1 . Returning to a book you’ve read many times can feel like drinks with an old friend. There’s a welcome familiarity - but also sometimes a slight suspicion that time has changed you both, and thus the relationship. But books don’t change, people do. And that’s what makes the act of rereading so rich and transformative.
The beauty of rereading lies in the idea that our bond with the work is based on our present mental register. It’s true, the older I get, the more I feel time has wings. But with reading, it’s all about the present. It’s about the now and what one contributes to the now, because reading is a give and take between author and reader. Each has to pull their own weight.
There are three books I reread annually .The first, which I take to reading every spring is Emest Hemningway’s A Moveable Feast. Published in 1964, it’s his classic memoir of 1920s Paris. The language is almost intoxicating (令人陶醉的)，an aging writer looking back on an ambitious yet simpler time. Another is Annie Dillard’s Holy the Firm, her poetic 1975 ramble (随笔) about everything and nothing. The third book is Julio Cortazar’s Save Twilight: Selected Poems, because poetry. And because Cortazar.
While I tend to buy a lot of books, these three were given to me as gifs, which might add to the meaning I attach to them. But I imagine that, while money is indeed wonderful and necessary, rereading an author’s work is the highest currency a reader can pay them. The best books are the ones that open further as time passes. But remember, it’s you that has to grow and read and reread in order to better understand your friends.
1. Why does the author like rereading?| A．It evaluates the writer-reader relationship. |
| B．It’s a window to a whole new world. |
| C．It’s a substitute for drinking with a friend. |
| D．It extends the understanding of oneself. |
| A．It’s a brief account of a trip. |
| B．It’s about Hemingway’s life as a young man. |
| C．It’s a record of a historic event. |
| D．It’s about Hemingway’s friends in Paris. |
| A．Debt |
| B．Reward. |
| C．Allowance. |
| D．Face value. |
| A．He loves poetry. |
| B．He’s an editor. |
| C．He’s very ambitious. |
| D．He teaches reading. |
2 . The Lake District Attractions Guide
Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens
History, Culture & Landscape(景观). Discover and enjoy 4 centuries of history, 5 acres of celebrated and award-winning gardens with parkland walk. Owned by the Hasell family since 1679, home to the International Marmalade Festival. Gifts and antiques, plant sales, museums & Mediaeval Hall Tearoom.
Open:29 Mar-29 Oct，Sun to Thurs.Tearoom，Gardens & Gift Shop:10:30-17:00(16:00 in Oct).
House:11:15-16:00(15:00 in Oct)
Town: Pooley Bridge & PenrithAbbot Hall art Gallery & Museum
Those viewing the quality of Abbot Hall’s temporary exhibitions may be forgiven for thinking they are in a city gallery. The impressive permanent collection includes Turners and Romneys and the temporary exhibition programme has Canaletto and the artists from St Ives.
Open: Mon to Sat and Summer Sundays. 10:30 -17:00 Summer.10:30 -16:00 Winter.Town: Kendal
Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery
Discover, explore and enjoy award-winning Tullie House, where historic collections, contemporary art and family fun are brought together in one impressive museum and art gallery. There are four fantastic galleries to visit from fine art to interactive fun, so there’s something for everyone!
Open: High Season 1 Apr – 31 Oct: Mon to Sat 10:00 – 17:00, Sun 11:00 – 17:00.Low Season 1 Nov – 31 Mar: Mon to Sat 10:00 – 16:30, Sun 12:00 – 16:30.
Town: CarlisleDove Cottage & The wordsworth Museum
Discover William Wordsworth’s inspirational home. Take a tour of his Lakeland cottage, walk through his hillside garden and explore the riches of the collection in the Museum. Visit the shop and relax in the café. Exhibitions, events and family activities throughout the year.
Open: Daily, 09:30 – 17:30 (last admission 17:00).
Town: Grasmere
1. When is the House at Dalemain Mansion & Historic Gardens open on Sundays in July?| A．09:30-17:30. | B．10:30-16:00. | C．11:15-16:00. | D．12:00-16:30 |
| A．Enjoy Romney’s works. |
| B．Have some interactive fun. |
| C．Attend a famous festival. |
| D．Learn the history of a family |
| A．Penrith. | B．Kendal. | C．Carlisle. | D．Grasmere. |
3 . The Torch Festival (火把节) is a traditional festival which is celebrated among some ethnic groups in southwestern China, such as the Yi, Bai, Hani, Lisu, and Lahu, etc. It usually falls on the 24th or 25th of June, with three days of celebrations. The festival came from worship (崇拜) of fire by ancestors (祖先). For some ethnic groups, it’s a tradition in the festival for elders to share farming experience with young people and educate them about taking care of crops.
During the festival, big torches are made to stand in all villages, with small torches placed in front of the door of each house. When night falls, the torches are lit and the villages are bright. At the same time, people walk around the fields and houses, holding small torches and placing the torches in the field corners. Inside the villages, young people are singing and dancing around the big torches that keep burning throughout the night. Other activities like horse races are also held during the festival.
In a horse race of the Yi people in Yunnan, torches are used to form hurdles for riders to get through. The Hani people in Yunnan traditionally tie fruits to torches with strings. When the strings are broken after the torches are lit, people struggle for the fruits for good luck.
For the Lisu people in Sichuan, the festival is an occasion for holding torch parades. Big torches are carried by teams of people, which is like a fire dragon. If different teams meet, it’s a tradition to exchange the big torches with one another.
1. What can we know about the Torch Festival from the first paragraph?| A．It has nothing to do with farming. |
| B．Its celebrations usually last two days. |
| C．It is a traditional festival of all China. |
| D．It is a festival to show worship of fire. |
| A．ancestors. | B．young people. |
| C．elders. | D．ethnic groups. |
| A．Why the festival is enjoyed. | B．Where the festival is celebrated. |
| C．How the festival is celebrated. | D．What torches are used for the festival. |
| A．Holding torch parades. | B．Tying fruits to torches with strings. |
| C．Struggling for fruits for good luck. | D．Using torches as hurdles for a horse race. |
4 . The victims were carried in one by one, their paws burned and fur burnt, suffering from dehydration (脱水) and fear. Their caretakers bandaged (用绷带包扎) their wounds and laid them in baskets with the only thing that was familiar — the leaves of a eucalyptus (桉树) tree. As fires have burned more than two million acres in Australia, dozens of koalas have been rescued from burned trees and pale ground. The animals are being treated in rescue centers, and at least one private home, along the country’s east coast.
The difficult situation of the koala — a national symbol of Australia — has raised questions among environmentalists and scientists about what it will take to protect biodiversity (生物多样性) in a country with intense fire, extreme heat and lack of water. Australia has already been among the highest rates of species extinction in the world.
The bad situation goes beyond koalas. Recently, tens of thousands of bats fell from the sky in temperatures over 107 degrees Fahrenheit in northern Australia. Kangaroos destroyed the grapes in Canberra because of drought.
“Climate change and other human impacts have so changed the situation that the government needs to rethink its way to protect at once,” Dr. Bowman said, suggesting interventions (干预) like irrigating, feeding and moving animals to new places.
Koalas, unlike kangaroos, birds or snakes, do not escape from fires. Therefore, though the fires are still burning, a rescue team began to search the area carefully. Walking in a human chain, they looked up to the tree top, searching for survivors.
1. What do the victims in the first paragraph refer to?| A．Animals injured in fires. |
| B．Kangaroos driven by drought. |
| C．Bats that fell from the sky. |
| D．Koalas rescued from the fire. |
| A．Wildfires that seldom happened. |
| B．Extreme hot weather in Australia. |
| C．The never-changing climate in Australia. |
| D．Not having enough money to take measures in Australia. |
| A．Human activities have little influence on animals. |
| B．The government should take immediate action. |
| C．The government does not care about the wild animals. |
| D．Scientists are concerned about the bad situation of wildlife. |
| A．Saving the Fire Victims Who Cannot Escape: Australia’s Koalas |
| B．Saving the Endangered Wild Animals in Australia |
| C．Actions Needed to Protect Habitat for Koalas |
| D．National Symbol of Australia Needs Rescue |
5 . Sometimes life can seem challenging (挑战的) and we usually get the feeling of “the grass on the other side is always greener”! We usually feel upset with the troubles that life throws at us.
The best thing to do at that point of time is to close our eyes and start counting of all the blessings in life that God has given us.
If we think deeply, our life is full of blessings that we hardly recognize. Listening to the singing of birds early in the morning, we realize that there are many people who spend their life in a world that is silent while many others spend their lives in a world that is dark and may have never seen a rainbow or the setting sun.
When you go out for a drive, pull down the window and look at the poor beggar standing under the hot sun, begging for filling his hungry stomach. We get three meals a day without realizing its importance. Isn’t that a blessing?
Whenever you are sad, look at the eyes of your parents and family filled with love and concern for you. There are many people who have never experienced the love of a family. Isn’t that a blessing?
As Mother Teresa once said, “We don’t need to do great things. We need to do small things with great love”.
The key to a happy life is when we consider others problems to be our own and try to help them. When we love people without any expectations and help them, our heart is filled with a sense of happiness and peace seeing the smile on their face.
So the next time whenever life knocks you down, close your eyes and…start counting!
1. What does the author intend to tell us?| A．True happiness lies in achieving wealth. |
| B．Blessings should be treasured in our life. |
| C．The singing of birds can make us happy. |
| D．Love from our family gives us courage to face life. |
| A．however happy we are, we never seem to be satisfied |
| B．though we are rich, we are poor in mind |
| C．we can have a better life if we work harder |
| D．there exists a greener grass on the other side |
| A．We have already known that life is filled with blessings. |
| B．It is a blessing to have three meals a day. |
| C．It’s natural to see a rainbow or the setting sun in life. |
| D．Mother Teresa calls on us to do great things in life. |
| A．Troubles in Life | B．Secrets of Life |
| C．A Sense of Happiness | D．Count Your Blessings |
6 . To me, life without music would not be exciting. I realize that this is not true for everybody. Many people get along quite well without going to the concert, and listening to the record. But music plays an important part in everyone's life, whether he realizes it or not. Try to imagine, for example, what films or TV plays would be like without music. Would the feelings, the moving plot, and the greatest interests, be so exciting or dramatic? I'm not sure about it.
Now, we have been speaking of music in its more common meaning----the kind of music we hear in the concert hall. But if we look at some parts of music more closely, we discover them in our everyday life too----in the rhythm of the sea, the melody of a bird in the woods and so on. So music surely has meaning for everyone, in some way or other. And, of course, it has special meaning for those who have spent all their lives working on playing or writing music.
It is well said, “Through music a child enters into a world of beauty, expresses himself from his heart, feels the joy of doing things alone, learns to take care of others, develops his mind and makes his body strong.”
1. What does the writer say more about in the text?| A．Life full of music. | B．The importance of music. |
| C．Life without music. | D．The development of music. |
| A．go to the concert instead of enjoying music |
| B．get along quite well without music |
| C．don't realize the importance of music |
| D．think music would be less exciting than films |
| A．flying | B．living |
| C．looking | D．singing |
| A．is very necessary for our everyday life |
| B．is very important, especially for children |
| C．can make our life exciting and dramatic |
| D．can enter another beautiful world |
7 . It’s a popular belief that a fish’s memory lasts for only seven seconds. It may seem sad to think that they don’t remember what they’ve eaten or where they’ve been, and they don’t identify you or any of their friends -- every moment in their life would be like seeing the world for the first time.
But don’t be so quick to feel sorry for them. A new study has found that fish have a much better memory than we used to think. In fact, certain species of fish can even remember events from as long as 12 days ago. In the study, researchers from Mac Ewan University in Canada trained a kind of fish called African cichlids to go to a certain area of their tank to get food. They then waited for 12 days before putting them back in the tank again. Researchers used computer software to monitor the fish’s movements. They found that after such a long break the fish still went to the same place where they first got food. This suggested that they could remember their past experiences.
In fact, scientists had been thinking for a long time that African cichlids might have a good memory. An earlier study showed that they behaved aggressively（挑衅地）in front of certain fish, perhaps because they remembered their past “fights”. But until the latest findings, there was no clear evidence.
Just as a good memory can make our lives easier, it also plays an important part when a fish is trying to survive in the wild. “If fish are able to remember that a certain area contains safe food, they will be able to go back to that area without putting their lives at risks,” lead researcher Trevor Hamilton told Live Science.
For a long time, fish were placed far below chimpanzees, dolphins and mice on the list of smart animals. But this study has given scientists a new understanding of their intelligence.
1. According to the article, people commonly believe that _______.| A．fish can only remember part of their past experiences |
| B．fish can remember things that happened long time ago |
| C．a fish’s memory lasts for only seven minutes |
| D．fish don’t recognize any of their friends |
| A．where to get food and survive |
| B．their enemies and fight |
| C．where to escape to when in danger |
| D．their friends and help each other |
| A．African cichlids always treat other fish aggressively. |
| B．African cichlids can remember things for 12 days. |
| C．African cichlids don’t belong to the list of smart animals. |
| D．Only African cichlids have a good memory. |
| A．Fish having very bad memories. |
| B．Fish being smarter than we thought. |
| C．How fish improve their memory. |
| D．What we can learn from fish. |
There may be a slight chill(寒冷) in the air, with temperatures staying around 15℃ in March, but Spain’s handsome capital is slowly starting to warm up. Even more attractive are the cultural events.
A new exhibition on the living and working spaces of Spain’s greatest artist, Picasso, has just opened in the studio at the Fundación Mapfre at Paseo de Recoletos 23. It runs until 11 May with rarely seen pieces borrowed from his family.
Later this summer, the 400th anniversary of the death of the Renaissance(文艺复兴) painter El Greco will be marked with an exciting exhibition at the Museo del Prado at Paseo del Prado from 24June to 5 October.
How to go?
The widest range of flights is offered by EasyJet—from Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Liverpool and Luton. British Airways and its sister airline Iberia combine forces from Heathrow and London City. Ryanair flies from Manchester and Stansted; Air Europa flies from Gatwick.
Barajas airport is 13km north-east of the city centre and is served by frequent trains on Metro line 8, but the shortest underground journey is a bit complex with at least one change at Nuevos Ministerios station and takes about 30 minutes. The fare to any station in the city centre is ∈4.50. The airport express bus runs every 15 to 35 minutes around the clock; ∈5 one way. It takes 40 minutes to reach the city centre. A taxi takes half the time. A flat rate of ∈30 covers most of central Madrid.
1. When will the exhibition about Picasso close?| A．On 23 March. | B．On 11 May. | C．On 24June. | D．On 5 October. |
| A．EasyJet. | B．Ryanair. | C．Air Europa. | D．British Airways. |
| A．Take a taxi. | B．Take a city bus. | C．Take Metro line 8. | D．Take the airport express bus. |
9 . Welcome to Oxford University Museums
Ashmolean Museum
Established in 1683, the Ashmolean Museum is the oldest museum in the UK and one of the oldest in the world. It houses the University’s extensive collections of art and antiquities, ranging back over four millennia.
Location: Beaumont Street Tel: 01865278000
Open: Tue. Sun. 10: 00-17: 00.
Charge: Admission is free; special exhibitions are ticketed and a charge may apply
Note: For group bookings Tel:01865278015
Oxford University Museum of Natural History
The University Museum of Natural History houses the University’s collections of zoological, entomological, paleontological and mineral specimens. With 4. 5 million specimens it is the largest collection of its type outside of the national collections.
Location: Parks Road Tel: 01865 272950
Open: 10: 00-17: 00 daily
Charge: Admission is free
Note: Groups must book in advance
Museum of the History of Science
The Museum of the History of Science is housed in the world’s oldest surviving purpose-built museum building. It contains the world’s finest collection of historic scientific instruments.
Location: Broad Street Tel: 01865277280
Open: Tue.Sun.12: 00-17:00
Charge: Admission is free
Note: Booking required for groups of 15 or more
Pitt Rivers Museum
The Pitt Rivers Museum holds one of the world’s finest collections of anthropology and archaeology, with objects from every continent and from throughout human history.
Location: Parks Road enter via the Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Tel:01865270927
Open: Tue. Sun. and Bank Holiday Mondays: 10: 00-16: 30
Charge: Admission is free
Note: Groups must book in advance
1. If a group of 20 students want to visit the oldest museum in the UK, they should call_______| A．01865277280 | B．01865278015 |
| C．01865270927 | D．01865272950 |
| A．Ashmolean Museum. | B．Museum of the History of Science. |
| C．Oxford University Museum of Natural History. | D．Pitt Rivers Museum |
| A．Ashmolean Museum is on the Broad Street. |
| B．Pitt Rivers Museum contains the world’s finest collection of historic scientific instruments. |
| C．We don’t have to book in advance if our group want to visit the University Museum of Natural History. |
| D．We can enter the Pitt Rivers Museum through the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. |
10 . Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.
Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience，researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch(音调).
One of the study's authors，Nina Kraus，said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”.This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs，Dr. Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.
Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages，pitch plays a central role. A singlesyllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.
For this study，the researchers looked at 20 nonChinese speaking volunteers，half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.
As they were shown a movie，the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings:squint，bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.
The lead author of the study，Patrick C.M.Wong，said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.
1. When learning Chinese，a foreigner will find ________.| A．he has a difficult time learning music at the same time |
| B．he has an easier time learning music at the same time |
| C．it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand |
| D．it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch |
| A．Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music. |
| B．Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain. |
| C．Because music training might help people with language study. |
| D．Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music. |
| A．created | B．spelled | C．seemed | D．pronounced |
| A．Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers |
| B．Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study |
| C．Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning |
| D．Schools Need to Develop Music Programs |
