【推荐1】When you think of tourist sites in Britain what do you think of? Big Ben and the Tower of London? Lock Ness? Shakespeare’s Birthplace at Strafford-upon-Avon? There are many famous tourist attractions in the UK and they attract millions of visitors each year. But along with the famous names there are thousands of other interesting places that are only open to the public for a few days each year. Heritage Open Days takes place each September and lets the public visit places that would normally be out of bounds. Among the thousands of historic sites there are castles and factories, town halls and churches. Here we look at some of these places that most tourists might not know about.

Roman Baths in Chester

Chester, in the north-west of England, is one of the oldest cities in the country. It was founded by the Romans over two thousand years ago. They stayed for more than three hundred years and you can find evidence of their stay all over the city.

Most visitors, however, don't see the remains of a Roman bathhouse in the centre of the city. For most of the year it is impossible to visit this fascinating site because it is situated under a clothes shop and a shop that sells baked potatoes!

During the week of Heritage Open Days visitors can go downstairs to the basement of the shops and find a little piece of history.

Tennis Club in Birmingham

Edgbaston Tennis Club opened in 1860 and is the oldest tennis club in the world. It is normally closed to the public but during Open Days visitors can come and see the club's collection of tennis clothes and equipment and learn about the game's rich history.

Aardman Animation in Bristol

During Heritage Open Days visitors can visit the Aardman Animation studios, which produced the famous Wallace and Gromit animated films. The studios are in an amazing new building where visitors can find out more about how the films are made.

These are just three of the thousands of places to visit each September. If you want to see more of Britain than the traditional tourist destinations then look out for Open Days.

1. Where can visitors see the remains of a Roman bathhouse in Chester?

A．In the north-west of England.	B．In a shop selling clothes.
C．In a basement of two shops.	D．In the center of the city.

2. Which place might be most attractive to movie fans?

A．The Tower of London.	B．Shakespeare's Birthplace.
C．Tennis Club in Birmingham.	D．Aardman Animation in Bristol.

3. What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A．To help increase the tourist income of the Great Britain.

B．To introduce some of the hidden tourist treasures in the UK.

C．To help visitors learn about the history of some fascinating sites.

D．To inform the visitors that each September is Heritage Open Days.

【推荐2】Leeds Castle is in Kent, England. 5 miles (8 km) southeast of Maidstone. It is built on islands in a lake formed by the River Len to the cast of the village of Leeds. It has been open to the public since 1976.

Opening time: April to September. 10:00—18:00

October to March: 10:00~17:00

Tickets：Tickets are valid for one year from date of purchase giving free repeat visits to the Castle, grounds and attractions. Excludes special ticketed events and Christmas Day.

Adult tickets: ￡24 single

Child tickets: ￡16 single (4~15 years old)

Kid ticket: free (under 4)

Transportation:

Coach or express: National Express from London to Leeds Castle directly

Train: Any train from southern cities to Bearsted. transfer by Spot Travel to Leeds Castle. 15 minutes' ride, goes by each hour.

The Upstairs Tour: Thursday 21st April, 11:30am

See the State bedrooms, not normally on show to the public. Hear about the guests of the roaring 1920s. see the bedroom where Edward and Simpson stayed and where Pavarotti was accommodated during his visit.

Price: ￡5 per person. A valid entrance ticket is required per person

Embroidery (刺绣）Taster Workshop: Sunday 5th June, 10:30am

Learn the basics with expert supervision from members of the Embroiderers Association and sew your own small piece of embroidery to lake home and frame to turn into a cushion or handmade greeting card.

Price: ￡20 per person.

A valid entrance ticket is required per person. Includes refreshments and all materials.

1. How much should an adult with a child pay to enter Leeds Castle?

A．￡10.	B．￡24.
C．￡40.	D．￡16.

2. What can visitors see during the Upstairs Tour?

A．The State bedrooms.	B．Pavarotti.
C．A show.	D．Artworks.

3. To visit the Embroidery Taster Workshop, you have to_____.

A．get an entrance ticket	B．show your greeting card
C．know about embroidery	D．join an association

【推荐3】Chile is famous for its many attractions. If you’re planning a visit, be sure to add “Mano del Desierto” or “Hand of the Desert” to your must-see list.

Standing 11 meters tall and made of iron and cement (水泥), this sculpture of a hand emerges from the sand in the Atacama Desert, which is known as the driest desert in the world outside of polar regions. The sculpture was created by Mario Irarrazabal in the early 1980s and was financed by a local nonprofit organization. The sculpture is not only impressive in terms of its design but also in the message it expresses. Many people believe that the hand represents the weakness and helplessness of human beings, as well as their strength and determination to overcome hardships. It is a reflection on the human condition and our relationship with nature.

If you’re interested in visiting the Hand of the Desert, take Route 26 or 28 from Antofagasta, a port city in northern Chile. The sculpture is located between mile markers 1309 and 1310 and can be reached from either direction. The desert’s flatness makes it easy to spot the sculpture from far away.

Visitors should take precautions (预防措施) before leaving, such as filling their gas tanks, packing plenty of water, and wearing sunscreen. They should also avoid driving too quickly, as many car accidents occur in the desert each year.

For those who are nervous about driving alone, working with an agency like Plan South America is a good choice. The founder of the agency, Harry Hastings, said that he always tries to join a visit to the sculpture with guests traveling to the desert, calling it an “important landmark” that is both culturally and visually significant.

1. What makes the Hand of the Desert a famous attraction?

A．Its height and material.	B．Its location and. designer.
C．Its building time and local support.	D．Its design and meaning.

2. What can we know about from paragraph 3?

A．The sculpture can be reached very easily.

B．The sculpture can be seen from far away.

C．The sculpture is protected by the government.

D．The sculpture attracts millions of visitors every year.

3. What can we infer about Harry Hastings?

A．He built the sculpture “Hand of the Desert”.

B．He gave the financial support to the sculpture.

C．He speaks highly of the sculpture.

D．He likes driving alone to visit the sculpture.

4. Where can the passage probably be taken from?

A．A science fiction.

B．A magazine.

C．A fairy tale.

D．A book review.

【推荐2】Location

St Helena is one of the remotest islands on Earth. The subtropical (亚热带的) British Overseas Territory sits in the middle of the South Atlantic Ocean, 1,200 miles from the west coast of Africa and 1,800 miles from the east coast of South America.

Size Population

St Helena is only 16 km long and 9 km wide and the population is 5,000. This is 1/3 the size of the Isle of Wight, and the same size as Disney World Orlando. This is also the same size as San Francisco-yet the island has just 0.5% of San Francisco’s population. With an extremely low-crime community, you can freely explore the island’s natural and built attractions in peace.

Climate

As a subtropical island, St Helena’s temperature is 15-28℃ all year round. While the four seasons are not recognized on St Helena, the “cooler months” are generally June to September and the “hotter months” are December to March. St Helena is free from extreme weather events, with even thunderstorms only occurring perhaps once a decade.

Accessibility

Until 2017, St Helena did not have an airport and was only accessible by sea. Reaching the island meant a five-day ship voyage from Cape Town, South Africa. However, since October 2017, the island’s first and only airport has enabled passengers to reach the island in just a six-hour flight.

1. In what aspect are St Helena and San Francisco alike?

A．Climate.

B．Population.

C．Crime rate.

D．Area.

2. What can best describe the climate of St Helena?

A．Tropical.

B．Mild.

C．Dry.

D．Extreme.

3. How could visitors gain entry into St Helena before 2017?

A．By plane.

B．By car.

C．By ship.

D．By train.

【推荐3】Whether from the looks or their functions, some buildings of Europe are seen as strange landmarks and attract visitors from the world.

UFO Bridge(Bratislava, Slovakia)

The space-age silver disc, with a bar and a restaurant, studs opposite the ancient Bratislava Castle and offers splendid views of the Old Town's roofs. While UFO has never been an issue, the special capsule does have the ability to predict the weather, shining different colors each night lo let the city know whether it will be rainy, cloudy, sunny or windy the next day.

Happy Rizzi House(Brunswick, Germany)

A strange landmark is the Happy Rizzi House in Brunswick, Germany. Its bright and colorful cartoons and wonky(歪斜的) frame certainly stand out from the traditional buildings that surround the structure. Pop-artist James Rizzi, who built the house, intended the landmark to celebrate how children see the world and express themselves freely.

Crooked House(Sopot, Poland)

Looking at the contorted(歪曲的) building can feel like you have entered the house of mirrors or put on a pair of strange glasses. Inspired by Polish fairy tales, the structure is home to shops, restaurants and even a radio station.

Office Center 1000(Kaunas, Lithuania )

Novel and oversized cheques are one thing, but a massive banknote built into a ten-storey building is much more impressive and weird. Located in Lithuania's accession to Europe Union, the Office Center 1000 building in Kaunas is made up of 4500 glass panels that form the image of a now-missing 1000 Lithuanian Litas banknote.

If you have interest in more information of these places, you can contact us through our website.

1. Which of the following places can offer information about weather?

A．UFO Bridge.

B．Crooked House.

C．Office Center 1000.

D．Happy Rizzi House.

2. What can be learned about Happy Rizzi House?

A．It functions as a shopping mall.	B．It lies opposite an ancient castle.
C．It comes from a fairy tale by an artist.	D．It's surrounded with traditional buildings.

3. Which city can you go to if you intend to admire a building like a banknote?

A．Bratislava.

B．Brunswick.

C．Sopot.

D．Kaunas.