1 . Washington, D.C. Bicycle Tours

Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C.

Duration: 3 hours

This small group bike tour is a fantastic way to see a world-famous cherry trees with beautiful flowers of Washington, D.C. Your guide will provide a history lesson about the trees and the famous monuments where they blossom. Reserve your spot before availability — the cherry blossoms—disappear!

Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour

Duration: 3 hours (4 miles)

Join a guided bike tour and view some of the most popular monuments in Washington, D.C. Explore the monuments and memorials on the National Mall as your guide shares unique facts and history at each stop. Guided tour includes bike, helmet, cookies and bottled water.

Capital City Bike Tour In Washington, D.C.

Duration: 3 hours

Morning or Afternoon, this bike tour is the perfect tour for D. C. newcomers and locals looking to experience Washington, D.C. in a healthy way with minimum effort. Knowledgeable guides will entertain you with the most, interesting stories about Presidents, Congress, memorials, and parks. Comfortable bikes and a smooth tour route(路线) make cycling between the sites fun and relaxing.

Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour

Duration: 3 hours (7miles)

Join a small group bike tour for an evening of exploration in the heart of Washington, D.C. Get up close to the monuments and memorials as you bike the sites of Capitol Hill and the National Mall. Frequent stops are made for photo taking as your guide offers unique facts and history. Tour includes bike, helmet, and bottled water. All riders are equipped with reflective vests and safety lights.

1. Which tour do you need to book in advance?

A．Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C.

B．Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour.

C．Capital City Bike Tour in Washington.

D．Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour.

2. What will you do on the Capital City Bike Tour?

A．Meet famous people.	B．Go to a national park.
C．Visit well-known museums.	D．Enjoy interesting stories.

3. Which of the following does the bicycle tour at night provide?

A．City maps.	B．Cameras.
C．Meals.	D．Safety lights.

2 . Whenever we talk about holidays, my mother teases my sister and me about how we “make out like robbers.” She is referring to the fact that we are half Jewish and half Indian, so we receive gifts on both the. festivals of lights. Hanukkah and Diwali. Though my mother teases us, I do not mind getting two sets of gifts!

Hanukkah is celebrated on the 25th day of the Jewish month. which is usually sometime in December. On Hanukkah, like most Jewish families. we light a menorah and say a prayer each night. We also say a special prayer on the first night. After that, it is a tradition for my sister and me to do ‘hot and cold’, for our hidden Hanukkah gifts. When we walk towards the gift, our parents say ‘hot’ and when we walk further away, they say ‘cold’. We each receive one present every night of Hanukkah. Another part I like about this holiday is seeing family members who we do not see often. My aunt usually stays for a few days, and we sometimes visit other relatives.

Diwali is celebrated on the 13th day of the dark fortnight of the month of Ashwin(October / November). To celebrate Diwali, my family does a pooja, or prayers, in honor of the goddess Lakshmi. Since she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, the pooja includes washing silver coins in milk and water. In India, people decorate their houses with lamps, similar to the way you might light up your house for Christmas. My family just places a few candles outside We also set off firecrackers, which is my favorite part. We often do this activity with friends to add to the excitement.

Both holidays have different histories and stories We celebrate them in different ways, yet they both have the same meaning. They both translate into. Festival of Lights, and they both mean family and presents for me!

1. Why does the author receive gifts on both Hanukkah and Diwali?

A．Because he lives in a rich family.

B．Because he lives in two different countries.

C．Because his parents like celebrating their different cultures.

D．Because his parents like spending money buying gifts for them.

2. What does the underlined phrase “hot and cold” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．A kind of Hanukkah game.

B．A kind of Hanukkah gift.

C．A can of festival drink.

D．A riddle written on lights.

3. we can learn from the text that Hanukkah and Diwali          .

A．share the same history and culture

B．are celebrated by both Jews and Indians

C．are both related to the legend of lights

D．encourage the families to do their prayers

4. What is the author’s attitude towards Hanukkah and Diwali?

A．She enjoys celebrating both of them.

B．She does mind spending them.

C．She likes Hanukkah better.

D．She likes Diwali better.

3 . Surviving Hurricane Sandy (飓风桑迪)

Natalie Doan, 14, has always felt lucky to live in Rockaway, New York. Living just a few blocks from the beach, Natalie can see the ocean and hear the wave from her house. “It’s the ocean that makes Rockaway so special,” she says.

On October 29, 2012, that ocean turned fierce. That night, Hurricane Sandy attacked the East Coast, and Rockaway was hit especially hard. Fortunately, Natalie’s family escaped to Brooklyn shortly before the city’s bridge closed.

When they returned to Rockaway the next day, they found their neighborhood in ruins. Many of Natalie’s friends had lost their homes and were living far away. All around her, people were suffering, especially the elderly. Natalie’s school was so damaged that she had to temporarily attend a school in Brooklyn.

In the following few days, the men and women helping Rockaway recover inspired Natalie. Volunteers came with carloads of donated clothing and toys. Neighbors devoted their spare time to helping others rebuild. Teenagers climbed dozens of flights of stairs to deliver water and food to elderly people trapped in powerless high-rise buildings.

“My mom tells me that I can’t control what happens to me,” Natalie says. “but I can always choose how I deal with it.”

Natalie’s choice was to help.

She created a website page matching survivors in need with donors who wanted to help. Natalie posted introduction about a boy named Patrick, who lost his baseball card collecting when his house burned down. Within days, Patrick’s collection was replaced.

In the coming months, her website page helped lots of kids: Christopher, who received a new basketball; Charlie, who got a new keyboard. Natalie also worked with other organizations to bring much-need supplies to Rockaway. Her efforts made her a famous person. Last April, she was invited to the White House and honored as a Hurricane Sandy Champion of Change.

Today, the scars (创痕) of destruction are still seen in Rockaway, but hope is in the air. The streets are clear, and many homes have been rebuilt. “I can’t imagine living anywhere but Rockaway,” Natalie declares. “My neighborhood will be back, even stronger than before.”

1. When Natalie returned to Rockaway after the hurricane, she found ______.

A．some friends had lost their lives.

B．her neighborhood was destroyed.

C．her school had moved to Brooklyn.

D．the elderly were free from suffering.

2. According to paragraph 4, who inspired Natalie most?

A．The people helping Rockaway rebuild.

B．The people trapped in high-rise building.

C．The volunteers donating money to survivors.

D．Local teenagers bringing clothing to elderly people.

3. How did Natalie help the survivors?

A．She gave her toys to the kids.

B．She took care of younger children.

C．She called on the White House to help.

D．She built an information sharing platform.

4. What does the story intend to tell us?

A．Little people can make a big difference.

B．A friend in need is a friend indeed.

C．East or West, home is best.

D．Technology is power.

4 . Johannes Gutenberg--the ploneer of the printing press

Johannes Gutenberg was chosen to be the most important figure of the past millennium (千年) by the media (媒体). You may not be familiar with him.    1    Gutenberg is praised for having invented the printing press and therefore preparing the way for printing books.

He was born into a wealthy family in the city of Mainz, Germany. His early training was in goldsmithing. In 1428, he moved to Strasbourg and lived there for almost 20 years.    2    Gutenberg used his skills in metalwork for the mass (大批量) production of books.    3    That means that each copy of the Catholic bible (圣经) and all of its 73 books were painstakingly handwritten by men. Gutenberg fashioned a font (字体) of over 300 characters, far larger than the fonts of today. To make this possible, he invented the variable-width mold (模具) and perfected the mixture of materials used by type factories up to the present century.

    4    The between 1450 and 1455,while preparing to produce a large Latin Bible, Gutenberg is thought to have printed a number of smaller books, a calendar, and a papal Letter of Indulgence. The Bible of 42 Lines, the oldest surviving printed book in the Western world, was completed by August 15,1456.

The invention of the modem printing press changed the way information was delivered.    5    Even today in the computer age, we rely heavily on the printed word or text for instruction, information, and for the pleasure of reading literature.

A．Gutenberg made the world a much richer place

B．But he has certainly influenced your life in some ways

C．Gutenberg's idea was one of the greatest of all mankind

D．By 1450, Gutenberg was back in Mainz at work on a printing press

E．In fact, this invention contributed a lot of educating the masses (大众) worldwide

F．Before the spread of Gutenberg's idea, books were primarily handwritten

G．It was in Strasbourg that he probably made his first experiments with moveable type and printing

5 . Christmas can easily become an expensive time of a year. From gifts to decorating, the money spent on the celebration adds up quickly. But there's no reason to completely break the bank.     1    

Make a budget (预算). Set the amount you're willing to spend for the holiday, including gift giving, decorating and travel.     2     And if you can keep to your budget, you'll lead an easy life in the following weeks and months.

Start shopping for Christmas decorations early. Stores have sales for decorations between Halloween and Thanksgiving.     3       Better yet, go shopping for next year's decorations the day after Christmas. You can buy many things at very low prices right after Christmas.

Shop for gifts all year round. Whenever you're out shopping, keep an eye out for great Christmas presents.     4     Shopping early can prevent you from spending more money than you can afford. And if you spend little here and there throughout the year, Christmas will have a much smaller influence on your wallet in December.

Scale down (缩减) your gift giving. Sometimes you just can't afford to get something for everyone. Remove the people from your list whom you rarely speak with.     5     The people you do choose to buy for don't need something expensive. Keep in mind that it's the thought that is more important.

A．Send them simple cards instead.

B．This budget is perfect for many people.

C．Once you have a budget set, keep to it.

D．And it's after Thanksgiving that the prices begin to go up.

E．Christmas is known as the season of giving, sharing and receiving.

F．There are ways to celebrate well and spend wisely at the same time.

G．It doesn't matter when you get the gift, whether it's January or June.

6 . 你的英国朋友Jim所在的学校要组织学生来中国旅行，有两条线路可以选择：“长江之行”或者“泰山之旅”。Jim来信希望你能给些建议。请你给他回信，内容包括：

1.你建议的线路；

2.你的理由；

3.你的祝愿。

注意：1.词数不少于50；

2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

Dear Jim,
                                                                                      
                                                                                      
                                                                                      
Yours,
Li Hua

7 . When I was about 10, I was walking down the street with my mother. She stopped to speak to Mr Lee. I knew I could see Mr Lee anytime around the neighborhood, so I just stood there. After we passed him, my mother stopped and said something unforgettable, "You let that be the last time you ever walk by somebody you know without opening your mouth to speak, because even a dog can wag its tail when it passes you on the street." That sentence sounds simple but it made me become who I am.

At work, I used to say hello to the president of the company and ask him how our business was doing. But I also spoke to the people in the cafe? and people who cleaned the buildings, and asked them how their children were doing, for every single person deserves to be accepted, no matter how humble (卑微的)they are. I remember that after a few years of passing by the president, I had the courage to ask him for a chat. We had a great talk. At some point, when I asked him how far he thought I could go in his company, he said that if I wanted to, I could get all the way to his seat.

I've become vice president, but that hasn't changed how I treat people. I speak to people wherever I am. Speaking to people creates a pathway into their world, and it lets them come into mine, too. The day you speak to someone who has his head down and then see him lift it up and smile, you will realize how powerful it is just to open your mouth and say hello.

1. What is the best title of this passage?

A．The Power of Being Talkative

B．My Mother's Influence on Me

C．The Power of Saying Hello

D．My Way to Become Vice-president

2. What can we learn from the second paragraph?

A．The writer didn't say hello to everyone in the company.

B．The writer made a very good impression on the president of the company.

C．The president of the company thought the writer was much better than him.

D．The president of the company actually didn't like the writer at all.

3. For the writer, saying hello to others ________.

A．is a way to get what he wants

B．has become a habit and a way of life

C．is a way to show respect for his mother

D．is important in making him remembered

4. According to Paragraph 3, in the writer's opinion, speaking to others can ________.

A．make our world much better

B．make people much happier every day

C．help people understand each other better

D．help people work much better

8 . Have you ever run out of coffee or tea? Found no eggs in the fridge? No bread for the sandwich and the nearest shop is too far away? Well, all that can change in the future.

If all goes well, the intelligent future kitchen will soon help solve all your problems. In the future, all kitchen units will be connected to the Internet. The intelligent future kitchen will give wise advice on planning your menu for the day. Worried about your weight?-- It will tell you the right diet and what is good for your health. It will even keep in mind your likes and dislikes!

Designed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, this smart kitchen promises to pay attention to all your needs. The computer’s system will help keep an “eye” on the fridge. If the fridge is empty, the kitchen will automatically call and place an order at the local supermarket. So you don’t have to worry about it at all.

You get home late, and don’t know what to make from the collection of ingredients (原料) in your fridge. A while back you might have ordered a take-out but now, instead of worrying about eating a collection of this and that, you’re excited. You can pull out each vegetable, and pass each one in front of a web camera next to your fridge. A few moments later, a screen on your fridge would display a tasty recipe.

After dinner, you take your plates to a box next to the sink. You don't have to clean them, your machine does. It produces new plates every time you need to eat. Later in the evening, you phone your other half, who is on a business trip half-way around the world. As you drink your cup of hot coffee, it makes your other half’s cup change color on the other side of the world, another special way to keep in touch.

1. The problem mentioned in the first paragraph will be solved ______.

A．by the intelligent kitchen itself

B．by finding a good housekeeper

C．after you call the supermarket

D．after you buy great amounts of food

2. The kitchen of the future may help you ______.

A．lose weight fast	B．keep a healthy diet
C．cook delicious food	D．clean fridge in time

3. The underlined word “automatically” in the third paragraph means ______.

A．in secret	B．by chance
C．by itself	D．again and again

4. The fourth paragraph tells us that the smart kitchen ______.

A．will order a take-out for you if you get home late.

B．has a big color television and some web cameras

C．can pull out all the vegetables from you fridge

D．can give a suitable recipe according to your ingredients

9 . In the fall of 1985, I was a bright-eyed girl heading off to Howard University to study law, aiming at a legal career and dreaming of sitting on a Supreme Court bench somewhere. Twenty-one years later I am still a bright-eyed dreamer and one with quite a different tale to tell.
My grandma, an amazing woman, graduated from college at the age of 65. She was the first in our family to reach that goal. But one year after I started college, she developed cancer. I made the choice to withdraw from college to care for her. It meant that school and my personal dream would have to wait.
Then I got married with another dream: building my family with a combination of adopt and biological children. In 1999, we adopted our first son. To lay eyes on him was fantastic and very emotional. A year later came our second adopted boy. Then followed son No.3. In 2003, I gave birth to another boy.
You can imagine how busy I became, raising four boys under the age of 8. Our home was a complete zoo--a joyous zoo. Not surprisingly, I never did make it back to college full-time. But I never gave up on the dream either. I had only one choice: to find a way. That meant taking as few as one class each semester.
The hardest part was feeling guilty about the time I spent away from the boys. They often wanted me to stay home with them. There certainly were times I wanted to quit, but I knew I should set an example for them to follow through the rest of their lives.
In 2007, I graduated from the University of North Carolina. It took me over 21 years to get my college degree!
I am not special, just single-minded. It always struck me that when you're looking at a big challenge from the outside it looks huge, but when you're in the midst of it, it just seems normal. Everything you want won't arrive in your life on one day. It's a process. Remember: little steps add up to big dreams.
1. When the author went to Howard University, her dream was to be______.

A．a writer

B．a teacher

C．a judge

D．a doctor

2. Why did the author quit school in her second year of college?

A．She wanted to study by herself.

B．She fell in love and got married.

C．She suffered from a serious illness.

D．She decided to look after her grandma.

3. What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A．She was busy but happy with her family life.

B．She ignored her guilty feeling for her sons.

C．She wanted to remain a full-time housewife.

D．She was too confused to make a correct choice.

4. Which of the following can best describe the author?

A．Caring and determined.	B．Honest and responsible.
C．Brave and sensitive.	D．Independent and single-minded.

10 . From the modern London Eye to the historic Tower of London, below are London's most visited tourist attractions. Many of London's top attractions are free, making them affordable places to learn about some culture. Whether you prefer history or modern art, you'll find it at one of these must-visit spots.

British Museum

The world-famous British Museum exhibits the works of man from prehistoric to modern times, from around the world. The most interesting and exciting parts include the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures (雕塑) and the mummies in the Ancient Egypt collection. Some exhibitions require tickets.

National Gallery

The greatest and most beautiful building of Trafalgar Square, London's National Gallery is a vast space filled with Western European paintings from the 13th to the 19th centuries. In this impressive art gallery you can find works by masters such as Van Gogh, da Vinci, Botticelli, Constable, Renoir, Titian and Stubbs. Some exhibitions require tickets.

Tate Modern

Sitting on the banks of the Thames is the Tate Modern, Britain's national museum of modern and contemporary (当代的) art. Its unique shape is due to it being a power station before. The gallery's restaurants offer wonderful views across the city. Some exhibitions require tickets.

Coca-Cola London Eye

The Coca-Cola London Eye is a major feature of London's skyline. It has some of London's best views from its 32 capsules, each weighing 10 tonnes and holding up to 25 people. Climb aboard for a breathtaking experience, with an unforgettable view of more than 55 of London's most famous landmarks — all in just 30 minutes!

Madame Tussauds

At Madame Tussauds, you'll come face-to-face with some of the world's most famous faces. From Shakespeare to Lady Gaga you'll meet influential figures from show business, sport, politics and even royalty. Strike a pose with Usain Bolt, get close to One Direction or receive a once-in-a-lifetime audience with Her Majesty the Queen.

1. What do the British Museum and the National Gallery have in common?

A．Both have chargeable exhibitions.

B．Both are on the banks of the Thames.

C．Both have vast spaces and special shapes.

D．Both exhibit modern and contemporary art.

2. If visitors want to get a better view of London's famous landmarks, they should visit _____.

A．the Tate Modern

B．the British Museum

C．the National Gallery

D．the Coca-Cola London Eye

3. In Madame Tussauds, visitors can _____.

A．enjoy Shakespeare's works

B．talk to some famous people

C．watch Lady Gaga's performance

D．see figures of many influential people