【推荐3】I have just arrived in a country where I don’t know the language, where I have no family roots and where I find myself all alone. It may sound frightening. But let me tell you a little secret: it is not.

When you travel abroad by yourself for whatever reason—exchange program, internship, volunteering, or simply as a tourist—a new and fascinating world will open up for you. A world you would have never been able to see if you had just stayed at home.

People from a different country are not aliens. They are simply people like you who happened to be born in another region. They have pretty much the same wishes and worries as people from your own country.

I know that you see a lot of news on TV saying terrible things people do all the time. Your family may have spent a great deal of time telling you not to trust strangers. However, when you travel alone you will realize that people are just as good as you. Everyone is just leading their lives, working, studying and having a good time with their friends. Most people will be happy to help you and get to know you.

Maybe in the past when you would need months to travel from one place to another, traveling could be expensive. Nowadays, the world is just so connected that it is perfectly possible to find cheap flights, accommodation for all budgets and cheap and quality food.

You will get lost, but it’s fine! I can’t even count how many times I didn’t know where I was going or how to find the right direction. Everything looks great on Google maps, but sometimes your phone will die or your data will end. Just calm down. Go to a store or stop someone in the street and ask! Or simply walk around and be curious.

1. Why does the author write about his own experience in Paragraph 1?

A．To encourage people to travel.	B．To tell the benefits of traveling.
C．To show it is hard to travel alone.	D．To introduce the topic of the passage.

2. According to Paragraph 2, we can learn that______.

A．the reasons why the author goes abroad

B．traveling abroad can open up our eyes

C．most people go abroad simply for volunteering

D．traveling abroad is better than traveling at home

3. The underlined word “aliens” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to people who ______.

A．don’t like you	B．are not good looking
C．are different from you	D．have the same wishes as you

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．The terrible foreign news on TV is not true.

B．There’s no need to worry too much about traveling alone.

C．People in foreign countries live a different life.

D．It is dangerous to trust strangers when traveling alone.

【推荐1】If you think about World Heritage Sites, you probably think of places connected with ancient art and culture, historical buildings and monuments. And of course, many of these are on the World Heritage List (WHL) (世界遗产名录). But the WHL contains a lot of sites that are not so obvious. Let’s look at a few of them.

Robben Island in South Africa

This island was used through the centuries as a prison, a hospital and a military base. But it’s probably most famous as a maximum-security prison for political prisoners in the twentieth century. Nelson Mandela was one of its most famous residents. The WHL says it represents “the triumph of democracy (民主) and freedom over oppression and racism”.

Borders of France and Spain

This is an area of great natural beauty and the mountains have many interesting geological formations. But it is also an area of small farms. People there still use a type of agriculture (农业) that used to be common in mountainous areas of Europe but that has almost completely disappeared in modern times.

The city of Brasilia, Brazil

Brasilia is a capital city that was created from nothing in 1956. The WHL calls it “a landmark in the history of town planning”. The different areas of the city and the buildings themselves were all designed at the same time carefully. Every part of the city shows the ideas of the planner and architect.

Simien National Park, Ethiopia

Simien National Park was one of the first sites to be listed in 1978. It is one of the highest mountainous areas in Africa, and the WHL calls it “one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world”. It is also important for its wildlife. The population of some rare animals is getting smaller and smaller.

1. Which of the following sites was listed on the WHL for its political symbol?

A．Simien National Park, Ethiopia.	B．The city of Brasilia, Brazil.
C．Borders of France and Spain.	D．Robben Island in South Africa.

2. The WHL has listed Borders of France and Spain probably because ________.

A．it shows us past European society by the type of agriculture

B．this is an area of great natural beauty

C．the mountains there have many interesting geological formations

D．people there still use a type of agriculture that is common in Europe in modern times

3. Which of the following sites is famous for the wonderful plan of buildings?

A．Robben Island in South Africa.	B．The city of Brasilia, Brazil.
C．Borders of France and Spain.	D．Simien National Park, Ethiopia.

4. The passage mainly talks about ________.

A．the remains of ancient cultures on the WHL

B．the household heritage sites on the WHL

C．some of the less well-known sites on the WHL

D．important places of art and culture

【推荐3】Life in Death Valley

Death Valley is a huge place, extending more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California into the neighboring state of Nevada. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger.

    1    It has nearly 1.4 million hectares of desert and mountains that reach more than 3, 000 meters into the sky. Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can cause sudden floods on the floor of the valley. But, during summer months, the air temperature has been as high as 57 degrees Celsius.     2     The extreme heat of Death Valley has once killed people.

In many areas of Death Valley, it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This has created unusual and beautiful rock formations, with colors of red, brown, gray, yellow and black. In other parts of Death Valley, there are lines in the rock. The lines are evidence of the past presence of water.     3    .

Much of Death Valley is flat and extremely dry. In some areas the ground is nothing but salt. However, it would be wrong to think that nothing lives in Death Valley.     4     Wildflowers grow very quickly after even a small amount of rain. Several kinds of birds live in Death Valley. Visitors might see the dog-1ike animal called the coyote, or wild bighorn sheep, or other animals like the desert tortoise.

Throughout history, Native Americans found ways to survive in Death Valley. Rock art and other remains show that humans lived in the valley as far back as 9, 000 years ago. Nowadays, more than one million people visit it each year.     5    The sun slowly turns the valley a gold color that deepens to a soft brown, then changes to a dark red. As night comes, the mountains turn a dark purple color, then black.

A．The valley is full of life.

B．The setting sun is visitors’ favorite.

C．Images here seem to change each minute.

D．Death Valley, is a place of strange and silent beauty.

E．Death Valley doesn’t forgive those who are not careful.

F．Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes.

G．The area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years.

【推荐1】Happy Rain on a Spring Night

Good rain knows its time right;

It will fall when comes spring.

With wind it steals in night;

Mute, it moistens each thing.

O’er wild lanes dark cloud spreads;

In boat a lantern looms.

Dawn sees saturated reds;

The town’s heavy with blooms.

(Translated by Xu Yuanchong)

(Notes：mute无声的；moisten使……湿润；lane小路；loom隐现；saturated渗透的；dawn黎明；)

When Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu (712-770) wrote this poem, he was living in Chengdu. Sometimes he went to farm in the field. The poem shows his care for farmers.

The very first word, “good”, shows the poet’s joy and love for the spring rain. The rain is good indeed, as it “knows” the proper time to come. Here the poet uses personification (拟人), as if the rain were smart enough to know that it should come in time for the farmer’s busy plowing (农耕) season.

When the rain comes, it appears during the night without making any noise. Unlike the thunder (雷) and lightning of summer storms, the quiet spring rain makes its contributions without seeking (寻求) to be known.

In the night sky, the clouds look dark and heavy, indicating (暗示) that there will be enough rain during the night. Then the poet imagines: tomorrow morning, all of the flowers in the city will bloom (盛开) after the rain.

1. The poet Du Fu died when he was ________ years old.

A．57

B．58

C．67

D．68

2. Why does the poet use the word “knows” in the first line of the poem?

A．To introduce the poem.	B．To describe the rain’s smartness.
C．To show the farmer’s busy plowing.	D．To tell the proper time of rain coming.

3. Which are mentioned in the poem?
①wind   ②thunder   ③cloud   ④lighting   ⑤rain

A．②③④

B．②④⑤

C．①④⑤

D．①③⑤

4. What’s the main idea of the poem according to the text?

A．The poet’s love for rain.	B．The poet’s love for spring.
C．The poet’s care for farmers.	D．The poet’s care for the field.

【推荐2】A 2-bedroom house for rent in Downham Way, Bromley, BRI

Description

Situated in a center, this surprisingly large 2-bedroom house is a stone's throw from Grove Park station with its array of shops, bars and restaurants. What's more, it is close to local schools-primary and secondary schools.

This property is well presented, full of character and charm, and has many attractive features. It is comprised of an entrance hall, a fully fitted modern kitchen and has central gas heating. To the first floor there is a landing, giving access to two double bedrooms and a bathroom. Outside there is a well-kept garden to the front aspect of the property. Offered unfurnished and earliest viewing advised.

The house is available from 27th Nov. 2019 and it is great for professionals and families. All photographs are provided for guidance only and viewings are allowed. If you are satisfied with the house and want to rent it, 2 weeks' deposit, which is half of a month's rent, will be required.

Summary & Exclusions：

Rent Amount: £ 1,400 per month(Rent is due on 1st of the month.)

Agent Fees: £ 150

Administration Fees: £ 50

Minimum rent term is 12 months/ Maximum number of renters is 5

Bills not included

No Parking Available

Note：

If calling, please quote reference(编号):220540

Phone bookings are available from 9 am to 9 pm, 7 days a week.

1. What can we learn about the house?

A．It has a neat back garden.

B．It is equipped with tailored furniture.

C．It is near primary and secondary schools.

D．It can be booked on the phone after 8:30 am.

2. How much is the deposit if a family of three is to rent the house?

A．£ 350.

B．£ 700.

C．£ 1,050.

D．£ 1,400.

3. Who is qualified for renting the house?

A．A family of four wants to rent the house for two years.

B．A family of five wants to rent the house for half a year.

C．A family of six wants to rent the house for one year.

D．A family of three wants to rent the house for nine months.

【推荐3】How fit are your teeth? Are you lazy about brushing them? Never fear: An inventor is on the case. An electric toothbrush senses how long and how well you brush, and it lets you track your performance on your phone.

The Kolibree toothbrush was exhibited at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week. It senses how it is moved and can send the information to an Android phone or iPhone via a Bluetooth wireless(无线的) connection.

The toothbrush will be able to teach you to brush right (don’t forget the insides of the teeth!) and make sure you’re brushing long enough. “It’s kind of like having a dentist actually watch your brushing on a day-to-day basis,” says Thomas Serval, the French inventor.

The toothbrush will also be able to talk to other applications on your phone, so developers could, for example, create a game controlled by your toothbrush. You could score points for beating monsters among your teeth. “We try to make it smart and fun,” Serval says.

Serval says he was inspired by his experience as a father. He would come home from work and ask his kids if they had brushed their teeth. They said “yes,” but Serval would find their toothbrush heads dry. He decided he needed a brush that really told him how well his children brushed.

The company says the Kolibree will go on sale this summer, from $99 to $199, and the U.S. is the first target market.

Serval says that one day, it’ll be possible to take the place of the brush one the handle with a brushing unit that also has a camera. The camera can even examine holes in your teeth while you brush.

1. Which is one of the feature of the Kolibree toothbrush?

A．It can help users find their phones.	B．It can track users’ school performance.
C．It can detect users’ fear of seeing a dentist.	D．It can sense how users brush their teeth.

2. What can we learn from Serval’s words in Paragraph 3?

A．You will find it enjoyable to see a dentist.

B．You should see your dentist on a day-to –day basis.

C．You can brush with the Kolibree as if guided by a dentist.

D．You’d like a dentist to watch you brush your teeth every day.

3. What is Paragraph 5 mainly about?

A．What inspired Serval to invent the toothbrush	B．Why Serval thought brushing teeth was necessary.
C．How Serval taught his kids to brush their teeth.	D．How Serval found out his kids lied to him.

4. What can we infer about Serval’s children?

A．They were unwilling to brush their teeth

B．They often failed to clean their toothbrushes.

C．They preferred to use a toothbrush with a dry head.

D．They liked brushing their teeth after Serval came home.

5. What can we learn about the future development of the Kolibree?

A．The brush handle will be removed.	B．It will be able to check users’ teeth
C．It will be used to fill holes in teeth	D．A mobile phone will be built into it.