1 . Four national parks worth the trip
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
New Mexico
In Carlsbad Caverns, there are more than 119 caves, including the main cave with the mile-long Big Room walk inside. The park is set along New Mexico’s quiet southern border. Make time to also explore the surrounding Chihuahuan Desert, home to the most diverse collection of cactus (仙人掌) species (物种) in the world’s deserts. In summer, visitors can watch half a million Brazilian free-tailed bats fill the evening skies.
Tel: 575-785-2232
Price:﹩10 per person; kids 15 and under, free
Channel Islands National Park
California
Just off the coast of Ventura, the five Pacific Channel Islands offer 160 miles of pristine (原始的) coastline. You can reach the islands by boat or plane. Once there, you can see gray whales, Risso’s dolphins and elephant seals while on a whale-watching tour, or search for the rare native species such as island foxes.
Tel: 805-658-5730
Price: free
Isle Royale National Park
Michigan
Isle Royale is a 570,000-acre island in the northwest of Michigan's Lake Superior. Each summer, visitors go there by ferry or seaplane to explore the island's 19th-century shipwrecks (沉船), learn about trout and whitefish or paddle the plentiful waterways by boat.
Tel: 906-482-0984
Price:﹩4 per person; kids 10 and under, free
Dry Tortugas National Park
Florida
Dry Tortugas — a remote island about 70 miles west of Key West and due north of Havana — is an ideal place for swimmers. In fact, the majority of the park’s 100 square miles are actually underwater. Visitors can take a boat, ferry or seaplane to Dry Tortugas, where they’ll discover shipwrecks, sea turtles and nearly 300 types of birds.
Tel: 305-242-7700
Price:﹩10 per person for seven days; kids 16 and under, free
1. How much should a couple with two little babies pay for Carlsbad Caverns National Park?| A．﹩40. | B．﹩30. |
| C．﹩20. | D．﹩10. |
| A．Florida. | B．Michigan. |
| C．California. | D．New Mexico. |
| A．Isle Royale National Park. | B．Dry Tortugas National Park. |
| C．Channel Islands National Park. | D．Carlsbad Caverns National Park. |
2 . Best Places to Visit in the UK
United Kingdom has long been a popular European tourist place for many because of its beautiful countryside, historic cities, top museums and outstanding theaters. Here are some of the best places to visit in the UK.
Cambridge
Cambridge is a beautiful English city located on the River Cam just north of London. As the home to one of the world’s top universities, the University of Cambridge, it has all of the cultural and entertainment choices you might expect from a college town.
Chester
Located on the River Dee in Cheshire, England, Chester is more than 2,000 years old, which means there is plenty of history, culture and architecture lasting several centuries. The ancient walls around the city are one of Chester’s biggest tourist attractions.
Stonehenge
Stonehenge, one of the most famous sites in the world, is home to some of the most important Neolithic and Bronze Age finds and structures in the UK. It was not until 1600 BC that Stonehenge came to be completed.
Lake Distric
Located in northwest England, the Lake District is the second largest National Park in the UK. The main attractions are the lakes, mountains and hills. It is England’s famous destination for hiking and climbing.
1. What will you do in Cambridge?| A．Do various shopping. | B．Meet famous people. |
| C．Visit the top university. | D．Enjoy wonderful music. |
| A．It is a college town. | B．It offers exciting scenery. |
| C．It is a city with a long history. | D．It has a great many monuments. |
| A．Cambridge. | B．Chester. |
| C．Stonehenge. | D．Lake district. |
3 . It's easy to get defeated completely by something negative in your daily life. Give these apps a try if you want to be more positive instead of being negative in your daily life.
Shine
Shine is a text messaging service based on the idea that sometimes you need some external phrases to guide your internal positive thinking.
Visit the website, and you'll have the ability to sign up to receive a daily text message ——all you need to provide is a first name and a phone number. Then you'll receive one message per day with inspirational quotes from successful people from Monday through Friday.
Kwippy
In many cases, statements that come from other people can be more powerful than ones you make to yourself. That's where Kwippy comes in.
The app Kwippy has a positive, lively community focused on fun while keeping negativity out. It is a new kind of social media platform that will send you random challenges throughout the day, prompting you to take a photo of something in your nearby environment.
ThinkUp
If you're feeling confident and good about your place in life, download the app, come up with some positive statements about yourself and record them for future generations. If you're feeling less creative or don't know what to say, don,t worry 一 the app also has a list of shared positive statements that you can choose from.
Smiling Mind
Smiling Mind, a nonprofit organization, was founded by and is currently operated by psychologists and educators. Everything there is supported by scientific evidence. The app is free to use but you can make a donation if you want to continue supporting their efforts, displaying friendly and thoughtful acts to others.
In the app, you'll find different choices, which can help you remove negative thoughts and focus on the positivity of the present moments.
1. Which app makes people feel encouraged regularly?| A．Shine. | B．Kwippy. |
| C．ThinkUp. | D．Smiling Mind. |
| A．Those who need to face a big life challenge. |
| B．Those who look for a friendly neighborhood. |
| C．Those who long for a great sense of belonging. |
| D．Those who want to live an enjoyable social life. |
| A．To show the power of some advanced apps. |
| B．To introduce some apps for avoiding people feeling down. |
| C．To compare the advantages of some apps. |
| D．To list the wide usage of apps in our daily life. |
4 . What You Need to Know Before You Go to Alaska
1. HEALTH
Note: If your journey includes travel in Alaska’s high altitude(海拔)regions, you may experience altitude sickness. Please consult your health care provider for suggestions on prevention and treatment.
2. WEATHER
Because of its vast size, a wide variation of climates is found across Alaska. In the interior(内陆)temperatures can exceed 90°F during summer, while the southeast and south-central coastal regions will average 55°F to 70°F. While daytime temperatures can be quite warm nights can be very cool. Use a website such as weather: com to find out the average temperatures and rainfall during your travel time
3. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
During your tour you will be exposed to the weather. As Abercrombie and Kent (A&K)programs to Alaska operate in summer, exposure to the sun is the most common concern, but cold days are also possible at any time of year. Pay special attention to the clothing suggestions and check the weather before your trip.
National parks and their surrounding areas are often home to a few troublesome plants and insects Poison oak(毒葛 )is one such plant o look out for. Your guides will help you identify t if you’re not sure what to Took for. If you come into contact with it, it is very important to wash with soap and water as quickly as possible. Keep in mind that the irritating oils from the plant are easily transferred from you, your clothing or equipment to other people or equipment, so even if you're not sensitive it is important to consider others.
The mosquito population in summer is quite high. The mosquitoes are large and aggressive. Be certain to pack insect repellent(驱虫剂 ) Those who are more sensitive to mosquitoes may also consider bringing head netting
1. If you want to go to some high locations in Alaska, you should_______.| A．consult some health care specialists for advice |
| B．take as much warm, lightweight clothing as possible |
| C．try to conquer your altitude sickness |
| D．do a lot of exercise in advance |
| A．It is very cold in the daytime and warm at night. |
| B．It has very warm weather during the rainfall season. |
| C．The average temperature is high both in the daytime and at night |
| D．The temperature can change greatly in a day |
| A．Kill it with insect repellent as quickly as possible |
| B．Wash your hands with soap and water as soon as possible. |
| C．Go to hospital to see a doctor as quickly as possible. |
| D．Throw away your clothes as soon as possible |
5 . Book:No Looking Back
Author:Shivani Gupta
Shivani had thrown a party one evening and awoke the next morning in hospital because of a car crash. It took Shivani years of pain .struggle and determination to regain control of her life and her body. Then tragedy (悲剧)struck again. As the newly-married Shivani drove to Manali with her family,a truck crashed into her car. Shivani refused to give in—'she wouldn’t let her injury keep her from achieving her ambitions.
Book:Courage Beyond Compare
Author: San jay Sharma
The 10 sports persons in the book are champions in diverse fields like athletics, swimming, and badminton，who have brought glory to the country. They overcame their physical limitations to reach the top of their chosen fields.
Book:Face to Face
Author:Ved Mehta
Blind since the age of four, the author led a lonely childhood in India until he was accepted to the Arkansas School for the Blind to which he flew alone at 15. America and the school changed his life,leading him to degrees at Oxford and Harvard and a fruitful writing career.
Book:This Star WonV Go Out
Author:Lori and Wayne Earl
Diagnosed(诊断)with cancer at 12, Esther Earl was a bright and talented，but very normal teenager. She lived a hope-filled and generous life. A cheerful,positive and encouraging daughter, sister and friend,Esther died in 2010,shortly after turning 16， but not before inspiring thousands through her growing online presence.
1. The book No Looking Back mainly talks about ________.| A．an inspiring teenager who died of cancer |
| B．an unlucky girl who experienced two car accidents |
| C．10 disabled athletes who are champions in sports field |
| D．a successful author who was blind during his childhood |
| A．Face to Face. | B．No Looking Back. |
| C．This Star Won't Go Out. | D．Courage Beyond Compare. |
| A．Inspiring. | B．Intelligent. | C．Enthusiastic. | D．Negative. |
6 . In early summer, one of the most popular fruits is strawberry.It is said strawberry is the “Queen of fruit”as it has many nutritious elements.But many people feel that the strawberry in the current market tastes different as many strawberries are artificially (人工地) grown and some even have a scent of pesticides(杀虫剂)．So finding naturally－grown strawberries is a hot issue.There are some places where you can not only find tasteful strawberries, but also enjoy picking them.
Tianxing Strawberry－Picking Garden
As one of the biggest strawberry－growing areas, Tianxing is known for its healthy fruits.The strawberries here are pesticide－free with no artificial colouring.And now the farm has a special offer that you can get a kilogram of strawberries for only 12 yuan.Here, visitors can have fun picking strawberries as well as taste their freshness.And if you are a newcomer，you can get a discount card and enjoy an extra 20% discount on your purchase.
Address：Xinzhuang Village，Xingshou Town，Changping District, Beijing.
Tel：13910667270
Taolin Strawberry Garden
This garden is not as famous as the first one, but it is a quiet place and relaxing.The strawberries here are much cheaper than those sold in markets.It only costs 6 yuan per kilogram.You can also buy freshly－picked lettuce and Tonghao, a green vegetable.You can have fun picking strawberries in person, but you can't taste them for free.
Address：Linzhuang Village, Xingshou Town，Changping District, Beijing.
Tel：010－88413840
New Special Limited－Time Offers：Buy 20 kg，Get 1 kg Free
Baihe Green Strawberry Garden
Baihe Town is the biggest strawberry－picking area.Known for the freshest and healthiest strawberries, this place is named as the “Hometown of Strawberries”．The price for this fruit is about 12 yuan per kilogram.And you can bargain (讲价) with the local sellers for further discounts.
Address：Zhaotun Village, Baihe Town, Qingpu District, Shanghai.
Tel：13803456780
1. You should pay Tianxing Strawberry－Picking Garden ________ yuan if you buy 10 kilograms with a discount card.| A．120 | B．108 |
| C．96 | D．60 |
| A．It is not better known than Tianxing Strawberry－Picking Garden. |
| B．Besides strawberries，you can buy green vegetables from it. |
| C．You can have fun picking strawberries as well as taste them as you like. |
| D．If you want to get 21 kilograms of strawberries，you should at most pay 120 yuan. |
| A．Chiefly because it is the biggest strawberry－picking area in the world. |
| B．Chiefly because it produces strawberries of high quality. |
| C．Chiefly because it is the home to strawberries. |
| D．Chiefly because people there are friendly. |
7 . No. 1 Snapchat
With this app, the pictures people share with friends will disappear automatically(自动地) after they are seen. Snapchat has become more and more popular since 2012. Over 700 million photos have been shown daily by May 2014, up from 20 million per day in 2012.
No. 2 Uber
The on-demand car service app allows users to order a ride and get picked up within minutes. On-demand service means no need to reserve (预订) and no waiting in taxi queues. And the app can be used in more than 40 countries.
N0. 3 WhatsApp
WhatsApp became the world’s most popular chat app in 2014 with over 600 million monthly users in August. It was also bought by Facebook in October for about $ 22 billion (about 136 billion yuan).
No. 4 Venmo
The mobile payment service is used to share bills by friends, who get together to have dinner or do something else. It took Millennials’ (生于1984-1995年间的“千禧一代”) smart-phones by storm in 2014. It is said that among college students the word “Venmo” is now being used as a verb—“just Venmo me”.
1. Which app can be chosen by those who like taking and sharing photos?| A．Snapchat. | B．WhatsApp. | C．Venmo. | D．Uber |
| A．Pick up somebody. | B．Traveling to different countries. |
| C．Calling a taxi. | D．Waiting in lines. |
| A．Over 700 million. | B．About 136 billion. | C．About 22 billion. | D．Over 600 million. |
GETTING A GRANT Who pays? The local education authority (LEA) for the area in which the student is living. Who can get this money? Anyone who gets a place on a first degree course, although a student who has already attended a course of advanced further education may not. Students must also have been resident in the UK for at least three years, which can exclude some students from overseas. |
SPECIAL CASES |
| If a student has worked before going to college? A student who is 26 or more before the course starts and who has worked for at least three years will get extra money – £155 a year since 26, increasing to a maximum of £615 at 29 or more. If a student is handicapped? LEAs will give up to £500 to help meet extra expenses – such as buying a tape recorder for a blind student, extra heating or special food. Banking? Most of the big banks offer special services to students who open accounts, hoping that they will stay with the bank when they become rich officials. A student won’t usually have to pay bank charges as long as the account stays in credit. Some banks allow students to overdraw by £100 or so, and still don’t make charges (though they do charge interest). |
1. The underlined phrase “a grant” in the first line most probably means ________.
| A．a first degree | B．a credit card | C．financial aid | D．further education |
| A．£155 | B．£500 | C．£515. | D．£615. |
| A．they need student accounts badly |
| B．they can charge students extra money |
| C．they hope he’ll be a potential customer |
| D．they know he can get money regularly |
9 . Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost £169.15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost £l18.15.
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid-or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.
STAY AWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.
Don’t be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was £95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just £62.95.
GET ON A BIKE London’s ‘Boris bikes’ have attracted the most attention but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.
Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around £1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or £5 per day).
1. The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may .| A．help travelers pass time |
| B．attract lots of travelers to the UK |
| C．allow travelers to make flexible plans |
| D．cause travelers to pay more for accommodation |
| A．the tube line to Covent Garden |
| B．an ideal holiday destination |
| C．a hotel away from the train station |
| D．the name of a travel agency |
| A．to offer visitors some money-saving tips |
| B．to tell visitors how to book in advance |
| C．to supply visitors with hotel information |
| D．to show visitors the importance of self-help |
10 . Your 2018 Reading List, Provided by Bill Gates
Most of us can’t live like billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, but we can read like him. Gates recommended four books in 2018—though some were published earlier.
Leonardo da Vinci, by Walter Isaacson (2017)
The bestselling biographer of Steve Jobs and Albert Einstein researched deeply into da Vinci’s contributions beyond art, highlighting the breadth of his scientific, technological, and creative output. “Leonardo nearly understood almost all of what was known on the planet at the time. That’s mostly because of his curiosity about every area of natural science and the human experience,” said Gates.
The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir, by Thi Bui (2017)
Gates calls this graphic novel “really impressive”. Bui is the daughter of Vietnamese refugees who came to America after the fall of Saigon, and becoming a parent inspired her to look into her own parents’ miserable history. “I was struck by how the experiences Bui illustrates manage to be both universal and specific to their circumstances,” said Gates.
Lincoln in the Bardo, by George Saunders (2018)
Saunders, a long-time short story writer, won high praise for this novel. The book imagines the ghosts that haunt (萦绕) the basement of Willie Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s son, who died at 11 in real life. “Willie’s death after the Civil War made the president have a new understanding of the grief he’s creating in other families by sending their sons off to die in battle,” said Gates.
Origin Story: A Big History of Everything, by David Christian (2018)
This new book is by the creator of Big History, a free, online social studies course. It traces history in wide, sweeping movements, starting with the Big Bang, and it provides, in effect, a short course in modern science. This is a brief history of the universe. “David gets a little stuck on the current economic and political problems in the West, and I wish he talked more about the role innovation will play in preventing the worst effects of climate change,” said Gates.
1. Which books refer to the field of science?| A．Origin Story and Leonardo da Vinci. |
| B．Lincoln in the Bardo and Origin Story. |
| C．Leonardo da Vinci and The Best We Could Do. |
| D．The Best We Could Do and Lincoln in the Bardo. |
| A．Walter Isaacson. | B．Thi Bui. |
| C．George Saunders. | D．David Christian. |
| A．The Best We Could Do is an autobiography. |
| B．Lincoln in the Bardo has been warmly received. |
| C．David Christian talks much about the part that innovation will play. |
| D．Readers can only read about Leonardo da Vinci’s contributions towards art. |
