1 . Many people like traveling. Travel in Canada has become exciting as a number of lakes make it attractive. In fact, Canada has more lakes than any other country which contains fresh water. In addition to lakes, Canada has a number of beaches as it has a long coastline on its north, east, and west. Travelers from around the world come in large numbers to enjoy the sunbath on various beaches.
Niagara Falls lies on the border between Canada and the US. It is now popular for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Niagara Falls is most attractive during the summer season when the weather condition is charming and attractive. At the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the falls for several hours after dark and the whole scene becomes magnificent.
When traveling in Canada, travelers can enjoy doing the shopping in Toronto which is considered a leading city. It symbolizes the spirit of independence. Migrants from Europe, Latin America and Asia inhabit the place and make it a plural society. Ottawa, on the other hand, is the capital of Canada and center of political activities.
Vancouver is an enlightening city in Canada which was named after British Captain George Vancouver, who explored the area in the 1790s. The city is a leading industrial place in Canada. Another tourist attraction in Canada is the capital city of British Columbia, Victoria. The city is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
Travel in Canada is being made easy because of a higher standard of transportation facilities. Besides, very few people know that Canada is a country with high wages per hour. In addition to a popular tourist destination, Canada is an economic powerhouse of North America, particularly in agricultural products. The Canadian dairy industry exports milk products around the world.
1. What attracts travelers most in Canada according to the first paragraph?| A．Coastlines and sunbaths. | B．Lakes and beaches. |
| C．Animals and plants. | D．Mountains and water. |
| A．Canada and the US. | B．The beauty of Niagara Falls. |
| C．The importance of the falls. | D．The hydroelectric power. |
| A．It is the political center of Canada. | B．It displays the Canadian bravery. |
| C．Its people come from different countries. | D．Travelers can buy something cheap there. |
| A．To tell us a history story. | B．To compare Vancouver and Victoria. |
| C．To remind us to keep him in mind. | D．To introduce the city of Vancouver. |
2 . Traveling without a map in different countries. I find out about different ways of giving directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”
Foreign tourists are often puzzled in Japan because most streets there don’t have name signs. In Japan, people use landmarks (标志性建筑) to give directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the comer. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
People in Los Angeles, the US, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance by time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “It’s about five minutes from here.” You don’t understand completely. “Yes, but how many miles away is it, please?” To this question you won’t get an answer, because most probably they don’t know it themselves.
People in Greece sometimes do not even try to give directions because tourists seldom understand the Greek language. Instead, a Greek will often say, “Follow me.” Then he’ll lead you through the streets of the city to the post office.
Sometimes a person doesn’t know the answer to your question. What happens in the situation? A New Yorker might say. “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People there believe that “I don’t” is impolite. They usually give an answer, but often a wrong one. So a tourist can get lost very easily in Yucatan! However, one thing will help you reach your destination everywhere in the world. It’s body language.
1. Which of the following is probably an example of Japanese directions?| A．“The post office is at Street Kamira.” |
| B．“Turn right at the hospital and go past a school.” |
| C．“The post office is about five minutes from here.” |
| D．“Go south two miles. Turn west and then go another mile.” |
| A．They prefer to lead you the way. |
| B．They prefer to use body language. |
| C．They use landmarks to give directions instead of distance. |
| D．They often have no idea of distance measured by miles. |
| A．Using street names. | B．Leading the way. |
| C．Using landmarks. | D．Giving people a wrong direction. |
| A．people in Mexico know street names well |
| B．body language makes you get lost in Yucatan |
| C．people in Mexico prefer to use body language |
| D．people in Yucatan sometimes give wrong directions |
3 . Top Silk Road Attractions
Terracotta Warriors (兵马俑)
Type: History Museums, Historic Sites
Recommended Length of Visit: 3 hours
As the eighth wonder of the ancient world, it has a history of more than 2, 200 years. Oriental mummies (东方木乃伊) wait for you to discover their mystery.
Mogao Grottoes (莫高窟)
Type: Buddhism, Historic Sites
Recommended Length of Visit: 3 hours
Considered as the eastern Louvre Museum, Mogao Grottoes is a glorious treasure of ancient Buddhist cave art. The history of Mogao Grottoes can be traced back to the “Five Hu — 16Kingdoms” period (AD 304-439).
Big Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔)
Type: Culture & History, Buddhism
Recommended Length of Visit: 2 hours
For hundreds of years, this great pagoda has always been the symbol of Xi’an. It is famous for the great traveler Xuanzang of Tang Dynasty who traveled from China to India to learn the Buddhism and got back to China with many precious Buddhist scriptures (佛经).
Qinghai Lake
Type: Lake
Recommended Length of Visit: 5 hours
Known as the largest inland lake, as well as the largest salt water lake in China, it is the most visited and famous attraction in Qinghai Province. Here, you not only enjoy the fantastic natural beauty, but also experience the amazing culture here.
Please click here to add the attraction to your favorite list. Let us plan a private Silk Road Tour for you!
1. What do Mogao Grottoes and Big Wild Goose Pagoda have in common?| A．Both contain ancient Buddhist cave art. |
| B．Both are related to history and Buddhism. |
| C．Both are known as the symbol of Xi’an. |
| D．Both were constructed during the Tang Dynasty. |
| A．Terracotta Warriors. | B．Mogao Grottoes. |
| C．Big Wild Goose Pagoda. | D．Qinghai Lake. |
| A．A novel. | B．A storybook. |
| C．A website. | D．A magazine. |
4 . It’s school time again! You’re probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. Some kids feel nervous or a little scared on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and even a new school. Luckily, these “new” worries only stick around for a little while. Let’s find out more about going to a new school.
Most teachers kick off the new school year by introducing themselves and talking about all the stuff you’ll be doing that year. Some teachers give students a chance to tell something about themselves to the rest of the class, too. When teachers do the talking on the first day, they often go over classroom rules and school rules so you’ll know what’s allowed and what’s not. Please pay close attention.
You might already know a lot of people in your classes on the first day, but it’s a great day to make a new friend, so try to say hello to kids you know and new ones that you don’t. Make the first move and you’ll be glad you did, and so will your new friend!
Seeing friends you haven’t seen for some time can make the first day a good one. You can make the day feel special by wearing clothes that you really like. Maybe you got a great T-shirt on one of your vacations, or a pair of sneakers (运动鞋). It also can make you feel good to be prepared and have all the things you need, such as pencils, folders, and whatever else you’ll be needing. But make sure that you pack them the night before in case you don’t have time in the morning.
1. The underlined phrase “kick off” in the second paragraph probably means “________”.| A．start | B．study | C．find | D．learn |
| A．what to know about a new school | B．how to prepare for a new school |
| C．what to do on your first day of school | D．how to spend your first day of school |
| A．introduce yourself | B．learn about the school rules |
| C．make new friends | D．go over your lessons |
| A．nervous | B．mad | C．happy | D．upset |
5 . Central Park
Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York. Let’s have a look at its main sights.
Central Park is New York’s largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres (about 3.4km2). This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas. You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this greenspace of New York.
Besides being the city’s primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams (婴儿车).
On Foot or by BicycleTo get to know some of the wildest parts of Central Park we suggest walking. However, to get a general feel for the whole park, the best thing to do is hire a bicycle and enjoy the scenery.
If you decide to hire a bike, you will find lots of bike rental stores around Central Park that are not very expensive.
Open TimeFrom 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
From 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.
PriceEntry to the Park is free. But if you visit some parts like Central Park Zoo, you need to buy a ticket.
TransportSubway: Line 5, 6, 7, A, B, C and D．
Bus: Line M1, M2, M3, M4 and M10.
Nearby placesMetropolitan Museum of Art (447 m)
Guggenheim Museum (564 m)
American Museum of Natural History (688 m)
Whitney Museum of American Art (1 km)
The Frick Collection (1.3 km)
1. What can we learn about the Central Park from the text?| A．It is home to lakes and waterfalls. |
| B．It is perfect for doing outdoor sports. |
| C．It is the largest city park in the world. |
| D．It is the most famous symbol of New York. |
| A．Hiring a bicycle. | B．Entrance to Central Park. |
| C．Visiting Central Park Zoo. | D．Going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. |
| A．In a science report. | B．In a geography book. |
| C．In a fashion magazine. | D．In a travel guide. |
6 . The endangered pandas in the Qinling Mountains might face a new threat: the loss of their food, bamboo, which makes up 99% of their meals.
Adult pandas spend most part of the day eating bamboo and have to take in at least 40 pounds a day to stay healthy. However, a new study published in Nature Climate Change warned that they may soon find their food gone because most of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains might disappear by the end of the century as a result of rising temperature worldwide.
A team made up of researchers from Michigan State University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences has studied the effects of climate change on the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. They have found that bamboo is very sensitive to climate changes. “80% to 100% of the bamboo would be gone if the average temperature rises 3.5 degrees worldwide by the end of the century,” said Liu Jianguo, one of the report’s authors.
He added, “This is how much the temperature would rise by 2100 even if all countries will keep their promises in the Paris Agreement. But you know what is happening all around the world.”
In recent years, China has been trying its best to protect the endangered pandas by setting up more and bigger natural reserves.
“But it is far from enough and the endangered pandas need cooperation from the rest of the world, because their future is not just in the hands of the Chinese,” said Shirley Martin from the World Wildlife Fund but not a member of the team.
The Qinling Mountains, in the southwest of China, are home to about 260 pandas. That is about 13% of China’s wild panda population. In addition, about 375 are living in research centers and zoos in China.
1. How many wild pandas are there in China?| A．About 260. | B．About 635. |
| C．About 2,635. | D．About 2,000. |
| A．China needs more help from the World Wildlife Fund. |
| B．It is difficult to control the temperature rise within 3.5℃. |
| C．Bamboo is sensitive to the changes of temperature. |
| D．China is making great efforts to protect the pandas. |
| A．The Qinling Mountains can provide enough bamboo for the pandas. |
| B．Pandas in the Qinling Mountains are only threatened by the loss of food. |
| C．Lots of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains will probably disappear. |
| D．Pandas have already eaten 99% of the bamboo in the Qinling Mountains. |
| A．The Disappearance of Bamboo |
| B．Necessity to Change Pandas’ Food |
| C．A New Threat Faced by the Pandas |
| D．Efforts Made to Save Pandas |
7 . It is quite reasonable to blame traffic jams, the cost of gas and the great speed of modern life, but manners on the road are becoming horrible. Everybody knows that the nicest men would become fierce tigers behind the wheel. It is all right to have a tiger in a cage, but to have one in the driver’s seat is another matter.
Road politeness is not only good manners, but a good sense. It takes the most cool-headed drivers great patience to give up the desire to beat back when forced to face rude driving. On the other hand, a little politeness goes a long way towards reducing the possibility of quarrelling and fighting. A friendly nod or a wave of thanks in answer to an act of politeness helps to create an atmosphere of good will and becomes so necessary in modern traffic conditions. But such behaviors of politeness are by no means enough. Many drivers nowadays don’t even seem able to recognize politeness when they see it.
However, misplaced politeness can also be dangerous. A typical example is the driver who waves to a child crossing the street at a wrong place into the path of oncoming cars that may not be able to stop in time. The same goes for encouraging old ladies to cross the road wherever and whenever they want to.
An experienced driver, whose manners are faultless, told me it would help if drivers learnt to correctly join in traffic stream without causing total blockages that give rise to unpleasant feelings. Unfortunately, modern drivers can’t even learn to drive, let alone master the roadmanship (公路驾车技能). Years ago, experts warned us that the fast increase of the car ownership would demand more give-and-take from all road users. It is high time for all of us to take this message to heart.
1. Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?| A．Traffic Jams. | B．Good Manners. |
| C．Road Politeness. | D．Modem Drivers. |
| A．Traffic jams. | B．The behaviour of the drivers. |
| C．The great speed of modern life. | D．Terrible road conditions. |
| A．Encourage children to cross the road whenever they want to. |
| B．Beat back when forced to face rude driving. |
| C．Be able to recognise politeness when he sees it. |
| D．Join in a traffic stream quickly however other people feel. |
| A．master the roadmanship |
| B．neglect politeness when they see it |
| C．give a friendly nod in answer to an act of politeness |
| D．encourage old ladies to cross the road whenever and wherever they want to |
8 . Music is not just a set of sounds and rhythms. Its influence on brain is much deeper than any other human experience. Keep on reading to know all these amazing power of music.
A recent study suggests that preterm (早产的) babies appear to experience less pain and feed more when listening to music. Experts led by Dr. Manoj Kumar of the University of Alberta,Canada,found that music had a beneficial effect on reducing pain for preterm babies experiencing painful medical tests. It also appeared to benefit full-term babies during operations.
Many people experiencing brain damage have speech and movement-related problems. Music can help recover from brain injuries. As a different and effective treatment, doctors often advise such patients to listen to good music to improve the parts of the brain responsible for these two functions. When people with neurological (神经的) disorders hear a musical beat, it helps them to regain a balanced walk.
Though music cannot make deafness disappear, it really can stave off the loss of hearing. There was an experiment involving 163 people where 74 were musicians. Participants were asked to pass some listening tests. Musicians heard the sounds better than non-musicians, and this difference gets clearer with age. This means that a 70-year-old musician hears better than a 50-year-old non-musician, even in a noisy environment.
Besides, music mends a broken heart. It is not about a thrown-away love, but about a heart attack. The matter is that music can help people recover from a heart attack or heart operation by reducing blood pressure, slowing down the heartbeat rate, and reducing anxiety. Listening to the quality music produces positive emotions, improves the movement of blood, and expands blood vessels, thus, promoting quick recovery of the whole cardiovascular (心血管的) system.
1. How does music affect preterm babies?| A．It helps develop their potential in music. |
| B．It helps reduce their pain. |
| C．It helps improve their hearing systems. |
| D．It helps repair their neurological systems. |
| A．Cause. | B．Increase. |
| C．Prevent. | D．Expand. |
| A．It has a positive effect on human body systems’ work. |
| B．It can encourage people to do sports. |
| C．It helps make a person outgoing. |
| D．It helps patients recover more quickly than medicine does. |
| A．People Who Can Benefit From music. |
| B．The Best Time to Listen to Music. |
| C．The Way to choose Quality Music. |
| D．How Music Affects Our Mind and Body. |
9 . In the world of digital health, Silicon Valley-based Mindstrong stands out. It has a remarkable team and tens of millions of funding. It also has a fascinating idea-its app, based on mental functioning research, can help detect troubling mental health patterns by collecting data on person’s smartphone usage-how quickly they type, for instance.
The company’s app collects information about how people are typing and runs it through a machine learning algorithm (计算程序) to determine which data can predict their emotional state. The idea is to use that data to establish a “normal” pattern-so it can be compared with someone’s typing habits on any given day. If the habits change, slower or more anxious than normal, the app can warn a health care provider.
The promise of this technology has made Mindstrong incredibly popular since it was launched last year; already more than a dozen counties in California have agreed to apply the company’s app to patients. Does the app live up to its promise? There’s no way to tell. Almost no one outside the company has any idea whether it works, leading some experts to wonder if the technology is ready for the real world. “I wouldn’t waste all that time and money in the wild until they get sure that some of those things are as specific as they hope they are,” said Rosalind Picard, a researcher at MIT Media Lab, who is familiar with Mindstrongs work.
“It has passed the gold-standard clinical tests for depression and anxiety,” said Dr. Paul Dagum, the company’s founder. “We’re confident, and we’re already seeing some really exciting results.” Mindstrong officials said that among their most encouraging results is that its app can even predict how a person will feel next week, kind of like a weather app for your mood. “For a clinician(临床医生) or someone looking after a patient, they know that it could be very, very powerful,” Dagum said.
1. What can Mindstrong’s app do?| A．Improve its users’ mental health. | B．Get its users to type more quickly. |
| C．Discover its users’ mental state. | D．Work out the causes of its users’ trouble. |
| A．The ways of collecting data. | B．The app’s working principle. |
| C．The analysis of typing habits. | D．The development of the app. |
| A．Doubtful. | B．Positive. | C．Uncaring. | D．Defensive. |
| A．The app has a powerful effect on anxiety. |
| B．The app can also predict weather conditions. |
| C．Care providers could be supporters of the app. |
| D．Doctors benefit more from the app than their patients. |
10 . One little girl in Dayton, Maine, has unknowingly changed the culture of her school when she became the first and only deaf student to attend.
Morey Belanger, 6, was diagnosed(诊断) with a rare disease when she was one year old. The disease is so rare that it doesn’t even have a name. One of the side effects the disease can bring about is
When she reached the age to go to school, her parents were
Still, Morey’s mother Shannon only
Apart from her classroom, Morey also goes to the gym class and the library, and people throughout the school are trying their best to
The school made efforts to make Morey feel she was
“We did these things
But even if these things were simply the right ones to do, nobody at the school could deny(否认) the
“She’s just brought something to our school that wouldn’t have been there. I think it’s a chance for learning and growth when we have a child who has something
| A．hearing | B．nutrition | C．weight | D．memory |
| A．speak | B．practice | C．fight | D．communicate |
| A．certain | B．alarmed | C．worried | D．positive |
| A．Normally | B．Regularly | C．Simply | D．Fortunately |
| A．anxious | B．willing | C．concerned | D．generous |
| A．discovered | B．expected | C．recognized | D．spotted |
| A．confused | B．annoyed | C．moved | D．stressed |
| A．offer | B．avoid | C．gather | D．desire |
| A．hated | B．believed | C．challenged | D．respected |
| A．performances | B．explanations | C．interviews | D．themes |
| A．if | B．though | C．because | D．unless |
| A．comment | B．effect | C．limitation | D．resource |
| A．extreme | B．familiar | C．mental | D．different |
| A．continue | B．volunteer | C．decide | D．manage |
| A．acquired | B．accepted | C．kept | D．proved |
