【推荐1】National parks across the USA offer visitors more than just hiking paths and points of interests. Park guests can now get to know their beautiful landscapes and rich histories in a whole new way with these adventure ideas.

• Golfing in Death Valley National Park

You’ve played the world’s best golf courses, but have you played the world’s lowest? Put the ball at the Furnace Creek Golf Course located in California’s remote Death Valley National Park. In addition to golf, the course also sets the stage for a horse-drawn carriage sightseeing offered through the resort’s Furnace Creek Stables.

• Luxury Camping in Yellowstone National Park

Want to experience sleeping under the stars? Far and Away Adventures serves up luxury-camping trips into Yellowstone National Park, covering States of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, complete with comfortable bedding and tents, delicious meals, and backcountry adventures. Guests are guided to a remote campsite along Yellowstone Lake by boat, and spend several days boating along its shores, fishing, and hiking among some of the park’s most original landscapes.

• Dog sledge in Denali National Park

Experience a dog sledge trip through one of the last wild frontiers (边疆), Denali National Park and Preserve in Alaska. A team of dogs and experienced guides from EarthSong Lodge lead guests into the remote and calm land inside Alaska. Although day trips are available, multi-day sledge travels allow visitors to learn the art of dog dragging, not to mention enjoying grand views of Mt. McKinley.

• Canyon Vistas Mule Ride in Grand Canyon National Park

Take in the Grand Canyon, located in State of Arizona, by four-footed mule (骡子) for breathtaking views along the edge and into its depths. Mule rides have been offered at the Grand Canyon since 1887, and are a rich part of the canyon’s history. A new four-mile tour along the edge, the Canyon Mule Ride, takes approximately three hours to complete. Along the path, riders speak to the geologic shapes and human history of the area.

1. Among the national parks mentioned above, how many of them offer animal service for guests to enjoy beautiful natural scenery?

A．One	B．Two
C．Three	D．Four

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The four national parks are located in different states of the USA.

B．In Death Valley National Park, guests can play the world’s best golf courses.

C．Of the four national parks, Yellowstone National Park covers the largest area.

D．Park visitors have recently been offered mule rides in Grand Canyon National Park.

3. If you are keen to learn about the geologic features of the park, you may choose to visit ________.

A．Death Valley National Park	B．Yellowstone National Park
C．Denali National Park	D．Grand Canyon National Park

【推荐3】Having a husband means an extra seven hours of housework each week for women, according to a new study. For men, getting married saves an hour of housework a week. “It’s a well-known pattern,” said lead researcher Frank Stafford at University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research. “Men usually work more outside the home, while women take on more of the housework.”
　　He points out that differences among households (家庭) exist. But in general, marriage means more housework for women and less for men. “And the situation gets worse for women when they have children,” Stafford said.
　　Overall, times are changing in the American home. In 1976, women busied themselves with 26 weekly hours of sweeping-and-dusting work, compared with 17 hours in 2005. Men are taking on more housework, more than doubling their housework hours from six in 1976 to 13 in 2005.
　　Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework, about 12 weekly hours, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most-about 21 hours a week.
　　Men showed a somewhat different pattern, with older men picking up the broom more often than younger men. Single men worked the hardest around the house, more than that of all other age groups of married men.
　　Having children increases housework even further. With more than three children, for example, wives took on more of the extra work, clocking about 28 hours a week compared with husbands’ 10 hours.
1. According to the “well-known pattern” in Paragraph 1, a married man___________.

A．takes on heavier work	B．does more housework
C．is the main breadwinner	D．is the master of the house

2. How many hours of housework did men do every week in the 1970s?

A．About 23.

B．About 26.

C．About 13.

D．About 6.

3. What kind of man is doing most housework according to the text?

A．An unmarried man.	B．An older married man.
C．A younger married man.	D．A married man with children.

4. What can we conclude from Stafford’s research?

A．Marriage gives men more freedom.

B．Marriage has effects on job choices.

C．Housework sharing changes over time.

D．Having children means doubled housework.

【推荐1】The 2022 Winter Olympics were held in Beijing, China, and in two areas northwest of Beijing, Yanqing and Zhangiiakou. The areas get cold in winter, but they don’t get a lot of snow because they’re not far from the Gobi Desert, and are generally very dry. That meant some serious changes were needed to hold the Winter Olympics there. China took water from a reservoir which helps supply Beijing’s drinking water and sent it to a nearby river. To carry the water to the mountains for making snow, the country ran miles and miles of pipes. China says making the snow took about 185,500 liters of water. This is the first time the Winter Olympics has taken place on almost 100% artificial snow.

The snow at this year’s Winter Olympics was made with wind and solar energy. And the machines that make artificial snow are quite advanced. They can make several different kinds of snow depending on what’s needed for each sport. For example, the snow they make for downhill skiing is different from the snow made for cross-country skiing.

It’s useful to be able to make snow when nature doesn’t provide enough. But artificial snow isn’t the same as natural snow, which has more air and less water. An athlete used to natural snow might have to adjust their style on man-made snow. A few athletes have complained about the snow at this year’s Olympics. Most others say it’s been just fine.

In recent years, it has become more and more common to use artificial snow at winter sports events. That’s true even in places that used to have a lot of snow naturally. Some artificial snow was used in the Winter Olympics in 2010 and 2014 because of warm weather. In the 2018 Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, roughly 90% of the snow was man-made.

As the world warms because of climate change, problems like this are expected to become far more common. You could not have winter sports now without man-made snow.

1. What is special for Beijing Winter Olympics?

A．The playgrounds lay in the large desert.

B．All the energy it needed was made in green ways.

C．The stadiums were built in abandoned buildings.

D．All its snow fields were made of man-made snow.

2. What can we learn about the snow for the 2022 Winter Olympics from the text?

A．It must be environmentally friendly.	B．It must be made from drinking water.
C．It should be the most advanced snow.	D．It has to adapt to different snow sports.

3. What can we infer about the Winter Olympics in future?

A．The Winter Olympics will become more and more popular.

B．Athletes joining in the Winter Olympics must be very rich.

C．Artificial snow will play a key role in the Winter Olympics.

D．The Winter Olympics will fade away gradually from our life.

4. What is the text mainly talking about?

A．The snow for the Winter Olympics.	B．The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
C．Weather effects on the Winter Olympics.	D．Problems in hosting the Winter Olympics.

【推荐3】After months of expectation and secrecy, the official mascot (吉祥物) of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games — a giant panda — inspired cartoon character — made its first public debut with cheers at Beijing’s Shougang Ice Hockey Arena.

The panda is named “Bing Dwen Dwen” in Chinese. Bing means “ice” in Chinese, while Dwen Dwen suggests “health and cleverness” — characteristics also shared by pandas. Pandas are perhaps the most recognized animal species in China, organizers said.

“Pandas combine China’s traditional culture and its modern appearance together with winter sports elements in a fascinating image that shows our great expectations for the Games and shows that we welcome the world,” said Beijing Mayor Chen Jining, who also serves as an executive president on the organizing committee.

“I have already seen the mascot and from what I’ve seen, it’s a wonderful choice,” IOC President Thomas Bach said before introducing the character.” “The mascot really takes in the best elements and characteristics of China and the Chinese people. It will be a great ambassador for the country and the 24th Winter Olympics.”

The ring of light surrounding the mascot’s face is suggestive of ice and snow tracks, as well as the flowing “ribbons (丝带)” of the National Speed Skating Oval. The oval is one of two new competition sites in downtown Beijing expected to become a landmark of the Games, according to its chief designer Cao Xue.

The introduction of the mascots marks the key point of a journey that began in August 2018, when Beijing organizers started a global design competition for the mascots. A total of 5,816 designs were received from 35 countries, and were reviewed by Chinese and international experts in a comprehensive evaluation and selection process.

The new mascot will serve as spirited symbol of the Games that will take place in the three zones of downtown Beijing, the suburban district of Yanqing and co-host city Zhangjiakou in surrounding Hebei province.

1. What does Thomas Bach think of the mascot?

A．Surprising.

B．Entertaining.

C．Satisfying

D．Puzzling.

2. What does paragraph 5 mainly talk about?

A．The origin of the mascot image.	B．The introduction to the mascot designer.
C．The hard work behind the mascot design.	D．The hidden meaning of the mascot image.

3. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Mascot of the 24th Winter Olympic Games

B．A Historical Moment of the Winter Olympic Games

C．Bing Dwen Dwen: a Lovely Panda Welcomes the World

D．Comments on the Mascot of the 24th Winter Olympics