【推荐2】Experience around food is about the place, the time and the people, and “the best meal” can be found in a fine dining restaurant or a crowded street market. How can you recreate that special moment influenced by place and time? Travel is becoming the most popular reason to visit many places around the world. Here are the places that consistently excite the senses.

South of France

Markets with fresh fruits and vegetables and butcher shops are abundant. Regional wines are excellent．And freshly baked French bread with French butter is what memories are made of. Take a chair in an ancient walled city for a meal with a view that you will never forget．

Barcelona

This bustling city filled with unique buildings is a city for lovers of history, architecture and food. Kiosko Universal, a counter restaurant at one corner of the market, prepares some of the simplest and best food we’ve ever had. Give yourself a week to explore and see everything the city offers. The city is not to be missed．

Italy

It’s hard to choose one place or city to visit. Some of our favorite places include the coastal regions on the Adriatic and Tuscany. Friuli stole our hearts last year with its many unique wines, small artisan food produces, and influences from neighboring countries like Austria and Germany．

Mexico City

From unbelievable food markets and casual street stands, Mexico City has become the place to travel for the food lovers. If you want to eat locally, order a Hurache，a street food specialty. All you will need is a local microbrew or Mezcal（龙舌兰酒）to wash it down．

1. What is Kiosko Universal?

A．A market.	B．A butcher shop.
C．A restaurant.	D．A street stand.

2. What do you need to help swallow Hurache when eating it?

A．Bread.	B．Alcohol.
C．Juice.	D．Fruit.

3. What do the four places have in common?

A．They are tourist attractions.	B．They have ancient buildings.
C．They lie in Europe.	D．They are noted for tasty food.

【推荐3】Still seeking a destination for your weekend break? There are some places which are probably a mere wall away from your college.
King’s Art Centre
A day at the Centre could mean a visit to an exhibition of the work of one of the most interesting contemporary artists on show anywhere. This weekend sees the opening of an exhibition of four local artists.
You could attend a class teaching you how to ‘learn from the masters’ or get more creative with paint–free of charge.
The Centre also runs two life drawing classes for which there is a small fee.
The Botanic Garden
The Garden has over 8,000 plant species; it holds the research and teaching collection of living plants for Cambridge University.
The multi-branched Torch Aloe here is impressive. The African plant produces red flowers above blue-green leaves, and is not one to miss.
Get to the display house to see Dionaea muscipula, a plant more commonly known as the Venus Flytrap that feeds on insects and other small animals.
The Garden is also a place for wildlife-enthusiasts. Look for grass snakes in the lake. A snake called ‘Hissing Sid’ is regularly seen lying in the heat of the warm sun.
Byron’s Pool
Many stories surround Lord Byron’s time as a student of Cambridge University. Arriving in 1805, he wrote a letter complaining that it was a place of “mess and drunkenness”. However, it seems as though Byron did manage to pass the time pleasantly enough. I’m not just talking about the pet bear he kept in his rooms. He spent a great deal of time walking in the village.
It is also said that on occasion Byron swam naked by moonlight in the lake, which is now known as Byron’s Pool. A couple of miles past Grantchester in the south Cambridgeshire countryside, the pool is surrounded by the fields. The cries of invisible birds make the trip a lovely experience and on the way home you can drop into the village for afternoon tea. If you don’t trust me, then perhaps you’ll take it from Virginia Woolf, a famous writer,—over a century after Byron, she reportedly took a trip to swim in the same pool.
1. The main idea of the passage is ________.

A．interesting stories of Lord Byron

B．an approach to becoming creative in art

C．the colorful life in the countryside

D．some places for weekend break

2. If you are a wildlife enthusiast, you’d better go to ________.

A．Byron’s Pool	B．the Botanic Garden
C．King’s Art Centre	D．Cambridgeshire

3. According to the passage, the following statements are wrong except ________.

A．there is a small charge for attending the masters’ class

B．Byron liked swimming naked in the lake

C．Byron seemed to like keeping pet bears

D．Hissing Sid and Flytrap are impressive animals

4. The author’s purpose in mentioning Virginia Woolf is to show ________.

A．she was a famous writer

B．she was keen on swimming

C．she was Byron’s admirer

D．Byron’s Pool is a pleasant place

【推荐1】When I was about 12 years old, my older brother, James, smuggled a BB gun into the house. Our parents had told us many times that we were not allowed   to bring home guns or knives, even if they were just toys. Having any form of weaponry in our home was strictly forbidden.

James brought me to his room. He opened his closet door and took out a shoebox that was buried beneath a heap of clothes. The BB gun was inside. I was immediately enamored by the shiny barrel.

"Can I shoot it, Jamesie?" I asked, hopefully.

"No way," James said, taking it from me and putting it back.

One day, when no one was home, I went into James' closet and took it out. For some inexplicable reason - I have no idea what I was thinking - I went to the front window of the second floor in our row house. I cracked the window open. I pointed the gun outside and shot. I quickly shut the window and peeked outside.

In a matter of seconds, old Mr. Schlosberg came out of his grocery store. He looked back at his store window. He looked up the street. He looked down the street. Then he looked straight across to our house.

Thankfully, Jamesie made it home before Mother or Father.

As he stepped through the door, I could hear old Mr. Schlosberg call his name. "James, James," he called. "Come here, son."

After several minutes, James ran back across the street and into the living room. I had retreated into the kitchen. "Alma!" he screamed. "Get out here! You cracked Mr. Schlosberg's window with my BB gun!"

"Oh, please, Jamesie," I begged. "Don't let him tell Mother. She will whip my bottom real good!" Jamesie sighed. He wiped my tears and went back across the street to Mr. Schlosberg’s. I don't know what James said to that man, but there was never a mention of the incident again.

Years later, I found out Jamesie had used the money he got from his newspaper route to pay for Mr. Schlosberg's cracked window. He only got one cent for every paper he delivered. He managed to pay back the debt just before he went off to fight in World WarII.

Since that day, I have never touched a gun: a BB gun, a water gun, a real gun, or any other type.

1. Why was the gun hidden in the closet?

A．The gun was too expensive.

B．The family had only one gun.

C．The law didn’t allow anyone to have a gun

D．The parents didn’t allow a gun to appear at home.

2. What did Alma expect from James after he shot Mr. Schlosberg’s window?

A．To deal with the problem.	B．To talk with his parents.
C．To throw away the gun.	D．To tell the truth.

3. Which of the following best describes James as a brother?

A．Responsible and strict.	B．Brave and determined.
C．Responsible and caring.	D．Naughty and determined.

4. The best title of the passage is _________.

A．a warmhearted brother	B．a BB gun
C．a cracked window	D．an incident

【推荐2】One night in March, five years ago, during happy hour at a bar in my hometown, I made a surprise announcement to my friends: I was going to shut down my law practice and attempt to travel around the globe in a year. What’s more, I would do it without taking any flights or making a single advance reservation of any kind. My announcement drew mixed reactions from my friends. Some offered support and encouragement, while others were more doubtful.

Once I’d said the words, there was no turning back. It took months to shut down my law practice and get things in order. Once I set off on my adventure in October 2016, I found that travelling without using planes was not easy. Trying to circle the globe in 16 months (it took me a bit longer than the initial 12 months I planned) made it even tougher. Even so, travelling overland was the most awe-inspiring way to truly understand the immensity of our wonderful planet.

I took three consecutive overnight buses to travel 3,000 km through Argentina, from Ushuaia, the world’s southernmost city, to the capital Buenos Aires. I would look out the windows for hours on end at the completely unspoiled plains, as if humans had never touched it.

It took seven consecutive days and nights on trains to get from Moscow to Beijing, each day spent gazing out the windows for hours as the West Siberian Plain swept by. Sometimes, I wouldn’t see a village or a human being for 10 hours. Later in my journey, it took 22 days on a cargo freighter to get from New Zealand through the Panama Canal and back to Philadelphia, to finish my round-the-world adventure.

It turned out that travelling with no reservations was far less difficult than I had imagined. Pulling into a city on a bus with a backpack, looking in a guidebook for a few suggestions of accommodations, and then finding an empty room was never much of a problem anywhere. It also kept me flexible and open about all my travel plans, which is advice I give everyone who asks—plan far less than you think you should.

1. The author’s trip was special in that        .

A．he made it at the expense of giving up his job	B．it hardly cost him anything
C．he did not make advance booking or travel by air	D．it was a global trip

2. The author most probably returned to the United States in        .

A．June 2017	B．December 2018
C．October 2017	D．February 2018

3. What’s the correct order of the places that the author travelled to?
①Moscow ②Philadelphia ③New Zealand ④Ushuaia ⑤Beijing ⑥Buenos

A．⑤④①⑥③②	B．④⑥①⑤③②
C．④⑤①⑥③②	D．⑤①⑥④③②

4. What does the author think of his around-the-world tour?

A．challenging but pleasing	B．dangerous but wonderful
C．boring and disappointing	D．costly and painful

【推荐3】One of the most important things that has happened to me occurred long before I was aware of it. As the story goes, I was three days old and Mom was singing “The Name Game” song to me: “Christine Bo-Bean-Banana-Fanna-Fo-Feen.” By day four, I was given a new name — Christine-Bo-Bean, or just Bo-Bee to my mother. Now, I am Bo to her and close friends.

Why is this nickname(昵称)so important to me? I once read a book with a passage about True Names which explains that when a person’s true name is spoken, she has a distinct aura(光环)around her. Although I have been Bo to my mother all my life, I recently discovered that my true name is not on my birth certificate; it’s the name that is as unique and memorable as I am.

People usually know me as Christine. They still see me as a quiet, bookish child. They don’t know who I am now. My most recent hopes, fears, goals, dreams and opinions escape their notice; it is easier to think of me as I was. In their minds, they have a box labeled “Christine” in which I fit neatly, and as Christine, I was content with the perfect packaging.

Those who call me Bo or Bo-Bee really know me. They remember who I was and realize I have changed. Bo is a tight squeeze in the old “Christine” boxes. The Bo I am is ever-changing, ever-growing and ever-learning.

When I was Christine, I was quiet, and easily scared. I feared groups, meeting new people and sharing my opinions. I was more comfortable with a book than my best friend. As Christine, I thought everyone was better than I was.

As Bo, I still love my books, but I want to discuss them. As Bo, my dream is to live where I can experience new things and meet new people. I dream about being alone on a stage lit by a single spotlight; I have that confidence now. I am equal to those I once saw as better than me.

A name shouldn’t make such a difference, but sometimes, when a person finds his or her True Name, they develop a new shine visible to friends, family and especially themselves.

I can’t always be Bo. Sometimes exposing myself is still scary and I feel too nervous; I want to hide in those old boxes. Mostly, however, I am ready for the world. So, just call me Bo.

1. When was the author given a nickname?

A．Seven days after she was born.

B．When her Mom sang the song.

C．When she received the old “Christine” box.

D．On the fourth day after she was born.

2. What does the underlined sentence imply?

A．The old boxes are not fit for the author any longer.

B．People usually know the author as Christine but she has changed.

C．The author has to live in the old boxes.

D．They don’t know the author has changed her name.

3. What kind of person was the author in the past?

A．She showed no interest in reading.

B．She loved reading and sharing books with friends.

C．She lacked confidence and preferred to be alone.

D．She took pleasure in finding new things.

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

A．Learning from Names	B．Meaning of Nicknames
C．My True Name	D．A Unique Name