When he was just 18 years old a terrible tragedy happened: his right leg had to be cut off because of cancer. Such an experience would have destroyed a weaker person — but Terry Fox was a fighter. He refused to give up. Instead, while he was recovering from the operation, an idea slowly formed in his mind. He decided he would run across Canada, in order to raise money for cancer research.

Slowly and carefully, he began to train. Every step was extremely painful, but he insisted, increasing the distance covered day by day. Sixteen months later, in the spring of 1980, he was ready for the long journey across Canada — his Marathon of Hope. It was a time of inspiration and heart breaking emotion. Through television, every home saw his particular way of running, a kind of half-hop and half-run. Thousands of people lined the route to encourage him and to wish him well. They also gave money to fight cancer. Then, on 1st September 1980, after 143 days and more than 5000 kilometers completed, everything came tragically to an end Terry had to stop. He lived on for another nine months and died on June 18th 1981. He was almost 23.

1. Having read the passage, you can learn that the author ______ Terry Fox.

A．has great pity on	B．envies（嫉妒）
C．cares for	D．admires

2. Terry Fox decided to run across Canada because ______.

A．a terrible tragedy happened to him at the age of 18

B．he had his courage, his strength, and his devotion to his country

C．he had his right leg cut off because of cancer

D．he wanted to help others who suffer from diseases similar to his

3. The heroic character of Terry Fox can be seen from his decision and ______.

A．devotion	B．actions
C．appearance	D．wishes

4. Though it was difficult, Terry Fox ran his journey ______.

A．with few people supporting him

B．without receiving any money from people

C．with few people watching him on TV

D．without thinking of himself at all

【推荐3】He is both a great director and a great animator (卡通片制作者). He is Japan’s Walt Disney.

Hayao Miyazaki, the 72-year-old Japanese master of fantasy animation (奇幻动画), one of the most respected animation directors in the world, announced his retirement on September 6. Here are some key words about his films.

Good and evil (邪恶)

Miyazaki rarely tells stories in simple good and evil. The worlds he creates tend to be complex (复杂的) and unclear. The bad figures often don’t seem so bad once you get to know them. Miyazaki has explained that the lack of clear good and evil is because he sees the 21st century as a complex time, in which old ideas need to be re-examined, even in children’s films.

Children

The heroes in Miyazaki’s films are usually children or teens, more often young girls. Sometimes they can see the spirit world; they are curious and friendly, even to strange creatures. The stories often deal with growing up.

Sky and water

Two of Miyazaki’s great loves are the sky and water, and he uses them in related ways. Flight is a forever theme — Miyazaki has never done a film without flying of some kind. His imagination seems to fly and leave behind the pull of gravity (重力), a force and control that he feels a bound (束缚) from setting him free.

Water is another way for Miyazaki to fight gravity. In his films he likes the unexpected floods with crystal-clear water, and objects floating on the surface seem to be supported by magic.

Peace

Miyazaki’s negative view of the war goes far more than surface deep. Violence is usually seen as wrong and painful, and Miyazaki’s heroes are often peacemakers.

1. What can we know about good and evil from Miyazaki’s films?

A．The figures cannot be simply judged as good or evil.

B．He uses his films to show good finally defeats evil.

C．The complex time tends to turn good into evil.

D．Children should learn to clearly tell good from evil.

2. According to the article, children in Miyazaki’s films are ______.

A．all little teen-aged girls	B．always able to see spirits
C．curious trouble makers	D．kind to people and creatures

3. Miyazaki’s love for flight may come from ______.

A．the relation between sky and water

B．his hate for gravity since his childhood

C．his desire to be free from gravity

D．his love for water that can flood the world

4. In Miyazaki’s films we may NOT see ______.

A．the appealing castle in the sky

B．children with the problems of growing up

C．objects magically floating on the water

D．a world left in ruins in the end