1 . Four Hotels That Will Make Your Life Easier
Marriott Detroit Airport
It’s such an ideal option for business travelers in a hurry. Here is the basic idea: You download the iPhone or Android app. The night before, you can “check-in” virtually. When you arrive you get a message that the room is ready and your key, which is already tied to your reservation, is waiting for you at the desk.
Yotel New York
The self-service kiosks (一体机) at this high-tech New York hotel are open 24x7 and work just like the ones you’d see at an airport. There are just five-steps to register and obtain your room card. There’s even a luggage robot. You tap in the number of bags you’re carrying, then wait for a robot arm to swing down and store your luggage in a locker.
Hyatt Regency Minneapolis
Business travelers like the fast kiosk check-in works. Like the Yotel, the kiosk asks you to put in your credit card. The whole process takes about three minutes. When travelers leave, they can be equally impressed with the fast check-out. You never have to wait in line.
Radisson LaCrosse
The Radisson is trying to make the kiosk process even faster, you use a mobile app to register and then receive a password by email or text. When you get to the kiosk, you can scan the password to get your key without any other steps required. It’s incredibly fast.
1. Which hotel has the self-service luggage locker?| A．Marriott Detroit Airport. | B．Yotel New York. |
| C．Hyatt Regency Minneapolis. | D．Radisson LaCrosse. |
| A．They provide key-free service. |
| B．They both have the fastest check-in process. |
| C．Travelers need to check in with a credit card. |
| D．Travelers can check in with their mobile phones. |
| A．To assess the service of the hotels. | B．To criticize the service of the hotels. |
| C．To recommend hotels with fast service. | D．To help customers check in and check out. |
2 . GET A BIRD’S-EYE VIEW OF THE WORLD’S MOST ATTRACTIVE FEATHERED ANIMALS WITH THESE BOOKS
Flamingo (火烈鸟)
Biologist and photographer Claudio Contreras Koob spent 20 years travelling deep into the wet lands and forests of his native Mexico—and beyond—to feed his flamingo attraction. This book offers a unique window into the behavior and life of red-feathered birds, with more than 120 show-stopping shots displaying their beauty. teNeues, £35.
Around the World in 80 Birds
Inspiring secrets, national pride or scientific discoveries, every bird has a story to tell, from the weaver bird building multi-nest “apartment blocks” in Namibia to the bar-headed goose taking on a twice-yearly trans-Himalayan journey at an extreme altitude. Mike Unwin’s tour is accompanied by beautiful illustrations from Ryuto Miyake. Laurence King Publishing, £22.
A World on the Wing
Pulitzer-shortlisted Weidensaul, who’s at the forefront of research into bird migration, here tracks some of nature’s most remarkable journeys. He sails through the stormy Bering Sea, encounters trappers in the Mediterranean and visits former headhunters in northeast India, where a bird migration crisis has become a conservation success story. Pan Macmillan, £9.99.
Galapagos Crusoes: A Year Alone with the Birds
Explore this updated version of the 1968 title, Galapagos: Islands of Birds, by late bird expert Bryan Nelson, with previously unpublished material from his wife, June. The couple spent a year living on two Galapagos islands, studying birds, including the Galapagos albatross (信天翁). This is their clever and amusing account. Bradt Guides, £11.99.
1. By whom is the second costliest book illustrated?| A．Claudio Contreras Koob. | B．Mike Unwin. |
| C．Ryuto Miyake. | D．Weidensaul. |
| A．Flamingo. | B．Around the World in 80 Birds. |
| C．A World on the Wing. | D．Galapagos: Island of Birds. |
| A．Its humorous description. | B．Its romantic style. |
| C．Its vivid imagination. | D．Its moving plot. |
3 . In many ways, learning a foreign language has never been easier – online language apps and courses have flooded the market in the last decade.
Of course, different people have different goals for learning a new language. While someone may want to learn basic conversational skills in Japanese to be able to communicate during a vacation to Tokyo, someone else might strive for fluency to communicate real-world business deals overseas. Your level of existing language skills and learning style can also be factors in determining which language app is best for you.
Whatever your goals or purposes for wanting to learn a new language, we compiled our list of recommendations with three things in mind: price point, user experience, and proficiency goals. After reviewing the features, value, and customer success stories, we believe Rosetta Stone is the best overall for most people.
Manufacturer | Rosetta Stone |
Price | $11.99 |
Specs | Number of languages: 25 IOS app: Yes Android app: Yes Free version available: No, but they offer a free trial. |
Pros | Very good selection of languages The immersive method will have you speaking the language right away. Live videos, helpful cultural highlights, and stories help you practice. |
Cons | Since the lessons aren’t in English, the grammar is unclear at times. |
How to work | They introduce new words and phrases in a spaced-out process that helps you remember them. As you progress, you will use the vocabulary you’ve already acquired in order to learn new words and phrases. The key to their process is being able to recognise speech patterns in a new language. They incorporate speech recognition and repetition into short daily lessons. |
| A．Motivation of learning. | B．Styles of learning. |
| C．Levels of existing language skills. | D．Popularity of the app. |
| A．It teaches lessons in English. | B．It offers free version for users. |
| C．It provides a repetition process. | D．It is the cheapest language app. |
| A．To tell users how to learn a new language. |
| B．To recommend people to use Rosetta Stone. |
| C．To teach people how to use e-learning resources. |
| D．To give instructions on how to use Rosetta Stone. |
Picture Show There are 22, 000 pictures on show here. You can see the whole Chinese history! Place: City Museum Price: 30 yuan Time: 9: 00 am-4: 00 pm (Monday-Friday) |
Jenny’s Clothes Store sale Come and buy your clothes here. We have T-shirts in all colors for only $10. We also have blue pants for $15 for boys, socks for only $1 each pair. Time: Saturday and Sunday |
International Picnic Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to the Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food all over the world. Not expensive but delicious. Time: noon to 5: 00 pm |
Do You Want to Have “The Ants”? The Ants, a popular group from Australia, will give their first concert this Saturday night at 8 o’clock at Rose Hall, City College. |
| A．Rose Hall | B．the City Museum | C．the Central Park |
| A．1 pm on Saturday | B．9 am on Wednesday | C．6 pm on Friday |
| A．buy some clothes | B．take some pictures | C．listen to a concert |
| A．You can go to the City Museum on weekdays. |
| B．Only white T-shirts are on sale at Jenny’s clothes Store. |
| C．The food at the picnic is expensive but delicious. |
| A．a newspaper | B．a science book | C．a survey report |
5 . Do you like reading British novels? If your answer is “yes”, you can click www. fltrp.com and find some information about them from the following book list.
| Red Roses By Christine Lindop 40 pages Price: $7 | Dead Man’s Island By John Escott 57 pages Price: $10 | The Jungle Book By Rudyard Kipling 67 pages Price: $15 |
| Dracula By Bram Stoker 75 pages Price: $9 | The Mystery of Allegra By Peter Foreman 70 pages Price: $12 | The Children of the New Forest By Frederick Marryat 89 pages Half price: $8 now |
| A．Christine Lindop. | B．Peter Foreman. |
| C．Frederick Marryat. | D．Rudyard Kipling. |
| A．Red Roses. | B．Dracula. |
| C．Dead Man’s Island. | D．The Children of the New Forest. |
| A．$8. | B．$4. | C．$16. | D．$12. |
| A．The Mystery of Allegra. | B．Dracula. |
| C．Red Roses. | D．Dead Man’s Island. |
| A．On the Internet. | B．On TV. |
| C．In magazine. | D．In a newspaper. |
Since it was founded in 1947, Italy’s first public playhouse has consistently staged some of Western theatres’ most challenging works, such as Euripides’ and Shakespeare’s. Shows here are guaranteed to be daring and thought-provoking (发人深省的). Tickets are priced from €22 to €30. You can buy tickets from the box office or book online.
Address: Via Rovello 2, 20121 Milan
Teatro alla Scala
It was opened in 1778, with the debut (初次登台) of Antonio Salieri’s Europa Riconosciuta. There are operatic performances mostly year round, as the theatre is closed during the month of August. Tickets range from €24 for seats with blocked views of the stage to €210 for orchestra-level seats. You can buy tickets online, from authorized sales agents and from the box office.
Address: Filodrammatici Street, 2 — 20121 Milan
Auditorium di Milano Fondazione Cariplo
Originally a 1930s cinema house, today it hosts a full calendar (日历) of symphonic and choral (合唱的) music. Its productions range from the classics to the contemporary, with symphonic tributes (颂歌) to Pink Floyd, the Beatles, and Queen. The cheapest tickets are priced at €8.
Address: Largo Mahler — 20136 Milan
Teatro Manzoni
Founded in 1850 as a theatre for dramatic plays, Teatro Manzoni was destroyed by bombing in 1943. It was rebuilt to the designs of architect Mario Cavalle and reopened in 1950. Today it’s a great space for various kinds of performances, including plays, variety shows and musical performances. Tickets start at €20, and parents can frequently find productions that will appeal to young children.
Address: Alessandro Manzoni Street 42 — 20121 Milan
1. At which theatre will people watch some daring and inspiring plays?| A．Teatro alla Scala | B．Piccolo Teatro |
| C．Teatro Manzoni | D．Auditorium di Milano Fondazione Cariplo |
| A．listen to symphonic and choral music |
| B．appreciate dramatic plays with your children |
| C．watch Antonio Salieri’s Europa Riconosciuta |
| D．enjoy classical dramas at Italy’s first public playhouse |
| A．Its unique design style. | B．Its easy access to performers. |
| C．Its wide range of shows. | D．Its requirements for the actor’s lines. |
1. When did the woman usually watch cartoons when she was a kid?
| A．On Saturday mornings. |
| B．On Saturday afternoons. |
| C．On Saturday evenings. |
| A．She could always watch it again on Sunday. |
| B．She could sometimes watch it the next day. |
| C．She could watch it during the weekdays. |
| A．He likes them a lot. |
| B．He only likes those about toys and cars. |
| C．He thinks they are all stupid. |
| A．They both seldom watch cartoons on TV now. |
| B．They both like cartoons made for adults. |
| C．They both watched a lot of cartoons in their childhood. |
8 . SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Captain Good Fellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Good Fellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, Free.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Films at the Museum
Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898.
International Picnic
Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.
Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”
“The Zoo”, a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first US concert tomorrow night at 8:00 at Rose Hall, City College.
1. You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food_____________.| A．at the front entrance of City Hall | B．at the Ballgame |
| C．at 5:00 pm | D．at Central Park on Saturday |
| A．the City College | B．the Museum Theatre |
| C．the City Theatre | D．the Central Park |
| A．your worries | B．your beautiful walk |
| C．your learning about local history | D．your comfortable shoes |
| A．a park with lots of animals | B．US concert |
| C．a music group | D．going to give the concert at 8:00 am |
For Children Museum: Children's Museum, Sundays, 89 North Street, 67641235 Story time Story time: Children's Library, 106 Green Street, Wednesdays during 9:30 a.m -5:00p.m. 66599624 Sports: Soccer Club, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 16 Yangtze Road, 96725643 Basketball Club, Wednesdays and Fridays, 79071632 Cinema: New films for children, 99 Brick Road, 69001354 |
Useful Phone Numbers Fast Food Restaurant: 66387901 Hospital: 68787451 Visitor Information Center: 800-120-9847 Taxi: 79210583 Visitor Hotel Information: 800-739-7302 |
1. It’s Friday afternoon,you can go to_______ .
| A．visit the museum | B．play basketball |
| C．play soccer | D．read children’s stories |
| A．16 Yangtze Road | B．89 North Main Street |
| C．99 Brick Road | D．106 Green Street |
| A．order fast food in a restaurant | B．do some shopping |
| C．have a good story time | D．ask for some hotel information |
| A．looking for a hotel | B．taking a taxi |
| C．eating fast food | D．doing eye exercises |
1. What was stolen last night?
| A．A black shirt. |
| B．A school computer. |
| C．A set of Beats earphones. |
| A．A student. | B．A policeman. | C．A taxi driver. |
| A．At 9:30 am. |
| B．At 3:00 pm. |
| C．At 3:30 pm. |
