【推荐1】National Space Center, Leicester

An interactive museum of super-size space experiences: from a giant planet Earth you can touch to the UK’s biggest domed planetarium (穹顶天文台) and a 42-meter rocket tower. You can’t miss the latter as you drive into Leicester—the structure looks like it’s wrapped in giant inflatable pillows. Inside, it houses Blue Streak and Thor Able rockets. Take in the full scale of them by riding a glass-sided lift up to the viewing platform. Elsewhere, there are six galleries with plenty of buttons to press and screens to touch. It’s all under cover so it’s a good place to visit on a rainy day!

What about lunch?

The Boosters Cafe serves reasonably priced hot and cold snacks and drinks (hot dog from ￡4.95, plus jacket potatoes, soups, sandwiches and salads)at the foot of the center’s two rockets The cafe offers vegetarian and vegan options too.

Getting there

There is a regular bus service (No.54 with a stop two minutes’ walk from the center, as well as a park and ride service from Birstall. East Midlands Trains and Cross-Country Trains operate services to Leicester station, from which the center is a 25-minute bus ride. If driving, it’s just off the A6, north of the city center. Parking is ￡3 for the day.

Value for money

It’s not cheap- adult: ￡15, 5 to 16-year-olds: ￡12, but once you’ve paid you can revisit as many times as you want in a year, and admission is free for kids under five.

Opening hours

10 am—4 pm Monday to Friday, 10 am—5 pm weekends and school holidays.

1. Which of the following CANNOT be found when you visit the National Space Center?

A．A big inflatable pillow.	B．A domed planetarium.
C．The Boosters Cafe.	D．A high rocket tower.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the article?

A．Visitors can arrive at the entrance to the center by only taking the No.54 bus.

B．It takes visitors 25 minutes to get to the center from Leicester station by riding a bike.

C．Snacks and drinks are served at reasonable prices.

D．Although the parking fee is reasonable, there are limited parking lots.

3. If a couple want to take their daughter a primary school student, and 15-year-old son to the space center, how much will they spend on the tickets?

A．￡45.

B．￡57.

C．￡42.

D．￡54

【推荐3】All Summer Camp Programs

Llandovery, Wales

Language and Music for Life (LMFL) — Founded in 1997, LMFL offers unique 2-week summer music and language courses. LMFL provides quality one-to-one training in a wide range of instruments & voice lessons for highly-motivated musicians of all ages. Study programs & classes include: Composition; Violin; Piano; Recorder; Guitar and Classical Singing...

Cambridge, UK

Reach Cambridge — Academic Camps (RC) — RC offers UK & international high school students the opportunity to gain an invaluable academic experience through a summer course. We provide unique and academic programs for students (ages 14-18). Study programs & classes include: Chemistry & Medicine, Computer Science & Math, and Economics & ESL...

Saint-Raphael, France

France Langue and Culture (FLC) — Experience a fun, educational language holiday for all the family this summer! FLC is the most family-friendly language school providing French summer classes for teens and young children. Study programs & classes include: Children’s Summer Camps for ages 4-12, with home stay accommodation by French host families.

Quebec City, Canada

Education-Inter Summer Language School (EI) — EI offers summer French programs for children and teenagers (ages 10-17) and adults (16+). Quebec City is the only major city in Canada that offers a 100% French-speaking environment, making it the ideal location for learning and practicing French.       Study programs & classes include: 2 weeks’ Summer French Programs For Children & Teenagers (ages 10-17), French & Dance, and French & Horse Riding...

1. If a boy is 6 and loves playing the piano, which summer camp suits him best?

A．LMFL.

B．FLC.

C．EI.

D．RC.

2. Why is Quebec the perfect place for French learners?

A．It offers summer French programs.	B．It is the only major city in Canada.
C．It has a Summer French Language School.	D．It is a place where people only speak French.

3. It can be learned from the passage that ____________.

A．RC helps kids improve their horse-riding skill.	B．kids can enjoy one-to-one training at EI.
C．kids can stay at French host families at FLC.	D．LMFL was built in 1997 in France.

【推荐1】There are plenty of reasons why people go to the library. People go there mainly for school, for work, or for personal research. There are a few who make use of the library only when specific data or information can’t be had by any other means. No matter what your motivation for visiting the library is, you’ll surely want to set your eyes on the following four largest libraries in the world

Washington D.C.’s Library of Congress

If you’ve already watched the movie National Treasure 2, then you’ve already taken a glimpse of this magnificent library. Within this library, you’ll find all you need to answer your questions about culture, science, philosophy, history, and any other subject matter. It has been used in numerous movies. With a vast book collection at over 30 million and written in just about any language you can think of,   the Library of Congress, established in 1800, definitely deserves all the fame. The public can visit the library, but only high-ranking American officials are allowed to check out books.

Beijing’s National Library of China

Situated in Beijing and with 26.3 million books in its collection, the NLC is sure to give joy to the average bibliophile(藏书家) . Among its books, you’ll find the world’s greatest and richest complications of Chinese writings and ancient documents. Founded in 1909 and opened doors to the public three years after, the NLC also contains a lot of Qing Dynasty writings as well as a collection of literature written on bones and tortoise shells.

Massachusetts’ Harvard University Library

Compared to all the other libraries in universities in the world, Harvard University Library houses the most enormous private collection of books. Established in 1638, the Harvard Library is considered as America’s oldest. In 1764, a disastrous fire broke out and it turned a considerable number of books into ashes. Today, the library has a total of over 13 million books displayed in 90 library wings, each dealing with a particular field of study.

London’s British Library

When it comes to the number of items in its collection, the British Library , founded in 1973, is unparalleled. It has over 150 million items, a lot of which are works circulated in the United Kingdom. The library also has scores of items from other countries and has books written in a number of languages. You will also discover that these works can be found in formats ranging from stone inscriptions(刻印文字) to digital publications. The growth rate of the British Library is 3 million pieces per year.

1. Which library has the longest history?

A．Washington D.C.’s Library of Congress

B．Beijing’s National Library of China

C．Massachusetts’ Harvard University Library

D．London’s British Library

2. Which library has frequently appeared in numerous movies?

A．Washington D.C.’s Library of Congress

B．Beijing’s National Library of China

C．Massachusetts’ Harvard University Library

D．London’s British Library

3. It can be inferred from the passage that________.

A．there exists the largest number of books in London’s British Library.

B．people are free to check out books in Washington D. C.’s Library of Congress

C．Beijing’s National Library of China was open to the public the moment it was founded

D．Massachusetts’ Harvard University Library remained safe and sound because of the fire in 1764

【推荐2】Warley Woods Community (社区) Trust
Welcome to our third newsletter of the year!
Our main activity for March is our Walk for the Woods fundraising events on Saturday，17^th March，starting any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. We will be walking the distance between Warley Woods and Tipperary. It is indeed a long way-80 miles. The more people that you can get sponsor you，the more money we can raise to help look after our beautiful woodland. More information is available at our website.
The Sunday volunteers planted two beeches and on oak last week. This was thanks to the money fro the Big Tree Plant and to Lisa and Gordon Whitiker，whose friends gave money for the big trees instead of for their wedding presents. Thanks to everyone who took part.
There were 15 volunteers at the Oral History Training Day which was led by vey ably by Julia Letts. The group will be meeting again and will start to interview the local people who have offered to tell their stories. We are happy to hear from others who would like to be interviewed about their memories of the Woods for the project. If you or anyone you know is interested，please call Viv Cole at the office. This project is financed by Heritage Lottery Fund.
There was a huge response to the Forest Schools activities held at half term. These will be held again during the Easter holidays on the following dates: 4^th April from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for over 8s. On 12th April form 10 a.m. to 12 noon，there will be a Teddy Bears’ Picnic for the under 8s. All these must be booked in advance.
Finally，don’t forget the Easter Egg Roll on Bank Holiday，9th April，staring at 11 a.m. Bring your own hard-boiled and decorated egg to roll down the hill in the woods. The first past the finishing line will win a large chocolate egg! This year，due to popular demand，there will also be an Adults’ Easter Egg Roll following the children’s competition.
We look forward to seeing you all soon，at one of our many events.
1. Which of the following will be on 9^th April?

A．Walk for the Woods

B．Teddy Bears’ Picnic

C．The Easter Egg Roll

D．The Oral History Training Day

2. Heritage Lottery Fund provides money to

A．help look after the wood land

B．collect stories about the community

C．hold activities for the Forest Schools

D．organize the Easter holiday competition

3. The passage is written to

A．inform people of the coming events

B．encourage people to work as volunteers

C．invite people to take part in the competition

D．tell people about some famous organization

【推荐3】The nine women of Bella Mondo win over yet another audience. The group is one of just a handful of all-women ensembles (乐队) in Ivory Coast.

It all started in 2007, Prisca Allou was a music student. A music producer came to see her. He said he wanted to make an all-female ensemble to keep a promise to his late mother.

Allou got on board and was charged with recruiting (招募) other members. “It wasn’t easy at first. Some parents were against it. You know, in Africa, the place of women is often seen as being either in an office or at home. That was the fixed image.” Allou spread the word and took out ads in local papers. Most of the girls she found were not professional players. “I just played some tamtam. I learned to play drums when I joined Bella Mondo.” The girls spent the next four years learning to play their instruments. Many gave up along the way, but eight of them soldiered on with Allou, and Bella Mondo was founded.

The band plays original songs and covers. Their music spans a wide range of styles: funk, reggae, pop music. They released their first album in 2013... and have performed in Paris, Dakar, Cotonou and, of course, here at home in Abidjan.

You can see them nearly every Thursday at this bar, the same place that gave the band its start years ago. “Oh yes, I was surprised at first. A woman singing, you see that every day, but an entire band, playing all the instruments and everything? It was extraordinary. I was dumbstruck. Bella Mondo is a great band.” The women are now working on their second album.

1. Why did the music producer want to found a female ensemble?

A．To sponsor music students.	B．To comfort his mother.
C．To carry out his promise.	D．To win over an audience.

2. Which of the following made it hard for Allou to recruit band members?

A．Most women couldn’t afford.	B．Parents didn’t want to break tradition.
C．All parents disapproved of it.	D．Women weren’t willing to leave home.

3. What do the last two paragraphs mainly talk about?

A．The band has travelled a lot.	B．The band has gained its popularity.
C．The band has released albums.	D．The band seems to be united as one.

4. What does the underlined word “dumbstruck” probably mean in paragraph 5?

A．Satisfied.	B．Determined.
C．Amused.	D．Astonished.

【推荐2】To help new students, the International Business Institute (IBI) plans to set up a buddy (伙伴) peer support project. The project will help new students meet current students at IBI who can provide them with some friendly company during their first months in Newcastle and help them with any small problems that they may have.

What’s in it for you?

We believe that being a buddy will be rewarding in several ways. As a volunteer, it will be personally satisfying to know that you are able to help new students. It will also help you make contacts that may be valuable in your future academic and professional lives. If you are an overseas student, it will give you another opportunity to practise speaking English.

Responsibilities of buddies

·Telephone and arrange to make contact with the new student.

·Meet the student and show him/her around the campus and the local area. Answer questions about living in Newcastle and administration procedures at IBI.

·Arrange to meet the new student one morning or afternoon one weekend early in the semester, and take the student to places that you enjoy in Newcastle.

·Be prepared to take phone calls from the new student to answer further questions that he/she may have from time to time. Meet to explain information to the new student in person, if required.

·You will be matched to an individual new student. However, if you have friends who are also buddies, you might prefer to form a support group together. This would mean that you meet the new students as a group rather than one-on-one.

·Being a buddy is voluntary. There is no “requirement” to provide assistance beyond the help outlined above.

Please note that if you agree to become a peer support buddy, you will be expected to fulfil your role conscientiously and cheerfully. It will be important to be considerate and reliable so that the student can feel confident in your support.

1. According to the passage, what benefit can you get from being a buddy?

A．You can learn how to be a confident person.

B．It is easy for you to find some friendly company.

C．You can be rewarded with both money and prizes.

D．It may be helpful for your future studies and career.

2. As a buddy, you need to ________.

A．form a support group with other volunteers at IBI

B．provide assistance in studying each subject after class

C．meet the new student every morning early in the semester

D．help the new student get familiar with his or her surroundings