2 . China Small Group Tours

◆Tour Route 1: 11 Days Private Beijing - Lhasa - Xi’an - Shanghai

Tour Highlights:

Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors

Follow us on a Buddhist pilgrimage to Tibet & appreciate the profound culture

Have a leisurely walk or an exciting bicycle ride on the time-honored City Wall of Xi’an

View the soaring city skylines and feel the pulse of modern Shanghai

From $ 2, 459 per person

◆Tour Route 2: 11 Days Private Bejing - Xi’an - Chonqing - Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang - Shanghai

Tour Highlights:

Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Wariors

Try biking on the Ming Dynasty City Wall of Xi’ an, or tour by electric car

Enjoy the Three Gorges (三峡) scenery on Yangtze River & feel totally relaxed

From $ 1, 879 per person

◆Tour Route 3: 12 Days Private Bejing - Shanghai - Xi’an - Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin - Hong

Kong

Tour Highlights:

Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors

Experience the Bund, classical garden, modern and old in contrast in Shanghai

Feel the lively atmosphere & explore busy markets freely in Hong Kong

Walk into a local family, learn to cook Chinese food & dine with the hosts in their home

From $ 2, 499 per person

◆Tour Route 4: 12 Days Private Bejing - Xi’an - Chengdu - Guilin - Shanghai

Tour Highlights:

Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Giant Pandas

Come to Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas to visit and observe the cute creature

Cruise on the meandering Li River & admire Guilin landscape

Walk into a local Chinese family, interact & dine with the hosts in their home

From $2, 079 per person

1. What do Tour Route 1 and Tour Route 2 have in common?

A．They have cycling activities.

B．They include a visit to Tibet.

C．Visitors enjoy the Three Gorges scenery.

D．Visitors pay the same amount of money.

2. What is special about Tour Route 2?

A．Tourists can travel by bike.

B．Tourists can visit a huge dam.

C．Tourists can dine with a family.

D．It is the most expensive of the four.

3. Where can visitors enjoy China’s rare animals?

A．Tour Route 1.

B．Tour Route 2.

C．Tour Route 3.

D．Tour Route 4.

3 . I came to the United States ten years ago. I would always say that I was trying to study, but there were always things like work and my kids that would not allow me to start.

Now I realized that those were only excuses. What stopped me was that I was afraid to start studying again. I always believed I would learn by myself.

One day, however, my son told me that he was sad because his friends would come over and I didn’t understand them because I didn’t speak English. He was also sad because I could never help him with his homework. That same day, I told myself, “Rocio, you have to start believing in yourself and you will see you can make it.”

The next day, I went downtown to look for a big banner (横幅) in front of the school which said that they offered classes for adults. I came in to see if I could join, but the classes were closed already. That night I took the kids to the movies, and on the way back, I told them we would take a new route. I ended up getting lost. That’s the way I found Chaffey College. The following Monday, I went to ask for information. They told me that summer school was starting that week.

That’s how I started studying English last summer. It is difficult, but I have had great rewards. My daughter had written a story for school. It was about the female they most admired and why. She wrote that I was the person she most admired because I had started going to college. I will never forget this.

1. According to the passage, the author probably is a ________.

A．teacher

B．doctor

C．father

D．mother

2. What made the author make up her mind to study English?

A．What her son said.

B．What her daughter said.

C．Thinking about herself.

D．Thinking about her daughter.

3. How did they find Chaffey College?

A．On the way to the movies.

B．They took a new route and got lost.

C．Ask a stranger for information.

D．According to the banner.

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．The author came to the United States from another country.

B．The author had two children including one daughter.

C．What really changed the author’s life was that she believed in herself.

D．The author wrote that she was the person her son most admired.

4 . Don’t ignore the difference teenagers can make.

John Michael Thomas, Florida

When John Michael Thomas decided to honor his friend and classmate Elizabeth Buckley, who died from cancer, he remembered how much she loved peacocks(孔雀) .He wanted to build a life-sized peacock fountain in Elizabeth’s favorite park in the city in memory of his friend. He thought it could be a place for people to relax and be inspired. John Michael raised $52,000 to build the fountain.

Barrett Smith, 13, Utah

The wheels began to turn for Barrett Smith when he heard about Karma Bike Shop, a place where young people can earn free bikes by rending and performing community service.

Barrett visited Karma’s owner with his idea: he would collect and repair. used bikes and donate them to the shop.

He expected to get about 10 donated bikes. In the end, Barrett received 39.

Zachary Blohm, 15, Wisconsin

The 25-year-old playground at an elementary school near Milwaukee, Wisconsin was so small that only 70 of its 575 students could play on it at a time.

That’s when Zachary Blohm saved the day(扭转局面). He and some volunteers wanted to build a huge playground. To raise money, Zachary planned T-shirt and bake sales, sold tickets and more. He held monthly money-raising events for more than a year. Overall, he collected $130, 000— enough to finish his project.

Jack Zimmerman, 16, New Jersey

For some people, finding a meal is as simple as opening there the refrigerator. For more than 366,000 hungry kids in New Jersey, it’s not that easy.

That fact didn’t sit well with Jack Zimmerman, who organized a drive to lessen childhood hunger in his state. His goal: create 40,000 packaged meals that could be donated to those in need.

On game day, Jack and his volunteers started their work. After the final count, the team had packaged 47,124 meals—well above Jack’s goal.

1. The peacock fountain was built in a park           .

A．to encourage people.	B．to cure a cancer sufferer.
C．to protect the animals.	D．to cherish the memory of a teenager.

2. What did Barrett do for Karma Bike Shop?

A．He repaired bikes there.	B．He donated bikes to it.
C．He helped it win customers.	D．He offered a reading service there.

3. What do the four people have in common?

A．They’re top students.	B．They like various public activities.
C．They are concerned about others.	D．They are money raisers for the poor.

5 . Rave-on!

How about learning new skills on the guitar, drums and keyboard by video? Follow the touch-screen instructions to find lessons on each instrument, or search for a song to practise playing along to. Try our Professional Selection, with video clips of band members who will explain the techniques that make their recordings so individual.

Show-in-a-day!

Be a star singer or dancer for the day in a one-time-only special performance! Experts in international music and dance styles will train you, and costumes provided for the performance help create a really special, individual show. Get your friends and family to come and see you perform, as no videoing or photography is allowed.

Archived Images

Want to find out about a new band, or just want more information about an old favourite? Visit our collection to find out facts and figures, or see the actual possessions of famous bands and musicians you are interested in. You can actually get to touch things worn on stage at major rock and pop events, and there are plenty of other concert souvenirs.

Rhythm-studio

Get your body moving in the studio and learn to move to rhythms and sounds from the past to now, including Soul and Disco. Learn your steps from our professional onscreen dance instructor, then watch your performance and become the star in your own video recording which you can take away!

1. Which one can collect information about someone’s favourite bands?

A．Rave-on!	B．Archived Images.
C．Show-in-a-day!	D．Rhythm-studio.

2. In what way is Rhythm-studio different from Show-in-a-day?

A．Rhythm-studio offers free gifts from musicians.

B．Rhythm-studio has experts to teach face to face.

C．Rhythm-studio gets family members to enjoy the shows.

D．Rhythm-studio allows people to bring videos home.

3. Where can you most probably read the above information?

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

6 . The idea that you can use humor, laughter, and play to make you healthier probably seems too simple to be true. However, it is really true and simple. The sense of humor, laughter and play plays an important role in keeping you healthy.

Treat the blues with a sense of humor, which is closely tied to laughter. Laughter is infectious. Have you ever heard a big laugh of a young child and been able to keep yourself from smiling? When laughter is shared between people, it makes them closer to each other and increases their happiness. Smiling is the beginning of laughter and a smile is also just as infectious as laughter is. You can experience something by smiling at everyone around you, and you will feel happier just by sharing a smile, even with a stranger.

Play is an important part of making sure that we stay healthy. We are often encouraged to make sure our children play, and are told of the benefits of being out playing. However, what we often forget is that it is just as important for old people to make play be part of their life as it’s for children. Physical play is important for the old and it certainly helps prevent illness. While the studies are still in the early stages, the studies that have been done have shown that physical play certainly plays a part in preventing cognitive (认知的) falling.

Anyway, adding humor, laughter, and play to our life will influence us mentally, physically and socially and bring us many advantages. So we should make full use of humor, laughter and play to make our life more active, more interesting and happier.

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

A．Quickly influencing other people.	B．Preventing illness from spreading.
C．Keeping people in high spirits.	D．Playing an important role.

2. What can laughter increase according to the author?

A．Happiness and confidence	B．A sense of humor.
C．Cognitive ability.	D．Good relationships.

3. What does the author think the old should do?

A．They should have a good rest.	B．They should prevent cognitive falling.
C．They should take part in physical play.	D．They should play like children.

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A．Always Keep Our Body Healthy	B．Let Our Body and Mind Relax
C．Have an Active and Happy Life	D．Humor, Laughter and Play for Health

7 . Kiwis are unique in a lot of interesting ways. They have many characteristics that are not found in any other bird.

It is assumed that the kiwi’s ancestor was able to fly and reached New Zealand. Once on the island, it lost its ability to fly and eventually became the kiwi known today. Kiwis have feathers that look like hair and very strong and muscular legs. They rule the ground instead of the air. They can smell very well. Kiwis are quite shy and usually only come out at night. Kiwis can live a long time, between 25 and 50 years.

A female kiwi carries a huge egg about its body size. The kiwi is about the same size as a chicken but its egg is actually six times as large as a chicken’s egg. The reason for this is that the kiwi doesn’t have to fly, so there aren’t any limits on its weight. The female has to eat three times as much as usual to help the egg develop. Right before the egg is laid she can’t eat anything because the egg presses against her stomach, leaving no room for food.

All kiwi species are endangered. On average, twenty-seven die each week. They have been affected most by deforestation and invasive mammals. Before humans came to New Zealand, the only mammals on the island were bats and seals. The kiwi never had to worry about predators before, but now since it cannot fly, and lays its eggs on the ground, it is pretty defenceless against invasive mammals such as rats and stoats. Stoats kill a lot of the chicks, while dogs kill a lot of adult birds, usually by accident, because they are quite delicate (脆弱的) .

1. Which is kiwis’ unique characteristic?

A．They can’t fly with no wings.

B．They can live more than 50 years.

C．They rule the air instead of the ground.

D．They seldom or never come out in the daytime.

2. Why does a female kiwi carry a huge egg?

A．It eats three limes as much as usual.

B．It focuses too much on developing its egg.

C．Its body weight will increase without limit.

D．The egg presses against her stomach.

3. Which kind of mammal does no harm to kiwis?

A．The bat.	B．The rat.
C．The stoat.	D．The dog.

4. Which is a suitable title for the passage?

A．Endangered Kiwi Species	B．Kiwis- Unique Birds
C．Get Close to the Bird World	D．Why Can’t Kiwis Fly?

9 . The arts, especially music, should be part of every school’s lessons at every grade level. Students would be much smarter if they had some musical experience. They could improve their classroom skills, like paying attention and following directions. People develop all these skills when they learn music. Making music also lets children use their imagination. It provides students with a chance to try out their own ideas.

Music not only makes children better students, but also gives them something positive to do. In a music programme, children can be part of a band instead of joining a gang (团伙). Parents can enjoy listening to their children’s music instead of seeing them glued to a computer or TV screen. In a school band, students get to be part of a team. They can get along well with old friends and make new friends through music.

Music builds self-confidence, too. It gives children a sense of achievement and success. Making music is something for them to be proud of, and it lets kids practise performing in front of the audience. Music gives children an opportunity for self-expression, and that helps develop their self-confidence.

Once again, music is important because it can make children better students, give them something positive to do, and build their character. That is why music lessons should be offered in every single grade in every school.

1. According to the passage, music could make students smarter by________.

A．improving their classroom skills and paying attention

B．improving their classroom skills and imagination

C．improving their attention and imagination

D．letting them make music and try out their own ideas

2. What does the underlined phrase “glued to” in the second paragraph mean?

A．Unwilling to turn on.

B．Always looking at.

C．Unwilling to move.

D．Always playing with.

3. The third paragraph mainly tells us that music could________.

A．make children express themselves

B．bring children success

C．give children something to be proud of

D．develop children’s self-confidence

4. What’s the best title of this passage?

A．Music Is a Must as a Course at School

B．Music Builds Children’s Self-confidence

C．Music Makes Students Much Smarter

D．Learning Music and Making Music Build Children’s Character

10 . Years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders. Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience (服从), while children complained that their parents did not understand them at all. What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time. Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric (结构) of our society.

One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life. In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation. In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents.

In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did：to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do. Often, however, the strong wish that parents have for their children is another cause of the disagreement between them. Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other.

Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations. In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight. The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities. No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature for some time to come. Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The concept of generation gap.	B．The reasons for generation gap.
C．Ways to reduce generation gap.	D．Attitudes towards generation gap.

2. What do young people often do in modern society?

A．They depend on their parents to make a life.

B．They live with their parents in the same area.

C．They ask their parents for the best advice.

D．They have very little in common with their parents.

3. What can we infer from Paragraph 3?

A．Parents should be strict with their children.

B．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation.

C．Parents couldn’t do things well themselves.

D．The young never want to satisfy their parents.

4. Which of the following also causes the generation gap?

A．Parents are not strict enough with their children.

B．The young value the old too much for their wisdom.

C．Young people don’t have the knowledge of a lifetime.

D．The society develops too fast.