1 . British Museum
Located in Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, the British Museum houses a vast collection of world art and artifacts and is free to all visitors. The British Museums surprising collection spans over two million years of human history and culture, and it has more than 7 million objects, so it would probably take a week to see everything.
Over 6 million visitors every year experience the collection, including world-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone and Egyptian mummies.
Admission (入场费) and opening times
Free, open daily from 10:00 to 17:30.
Open until 20:30 on Fridays,except Good Friday.
Closed on 24, 25 and 26 December and 1 January.
Large luggage (行李), suitcases and cabin baggage
For everyone’s safety, all bags, packages and personal items may be searched before entry. Wheeled cases and large items of luggage are not allowed on British Museum for safety and security reasons. Storage for luggage is available at major rail stations, including Euston, Kings Cross and Charring Cross.
Membership
Membership allows you to discover two million years of human history with free unlimited entry to special exhibitions.
Individual (个人) membership: $74
Under 26 membership: $54
Young friends (ages 8—15):$25
Shops
The Museum has four shops where you can buy books, souvenirs, and family gifts.
1. When can you visit the British Museum?| A．At 9:00 Friday. | B．On Christmas Day. |
| C．At 12:00 Monday. | D．On Good Friday. |
| A．At some crossings. | B．At major train stations. |
| C．In the hall of the Museum. | D．At the entrance to the Museum. |
| A．79. | B．99. | C．128. | D．148. |
2 . Christy and Ted Wilson set aside time every Sunday evening to go over their shared to-do list. Most of the items are tasks like scheduling doctor appointments and organizing play dates for their three young children.
In every relationship, there’s a question of who is pulling their weight around the house. Now that a majority of married-couple families have two working parents, the old “rough day at the office” excuse doesn’t really cut it.
Women still handle more of the household activities, but men increasingly are spending time on food preparation and cleanup. To keep things fair or at least to avoid fights, couples are turning to technology. They are using project management apps designed for the workplace to divide up and track household to-dos and reserving a portion of their date nights to compare chores. In some cases, they are even turning it into a game, setting rewards for getting things done.
The imbalance doesn’t always follow gender lines (性别界线). There was a time when Mr. Wilson was in more of a “Mr. Mom” role: He was attending business school, while Mrs. Wilson was clocking long hours as a lawyer. So Mr. Wilson had more flexibility to take on more of the child-care and household-management work. The couple’s roles changed after Mr. Wilson graduated and started an e-commerce company. “We have had a lot of switching back and forth of who was in the driver’s seat in terms of household management so one person wasn’t too put upon,” she said. They began using calendars to keep the family schedules straight and sharing a to-do list in the Notes app on their phones. Each can take on chores the other dislikes.
1. What does the underlined part “pulling their weight around the house” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?| A．Taking on the household chores. | B．Sharing the burden of buying a house. |
| C．Running around the house to lose weight. | D．Making excuses for not doing any housework. |
| A．To stop their arguments over dates. | B．To play phone games with each other. |
| C．To share and follow household to-dos. | D．To reward themselves for doing the housework. |
| A．Gender plays a key role in management. |
| B．Couples need to switch their roles each day. |
| C．Digital apps can only handle household arguments. |
| D．Understanding and sharing can help solve problems. |
| A．Ways to finish housework. | B．Advantages of the Notes app. |
| C．A family to-do list goes digital. | D．Working parents face difficulties. |
3 . Unsolved Mysteries About the Earth
◆Mystery 1: Where did all the water come from?
Water covers 70 percent of the earth’s surface and earns it the nickname “the blue planet”. And where did it come from? The most popular scientific theory states that the H2O arrived in the form of several violent asteroids (小行星)filled with ice. Another suggests that the water actually has been around since the earth’s formation. However it happened, though, it’s certainly worked out well for the earth’s life forms.
◆Mystery 2: What about all the oxygen?
Another thing is the planet’s oxygen. Tiny creatures released oxygen as a waste product, filling the atmosphere with it. After that, the level of oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere went wildly up and down until it finally calmed down around 540 million years ago. Since then, it’s remained at about the breathable level we experience today. But what caused it to be suddenly steady?
◆Mystery3: What caused the Cambrian(寒武纪)Explosion?
The Cambrian Explosion refers to the explosion of complex life that occurred on the earth about 540 million years ago. Before then, life had consisted mostly of bacteria. But at the beginning of the Cambrian period, complex creatures began developing at a rate never before seen. Suddenly, advanced life forms had brains eyes and bones. Most creatures alive today can trace their blood back to the Cambrian period.
◆Mystery 4: Will we ever be able to predict earthquakes?
We still haven’t been able to come up with a way to accurately predict earthquakes, which is practically significant. We can certainly try, but our current technology cannot predict them exactly. We know that earthquakes start when rocks crack underground and send earthquake waves toward the surface, but we haven’t figured out why they happen, or how to predict them.
1. What was created later by tiny creatures on the earth?| A．Water. | B．Ice. | C．Bacteria. | D．Oxygen. |
| A．Mystery 1. | B．Mystery 2. |
| C．Mystery 3. | D．Mystery 4. |
| A．It is the oldest mystery of the four. |
| B．It is a matter that has practical significance. |
| C．It is the most difficult to solve of the four. |
| D．It has already been solved. |
4 . The people of Hong Kong have always worked hard. Sometimes in the past, they had no time for rest or play. Today things have changed, and people have begun to learn how to play as well as working.
Over the past few years, the Government has built swimming pools and sports grounds all over Hong Kong. The Recreation and Sports Service has also played a big part in helping the people of Hong Kong to enjoy sports and outdoor activities. It has set up an outdoor recreation center in Sai Kung, and thousands of people have had short, active holidays with plenty of sports in the countryside. New holiday centers are being prepared in Tsuen Wan, Disneyland and Sai Kung, including a water sports center in Tai Po. The R.S.S. is also helping other organizations to set up holiday camps. The R.S.S. used to be part of the Education Department. Now it has become part of the Home Affairs Department. Students are not the only people who need recreation and sports.
At one time, only rich people could afford to sail, to join squash and tennis clubs, to water-ski, etc. Now more and more people are taking part in more different kinds of sports. Thousands have learnt to swim, or to play such popular games as tennis, football, squash and basketball. Many have discovered the joy of cycling or have learnt to sail. Gymnastics has become popular outside school. Walking and camping in the countryside or on the beach have become weekend activities to many more.
Many people live in small, crowded houses, and work long hours doing boring jobs in factories and offices. Their spare time should not be spent at the cinema or watching TV. They need fresh air and outdoor activities. The Recreation and Sports Service is making many people healthier and happier.
1. If you want to water-ski in Hong Kong, you’d better go to _________.| A．Disneyland |
| B．Tsuen Wan |
| C．Tai Po |
| D．The U.S.S. |
| A．an organization |
| B．sailing |
| C．a kind of game |
| D．a rich person |
| A．Gymnastics should be learnt at school. |
| B．One should visit the countryside on weekends. |
| C．It is good to watch TV after long hours’ work. |
| D．Outdoor activities can make people happier. |
5 . Very often, we have small medical problems that aren’t serious enough to require a visit to the doctor’s office. Problems, such as a sore throat or a stomachache, can often be taken care of with medicines available in drug stores. However, many people prefer to treat slight medical problems at home instead of going to a doctor.
For a sore throat, it is certainly easy to stop by a local drug store and pick up a pack of lozenges (含片) .But some people prefer to make special drinks, such as warm milk with honey, or lemon juice and honey. Other people like to wash out their mouths with warm, salty water.
Stomachaches can be treated with medicines that are available at local drug stores, but many people first try drinking soda (苏打水)to settle their stomachs. Another more natural treatment is peppermint (薄荷)tea.
Besides the various cold medicines available, many people treat their colds by having a bowl of homemade chicken soup. Others like to drink hot water with lemon and honey before they go to bed.
Many books offer helpful suggestions for the treatment of small medical problems at home and provide useful information about first-aid. In case of a bee sting (蛰伤), for example, they advise that you put mud or a piece of potato directly on the sting or a little vinegar on the skin so the sting will disappear.
Modern medicine has progressed greatly in the past few years, but there are still times when it is very convenient to rely on good old home treatment.
1. The underlined word “sore” in the first paragraph probably means _______.| A．nice | B．clear | C．sweet | D．painful |
| A．chicken soup | B．a little vinegar |
| C．milk with honey | D．a bottle of soda |
| A．bad cold | B．headache | C．toothache | D．stomachache |
| A．home treatment doesn’t work when we have small medical problems. |
| B．some old home treatment is as useful as treatment in hospitals. |
| C．we have to visit a doctor when having small medical problems. |
| D．people always go to drug stores to solve small medical problems. |
6 . The Renaissance(文艺复兴)is generally considered to have started in Florence, Italy around the years 1350 to 1400. The start of the Renaissance also was the end of the Middle Ages.
Humanism
In the Middle Ages people thought that life was nothing but hard work and war. However, around the 1300s, the people in Florence , Italy started to think that people should be educated and that things like art, music, and science could make life better for everyone.
Florence, Italy
At the start of the Renaissance, Italy was divided up into a number of powerful city-states. One of the major city-states was Florence.
In the late 1300s, Florence had become a rich city. Wealthy businessmen had the money to hire artisans (工匠). This inspired competitions among artists and thinkers. Art began to flourish (繁荣)and new thoughts began to appear.
Petrarch and Humanism
Francesco Petrarch is often called the “Father of Humanism”. He studied poets and philosophers from Ancient Rome such as Cicero and Virgil. His ideas and poetry became an inspiration to many writers and poets throughout all of Europe as the Renaissance spread.
Giotto di Bondone
Giotto was a painter in Florence, Italy. He was the first painter to break away from the standard Byzantine style painting of the Middle Ages and try something new. Giotto is said to have started the Renaissance in art with his new style of realistic painting.
Dante
Another major contributor to the start of the Renaissance was Dante Alighieri. He lived in Florence and wrote the Divine Comedy in the early 1300s. This book is considered to be the greatest literary work ever written in the Italian language.
New Ideas Spread
This new way of thinking and style of art quickly spread to other wealthy Italian city-states. This early part of the Renaissance is often called the Italian Renaissance. Italy would become wealthy through trade and their new ideas soon spread throughout all of Europe.
1. In the Middle Ages people thought that _________ .| A．life was really hard |
| B．life could be enjoyable |
| C．they could be educated |
| D．they should live differently |
| A．Francesco Petrarch |
| B．Giotto di Bondone |
| C．Dante Alighieri |
| D．Cicero |
| A．What does the Renaissance mean ? |
| B．How did the Renaissance begin? |
| C．The artists in the Renaissance |
| D．Literature in the Renaissance |
| A．a book review |
| B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper advertisement |
| D．a travel magazine |
7 . I’m pretty sure everyone wants to visit Europe at least once in their lifetime. Here’s a list of the most amazing places to visit in Europe.
Riviera
Wow, this is such a beautiful place in Italy. The Cinque Teerre is a gorgeous (极好的) national park, which connects five beautiful villages. Walking paths connects the villages, follow the coastline and offer hikes through hills. The villages remain unaffected by tourism.
Tuscany
Another Italian region, Tuscany is simply appealing. The buildings there are amazing, and the culture is special. From the historical center of Florence to the Cathedral of Pisa, it’s a once-in-a-life reserve (自然保护区), and enjoy a few bottles of the very famous wine.
Lauterbrunnen
Since a school trip here, I’ve always wanted to revisit this city in Switzerland. The city always seems as if it is trapped in time. There are untouched fountains and springs everywhere, and a huge number of waterfalls and valleys. The area is very popular for skiing.
The Greek Islands
There are plenty of places to visit in Greece. But I love the Greek Islands best. White houses and beautiful churches, cliffs, beaches and the Aegean Sea make this a shocking and very popular place to visit. However, there is more to do here than just sunbathe. I cannot wait to go back and check out the caves and culture that make the Greek Islands one of the best places in Europe.
Venice
I am a big Italy lovers, and Venice is another city that is not to be missed. It has its own share of history, art and gorgeous buildings. However, the attraction comes from the pedestrian (行人)—only streets and rivers filled with boats.
1. What does the underlined word “appealing” in Paragraph 3 mean?| A．New | B．Modern | C．Historical | D．Attractive |
| A．Riviera | B．Tuscany | C．Lauterbrunnen | D．the Greek Islands |
| A．hasn’t been visited by the author yet |
| B．is a good place for sunbathing |
| C．isn’t worth exploring |
| D．has many waterfalls and valleys |
| A．Royal Palace |
| B．The Aegean Sea |
| C．Streets without cars |
| D．Traffic jams |
8 . Do you need to throw your smartphone away to live your best life? Not necessarily, according to researchers from Ruhr-Universität Bochum who suggest that we could all benefit from cutting down on screen time — just only a little bit time.
On average, we spend more than three hours a day glued to our smartphone screens. Between social media, news feeds, endless video games, and an app for pretty much everything else, there’s always something to draw our attention. In recent years, studies have blamed smartphones for modern problems ranging from rising anxiety rates to neck pain. It begs the question: Are people all really better off switching back to landlines (座机)?
“The smartphone is both a blessing and a curse,” says study leader Dr. Julia Brailovskaia, whose team set out to answer that question by gathering together 619 volunteers, hoping to know how much the smartphone is good for us. Two hundred people put their smartphones completely aside for a week; 226 reduced the amount of time they used the device by one hour a day; 193 people didn’t change anything in their behavior.
Researchers interviewed each person about both their overall lifestyle habits and well-being four months later after the experimental week ended. “We found that both completely giving up the smartphone and reducing its daily use by one hour had positive effects on the well-being of the participants,” as Brailovskaia sums up the upshots. Notably, changing their smartphone habits for just one week appeared to produce lasting outcomes among subjects. Even four months afterward, participants who were told to avoid using their smartphones totally were using their phones for an average of 38 minutes less per day.
Meanwhile, the “one hour less” group were using their phones as much as 45 minutes less per day after four months. This group also showed improved life satisfaction, more exercise, and less depression.
“It’s not necessary to completely give up the smartphone to feel better,” Brailovskaia concludes.
1. What’s the purpose of Paragraph 2?| A．To answer the question on the smartphones. |
| B．To explain why the experiment was done. |
| C．To state disadvantages of the experiment. |
| D．To stress the benefits of smartphones. |
| A．They trained them. | B．They interviewed them. |
| C．They divided them into groups. | D．They gave them a physical exam. |
| A．Purposes. | B．Reasons. | C．Doubts. | D．Results. |
| A．Fewer Smartphones, More Well-being |
| B．No Smartphone Use Is the Best Policy |
| C．Smartphones Are a Part of Our Lives |
| D．A Small Smartphone, Two Big Sides |
9 . Eradajere Oleita thinks she may have a partial solution for two of the country’s persistent problems: garbage and poverty. It’s called the Chip Bag Project. The 26-year-old student and environmentalist from Detroit is asking a favor of local snack lovers: Rather than throw your empty chip bags into the trash, donate them so she can turn them into sleeping bags for the homeless.
Chip eaters drop off their empty bags at two locations in Detroit: a print shop and a clothing store, where Oleita and her volunteer helpers collect them. After they clean the chip bags in soapy hot water, they slice them open, lay them flat, and iron them together. They use liners (活衬里) from old coats to line the insides.
It takes about four hours to sew a sleeping bag, and each takes around 150 to 300 chip bags, depending on whether they’re single-serve or family size. The result is a sleeping bag that is “waterproof, lightweight, and portable,” Oleita told the Detroit News.
Since its start in 2020, the Chip Bag Project has collected more than 800,000 chip bags and it created 110 sleeping bags last December.
Sure, it would be simpler to raise the money to buy new sleeping bags. But that’s only half the goal for Oleita — whose family moved to the United States from Nigeria a decade ago to live a better life — and her fellow volunteers. “We are devoted to making an impact not only socially, but environmentally,” she says.
And, of course, there’s the symbolism of saving bags that would otherwise land in the trash and using them to help the homeless. It’s a powerful reminder that environmental injustice and poverty are often closely related. As Oleita told hourdetroit.com: “I think it’s time to show connections between all of these issues.”
1. What is paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．The final goal of Chip Bag Project. | B．The basic rules of Chip Bag Project. |
| C．The main work of Chip Bag Project. | D．The significance of Chip Bag Project. |
| A．It is only made of old coats. | B．It is easy to carry around. |
| C．It has the function of heating. | D．It is the same size as 150 bags. |
| A．Making sleeping bags is easier than buying new ones. |
| B．Poverty and environmental problems go hand in hand. |
| C．Making sleeping bags is the best way to help the homeless. |
| D．Environmental problems have little impact on the homeless. |
| A．Caring and creative. | B．Brave and optimistic. |
| C．Honest and determined. | D．Talented and easy-going |
10 . A serious problem for today’s society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible, a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee costs. Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions. Furthermore, some institutions (慈善机构、福利院)should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them. Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer. The government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the young .
One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places especially for the elderly where they are independent.
To sum up, all these options have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore , it is reasonable to expect that some combinations of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give to our elderly generations.
1. What is the passage mainly about ?| A．The problem faced by the old in society |
| B．Why we should take responsibility for the old |
| C．How we can improve the lives of the old |
| D．Where the old can go to get their pensions |
| A．Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire. |
| B．Increase savings levels of people during their working years. |
| C．Increase the discounts(打折)for food and transport for the old. |
| D．Make available pensions for those who have retired. |
| A．impossible | B．practical | C．useful | D．successful |
| A．Taking care of the old is mainly an issue (问题) of the old. |
| B．Employers should allow their workers to retire at a later age. |
| C．Becoming independent should be the goal of most old people. |
| D．There is no single solution to the problems of the old. |
