1 . 4 Most walkable cities in Europe
Seville, Spain
Seville in Spain takes the top spot as Europe’s most walkable city, offering the shortest walking route between the top four tourist attractions.Visitors can explore the impressive Plaza de Espana public square, before wandering over to the UNESCO-listed palace of Real Alcazar and Seville Cathedral. After that, it’s only a short trip on foot to visit the beautiful Barrio Santa Cruz neighbourhood.
Venice, Italy
Venice is well-known as a heaven for pedestrians (行人), so it’s no surprise it ranks as the second best location for walkable city breaks. There are endless alleyways to explore, as well as plenty of beautiful bridges over the crisscrossing canals that the city is famous for. Just under half an hour of walking here will take you on a tour of the impressive Grand Canal, Doge’s Palace, St Mark’s Square, Basilica and bell tower, all in only 1.3 miles.
Porto, Portugal
Nestled along Portugal’s picturesque coast, Porto comes in third with its top attractions all covered by a 30-minute walking route. Meander along the Dom Luís I Bridge over the Douro River, head to the Clérigos Church Bell Tower and enjoy a riverfront walking place along the Cais da Ribeira. The Stock Exchange Palace is also just a short walk away.
Florence, Italy
Florence, Italy, secures its place as the fourth most walkable city in Europe thanks to its stunning attractions that can be seamlessly explored on foot. A 1.6 mile route covers the awe-inspiring Piazzale Michelangelo; the famous Uffizi Gallery; the Piazza del Duomo where you will be amazed at the magnificent Florence Cathedral; and the Galleria dell’Accademia, home to Michelangelo’s masterpiece, the statue of David.
1. How long is probably the walking route in Seville?| A．1.1 miles. | B．1.3 meters. | C．1.6 meters. | D．1.8 meters. |
| A．Seville. | B．Venice. | C．Porto. | D．Florence. |
| A．To compare the four cities. |
| B．To show the benefits of walking. |
| C．To stress the importance of traveling. |
| D．To attract visitors to walk in these cities. |
2 . As an important part of Three Parallel Rivers Scenic Area, Potatso National Park (Pudacuo National Park) is famous for lush (草木繁茂的) mountains, meadows (草地), lakes,rare animals and Tibetan culture. About a 50-minute drive from downtown Shangri-La, the park contains three main parts: Shudu Lake Scenic Area, Bitahai Lake Scenic Area, and Militang Alpine Pasture. You can reach them by the tourist bus from the park entrance.
Traveling around the park can be quite relaxing if you take the bus to see each scenic area one by one. Wooden boardwalks along the lakes allow you an easy walk as you take in the beautiful lake views and the surrounding mountain scenery. Or you can take a boat trip on the lakes for a more relaxing scenic experience.
If you want more of a challenge, there are also some short hiking routes in the park.Horse riding is also available in the park.
Route one: Walk from Lourong Village to Jieti Waterfall- -about 2. 2 km, taking about 50 minutes. You will see beautiful river views alongside the path.
Route two: Shudu Lake North Shore Pier to Tibetan Culture Experience Area- -about 3 km, taking about 1.5 hours. You can see the primeval (原始的) forest and enjoy Tibetan culture during this hiking trip.
Suitable for: nature lovers, hikers.
Access: Shangri-La is about a 6-hour flight from Beijing.
Best time to visit: The weather is comfortable from May to September and the meadows are full of blooming wild flowers.
Recommended visit time: a half day for the park, but 3 days are suggested for a Shangri-La trip. You can also extend the trip to Lijiang and Meili Snow Mountain, which are both within 4 hours’ driving.
1. What is the park famous for?| A．New temples and historical sites. |
| B．Rare wildlife and natural scenery. |
| C．Adventure sports and exciting activities. |
| D．Traditional festivals and musical performances. |
| A．Swim in the lakes. | B．Participate in horse racing. |
| C．Take a boat trip on the lakes. | D．Rent a car from workers of the park. |
| A．From December to February. | B．From March to April, . |
| C．From May to September. | D．From October to November. |
3 . 72 hours in Beijing
Traveling to China is no longer a luxury for many foreign passport holders. The Chinese government has permitted a 72-hour visa free policy that offers access to visitors from 53 countries including the US, France and Austria. Let’s start with the capital of China, Beijing. Here’s a pick of the best in Beijing.
Mutianyu Great Wall
Your trip to Beijing isn’t really complete without seeing one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World” — the Great Wall of China. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is by far the most well-preserved of all. Taking a one-hour bus ride, Mutianyu would be your ideal location for a half-day of hiking away from the large crowds in the city. Also, the authorities have allowed tourists to paint graffiti on a specific section of the Great Wall since 2014. The Great Wall was designated (把……定名为) a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
Summer Palace
Located in northwestern Beijing, the Summer Palace is by far the city’s most well-preserved royal park. With its huge lake and hilltop views, the palace offers you a pastoral escape into the landscape of traditional Chinese paintings. The Summer Palace was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.
798 Art Zone
This would be on the top of my list! Named after the 798 factory that was built in the 1950s, the art zone is home to various galleries, design studios, art exhibition spaces, fashionable shops and bars. You could easily spend half your day wandering around the complex, feeling the contrast of the present and the past.
Sichuan Provincial Restaurant
While in Beijing, apart from trying the city’s best-known Peking duck, the Sichuan provincial restaurant is one of places where you can enjoy regional delicious food. It offers one of China’s eight great cuisines, Sichuan Cuisine, which ranges from Mapo tofu to spicy chicken.
1. When was the Summer Palace added to the UNESCO World Heritage List?| A．In 1950. | B．In 1987. |
| C．In 1998. | D．In 2014. |
| A．Mutianyu Great Wall. | B．798 Art Zone. |
| C．Summer Palace. | D．Sichuan Provincial Restaurant. |
| A．The tourists who prefer to travel for free. |
| B．The foreigners to stay in Beijing for 4 days. |
| C．The visitors coming from every corner of China. |
| D．The foreigners coming to Beijing for the first time. |
4 . Four Places Named After Scientists in Antarctica
There are many scientific breakthroughs made by women in Antarctic. Here are four landmarks in Antarctica and the female pioneers they’re named for.
Jones Terrace (梯田)
The ice-free terrace in eastern Antarctica’s Victoria Land bears Jones’ name. In 1969, geochemist Lois M. Jones led the first all-female research team from the U.S. to work in Antarctica. Jones and her team studied chemical weathering in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, an ice-free area of Antarctica. Through chemical analyses of rocks they had collected, Jones and her team discovered many geochemical characteristics of the valley’s ice-covered lakes.
Mount Fiennes
8,202-foot-high Mount Fiennes, located on Antarctica’s largest island — Alexander Island — is named for Ginny Fiennes. She established and maintained 80-foot-tall radio towers in the Antarctic. In 1985, Fiennes became the first female who was invited to join the Antarctic Club, a British supper club open to individuals who have spent extended time in the Antarctic region.
Francis Peak
The 3,727-foot-tall peak on Antarctica’s Adelaide Island is named after Dame Jane Francis, who is the first female director of the British Antarctic Survey, the national polar research institute of the UK. Her collection of fossils on Seymour Island helped conclude in a 2021 paper that Antarctica’s abundant plant fossils indicate the continent once had a much warmer climate than it currently does.
Peden Cliffs
Peden Cliffs near Antarctica’s Marie Byrd Land are proof of the labor of Irene Peden. She was the first American female scientist to both live and work in the Antarctic, where she used radio waves to study ice sheets. Peden and her team determined how very low frequency radio waves spread over long polar distances by measuring pathways in the ice. They also used varying radio wave frequencies to measure the thickness of Antarctica’s ice sheets.
1. Which place is named after a builder of radio towers in the Antarctic?| A．Jones Terrace. | B．Mount Fiennes. |
| C．Francis Peak. | D．Peden Cliffs. |
| A．Lois M. Jones. | B．Ginny Fiennes. |
| C．Dame Jane Francis. | D．Irene Peden. |
| A．She could judge the thickness of Antarctica’s ice sheets. |
| B．She discovered a lot of ice-covered lakes in the Antarctic. |
| C．She was the first female American to explore the Antarctic. |
| D．She correctly measured the spreading speed of radio waves. |
Mount Emei,World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in China,
The Leshan Giant Buddha, lying at the eastern foot of Mount Emei,
Mount Emei with its natural and cultural values well interconnected is attracting
6 . The city of Rotterdam is planning to take apart a famous old bridge so that the world’s largest sailboat can be brought through the city once it’s completed. However, not everyone is happy about the plan.
Rotterdam’s Koningshaven Bridge, which local people call “De Hef”, is no longer in use. It’s an old bridge that was damaged by bombing during World War II. But it’s still important to many people in Rotterdam. When the city planned to take the bridge down in the 1990s, many people complained. Instead, the city fixed the bridge up and left it in place as a monument.
That’s a problem for the boat building company Oceanco. The company is building a huge sailboat, and the boat is too big to fit under the bridge. When the boat is finished, it’s expected to cost more than $500 million. It will be the world’s largest sailboat. Large sailboats are often called yachts but this is a super yacht. It will be 417 feet (127 meters.) long. When it’s finished , it will also be taller than the bridge. So Oceanco has asked the city to take the central part of the bridge down to allow the boat to pass through. The city has agreed and the government plans to rebuild the bridge afterward. Oceanco will have to pay for all the work done for the bridge. The work is expected to take a few weeks some time this summer.
The locals are upset about the plan of taking a historic monument apart. Despite the public’s protest against the plan, the city appeared to agree to the arrangement. Last week, a person speaking for the mayor said that the Koningshaven River is the only path the sailboat can take to the sea. The mayor’s office also pointed out the arrangement has economic efficiency, including providing a lot of jobs for the well-being of local people.
1. What happened to Rotterdam’s Koningshaven Bridge?| A．It was taken down in the 1990s. |
| B．It was damaged in World War II. |
| C．It was destroyed and then deserted. |
| D．It was fixed and returned to normal. |
| A．To pay for the work done to the bridge |
| B．To complete the sailboat in a few weeks. |
| C．To get the bridge pulled down for the boat. |
| D．To make the sailboat long and tall month. |
| A．Supportive. | B．Excited | C．Opposed. | D．Optimistic |
| A．National pride. | B．Economic benefits |
| C．Tourism development. | D．Local industries. |
Chinatown is a district within larger cities which
Many Chinatowns used to consist largely
Many Chinatowns provide a
As is widely acknowledged, China can trace her history back thousands of years. Ancient
At present, China is home to
Another celebrated structure, the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, was designed by renowned architect 1. M. Pei.
Looking to the future, Chinese architects are exploring several possibilities, the concept of “sponge cities (海绵城市)”
China is home to 56 UNESCO World Heritage sites. With troops of naughty monkeys, large bears, all kinds of snakes, precious plants, and beautiful ancient architecture, the
The area’s fame
“It’s important to promote a region’s unique value from a global perspective to apply for the list, and Fanjing Mountain meets that standard,” says Rong Li, a professor from the School of Geography and Environmental Science, Guizhou Normal University, one of the experts
“The
10 . Amazing Waterfalls from All over the World
Plitvice Waterfalls
Located in Croatia, Plitvice Lakes National Park looks like something pulled out of the Garden of Eden. There are 16 clear lakes with beautiful waterfall pouring into them Water moves over stones to create natural dams and the water has also created beautiful caves. Walking through this park and dapping your toes in the water are nothing short of magic. Bring a camera and prepare for one of the prettiest parks on the planet.
Victoria Falls
Thus waterfall was founded by a Scottish person back in 1855. The explorer named the waterfall in honor of his queen at the time, Queen Victoria. Located in South Africa, Victoria Fall is considered one of the largest waterfalls on the planet. To say that Victoria Falls is an important natural formation would be an understatement as it is truly a wonder in thus world. With a cheap flight ticket you can spend the rest of you money on a quality hotel reservation (预定) near the park
Angel Falls
Angel Falls is the highest waterfall un the world with a straight flow down for over 3,212 feet. The waterfall is located in the Canaima National Pack, which is named after the first discoverer of the falls: Jimmie Angel Jimmie Angel was a pilot who was the first person lo ever fly over the waterfall. If you want to visit the falls you will have to jumps through some hoops to get there.
Yosemite Falls
Yosemite National Park pulls in tourists by the handful for a good reason Located in the park is Yosemite Falls which is the highest waterfall in all of North America Yosemite Falls drops for 2,425 feet but this height is based on the amount of snow in the park at the time. So if you want that perfect picture, make sure to go during the right part of the season!
1. What can you do when visiting Plitvice Waterfalls?| A．Put your feet in the water. | B．Enjoy the sight of snow. |
| C．Stay in a quality hotel. | D．Watch it from the sky. |
| A．They have many caves | B．They are hard to teach. |
| C．They can only be visited by plane | D．They are named after people. |
| A．Angel Falls. | B．Victoria Falls. | C．Yosemite Falls. | D．Plitvice Waterfalls. |
