1 . Santo Domingo City—Full Day Tour
Santo Domingo is a magical city, full of history, culture and amazing buildings. It is the first city founded in America. At the beginning of the day we will pick you up at your hotel. On the way to Santo Domingo you will have a tour guide who will explain incredible details about the history of the Dominican Republic. Upon arrival in Santo Domingo you will make a beautiful tour of the most important monuments. You will also be on a romantic street, the first in America, “The Ladies”.
Duration: 6 hours
Hotel Pickup
Hotel pick-up is offered for this tour. Note: if you are booking within 24 hours of the tour/activity departure time, we cannot guarantee hotel pick-up. Once your purchase is complete, we will send you complete contact information (phone number, email address, etc.) for our local operator to organize pick-up arrangements.
Additional Info
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Baby carriage accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Babies must sit on laps
Baby seats available
Most travelers can participate
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund（退款）
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 150 travelers
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
1. What do we know about Santo Domingo City—Full Day Tour?| A．Santo Domingo is the oldest city. |
| B．Someone collects you at any time. |
| C．It is expected to last for six hours. |
| D．It will be a self-guided tour. |
| A．Wheelchairs. | B．Free cars. |
| C．Service babies. | D．Baby seats. |
| A．When the start date is postponed. |
| B．If the tour is canceled for some reason. |
| C．When the service is pretty terrible. |
| D．If there are less than 150 travelers. |
2 . The best festivals in August
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is the largest arts festival in the world. Last year, the festival lasted 25 days, including 55,000 performances of 3,548 shows in 317 places. The festival started in 1947. Anyone can join in with the performance of their choice.
Wilderness Festival
Wilderness Festival takes place in one of the oldest woods in England. Taking place over four days in nature, people will experience music, comedy, theatre, and dance from Sadler's Wells. All the campsites are made-to-order for different needs, including family camping.
Notting Hill Carnival
Notting Hill Carnival takes place on the streets of Notting Hill in London, England in each August lasting three days. Attracting around one million people each year, it's one of the biggest street festivals in the world. Happening since 1966, Notting Hill Carnival is an essential cultural experience in London.
La Tomatina
Each year, the Valencian town of Bunol gets changed into a red mess as locals and tourists take to the streets and throw tomatoes at each other, creating the biggest food fight in the world, all for fun. This tomato festival has been happening since 1945 and is held on the last Wednesday of August each year.
1. Which festival lasts the longest?| A．Wilderness Festival. | B．Edinburgh Festival Fringe. |
| C．Notting Hill Carnival. | D．La Tomatina. |
| A．The campsites are specially offered. | B．People can dance with famous stars. |
| C．People will experience wilderness adventure. | D．It is the biggest street festival in the world. |
| A．Get dressed in red. | B．Experience classic music. |
| C．Eat as many tomatoes as possible. | D．Throw tomatoes at each other for fun. |
3 . The Forbidden City
The Forbidden City in Beijing, China, was completed in 1420 during the early Ming Dynasty. It is the largest ancient palatial （宫殿似的） building in the world and it’s open to tourists to allow them to have a look at ancient Chinese architecture.
The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is a statue in Copenhagen, Denmark. It sits on a rock in the harbor. It was inspired by a performance of a ballet based on the fairy tale The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen. It was presented to the public on 23 August, 1913. And there are many tourists taking photos with the Little Mermaid every year.
The Taj Mahal
As one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of India. It is considered as the finest example of Mughal architecture, a mix of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles.
Niagara Falls State Park
America’s oldest state park, open year-round, brings you closer than you ever thought possible to the power of the Falls. The best viewing area for the American Falls and Rapids is the Prospect Point. It is also home to the Visitors Service Center, Niagara Adventure Theater, the Observation Tower and the Maid of the Mist.
1. What can you do when visiting the Little Mermaid?| A．Listen to a fairy tale. | B．Attend a performance. |
| C．Meet Hans Christian Andersen. | D．Take pictures with the statue. |
| A．The Prospect Point. | B．The Niagara Adventure Theater. |
| C．The Observation Tower. | D．The Maid of the Mist. |
| A．Tourists can only see the Forbidden City from outside. |
| B．The Little Mermaid statue was made by Hans Christian Andersen. |
| C．The Taj Mahal is the finest example of mixed styles of Mughal buildings. |
| D．Tourists must check the opening time before visiting the Niagara Falls State Park. |
4 . Friday was "Chatty Bus day", an experiment aimed at getting people to talk to each other on public transport. This is not an idea that would appeal to those who commute in the rush hour, because there is a smaller distance within which it's just as uncomfortable to talk. Elbow(肘) room is a precondition for sociability. It is no coincidence that the first truly personal music player, the Sony Walkman, was invented in Japan where the commuter trains are literally crowded with people.
We will also not talk to strangers who are physically too far away, of course. No one wants to shout their small talk. Only on country buses or similar unhurried and uncrowded forms of public transport can people reach out to their neighbors, confident that they are doing so from a position of strength and autonomy.
For all these drawbacks, the idea of talking to strangers is still a good one, and the promotion of sociability is good for society. Although it does seem to be a general rule that people are friendlier the fewer there are of them and more hostile and indifferent as cities get more crowded, there are still considerable cultural variations. And there is evidence that friendlier places are also healthier, and their inhabitants happier.
It is true that the apparent loneliness of many people on public transport is a false impression.
Many will be caught up with conversations with distant friends on their phones; some will be talking to the people in books. Some may be in willed solitude with their headphones. But there are always people who would be interested in an unexpected conversation with a stranger. This need not go on for too long.
It is not large and possibly life-changing conversations that are what most people in loneliness miss most. What they really need is not deep thought but superficiality. The kind of conversation that you could have with anyone reminds you that you yourself might be anyone. It is a release from the prison of the self, which is where lonely people serve their sentences, uncertain whether they ever can be paroled(假释). Friendship may be too rare a gift to hope for, but sometimes the kindest thing to say is also the simplest: "Don't be a stranger"-and sometimes that's also enough.
1. According to Paragraph 1, why the first Walkman appeared in Japan partly?| A．its corporate culture |
| B．its overcrowded public transport |
| C．its people's creativity |
| D．its people's desire for personal space |
| A．"Chatty Bus day" has not been introduced to other areas. |
| B．Walkman prevents passengers from talking to each other. |
| C．Passengers are unwilling to make small talk with strangers. |
| D．Improper physical distance discourages casual communication. |
| A．Small talk to strangers will help ease loneliness on the road. |
| B．Lonely people are in desperate need of deep conversation. |
| C．People in less populated cities tend to be cold and distant. |
| D．It's inadvisable to talk to strangers who are physically too close. |
| A．To cast new light on human loneliness. |
| B．To introduce an experiment and its effects. |
| C．To advocate striking up conversations with strangers. |
| D．To explore the relationship between physical distance and willingness to reach out. |
5 . If you live near a park, you’ve probably observed this unique squirrel behavior. As winter approaches, these creatures begin what looks like preparation for a wide scavenger（觅食）hunt. In great numbers, these squirrels begin to bury nuts! This kind of behavior raises a lot of questions for squirrel enthusiasts—the most pressing being how the squirrels find their nuts again. Eastern gray squirrels, in particular, bury their nuts far and wide. Scientists themselves aren’t even quite sure of everything that goes into this hiding behavior, but they have some ideas.
For one, scientists have observed gray squirrels frequently burying and reburying their nuts. The scientists assumed that this behavior was to help always keep a fresh memory of the nuts! locations. However, it’s not only memory that the squirrels need to combat（战斗）in order to find their nuts! The gray squirrel community is rampant(猖獗的)with nut stealing. The squirrels can lose up to 25% of their hidden nuts to such thieves! Luckily, the squirrels have developed some clever methods to protect their nuts. Scientists have observed the squirrels creating false caches（储藏）in order to trick thieves. If the squirrels are worried about thieves, they will also start to hide their nuts in difficult-to-reach places（like under bushes or in muddy areas）.
While it might be frustrating for squirrels to lose their carefully hidden nuts, it can be beneficial for other organisms. In particular, it can help the forest itself! A study done at the University of Richmond reports that squirrels fail to recover up to 74% of the nuts they bury. This misplacing of so many acorns (the seeds of oak trees), the study says, is likely responsible for oak forest regeneration. When squirrels misplace these buried acorns, they allow for these seeds to eventually grow into full oak trees! The squirrels’ habit of widespread caching is also important to the growth of the forest, as it allows the genetic（基因的）information to spread far.
What seemed like a harmless scavenger hunt is actually part of an endless complex ecosystem in our forests!
1. In what aspect do squirrels puzzle people most?| A．The way they search for food. | B．The places they hide in winter. |
| C．The location of their hidden food. | D．The way they recover hidden nuts |
| A．They often fight with each other for food. |
| B．They tend to feel more secure in bushy places. |
| C．They are cautious about storing food for winter. |
| D．They survive largely thanks to their team spirit. |
| A．Squirrels can starve due to lack of food. |
| B．It can be beneficial that squirrels lose their nuts. |
| C．It’s easy to get squirrels’ genetic information. |
| D．Squirrels always misplace their nuts deliberately. |
| A．Why do squirrels steal nuts? |
| B．How do squirrels survive the winter? |
| C．The secrets behind squirrels’ burying nuts. |
| D．The ecosystem in the forest. |
6 . Do you look for something to read while in London? If so, you’re lucky. The British capital happens to have an incredible collection of bookshops.
Foyles
If you will, dig the picture: four miles of shelves holding up to 200, 000 books. Let’s hope you have some time to read books when travelling in Foyles. This bookshop is impossible to leave empty-handed. It was once listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest bookshop on the planet.
Location: 107 Charing Cross Rd
Hatchards
In the year 1797, Thomas Paine published Agrarian Justice. It’s also the year this London bookshop, the oldest in the city today, first turned on its lights. It stocks an excellent selection of fiction, nonfiction, history and other sorts.
Location: 187 Piccadilly St
Libreria
This bookshop is one of the most pleasing of its kind in London. The yellow bookshelves add a touch of color and mystery and, well, you kind of just want to grab a book and a seat and stay a while. Mobile phone usage is strongly banned here.
Location: 65 Hanbury St
London Review Bookshop
This wonderful bookshop that opened in 2003 comes from the smart people of the London Review of Books. As you’d expect, there is an excellent selection of history, philosophy, politics, new fiction and many other sorts here. Plus, there’s a nice cafe in which you can have something to drink and start reading.
Location: 16 Bury PI
1. Where can you find the oldest bookshop in London?| A．16 Bury PI. | B．187 Piccadilly St. |
| C．107 Charing Cross Rd. | D．65 Hanbury St. |
| A．It has various books. | B．It is located in London. |
| C．It has yellow bookshelves. | D．It is the biggest one. |
| A．Foyles. | B．Hatchards. |
| C．Libreria. | D．London Review Bookshop. |
7 . The second Sunday in May is Mother's Day. American children of all ages give their mothers something special. Children, young and old, try to show their love to mothers on the day. However, do you know that Mother's Day celebration is no recent thing?
England was the first country to set a day to mothers. In the United States, Mother's Day became an official holiday in 1910. An American girl, Anna, asked their governor to set a festival for mothers that they loved. Therefore, they set the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day and a year later all the other states celebrated it.
In the morning of Mother's Day, some American children serve their mothers breakfast in bed. Other children will give their mothers presents which they made themselves or bought in stores. Adults give their mothers red carnations (康乃馨)，the official Mother's Day flower. If their mothers left the world, they may bring white carnations to their grave sites (墓地). This is the busiest day of the year for American restaurants. On this special day, family members do not want their mother to cook dinner!
1. When is Mother's Day in America?| A．On the second Sunday in May. | B．On the first Sunday in April. |
| C．On the second Sunday in July. | D．On the fourth Sunday in September. |
| A．Mike. | B．Alice. | C．Tom. | D．Anna. |
| A．Blue carnations. | B．White carnations. |
| C．Red carnations. | D．Green carnations. |
8 . Do you remember what happened on Sponge Bob Square Pants yesterday? The day before? If so, you may be in need of a TV timeout!
Kids today are watching more TV than they watched before, researchers say. Kids ages 6 to 11 in the United States watch more than three hours of TV each day. Ten years ago, children watched only about two hours and 40 minutes of TV each day.
Why the increase? Experts say more TV shows today are focused, or aimed, at kids.
Some people want to limit kids' TV time. Researchers say that children who watch TV shows for more than three hours a day do not do as well in school. However, some programs can help kids learn. One example is BrainSurge. Some people say the show teaches kids facts.
How do you know whether a TV show can make you smart? Think about what you learn from watching, says Aletha Huston. She is a TV expert. But, she warns, don't spend too much time watching. “Limit the amount you watch. Get off the couch and do something else.”
TV Guide
This pie chart shows how long kids ages 6－11 use different types of TV technology each week.
1. What is the main idea of the text?
| A．Kids today watch more TV than they did before. |
| B．BrainSurge helps kids learn facts. |
| C．Kids do not watch proper TV shows. |
| D．More TV shows today are created for kids ages 6－11. |
| A．unusual | B．aimed | C．suitable | D．pleasant |
| A．Three. | B．Five. | C．Four. | D．Six. |
| A．Video games | B．DVD | C．VCR | D．TV |
9 . I lay in the hospital bed with my six-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, holding her in my arm “Mommy, will you stay with me the whole time?” she asked, looking up. “You know I can’t be in the operating room,” I said carefully, not wanting to frighten her. “But Daddy and I will be waiting right outside.” Elizabeth nodded, but her eyes looked troubled.
Elizabeth had broken her right leg in July. Seven months later, it still hadn’t healed (康复). In fact, it had gotten worse. She was here in the hospital for surgery (手术).
I wanted to tell her that everything would be okay and promise that this would be the last time she’d have to go through this. But what if something went wrong again? How could I comfort my daughter when I needed comfort myself?
There was a knock at the door. A nurse? I thought. Time to say goodbye already? But the woman who came in wasn’t a nurse. “Hi,” the woman said. “I’m a volunteer here, and I’ve got something for Elizabeth.” She handed a brightblue box to my daughter.
Elizabeth sat up and took the box. She opened it and started pulling out goodies one by one candies, stickers, a lovely toy in the shape of a star. She hugged the star, perking up for the first time since she entered the hospital. “Thank you,” she said. “I love them.” There was a big smile on her face. It had been so long since I saw that big smile. The gift was a great comfort not only to my daughter, but also to me.
1. Why did the author’s daughter feel upset?| A．She would have surgery on her arm. |
| B．The author had no time to play with her. |
| C．She had to stay in the hospital for a long time. |
| D．The author couldn’t stay in the operating room with her. |
| A．there was no time for her to do so. |
| B．she wasn't sure of the result herself. |
| C．she believed everything would be okay. |
| D．she thought there was no need for her to do so. |
| A．To offer a gift. | B．To say goodbye. |
| C．To comfort the author. | D．To get all the things ready. |
| A．having a rest | B．taking out |
| C．doing her best | D．becoming cheerful |
10 . Crop diversity (多样性）is important to feed the increasing population of our planet. Agricultural experts say having a large variety of plants also helps to protect crops against possible diseases and future risks. Hundreds of thousands of different plants now exist. But many experts say the number has decreased sharply during the past century.
One of the world's largest seed conservation projects has predicted further losses. The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership is warning that up to one hundred thousand plant species could permanently disappear. The rich collection of genes that decide their qualities would disappear with them.
Not all experts agree that a decrease in cultivated(培植的）food crops is a risk. A recent study, led by Paul Heald of the University of Illinois College, showed a different situation, at least in the United States. The study examined records of plant varieties in America during the past century. They found that the total number of vegetable and apple crop varieties in the United States did not fall over the past century. Instead, he says, the study may show a small increase in the number of varieties.
For those who regard it as a major risk, they blame climate change and loss of habitat, normal growth area, for damaging plant life. They note human activities also contribute to the problem. Besides, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says modern business farming is responsible for loss of farmers’ traditional crop varieties. Some scientists and others blame patenting for what they say are losses of crop diversity. A patent is the legal right of an inventor to a process or a product, even a plant. To get this right, the inventor has to demonstrate the qualities that make the patented plant different from other plants.
But the study led by Professor Paul actually failed this assumption. Professor Paul said, “People tend to believe what they want to believe. But as a scientist, I must believe the study results. ”
1. The author begins the text by ______________.| A．listing possible crop diseases |
| B．stating the significance of crop diversity |
| C．giving the definition of crop diversity |
| D．describing a number of existing plants |
| A．show America’s great achievement in protecting crop diversity |
| B．give a different opinion that the number of crop varieties is increasing |
| C．explain the present situation of vegetables and apple crop varieties |
| D．support the viewpoint that the number of crop varieties is decreasing |
| A．the reasons for crop diversity decreasing |
| B．the unfavorable comments on patented plants |
| C．the further losses caused by plant diversity decreasing |
| D．the harmful effects brought by modern business farming |
