1 . The world’s best underwater hotels

Atlantis The Palm, Dubai

The underwater rooms at Atlantis The Palm really are fit for the king of the seas. Set alongside a huge aquarium , they are pretty much the most romantic place you could ever dream of, as long as you don’t have nightmares about sharks! This unusual hotel room costs around $7,000 a night.

Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, Maldives

The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island doesn’t have an underwater room, but you can still have dinner below the waves, without having to wear a diving suit. The Ithaa Undersea Restaurant is located sixteen feet below sea level and while you eat happily, sharks and fishes swirl (旋转) above your head. Set menus cost upwards of $300 per person. Book at least a couple of weeks ahead.

Utter Inn, Västerås, Sweden

The Utter Inn was designed by local artist Mikael Genberg and is one of the cheapest underwater hotels out there, floating on Lake Mälaren, near Stockholm. From $250 a night, this is more like an unusual ship’s cabin than luxury (奢侈的) accommodation, but as an appealing twist on traditional Swedish living, it’s now a very fashionable place to spend the weekend.

Jules’ Undersea Lodge, Key Largo, Florida

Jules’ Undersea Lodge is named after the author of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and is the oldest underwater hotel, surrounded by angelfish and other species off the coast of Florida. Getting there is somewhat of a challenge — it’s located 21 feet beneath the surface of the sea. Brave couples can stay the night here for $800.

1. What should you do before visiting the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island?

A．Book in advance.	B．Buy a diving suit.
C．Get enough oxygen.	D．Prepare your own meals.

2. Which hotel is the cheapest?

A．Utter Inn.

B．Atlantis The Palm.

C．Jules’ Undersea Lodge.

D．Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.

3. Where does Jules’ Undersea Lodge’s name come from?

A．A sea.	B．A coast.
C．A kind of fish.	D．A famous writer.

2 . Future football stars

Football academies were set up by leading football clubs so their coaches could run trials to discover and train talented boys from as young as eight as potential players for their first team.

This means that in Britain there are at least 9,000 boys at any one time attending academies after school who think they are going to be a famous footballer.     1     One eight-year-old was selected for Chelsea Academy and he went from being top of his class at school to being the boy who was messing around at the back. His mother asked him why he wasn’t trying hard at school any more. His reply was that he was going to be a footballer and be rich, so he didn’t need to. In the end, he only lasted a year in the academy.     2     And he wasn’t so discouraged that he never played football again.

    3     Any sport where only a few can get to the top has many talented failures. These people are very good and do their best but finally it will not pay off because they are just not outstanding enough. In football, this effect is big because the number of players chosen by academies is so huge.     4    

This doesn’t put off all the boys who are spotted by the big football clubs and are desperate to join the academies.     5     They get to play as much football as possible. The skills become part of them, as they are with professional players, so they are automatic and the boys don’t have to think about them when they’re on the football field.

A．Unfortunately, for most this isn’t the case.

B．The benefits are still there for them of course.

C．All the big football clubs have a football academy.

D．But, luckily for him, he was still young enough to get over it.

E．But football is not alone when it comes to this kind of thing.

F．Most of these won’t get into a team and most won’t become professionals.

G．And footballers are much more likely to get injured when they play games.

3 . Vida Woodhull Stabler is the director of the Omaha culture center at Omaha Nation Public Schools in Macy, Nebraska. She has been working for years to pass on the cultural knowledge of tribal (部落的) elders for future generations. But she faces a predicament: Only about a dozen Omaha tribe members speak the language fluently today.

For Kyleigh Merrick, 15, learning the Omaha language as a teen today is important but also a challenge. She goes to language class every day, but outside of class, there are few opportunities to speak it. Her great-grandmother uses it at home, but among her peers, only a handful will sometimes greet each other in the Omaha language. At school, only a few students are taking Omaha language classes and seem deeply interested in tribal language and culture.

Another big force that has worked against passing the native tribal language on over generations is boarding schools . The local government began sending native students to boarding schools from the 1800s to the 1960s. Students there were not allowed to express tribal culture and were taught only English.

“Our language does not have access to the same types of materials that Spanish and German do ― you can walk into any library and find Spanish books to read,” Stabler said. “Our community has had to develop tangible (有形的) materials on our own. The first challenge is ensuring people want to learn. The second is making sure they have materials to learn from.”

At Omaha Nation Public Schools, Stabler put tribal culture into students’ everyday school experiences, like hanging up a calendar with months in English and Omaha. In biology class, for instance, kids might make traditional tribal foods.

For Stabler, the work of making sure tribal culture lives on into the next generations never stops. “If students are rooted to our land ― they’ll be rooted as human beings,” Stabler said.

1. What does the underlined part “a predicament” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．A golden chance.	B．A tough decision.
C．A difficult situation.	D．A different direction.

2. What do we know about Kyleigh Merrick?

A．She knows many Omaha speakers.

B．She is able to speak some tribal language.

C．She seldom takes language classes.

D．She thinks learning the Omaha language is easy for her.

3. What do Stabler’s words in Paragraph 4 suggest?

A．Few students have an interest in learning the Omaha language.

B．Spanish and German books should be banned from libraries.

C．More reading materials in the Omaha language should be provided.

D．The local government forces students to speak only English in school.

4. What efforts does Stabler make to keep the Omaha language alive?

A．Setting up tribal libraries.	B．Introducing tribal culture to school.
C．Persuading students to learn the Omaha language.	D．Encouraging tribal elders to teach the Omaha language.

4 . The insistent knock on the door brought me quickly from my kitchen. With my children down for a nap, I _________ to answer before they were all awakened. We had just moved here and I couldn’t _________ who it would be. I opened the door and a crack revealed an old man dressed in dirty clothing.

“Can I help you?” I asked, hoping he had the wrong _________.

“Would you like to buy some fresh garden vegetables?” His voice was trembling but his eyes were _________. I wondered if he badly needed the bit of money he was asking for his _________. “I’m Mr. Locket living around the corner. My wife _________ and my children live far away,” he _________. Later we knew that the need for companionship had sent him door to door _________ selling fruits and vegetables and ours was the only door opened to him.

As days went on, Mr. Locket became a _________ visitor. Every day he read books in our big chair with my children curled up on his lap. When they took an afternoon nap, he would __________ his head on the back of the chair. In his quiet and gentle way, he endeared himself to each child. __________ the name “Grandpa Locket” slipped into our conversations.

Three years later, we had to move to Ontario. He arrived as usual that morning. “Mr. Locket,” I tried to __________ the news in a gentle way, “You’ve become a (n) __________ part of this family, but ...” Tears glistened in the corners of his eyes.

“I __________ to keep in touch with you and ...” My throat tightened. He nodded __________ softly said, “Thank you for all your kindness to an old man. When I needed a family, you __________ me.” With tears, we all hugged him __________.

About a year later, a small __________ from Mr. Locket’s daughter was delivered to our home. She informed us that our dear old friend had died. “I’m so grateful for your loving care for my father,” she wrote, “I can see how much you __________ to him, too.” Actually, we’re also grateful for the __________ love that swept into our lives the moment we opened that door.

1.

A．hesitated

B．hurried

C．hated

D．happened

2.

A．imagine

B．recognize

C．believe

D．acknowledge

3.

A．number

B．road

C．direction

D．address

4.

A．shining

B．understanding

C．hopeful

D．desperate

5.

A．produce

B．food

C．clothes

D．fruits

6.

A．went away

B．broke away

C．passed away

D．ran away

7.

A．complained

B．added

C．screamed

D．roared

8.

A．in place of

B．by means of

C．in need of

D．by order of

9.

A．yearly

B．monthly

C．weekly

D．daily

10.

A．rest

B．put

C．plant

D．lower

11.

A．Gradually

B．Suddenly

C．Generally

D．Quickly

12.

A．announce

B．make

C．break

D．report

13.

A．natural

B．inner

C．necessary

D．treasured

14.

A．wish

B．try

C．promise

D．struggle

15.

A．but

B．and

C．yet

D．so

16.

A．included

B．refused

C．tolerated

D．received

17.

A．willingly

B．tightly

C．eagerly

D．faithfully

18.

A．book

B．bill

C．picture

D．envelope

19.

A．owed

B．sent

C．meant

D．showed

20.

A．unexpected

B．deep

C．permanent

D．selfless

5 . Guangzhou Asian Games English Star Contest

Organizer:

The 16^th Asian Games Organizing Committee

Qualification for entry:

People wishing to enter should be born on or before April 30,1992, be in good health and willing to work as a volunteer for the 16^th Asian Games to he held in Guangzhou in 2010. He/She will be expected to have a good command of the English language, a strong interest in community life and in taking part in public relations activities and other community events arranged by the Organizer. He/She will also be expected to obey all laws, rules and regulations in force in the People’s Republic of China.

Competition schedule:

Application period: September 22-October 10

Preliminary(预备的) round: October 12

Semi-final: October 18

Final: November 8

Prizes:

During the final, the following prizes will be awarded: Most Outstanding (Cash Prize RMB 5000 yuan), three 1stPrizes (4000 yuan), and six 2nd Prizes (3000 yuan). There will also be prizes awarded in: Best Pronunciation, Most Humorous Presentation, Best Demeanor(举止) and Most Popular.

All the winners will receive a prize, a trophy(奖杯) and a certificate. All contestants who reach the semi-final will be officially recruited(聘用) by GAGOC as professional language volunteers and be given a place in the Guangzhou Foreign Affairs Volunteers Program.

Application procedures(程序):

Competitors can fill in the application form online and submit(提交) it to the organizer. The application form can be found on the official 16^th Asian Games website www.gz2010.cn under “ Guangzhou Asian Games English Star Contest”.

For further information, please contact the organizer:

Tel: 020-83344105 or 83344197

Fax: 020-83389163

1. Li Ming will probably enter the English Star Contest if he________.
a. was born on May 14, 1992
b. is eager to be a volunteer for the 16^th Asian Games
c. likes English very much
d. is active in community life

A．a, b, c

B．a, b, d

C．a, c, d

D．b, c, d

2. When will the final of the English Star Contest be?

A．On October 9.	B．On October 12.
C．On October 18.	D．On November 8.

3. At least how much will be given out as cash prizes?

A．12,000 yuan.	B．30,000 yuan.
C．35,000 yuan.	D．53,000 yuan.

4. To be a professional language volunteer, you have to reach the________.

A．application period	B．preliminary round
C．semi-final	D．final

6 . After her husband had gone to work, Mrs. Jessica sent her children to school and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was too_________ to do any housework that morning, _________ in the evening she would be going to an interesting fancy dress party with her husband. What she _________ was a terrible genie (妖怪) and as she had made that special dress of hers the night before, she was_________ to try it on. Though the dress _________ of nothing but a big piece of old cloth which was red, green, black and white, it would be very effective to make her look like a real genie. After putting it on, Mrs. Jessica went downstairs happily. She wanted to find out _________ it would be comfortable to _________

Just as Mrs. Jessica was entering the dining-room, there was a_________ at the door. She thought that it _________ be the baker. She had told him to come straight in if she __________ to open the door and leave the bread on the kitchen table. Now not wanting to__________ the poor man, Mrs. Jessica quickly __________ in the small storeroom under the__________. She heard the front door open and a man enter. When Mrs. Jessica__________ that it was the man from the electricity board (供电局) who had come to__________ the meter (电表), she stepped out of the hiding-place on a sudden and tried to explain the matter, saying with a smile, “It’s only __________! It is not __________ for you to be __________!” But it was too late. The man let __________ a sharp cry and jumped back several paces. Then he ran away, __________ the door behind him with great force and noise.

1.

A．nervous

B．excited

C．frightened

D．ready

2.

A．so

B．and

C．for

D．but

3.

A．was afraid to see

B．wanted to play

C．wanted to see

D．was afraid to play

4.

A．expected

B．angry

C．worried

D．anxious

5.

A．made

B．consisted

C．contained

D．included

6.

A．how

B．that

C．whether

D．when

7.

A．dance

B．look

C．feel

D．wear

8.

A．knock

B．baker

C．man

D．voice

9.

A．couldn’t

B．must

C．wouldn’t

D．may

10.

A．tried

B．had

C．managed

D．failed

11.

A．help

B．frighten

C．see

D．scold

12.

A．went

B．lay

C．appeared

D．hid

13.

A．kitchen

B．dining-room

C．stairs

D．door

14.

A．realized

B．imagined

C．thought

D．wondered

15.

A．read

B．watch

C．see

D．write

16.

A．me

B．you

C．game

D．play

17.

A．good

B．necessary

C．early

D．late

18.

A．off

B．here

C．afraid

D．sorry

19.

A．off

B．in

C．out

D．up

20.

A．knocking

B．locking

C．pushing

D．shutting

7 . By day, Robert Titterton is a lawyer. In his spare  time though he goes on stage beside pianist Maria Raspopova — not as a musician but as her page turner. “I’m not a trained musician, but I’ve learnt to read music so I can help Maria in her performance.”

Mr Titterton is chairman of the Omega Ensemble but has been the group’s official page turner for the past four years. His job is to sit beside   the pianist and turn the pages of the score so the musician doesn’t have to break the flow of sound by doing it themselves. He said he became just as nervous as those playing instruments on stage.

“A lot of skills are needed for the job. You have to make sure you don’t turn two pages at once and make sure you find the repeats in the music   when you have to go back to the right spot.” Mr Titterton explained.

Being a page turner requires plenty of practice. Some pieces of music can go for 40 minutes and require up to 50 page turns, including back turns for repeat passages. Silent onstage communication is key, and each pianist has their own style of “nodding” to indicate a page turn which they need to practise with their page turner.

But like all performances, there are moments when things go wrong. “I was turning the page to get ready for the next page, but the draft wind from the turn caused the spare pages to fall off the stand,” Mr Titterton said, “Luckily I was able to catch them and put them back.”

Most page turners are piano students or up-and-coming concert pianists, although Ms Raspopova has once asked her husband to   help her out on stage.

“My husband is the worst page turner,” she laughed. “He’s interested in the music, feeling every note, and I have to say: ‘Turn, turn!’ Robert is the best page turner I’ve had in my entire life.”

1. What should Titterton be able to do to be a page turner?

A．Read music.	B．Play the piano.
C．Sing songs.	D．Fix the instruments.

2. Which of the following best describes Titterton’s job on stage?

A．Boring.	B．Well-paid.
C．Demanding.	D．Dangerous.

3. What does Titterton need to practise?

A．Counting the pages.	B．Recognizing the “nodding”.
C．Catching falling objects.	D．Performing in his own style.

4. Why is Ms Raspopova’s husband “the worst page turner”?

A．He has very poor eyesight.	B．He ignores the audience.
C．He has no interest in music.	D．He forgets to do his job.

8 . Rome can be pricey for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel (旅社). The hostels in Rome offer a bed in a dorm room for around $25 a night, and for that, you’ll often get to stay in a central location (位置) with security and comfort.

Yellow Hostel

If I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel. It’s one of the best-rated hostels in the city, and for good reason. It’s affordable, and it’s got a fun atmosphere without being too noisy. As an added bonus, it’s close to the main train station.

Hostel Alessandro Palace

If you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun. Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests like free shots, bar crawls and karaoke. There’s also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.

Youth Station Hostel

If you’re looking for cleanliness and a modern hostel, look no further than Youth Station. It offers beautiful furnishings and beds. There are plenty of other benefits, too; it doesn’t charge city tax; it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms; it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful, providing you with a map of the city when you arrive, and offering advice if you require some. However, you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.

1. What is probably the major concern of travelers who choose to stay in a hostel?

A．Comfort.	B．Security.
C．Price.	D．Location.

2. Which hotel best suits people who enjoy an active social life?

A．Yellow Hostel.	B．Hostel Alessandro Palace.
C．Youth Station Hostel.	D．Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes.

3. What is the disadvantage of Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes?

A．It gets noisy at night.	B．Its staff is too talkative.
C．It charges for Wi-Fi.	D．It’s inconveniently located.

9 . Born in California and representing the United States before switching to China, teenager Gu Ailing will be most likely to be one of the faces of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

The 17-year-old is a freeskier(自由式滑雪运动员) and grade-A student with an American father and Chinese mother. She grew up and still lives in the United States, but in June 2019 she made the “quite difficult” decision to compete for China. She wrote on Instagram that she was “proud of my heritage and equally proud of my American upbringings (培养)”.

As for the decision to compete on behalf of China, she said it is “valuable opportunity to help inspire millions of young people in China where my mom was born.”

Gu graduated from a San Francisco high school last year and is focusing on her Beijing 2022 training. It is reported that She scored 1,580 points out of a maximum 1,600 in the SAT (美国大学入学考试), and has been offered a place at Stanford.

Gu started on the snow at the age of 3, was competing in national competitions at 9 and won her first World Cup event at 15. She won two gold medals and a silver for China at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland. On Jan. 30th, 2021, Gu made her debut(首次亮 相) at the X Games in Aspen, Colorado and won two golds and a bronze.

“My goal is to win Olympic gold,” she told the official Olympic website. “It’s the top achievement. And that would be rewarding for all the work that I’ve done to achieve greatness in the sport.”

1. What do we know about Gu Ailing?

A．She grew up in China.	B．She is an average student.
C．She will graduate from a high school.	D．She decided to compete for China.

2. Which of the following words can best describe Gu Ailing?

A．Helpful and knowledgeable.	B．Modest and hard-working.
C．Clever and ambitious.	D．Creative and confident.

3. What’s the main idea of the fifth paragraph?

A．Gu Ailing won her first World Cup event at 15.

B．Gu Ailing’s achievements as a freeskier.

C．Gu Ailing’s training when she was young.

D．Gu Ailing learned to do snow sports in China.

4. What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Gu Ailing—An American Freeskier	B．Gu Ailing—A Stanford Graduate
C．Gu Ailing—A talented Chinese Freeskier	D．Gu Ailing—An Olympic Champion

10 . Many researchers use the term artificial intelligence (AI) to describe the thinking and intelligent behavior by machines. While AI can be helpful to human beings, scientists warn it can also be a threat.

Stuart Russell, who teaches computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, says humans should make AI products that we like.

“In the future,"Russell says, “many of today's jobs that require a lot of physical labor will be replaced by machines with artificial intelligence. These include agricultural jobs, and ones with repetitive duties like telephone call centers. Al machines can also replace jobs like ones in the financial industry-jobs that require studying a lot of data."

The health industry is one area that artificial intelligence is already changing. AI can process huge amounts of data, so doctors can use the most up-to-date information to diagnose and treat patients.

IBM's Watson technology is already in use at hospitals in North and South America, Europe and Asia. Watson helps doctors keep up with information.

There is also a dangerous side of artificial intelligence. One example is combining drone technology and AI to create autonomous weapons.

Stuart Russell is working to create international treaties to ban such weapons. He says the risk is that people will use the technology to develop a kind of “poor men's nuclear weapon”.

IBM's Banavar points out the value of artificial intelligence, including search engines and the autopilot function on planes.

The debate about whether artificial intelligence is good or bad for humans continues. Researchers agree there is no question that the technology is here, and that will continue to change the life on our planet.

1. What can be inferred from Russell's words in paragraph 3?

A．People's lives are becoming better.

B．Machines are cleverer and cleverer.

C．More people are in danger of unemployment.

D．People are bored with today's physical jobs.

2. According to Banavar, which of the following statements is the value of Artificial Intelligence?

A．Machines with AI can take the place of human beings.

B．Machines with AI can help doctors treat and diagnose all diseases.

C．Machines with AI can only fly a plane by itself without the need for a pilot.

D．Machines with AI can be used in many fields, search engines included.

3. What do the researchers most probably agree with?

A．AI is definitely changing human life.

B．AI will change our life for the better.

C．More people are needed in developing AI.

D．AI is a big threat to people in the future.

4. What is the best title of the text?

A．The Wide Usage of AI

B．AI: a Double-edged Sword

C．A Breakthrough in Developing AI

D．AI: a Threat for Humans