1 . They say once you learn how to ride a bike, you never forget. Most of us learnt when we were kids, and many still put on our helmets, put our feet on the pedals, and shoot off for a ride around the streets.
First, let’s look at the health benefits. Cycling can improve cardiovascular (心血管的) health, burn excess body fat and strengthen your leg muscles.
Finally, cycling can also be good for the environment. It can help you to reduce your carbon footprint.
So, whether people wan to cycle for their health, getting about town, their wallet, the environment, or a combination of all of them — the popularity of cycling is on the rise.
| A．Cyclists face neither of these issues. |
| B．In recent times, cycling has seen a boost in popularity. |
| C．There are also some plus sides for your wallet’s health. |
| D．And cycling’s benefits aren’t just physical but mental as well. |
| E．Not pumping out fumes into the atmosphere is better for the planet. |
| F．Why are so many people still crazy about cycling when they grow up? |
| G．Cycling can be a great way to travel to and from work or get about town. |
2 . The Hay Festival (of Literature&Arts) is a book festival. It takes place in Hayon-Wya, a small town in Wales. The festival is held every year, and lasts for ten days between May and June. It attracts over 80,000 visitors and many important writers give readings or discuss their works. The festival started in 1988 and is sponsored by The Daily Telegraph newspaper.
Glyndebourne is a festival of opera. It’s organized in a private house: Glyndebourne, which is on the south coast of England. The festival has been held there every summer since 1934. The operas are performed in a specially-designed theatre in the gardens. The festival specializes in the works of Mozart. Visitors to the festival listen to operas in the afternoon. Then, they have picnics in Glyndebourne’s beautiful gardens.
Cheltenham is a horse racing festival held in a town in western England. One of the days falls on St Patrick’s Day (on 17th March), Ireland’s national day. The biggest race of the four-day event is the Cheltenham Gold Cup, one of the most important races in the horse racing calendar. During the festival, hundreds of millions of pounds are gambled on the 28 races.
The Great British Beer Festival is a ...beer festival. It’s held in Olympia (an exhibition centre in London) for a week every August. Over 1,000 different British and foreign beers are served. There are lots of unusual drinks to taste, such as an Oscar Wilde, the Champion Beer of Britain 2011. But the festival isn’t only about beer. There’s live music, book signings and even tutorials on how to taste beer.
1. What do these festivals have in common?| A．They all can attract art. |
| B．They are all UK festivals. |
| C．They all date from the mid-20th century. |
| D．They are all held in private houses. |
| A．The Hay Festival. | B．Glyndebourne. |
| C．Cheltenham. | D．The Great British Beer Festival. |
| A．Learn how to make beer. |
| B．Perform live music on stage. |
| C．Sign their names on books. |
| D．Sample some unusual beers. |
