【推荐1】Using Google’s unique digital technology, the stories of some English Heritage Sites around the country — from Tintagel Castle in Cornwall to Chesters Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall — are brought to life and shared by way of the Google Arts & Culture platform.

Stonehenge Skyscape	The English Heritage’s Stonehenge Skyscape enables people around the world to experience the skies above the stone circle, and learn about movements of the sun, moon and planets. Experience live and special sunrise over Stonehenge, see the journey of the stars and the moon from within the stone circle and learn more about the design of Stonehenge and how its builders may have understood their place in the universe.
Osborne House, the Isle of Wight	Take a 360⁃degree video tour of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s palatial (富丽堂皇的) holiday home on the Isle of Wight in the company of English Heritage director Michael Hunter, including the Italian terraces (露台) with views over the Solent, which reminded Prince Albert of the Bay of Naples, and the Indian-inspired Durbar Room, designed to show Queen Victoria’s position as Empress of India.
Audley End House and Gardens, Essex	Explore the story of one of the greatest houses of early 17th-century England deep in the heart of the Essex countryside, and fly over the great formal gardens designed by Capability Brown.
Tintagel Castle, Cornwall	Explore this medieval (中世纪的) castle set high on Cornwall’s north coast. Linked with the legend of King Arthur, for centuries this impressive castle has inspired the imaginations of writers and artists. Discover the early medieval history of a distant outpost (偏远村镇) trading objects from Spain, North Africa and Turkey.

1. Which heritage can you choose if you are interested in unique sunrise?

A．Stonehenge Skyscape.

B．Osborne House, the Isle of Wight.

C．Audley End House and Gardens, Essex.

D．Tintagel Castle, Cornwall.

2. What do Osborne House and Tintagel Castle have in common?

A．Both were built for their kings.

B．Both were built in the same age.

C．Both are related to previous rulers.

D．Both were palatial holiday homes for the rulers.

3. In which part of a website can you read the text?

A．Language.

B．Education.

C．Geography.

D．Culture.

【推荐2】My Favourite Books

Jo Usmar is a writer for Cosmopolitan and co-author of the This Book Will series(系列) of lifestyle books. Here she picks her top reads.

Matilda
Roald Dahl

I once wrote a paper on the influence of fairy tales on Roald Dahl’s writing and it gave me a new appreciation for his strange and delightful words. Matilda’s battles with her cruel parents and the bossy headmistress, Miss Trunchbull, are equally funny and frightening, but they’re also aspirational.

After Dark
Haruki Murakami

It’s about two sisters—Eri, a model who either won’t or can’t stop sleeping, and Mari, a young student. In trying to connect to her sister, Mari starts changing her life and discovers a world of diverse “night people” who are hiding secrets.

Gone Girl
Gillian Fynn

There was a bit of me that didn’t want to love this when everyone else on the planet did, but the horror story is brilliant. There’s tension and anxiety from the beginning as Nick and Amy battle for your trust. It’s a real whodunit and the frustration when you realise what’s going on is horribly enjoyable.

The Stand
Stephen King

This is an excellent fantasy novel from one of the best storytellers around. After a serious flu outbreak wipes out 99.4% of the world’s population, a battle unfolds between good and evil among those left. Randall Flagg is one of the scariest characters ever.

1. Who does “I” refer to in the text?

A．Stephen King.	B．Gillian Flynn.
C．Jo Usmar.	D．Roald Dahl.

2. Which of the following tells about Mari and Eri?

A．Cosmopolitan.	B．Matilda.
C．After Dark.	D．The Stand.

3. What kind of book is Gone Girl?

A．A folk tale.	B．A biography.
C．A love story.	D．A horror story.

【推荐3】Special breaks: four UK’s creative places

Chair-making, Leicestershire

Spend a week in the National Forest woodlands learning to make your own chair. People having different levels of experience are welcomed. Beginners can make a single Windsor chair, while the more advanced learners can design their own chairs or try a child’s chair.

Price: £ 650 per person (including accommodation)
Dates: 21-27 Jun., 31 Jul.-6 Aug., 23-29 Aug., 4-10 Oct.
Drawing, North Yorkshire

Learn how to create beautiful pen and ink drawings on this four-day art holiday in the North York Moors. Aimed at beginners, it teaches a range of styles and techniques to build confidence and improve various drawing skills. The course is mainly based at Larpool Hall, a Georgian house with views over the Esk Valley.

Price: £ 405 per person (including accommodation and meals)
Dates: 25-28 Sept.
Celtic woodturning (木工车床加工), County Armagh

Guests stay at Bluebell Lane Glamping at the foot of Slieve Gullion in the Ring of Gullion area of outstanding natural beauty, near Newry. The three-night break includes a full-day beginners’ woodturning workshop, where participants make their own bowl from locally sourced wood, learning how to use a lathe (车床), sharpen tools, sand and finish. There is also a break for a guided walk through the 11-hectare woodland surrounding the site.

Price: £ 238 (including meals)
Dates: 21-23 Aug.
Wildlife photography, Dorset

Red squirrels are now very rare in England, but Brownsea Island has a large population of red squirrels. On this two-night trip, guests will explore the island and learn how to photograph the creatures in the woodlands. Led by Emma Healey and Sean Weekly, the course is an opportunity to take advantage of the best light of the day to take wildlife photographs.

Price: £ 475 per person (including accommodation, meals and student fees)
Dates: 14 -15 Sept.
1. Which place will you choose if you want to enjoy a four-day vacation?

A．Dorset.

B．Leicestershire.

C．County Armagh.

D．North Yorkshire.

2. What should you avoid doing if you don’t want to pay extra for meals?

A．Drawing.	B．Taking wildlife photos.
C．Experiencing chair making.	D．Learning Celtic woodturning.

3. What do the four activities mentioned above have in common?

A．They are all aimed at beginners.

B．They are all based at woodlands.

C．They all have professional leaders.

D．They all help improve people’s practical skills.

【推荐2】Calming, relaxing, full of greenery, beautiful plants and impressive shows — that’s the Chicago Botanic Garden. It consists of a collection of 27 attractive gardens covering 385 acres and exhibiting millions of flowers trees and plants. Many colors including pink, purple, and yellow will make you fall in love with it at first glance. The Midwest Daffodil Society Show puts hundreds of daffodils on exhibition that will be judged by the authorities. The show includes flower design and photography competitions. The Ikebana International Show presents an exhibition of traditional Japanese flower arranging. The Midwest Fruit Explorers presents this hands-on workshop with step-by-step instructions on how to graft (嫁接) and care for fruit trees. Why not head to this mysterious and wonderful garden?

·Garden time & admission fee:

Daily Hours	8 a.m. — 7 p.m.
Garden View Cafe	8 a.m. — 4 p.m.
Garden Shop	10 a.m. — 4 p.m.

	Members	Nonmembers
Adults	$7	$8
Children (3 — 12 yrs)	$5	$6
Children (2 and under)	Free	Free
Ten-visit pass	$50	$60

·Accessibility at the garden:

No pets please with the exception of guide dogs and other service animals.

·Electronic Convenience Vehicles (ECVs) are available for rent in the Visitor Center on a first come, first served basis. The following fees apply: members $15, non-members $20. ECVs will not be rented for indoor use.
·Wheelchairs are available for free at the Information Desk in the Visitor Center.
1. What can visitors do at the Chicago Botanic Garden?

A．Sell flowers, trees and plants.	B．Learn about fruit tree planting.
C．Judge hundreds of daffodils.	D．Admire Chinese flower arranging.

2. How much will a couple with membership cards pay if they take their two-year-old son to the garden?

A．$14.

B．$15.

C．$17.

D．$24.

3. What service can visitors enjoy in the garden?

A．Drinking free coffee at 4 p.m.	B．Renting indoor ECV anytime.
C．Paying for wheelchair service.	D．Taking their service animals.

【推荐3】Khotyn Fortress

Built in the 13th-14th century, it lies on the bank of the Dniester River in Khotyn, of western Ukraine. It is also in the historical northern Bessarabia region which was split in 1940 between Ukraine an Moldova. And it is near to the Old Kam'yanets Castle of Kamianets-Podilskyi, which was also used as a famous defensive structure. It is convenient to book the hotels nearby it at low prices, such as Premier Club, Reikartz Kamianets-Podilsky and so on.

Kamianets Podilski Castle

It lies in the Khmelnytsky Region, Ukraine. This architectural treasure is about 800 years old. Its architecture which unites best western and eastern traditions fits into the nature perfectly. The castle consists of minaret buildings , a town hall , an Orthodox church and a Polish Catholic church. Its beauty has been attracting tourists from all over the world for many years

Vorontsov Palace

It is an historic palace lying at the foot of the Crimean Mountains near the town of Alupka in Crimea. It is one of the oldest and largest palaces in Crimea, and one of the most popular tourist attractions on Crimea's southern coast. The construction of the palace began in the early nineteenth century, according to a project by English architect Edward Blore and it was supposed to be the palace for Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov to spend summer.

The Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans

It was built between the years 1864-1882 according to the designs of the Czech architect Josef Hlavka. The Residence, whose buildings are now part of Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011.

1. What can we know about Khotyn Fortress?

A．It served as defence work.

B．It is open to the public for free.

C．It is the oldest building in Ukraine.

D．It was divided into two parts in 1940.

2. Which has the shortest history?

A．The Kamianets Podilski Castle.

B．The Khotyn Fortress.

C．The Vorontsov Palace

D．The Residence of Bukovinian and Dalmatian Metropolitans.

3. From which is the text probably taken?

A．A travel magazine.

B．A science brochure.

C．A research paper on history.

D．A geography textbook.

【推荐1】Scientists from Imperial College London have found that using virtual reality(VR)headsets can reduce sensitivity to pain, by immersing(沉浸)people in icy Arctic scenery. In a study published in Pain Reports, a team from Imperial used VR video to reduce people’s sensitivity to ongoing pain and sharp shooting pain.

According to the researchers, the findings add to the growing evidence for the potential of VR technology to help patients with long-term pain. Beyond the distracting effect, they think VR may actually cause the body’s own inbuilt pain-fighting systems to start working.

Dr Sam Hughes, the first author on the paper, said "Our work suggests that VR may be getting involved in processes in the key parts of our inbuilt pain-fighting systems and are helpful in regulating the spread of increased sensitivity to pain.

To test their theory, researchers applied a cream containing capsaicin(辣椒素)-the chemical that makes your mouth bum-to 15 healthy volunteers. The capsaicin makes the skin more sensitive to painful stimuli(刺激)like a very small electric shock.

In the first trial, participants were then asked to rate the pain caused by the capsaicin cream on a scale of 0-100 (from 'no pain' to 'worst pain possible' )while either watching a VR scene of Arctic exploration through a headset, or looking at a still image of an Arctic scene on a monitor. Under the same conditions, they were also asked to say when a stimulus applied directly to the skin area is considered as painful.

The team found that ongoing pain was reduced following VR immersion, and that sensitivity to painful stimuli was also reduced. However, the same effect was not seen in people who looked at still images of the polar environment.

They explain that while the findings made at the beginning are encouraging, the study is limited by the small number of healthy participants, without long-term pain. However, the researchers believe VR could hold a bright future to treat patients with long-term pain who have poor inbuilt pain fighting systems.

1. How can VR possibly help long-term pain sufferers?

A．By making their pain-fighting systems function.

B．By drawing their attention to fighting pain.

C．By controlling the spread of pain sensitivity.

D．By slowing down their brains' reaction to pain.

2. Which step comes first in their theory testing?

A．Making a capsaicin cream.

B．Putting on virtual reality headsets.

C．Applying capsaicin cream to the skin.

D．Looking at pictures on a computer screen.

3. What conclusion can be drawn from the trial?

A．Still images helped to ease people's pain.

B．VR immersion was the key factor in pain reduction.

C．Healthy people were less sensitive to VR than pain sufferers.

D．Capsaicin cream brought people more pain than electronic stimulus.

4. What does the last paragraph imply?

A．The team feels confident about future VR treatment.

B．The researchers will work on the side effect of VR.

C．VR treatment can be applied in other medical fields.

D．The trial only has an effect on short-term pain patients.

【推荐2】Music is magic! Music speaks louder than words and it is a “language” that the whole world can understand. A piece of music can produce a response in the heart and mind. Like feeling an electrical current or receiving a personal radio signal, music has a spiritual effect on a person. Different kinds of music influence people in different ways.

I have listened to music all my life. When I was twelve years old, the Beatles came to America and my whole world opened up. Maybe young people today cannot understand the influence of the Beatles when they exploded across America. Their influence changed the way we dressed, looked, acted and spoke ... even our culture. The Beatles arrived in America from the UK just under three months after the assassination (暗杀) of President John Kennedy, which had put America into a great depression. And the freshness and lively spirit of the Beatles was exactly what the country needed to refresh itself.

Music links the heart of the hearer with that of the composer. This means that it mixes the spirit of the composer with your spirit when you listen to it. And the music can take your spirit out of your body and transport you into another world. Music has a great way of touching people. Music can make you laugh, cry or shout. It's also a great source of inspiration.

Try this one day and notice what happens: make yourself a cup of tea, sit on your sofa and play one of your favorite songs. Close your eyes, and soon you'll find yourself creating vivid mental images—matching the music that you are listening to.

1. Music has magical power because it ________.

A．is a kind of language	B．can be played much louder than words
C．receives a personal radio signal	D．can influence a person's spirit

2. What can we learn about the Beatles from the passage?

A．They appeared at a special time in American politics.

B．They are not accepted by modern American people.

C．They were the biggest band in American history.

D．They represented the roots of American culture.

3. It can be learned from the passage that the author ________.

A．has been influenced by the Beatles

B．enjoys drinking tea in his spare time

C．admires President John Kennedy very much

D．likes to match his own feeling with that of the composer