1 . Plan your dream vacation to one of these excellent destinations.
St. Lucia
Abundant rainforests and splendid mountains are all reasons to visit this Caribbean island. St. Lucia offers the perfect mix of relaxation and adventure. To take in the breathtaking scenery, plan to hike the Piton Mountains or dive in the waters of Anse Chastanet.
Banff. Alberta
This Canadian destination will bring out the explorer in anyone who visits. From hiking and whitewater rafting to skiing and snowboarding, Banff offers travelers an abundance of year-round outdoor activities. The Lake Louise Ski Resort is one of the largest in North America and the striking photo opportunities of the Canadian Rockies from Moraine Lake can’t be underestimated (低估).
Machu Picchu
According to travelers, a visit to this Peruvian UNESCO World Heritage (遗产) site is a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. Located in the Andes Mountains, it is the most familiar icon (象征物) of Inca civilization. Spend a few days accustoming yourself to the altitude in the neighboring city of Cusco, where you can experience a mix of Incan and Spanish cultures.
Great Barrier Reef
It’s easy to see why the Great Barrier Reef is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World – it stretches nearly 1,500 miles along the eastern coastline of Australia and features about 3,000 reefs, 900 islands and more than 1,500 species of fish. Travelers can see these amazing natural structures from the air or underwater. However, large amounts of coral bleaching (褪色) caused by rising ocean temperatures put this place’s continued existence at risk, so plan your visit soon to see this awesome sight up close.
1. What can you enjoy both in St. Lucia and Banff?| A．Diving. | B．Snowboarding. |
| C．Hiking. | D．Skiing. |
| A．Machu Picchu. | B．Banff. Alberta. |
| C．St. Lucia. | D．Great Barrier Reef |
| A．People must take a plane to enjoy its beauty. |
| B．It’s famous for coral reefs rather than fish. |
| C．It’s on the western coast of Australia. |
| D．It may disappear if temperature keeps on rising. |
2 . Michael Faraday was the son of a blacksmith. There were four children in his family and, with his father often ill and unable to work, Michael Faraday had to earn his living from an early age. This meant little or no schooling. However, the family belonged to a religious group, and Faraday learnt to read and write at Sunday School.
When he was only fourteen, Faraday found a job as a bookbinder (装订工). He used to read the books he was given to bind and he became very interested in the scientific books, particularly the ones about electricity. His interest soon took a practical path and he began conducting his own experiments. These were very basic because Faraday had to make all of his equipment himself. However, he was very careful and kept a clear written record of all his findings.
One day he was given an entrance ticket to the Royal Institute chemistry lecture, given by Humphry Davy. Determined to work for this great scientist, he sent Davy a job application and included his laboratory reports on the experiments he had carried out. In 1813 Davy offered Faraday a job as one of his laboratory assistants. Faraday learnt quickly and soon was recognized as a very able analytical chemist. Later he went to work at the Royal Institute.
Michael Faraday was, perhaps, the greatest practical scientist of the 19th century. As a chemist, he discovered the benzene (苯), which is now the focal point of chemical study. He also proved the relationship between electricity and chemical bonding (化学键). As a physicist, he invented the dynamo, which led to the later invention of the electric motor. He also discovered the effect of magnetism (磁) on light rays.
1. Why did Faraday attend Sunday School?| A．He had to work for a bookbinder at weekdays. |
| B．He hoped to read many of the scientific books there. |
| C．He would like to learn religious knowledge. |
| D．His family couldn’t afford his normal school education. |
| A．published his great findings on electricity | B．made his own equipment for his experiments |
| C．read many books by Humphry Davy | D．gained his fame as a practical scientist |
| A．bought tickets to attend Davy’s lecture | B．sent his experiment reports to Davy |
| C．went to the Royal Institute to visit Davy | D．offered to do laboratory work for free |
a．A laboratory assistant. b．A student of Sunday School.
c．A bookbinder. d．An analytical chemist.
| A．abcd | B．bcda | C．bcad | D．cbad |
3 . A new study, conducted by British company Mindlab International, has found that listening to music at work increases accuracy (精确) and speed, The Telegraph reported.
Perhaps, some parents disagree with this idea, saying, "Switch off the music and concentrate!" Well, if that's the case with your parents, you might now be able to convince them that you have science on your side.
The company gave 26 participants （参与者）a series of different tasks for five days in a row, including spell checking, mathematical word problems, data entry, and abstract reasoning. The participants completed these tasks while listening to music or no music at all.
The results showed that while music was playing, 88% of participants produced their most accurate test results and 81% completed their fastest work. David Lewis, chairman of Mindlab International, told The Telegraph, "Music is a very powerful management tool if you want to increase not only the efficiency of your workforce but also their emotional state... they are going to become more positive about the work."
However, you may have a list of your favorite songs, but not all kinds of music match all homework. For maths or other subjects involving numbers or attention to detail, you should listen to classical music, the study found. In the study, pop music enabled participants to complete their tasks 58% faster than when listening to no music at all. If you are reviewing your English writing, pop music is the best choice, as it is the best kind for spell checking. It cut mistakes by 14%, compared to listening to no music. After finishing your homework, do you often take time to check your answers? Maybe, some dance music is suitable for you.
1. What did the participants have to do in the study？| A．Persuade their parents to listen to music. |
| B．Do a series of work without rest or pause. |
| C．Complete five tasks in five days without help. |
| D．Finish tasks with music or without music at all. |
| A．Results. | B．Tools. |
| C．Participants. | D．Tests. |
| A．Classical music. | B．Dance music. |
| C．Pop music. | D．Rock music. |
| A．Music Helps Us to Learn |
| B．We Can’t Live Without Music |
| C．Not All Music Suits You |
| D．Listen to Different Music |
4 . Charlie is a teacher and his wife, Maria is an artist. The night before last, just before the longest day of the year, Charlie was sitting in a deckchair enjoying the warm summer air when Maria touched his shoulder and he could tell immediately she was a little worried about something. He asked her what the matter was and she replied that there was a strange thing on the jacket that was hanging in the bedroom. They had both lived in the West Indies (西印度群岛) and had seen a lot of strange creatures in their house before. But now they were living in England and so Charlie just laughed and said he would have a look at the “thing”.
He walked to the bedroom. He saw a jacket hanging in the bedroom and went up to it to have a closer look at the “thing”. The moment he touched it, the thing sprang into life. Now Charlie experiences fear like the rest of us but when this creature opened its wings, he jumped out of his skin and ran screaming from the room like a small child doing about 100 miles an hour.
For a moment the next-door neighbours thought that Charlie was murdering his wife because of the noise they could hear. In fact, it was a bat that frightened Charlie.
Eventually Charlie managed to trap the bat in a box and took it to the garden to let the bat fly. Maria, who had been playing the guitar while Charlie was upstairs, asked Charlie if he had found out what the thing was. “Oh, nothing to worry about”, he said casually hoping that the terror could not be seen in his eyes, “it was just a bat.”
1. Why was Maria a little worried one night?| A．Because she couldn't find her guitar. | B．Because she saw something strange. |
| C．Because it was too hot for her. | D．Because she had quarreled with her husband. |
| A．stood up | B．was very frightened |
| C．threw off his clothes | D．was very excited |
| A．It was killed by Charlie. | B．It was badly wounded. |
| C．It was set free by Charlie. | D．It was kept as a pet. |
| A．Charlie was afraid that his wife would laugh at him if she knew the truth |
| B．the neighbours would report to the police about Charlie murdering the bat |
| C．the bat wouldn't come to Charlie's room again because it was frightened |
| D．Maria heard her husband screaming downstairs and became frightened |
5 . Although most hitchhikers (搭便车的人) are people, passers-by tend to ignore them because they are cautious about giving rides to strangers. But what will they do if they come across a hitchhiking robot? Will they take it to its destination or will they just leave the helpless machine by the wayside?
That is the answer Canadian professors, David Harris Smith and Frauke Zeller, who study the relationship between humans and technology, are seeking for after they came up with the idea of building a hitchhiking robot.
HitchBOT is built with cheap household items. Thanks to a PC tablet, GPS tracker and camera, hitchBOT not only can send its thoughts and pictures to the general public, but also can answer general questions and keep drivers entertained with small talks. The smart robot is even able to quote interesting facts about the areas it has passed through.
Not surprisingly, many people are doubtful about hitchBOT’s ability. Most people think the cute robot will be damaged by someone. Actually, they are all wrong. The robot hitchhiked all the way from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Victoria, British Columbia, a distance of 3,700 miles. It was first picked up on July 27th by an elderly couple. It not only reached its destination on August 21st, but also had some amazing adventures along the way. It visited national parks, went fishing, went camping, and even attended a wedding where it experienced its first dance and interrupted the bride’s speech.
In addition to helping it get to its destination, its Canadian fans have gone out to ensure its safety from covering the robot with a plastic cape (披肩) to help keep it dry to ensuring that it stays healthy with motor oil.
1. Why is the hitchhiking robot built?| A．To help passers-by reach their destinations. |
| B．To find out how people might react to it. |
| C．To see if it will give rides to strangers. |
| D．To entertain drivers on their way. |
| A．talking with the driver | B．dancing with people |
| C．sending its thoughts and pictures | D．answering any question raised |
| A．Nearly a month. | B．Over one month. |
| C．Two months. | D．One week. |
| A．It was ignored by an elderly couple. |
| B．It didn’t meet with any danger along the way. |
| C．It experienced a long and amazing journey. |
| D．It will be put into the market quickly. |
6 . Letter One
Dear Editor,
After I finish my homework, I often go online and chat with my friends. Sometimes I play computer games. But my parents hate to see me playing games on the computer. Maybe they have heard too much news about how QQ and computer games harm children. Once I went to a net bar(网吧) to play games after school. But after that I told my parents that I was playing basketball at school. I said so because I didn't want to make them unhappy. I feel bad about it. However, I need to rest for a while by playing computer games after studying for a long time. I really want my parents to understand that. Do foreign parents do the same to their children? Please help me.
Li Ping, Beijing
Letter Two
Dear Li Ping,
I don't think it's strange for parents to keep their children away from anything bad. Foreign parents will do the same as your parents! They may not let their children watch TV for too long a time,or like your parents,they don't want their children to play computer games.
Talk to your parents and be honest to them, I think. Tell them what you are doing and why you are doing so to make them understand you. It's never good to do things behind your parents. They aren't fools as you think sometimes! Our parents seem to know what is the best for us.
Remember: to be honest is the best way.
Good luck,
Rebecca
1. From the passage we can learn that Li Ping often ________.| A．talks with his friends on the Internet |
| B．plays basketball after school |
| C．plays computer games at home |
| D．chats online before homework |
| A．to get news on QQ | B．just to have a rest |
| C．to show he hates study | D．to make new friends |
| A．You must do everything in front of your parents |
| B．You must always listen to your parents carefully |
| C．You should not do anything that makes your parents worry about you |
| D．You should tell your parents what you do before or after doing it |
| A．children should play computer games in the net bar secretly. |
| B．playing computer game can be very helpful to children’s studies |
| C．children should be honest and try to make their parents understand them |
| D．foreign parents don’t care for their children as much as Chinese parents |
7 . Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens
Visitor InformationHow to Get to Holker
By Car: Follow brown signs an A590 from JB6, M6. Approximate travel times: Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester-1 hour 30 minutes.
By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster Preston for connections to major cities & airports.
Opening TimesSunday-Friday (closed on Saturday)11:00 am-4:00pm,30 March-2nd November.
Admission Charges| Hall & Gardens | Gardens | |
| Adults: | £12.00 | £8.00 |
| Groups | £9 | £5.5 |
Producers: Market 13th April
Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.
Holker Garden Festival 30th May
The event celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.
National Garden Day 28th August
Holker once again opens is gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.
Winter Market 8th November
This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifs while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.
1. How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester?| A．20 minutes. | B．25 minutes. |
| C．45 minutes. | D．90 minutes. |
| A．£12.00. | B．£9.00. |
| C．£8.0 | D．£5.50 |
| A．Producers’ Market. | B．Holker Garden Festival. |
| C．National Garden Day. | D．Winter Market. |
8 . Community Affairs
* Open Plans---Fixing the Great Mistake
6:00 pm, Center for Architecture, Tafel Hall 536 LaGuardia Place, Manhattan
Advocating for livable streets and alternative transportation, Mark Gorton explores the history of transportation in New York with a focus on how urban planning policies that prioritize (优先考虑)the automobile have affected many other aspects of life in the city.
Admission: $10
For more information, please call 212-945-0505 or visit www.streb.org.
*River to River Festival---Extraordinary Moves: STREB Human Fountain
6:00 pm, 200 Vesey Street, Manhattan
Inspired by the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, Human Fountain involves performers jumping from as high as 30 feet from an open honeycomb structure in order to create cascades (人工瀑布)of airborne liquid muscle. The outcome is a mixture of slam dancing, amazing human flight, and wild action sport, which captures kids, adults and the general public’s hearts, minds and bodies.
Admission: FREE
For more information, please call 212-945-0505 or visit www. streb.org.
*Scandinavia House---Nordic Summer Jam
6:30 pm, 58 Park Avenue, Manhattan
Contemporary singer and songwriter Anders Holst’s music shows roots in jazz, soul and European pop music.
Admission: $10
For more information, please call 212-847-9740 or visit www.scandinaviahouse.org
*Hot Festival---Tickets to Manhood
7:30 pm, Dixon Place, 161A Chrystie Street , Manhattan
What makes a man today? How do boys grow into men? Through humorous, touching stories, a glimpse is offered into the events that turn boys into men. Performed by Douglas Allen, Maximiliano Balduzzi, Spencer Scott Barros, Gerard Joseph and James Scruggs.
Admission: $15 in advance; $18 at door.
For more information, please call 212-219-0736 or visit www.hotfestival.org
1. Which of the following focuses on music?| A．Open Plans |
| B．Hot Festival |
| C．Scandinavia House |
| D．River to River Festival |
| A．call 212-945-0505 |
| B．call 212-219-0736 |
| C．visit www.scandinaviahouse.org |
| D．visit www.hotfestival.org |
| A．Anders Holst |
| B．Mark Gorton |
| C．Douglas Allen |
| D．Gerard Joseph |
9 . A ten-year-old boy from Howell, Michigan is being praised as a hero thanks to his persistence (坚持) that led to saving the life of an elderly neighbor. The event happened late in an evening when Danny DiPietro was being driven home from hockey practice by his mom.
That’s when the young boy noticed an open garage (车库) and a figure that he believed was a dog outside an apartment building near his house. Given the freezing weather, the young boy got a feeling that something was not right. But instead of dismissing it like most kids at his age, he insisted that his mother, Dawn, find out what was going on. Dawn tried to make Danny believe that no one would leave a dog out in such cold weather, but he refused to take no for an answer.
Dawn finally gave in and decided to drive to the area with the family dog and see if there was any truth in Danny’ s hunch (直觉). Sure enough, as she got closer to the apartment building she noticed a garage that was wide open and someone waving madly for help. Upon getting there, she realized that it was not a dog the young boy had seen, but Kathleen St. Onge. The 80-year-old woman had fallen down on some ice in front of her garage and had been lying there for two hours, unable to get up.
Dawn rushed home to get her husband to help and called 911. The two then returned with some blankets to cover Ms. St. Onge, while they were waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Though still in hospital, the elderly woman is recovering well and forever grateful to Danny for following his hunch!
1. When seeing a figure in front of an open garage, Danny ________.| A．recognized it was an old woman |
| B．thought it was a homeless dog |
| C．realized something was wrong |
| D．believed it was nothing important |
| A．noticed the dog had gone away |
| B．knew Danny’s hunch was wrong |
| C．found an old lady waving for help |
| D．felt something must have been stolen |
| A．Brave and patient. |
| B．Friendly and honest. |
| C．Considerate and positive. |
| D．Persistent and warm-hearted. |
| A．Always Follow Your Hunch |
| B．Be Ready to Help Save the Elderly |
| C．An unknown Hero Brings Love and Hope |
| D．A 10-year-old Boy Saved His Elderly Neighbor’s Life |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
A city without cars would be very strange, right? But Venice is such a city.
Venice is in the northeast of Italy. It wasn’t built on land, like Beijing or Shanghai, but on more than 110 islands. Seawater is everywhere around the city.
Even so, travel isn’t difficult. The waterways have always been the best way to get around. There are 117 waterways and more than 400 bridges that can guide you where you want to go. People in Venice move from place to place by boat.
Water makes the city special, but it is also a big problem. Sometimes tourists will have such strange experiences. One moment they walk across the Rialto Bridge, and there’s nothing special. But when they come back to the bridge an hour later, it’s underwater and everyone is wearing rain shoes.
Once, people used too much underground water. This made the city get lower little by little. Now the city has gone down by 23 centimeters. Another problem is the rising seawater. The temperature has risen over the years. This has made the ice of the Arctic Ocean (北冰洋) melt (融化). Every year, high waters hit the city in autumn and winter. When a lot of water comes, more than half of the city is underwater.
Scientists are trying different ways to stop the city from getting even lower. The Italian government has asked some of Italy’s biggest companies to build the MOST project, which was planned to be built under the seawater to stop the rising water. Anyway, this project is helping solve the problem.
1. Which is the best way to travel in Venice?
| A．The waterways. | B．Taxis and cars. |
| C．400 bridges. | D．Boats and rain shoes. |
| A．The ice of the Arctic Ocean melt. |
| B．Seawater is everywhere around the city. |
| C．People used too much underground water |
| D．The temperature has become higher over the years. |
| A．Venice is sure to stop getting lower. |
| B．High waters won’t hit Venice any more. |
| C．Scientists can solve the problems easily. |
| D．Some possible ways help to solve the problem. |
| A．The History of Venice |
| B．The MOST Project of Venice. |
| C．The Places of Interest of Venice |
| D．The Specials and Problems of Venice |
