1 . Journey Back in Time with Scholars
Classical Provence(13days)Journey through the beautiful countryside of Provence,France,with Prof. Ori Z. Soltes. We will visit some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. Our tour also includes a chance to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Gauguin. Fields of flowers, tile-roofed(瓦屋顶)villages and tasty meals enrich this wonderful experience.
Southern Spain(15days)
Spain has lovely white towns and the scent(芳香)of oranges,but it is also a treasury of ancient remains including the cities left by the Greeks,Romans and Arabs. As we travel south from Madrid with Prof. Ronald Messier to historic Toledo,Roman Merida and into Andalucia, we explore historical monuments and architecture.
China’s Sacred Landscapes(21days)
Discover the China of “past ages,” its walled cities,temples and mountain scenery with Prof. Robert Thorp. Highlights(精彩之处)include China’s most sacred peaks at Mount Tai and Hangzbou’s rolling hills,waterways and peaceful temples. We will wander in traditional small towns and end our tour with an exceptional museum in Shanghai.
Tunisia(17days)
Join Prof. Pedar Foss on our in-depth Tunisian tour. Tour highlights include the Roman city of Dougga,the underground Numidian capital at Bulla Regia, Roman Sbeitla and the remote areas around Tataouine and Matmata,uique for underground cities. Our journey takes us to picturesque Berber villages and lovely beaches.
1. What can visitors see in both Classical Provence and Southern Spain?
A.Historical monuments. | B.Fields of flowers. |
C.Van Gogh’s paintings. | D.Greek buildings. |
A.France. | B.Spain. | C.China. | D.Tunisia. |
A.White towns. | B.Underground cities. | C.Tile-roofed villages. | D.Rolling hills. |
2 . The name England comes from the words “Angle land”. The Angles were people who came from northern Germany in the 5th and 6th centuries, after the Romans had left. The French name for England is Angleterre, which also means “Angle land”. There were also invasions (侵略) of southern England by Saxons and Jutes (people from another part of northern Germany). English people are sometimes called Anglo-Saxons. The Celts who used to live in this area were forced to move back into Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall and into Western France (the area known as Brittany).
England at first became a series of kingdoms, the strongest of which was Wessex (the name comes from West-Saxon). The names of many of the areas in England come from this period—for example, the name Sussex comes from South-Saxon, Essex from East-Saxon, and East Anglia from East-Angle. The Vikings then came from Denmark, and later the Normans invaded from France. Eventually England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were united, forming the United Kingdom.
The English language is the main language spoken throughout England, although there are many different accents. It can be difficult to know how to spell or to pronounce some English words, because the language has been influenced by Latin and Greek (languages used at the time of the Romans, and used in religion and education until recent times), German (the language of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes), French(the language of the Normans), Gaelic/Scots (Celtic languages) and Danish (the language of the Vikings).
There are now many people throughout the United Kingdom who speak a foreign language either as their first or second language, mainly due to immigration (移民) from Europe or the Commonwealth (countries which used to be part of the British Empire).
1. What's the first paragraph mainly about?A.The origin of the name England. |
B.The Celts used to live in England but left for some reason. |
C.Southern England once was attacked by Saxons and Jutes. |
D.Angles and Saxons came from different parts of northern Germany. |
A.Sussex | B.Wessex |
C.Essex | D.East Anglia |
A.English words are hard to spell and to pronounce. |
B.England had been invaded by most of the countries of Europe. |
C.The English language was influenced by several foreign languages. |
D.It's hard for people who have different English accents to communicate. |
A.Because they are required to learn a foreign language at school. |
B.Because they plan to live outside the UK in the future. |
C.Because they have moved from other countries. |
D.Because they have worked in other countries. |
3 . Passenger pigeons (旅鸽) were the most common birds in all of North America in the 1800s. It was common to see large groups of passenger pigeons — groups that made a sound like a storm. But today, they are extinct because of human behavior. Now, some scientists want to bring passenger pigeons back to life by using new technology and scientific ideas. They call this process deextinction.
Deextinction has not happened yet. It is still just an idea. The process of deextinction is not easy. First, scientists must collect DNA from the bodies of extinct animals. Then they will put it in the eggs of similar animal species. When these animals become adults, they will have babies. And these baby animals will have the DNA of the extinct animals.
Scientists believe it is possible to bring back passenger pigeons and many other animals. However, not everyone thinks this is a good idea.
Stuart Primm is the world's leading expert on modern animal extinction. He believes that bringing extinct animals back to life is bad for the earth. On one hand, these animals no longer have a safe place to live. On the other hand, they could cause other animals to die.
Many other scientists do not agree with Stuart Primm. Stuart Brand, a writer and scientist, is one of them. He believes deextinction is good for many reasons.
"The current generation (当代) of children will experience the return of some unusual animals in their lifetime. It may be part of what defines their generation and their attitude to the natural world. They will take their parents to zoos to see the growing populations of passenger pigeons, and maybe even dodo birds. This will provide a good deal of money for zoos busy with extinct species restoration (恢复). Humans killed off a lot of species over the last 10,000 years. So, it's right to bring some back to life," he said.
1. In the 19th century, passenger pigeons ________.A.were common sightings |
B.suffered a lot from storms |
C.lived mainly in North America |
D.were the largest in American history |
A.It will change the DNA of the extinct animals. |
B.It was first used in passenger pigeons. |
C.It is difficult to carry out. |
D.It proved to be useful. |
A.They will die very soon. | B.They will create other problems. |
C.They will do great harm to humans. | D.They will replace the similar species. |
A.Wrong. | B.Difficult. | C.Important. | D.Wasteful. |
4 . This March is a busy month in Shanghai. There's a lot to do. Here are the highlights.
Live Music - Late Night Jazz
Enjoy real American jazz from Herbie Davis, the famous trumpet player. He's coming with his new 7-piece band, Herbie' s Heroes. Herbie is known to play well into the early hours, so don't expect to get much sleep. This is Herbie' s third visit to Shanghai. The first two were sold out, so get your tickets quickly.
PLACE: The Jazz Club DATES: 15-23 March PRICE: ¥80,120 TIME: 10:00p.m. till late! TEL: 6466-8736
Scottish dancing
Take your partners and get ready to dance till you drop. Scottish dancing is fun and easy to learn. Instructors will demonstrate the dances. The live band, Gordon Stroppie and the Weefrees, are also excellent.
PLACE: Jack Stein's DATES: every Monday PRICE: Y60 including one drink TIME: 7:00 - ~0:00 p.m. TEL: 6402-1877
Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum
There are 120,000 pieces on show here. You can see the whole of Chinese history under one roof. It' s always interesting to visit, but doubly so at the moment with the Egyptian Tombs exhibition. There are lots of mummies and more gold than you've ever seen before. Let us know if you see a mummy move!
PLACE: Shanghai Museum PRICE: ¥30 (¥ 15 for students) TEL: 6888-6888 DATES: daily TIME: Monday - Friday 9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m., Weekends 9:00a.m. - 9:00p.m.
Dining - Sushi chef in town
Sushi is getting really big in Shanghai. In Japan, it' s become an art form. The most famous Sushi 'artist' is Yuki Kamura. She' s also one of the few female chefs in Japan. She' ll be at Sushi Scene all of this month.
PLACE: Sushi Scene in the Shanghai Hotel DATES: all month PRICE: ¥200 TIME: lunchtime TEL: 6690-3211
For a full listing of events, see our website.
1. Suppose you are going to attend an activity at 8: 00p.m. on Saturday, which one can you choose?A.Live Music - Late Night Jazz | B.Scottish dancing |
C.Exhibitions - Shanghai Museum | D.Dining - Sushi chef in town |
A.Scottish dancing is so interesting and easy that it never tires you out. |
B.The performance given by the American jazz band won't last long. |
C.Sushi is not popular in Shanghai as it is a kind of Japanese traditional food. |
D.It is more interesting to visit Shanghai Museum for the exhibits from Egypt. |
A.a cook | B.a waitress |
C.an instructor | D.an artist |
5 . Welcome to our school. You can do a lot of things here. Come and join us.
Timetable | |
Sunday 8:30---11:30 Personal Inventions You can see many inventions by the students; you may also bring your own inventions. | Monday 19:00---21:00 Space and Man Dr. Thomas West If you want to know more about the universe. |
Wednesday 19:30---21:00 Modern Medicine Mrs. Lucy Green Would you like to know medical science? | Friday 18:30---21:00 Computer Science Mr. Harry Morison from Harvard University Learn to use Windows XP. |
1. You may have a chance to introduce your inventions on _________.
A.Monday | B.Friday . | C.Sunday | D.Wednesday |
A.Mr. Morison | B.Dr. West | C.Mr. Thomas | D.Mrs. Green |
A.19:00 to 21:00 on Monday | B.8:30 to 11:30 on Sunday |
C.18:30 to 21:00 on Friday | D.19:30 to 21:00 on Wednesday |
6 . Do you love holidays but hate the increase weight that follows? You are not alone. Holidays are happy days with pleasure and delicious foods. Many people, however, are worried about the weight that comes along with these delicious foods.
With proper planning, though, it is possible to control your weight. The idea is to enjoy the holidays but not to eat too much. You don't have to turn away from the foods that you enjoy. The following suggestions may be of some help to you.
Do not miss meals. Before you leave home for a feast(宴会), have a small, low-fat snack(小吃). This may help to keep you from getting too excited before delicious foods. Begin with clear soup and fruit or vegetables. A large glass of water before you eat may help you feel full. Use a small plate; a large plate will encourage you to have more than enough.
Better not have high-fat foods. Dishes that look oily or creamy have much fat in them. Choose lean meat(瘦肉 ). Fill your plate with salad and green vegetables. If you have a sweet tooth, try mints (薄荷) and fruits. They don’t have fat content as cream and chocolate. Don’t let exercise take a break during the holidays. A 20-minute walk after a meal can help burn off excess(过多的) calories.
1. Holidays are happy days with pleasure but they may ______.A.bring weight problems | B.bring you much trouble in your life |
C.make you worried about your foods | D.make you hate delicious foods |
A.drink much water and have vegetables only | B.not eat the food in high fat |
C.not accept invitations to feasts | D.turn away from delicious foods |
A.vegetables | B.water | C.calories of energy | D.physical exercise |
A.can’t control themselves | B.go to too many feasts |
C.enjoy delicious foods | D.can’t help turning away from the foods |
Three centuries after the appearance of Franklin’s Courant, few believe that newspapers in their present printed from will remain alive for long. Newspaper companies are losing advertisers(广告商),readers, market value, and in some cases, their sense of purpose at a speed that would not have been imaginable just several years ago. The chief editor(主编) of the Times said recently, “At places where they gather, editors ask one another, ‘How are you?’, as if they have just come out of the hospital or a lost law case.” An article about the newspaper appeared on the website of the Guandian, under the headline “NOT DEAD YET.”
Perhaps not, but the rise of the Internet, which has made the daily newspaper look slow and out of step with the world, has brought about a real sense of death. Some American newspapers have lost 42% of their market value in the past three years. The New York Times Company has seen its stock(股票) drop by 54% since the end of 2004, with much of the loss coming in the past year. A manager at Deutsche Bank suggested that stock-holders sell off their Times stock. The Washington Post Company has prevented the trouble only by changing part of its business to education; its testing and test-preparation service now brings in at least half the company’s income.
1. What can we learn about the New England Courant?
A.It is mainly about the stock market. |
B.It marks the beginning of the American newspaper. |
C.It remains a successful newspaper in America. |
D.It carries articles by political leaders. |
A.They often accept readers’ suggestions. |
B.They care a lot about each other’s health. |
C.They stop doing business with advertisers. |
D.They face great difficulties in their business. |
A.The Washington Post. |
B.The Guardian. |
C.The New York Times. |
D.New England Courant. |
A.Satisfied. |
B.Hopeful. |
C.Worried. |
D.Surprised. |
8 . Linda was a sixteen-year-old girl in Britain. She was feeling bad for several days. Her mother took her to a hospital and the doctors found out that she had cancer.
Linda’s life changed. She began to go to the hospital often for treatment (治疗),and she also became depressed.
The hospitals and the doctors were good, but Linda did not have hope herself. Linda’s mother called a flower shop close to the hospital. “I want some beautiful flowers for my daughter. She is a teen girl with cancer. ” She told the shop owner. Later, the flowers arrived. Then Linda saw something unusual. It was a card. It read:
Linda,
I own (拥有 )this flower shop . I had cancer when I was fifteen years old. I am 24 years old now. Good luck. My heart goes out to you.
Yours,
Alice.
Linda smiled. She finally felt some real hope. She found the will (意志)to live.
Little things make a big difference. All of us can give little things like kindness, encouragement and hope to others.
1. Why was Linda feeling bad for several days?A.Because she was seriously ill. | B.Because she had no friend. |
C.Because her life changed. | D.Because her mother was ill. |
A.safe | B.serious. | C.sad. | D.excited |
A.Her mother. | B.A doctor. | C.A shop owner. | D.Her friend. |
A.She became hopeful about life. |
B.She wanted to work with Alice. |
C.She thanked her mother a lot. |
D.She liked the card very much. |
A.Be kind to yourself. |
B.Little things make a big difference. |
C.Try something different. |
D.Be kind to others. |
9 . Steel Vengeance, a world-record-breaking hybrid roller coaster, recently made its first public appearance at Cedar Point Amusement Park in Sandusky, Ohio.
The ride is constructed from both wood and steel (钢). A steel running track on a huge wooden base allows the ride to provide the types of twists (扭转) and turns that are not possible on wooden roller coasters.
Steel Vengeance breaks ten world records, including tallest, fastest, and longest hybrid roller coaster. “It is just a roller coaster that you want to ride again and again,” said Tony Clark, director of communications at Cedar Point. The 90-degree, 200-foot drop on the first hill takes your breath away.
At a recent event at Cedar Point, I experienced the excitement of the new ride first-hand. Thanks to my strong heart, I had a really cool time!
THE MAKING OF VENGEANCE
“The biggest part of making a roller coaster is planning it,” Clark said.
Jason McClure, general manager of Cedar Point, added: “We have to get a main idea of the basics of the coaster and then plan a budget.”
WOOD, STEEL, AND HARD WORK
Rocky Mountain Construction designed and built Steel Vengeance. About 1.2 million pounds of steel and 1.4 million boards of wood were used to build the ride.
Fred Grubb, co-founder of Rocky Mountain, noted that “people who design roller coasters for my company have to have first-hand experience building things with their hands, not just hold an engineering degree. When you have built things for yourself, you get it, and understand what will work.”
Clark was pleased with the results. “We at Cedar Point are so happy with how Steel Vengeance turned out,” he said.
McClure added: “What we put into this roller coaster was wood, steel, and a lot of hard work.”
1. What can we learn about Steel Vengeance?A.It is going through tests. |
B.It belongs to Rocky Mountain. |
C.It is made from both steel and wood. |
D.It was mainly designed by Fred Grubb. |
A.It will last longer. |
B.It cost less money. |
C.It took less time to build. |
D.It offers more kinds of twists. |
A.Worried. |
B.Excited. |
C.Frightened. |
D.Shocked. |
A.hold an arts degree |
B.be roller coaster lovers |
C.be skillful at wood work |
D.have built things themselves |
10 . A.Chinese college student cycles over 1,000 kilometers in 19 days to encourage environmental protection.
The college student from central China's Hubei province cycled over 1,000 kilometers to Shanghai in 19 days to highlight the importance of environmental protection, receiving high praise from related departments.
Huang Xi's journey started on Aug 3 from Xiaochang county, Hubei, spreading the message of environmental protection to over 5, 000 people along his route.Huang said it was not very easy to start a conversation about environmental protection with strangers."First you have to narrow the distance between you and your audience, " he noted.For instance, he would greet people at the roadside and introduce himself and his plan.He told Shanghai Observer that the environmental issue was not a good conversation opener because not everyone was interested.
Straw burning(秸秆焚烧) was a major focus for Huang since his journey began in summer."Many people don't burn straw because there s a fine, but not many of them know that burning straw actually pollutes the environment,” he said.
Explaining the ban on straw burning, the benefits of sorting of waste as well as the importance of creatures in water and plants protection were the major part of his job on the road.
16 local authorities of environmental protection along Huang's route praised his efforts."Environmental protection calls for not only governmental efforts but also social efforts, " said Chen Bin, an official from Wuhan's environmental department.
Huang shared his experience on social media, which gave him a level of support on his journey.
However, his cycle also drew the bad side of comments.Some said that his journey was only a publicity stunt (作秀), and some even said that in fact, it was a trip that Huang had to make since he ran out of his money at Internet cafes.Huang replied and tried to prove that what they said was not true.
Huang, who studies environmental engineering in college, set off again on Sept 27 to take part in a training camp held by a center of environmental protection in Hubei province."I will will share my experience of the journey, and hope people will pay more attention to the environment.” he said.
1. What is the purpose of Huang's cycling?A.To have a good sightseeing. |
B.To receive high praise from related departments. |
C.To let people know the importance of protecting environment. |
D.To solve the problem of straw burning. |
A.Huang's cycle didn't draw any attention. |
B.What Huang studies in college is related to environment. |
C.Environmental protection needs only social efforts. |
D.It's a good idea to start a conversation by environmental issues. |
A.On July.3. | B.On Sep. 27. |
C.On Aug. 22.5 | D.On Oct. 3. |
A.They think highly of it. | B.They disagree with it. |
C.They show no interest in it. | D.They doubt it. |