【推荐1】When the spring breeze blows, blooming flowers give off pleasant scents, mixing with the smell of earth. In such a charming season, why don’t you grab your camera and snap some photos of the magnificent golden flower sea? Here’s a list of some popular places to view rapeseed flowers(油菜花) across China. It’s time to start your spring journey!

Luoping county, Yunnan province
Best viewing period: From February to March

Boasting favorable weather and a unique ecological environment, Luoping county in Southwest China’s Yunnan province is home to the world-famous rapeseed flowers. Every year from February to March, the flowers are in full bloom, forming a beautiful and magnificent golden view.

Hanzhong, Shaanxi province
Best viewing period: From March 20 to April 15

Located in southern Shaanxi province and with favorable weather conditions for growing rapeseed flowers, the Hanzhong Basin is a traditional planting and production base for the oilseed rape vegetable. The city of Hanzhong is home to more than 70,000 hectares of rapeseed flowers, yielding 144,000 tons of canola oil each year.

Menyuan Hui autonomous county, Qinghai province
Best viewing period: July

Menyuan Hui autonomous county in Northwest China’s Qinghai province is a production base for the oilseed rape vegetable in northern China. Rapeseed flowers can be seen everywhere, but those growing in Menyuan look extremely magnificent. Against the blue sky of the plateau, the beautiful flower sea complements villages and distant mountains and rivers. While walking into Menyuan Hui autonomous county, you may have a feeling of crossing a natural painting.

Xinghua, Jiangsu province
Best viewing period: April

Known as “a pearl of water town”, Xinghua in East China’s Jiangsu province has rich culture and unique scenery. From April to May, the blooming rapeseeds in Xinghua form a vast golden sea of flowers. The Qianduo area attracts tourists who ride a boat to cruise through the flower sea and are intoxicated by fragrance of the flowers.

1. What do we know about rapeseed flowers in Luoping county?

A．They can be seen everywhere.

B．They are the best rapeseed flowers in China.

C．They bloom earlier than the other three places.

D．They cover the largest area among the four places.

2. Which place best suits people who enjoy beautiful views by riding a boat?

A．Xinghua, Jiangsu province

B．Hanzhong, Shaanxi province

C．Luoping county, Yunnan province

D．Menyuan Hui autonomous county, Qinghai province

3. What do the listed popular places have in common?

A．They are favored by foreigners.

B．They share the same best view period.

C．They are well-known for rapeseed flowers.

D．They are in the southern provinces of China.

【推荐2】Whether you’re taking a short business flight or a dream vacation around the world, here are some smart and simple green travel tips to make any trip a little easier.

1. Power Down

If your green travels leave behind an empty house, power down as many appliances (电器) as possible. Don’t forget to unplug (拔开) electronics like your TV, computer and others that use power even when they’re turned off.

2. Go Car-Free

On your way to the airport or to your hotel, and all around your traveling city, consider using trains or buses. By stepping out of a car and into the real world, you’ll not only save more energy, but also meet more people, see more sights and have more fun.

3. Go Paperless

Airlines have almost all gone ticketless; not only does this green travel trip reduce paper waste, it also makes check-in faster and easier. Some hotels, too, allow guests to check out using their hotel’s in-house TV programming.

4. Green Travels and Eco-Hotels

Staying in a wild eco-hotel isn’t a usual choice in most cities. But if you were paying the electric bill, you’ll find lots of ways to green your travels. Turning down the air-conditioner when you’re there — turning off when you’re not — makes a big difference.

5. Buy Local

Shopping? Try to buy items that are small and light, and ask if they’re locally made. With a little effort, you might even be able to find something that supports local charities (慈善机构) or schools.

6. Pack Smart

Airlines are charging for extra luggage. Travel light, pack only the things you know you’ll need, and save money and energy. One smart thing to pack but often left behind is a reusable water bottle.

1. When we are going for a trip, it is advisable to       .

A．turn off the water tap at home but keep the light on

B．take as many things as we can manage for later use

C．unplug the TV, computer and other electric appliances

D．drive our own cars to save money and time during the trip

2. What is a paperless travel according to the passage?

A．Traveling around without using any paper.

B．Avoiding paper tickets at airports and hotels.

C．Taking less paper along during the trip.

D．Staying in hotels that provide no paper in rooms.

3. According to the writer, buying local can       .

A．help travelers save more time shopping

B．make sure to buy real good things

C．support some of the local charities or schools

D．add more weight to the travelers’ baggage

4. What’s the writer’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To encourage the public to protect the environment.

B．To correct travelers’ bad habits during their traveling.

C．To remind people of the importance of saving energy.

D．To introduce some easy green travel tips for travelers.

【推荐3】There are more than 35,000 museums in the United States — an impressive figure, even when considering the massive size of the country. It’s impossible to visit them all, of course, but you can prioritize (优先考虑) and conquer the most important ones.

●The Art Institute of Chicago

The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. Its collection, stewarded (统筹) by 11 curatorial (策展的) departments, is encyclopedic (百科全书般的) and includes iconic works such as Georges Seurat`s A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist and Grant Wood’s American Gothic.

Address: 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603

Hours: Mon — Tue 10:30 am — 5 pm;

Wed — Fri 10:30 am — 8 pm;

Sat — Sun 10:30 am — 5 pm

● The Field Museum of Natural History

The Field Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum in Chicago, Illinois, and is one of the largest such museums in the world. The diverse, high-quality permanent exhibitions, which attract up to 2 million visitors annually, range from the earliest fossils (化石) to past and current cultures from around the world and interactive programming demonstrating today’s urgent conservation needs.

Address: 1400 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605

Hours: Mon 9 am — 5 pm; Tue — Wed Closed; Thu — Sun 9 am – 5 pm

●The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, founded in 1870, is the largest art museum in the United States. Its permanent collection contains over 2 million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building is by area one of the world’s largest art galleries. A much smaller second location contains an extensive collection of art, architecture and artifacts from medieval (中世纪的) Europe.

Address: 1000 5th Ave, New York, NY 10028

Hours: Mon — Thu 10 am — 5:30 pm; Fri — Sat 10 am — 9 pm; Sun 10 am — 5:30 pm

●The Children`s Museum of Indianapolis

The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is the world’s largest children’s museum. Among the exhibits are a simulated (模拟的) Cretaceous dinosaur habitat, a carousel, a steam locomotive (蒸汽机车) and the glass sculpture Fireworks of Glass Tower and Ceiling. The museum`s focus is family learning; most exhibits are designed to be interactive, allowing children and families to actively participate.

Address: 3000 N Meridian St, Indianapolis, IN 46208

Hours: Mon — Sun 10 am — 5 pm

1. What can visitors do in the Art Institute of Chicago?

A．Observe the earliest fossils.

B．Design building models.

C．Appreciate Picasso’s The Old Guitarist.

D．See Fireworks of Glass Tower and Ceiling.

2. What do the Art Institute of Chicago and the Metropolitan Museum of Art have in common?

A．Both are located in Chicago.

B．Both have a history of over 200 years.

C．Both feature modern and futuristic artworks.

D．Both are managed by more than 10 curatorial departments.

3. Where should Mr and Mrs Brown go if they want to spend a day with their son who loves dinosaurs?

A．The Art Institute of Chicago.	B．The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
C．The Field Museum of Natural History.	D．The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

【推荐2】Desmond Tutu may always be remembered as the Nobel Peace Prize winner who has helped Nelson Mandela to bring an end to the racial separation in South Africa. Yet his most extraordinary and unique feature was his laugh. Tutu always began his talks with amusing stories. If his jokes fell flat, he would just keep laughing until his audience laughed with him and left with a smile on their faces.

In many conflicts, religious figures encourage their followers to take extreme actions. In contrast, Tutu always used his moral authority to calm down the angry crowds. This put him at odds with many leaders from Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress (ANC), who argued that some forms of violence were necessary to force the white government to change.

South Africa’s white government also wanted to discredit him. But he always seemed to come out on top. One day, many unemployed blacks were encouraged by the white government to gather in front of Tutu’s home. They were told that they lost their jobs due to the international sanctions that Tutu had called for. When Tutu got wind of this, he raced home, invited the angry blacks into his garden and turned on the charm. Eventually, everyone ended up laughing and crying with him.

“Tutu felt with the people. In public and alone, he cried because he felt people’s pain. And he laughed when he shared their joy,” said Thabo Makgoba, a religious leader of Cape Town.

If South Africa had been a free society in Tutu’s younger years, he might have been a comedian. He loved telling stories with his eyes wide and his face full of joy. But in the racially separated world, few options were open to him. He first tried teaching but found that the education system was controlled too tightly to allow any freedom of speech. So, in 1961, he decided to be a churchman, perhaps the only job that gave him a platform, an audience and the opportunity to speak with relative freedom beyond the control of the government.

1. For what should Desmond Tutu be remembered according to the author?

A．His heart-felt laugh.	B．His inspiring speeches.
C．His Nobel Peace Prize.	D．His funny facial expressions.

2. What is many ANC leaders’ attitude toward a certain degree of violence?

A．Disapproving.

B．Supportive.

C．Doubtful.

D．Unconcerned.

3. What does Thabo Makgoba say about Desmond Tutu?

A．He loved the people whole-heartedly.	B．He was well accepted by all parties.
C．He was too weak to be a good leader.	D．He was wrong to call for sanctions.

4. What would Desmond Tutu have chosen to be if he had had choices?

A．A teacher.

B．A churchman.

C．A comedian.

D．A politician.