1 . The Louvre is the world’s largest and most visited museum now. drawing nearly 10 million people each year. It is a museum about education whose main aim is to protect and pass on our heritage to future generations.
As a royal palace in the past, the Louvre shows the history of France for about eight centuries. Divided among eight departments, the collections feature works admired throughout the globe, including the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace and the Venus de Milo.
The special feature
In keeping with France’s 2005 disability law, the Louvre aims to make sure all visitors can access the museum safely and comfortably. Special attention is given to the disabled throughout the museum. More importantly, Louvre’s Touch Gallery has a space specially designed for members of the public with disabilities, inviting them to gain artistic knowledge by touch with the help of technology.
Practical information
Buying tickets online is a good way to get into the museum in less than 30 minutes. Tours of the Louvre are conducted by guides from the French national museum network. Download or rent an audio guide and choose your visit! Explore the Louvre on your own, guided by the museum’s experts. The Louvre is open every day, except Tuesdays, from 9 a. m. to 6 p. m. Night opening until 9: 45 p. m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. Closed on the following holidays: January 1, May 1, May 8, December 25. Tel: +33(0) 140205317.
1. What do we know about the Louvre now?| A．It is the most popular museum. |
| B．It is aimed to protect paintings. |
| C．It has more than eight departments. |
| D．It shows the life of French common families. |
| A．Its good service and kind guides. |
| B．Its discounted tickets online. |
| C．Its audio guides for free. |
| D．Its convenience to the disabled. |
| A．At 10: 00 a. m. on Tuesday. | B．At 9: 00 p. m. on Friday. |
| C．At 7: 00 p. m. on the weekend. | D．On December 25. |
2 . You don’t have to be royalty to visit a castle. In the United States there are numerous castles open for exploration.
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California
From 1919 to 1947, William Randolph Hearst and architect Julia Morgan built a castle fit for a king. Located on 250,000 acres of land halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the idea for Hearst Castle began as a “modest dwelling(居所)” but eventually grew to a multi-million-dollar project that included multiple buildings, including Casa Grande, a huge home featuring 38 bedrooms, 42 bathrooms and 14 sitting rooms. But perhaps the most attractive parts of the property are the two swimming pools. The castle now hosts a variety of themed tours, including evening tours where visitors can experience the property at dusk.
Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina
With an area of more than 178,000 square feet, the Biltmore Estate is considered the largest privately owned home in the United States. Designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, the finished estate contains 250 rooms, 43 bathrooms and 65 fireplaces. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead designed the property’s collection of gardens (you may recognize his name as the designer of New York City’s Central Park and Prospect Park).
Bishop Castle, Rye, Colorado
When Jim Bishop began building a summer cottage(村舍) in 1969, on a two-and-a-half-acre plot of forested land he had purchased ten years earlier at the age of 15, little did he know he would end up building a castle. With the help of his father, Willard, the pair gathered nearby rocks and, without using a single blueprint, set out to create a stone cottage. By 1995, the massive structure towered 165 feet in height, nearly as tall as al6-story building. Today, the stone castle draws crowds from around the world to enjoy the creation.
1. What can we learn about Hearst Castle from the text?| A．It took people 40 years to build. |
| B．It is located in the middle of Los Angeles. |
| C．The two swimming pools are a huge attraction. |
| D．Evening tours are preferred by tourists. |
| A．Richard Morris Hunt. |
| B．Frederick Law Olmstead. |
| C．Richard Morris Hunt and Frederick Law Olmstead. |
| D．Jim Bishop. |
| A．geography textbook | B．travel magazine |
| C．science report | D．commercial advertisement |
3 . Paris is the most wooded (树木茂森的) city in Europe, and around one quarter of its area is taken up by parks, gardens and other green spaces.
Jardin des Plantes: over 28 hectares
This impressive botanical garden is home to four museums, including the Natural History Museum, which houses a variety of African animals. The gardens themselves boast thousands of species of plants. This is a lovely place to relax and explore the beautiful surroundings.
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont: over 24 hectares
If you want to get off the tourist trail and hang out with true Parisians, this park is the perfect spot for a relaxing picnic or a leisurely wander. It is in the 19th district and is one of the largest parks in Paris. Cross its lake on the suspension bridge, or admire the waterfalls and attractive temples.
Jardin du Luxembourg: over 25 hectares
These beautiful gardens were first laid out in 1612 as the gardens of the Luxembourg Palace. They include a geometric (结合图形的) forest, French and English style gardens, as well as a large pond. There is so much to see and do with activities especially for children, such as slides, rides and puppet shows, as well as leisure and sporting activities for adults. The gardens are home to more than one hundred sculptures.
Le Parc de la Villette: 55 hectares
This urban cultural park is so much more than just a park as it is home to numerous music venues, exhibition spaces and cafes. It is also home to no less than 12 gardens, which all follow different themes. The Passenger Gardens, for example, which are built on what was once the sheep market, support a variety of ecosystems, demonstrating the importance of biodiversity.
1. Which green space probably suits students who are interested in botany?| A．Jardin des Plantes. | B．Parc des Buttes-Chaumont. |
| C．Jardin du Luxembourg. | D．Le Parc de la Villette. |
| A．They feature American style gardens. | B．They are favorite gardens for the French. |
| C．They house a variety of African animals. | D．They used to be royal gardens. |
| A．Visiting museums. | B．Attending concerts. |
| C．Admiring waterfalls. | D．Watching puppet shows. |
4 . Canadian Rockies Family Multi-adventure Camping Tour
Day 1: Awesome views of Mount Rundle and Cascade Mountain are you to admire as you bike through Banff to Lake Minnewanka. Not ready to stop? Ride to Johnston Canyon and hike to a series of impressive waterfalls before arriving at your campsite.
Day 2: Travel around Kootenay National Park on foot. Witness a vast wildfire burnt area while keeping an eye out for the new-growth forest. Move into a hanging valley for a view of extraordinary Sianley Glacier. Hike a family-friendly route through a beautiful valley and stand in awe. of the wonderful upper and lower waterfalls.
Day 3: Keep your eye on the forest for deer, sheep and bears as you cycle to Lake Louise. Visit Moraine Lake and walk through an ice-carved valley beneath huge mountains to Consolation Lake. Kids join leaders for a special night out while adults relax at our campsite.
Day 4: Rafting on the Kicking Horse River-a good time with a taste of white-water thrills! The younger crowd teams up with a local guide for a rock-climbing lesson while grown-ups go for a classic Rockies walk to the historic Plain of Six Glaciers Teahouse. Dig into a tasty lunch before returning to Banff.
Dates and Prices
Children 11 to 17 years old receive a 10% saving and children 4 to 10 years old receive a 20 % saving. The earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have and the lower your price will be. Arid you can always change your mind--you won’t be charged if you plan to go on another trip before your final payment is due.
July 1-4, 2022: $1, 800 per person
July 5-4, 2022: $1, 900 per person
August 1-4, 2022: $2, 000 per person
August 5-8, 2022: $2, 100 per person
1. What will tourists do on the second day of the tour?| A．Set up camp at Johnston Canyon. |
| B．Witness a vast wildfire in person. |
| C．Explore Kootenay National Park. |
| D．Walk through an ice-carved valley. |
| A．Day 1. | B．Day 2. | C．Day 3. | D．Day 4. |
| A．$1, 600. | B．$1, 800. | C．$2, 000. | D．$2, 100 |
5 . San Francisco Winery Tour
Running: February 1st through April 30th
This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer.
(Included in tickets price)
Departing from the Cannery: Tour times upon request.
Duration (时长): 2 hours
Price: $90
Back to the Fifties Tour
Running: August 16th through August 31st
This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco's most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.
Departing from the Cannery: 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $90
Spooky Halloween Tour
Running: October 10th through October 31st
Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco.
Departing from the Cannery: 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Price: Available upon request
Holiday Lights Tour
Running: December 6th through December 23rd
This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco's most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.
Departing from the Cannery: 7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Advance reservations required.
1. Which of the tours is OK in March?| A．San Francisco Winery Tour. | B．Back to the Fifties Tour. |
| C．Spooky Halloween Tour. | D．Holiday Lights Tour. |
| A．Go to Treasure Island. | B．Enjoy the holiday scents. |
| C．Have free ice cream. | D．Visit the Presidio district. |
| A．History book. | B．Travel brochure. | C．Textbook. | D．Biography. |
6 . Best online piano lessons in 2021
Playground Sessions
Price: $20.00/month, a discount of 10% for an annual payment
Playground Sessions is an online piano lesson site that wears its musical credentials (资质) with pride, and with famous producer Quincy Jones credited as co-creator and famous pianist Harry Connick Jr. as a private teacher, that’s not surprising. The lessons are produced in a video-game style to keep things fun.
Flowkey
Price: $35.00/month, a discount of 20% for an annual payment
Produced in cooperation with Yamaha, Flowkey works well with a MIDI keyboard. In fact, if you buy a Yamaha piano, you’ll also get Flowkey membership for three months. You can choose either a monthly or yearly subscription (订购) plan, and there’s also a 30-day free trial period to allow you to check things out, during which you can view the full list of songs and lessons.
ArtistWorks Piano
Price: $30.00/month, a discount of 20% for an annual payment
Featuring hundreds of lessons for every level, this site is part of the ArtistWorks Video Exchange platform, meaning that you can submit videos yourself and have them personally reviewed by Christie Peery, a well-known concert pianist and teacher, who then provides feedback on your performance.
Piano with Willie
Price: $15.00/month, a discount of 10% for an annual payment
Primarily based on video content, Piano with Willie is more suited to young children than adults. As part of jazzedge.com, it consists of thousands of lessons from Berklee Music School graduate Willie Myette, available for purchase on a monthly or annual subscription basis. Here you’ll find a ton of content to help you progress on your journey into the world of the piano, whatever level you’re currently at.
1. What can be learned about Playground Sessions?| A．It offers both online and offline courses. | B．It has been specially designed for adults. |
| C．It has solid backing from well-known musicians. | D．It has been in cooperation with Yamaha for years. |
| A．She helped to create Playground Sessions. | B．She graduated from Berklee Music School. |
| C．She works for ArtistWorks Piano at present. | D．She shares her teaching videos free of charge. |
| A．Flowkey. | B．Piano with Willie. |
| C．ArtistWorks Piano. | D．Playground Sessions. |
7 . For more than a century, student journalists at the Daily Tar Heel (DTH) have written about life on campus, US and raised questions on the issues of free expression, education, and big-time athletics.
The independent student newspaper recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. To mark the special day, student reporters asked the question: What’s the future of the DTH? The proud newspaper has been searching for the answer, and so have other college newspapers across the US.
Student newspapers are facing a dark reality. As they are free to read, they are making less money than ever, meaning that such newspapers are finding it hard to survive.
Most college papers have reduced their print editions. While it used to produce around 22,000 newspapers each time, it only makes around 10,000 now, said Erica Perel, general manager.
Increasingly, student journalists have turned their focus to digital versions of their newspapers, and the new ways social media allows them to tell stories and mirror what’s going on in the professional journalism world.
“I think we’re adjusting very well...in moving away from that print mentality. But it’s challenging,” said Jonathan Carter, a student at North Carolina State University.
So what should student newspapers do? LoMonte said the best solution would be for universities to financially back student journalism, since journalism is a part of cultivating civically (公民地) responsible students and the independent media coverage is recognized as an effective vehicle.
In the meantime, Bruce dePyssler, adviser to North Carolina Central University’s Campus Echo newspaper, said his students post one story a day online. The best stories are put together for a once-a-semester (学期) print edition.
And even if student journalists don’t go into media jobs, Perel said, they’ve still had a great education.
“The number one thing that we teach is critical thinking and how to pursue knowledge constantly,” she said. “The ones who are living through this transition (过渡) are the ones that are going to be a lot tougher for it in the end.”
1. What can be read about at the Daily Tar Heel (DTH)?| A．Students’ college life. | B．Some famous sports facilities. |
| C．Columns about the free subjects. | D．Articles on the education of journalism. |
| A．Reduce print editions. | B．Publish more digital editions. |
| C．Ask colleges for economic support. | D．Adopt a once-a-semester print edition. |
| A．They become good at taking criticism. | B．They learn how to be a lifelong learner. |
| C．They have mastery of logical thinking. | D．They gain numerous problem-solving skills. |
| A．The proud history of the Daily Tar Heel |
| B．Student reporters adapting to changing situations |
| C．An example of combining newspapers with new media |
| D．School newspapers under threat in the digital age in the US |
8 . Sports account for a growing amount of income made on the sales of commercial time by television companies. Many television companies have used sports to attract viewers from particular sections of the general public, and then they have sold audiences to advertisers.
An attraction of sport programs for the major US media companies is that events are often held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons—the slowest time periods of the week for general television viewing. Sport events are the most popular weekend programs, especially among male viewers who may not watch much television at other times during the week. This means the television networks are able to sell advertising time at relatively high prices during what normally would be dead time for programming.
Media corporations also use sports to attract commercial sponsors that might take their advertising dollars elsewhere if television stations did not report certain sports. The people in the advertising departments of major corporations realize that sports attract male viewers. They also realize that most business travelers are men and that many men make family decisions on the purchases of computers, cars and life insurance.
Golf and tennis are special cases for television programming. These sports attract few viewers, and the ratings are unusually low. However, the audience for these sports is attractive to certain advertisers. It is made up of people from the highest income groups in the United States，including many lawyers and business managers. This is why television reporting of golf and tennis is sponsored by companies selling high-priced cars, business and personal computers, and holiday trips. This is also why the networks continue to carry these programs regardless of low ratings. Advertisers are willing to pay high fees to reach high-income consumers and those managers who make decisions to buy thousands of “company cars” and computers, with such viewers, these programs don ’t need high ratings to stay on the air.
1. What do we know about sport programs in the US?| A．They are only broadcast during weekends. |
| B．They struggle to attract female viewers. |
| C．They bring more money to the television networks. |
| D．They make weekends dead time for programming. |
| A．travel destinations | B．grocery shopping |
| C．family sports budget | D．expensive purchases |
| A．These programs don ’t make money from advertisements. |
| B．These programs are sponsored to attract rich people. |
| C．These programs charge viewers high channel fees. |
| D．These programs aim at increasing the popularity of the sports. |
| A．Male viewers dominate the TV audience. |
| B．Rich viewers contribute most to television companies. |
| C．Sports are gaining importance in advertising on television. |
| D．Commercial advertisers are the major sponsors of sport events. |
9 . Alomada Racraotion and Fork Deportment(ARFD)(510)747—7529
TEEN TRIP TO THE LELAND HIGH SNOW PLAY
FOR Teens Currently in 6th to 12th Grades
LELAND HIGH SNOW PLAY-Class # 8389
Friday, December 9（Non- Public School Holiday）
8:00 am. to 7:00 pm.
Meet at The Underground( Veteran’s Building—2203 Central Avenue)
Cost per person: $ 50 ($ 60 after January 22)—Includes: Lunch, Admission (门票费) and Transportation
With a 4,000 sq. ft. day use lodge, the Leland High Snow Play has a huge supply of tubes to choose from, along with awesome tows (拖车) that will tow you up to the top of the hill! Our varied terrains (地形) have something for everyone, while the lodge provides a snack bar, video games, pool tables, five indoor restrooms, a warm fire, and a sun deck with plenty of tables and chairs overlooking the play area outside.
Be sure to bring warm clothing and prepare for the cold, but dress in layers in case it warms up. Wear dry boots, socks, and sunscreen. If possible, bring a mobile phone in case of emergency, as well as money for snacks and a light dinner; or bring your own food and drinks.
Do not bring electronic or fragile (易碎的) items during the trip. The ARFD is not responsible for your personal belongings or money.
Refunds (退款) are issued only if the ARFD cancels this trip due to weather conditions.
Click here to download the registration form and “Leland High Snow Play Liability (责任) Form”.
●Register in person, or mail the completed form to Leland High Snow Play, Inc. Send the liability form and payment to the ARFD Office，2226 Santa Clara Avenue, Alameda.
●Fax the registration and liability form at (510)747- 7566.
●Online registrations available at www. arpdeplay. com. Make sure you bring your completed liability form.
1. According to the text, the cost does not include ______.| A．lunch | B．training | C．entrance fee | D．transportation |
| A．Participants have different ways of registration. |
| B．Participants can leave their luggage in the ARFD ’s office. |
| C．The activity provides the service of unconditional refunds. |
| D．The fees for the activity remain stable in different seasons. |
| A．To introduce a famous tour agency. |
| B．To explain the details of a school activity. |
| C．To advertise a trip to the Leland High Snow Play. |
| D．To persuade teenagers to climb a snowy mountain. |
10 . Most tourists who visit China get to know the spicy red hot flavors of Sichuan cuisine since it is a tourist favorite. But in Hunan Province, the food is maybe even hotter.
The Flavors of Hunan Cuisine — Hot and Sour
The many different tastes of the food partly stem from an unusually wide variety of agricultural products. For example, several kinds of chili peppers are grown. Chopped chili is made from vinegar, chili peppers, and salt. It is liberally applied in noodle soups and meat dishes to produce the sour, hot flavor they love.
Hunan Food, Actually Hotter than Sichuan Food
A common saying goes like this: “Sichuan people don't fear hot food, Hunan people don’t fear any degree of spiciness at all, and Guizhou people fear to eat food that isn’t spicy.” The Hunanese use vinegar with the pepper. It serves to stimulate the taste buds and make them tingle (受到刺激) , so you can better perceive the wide range of flavors and the rich variety of ingredients and spices.
Why Such Hot (and Sour) Food?
Perhaps the wet hot summers and chilly wet winters drive the people to eat sour hot foods. The Hunanese think that extra heat (yang) of peppers and other hot spices balances out the excessive cold and wet (yin) . Vinegar also packs yang, and along with helping with digestion, you’ll find that it helps cool (yin) your body on hot days.
Why Not Join Us?
Our Hunan tours will combine seeing attractions around Hunan with meals in carefully selected restaurants. Please click www.hunancuisinetour.com if you want to know more.
1. What are the flavors of Hunan Cuisine?| A．Hot and bitter. | B．Sour and sweet. | C．Spicy and sour. | D．Sweet and salty. |
| A．Because they think it can help people with their digestion |
| B．Because they think it can balance yin and yang within the body. |
| C．Because they want to prove that they fear to eat food that isn't spicy. |
| D．Because they plant an unusually wide variety of agricultural products. |
| A．The Internet | B．A report. | C．A textbook | D．A magazine. |
