Going to Mount Huangshan reminds me of the popular Beatles’ song “The Long and Winding Road”.
The hot spring at the foot of the mountain is something you must try after the climb. It will
What comes next is the endless series of steps. You can’t help wondering how hard it
As the song goes, this long and winding road “will never disappear”, and it will always stick in the visitor’s memory. It sure does in
2 . Washington, D.C. Bicycle Tours
Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C.
Duration: 3 hours
This small group bike tour is a fantastic way to see a world-famous cherry trees with beautiful flowers of Washington, D.C. Your guide will provide a history lesson about the trees and the famous monuments where they blossom. Reserve your spot before availability — the cherry blossoms—disappear!
Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours (4 miles)
Join a guided bike tour and view some of the most popular monuments in Washington, D.C. Explore the monuments and memorials on the National Mall as your guide shares unique facts and history at each stop. Guided tour includes bike, helmet, cookies and bottled water.
Capital City Bike Tour In Washington, D.C.
Duration: 3 hours
Morning or Afternoon, this bike tour is the perfect tour for D. C. newcomers and locals looking to experience Washington, D.C. in a healthy way with minimum effort. Knowledgeable guides will entertain you with the most, interesting stories about Presidents, Congress, memorials, and parks. Comfortable bikes and a smooth tour route(路线) make cycling between the sites fun and relaxing.
Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours (7miles)
Join a small group bike tour for an evening of exploration in the heart of Washington, D.C. Get up close to the monuments and memorials as you bike the sites of Capitol Hill and the National Mall. Frequent stops are made for photo taking as your guide offers unique facts and history. Tour includes bike, helmet, and bottled water. All riders are equipped with reflective vests and safety lights.
1. Which tour do you need to book in advance?| A．Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C. |
| B．Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour. |
| C．Capital City Bike Tour in Washington. |
| D．Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour. |
| A．Meet famous people. | B．Go to a national park. |
| C．Visit well-known museums. | D．Enjoy interesting stories. |
| A．City maps. | B．Cameras. |
| C．Meals. | D．Safety lights. |
3 . Longing for the most amazing places on the planet? You can do no wrong with these lakes across the globe.
Five Flower Lake
Set in the striking karst landscape of the Jiuzhaigou Valley in Sichuan province, China, Five Flower Lake is extraordinarily clear, with visibility to a depth of 40 metres. Five Flower is one of a series of blue-, green-and sky-colored lakes blocked by rock falls, but it differs from the others as its waters change color, looking sometimes yellow, sometimes green, but usually diamond blue. In winter, Five Flower never freezes; in summer, it never dries up. Local wildlife living in the surrounding mountain forests include the rare giant panda and the golden snub-nose monkey.
Crater Lake
The deep-blue waters of Crater Lake in Oregon, US, fill the outlet of an ancient volcano that collapsed 7,700 years ago. Its strangest occupant is the “Old Man of the Lake”, a nine-metre-tall tree stump(树桩), which has stood upright in the water for more than a century. No rivers or streams enter the lake. Water loss in summer is compensated by winter snow and rain, the entire body of water being replaced every 250 years.
Lake Ohrid
Ancient Lake Ohrid has been around for about five million years and crosses the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania. It has unique plants and wildlife, including the Ohrid “plashica”, a fish native to the lake, whose scales(鳞片) are used to make Ohrid pearls.
Lake Maggiore
Surrounded on three sides by the Lipontine Alps and touching the plain of Lombardy to the south, Lake Maggiore is Italy’s longest lake. Considered part of the country’s lake district, it is shared with Switzerland. Characterized by a Mediterranean-style climate, temperatures here are mild all year. This has given rise to some of northern Italy’s most wonderful gardens, which appear to float like flower-decked boats on the water.
1. What makes Five Flower Lake different from other lakes?| A．Its agreeable climate. | B．The rare local wildlife. |
| C．Its color-changing waters. | D．The visibility of waters. |
| A．By artificial rain. | B．By snow and rain. |
| C．From nearby streams. | D．From an ancient tree. |
| A．Five Flower Lake. | B．Crater Lake. |
| C．Lake Ohrid. | D．Lake Maggiore. |
4 . The 187-foot-tall Tower of Pisa is famous all over the world mainly because it leans (倾斜). For many years, people believed that the tower’s designer intended it to lean. As it turns out, though, the tower’s lean is an accident caused by poor planning. The Tower of Pisa was constructed (建造) on a riverbed of sand and clay (黏土) that was not strong enough to support a building so tall and heavy.
Construction of the tower began in 1173. Because Pisa experienced several wars, the tower wasn’t completed until 1350. Only a few years after the construction started, people could see that the first three floors of the tower were already leaning. As the next three floors were added, builders purposefully built them with one side higher than the other to try to correct the lean. This resulted in the tower leaning in the opposite direction
Fortunately for the people of Pisa, the long delays (耽搁) during construction gave the structure time to settle and the ground to become compacted (结实的). This mad the foundation (地基) stronger over time, which is the main reason why the tower never fell over. For hundreds of years, the tower was indeed falling. It would lean one more inch about every 20 years. In the end, in 1990, it was closed to the public for fear that a large group of people at the top would weigh enough to make it fall down.
From 1990 to 2001, engineers from around the world helped balance the tower After several unsuccessful attempts at a solution, engineers finally came up with a plan that worked. They slowly removed ground under the high side of the tower. When they had finished, they had returned it to the position it held in about 1838—the tower had been straightened by nearly 16 inches. Except a sudden great disaster, such as a earthquake, engineers believe the tower is safe for another 300 years now.
1. What does the author try to explain about the Tower of Pisa in Paragraph 1?| A．Why it leans. | B．Why it was built. |
| C．Why it is famous. | D．Why it stopped leaning. |
| A．It was completed in 1173. | B．It began to be built in 1350. |
| C．It was seen leaning after 1173. | D．It was repaired every 20 years. |
| A．The special structure. | B．The timely protection. |
| C．The skill of the builders. | D．The long time of building. |
| A．When does the Tower of Pisa lean? |
| B．Is the leaning Tower of Pisa falling? |
| C．When was the leaning Tower of Pisa built? |
| D．How did the leaning Tower of Pisa get its name? |
5 . The huge high rises, loud noises, and masses of people make up a symbolic United States destination and the city millions of people call home. Winding your way through the streets of New York City is an overwhelming and humbling (令人谦卑的) experience.
Walking down these busy streets you are sure to see several different coffee shops where writers with dreams are typing away or perhaps old friends catch up as they drink. Next, there are the classic pizzerias where many love to go to get a slice of New York style pizza. Another city classic are the popular delis, a favorite quick and easy lunch hot spot.
A valued aspect (方面) of the city streets is the artistic attraction they hold. Brushes of color brighten up the modern buildings. The buildings become an artist’s studio where creativity comes to life, beautifying the city and showing social and political expressions.
There is nothing more American than a street in New York City.
| A．The beautiful variety brings life into the city. |
| B．The energy they give off will be sure to inspire you. |
| C．These streets are known for their variety of great food. |
| D．An additional form of art that fills these streets is music. |
| E．The many aspects of the urban culture are there on the street. |
| F．A huge benefit of the city life is the diverse transportation choices. |
| G．You become one tiny fish in the deep depths of the ocean once entering. |
Huangshan, which lies in Anhui province, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the top scenic
Huangshan has 36 separate peaks, all
The main thing to do in Huangshan is walk pround and take photographs of the scenery, which is spectacular (壮观的),
When there is good weather and clear skies, watching the stars at night is
7 . The Silk Road is arguably the most famous long-distance trade route of the ancient world. This passage connected Europe in the West with China in the East, and allowed the exchange of goods, technology, and ideas between the two civilizations. Although merchants could make huge profits travelling the road, it was not without risk.
The main Silk Road started in Chang’an (known today as Xi’an), the early Han capital. Travelers commencing their journey from this city could take a northern route that would take them across China’s northwestern provinces. After this, they would face the Gobi Desert, arguably the greatest danger of the Silk Road.
The Gobi Desert, the largest desert in Asia, consists mainly of rocky, hard earth. This feature made it easier for traders to travel across, compared to sandy deserts like the neighboring Taklamakan Desert. Like other deserts, the Gobi Desert is dry and hot, and therefore the biggest challenge travelers faced was obtaining enough water for themselves as well as for their camels.
So, rest stops were created along the route, allowing travelers to rest, eat and drink. These places also promoted the exchange of goods, and even ideas, amongst the travelers who stopped there. Usually, the rest stops were placed within a day’s journey of each other. In this way, travelers could avoid spending too much time in the desert, which would make them targets for robbers, another danger of the Silk Road.
Once through the Gobi Desert, travelers would continue their journey into Iran, Turkey, and finally Europe. While this part of the journey may have been less dangerous, it is not entirely without its perils (风险).
1. The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to _________.| A．making huge profits | B．traveling the Silk Road |
| C．exchanging goods and ideas | D．connecting different civilizations |
| A．The desert’s surface was easier to walk on. |
| B．Camels for transportation were easier to find. |
| C．It was smaller and could be crossed in less time. |
| D．There were more natural water sources available. |
| A．Travelers were offered free accommodation. |
| B．They were located around the edges of the desert. |
| C．They were shared by travelers from different countries. |
| D．Exchanging goods and ideas there was entirely without risk. |
| A．The origins of the Silk Road. |
| B．The benefits of the Silk Road. |
| C．The difficulties faced by Silk Road travelers. |
| D．The cultural exchanges among Silk Road travelers. |
The Vikings, whose ancestors came from Scandinavia, were the first Europeans
Later a man, Biarni set sail from Iceland in search
In the year 1002, Leif, Eric the Red’s son, followed Biarni’s directions and sailed to
9 . With a number of rivers globally in crisis due to pollution, damming, and reduced rainfall, there’s never been a better opportunity to appreciate everything that rivers give to the world.
Rivers provide drinking water
Two thirds of the UK’s tap water is either from a river or from a river-fed body of water.
Ancient farming depended on these life-giving waters, so does modern agriculture. During the rainy season, many rivers overflow their banks, nourishing the soil with minerals and nutrients. Besides, rivers act as water sources for irrigation.
A good source of food comes from rivers
A fifth of the fish that are fished globally come from rivers and other freshwater sources. Another two thirds of fish that people eat rely on rivers for breeding, nutrients, or other reasons.
Human culture is tied to rivers
Rivers provide leisure activities
| A．Rivers are important for agriculture |
| B．Rivers are more than just water under the bridge |
| C．Rivers are closely connected to ancient civilizations |
| D．A large part of our modern life is involved with rivers |
| E．The organization American Rivers gives a similar figure for the US |
| F．Consequently, rivers can provide homes for a diversity of plants and animals |
| G．Protecting rivers and their biodiversity is a good way to protect this valuable source of food |
Anji, a small county in East China’s Zhejiang Province,
The outdoor café, the Deep Blue Coffeehouse, has received 350,000 tourists in less than a year, with the highest daily number of visitors
