1 . Going away for your mini break? Bring these long weekend essentials to make the most of the leave.
ECCO Offroad Athletic Sandals, £59.38Whether you’re off on a city break or exploring beaches, chances are that you’re getting your steps in this holiday, which will be hard going on your feet. These ECCO sandals are specially designed footwear and most comfortable to wear when hiking, with an EVA footbed and ECCOFLUIDFORM design offering extra cushioning(减震) and flexibility.
Kindle, £84.99Every travelling bookworm’s best friend is now smaller and lighter, at just six inches screen width. With 16GB storage, you can download thousands of books to keep you busy on any long holiday journeys, and the battery life now lasts up to six weeks on one single charge, but may vary depending on use.
PowerAdd Portable Charger Power Bank, £15.99Portable chargers have gained popularity recently, but this one is genuinely pocket-sized without any loss of the charging power. The power bank itself can be fully charged within a speedy two hours, and delivers roughly two charges for an iPhone 15. At 10.5cm length, and 99g weight, you can easily slip this into your bag without feeling weighed down.
Lixada Sling Chest Bang, £29.99Give yourself some extra peace of mind with this anti-theft crossbody bag, which helps you keep your valuables secure and within easy reach. The chest bag has an extreme slim design at less than half an inch thick, which makes it light weight and easy to fit under your clothes.
1. What do Kindle and PowerAdd Portable Charger Power Bank have in common?| A．They are cheap and fashionable. | B．They are light and easy to carry. |
| C．They are fully charged very soon. | D．They are anti-theft. |
| A．Light weight. | B．Slim design. |
| C．Prevention of thievery. | D．Being easy to reach. |
| A．To advertise some electronic products. | B．To introduce some travelling routes. |
| C．To promote some goods for holiday-makers. | D．To share some practical travelling tips. |
2 . Most Popular UK Destinations for a Staycation
Looking for a cheap stay cation to brighten up your winter? Here are the most popular destinations in the UK.
Blackpool
Whether you’re seeking the thrills of Blackpool Pleasure Beach or are keen to catch a glimpse of Blackpool Tower, the city’s most appealing attraction, the seaside town offers various amazing views. It’s no wonder the town has gained 980.8 million views on TikTok. With accommodation price £75 for a night, you’ll have a golden opportunity to enjoy Blackpool's Illuminations (彩灯) display and the Seaside Trail.
Searborough
North Yorkshire’s Scarborough sees 49,500 monthly searches and 686.4 million views on TikTok. One of the local highlights is the annual St Nicholas Fair. While a one-night stay in Scarborough costs £85, the town offers holiday-makers opportunities to experience ancient British culture at the 12th-century castle ruins.
Swansea
The Welsh town sees 27,100 monthly searches and has 622.4 million views on TikTok. Swansea’s Waterfront Wonderland brings with it the Alpine Village and various amusement attractions. Spending a night here costs just 10 pounds more than in Scarborough. But if you book a week earlier, you can get a 5 percent discount in total. With Cardiff only being an hour’s drive from Swansea, you have the perfect opportunity to catch a game of ice hockey.
Bournemouth
Bournemouth isn’t called Sunny Bournemouth for nothing, as holiday-makers can enjoy breathtaking views along the Jurassic Coast. With a World Heritage Site within its borders, it’s no surprise to see this town with the high number of views on TikTok (868.3 million). A one-night stay will cost you £105, giving you the perfect opportunity to get relaxed.
1. What is the most attractive in Blackpool?| A．Blackpool Pleasure Beach. | B．Blackpool Tower. |
| C．The Illuminations display. | D．The Seaside Trail. |
| A．£ 70. | B．£ 85. | C．£ 85.75. | D．£ 90.25. |
| A．Blackpool. | B．Swansea. | C．Scarborough. | D．Boumemouth. |
1. What is the man?
| A．A secretary. | B．A host. | C．A photographer. |
| A．Over 150. | B．About 100. | C．Around 15. |
| A．Communication. | B．Curiosity. | C．Patience. |
| A．Easy. | B．Tiring. | C．Interesting. |
| A．She experiences a power failure every day. |
| B．She wants to talk about the programme. |
| C．She missed the TV programme. |
5 . With the beautiful snow-coated landscapes, winter reveals a different world of national parks with significantly fewer crowds. Here are some of the best national parks in the US for a winter getaway.
Acadia National Park, MaineBetween October and March, Acadia National Park’s Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the east coast, offers hikers epic views of the first sunrise in the country. Because the roads are closed to motor vehicles during the winter, those who undertake the 3.5-mile hike from Park Loop Road are rewarded with a stunning view all to themselves. Snowmobiling in the park is another special experience for visitors.
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington StateMount Rainier National Park in Washington State is one of the oldest national parks in the US and a playground for outdoor enthusiasts in winter. Unlike other snow-crowded resorts, this park allows visitors to heartily enjoy snowmobiling, sledding and snowshoeing. Its hotel offers comfortable rooms with views of Mount Rainier, and tasty local dishes.
Denali National Park, AlaskaWith its remote location and minimal light pollution, Denali National Park is an ideal place for photographers to capture the northern lights during the aurora (极光) season, between September and April. Visitors in this crowd-free park can spot wildlife such as wolves and black bears, which remain active in the winter.
Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New MexicoIn northern New Mexico, Chaco Culture National Historical Park holds stone great houses, which were the largest buildings in North America until the mid-18th century. Accessible for most of the winter, the park can see fewer than 10 visitors a day in colder months. Photographers can capture landscapes amid the constellations (星群) by night.
1. What experience can visitors only have in Acadia National Park?| A．The longest hiking route. |
| B．The earliest sunrise in USA. |
| C．Snowshoeing and snowmobiling. |
| D．Comfortable accommodation. |
| A．Acadia National Park. |
| B．Mount Rainier National Park. |
| C．Denali National Park. |
| D．Chaco Culture National Historical Park. |
| A．Snow and ice activities. |
| B．A chance to meet wildlife. |
| C．Cultural heritage sites. |
| D．An escape from the crowds. |
6 . Sign up for the Online Volunteering!
Have you considered contributing your excellent skills and expertise virtually towards achieving sustainable human development efforts? Through the Online Volunteering service of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, you can connect with UN agencies, overnments, public institutions and civil society organizations—from any device, anywhere in the world. While extending your network, you can also get first-hand practical experience.
Requirements:
●To sign up on the Unified Volunteering Platform and apply for Online Volunteer assignments, you must be at least 18 years of age.
●There is no particular background required to become an Online Volunteer. Each Online Volunteer assignment is different and has its own requirements, set by the host organization.
●As an Online Volunteer, you can only support organizations remotely (远程地) in assignments up to 20 hours per week for a maximum of 12 weeks for each assignment.
Criteria and service rules:
●Online Volunteers are not under contract with the UNV programme or the engaging organization.
●Online Volunteers do not receive any kind of financial benefits.
●For each Online Volunteering assignment, a maximum of 25 Online Volunteers can be engaged.
Procedures:
●Volunteers find assignments of their interest and apply;
●Organizations select the volunteers they want to engage;
●Volunteers and organizations work together online;
●Volunteers and organizations provide feedback on their cooperation;
●Organizations issue an electronic certificate of appreciation to their volunteers.
1. What is a must for the applicants?| A．Being no less than 18 years old. |
| B．Having a medical science background. |
| C．Working at least 12 weeks for every task. |
| D．Being able to take business trips to UN agencies anytime. |
| A．Volunteers will be paid after the programme. |
| B．The excellent volunteers will get the paper certificates. |
| C．There is no need to sign a contract with the organizations. |
| D．The whole programme can have at most 25 online volunteers. |
| A．A social issue review. | B．A recruitment advertisement. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A course plan. |
7 . It’s Community Day again!
The event that Map le Estate residents are eagerly looking forward to is just around the corner! As usual, the Map le Residents’ Committee has planned a programme that is designed to promote community spirit. Maple Estate has been celebrating Community Day every month for more than a year. By now, we hope all our residents understand the importance of forming strong bonds with our neighbours. If you have just moved to our lovely estate and have not had the opportunity to know your neighbours, you can do so by joining at Community Day!
August Highlight: Map le Estate Chefs Call all residents who are keen to practice your cooking skills and let your neighbours sample your cooking! You will be the stars of the upcoming event! Visit www.maplerc.sg for more information and to register for this activity. Kitchen equipment and basic ingredients will be provided. You will receive a $50 shopping voucher that you can use to purchase other ingredients from MapleMart the day before the event. Remember to register before 21 July, 2024! We are sure everyone will enjoy the delicious dishes! Time: From 10 a.m.to 6 p.m,6 Aug.,2024 Place: Maple Community Club Entry: Flash your Maple Resident Card |
“My wife and I moved to Maple Estate when we got married. For a few months, we spent all our free time after work doing up our house. Even though we knew that our neighbours were friendly and would sometimes invite us for their gatherings, we were occupied with getting things ready. However, it wasn’t long before we grew curious about the Community Day celebrations. After we started attending them regularly, we met many neighbours. The first time we invited some of them over, we played games that helped us to get to know one another better!”
—Mr. Wang, a Maple Estate resident since 2022
1. What do the Community Day events aim to do?| A．To teach how to cook meals. | B．To develop community spirit. |
| C．To meet diverse needs of neighbours. | D．To make the community cleaner. |
| A．To sign up before 21 July , 2024. | B．To provide basic ingredients. |
| C．To use your own kitchen equipment. | D．To pay a registration fee of $50. |
| A．they spent all their time at work |
| B．they weren’t invited for the gatherings |
| C．they were busy beautifying their home |
| D．they lacked information about the community |
1. What is the man?
| A．A train attendant. | B．A tour guide. | C．A passenger. |
| A．Burton-on-Trent. | B．Tamworth. | C．Birmingham New Street. |
| A．At 18:23. | B．At 19: 05. | C．At 19: 18. |
| A．At the front of the train. | B．In the middle of the train. | C．At the back of the train. |
Interested in exploring two million years of human history and culture in one place? The British Museum is a good choice. In this guide, find out what you need to know to visit the British Museum. Here’s what we’ll cover:
Pro Tip: Bookmark this post in your browser (浏览器) so you can easily find it when you’re in London.
Opening hours and ticketsFrom 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day (to 8:30 p.m. on Fridays). A booked time slot will get you guaranteed entry.
It’s free to visit the British Museum, but there are also priced special exhibitions. For example, “Hieroglyphs: Unlocking Ancient Egypt” is on until February 2023 and tickets cost £18 for adults.
What to seeThere are more than 60 galleries exhibiting items. Here are our recommendations on what to see.
| The Younger Memnon | （Room 4-Egypt） |
| Oxus Treasure | （Room 52-Ancient Iran） |
| Lewis Chessmen | （Room 40-Medieval Europe, 1050-1500） |
| Royal Game Of Ur | （Room 56-Mesopotamia, 6000-1500 B.C.） |
| Aztec Serpent | （Room 27-Mexico: 2000 B.C.-A.D.1521） |
| Ife Head | （Room 25-Africa） |
A knowledgeable guide will cover the exhibits in a more reasonable time so you have a memorable visit.
A variety of themed audio guides in their app are available for anyone interested in self-guided tour.
You can purchase the full bundle per language for £4. 99 (introductory offer) or themed tours per language for£1.99–£2.99.
Places to eat nearbyGreat Court Restaurant, Hakkasan and Zeo’s London are museum’s restaurants where you can enjoy delicious food and drinks at a reasonable price. Apart from those above, there are also the Court Café and the Montague Café inside the museum. Also, there are other options not too far beyond the museum gates, in case you are seeking more inspired dining.
1. If interested in Mexico relics, which room will you visit?| A．Room 25. | B．Room 27. | C．Room 40. | D．Room 56. |
| A．Bargains are not allowed there. | B．They both serve a variety of cuisines. |
| C．Drinks there are welcome by visitors. | D．They are both located in the museum. |
| A．A travel website. | B．A health magazine. |
| C．A report on heritage. | D．A brochure for tourists. |
10 . The year 2023 saw a wide variety of TV and internet variety shows in China, offering amazing entertainment to audiences. Here are some popular variety shows of the year.
Infinity and Beyond 2023
Broadcast on Hunan Television and streamed on Mango TV, the music cultural program Infinity and Beyond 2023 achieved tremendous success in the first half of this year, generating massive online attention with 8.6 billion views on the popular social platform Sina Weibo.
Become a Farmer
The farming-themed reality show took Chinese social media by storm in the first half of the year, shining a spotlight on agriculture-a crucial part of Chinese culture. The show invited 10 young men from various fields to experience farmland life. It offers insights into farming practices and modern agricultural production.
Divas Hit The Road-Silk Road
The fifth season of the reality show, Divas Hit the Road—Silk Road, featuring popular celebrities traveling to various destinations, has been airing on Hunan Satellite TV and the online video-sharing platform Mango TV since October 2023. This season saw Chinese actresses take a journey to Saudi Arabia, Croatia and Iceland. They explored the beautiful landscapes and diverse cultures of these countries.
The Big Band 3
Produced and broadcast by iQIYI, The Big Band 3 showcased various musical types, bringing together 27 bands from across China. Each week, bands competed in different groups, and via votes cast by the audience and six celebrity judges, five earned the title of the “Hot 5” by the end of the season.
1. Which show can help people know some agricultural knowledge?| A．Infinity and Beyond 2023. | B．The Big Band 3. |
| C．Divas Hit The Road—Silk Road. | D．Become a Farmer. |
| A．It introduces people to foreign cultures. |
| B．It can be seen on the online platform iQIYI. |
| C．It has already been released five seasons before it. |
| D．Its main participants are only some famous male actors. |
| A．They are both in the first half of 2023. |
| B．They are both popular musical programs. |
| C．They are broadcast on the same platform. |
| D．The participants in both programs are bands. |
