1 . According to a survey conducted by The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, the monarch butterfly is facing a sharp population decline that could soon lead to its extinction.
The monarch butterfly is considered the "king of all butterflies due to its extreme beauty, hence the name "monarch". The most popular among the North American butterflies, the grand black-and-orange in vertebrate（无脊椎动物） is known for its yearly mass migration of up to 3,000 miles from the Baja California Peninsula to California's Central Coast every winter, beautifully covering all the trees along their path.
In 1980, its population was recorded to be about 4. 5 million and by the mid-2000's, there were barely 100,000 remaining. In 2018, the number of monarch butterflies fell down to only 28,260, which makes a 99. 4 percent decline in 39 years.
"It's mind-boggling. We're now down below 1 percent of the historic population," Says Emma Pelton, a Xerces Society Conservation biologist.
A variety of factors could be involved to cause the monarch butterflies' near extinction. One could have a co-relation to the lessening of other insects such as bees and other bird species. Another factor could be due to a number of human economic activities such as urbanization and illegal logging which lessens the butterflies' habitat, and pesticides widely used on corn and soybean crops.
Because of these chains of events, an "extinction vortex（旋风）” has occurred where the process of extinction would be near unstoppable since the species won't be able to reproduce and raise their numbers the natural way.
The mass disappearance of the monarch butterfly and other endangered species is a wake up call of our little time remaining to positively shift the direction of the ecological environment for a massive improvement in the near future, in order to help mother nature and all the other living species in this earth.
1. What is the monarch butterfly noted for?| A．Its extreme beauty as king. |
| B．Its special name with monarch. |
| C．Its manner of reproduction. |
| D．Its regular large-scale migration. |
| A．About 20,000. | B．About 150,000. |
| C．About 114,660. | D．About 44,550. |
| A．The growth of cities. |
| B．The popularity of other insects. |
| C．The cleaning of lakes. |
| D．Less crops such as soybean. |
| A．To inform us of something about butterflies. |
| B．To appeal to us to protect the ecological environment. |
| C．To analyze why monarch butterflies have gone extinct. |
| D．To attract visitors to California's Central Coast. |
2 . Where to eat and drink at museums
Museums, like department stores and airports, are now counting food among their attractions. The following museum restaurants would be worth a meal even if not surrounded by masterpieces. Most of them can be visited independently of the museums.
Met Breuer
Flora Bar
The food from a brief menu is anything but: refined, excellent and pleasantly served. It begins with breakfast when it pays to arrive before the famous cinnamon buns run out.
Open for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3: 30 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays;
Dinner from 5: 30. p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 5: 30 p. m. to 9 p. m. Sundays (reservations, no museum admission required).
646-558-5383
Asia Society
Garden Court Café
Here Steamed Chinese Dumplings served in bamboo baskets share the menu with Indian samosas, Koran Japchae Glass Noodles and a Japanese bento box assortment. Wine and beer are served.
Open daily from l: 30 a.m. to 3 p.m., except Mondays (reservations, no museum admission required).
212-570-5202
EI Museo del Barrio
Side Park Café
Mexican street food, done with some refinement, is the order of the day.
Open from 8 a. m. Mondays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays, until 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 6 p.m. Sundays through Tuesdays (no reservations, no museum admission required).
212-831-7272
Museum of Arts and Design
Robert
Crowd-pleasing food includes crab cakes, Wagyu beef sliders and duck breast.
Lunch: 11:30 a. m. to 2: 30 p. m. Mondays through Fridays;
Dinner: 5 p. m. to 11 p. m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Tuesdays (reservations, no museum admission required).
212-299-7730
1. How long does the lunch last at Flora Bar?| A．For 2 hours. | B．For 3 hours. |
| C．For 4 hours. | D．For 5 hours. |
| A．212-570-5202. | B．212-831-7272. |
| C．212-299-7730. | D．646-558-5383 |
| A．It is known for its delicious duck breast. |
| B．It requires advance reservations. |
| C．It offers museum-goers discounts. |
| D．It opens seven days a week. |
| A．Flora Bar. | B．Garden Court Cafe. |
| C．Side Park Cafe. | D．Robert. |
| A．At 10 a.m. Mondays. | B．At 11 a. m. Tuesdays. |
| C．At 9:30 p.m. Wednesdays. | D．At 10:30 p.m. Sundays |
3 . This is What a REAL Silver Dollar Looks Like
If you trust in the yen, the euro, and the dollar…stop reading.
Because this is a story about the silver coin, EVERYBODY wants.
You read the headlines.You know that troubled economic times have put global currency on a rollercoaster ride. But millions have found a smarter way to build long-term value with high-grade collectable silver. And right now, those people are lining up to secure some of the last 2017 U.S.Mint Silver Eagles, America’s Newest Silver Eagle Dollars. Today, you can graduate to the front of that line. Buy now and you can own these brilliant uncirculated Silver Dollars for only $37.95!
You Can't Afford to Lose
Why are we releasing this silver dollar for such a remarkable price? Because we want to introduce you to what hundreds of thousands of smart collectors and satisfied customers have known since 1984—New York Mint is the place to find the world's finest high-grade coins. That’s why we’re offering you this Brilliant Uncirculated 2017 U.S. Silver Eagle for as little as $36.65 (plus s/h).
Timing is Everything
Our advice? Keep this to yourself. Because the more people who know about this offer, the worse it is for you. Demand for Silver Eagles in 2016 broke records. Experts predict that 2017 Silver Eagles may break them all over again. Due to rapid changes in the price of silver, prices may be higher or lower and are subject to(受...影响) change without notice. Supplies are limited. Call immediately to add these Silver Eagles to your holdings before it's too late.
Offer Limited to 40 per household
2017 American Silver Eagle Coin
Your cost
1-4 Coins $37.95 each + s/h
5-9 Coins $37.65 each + s/h
10-19 Coins $36.95 each + s/h
20-40 Coins $36.65 each + s/h
Note: $10 s/h (shipping and handling) for each purchase
For fastest service, call toll-free 24 hours a day
1-888-201-7143
Offer Code (代码) ASE177-04 Please mention this code when you call. |
New York Mint 14101
Southcross Drive W., Dept.ASE177-04
Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
www.New York Mint.com
1. Suppose you want to purchase seven 2017 U.S.Mint Silver Eagles by post, you should pay at least_________.| A．$273.55 | B．$263.55 | C．$275.65 | D．$266.55 |
| A．the price of the coin is favorable | B．the coin is of lasting high quality |
| C．the coin is popular among collectors | D．it can be circulated as a currency |
| A．shopping on www.New York Mint.com | B．dialing the number 1-888-201-7143 |
| C．writing to the enterprise | D．lining up in front of the stores in person |
4 . My Favorite Books
Jeffrey Archer, a well-known novelist and playwright in the UK , has spent a very famous and much admired 45-year-long writing career creating bestsellers such as Not A Penny More , Not A Penny Less, Kane and Abel and Paths of Glory. Here he lists his all-time favorite reads.
Sredni Vashtar
BY SAKI （H. H. MUNRO） ,Dover Publications ,150
I put Munro's short stories equal with R. K. Narayan's. They are my favorite short-story writers. Both write beautifully， but they are also pretty good stories. It’s that rare combination of both. This book is a gem（佳作），as is Narayan's Malgudi Days.
The Count of Monte Cristo
BY ALEXANDRE DUMAS, Rupa Publications , ₹ 295
This is a masterpiece. It’s too long by modern standards? of course. If Dumas was around today， he'd write books of 400 pages. With no television, no other distraction, he wrote books of 1，500 pages. And the surprising thing is that he wrote The Count of Monte Cristo and The Three Musketeers in the same year! You couldn't do that today!
Reunion
BY FRED UHLMAN，Farrar ，Strausand Giroux ，₹ 864
A wonderful insight into two young Germans---one Jewish, one aristocratic — in 1939, when they're both at school. This is a very fine book, which would help anyone understand the problems the Jews were facing in the late 1930s.
A Tale of Two Cities
BY CHARLES DICKENS, Penguin Classics , ₹ 250
I think this is probably a book I have reread the most number of times. I love the idea of him (Dr Manette)sacrificing his life for something bigger and more glorious than himself. Quaintly old-fashioned in the modern world—I love it. This was Dickens' most successful book, possibly because it was story, story, story, and impossible to put clown!
1. Who does "I" refer to in the text?| A．Alexandre Dumas. | B．Fred Uhlman. |
| C．Charles Dickens. | D．Jeffrey Archer. |
| A．Reunion. | B．A Tale of Two Cities. |
| C．Sredni Vashtar. | D．The Count of Monte Cristo. |
| A．₹ 150. | B．₹ 295. | C．₹ 864. | D．₹ 250. |
5 . Art Institute of Chicago
Overview
Explore the Art Institute, Chicago’s world-class art museum and the second-largest in the United States, with this Fast Pass Admission ticket. Situated in Grant Park, the museum is listed as one of Chicago’s must-see sights owing to the incredible range of impressionist, post-impressionist, modern and contemporary works.
What to Expect
Start your visit any time during the museum’s regular hours of operation. Once inside, download the new Art Institute of Chicago mobile app, using the museum’s free Wi-Fi. Explore the Art Institute’s unsurpassed collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces (杰作).
Explore JourneyMaker, a new digital tool that allows your family to create its very own tour of the museum, located at the Ryan Learning Center.
Then head over to the museum’s celebrated Modern Wing, a quick stroll (溜达) across an eye-catching bridge from the main building. Inside you’ll have the chance to admire one of the world’s premier collections of modern and contemporary art, including celebrated creators like Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Marc Chagall and Gerhard Richter.
Continue your visit with a look at the museum’s range of European and American decorative art items, Asian art and a collection of architectural, graphic (书画的) and industrial design.
Cancellation (取消) Policy
The admission is 30 dollars. If you cancel at least 7 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is no cancellation fee. If you cancel between 3 and 6 days in advance of the scheduled departure, there is a 50 percent cancellation fee. If you cancel within 2 days of the scheduled departure, there is a 100 percent cancellation fee.
1. What makes Art Institute of Chicago a must-see sight?| A．Its special location. |
| B．The unique buildings. |
| C．The large range of its works. |
| D．The Fast Pass Admission ticket. |
| A．Download a mobile app. |
| B．Explore Journey Maker. |
| C．Take part in art activities. |
| D．Explore the website of the museum. |
| A．15 dollars. | B．20 dollars. |
| C．25 dollars. | D．30 dollars. |
6 . Beijing—Chengdu Train
Altogether about 5 pairs of trains are running between Beijing and Chengdu at present. Among them, a few pairs are high speed trains, which run between Beijing West Railway Station and Chengdu East Railway Station with duration of 8 to 10 hours; the rest few pairs are normal types between Beijing West Railway Station and Chengdu Railway Station and the whole journey takes about 21 to 32 hours.
High Speed Trains
Basic Facts:
·Duration: about 8—10 hours
·Distance: about 1,874—2,391 kilometers (1,165—1,485 miles)
·Top speed: 300 km/h (186 mph)
·Operated at: Beijing West Railway Station, Chengdu East Railway Station
·Stations along the way: Shijiazhuang, Handan East, Anyang East, Zhengzhou East,
Huashan North, Xi'an North, Guangyuan, Mianyang
Beijing to Chengdu High Speed Train Schedule:
(Last Update on Nov 12, 2020)
| Train No. | Departure - Arrival | Travel Time |
| G89 | 06:53—14:38 | 7h45m |
| G571 | 09:22—18:54 | 9h32m |
| G307 | 09:38—19:36 | 9h58m |
| G349 | 15:13—22:58 | 7h45m |
Beijing—Chengdu Train Ticket Price:
(Last Update on Nov 12, 2020)
| Business Class Seat | First Class Seat | Second Class Seat |
| CNY 2,417 / USD 350 | CNY 1,246 / USD 181 | CNY 778 / USD 112 |
Note: Children under the height of 1.2 for free ; Children with height between 1.2 and 1.5 meters half price ; Children above the height of 1.5 full price.
1. Where will you get off if you take a normal type train from Beijing to Chengdu?
| A．Chengdu Railway Station. | B．Chengdu East Railway Station. |
| C．Beijing West Railway Station. | D．Mianyang Station. |
| A．G571. | B．G307. |
| C．G89. | D．G349. |
| A．USD 224. | B．USD 280. |
| C．USD 336. | D．USD 1945. |
7 . Go to North pole on The polar Express！
Between November 24th and December 30th each year, you and your kids can enjoy The Polar Express Train Ride in the Sea World Orlando！
This amazing journey takes you and your children to the North Pole on the actual train that has appeared in The Polar Express movie. You will have your yellow ticket checked by the conductor（售票员）, dance with cooks who will serve tasty drinks and treats, Interact（互动）with the characters from the movie, along with enjoying Chris Van Allsburg’s reading of the classic children s book The Polar Express.
Upon arrival at the North Pole, Santa Claus will climb into the train and visit each family. Each child will receive a bell from him as the first gift of Christmas.
After singing many sweet Christmas songs, kids will return to real life with a completely new sense of Christmas joy.
To make the ride more exciting, kids may put on costumes（戏装）, just like the children on the train in the movie!
It is a long way from Orlando to the North Pole, but The Polar Express Train Ride can take you there and back in a little over an hour. Ticket price is $32 for one seat. Children under the age of 2 may ride for free if they do not take a seat. A ticket at half price is required if the child takes a separate seat.
1. When can visitors enjoy The Polar Express Train Ride in the Sea World Orlando?| A．All year around. | B．Only in winter. |
| C．Usually in autumn. | D．Just before Christmas. |
| A．Go to the South Pole by train. | B．Watch a movie with the same. |
| C．Serve tasty drinks and treats. | D．Enjoy Chris Van Allsburg's reading. |
| A．$32. | B．$64. | C．$80. | D．$96. |
8 . London is a real treat for museum lovers and museums are a popular destination among London's many attractions. Below is a list of London's top museums.
London Transport Museum
Travel through the museum, which hosts exhibitions （展品展示）about transport with the social and cultural history of London. Inside, you'll find more than 80 vehicles covering 200 years of London's history, including a red Routemaster bus and the world's first underground steam train. There are great posters and artworks too!
Price: Adult ticket: £18.50 per ticket, child ticket: Free. Save £1.50 when purchasing tickets online in advance.
Opening time: 10:00 -18:00 daily.
British Museum
Spend hours wandering the world-famous British Museum, which exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times, collected from around the world. Don't miss the Rosetta Stone and the mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection.
Price: Free. A donation of £5 is recommended. Entrance fee for special exhibitions and some events.
Opening time: 10:00 - 17:30 daily. Open late on Fridays until 20:00.
Natural History Museum
As well as the dinosaur exhibition, the Natural History Museum keeps a collection of the biggest, tallest and rarest animals in the world. See a life-sized blue whale and a 40-million-year-old spider.
Price: Free. Entrance fee for some of the special exhibitions and events.
Opening time: 10:00 - 17:50 daily. Open late on the last Friday of each month. Closed 24 - 26 December.
The Design Museum
The Design Museum is the world's leading museum devoted to contemporary design in every form. Check out the regular exhibitions showcasing the rich creativity found in all forms of design, and its importance to our world.
Price: Adult ticket: £10.00, child ticket: £5.00 （children under 6 go free）.
Opening time: 10:00 - 18:00. Open except Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
1. Which museum attracts fans of Ancient Egypt most?| A．British Museum | B．Natural History Museum |
| C．London Transport Museum | D．The Design Museum |
| A．It is free of charge. |
| B．It closes on Christmas Day. |
| C．It collects special animals in the world. |
| D．It exhibits rarest mummies in the world. |
| A．Free | B．£5 | C．£10 | D．£15 |
9 . At almost every Olympic Games, one athlete is named as the greatest star, and good-natured debates follow for years to come. Usually, there's no certainty about who is really the most memorable one.
But in 1948. everyone who attended the London Olympic Games agreed on who was the greatest legend: Fanny Blankers-Koen, a 30-year-old Dutch housewife.
Before the Games, many people suggested she was too old to succeed, while others said she should stay at home with her children. When she arrived at the track, she pointed at one of them and said simply, “I'll show you.”
And she did it.
Fanny Blankers-Koen won the 100m race with ease. With an Olympic gold medal to her name, she wanted to give up and return home because she missed her children so much. But her husband, Jan Blankers, who was also her coach, asked her to stay. The hurdles（跨栏） gold came next, followed by a championship in the 200m, which she won by 0.7 seconds--a huge margin（差额）that has not been matched since.
Blankers-Koen celebrated those victories with a big shopping tour, and only arrived back at the stadium ten minutes before the start of the 4x100m match. Without any warming up, she ran the last leg. When she started to run, the Dutch were in the third. But Blankers-Koen won the race by a foot.
If she hadn’t been limited（限制） by the IOC rules to four events, she could have won two more golds. IOC rules forced her to drop two of her strongest events, the long jump and high jump, both of which she held the world record.
On her return to Netherland, Queen Juliana gave her a bicycle, saying she wouldn’t have to run so much.
But she kept running until she finished her sport life as an athlete in 1955 with a 58th record and went to three more Olympics as a coach.
In 1999 when she was honored the greatest female athlete of the 20th century, Blankers-Koen asked, “Is it really me？” When she got a positive answer, she jumped up and did a little dance.
1. Which match did Fanny Blankers-Koen take part in without preparations before its start？| A．The hurdles. | B．The 4x100m. |
| C．The 200m. | D．The long jump. |
| A．She was content with her victory. |
| B．She was not sure whether she could win or not. |
| C．She wanted to stay with her children. |
| D．She was too tired to take part in more events. |
| A．1. | B．4 | C．6. | D．58. |
| A．The Challenges Faced by Women Athletes |
| B．The Medals Won by Fanny Blankers-Koen |
| C．The Memorable London Olympic Games in 1948 |
| D．The Story of a great Athlete, Fanny Blankers-Koen |
10 . Ray Kurzweil is an inventor and futurist with some interesting ideas on how humans will soon be able to live much longer than the average 78 years they do now. If Kurzweil is right, this is a question we’ll have to ask ourselves in the near future.
The first challenge is how to stop our bodies from getting old and dying. Kurzweil doesn’t see this as a problem. With gene technology we’ll soon be able to “turn off” genes that cause ageing and disease. This technology is getting cheaper and advancing at an incredible rate. Kurzweil believes that from every year after 2023, we’ll be adding more than a year to the average life expectancy. He also expects that within the next 20 years, we will have ‘nanobots’ in our blood. These tiny robots will automatically keep our bodies healthy and free from diseases by finding damaged cells and destroying them.
Of course, if we’re all going to live longer, then there are going to be more of us on this already overcrowded Earth. Many people think there are likely to be problems with resources such as food and energy. Kurzweil doesn’t agree. He says that the same technologies used to increase our life expectancy will also be used to help with food production and energy needs. For example, he says, sunlight can potentially give us 10,000 times more energy than we currently use. We just need to develop the technology to capture it and make it cheaper. There are also new technologies that can recycle water extremely cheaply. This means that dirty water can be made clean again at a very low cost. When you consider that 80% of disease in the developing world is because of dirty water, you can see how this technology might help change the world.
But what are we going to do with all this extra time? Won’t we all get bored? Again Kurzweil says ‘no’. For a start, we won’t be stuck in old bodies. We’ll stay young for years. This will mean we’ll be able to experiment with many more things than we can now. We’ll also see huge developments in virtual reality technology that will keep us entertained for years.
The future according to Ray Kurzweil looks good — and we might just be around to see it.
1. What does Ray Kurzweil think of human beings’ future?| A．Encouraging. | B．Shocking. | C．Discouraging. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．2. | B．4. | C．3. | D．5. |
| A．Electronic technology. | B．Mining technology. |
| C．Farming technology. | D．Gene technology and nanotechnology. |
| A．Medical advances | B．Fun in the future |
| C．Who wants to live forever? | D．Solutions to the Earth’s problems |
