【推荐3】Bored? lonely? Out of condition? Need to relax? Why not try the SPORTS CENTER?

TENNIS

Indoor and outdoor courts. Coaching from beginners to advanced learners. Children only. Mornings.

SKIING

Gentle slopes (坡). 3 levels instructors at weekends and Fridays. Daytime practice.8 years old upwards.

SWIMMING

2 pools, heated, Olympic length.

Women: Tuesday and Thursday.

Men: Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Children: Saturday.

GOLF

9 hole practice course. Professional coaching. Lessons must be booked in advance in daytime. Evening practice. Minimum age-9 years.

GYMNASTICS

Maximum age-18 years.

Children aged 5-10: Mondays and Wednesdays. 4:00-6:00p.m.

10-18 year olds: Friday evenings.

AND MANY MORE

Table Tennis, Snooker (斯诺克台球), Darts (掷镖), Café (all day), Bar (lunch time and evenings), Nursery (weekdays and weekends, not evenings).

Center open: 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. Daily.

Interested? More details, call 800-1234-5678.

1. What is the purpose of the advertisement?

A．To show some ways to spend weekends.

B．To introduce a place to relax ourselves.

C．To introduce some events in a sports meet.

D．To give people some ideas to spend their holidays.

2. What can we learn from this passage?

A．People can play tennis day and night.

B．People under 20 can also take gymnastics.

C．Children at any age can play golf in the center.

D．Men and women swim in the center separately.

3. How many sports events are mentioned in the passage?

A．5.	B．6.
C．8.	D．11.

【推荐1】Welcome to the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Traditionally, the festival opens from Dec. 24th and lasts to the middle of February. But its official opening ceremony is usually held on January 5th each year. Here is a three-day-trip for you.

Day 1 Activities: Airport to hotel transfer

Driver Service (one-way airport to hotel): Fly into Harbin Taiping International Airport. Be greeted by our Chinese speaking driver who will take your luggage to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to know about the city.

Day 2 Activities: Sun Island Snow Sculpture Art Expo, Harbin Ice and Snow World

Driver & Guide Service: At 09:00 am, we will drive you to the Sun Island, where the International Snow Sculpture Art Expo is held every winter. You can see different wonderful snow sculptures and choose to pay and enjoy some activities, like playing snow tubing, going dog sledding etc. Then visit the most important theme park of the ice festival – Ice and Snow World, which features interesting winter activities, evening shows and ice sculptures.

Day 3 Activities: Heilongjiang Provincial Museum, Central Street, airport transfer

Driver & Guide Service: At 09:00 am, we will pay a visit to Heilongjiang Provincial Museum. Then enjoy a free walk on the historical Central Street. Later, head to the airport for the flight to your next destination.

1. When can we go to the ice festival?

A．On December 20th.	B．On March 5th.
C．On February 28th.	D．On January 15th.

2. Tourists can explore Harbin by themselves   ___________.

A．every day

B．on Day 1

C．on Day 2

D．on Day 3

3. Which activity requires extra pay?

A．Playing snow tubing.

B．Heading to the airport by car.

C．Seeing all kinds of snow sculptures.

D．Visiting Heilongjiang Provincial Museum.

【推荐2】Europe is one of the best travelling options for everyone. It’s rich in culture, and every country is distinct in beauty. Plus, the cuisine is not to be missed. Here are the best four European cities to travel to!

Vienna

The capital of Austria, Vienna, is the largest city in the country, and it’s also a cultural, economic and political center. It is known as the city of music and the city of dreams, being an important place for Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. It’s also considered one of the cities in the world which is suitable for living and where the quality of life is high.

Berlin

Berlin is the capital of Germany and is the place of culture, politics, media and science. It holds a strong history, and you can learn many things about the city’s contributions to the whole world. Travelling to Berlin is quite easy, given that it’s an accessible city and you have plenty of affordable options such as trains, trams, buses and the metro.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark and is known to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world. It’s full of Michelin-starred restaurants, has plenty of museums and holds the Copenhagen Fashion Week, which is the largest fashion event in Northern Europe.

Amsterdam

The capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, is known for the number of canals that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are also the main attraction of the city, but that’s not all. The good thing about Amsterdam is that you can visit it by bike, as it has one of the best networks of cycle routes in the world.

1. Which is not a reason for traveling to Europe?

A．Yummy food.

B．Natural scenery.

C．Adequate culture.

D．Good transportation.

2. If you are a fashionable icon, which city will you choose to visit?

A．Vienna.

B．Berlin.

C．Copenhagen.

D．Amsterdam.

3. Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．Vienna wins a reputation for being livable.

B．Berlin is less influential compared to others.

C．Copenhagen is modern but not eco-friendly.

D．Transportation can be an issue in Amsterdam.

【推荐1】There are more species of beetles than any other form of life. About 380 000 species of beetles are known to exist, and more are discovered all the time. There are several theories about why there are so many beetles, but fossils evidence shows that beetle species die out less than other animals, Beetle species exist in such huge number because beetles are true survivors. They refuse to die out.

One of the reasons beetles survive so well is their body design. Most beetle species have two pairs of wings. The front pair of a beetle’s wings are hard and thick. They are not used for flying. These protect the back set of wings and the beetle’s stomach. Instead, some species of beetles have lost the ability to fly, but they are still equipped with front wings. The wings protect the beetle’s soft parts from harm. These features help protect beetles, which makes them less likely to die out if they are faced with new predators (捕食性动物).

Beetles can also eat a wide range of foods. Beetle species live all over the world, and they have many different types of food available to them. Most beetles are omnivores. That means they eat both plants and animals. Their mixed diets help beetles adapt to many different habitats. Over the course of time, food sources, like certain plants and animals, do not exist anymore. Others spring up. The beetle survives because it can find something to eat, no matter what.

Finally, beetles are good at moving quickly over long distance. Any change in an animal’s environment can be dangerous to it. For example, many species died out during the Ice Age, when Earth’s temperature dropped for a long time. However, some species can avoid dangerous environment changes by moving to a new place. Research shows that beetles respond quickly to shifts in temperature. They can move to safer environments.

Beetles’ bodies and habits help give them an edge over other creatures. They are unlikely to die out. As a result, beetles make up nearly one quarter of all animal species. There are more types of beetles on Earth than there are types of plants. Some types of beetles that exist today were around during the Permian period of history, 284 million years ago. Beetles, clearly, are here to stay.

1. What is important about a beetle’s front wings?

A．They are used to catch the prey.

B．They enable the beetle to fly.

C．They help the beetle move quickly.

D．They protect the soft body parts.

2. How do beetles respond to changes of habitats?

A．They are adaptable to the food change.

B．They can change their body temperature.

C．They are adaptable to the freezing cold weather.

D．They can use their wings to fight against the cold.

3. What is the most probable title of the passage?

A．The Ice Age affected the beetles

B．Different habitats affected the beetles

C．Beetles: the six-legged survivors

D．Beetles: the unique predators

【推荐2】A bra (胸罩) that can be used as a gas mask. Hitting beer bottles over peopled heads. How to turn tequila(龙舌兰) into diamonds? These are just some of the themes for this year’s Ig Nobel prizes—the most unusual scientific award ceremony in the world. And the winners are...

The chemistry prize went to Javier Morales from the National University of Mexico for his research into how to make diamonds from tequila.   He used a pressure container to do this.

The public health prize was awarded to Elena Bodnar of Illinois, for patenting a bra that can be changed into a pair of gas masks. “It was inspired by the Chernobyl nuclear accident," said Bodnar, who is originally from the Ukraine.

The physics prize was awarded to Katherine Whitcome at the University of Cincinnati and colleagues. They looked into the question of why pregnant women don’t fall over.

The veterinary(兽医的) medicine prize was awarded to Catherine Douglas and Peter Rowlinson of Newcastle University's school of agriculture. Their research showed that giving cows names such as Daisy increases their milk production. "It’s the highlight of my career, ” said Douglas.

"The work amused the public, but it also addressed a serious problem about the welfare of animals.”

The peace prize went to Stephan Bolliger and his colleagues from the University of Bern in Switzerland. They did experiments to discover whether it’s more painful to hit someone on the head with a full beer bottle or an empty one. “Empty beer bottles are stronger than full ones,” the researchers reported.

And the economics prize went to the officials of four Icelandic banks (Kaupthing bank, Landsbanki, Glitnir bank and Central Bank of Iceland) for demonstrating that tiny banks can be rapidly transformed into huge banks, and vice versa.

It's nice to think that this amazing research is getting the attention it deserves!

1. What prize did Javier Morales win?

A．The chemistry prize.	B．The physics prize.
C．The public health prize.	D．The economics prize.

2. Why was the public health prize awarded to Elena Bodnar?

A．Because he got inspiration from the nuclear accident.

B．Because he knew how to change tequila into diamonds.

C．Because he patented a bra that can be used as a gas mask.

D．Because he found out why pregnant women don't fall over.

3. According to Paragraph 5, what will happen when cows get names?

A．They will produce more milk.

B．They will grow more quickly.

C．The public will feel amused.

D．A serious problem will become amusing.

4. How did people feel the veterinary medicine prize?

A．Puzzling.	B．Amusing.
C．Disappointing.	D．Confusing.

【推荐3】Going green seems to be a fad(时尚)for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.

On April 22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.

With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.

Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic(有机的)stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.

Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.

1. Why do the author and his wife decide to start their Green Year？

A．To challenge themselves.

B．To cater to (迎合) the fad.

C．To help the environment.

D．To educate others.

2. What is their effort to own a green lifestyle?

A．educating people to push the message of going green.

B．choosing green food.

C．saying no to meat.

D．selling what they owned online.

3. What would happen if the author or his wife cleaned their house with chemical cleaners?

A．He or she would be praised.

B．He or she would be given a cup of lemon juice.

C．He or she would be enjoy the home-made fresh bread.

D．He or she would be fined.

4. What do the author and his wife learn from their Green Year?

A．People’s minds can be changed.

B．People can go green.

C．People can educate others.

D．People can help the planet.

【推荐1】For the past decade, Noutsady has been working with the Power Construction Corporation of China (POWERCHINA) and grown into an experienced and reliable staff member of its Laos' branch company.

Noutsady, born in 1986 in central Laos' hilly Hin Heup District, went to the capital Vientiane alone at the age of 21 to look for a job and go on with her study. In 2009, with sound knowledge of accounting and favorable English communication skills, she stood out from many applicants and became an employee of POWERCHINA's Lao Cement Industry Co., Lid. Noutsady showed her talent and ability soon in the accounting position, completing nearly 200 payments for more than 50 downstream carriers every month, timely and accurately.

Working and spending time together has brought Noutsady and her Chinese colleagues closer. "I feel great with POWERCHINA, and I will try to achieve the same like POWERCHINA to 'keep promises and make promises valuable' and start a new life here," Noutsady told reporters.

When talking about the cement products of the company, Noutsady is full of pride. "We are one of the earliest cement producers in Laos," she said. "From the many hydropower plants around the country to the broad 450th Anniversary Avenue in the capital and the splendid Lao National Convention Center, even many house buildings in my hometown, our cement is used."

In the last decade, the Lao lady has not only seen the development of the cement company, but also set up her own small family. Now, Noutsady lives with her daughter in a comfortable apartment provided by the company. At the end of 2019, she was honored as an outstanding foreign employee of POWERCHINA. "Another new decade has begun and I will value it even more, loving my daughter, loving my life and loving my POWERCHINA," said Noutsady.

1. What does Noutsady do in the company?

A．An interpreter.

B．An accountant.

C．A salesperson.

D．A reporter,

2. What does Noutsady think of her career?

A．Worthwhile.

B．Competitive.

C．Challenging.

D．Unique.

3. What does the author want to tell us in Paragraph 4?

A．Many power plants have been built in Laos.	B．Laos has changed a lot in the past ten years.
C．Noutsady is satisfied with her achievements.	D．Cement of POWERCHINA is popular in Laos.

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

A．A Successful Lao Woman Living in China

B．POWERCHINA's Significant Influence on Laos

C．Valuable Memories of a Lao Lady Working in China

D．Noutsady's 10-year Experience in a Chinese Company

【推荐2】(The New York Times, Oct.7) The 2019 Nobel Prize in physiology(生理学) or medicine was jointly awarded to three scientists — William G. Kaelin Jr., Peter J. Ratcliffe and Gregg L. Semenza — for their work on how cells sense and adapt to oxygen availability. The Nobel Assembly announced the prize at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm on Monday.

Their work established the genetic mechanisms(机制) that allow cells to respond to changes in oxygen levels. The findings have implications(启示) for treating a variety of diseases.

Why did they win?

“Oxygen is the lifeblood of living organisms(生物体),” said Dr. George Daley, dean of Harvard Medical School. “Without oxygen, cells can’t survive.” But too much or too little oxygen can be deadly. The three researchers tried to answer this question: How do cells regulate their responses?

The investigators uncovered detailed genetic responses to changing oxygen levels that allow cells in the bodies of humans and other animals to sense and respond to fluctuations(波动), increasing and decreasing how much oxygen they receive.

Why is the work important?

The discoveries reveal the cellular mechanisms that control such things as adaptation to high altitudes and how cancer cells manage to hijack(攫取) oxygen. Randall Johnson, a member of the Nobel Assembly, described the work as a “textbook discovery” and said it would be something students would start learning at the most basic levels of biology education.

“This is a basic aspect of how a cell works, and I think from that standpoint alone it’s a very exciting thing.” Johnson said.

The research also has implications for treating various diseases in which oxygen is in short supply — including anemia, heart attacks and strokes — as well as for treatment of cancers that are fed by and seek out oxygen.

1. This research has won the Nobel Prize mainly because ____________.

A．there was no research of this kind in the past

B．oxygen is the lifeblood of living things

C．it has uncovered how cells sense and respond to changes in oxygen levels

D．various diseases will be cured with the help of the findings of the research

2. We can learn from the passage that _____________.

A．The Nobel Prize was awarded to a physiologist on Monday in Sweden.

B．Cancer cells manage to hijack oxygen and need oxygen to develop.

C．The more oxygen there is in blood, the healthier a living body will be.

D．The genetic mechanisms have been found that allow oxygen to adapt to cells.

3. Which of the following can best explain the underlined word in the text?

A．used for textbooks	B．powerful and authoritative
C．typical as a perfect example	D．basic and clear

4. In which part of The New York Times can you find this article?

A．Entertainment	B．Culture
C．Technology	D．Science

【推荐3】For many years, scientists and animal lovers have worked to make the world safer for endangered species. Now, there is something that needs protection from these protected animals — a famous French cheese called Roquefort, known as the “King of Cheeses”.

Roquefort is made from sheep's milk in the southern part of the French mountains. Farmers have been making Roquefort for thousands of years, and they follow many rules when making it, to be sure that it is done in the traditional way. One of the rules is that they must let their sheep live freely in the mountains.

However, following these rules has become very dangerous. Wolves have moved into the area, and they have killed 62 sheep. The wolves are an endangered species, and have not been seen in the French mountains since the 1920s. No one is allowed to kill the wolves, but the farmers are now saying it is impossible for their sheep to live in the same mountains as the wolves. Farmers have dogs to protect the sheep and have also built electric fences, but they say they will not have enough money to continue making Roquefort once they have spent it all on keeping their sheep safe. Many people have said that wolves that attack sheep should be killed, since they have become a threat to the farmers' jobs. Others think that anyone who wants the wolves killed is trying to make them become extinct.

Maybe it would not be a problem if Roquefort became extinct instead, and the wolves were able to live in the mountains. But then the farmers would not have jobs. Will the people of Southern France be able to find a way that protects both the wolves and the King of Cheeses? Let's wait and see.

1. What can we learn about Roquefort?

A．It is produced in many places in France.

B．It has been made in modern ways.

C．It has a long history.

D．It is easy to make.

2. What problem do the sheep face?

A．They have been endangered since the 1920s.

B．They are in danger of being attacked.

C．They are too expensive to feed.

D．They are killed by people.

3. What may happen if farmers fight with the wolves?

A．They can't afford to make the cheese.

B．They have no time to make the cheese.

C．They have no idea how to sell the cheese.

D．They can't produce the cheese with high quality.

4. What do people think of the wolves?

A．They agree with killing the wolves.

B．They support leaving the wolves as they are.

C．They are divided on the ways of protecting the wolves.

D．They hold different ideas about how to deal with the wolves.