【推荐1】If you want to attend the hottest events of 2014, don’t waste your time looking through dozens of hotel options（选择）or vacation packages. Instead, look to cruise ships（坐航游）that can ferry you to and from the most expected holiday, sporting, and cultural events of the year.
Here’s a look at the some of the most popular:
Australian Open in Melbourne (January 13–26, 2014)
Tennis fans worldwide are eager for the tickets to matches at any one of the four annual Grand Slam events: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. In January 2014, luxury cruise line Silversea will offer fans a three-night pre-cruise package to the 109th Australian Open in Melbourne. Silversea passengers will attend third round singles matches at Rod Laver Arena on January 17 and 18 before taking the 382-passenger Silver Shadow for a special 15-night Melbourne to Bali voyage.
Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (February 28–March 4, 2014)
Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival is one of the most popular celebrations of its kind in the world, drawing two million visitors each and every day of the festivities that include parades, street fairs, and costume balls. Holland America’s Maasdam will spend three days in Rio during Carnival as part of its 26-day Amazon & Carnival Explorer journey.
2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil (June 12–July 13, 2014)
If you’re a soccer fan that came up empty in the search for a hotel room for the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals in Rio de Janeiro, there’s still hope. Book MSC Cruises’ 18-night Miami to Rio voyage aboard Divina. The ship departs Miami on May 24 and arrives in Rio just in time for the World Cup.
New Year’s Eve in Hong Kong (December 31, 2014)
Hong Kong is a magical destination（目的地）and New Year’s Eve festivities and fireworks pull out all the stops to make a holiday trip to that city even more attractive. Crystal Cruises’ all-inclusive luxury ship, Symphony, will spend two nights in Hong Kong-- and celebrate New Year’s Eve Chinese-style—during its 15-night holiday voyage that leaves Bangkok on December 21. This roundtrip voyage also calls on Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam.
1. According to the passage, which of the following ships will take the longest time of voyage?

A．Silver Shadow.

B．Maasdam.

C．Divina.

D．Symphony.

2. The events that will take place in Rio de Janeiro in 2014 are ___________.

A．Carnival and FIFA World Cup

B．New Year’s Eve fireworks and Carnival

C．the Australian Open and Grand Slam events

D．New Year's Eve fireworks and FIFA

3. Where does this passage probably come from?

A．In a sports magazine.	B．In a textbook.
C．In a science report.	D．In a travel brochure.

4. The main purpose of the passage is to ___________.

A．give information about the hottest events of 2014

B．introduce cruise ships to some big events of 2014

C．describe the most popular tourist destinations in 2014

D．persuade readers to take cruise ships for 2014 holiday

【推荐1】Many of China's ancient architectural treasures smashed（粉碎）to dust before Lin Huiyin and Liang Sicheng began documenting them in the 1930s. The husband and wife team were among the first preservationists to operate in China, and by far the best known. Their efforts have since inspired generations of people to speak out for architecture threatened by the rush toward development.

Becoming China's best architectural historians was no easy accomplishment. The buildings they wanted to save were centuries old located in distant parts of the country. In many cases, they had to journey through tough conditions in the Chinese countryside to reach them. Exploring China's remote areas during the 1930s meant traveling muddy, poorly maintained roads by mule（骡子）or on foot. Inns often provided food that could be polluted, and there was always risk from wild animals.

Their greatest discovery was the Temple of Buddha's Light, in Wutai County, Shanxi Province. The construction of the breathtaking wooden temple began in 471 AD, making it the oldest building known in China at the time.

Liang and Lin crawled into the temple's most forbidden, forgotten areas to determine its age, including one hideaway controlled by thousands of bats and millions of bedbugs（臭虫）, covered in dust and littered with dead bats. "In complete darkness and among the awful smell, hardly breathing, with thick masks covering our noses and mouths, we measured, drew, and photographed with flashlights for several hours. When at last we came out to take a breath of fresh air, we found hundreds of bedbugs in our bag. We ourselves had been badly bitten. Yet the importance and unexpectedness of our find made those the happiest hours of my years hunting for ancient architecture.” Liang wrote of the experience in an account included in Liang and Lin: Partners in Exploring China's Architectural Past.

1. Liang and Lin raised public awareness of_________.

A．protecting historical buildings	B．documenting historical events
C．becoming architectural historians	D．exploring China's architectural history

2. What does paragraph 2 mainly talk about?

A．The achievements of China's ancient architects.

B．The terrible living conditions in remote areas.

C．The destruction of some ancient buildings.

D．The difficulties during Liang and Lin's exploration.

3. While exploring the Temple of Buddha's Light, Liang and Lin __________.

A．caught insects with an awful smell	B．were forbidden to use flashlights
C．were pleased at something amazing	D．determined its age by studying the bedbugs

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Tough conditions in China's remote areas

B．Partners in documenting China's architectural treasures

C．The reason why Liang and Lin began their exploration

D．The difficulties China's architectural historians are facing

【推荐2】Singapore’s tradition of eating out in places called hawker centers is now recognized by the United Nations for its cultural importance.

A hawker is a person who sells food or goods and advertises by shouting at people walking by on the street. Hawkers are an important part of Singaporean culture. Open-air eating areas where hawkers sell their goods are very popular. Famous chefs, such as Anthony Bourdain and Gordon Ramsay have praised them.

On Wednesday, the United Nations, cultural agency, UNESCO, added the city’s ”hawker culture“ to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Singapore looked for ways to have hawker culture added to the list about two years ago. Now that it has been recognized, Singapore must provide a report every six years to UNESCO. The report must show efforts the city-state has made to save and support its hawker culture.

“These centers serve as ‘community dining rooms’, where people from different backgrounds gather and share the experience of dining over breakfast, lunch and dinner,” UNESCO said.

In the 1970s, Singapore cleaned up its streets so the city moved street hawkers to new eating centers. These areas were part of an effort to improve the island. Now, the centers offer many different low-cost meals for local people and provide a pleasing social setting. The 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians showed its stars enjoying meals at a famous night market. Some sellers even received Michelin stars from a famous restaurant rating system for their meals costing only a few dollars.

But now the average age of a hawker in Singapore is 60 years old. Younger Singaporeans now want to work in offices. They are less interested in working in small restaurants. The COVID-19 health crisis also hurt sales, preventing foreign visitors and locals from eating out.

1. What do we know about hawkers from paragraph 2?

A．They are Singapore natives.	B．They are famous chefs.
C．They sell goods in the open-air area.	D．They are popular all over the world.

2. Why is hawker culture added to UNESCO’s list?

A．For its importance in showing Singapore’s culture.	B．For the efforts Singapore has made.
C．For the report Singapore provided.	D．For the recommendation by UNESCO.

3. Why is the film Crazy Rich Asians mentioned?

A．To show the popularity of hawker centers.	B．To tell the experience of the stars.
C．To introduce the setting of the film.	D．To help the sellers receive Michelin stars.

4. What is the last paragraph mainly about?

A．The average age of hawkers.	B．The difficulties hawker culture is facing.
C．The effect caused by COVID-19.	D．The future of the hawker culture.

【推荐3】Discoveries at the famous Sanxingdui ruins in Southwest China show that the region’s ancient Shu Kingdom Civilization shared similarities with the Maya.

The Sanxingdui ruins belonged to the Shu Kingdom that existed at least 4,800 years ago and lasted more than 2,000 years, while the Mayan civilization built its city-states around 200 AD．

The bronze-made remains of trees unearthed at the ruins of the Shu Kingdom resemble the sacred ceiba tree, which symbolized the union of heaven, earth and the underworld in the Mayan civilization. “They are very important similarities,” says Santos, a Mexican archaeologist (考古学家) stressing that “the representations of trees in both cultures provide a symbolism that is very similar”.

The findings at the Sanxingdui ruins, considered one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century, also show a new aspect of Bronze Age culture, indicating the ancient civilization already had technologies that were thought to have been developed much later.

While the time span between the Shu kingdom and the Mayan culture is great, the findings highlight the closeness between the two civilizations. They developed in areas with comparable climates and reflected their worldview through related symbols. “In the end, man is still man, independent of time and space. What we have is that, at this latitude (纬度), both the Shu people and the Mayans looked at the same sky and had the same stars on the horizon,” the expert says.

One notable feature of the recent discoveries at Sanxingdui was the cross-subject work and technology applied by teams of Chinese archaeologists, which allowed the unearthing of artifacts as fragile as silk remains, which other types of less careful digging methods would not have been able to register.

Cooperation between Chinese and Mexican archaeologists could benefit projects in the Mayan world, where the rainy climate and humidity are problematic for the conservation of ruins.

“Every time our cultural knowledge increases, regardless of whether we speak one language or another, what it shows us is that we continue to be sister cultures and, therefore, the exchange of such knowledge is fundamental,” says Santos.

1. What is a similarity between the Shu Kingdom and Maya civilization?

A．Their starting time.	B．Their historical origins.
C．Their cultural symbols.	D．Their ceremony traditions.

2. The findings at the Sanxingdui ruins have proved that ________.

A．silk was a common clothing material then

B．some technologies were developed much earlier

C．the Bronze Age started earlier than previously assumed

D．the Shu Kingdom and the Mayan world had close contact

3. What is a common challenge for the conservation of both ruins?

A．Damp weather.	B．Positioning of ruins.
C．High latitude.	D．Language barriers.

4. What is the focus of Santos quote in the last paragraph?

A．Our cultural knowledge is increasing.

B．The benefits of speaking a different language.

C．The increasing sisterhood in culture between China and Mexico.

D．The importance of the exchange of cultural knowledge.

【推荐2】Advice on visiting London

London is the most visited city in the UK and one of the worldsfavourite destinations. If you are in London and want to find the best and most exciting places to visit, the best shows and great nightlife, here is your tour guide.

Visiting Buckingham Palace

Being London’s landmark, this grand 775-room building is where Queen Elizabeth hosts feasts and meets heads of state. But if you’re dreaming of taking a visit to it, you’ll need to plan your trip carefully. The palace is typically only open during the summer months from July 23rd to October 3rd. Visiting hours are from 9:30 a. m. to 6:30 p. m. If you’re visiting when the palace isn’t available to tour, you can still see the Changing of the Guard.

Hitting the London Eye

The London Eye is a playful addition to the city skyline. Standing near centuries-old architecture, this Ferris wheel goes round slowly over the left bank of the Thames, serving up views over the London Bridge and the Shard to the west, plus a wide sight of the Palace of Westminster. Buy your tickets in advance online, choose a clear day and go first thing in the morning to avoid crowds peak.

Drinking afternoon tea

Afternoon tea — a sacred, buttery ritual (仪式) — is the reason enough to come to London. The British have taken a simple tea break and turned it into a luxurious ceremony, complete with patterned china, layered plates of finger sandwiches and cream and jam. And we haven’t mentioned the cakes, which are often brought around on a wheeled cart. When making a reservation, remember that afternoon tea isn’t a snack but a full meal with sweet and salty elements, and you’ll be stuffed. The smart move is to skip lunch and maybe even dinner.

Top shows and best nights out in London

Here is our choice of the ten top London shows: Dominion Theatre; The Lion King Lyceum Theatre; Billy Elliot Victoria Palace Theatre; Phantom of the Opera Her Majesty’s Theatre; Thriller Lyric Theatre and the The Mousetrap St Martin’s Theatre.

1. Which is a proper time to visit Buckingham Palace?

A．July. 18, 10 a.m.	B．Aug. 23, 8:30 a.m.
C．Sep. 27, 3 p.m.	D．Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m.

2. The attraction of the London Eye lies in the fact that _______.

A．it provides a good view of some places of interest

B．it makes London’s skyline seem more harmonious

C．it spins quickly over the left bank of the Thames

D．it is more historic compared to the nearby buildings

3. What do we know about British afternoon tea?

A．It is a short break with light snacks.

B．It is a full meal with various tasty foods.

C．It combines sour and sweet flavours well.

D．It is complete with pretty silver dishware.

【推荐3】Shopping

Europe's busiest shopping street

London is a shopper's paradise and one of the best places to go is Oxford Street. Selfridges, one of the world's first department store, is here. There are at least four other major stores and European's largest music shop. In December the Christmas lights are always switched on by a famous person. Nearby in Regent Street is Hamleys. This is the biggest toy store in the world, opened in 1881.

All things for all people

A fashionable area for shopping is Kensington High Street. You can buy clothes, cosmetics and accessories here and there's an organic food supermarket. Harrods in Knightbridge has 330 different departments and sells absolutely everything, from electronic goods and jewellery to pet food and furniture. The food hall is spectacular and if you feel hungry, you can choose from 32 different restaurants.

Markets

You can't leave London without visiting a market. One of the oldest is Borough market. Walk around and look at the fresh fish, bakeries, and fruit and vegetable sellers. You can also buy specialist food, like cheese, pork pies and chutney. For antiques, jewellery or collector’s items go to Portobello Road on a Saturday. You never know what you will find. If you like browsing for jewellery and gifts, there is nothing better than Covent Garden market. There are lots of cafes here and always some kind of street entertainment.

Outside the city

Tired of city life? Most medium—sized towns in Britain have regular farmers' markets. Here local producers sell their food, drink and handicrafts—they will usually let you try the bread, cakes or wine before you buy. One market town called Totnes even introduced its own currency. Now seventy local businesses accept it.

1. Which place in London is a music fan's paradise?

A．Kensington High Street.	B．Regent Street.
C．Oxford Street.	D．Harrods in Knightbridge.

2. Why are markets recommended to visitors?

A．Because the oldest Borough market is full of snacks and vegetables.

B．Because antiques, jewellery or gifts may go beyond your expectations.

C．Because visitors can go to Portobello Road to choose antiques on Sundays.

D．Because visitors can try the local bread, cakes or wine after they buy.

3. What's the purpose of writing the passage?

A．To introduce readers to Britain cultures.

B．To present readers with guidelines in life.

C．To instruct readers in the history of shops.

D．To inform readers of some specialty shops.