【推荐1】Are two holidays not enough? Do you dream of three, or even four? This is not a dream any longer! The State Council (国务院）encouraged primary and high schools to give students a spring or autumn break without changing the total number of student vacation days.

Students in China currently only have long holidays in two seasons-summer and winter. These holidays are usually 10 to 12 weeks in total. “If we had spring and autumn breaks, I would have time to taste all four seasons instead of burying（埋）myself in my studies,” Gao Yiran, a 15-year-old boy toldChina Daily.Seasonal holidays during autumn and spring may be something new in China, but not in other countries.

In the USA, students usually have three holidays. Summer holiday is the longest one, and runs from mid-June until early September. Summer camp is one of kids’ favourite places to go to, where they can make new friends and try some new activities. Winter holiday starts from mid-December and ends in early January. Most kids and their parents go to spend time together over the Christmas period. Spring break comes in mid- March and it is usually a 10-day holiday.

Schools in Japan start in April, as most people think that spring is the perfect time for new things. For school children, summer holiday lasts from July 20th to August 31st. Most kids are busy with club activities including sports and dancing. Spring break starts at the end of March and continues till early April. It is a good chance for a short family trip around the city.

1. What do Japanese kids usually do during their summer holiday?

A．Take a short family trip around the city.	B．Take part in club activities.
C．Try some new activities.	D．Spend time together with their parents.

2. If China has three or four holidays, _________.

A．seasonal holidays during autumn and spring may be something common in China.

B．students will have much more time to eat different food and travel around the world.

C．the holiday will be longer than before.

D．the students vacation days will be the same as before in total

3. If you study in the USA, you will have ________ holiday in all.

A．about 100 days	B．at least 180 days
C．more than 150 days	D．less than 60 days

4. What is the best title of this passage?

A．Holiday Reform(改革) in China	B．School Holiday
C．A Longer Holiday Is Not a Dream Any More	D．How to Spend Holiday

【推荐2】You probably know many things that you can do with the hundreds of different muscles in your body. But have you ever thought about how the muscles in an animal’s body are different from yours? An animal’s muscles are made to do the things that are most important for its life.

Lions are hunters. They depend on their ability to catch other animals. Lions must be fast in order to catch their prey (猎物). The powerful muscles in their back legs allow them to run at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour. They can also jump a distance of more than 35 feet. The strong muscles in their front legs help them catch their prey.

Snakes also use their muscles for hunting prey and for movement, but their muscles work in very different ways than lions’ do. ▲ , they use their muscles to push against the ground or other objects to move themselves forward. Their muscles also allow them to eat things that seem much too large. For example, a snake may eat an egg that is larger than the width of its body. How does this happen? The snake’s strong neck muscles work together to push the egg down the mouth.

The elephant’s long nose has a lot of muscles. Scientists believe that the nose alone has more than 100,000 muscles! This is because the elephant uses its nose much in the same way that people use their hands and fingers. Even though the nose is large, it can perform surprisingly small tasks. The nose can also be a powerful tool. An elephant can use its nose to pick up a tree by its roots or even to lift a baby elephant.

The great muscles of these animals seem pretty unbelievable. But the muscles in your body work exactly the way you need them to. After all, it might be fun to be able to jump a distance of 30 feet, but as a human being, there is just not much need for it.

1. What does the underlined word “hunters” in Paragraph 2 mean?

A．Persons or animals that raise animals for meat.

B．Persons or animals that catch animals for food.

C．Persons or animals that run after animals for exercise.

2. The missing part in the Paragraph 3 can be ________.

A．Because snakes are cold-blooded animals

B．Because snakes have poor eyesight

C．Because snakes do not have any legs

3. According to the passage, what makes the muscles in your body different from an animal’s?

A．The exercise.

B．The environment.

C．Your needs.

4. What can we infer (推断) from the passage?

A．A snake may eat things larger than themselves.

B．The strong muscles in the back legs help lions catch their prey.

C．It is useful for a human being to jump a distance of 30 feet.

5. Which of the following shows the structure of the passage? (P=Paragraph)

A．

B．

C．

【推荐3】Cold weather during winter months may keep many people from leaving home and running in the open air. Many people say running in winter is difficult because of the low temperatures and strong winds.

However, a new study shows that the drop（下降）in temperature is a good reason for running. Also, scientists say, running in cold weather helps improve ourselves. What’s more, many runners might find running in winter easier than in hot weather. When you run in cold weather, your heart rate（心率）is lower than that in warm weather. That is because the body needs less water on a cold day than in warm weather.

John Brewer, a professor from St, Mary’s University in London, says every movement makes heat（热量）. He explains that one way in which we lose heat is because we sweat. It means that much heat runs with water from our bodies inside. Brewer says that means running in cooler temperatures needs less energy（能量）.

Scientists also say that the most important thing for people who run in cold weather is to wear the right clothes. Keeping as dry as possible is the most important when exercising in low temperature. Wear gloves on your hands. Wear shoes that will keep you from falling. And certainly, thick clothes are better than thin ones.

根据短文内容选择最佳答案。
1. The underlined word “sweat” in the passage means “________” in Chinese.

A．呼吸

B．流汗

C．抗寒

2. Scientists say, running in ________ helps improve ourselves.

A．hot weather

B．in the open air

C．cold weather

3. When you run in cold weather, ________.

A．your body doesn’t need as much water as that in warm weather

B．your heart rate is higher than that in warm weather.

C．running isn’t easier than in hot weather.

4. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．People don’t like running in winter because the low temperatures and the strong winds.

B．Running in hotter temperatures needs more energy.

C．Running in winter thin clothes are better.

5. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．The reason why cold weather keeps many people from leaving home and running in the open air.

B．The reason why running in the cold weather is easier than that in hot weather.

C．What we should wear when running in the cold weather.

【推荐1】Each of these hotels offers (提供) something special and interesting.

Sleep in a train at the Train Station Inn (客栈). This hotel is in an old train station in Nova Scotia. The owners use the station and the train as rooms. There are seven old train cars. There is a restaurant in the dining car. Prices are from $89 to $169 per room or train car.

Sleep in a jail (监狱) in Ottawa. Here, you can sleep in the old downtown (市中心) Ottawa Jail. There are still bars (铁栅) on the doors! Prices are from $25 to $65. Don’t worry, there aren’t any criminals there!

Sleep in a tepee (圆锥形帐篷) in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. This hotel is in Alberta’s Banff National Park. There are guided tours and lessons about culture in it. The best part is sleeping in a real tepee outside. The price is around $300.

Sleep in a lighthouse (灯塔) at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn. This hotel is on Newfoundland’s Quirpon Island. You can see the ocean from the windows. Prices are from $225 to $350. The hotel has the traditional look and feel of the lighthouse, so no Internet. TV or telephones are in the rooms. It offers guided tours.

根据表格所提供的信息选择最佳答案。
1. If Nadia only has $50, she can choose to live in the ________.

A．Ottawa Jail

B．Train Station Inn

C．Quirpon Lighthouse Inn

2. How many hotels offer guided tours(有导游的游览)?

A．One.

B．Two.

C．Three.

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the material?

A．There is a big museum in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.

B．The Internet is not available at the Quirpon Lighthouse Inn.

C．There are lessons about culture (文化) at the Train Station Inn.

4. Who may be interested in the material?

A．Doctors.

B．Teachers.

C．Travelers.

5. You may find the material (素材) in a ________.

A．dictionary

B．storybook

C．magazine

【推荐3】Have you ever been to Singapore? For thousands of tourists from China, this island in Southeast Asia is a wonderful and safe place to take a holiday. On the one hand, more than three quarters of the population are Chinese, so you can simply speak Putonghua a lot of the time. On the other hand, Singapore is an English-speaking country, so it’s also a good place to practice your English!

Have you ever tried Chinese food outside of China? Maybe you fear that you won’t be able to find anything good to eat when you travel. In Singapore, however, you’ll find a lot of food from China, you won’t have any problem getting rice, noodles or dumplings. Singapore is also an excellent place to try new food. Whether you like Indian food, Western food or Japanese food, you’ll find it all in Singapore!

Most large cities have zoos, but have you ever been to a zoo at night? Singapore has a Night Safari. It might seem strange to go to a zoo when it’s dark. However, if you go to see lions, tigers or foxes during the daytime, they’ll probably be asleep! A lot of animals only wake up at night, so this is the best time to watch them. At the Night Safari, you can watch these animals in a more natural environment than in a normal zoo.

One great thing about Singapore is that the temperature is almost the same all year round. This is because the island is so close to the equator. So you can choose to go whenever you like—spring, summer, autumn or winter. And, of course, it’s not too far from China!

根据文章内容，判断句子正( T )、误( F )
1. Most of the people in Singapore can speak Putoughua.
2. People will find it difficult to enjoy many different kinds of good food in Singapore.
3. If you’d like to see animals, such as tigers, lions or foxes, it’s better to go to a zoo when it’s dark.
4. The island is so close to the equator. That’s why the temperature is almost the same all year round in Singapore.
5. The best time to go on vacation in Singapore is summer.