1 . British Museum Visitor Rules

Admission

We warmly welcome you on your visit to the Museum. In the interests of the security of all our visitors we ask you to follow these Visitor Rules.

Admission to the Museum is free, but we may charge for entry(进入)to some exhibitions(展览会)and events.

Opening hours

We open the Museum’s galleries(陈列室)daily from 10:00 until 17:30. We keep selected galleries open until 20:30 on Fridays.

The Museum’s Great Court is open from 9:00 until 18:00, except on Fridays when it remains open until 20:30.

You are asked to begin leaving up to ten minutes before closing time.

The Museum is closed on 24-26 December and 1 January.

Food and drink

You aren’t allowed to eat food and drink inside the Museum, except in places such as the restaurant and cafes or the forecourt. Families with children may use the Ford Centre for Young Visitors in the basement of the Museum’s Great Court at weekends and during school holidays.

Animals
If you have a disability(残疾), you may be followed in the Museum by your guide or an assistant animal. You aren’t allowed to bring animals into the Museum in any other case.
Film, photography and audio recording.
Except where shown by notice, you’re permitted to use hand-held cameras(including mobile phones)with flash bulls or flash units, and audio and film recording equipment not requiring a stand. You may use your photographs, film and audio recording only for your own private and non-business purposes..
1. What are the Visitor Rules mainly designed to do?

A．To protect exhibits	B．To keep visitors safe
C．To increase entry charges	D．To control the entry of visitors

2. When can you visit the British Museum?

A．At 18:30 on Fridays	B．At 17:55 on weekends
C．At 11:00 on Christmas Day	D．At 10:15 on New Year’s Day

3. What can visitors do in the British Museum?

A．Record films for sale	B．Take along their pet dogs
C．Eat and drink as they like	D．Take photos for personal use

2 . Study Links Video Game Use to Problems in School

A new study warns that too much time spent playing computer games could affect a child’s performance at school.     1     They show that too many hours spent playing games can reduce students changes of success in school.

More than 600 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 16 took part in research project.    2     It is said to be the first ever long-term study of information technology on school test results in Northern Ireland.

The study found that teenagers who played computer games less than once a week were more successful in school than those who played them twice a day or more. 41% of the students who used gaming devices two or more times a day received passing grades on school exams.    3    .

The study found that social media use did not affect school performance. Celine McStravick is the director of the National Children’s Bureau Northern Ireland (NCBNI). She says “    4    — I think that’s more because social media is part of every child’s life. It’s the way they communicate. It’s the way they keep in touch with their friends.”

Many parents say their children are becoming increasingly dependent on computer games. Some have compared gaming to a drug addiction.    5     It suggested that computer games can cause children to stay awake late at night. Less sleep makes children tired and unable to pay attention in school the next day.

A．However, the study did not explore addiction.

B．The new games are much different from older ones.

C．The study showed no connection between social media and test results.

D．It took place over a period of three years from 2013 to 2015.

E．Thai compared with 77% of those who rarely played the games.

F．Drug addiction does great harm to their health and performance at school.

G．Britain’s National Children’s Bureau Northern Ireland reported the results of the study.

3 . According to scientists’ research, the month in which babies are born could affect them in some ways. Babies born in spring get sick easily. Children born under Aquarius (Jan. 21st ----Feb. 19th)may be less clever than those born in other seasons. They may also have shorter lives than those born in autumn. Scientists believe many of the differences can be explained by the mother's exposure to sunlight in pregnancy(怀孕).

Sunlight helps lead to the production of Vitamin(维生素) D in the body. The lack (缺乏)of vitamin D in the first months of life may have a bad effect on health.

Vitamin D is called the "sunshine vitamin". It has a good effect on health. A study showed that people born from April to June had slightly shorter lives than those born in October, November or December. Similar studies in the USA showed that people born in autumn lived about 160 days longer than those born in spring.
Professor Russell Foster said the conclusions were surprising and interesting. He added, "These are small effects but they are very, very clear. I am not giving voice to star signs and they are just for fun. But it is true that we are affected by our season of birth."
1. Babies born in ______get sick easily.

A．summer	B．spring
C．autumn	D．winter

2. What does the underlined word “exposure” mean in Chinese?

A．偏爱	B．抗拒
C．过敏	D．暴露

3. What can we know about vitamin D according to the passage?

A．It comes from sunlight	B．It doesn’t help people live longer
C．Sunlight prevents its’ production	D．It has a good effect on health

4 . Hi, my name is Ethan King. I’m 14 years old and I love the game of soccer. In the summer of 2009, I went to northern Mozambique(Africa) with my dad to help repair water wells(井)in local villages. I took my soccer ball along. I thought I might be able to play with the local kids. When we arrived at the village of Ntette, I threw out my ball and soon, 50 kids were playing .Many of these kids had never had the chance to enjoy playing soccer with a real ball. For me, it’s no big deal to play soccer with a real ball. I do it all the time.

I’ve discovered that many kids in poor countries want to play soccer, but they can’t because they don’t have a ball. I have several soccer balls in my house. I thought that these kids would enjoy this soccer ball far more than me. So, I gave my ball to them.

As we prepared to leave, one of the boys brought the soccer ball back to me. I said to him, “No, this is yours. I gave it to you.” He laughed and cheered! I loved seeing that they had a real ball to play with.

Every kid who loves the game of soccer deserves(值得)to play. Every kid who loves the game of soccer deserves his or her own ball. And that’s why I started Charity Ball in 2010. It provides new soccer balls for kids in poor communities around the world.

1. How old is Ethen?-----__________.

A．fourteen	B．fifty
C．sixty	D．forty

2. When Ethan left Ntette,__________.

A．he made a soccer ball for the village boys

B．he gave his soccer ball to the village boys

C．one of the village boys gave him a handmade soccer ball

D．he gave the village boys some money to by soccer balls

3. What do we know about Charity Ball?

A．It collects old soccer balls

B．It trains kids who love soccer

C．It started when Ethan was 14 years old

D．It gives new soccer balls to kids in poor communities

4. We can learn from the passage that Ethan is ________.

A．kind	B．talented
C．brave	D．careful

5 . There once lived a young man who thought himself to be poor. One day he went to a wise man to ask how to become rich. The wise man said, “Young man, you are already rich now.”

“But where is my wealth(财富)?” the young man asked.

“It is with you. Your eyes are your wealth. You use them to see this world. You use them to see all the beautiful things in this world. Your hands are your wealth. You can use them to work. You can use them to hug your beloved ones. Your legs are your wealth. You can go to any place...” the wise man said.

“You call these wealth? But everyone has them,” the young man said.

“These are wealth. What you have now is not what someone else can luckily have. Would you like to give your eyes to me? I'd like to give you a lot of money to exchange for them,” the wise man said.

“No, I'm not going to do so! My eyes are important to me!” the young man said.

Everyone is rich. We should treasure(珍惜)our wealth, and take care of it. We should not overuse it because once it is gone, it is gone forever. Remember it is our wealth that we do not want to lose.

1. Why did the young man go to visit the wise man?

A．Because he was ill.

B．Because he was the wise man's friend.

C．Because he wanted to know how to be rich.

D．Because he wanted to be wise.

2. The wise man thought the young man himself___________.

A．was rich	B．was poor
C．was wise	D．was silly

3. The wise man called ______ wealth.

A．the young man's money	B．the young man's eyes and feet
C．the young man’s buildings	D．the young man’s cars

4. The young man wasn’t willing to exchange his eyes for money because ________.

A．he was rich

B．he didn’t like the old man

C．he thought his eyes were important to him

D．he didn’t like money

6 . How terrible it would be if there was fire! Today is November 9. It’s time for us to learn a lot more about fire, especially what to do if we are caught in a fire:

1. Shout out

If you smell smoke or see fire, shout out “Fire”! Shout as loudly as you can, because people may be asleep.

2. Call 119

Never try to put out the fire yourself, even if it is a very small one! Get help from your parents or call 119.

3. Keep down close to the floor

If there is a lot of smoke in your room, keep down close to the floor.

4. Test the door

Test the door before you open it. If the door is cool, open it carefully. If the door is hot, do not open it! Try to find a different way out.

5. Get out

If you can, get out of your home as soon as possible.

6. Don’t use the lift

Never use the lift during the fire. It may also go wrong.

7. Don’t go back

Never go back into a burning building!

1. The passage is mainly about           .

A．how to look after yourself when on fire	B．what to do when you are caught in a fire
C．when to leave the burning place	D．why to call 119 when it is on fire

2. When people are asleep, what will you do when fire breaks out?

A．Call for help as quickly as you can.	B．Wake your parents up fast.
C．Shout out “Fire!” as loudly as you can.	D．Run as fast as you can.

3. When a fire is burning, you test the door to            .

A．find a better way out	B．notice the fire clearly
C．call for a much quicker help	D．see if it is closed

4. If you are caught in a fire, you should not ____________.

A．shout out

B．keep down close to the floor

C．call 119

D．use the lift

7 . Murcia

I have spent about 8 months living in Murcia and I feel that I should put it as number one on my list. On my return from exploring other cities, I always feel like I’m returning home when I set foot in Murcia. The city centre is full of life and energy and has an incredible atmosphere all year round. Although the accent takes you a little time to get used to at first, you will adjust to it. Murcia is also home to some gorgeous(壮丽的) beaches and amazing coastal views. So it really does have the best of both worlds!

Gibraltar

I visited Gibraltar during the Easter holidays and I was totally surprised by the beauty of Gibraltar! From a short cable car riding up to the top of the rock you are met with splendid views over the coast and the adorable monkeys which curiously come to greet you on your arrival. Make sure to hide all your food because they think it’s a gift for them!

Valencia

Valencia is beautiful. It’s as simple as that! The river-area is so exciting and full of life, all the way up to the science museum and beaches. However, I was a little confused by the fact that the river had long been filled in and turned into a park, yet people still referred to it as The River.

Alicante

I have spent many a weekend in Alicante, making the most of the beautiful beach in low season, before all the tourists arrive. May is the high season here, so I’d definitely recommend a visit in April, September, or October, just before or after the holiday season.

1. What does the underlined part in Paragraph 1 refer to?

A．Murcia and other cities.

B．The city centre and beautiful coasts.

C．Gorgeous beaches and amazing coastal views.

D．The incredible atmosphere and lovely homes of the city.

2. Actually the adorable monkeys come to visitors to       .

A．welcome them	B．send them gifts
C．attract them	D．get something to eat

3. The River is now       .

A．a park	B．a river
C．beautiful beaches	D．the science museum

4. When did the author visit Alicante?

A．In May.	B．In October.
C．In April.	D．In September.

8 . While you are traveling abroad, cultural mistakes are more serious than linguistic mistakes, which can lead to serious misunderstanding and even ill-feeling between individuals.    1    

●Touching Someone

    2     In Mediterranean countries, if you don’t touch someone’s arm when talking to them or if you don’t greet them with kisses or a warm hug, you’ll be considered cold. But backslap(拍背) someone who isn’t a family member or a good friend in Korea, and you'll make them uncomfortable. In Thailand, the head is considered sacred—never even pat a child on the head.

●Talking Over Dinner

In some countries, like China,Japan and some African nations, the food’s the thing, so don’t start chatting about your day's adventures while everyone else is digging into dinner.    3     It’s not because your group is unfriendly, but because meal times are for eating, not talking.

● Removing Your Shoes or Not

Take off your shoes when arriving at the door of a London dinner party and the hostess will find you uncivilized, but fail to remove your shoes before entering a home in Asia, Hawaii, or the Pacific Islands and you'll be considered disrespectful. So, if you see a row of shoes at the door, start undoing your laces.    4    

Once you are on the ground of a different country, remain highly sensitive to native behavior.    5     And don’t feel offended if something seems offensive—like queue jumping. After all, this is a global village, and we are all very different.

A．Personal space varies as you travel the globe.

B．Asians consider removing shoes impolite at home.

C．Never be completely surprised by anything.

D．The linguistic mistake means that someone is not fully expressing his idea.

E．Look out for the following cultural mistakes and try to avoid them.

F．If not, keep the shoes on.

G．You'll be likely to meet with silence.

9 . Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest thinkers in the world, began his career as an artist. Very little is known about Leonardo’s early life. He was born in 1452 in the town of Vinci. As a boy, Leonardo showed a great interest in drawing, sculpting and observing nature.

However, because Leonardo was born to parents who were not married to each other, he was barred from some studies and professions. He trained as an artist after moving to Florence with his father in the 1460s. It was an exciting time to be in Florence, one of the cultural capitals of Europe. Leonardo trained with one of the city’s very successful artists, Andrea del Verrocchio. He was a painter, sculptor and gold worker. Verrocchio told his students that they needed to understand the body’s bones and muscles when drawing people.

Leonardo took the teacher’s advice very seriously. He spent several periods of his life studying the human body by taking apart and examining dead bodies. While training as an artist, Leonardo also learned about and improved on relatively new painting methods at the time. One was the use of perspective(透视) to show depth. A method called “sfumato” helped to create a cloudy effect to suggest distance. “Chiaroscuro” is a method using light and shade as a painterly effect.

Leonardo’s first known portrait now hangs in the National Gallery in Washington, D. C. He made this painting of a young woman named Ginevra de’ Benci around 1474. The woman has a pale face with dark hair. In the distance, Leonardo painted the Italian countryside.

He soon received attention for his extraordinary artistic skills. Around 1475 he was asked to draw an angel in Verrocchio’s painting “Baptism of Christ.” One story says that when Verrocchio saw Leonardo’s addition to the painting, he was so amazed by his student’s skill that he said he would never paint again.

1. Which of the following words can be used to describe Leonardo according to the third paragraph?

A．Stubborn.	B．Creative.
C．Pessimistic.	D．Determined.

2. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Verrocchio felt shame at his own work.

B．Verrocchio thought Leonardo’s work terrible.

C．Verrocchio thought highly of Leonardo’s work.

D．Verrocchio didn’t believe Leonardo could paint well.

3. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Leonardo was prevented from some studies because of his parents.

B．Leonardo thought his teacher’s advice was unreasonable.

C．“Sfumato” is a method to show depth by using light and shade.

D．“Baptism of Christ” made Leonardo known across the world.

10 . The Grand Palace

If there is one must-see sight without which no visit to Bangkok would be complete, it s the spectacular Grand Palace, undoubtedly the city’s most famous landmark. Built in 1782 and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government, the Grand Palace of Bangkok continues to have visitors in awe of its beautiful architecture and complicated details, which is a proud salute (致敬) to the creativity and craftsmanship of Thai people. Within its walls were also the Thai war ministry, the state departments, and even the mint (铸币厂). Today, the complex remains the spiritual heart of the Thai Kingdom.

Important Notes about the Grand Palace

A strict dress code applies. The Grand Palace with the Temple of the Emerald Buddha is Thailand’s most sacred site. Visitors must be properly dressed before being allowed entry to the temple. Men must wear long pants and shirts with sleeves (no lank lops). If you’re wearing sandals or flip-flops you must wear socks, in other words, no bare feet. Women must be similarly modestly dressed. No see-through clothes, bare shoulders, etc. If you show up at the front gate improperly dressed, there is a booth near the entrance that can provide clothes to cover you up properly (a deposit is required).

Opening Hours: Daily 8:30-15:30
Location: Na Phra Lan Road, Old City (Rattanakosin)
Price Range: Tickets sold from 8:30-15:30 and cost 500 baht! One ticket includes entry to Vimanmek Palace and Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall.
1. What makes the Grand Palace an important landmark?

A．Its convenient location.

B．Its cheap price of the tickets.

C．Its excellent guides and service.

D．Its splendid history and architecture.

2. Who can be allowed to enter the Grand Palace?

A．Edward wearing shorts and sandals.

B．Cathy wearing a T-shirt and a short skirt.

C．Tom wearing a sweater, jeans and sports shoes.

D．Anne wearing a long dress with bare shoulders.

3. What can we learn from the text?

A．Visitors can enter the Grand Palace every day.

B．The Grand Palace has nothing to do with the Thai King.

C．Clothes for improperly dressed people are sold at the gate.

D．You can’t visit Abhisek Dusit Throne Hall with your ticket.