1 . I have always loved the Arthurian legend (传奇), as there is something quite special about King Arthur, and of course Merlin, my favourite character from the stories.
Death of an Empire is the second volume in MK Hume’s “Merlin” series which details Merlin’s life from birth. Merlin travels across the Roman Empire in search of his father, a voyage of discovery to understand just who he was. Eventually Merlin gets involved in the fight against the Hun’s invasion (入侵) of Europe at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plain.
Serving under the General Flavius Aetius, Merlin builds a reputation by saving the lives of thousands of soldiers. When he finally reaches Rome, he saves many more. But a far deadlier conflict between Emperor Valentinian and Senator Petronius Maximus is around the corner and Merlin must use all his strength to carry out his work.
If I had to choose just one word to describe this novel, there would be no other choice than “immersive (身临其境的)”. There has clearly been a serious amount of research carried out by the author. Combined with the descriptive prose and imaginative story, the book really does attract you from almost the very start. The story really does feel like you are a part of it as Merlin travels across the Roman Empire.
The author does a great job of mixing the rich history with established Arthurian legend. The battle scene is handled very effectively. The author employs a very effective form to show the main fight and this not only adds a degree of tension and a good level of excitement but almost makes you feel like you are right there hearing about what happened.
Death of an Empire is a very fine novel, a wonderfully rich tale and a rewarding story.
1. Why does Merlin travel across the Roman Empire?| A．To visit King Arthur. | B．To enjoy a nice view. |
| C．To get a well-paid job. | D．To find out his origin. |
| A．It is a mixture of history and legend. |
| B．It features difficult language. |
| C．It speaks highly of an emperor. |
| D．It is a masterpiece of Merlin. |
| A．An effective description. | B．A long-running battle. |
| C．A wonderful feeling. | D．A well-known legend. |
| A．A news report. | B．A history story. |
| C．A book review. | D．A science fiction. |
2 . Exploring Wildlife Conservation in Kenya
Day 1: Nairobi, Kenya
Arrive at the airport in Nairobi, where our staff will be on hand to drive you to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.
Accommodation: Tamarind Tree Hotel
Day 2: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
A charter flight (包机) brings us to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a 62,000-acre grassland on the north of Mount Kenya. Considered a model in the conservation field, this healthy wildlife habitat is home to a number of rare species, including the giraffe, the Grevy’s zebra, and African wild dogs. Lewa and the neighboring Borana Conservancy also harbor roughly 15 percent of Kenya’s entire rhino population.
Accommodation: Elewana Lewa Safari Camp
Day 3: Amboseli National Park
Fly by private charter to Amboseli National Park, where vast grasslands are irrigated by underground runoff streams from Mount Kilimanjaro. These landscapes provide a habitat for hundreds of elephants, making the park one of the best places in Africa to spot these large creatures. The travel begins on the drive to Tortilis Camp, set within view of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Accommodation: Tortilis Camp
Day 4: Masai Mara National Reserve
At first light, head out to track the animals that crossed the area during the night. This area has one of the highest concentrations of large predators (捕食性动物) in all of Africa. Then watch large groups of hippos in the Mara River and crocodiles sunbathing on the shore.
Accommodation: Kichwa Tembo Camp
1. On which day will you visit Lewa Wildlife Conservancy?| A．Day 1. | B．Day 2. | C．Day 3. | D．Day 4. |
| A．Tamarind Tree Hotel. | B．Kichwa Tembo Camp. |
| C．Amboseli National Park. | D．Borana Conservancy. |
| A．It provides the best sunbath. |
| B．It features the Grevy’s zebra. |
| C．It is located near an airport. |
| D．It is home to large predators. |
3 . It was a cold, sunny December day when I set out for a run in Moab, Utah, with my dog, Taz.
About an hour into my
I shouted for help and was intent on
On the third day, I felt myself growing weaker. I was coming to terms with the fact that I might
Taz returned,
| A．move | B．march | C．walk | D．run |
| A．fell | B．jumped | C．broke | D．headed |
| A．loss | B．shock | C．pain | D．need |
| A．push | B．locate | C．find | D．confirm |
| A．stand | B．escape | C．cry | D．shout |
| A．pushing | B．dragging | C．lifting | D．pulling |
| A．took | B．cost | C．wasted | D．gave |
| A．Temporarily | B．Eventually | C．Fortunately | D．Initially |
| A．normal | B．boiling | C．freezing | D．average |
| A．admiring | B．repeating | C．delivering | D．providing |
| A．humble | B．confident | C．positive | D．negative |
| A．quieter | B．longer | C．shorter | D．louder |
| A．sharpen | B．adopt | C．appreciate | D．crack |
| A．agree | B．help | C．leave | D．die |
| A．effort | B．trial | C．chance | D．break |
| A．alive | B．asleep | C．awake | D．alone |
| A．came out | B．turned out | C．proved out | D．worked out |
| A．survey | B．interview | C．rescue | D．sports |
| A．blood | B．cells | C．water | D．sweat |
| A．entered | B．made | C．reached | D．got |
4 . My favourite book, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne, talks about a formula called “SFF” which stands for “stopping finding fault”. I used to be a critical person and tried to find fault. I guess I somehow inherited this character from my father. Actually, many good qualities of my father are worth admiring except this.
My father is a person who constantly looks for mistakes in other people and he thinks no one is perfect in the world. His character created a negative atmosphere in my family. I was the same as my father, so I often felt angry, disappointed, depressed, and lonely in school.
After I had read my favourite book I began to seek “good things” in other people. It has completely changed my life. Now I feel happier, I have more friends, I have more trust in people, and I realize everyone has his own strength! Another important lesson I got from this book is that I should always behave myself in a positive manner. Let's admit that we sometimes complain about our situation. That's not good. Believe it or not, people don't like to listen to negative opinions.
One more valuable lesson I got from the book is that I should be a good listener. When I was younger, I only wanted people to pay whole attention to my words so that I could show them how important I was. I was very proud and would show off my achievements in school without considering others' feelings. I had very few friends and most people considered me as an arrogant person. Now, I find it much easier to make friends after making some changes!
1. What do you know about the author's father?| A．He makes his son feel angry and disappointed. |
| B．He likes finding fault with people around him. |
| C．He seems a critical person but in fact easy-going. |
| D．He can create a negative atmosphere when necessary. |
| A．self-important | B．admirable |
| C．troublesome | D．cold-blooded |
| A．To persuade readers to be good listeners. |
| B．To share his painful experience of making changes. |
| C．To tell readers the influence of a book on him. |
| D．To show the result of his father's negative character. |
5 . Slowly but surely, we’re moving closer and closer to 5G world. From smart-home security to self-driving cars, all the internet-connected devices in our life will be able to talk to each other at lightning-fast speeds with reduced delay. Objectively speaking, the fastest 4G download speeds in the US top out at an average of 19.42Mbps. But by comparison 5G promises gigabit (千兆) speeds.
“5G is one of those heralds (使者),along with artificial intelligence, of this coming data age.” said Steve Koenig, senior director of market research for the Consumer Technology Association. The self-driving vehicle is a great emblem of this data age, and that is to say, it is a sign of time, because with one single task, driving, you have massive amounts of data coming from the vehicle itself, and a variety of sensors are collecting a lot of information to model its environment as it moves. It’s pulling in data from other vehicles about road conditions down the lane. It could be weather information, and also connected infrastructure (基础设施) construction. There’s lots of data behind that task, which is why we need the high speed.
And virtual reality glasses and headsets haven’t yet broken the mainstream, but tech companies are joyfully betting that these devices will eventually replace our smartphones. With 5G, that could actually happen. This is notable because companies such as Apple are reportedly developing AR glasses to assist — or even replace — smartphones.
Ericsson stated at February's Mobile World Congress how smart glasses could become faster and lighter with a 5G connection, because instead of being weighed down with components, the glasses could rely on hardware for processing power.
But don’t get too excited. There’s still a lot of work to be done in the meantime, including various trials to make sure the radios play nicely with hardware and infrastructure construction so 5G isn’t concentrated only in big cities.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The security of 5G. | B．The present world of 5G. |
| C．The future of 5G. | D．The super speed of 5G. |
| A．exhibition | B．symbol | C．sponsor | D．explanation |
| A．They will be heavier than present ones. | B．They will process power on their own. |
| C．They will bring a big fortune to tech companies. | D．They will take the place of smartphones. |
| A．How to fully expand 5G coverage. | B．How to effectively reduce 5G trials. |
| C．How to nicely operate 5G hardware. | D．How to widely construct 5G big cities. |
6 . Visiting Washington, D.C. is not a waste of your time and money. There are many destinations in Washington, D.C. that you can include in your journey, which make your travel to this great city worth your time and money. Here are some notable attractions that the city can offer.
Smithsonian Institution
It is the image of 19th sandstone called Castle. This is an institution that has got more than nine museums. A one-day tour is not enough to cover it all. The best places to visit are Air and Space Museum and Museum of Natural History.
Jefferson Memorial
This place houses the 19-foot statue of America’s third president. In addition, there are some writings in the wall like Declaration of Independence and some Jefferson’s writings.
Michel Richard Citronelle
This famous chef got a restaurant at the heart of Washington, D.C. He prepares wonderful dishes to dignitaries who frequent this place. It is not only about attractive menu, but the service is professional. The multi-course is accompanied with wine. The restaurant’s wine cellar houses thousands of bottles.
Mandarin Oriental
This is a taste of Asia in the district. The hotel amenities (设施) are world class with pool and spas. The restaurant shows the city’s view on a flat screen TV and the rooms have Internet access.
The White house
It should not be missed. It is one of the most significant buildings in the city. Its architecture is grand and suits the city’s landscape. There are guided tours that you can join in.
Twins Jazz
If you want to enjoy jazz music, this is the place to be. You can hear grassroots musicians play. The food is also good.
1. What can you visit in Smithsonian Institution?| A．Castles. | B．Museums | C．Statues | D．Restaurants |
| A．Taste Asian food. | B．Cook delicious dishes. |
| C．Enjoy good food and service. | D．Swim and enjoy free Wifi. |
| A．Jefferson Memorial | B．Mandarin Oriental | C．The White House. | D．Twins Jazz |
7 . It seems that the Englishmen just cannot live without sports of some kind. A famous French humorist once said that this is because the English insist on behaving like children all their lives. Wherever you go in this country, you will see both children and grown-ups knocking a ball about with a stick or something, as if in Britain men shall always remain boys and women girls! Still, it can never be bad to get exercise, can it?
Taking all amateur(业余)and professional sports in Britain into consideration, there can be no doubt that football is at the top of the list. It is called soccer in the United States. The game originated(起源于)in Britain and was played in the Middle Ages or even earlier, though as an organized game, or “association football”, it dates only from the beginning of the 19th century.
The next is rugby, which is called “football” in the United States. It is a kind of football played by two teams of fifteen players than eleven. In rugby, an oval-shaped ball is used which can be handled as well as kicked. It is a pretty rough game.
In summer, cricket is the most popular sport. In fact, it has sometimes been called the English national game. Most foreigners find the game rather slow or even boring, but it enjoys great popularity among the British.
Tennis rates high on the list, too. It was introduced into England from France in the 15th century, but it was from England that it spread to practically every country in the world.
Table tennis, or “ping-pong”, surely is not played on a great scale as it is in China or Japan. Basketball and volleyball were introduced into Britain during the late 19th century from America and are gaining popularity. Horse-back riding, swimming, rowing and golf all attract a lot of people.
1. The main purpose of Paragraph l is to tell us that the English__________.| A．are all sports lovers | B．behave like children |
| C．like to kick a ball around | D．can remain young all their lives |
| A．They differ in the shape of the ball. | B．They are played by different numbers of players. |
| C．They both can be handled. | D．They both can be kicked. |
| A．basketball | B．tennis | C．rugby | D．football |
| A．The Most Popular Sports | B．The English Sports |
| C．History of Sports | D．Sports in Britain |
