1 . There are many places to see lovely giant pandas in China. But where is the best place for you to go for a special panda trip? What is the best time to go? Here are some recommendations.

If you just want to see giant pandas, we recommend you to go to Chengdu Panda Breeding and Research Base. It is the most easily accessible panda base. You can see pandas at different ages. This base is huge but usually crowded.

If you are looking for a deeper panda experience, you can join a panda volunteer program. Giant panda volunteer programs are available in three panda bases: Dujiangyan, Wolong, and Bifengxia. They take about 1 to 3 days or longer. Dujiangyan is the best place for a one-day program. If you want a less-crowded environment, consider Wolong and Bifengxia, though they require 2 or more days. Your work would include weighing and cleaning bamboo, making panda cakes, watching pandas being fed, and cleaning pandas’ enclosures (围场). At the end of the program, you will receive a panda keeper certificate.

Giant pandas don’t go into winter sleep. You can visit them in all four seasons. Spring and autumn are the best times to see pandas when they are most active and temperatures are most comfortable. If you visit between August and November, you will probably see lovely panda babies.

Giant pandas spend almost half their time sleeping. Grown-up giant pandas in captivity (圈养) usually eat twice a day: early in the morning and late in the afternoon. They usually sleep around noon, any time from around 10:00 a. m. to around 2:00 p. m. We recommend you to get to a panda base as early as possible, when it is less crowded and the pandas are at their most active.

1. How can you get your best experience for your panda trip?

A．Visiting it during Chinese holidays.	B．Joining a volunteer program.
C．Taking a private tour in the afternoon.	D．Participating in Dujiangyan’s one-day program.

2. What is included in the volunteer programs at Dujiangyan, Wolong, and Bifengxia bases?

A．Preparing bamboo.	B．Feeding pandas.
C．Cleaning pandas.	D．Witnessing new pandas’ birth.

3. According to the information, which of the following is the best time for panda viewing?

A．Winter and spring.	B．Spring and autumn.
C．Summer and autumn.	D．Any season is suitable.

4. Why is arriving early at the panda base recommended?

A．To record pandas’ daily routine.	B．To receive a panda keeper certificate.
C．To avoid crowds and witness active pandas.	D．To observe feeding sessions and bamboo weighing.

2 . Türkiye, an attractive country bridging Europe and Asia, is a treasure trove (宝库) of cultural richness, amazing landscapes, and warm hospitality.

Gümbef

Gümbet, near the energetic and noisy city of Bodrum, is a coastal destination known for its lively atmosphere. During the day, soak up the sun on Gümbet Beach, known for its golden sands. As the sun sets, Gümbet comes alive with its lots of bars, clubs, and beach parties. Don’t miss the chance to explore the ancient Mausoleum at Halcarnassus, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Belek

For golf enthusiasts, Belek is a dream destination with its world-class golf courses and luxurious resorts. With a wonderful coastline and abundant greenery, Belek offers more than just golf. The ancient city of Perge and the Aspendos amphitheatre are must-visit historical sites. Enjoy a leisurely day at the beach or explore the unique Land of Legends Theme Park for a fun-filled family experience.

Marmaris

Marmaris is a picturesque resort town known for its lively nightlife, crystal-clear waters, and historic charm. Begin your journey with a visit to Marmaris Castle, offering full views of the city and the harbour. Adventure seekers can be absorbed in water sports at Marmaris Bay or set off for a boat trip to explore nearby caves and coves.

Fethiye

Fethiye is perfect for nature lovers. Visit the stunning Ölüdeniz Beach, known for its blue-green salt lake and paragliding opportunities. Explore the Lycian Rock Tombs, carved into the cliffs overlooking the town. Take a boat trip to the Twelve Islands or hike the Lycian Way for breathtaking views. Fethiye’s lively marina (码头) and fair add a touch of local flavour to your experience.

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1. What can visitors do at Gümbet?

A．Explore an ancient wonder.	B．Take a boat trip to Bodrum.
C．Enjoy fun-filled family activities.	D．Seek adventure on Gümbet Beach.

2. Which destination will appeal to golf lovers most?

A．Gümbet.

B．Belek.

C．Marmaris.

D．Fethiye.

3. What do Marmaris and Fethiye have in common?

A．They both offer paragliding opportunities.	B．They both have rich nightlife.
C．They both need to be booked in advance.	D．They are both near the sea.

3 . Crazy Laws

It seems that the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, was right when he said, “Even when laws have been written down, they ought not always to remain unaltered.”     1     Some of them were strange right from the start!

Did you know, for example, that London taxis (officially called Hackney carriages) are still legally required to carry hay and oats for their horses to eat? And in England, it is illegal to stand within 100 yards (91 metres) of the queen, without wearing socks?

If you live in Scotland, however, it’s important to know that if someone knocks at the door of your house, and needs to use your toilet, you are legally required to let him in.     2     There, it is perfectly legal to shoot a Scotsman with a bow and arrow, unless it is a Sunday!

    3     In France, you cannot call your pig Napoleon, and in Italy, a man can be arrested for wearing a skirt. That’s not all. In Alaska, US, while it’s legal to shoot bears, waking a sleeping bear to take its photo is prohibited. Still in Alaska, it is considered an offence to push a live moose out of an aeroplane.

Lots of the craziest laws seem to involve animals.     4     And in Florida, if an elephant is left tied to a parking meter, the parking fine must be paid, just as it would for a vehicle.

Last, children are forbidden from going to school with their breath smelling of wild onions in West Virginia. And in Arkansas, teachers who have a certain hairc ut (a bob) will not be given a pay-rise. In Florida, a woman can be fined for falling asleep under the hair-dryer and unmarried women must not parachute on a Sunday. If they do, they might be arrested, receive a fine or be put in jail.

A．But if you are Scottish you should stay away from the city of York.

B．Never should a Scotsman leave his own country.

C．But strange laws don’t just exist in the UK.

D．England is the place where craziest laws have been in existence for centuries.

E．Laws in some parts of the world haven’t changed for centuries.

F．In Hollywood, it is illegal to take more than 2,000 sheep down Hollywood Boulevard at any one time.

4 . 6 Days Small Group Tour from Beijing to Xi’an

Tour Type: Small Group (max 18), guaranteed departures

Guide & Driver: An English-speaking guide, an experienced driver with an air-conditioned coach

Accommodation: 5 nights at good 5-star hotels

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Welcome your arrival anytime at the airport and transfer to the hotel.

Day 2: Beijing

· Visit the Tiananmen Square and Forbidden City including the Treasure Gallery;

· Enjoy à la carte (按菜单点菜) welcome lunch with authentic Peking Duck;

· Further explore royal culture at the Yonghe Temple and the Temple of Heaven;

· Watch Peking Opera and see artistic face painting.

Day 3: Beijing

· Visit the Great Wall by a round-trip cable car;

· Visit the Bird’s Nest;

· Take a rickshaw ride through hutong alleys and visit a local family in a traditional courtyard house.

Day 4: Beijing to Xi’an by flight

· Visit the Panda Hall and the Summer Palace;

· Taste local flavors for lunch;

· Fly to Xi’an and transfer to a hotel.

Day 5: Xi’an

· Visit Terracotta Army and the discoverer’s home;

· Have a unique experience to make your own mini clay warrior (陶俑);

· Continue to visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda;

· Enjoy a dumpling dinner and the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.

Day 6: Departure from Xi’an

· Connect with local people at the City Wall Park and learn to practice tai chi from amaster, then visit the City Wall;

· Taste local flavors for lunch;

· Take a taxi to the airport by yourself.

A pleasant onward journey!

· $1,059 per person

Includes:

· Domestic airfare

· Hotel accommodation with breakfasts

· The à la carte lunches as route specifies

· Professional English-speaking guides

· Drivers & air-conditioned vehicles

· Entrance fees to tourist sites

· Tips or gratuities for hotel doormen

Excludes:

· International airfares

· Entry visa fees

· Personal expenses

· Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers

1. How can tourists get to the Great Wall?

A．By cable car.

B．By train.

C．On foot.

D．By water.

2. What can tourists do on Day 4?

A．Enjoy Peking Duck.	B．See lovely pandas.
C．Try artistic face painting.	D．Make a clay warrior.

3. Which of the following will cost extra?

A．Tips for hotel doormen.	B．Flying from Beijing to Xi’an.
C．Souvenirs for friends.	D．Air-conditioned vehicles fees.

5 . Do you know how to cycle? It is a skill that, once learned, is never forgotten. For the majority of us, the art of balancing on two wheels was mastered during our childhood. Many still wear helmets, put feet on the pedals, and take a ride around the streets. And in recent years, cycling has become more and more popular. What attracts people to ride their bikes once again?

Cycling offers a lot of advantages that affect both our physical and mental health. For example, regular cycling can improve the function of our cardiovascular (心血管的)system, assist in the burning of extra body fat and strengthen our leg muscles. A long ride in the countryside helps us to clear our mind easily.

Riding a bike is a smart choice for getting to work, shopping, or sightseeing. You can save money that you would otherwise spend on fuels and fares. Unlike cars that struggle with parking, bikes can be easily locked up. Then, on the train, there are chances at stations and other people speaking loudly on their phones. Cyclists face neither of these problems. And if we’re worried about safety, there are cycle lanes in many cities, or we can wear light-colored clothes to improve our safety when cycling on the roads.

Cycling can also be good for the environment. It cuts our carbon footprint, which means we make less pollution. It’s great for our planet and keeps the air clean around us. When we ride bikes, we don’t use fuel like cars do, and that’s really good for our environment.

Therefore, more and more people choose to ride for many benefits such as improving their health, easily going to work, saving money, protecting the environment, or a combination of these factors.

1. When do most people learn to ride?

A．In their free time.	B．After their retirement.
C．At their young ages.	D．During their adulthood.

2. Which of the following best describes cycling?

A．It is a good way to save money.

B．It is a great idea to relax cyclists.

C．It is dangerous to cycle on the roads.

D．It is difficult to find a place park the bike.

3. How does cycling affect the environment?

A．Consumes more fuels.	B．Increases air pollution.
C．Causes fewer accidents.	D．Reduces carbon footprint.

4. In which section of a magazine may this text appear?

A．Sports & Health.	B．Travel & Culture.
C．Science & Technology.	D．Animals & Environment.

6 . Thomas was a well-known wise man. One day, he wandered in a beautiful small town. Because of his fame, people from nearby towns who heard of his arrival all came to visit and seek his advice.

Many who came sought help with difficulties in daily life, and Thomas, unable to bear turning them away, patiently offered suggestions. Word spread quickly, and more and more people came to see Thomas for guidance.

One day, dozens of people crowded outside Thomas’s door, all clamoring (大声地要求) that their problems were the most serious and urgent, each insisting that Thomas address their concerns first, with no one willing to yield (让步).

After a moment of thought, Thomas took out some paper and a pen and said, “I can’t hear clearly with everyone talking at once. How about everyone write down your problem on a piece of paper and place it in this basket beside me?”

Once everyone had placed their notes in the basket, Thomas shook the basket and said, “Please each take a piece of paper from the basket and read what it says.”

As everyone read a note from someone else, they all realized that indeed, each person has their own troubles, and every household has its own challenges. Then Thomas spoke up, “Now, whose problem is the most urgent to solve?” Hearing that question, no one spoke again, because now no one dared to claim that their problem was the most severe.

Often, we are bound by our immediate feelings. When difficulties and problems strike, it feels as though we are caught in a vortex of pain. But if we shift our focus from ourselves and look towards others, we might discover that the problems we face are not so significant. Perhaps others are the ones who need help more urgently, or maybe there is something within our power that we can do for them.

1. Why did people visit Thomas?

A．For advice.	B．For a meeting.
C．For a competition.	D．For introductions.

2. How did Thomas handle the crowd?

A．He ignored them.	B．He listened to each one individually.
C．He prioritized the problems himself.	D．He asked them to write down their problems.

3. What did reading others’ problems show to the people?

A．The complexity of their difficulties.	B．The similarity of their situations.
C．Their need for more advice.	D．Their living conditions.

4. What lesson did Thomas teach?

A．Competition.

B．Sympathy.

C．Prioritization.

D．Self-confidence.

7 . Picking a smartwatch isn’t as simple as buying the best-looking or most feature- packed one you can find. To make things easier for you, I tested nearly every flagship smartwatch available over the course of four months to make sure I wasn’t leaving any stone unturned. Here are some of my best picks.

Apple Watch Series 9 GPS

The Series 9 came out in September. I’ve been using it for several months, and the experience is nearly identical to last year's Series 8, but it has some minor improvements that’ll help it stand the test of time a bit longer. It has double brightness of Series 8, new gesture- based controls that don’ t require you to touch the screen, and Siri commands are now processed right on the device rather than sent to the cloud.

Garmin Venu 2 Plus

If you’re not sure whether you can commit to Android or iOS for more than a year or two, or you like to lean heavily into the fitness aspect of wearables, get Garmin’s Venu 2 Plus. Its fitness tracking is hard to beat, with options for cardio, HIIT, yoga, Pilates, golfing, cycling, and swimming, plus all the basics for health tracking.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Compared with the Series 9, the Ultra 2 has bigger screen, longer battery life, more durable design, and additional Action Button for quickly triggering workouts. However, I don’t think the price point merits a best-in-class designation. The Ultra 2 has an Action Button on the left side of the display. You can program it to quickly start a workout, timer, the watch’s flashlight mode, or run a custom Shortcut automation.

The Series 9 is still an excellent option for most smartwatch users, but the Ultra 2’s additional adjustments make it worthwhile for anyone who truly swears by getting things done on their wrist.

1. What advantage does the Apple Watch Series 9 have over the Series 8?

A．Lower Price.

B．Brighter display.

C．Longer battery life.

D．Larger cloud storage.

2. Which smartwatch model is praised for its fitness tracking capabilities?

A．Garmin Venu 2 Plus.	B．Apple Watch Ultra 2.
C．Apple Watch Series 8.	D．Apple Watch Series 9 GPS.

3. What function can be triggered by the Action Button on the Ultra 2?

A．Checking heart rate.	B．Adjusting weather settings.
C．Changing watch faces.	D．Starting flashlight mode.

8 . While I was working at a French school, I was often preparing my work in the staff room. Sometimes I would hear the school secretary talking. At first I thought she was talking to me, as there was no one else in the room except me, so I tried to respond to her. However, I soon realized that in fact, she was talking to herself. I noticed a lot of people do this in France. In the UK, people might think you’re a bit strange if you talk to yourself at work, but there it seemed quite normal. It really did confuse me at times, because I was not sure whether people were talking to me or just talking to themselves.

Another area of confusion involved the French language. In French, there are two ways to say “you”: “tu” is the informal form while “vous” is the formal form. This is an aspect of French which, even now, I do not really understand. When I learnt French, I was taught to call everyone vous unless they were my family or friends. So I was surprised that virtually everyone in France used the informal tu all the time. School children used tu when they stayed with their teachers and all the staff called the head teacher tu. But I continued to use vous because I didn’t want people to think I was impolite.

As you might know, school children in the UK traditionally wear school uniforms but in France pupils do not wear a uniform. It was a culture shock for me to see children wear Spiderman T-shirts and baggy (宽松的) blue jeans in the classroom.

I found the differences puzzling at times, but I couldn’t deny what a great opportunity it was to live and work in another country. The UK and France are only separated by a small channel of the sea, but there are many differences between the two countries.

1. In the staff room, the school secretary ________.

A．always chatted online

B．interrupted the writer

C．talked to herself often

D．always made speeches

2. Why did the author always use “vous” when talking to others?

A．She tried to be polite to others.

B．She couldn’t tell tu from vous at all.

C．She didn’t have close friends in France.

D．She couldn’t understand French very well.

3. How did the author feel seeing French kids wear Spiderman T-shirts at school?

A．Pleased.	B．Embarrassed.
C．Frightened.	D．Surprised.

4. What made the author feel happy to live in France?

A．Experiencing different cultures.

B．Communicating in an informal way.

C．Traveling along the channel of the sea.

D．Having a chance to work with French teachers.

9 . Los Angeles County Museum of Art

What to know?

Next door to the La Brea Tar Pits sits the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the linchpin of the Los Angeles museum district. Since its opening in 1965, LACMA has showcased thousands of pieces, from Islamic artifacts to European impressionist paintings to modern art. With constantly shifting exhibitions and unique architecture, LACMA offers a rewarding experience for both serious art lovers and casual travelers.

More information

LACMA’s collection is housed in multiple buildings. The Ahmanson Building, the Hammer Building, and the Art of the Americas Building are historical structures that have long been part of the museum’s landscape. Currently, the museum is constructing a new building for its permanent collection, called the David Geffen Galleries, which is scheduled to open in 2024. For now, pieces will be on display in the Broad Contemporary Art Museum (BCAM) and the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Exhibition Pavilion. The Urban Light and Levitated Mass exhibits remain open to visitors. There is a restaurant and grab-and-go eatery on-site. Many visitors appreciated both the indoor and outdoor art exhibits and were impressed with the size of the collection of modern and contemporary art.

When to visit?

Situated on Wilshire Boulevard in west Los Angeles, LACMA is open from 11 am to 6 pm on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays; from 11 am to 8 pm on Fridays and from 10 am to 7 pm on Saturdays and Sundays. It is closed every Wednesday.

Price

As for residents outside the county, general admission tickets cost $25 for adults, $10 for those aged 3 to 17 (children aged 2 and younger get in for free) and parking will set you back $21. Tickets can be purchased online or at the museum’s ticket office.

1. Which building is under construction?

A．The Hammer Building.	B．The Ahmanson Building.
C．The David Geffen Galleries.	D．The Art of the Americas Building.

2. When can the museum be accessible to visitors?

A．At 10 am on Tuesdays.	B．At 3 pm on Fridays.
C．At 8 pm on Saturdays.	D．At 11 am on Wednesdays.

3. To visit the museum, how much will a Canadian couple driving a car pay?

A．$35.

B．$56.

C．$71.

D．$81.

10 . The holidays can be a difficult time to stay on track with your fitness goals.     1    . Even the most disciplined people can find it difficult to stick to their fitness routines during the holiday season. Here are some expert-recommended tips that can help you stay on track.

    2    .

Planning is the best way to make sure you don’t lose track of your goals. Plan your workouts for the week and mark them in your schedule to assure they are a part of your day.

Exercise early.

    3    . Make sure workouts are in the morning and you’ll set yourself up for a productive day. Then you can enjoy holiday activities and time with family without worrying about when you’ll have time to exercise.

Keep moving.

Research shows that getting up for just five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes and performing light activities reduces the risk of heart disease risk factors. Small efforts to get moving can help your overall health during the holidays. In addition to staying active, try to avoid sitting for long periods of time, such as when watching football games or eating.     4    .

Think out of the box.

The holidays are busy, but do your best to avoid the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to physical activity.     5     — like taking a family walk around the neighborhood before opening Christmas presents.

A．Plan ahead

B．Plan out your route before you go

C．Exercising in the morning is one of the biggest tips

D．Remember: too much sitting is harmful to your health

E．Your schedule will be filled with family gatherings and celebrations

F．Get creative with exercise and make physical activity a family affair

G．Rather than skipping the gym altogether, make time for a quick workout