1 . Dark Sky Parks around the World

Warrumbungle National Park

Situated in the central west slopes of New South Wales is Australia’s only dark sky park, Warrumbungle. The park has served as a dark sky park since July 2016. Its crystal-clear night skies and high altitude make it a natural, educational, and astronomical heritage site in the southern half of the earth. Tourists can use Australia’s largest optical telescope within the park boundaries to view the auroras(极光)，the Milky Way, and faint shooting stars.

Sark

Sark is a Channel Island near the coast of Normandy under the protection of the UK. It was the World’s First Dark Sky Island set up in January 2011. Its historical and cultural blend attracts over 40,000 tourists annually. With no motor vehicles and public lighting on the island, there is an exceptional view of the dark skies. A rich Milky Way is visible in the dark night skies from the shores of the island.

Pic du Midi de Bigorre

Pic du Midi de Bigorre in France was designated as a dark sky park in December 2013 making it the second largest dark sky park in the world. The park covers 3.112 square kilometers spread across the Pyrenees National Park and UNESCO’s World Heritage site, Pyrenees-Mont Perdu. The park attracts over one hundred star watchers every year. The Observatory Midi-Pyrenees, which was built in 1870, is one of the world’s highest museums at a height of 2,877 meters above sea level.

Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon

Ramon Crater is a unique 1,100-square-kilometer nature reserve located in the Negev Desert in Israel. In 2017, the Ramon Crater became the first designated dark sky park in the Middle East. Its location, rough climate, and forbidding landscape that are characteristic of the Negev have largely defeated historical attempts for human settlement, making it a great place to view the night skies. Stargazers usually camp in the desert to have an uninterrupted view of the stars, planets, and the Milky Way.

1. Which park serves as a heritage site for astronomy?

A．Sark.

B．Pic du Midi de Bigorre.

C．Warrumbungle National Park.

D．Ramon Crater/Makhtesh Ramon.

2. What do we know about Sark from the passage?

A．Not a single car runs there.

B．It was an island belonging to Normandy.

C．The Milky Way can only be seen there.

D．Visitors like to stay on the island in groups.

3. What makes it difficult for humans to live in Ramon Crater?

A．High altitude.	B．The large area.
C．Geographical conditions.	D．Cultural features.

2 . Known locally as sakura, the cherry blossoms in Japan are popular with both locals and tourists alike. For the Japanese, sakura hold much cultural and historical significance that goes deeper than their obvious beauty.     1     They are seen by many Japanese people as a reminder of the shortness of life, and a good excuse for a party.

Sakura are usually only in full bloom (盛开) for about one week.     2     The flowers are so small and round that when they eventually start to fall, it’s almost like watching snow fall from the skies.

While the cherry blossom season occurs between March and May each year, the specific time varies from region to region. Luckily, the Japanese Meteorological Corporation (JMC,日本气象厅) has done all the work.     3     The predictions aren’t just looking at the weather months in advance; it also depends heavily on temperature patterns. Depending on how the patterns change over time. the JMC will release updated forecasts with the most up-to-date information.

    4     There are a number of celebrations held in honor of the cherry blossoms’ blooming, so you’re likely to find a hanami party wherever you go. What makes up a hanami party, besides sakura viewing, is eating and drinking. Groups of people will set up camp in a park and have a picnic under the trees. Some bring home- cooked meals some make food on the go and others buy pre-prepared food.     5    

A．Many people hold flower-watching parties known as hanami.

B．The pink flowers have inspired poets, artists and soldiers for centuries.

C．Each year it posts forecasts of when the blooming will begin in each region.

D．It’s pretty easy to plan your trip around the blooming sakura.

E．Most people bring beer or other drinks to mark the occasion.

F．Cherry blossom season is one of the high seasons in Japan.

G．If you manage to catch the end of the blooming, you’ll see the beautiful flowers.

3 . Rivers play an important role on the earth, and we can't imagine what the earth would be like without rivers.       1    

With a length of 6, 650 kilometers, the Nile is the longest river in the world. The Nile River has been the source of human civilization since ancient times. The Nile has two main branches—the White Nile and the Blue Nile. The White Nile starts from the Great Lakes region of East and Central Africa through Lake Victoria.    2     The Blue Nile carries with it a lot of fertile soil which turns out to be very important to farming in Egypt.

The Amazon River is the world's largest river with a width of about 40 kilometers during the rainy seasons but about 10 kilometers wide when it is not flooded. The Amazon River has such a big water volume that it accounts for(占.....比例) more than 20% of all the world’s fresh water—far more than any other river.     3    The main Amazon River flows mostly through Brazil and Peru but its tributaries can also be found in many other countries.

    4    It has a depth of about 250 meters. Its length is 4, 700 kilometers. The sources of the Congo River are in the highlands and mountains in the Eastern Africa Rift Valley. It's the second largest river in terms of water volume.     5    The Congo River basin(盆地) is the catchments(流域，集水区) area of the Congo River. It lies in both north and south of the Equator, making its flow very stable as there are always some tributaries experiencing a rainy season at any time.

A．Some of them are worth mentioning.

B．The Congo River is the world's deepest river.

C．Do you know which is the deepest river in the world?

D．The Blue Nile originates from(发源于)Lake Tana in Ethiopia.

E．Without rivers, there would be no living life in and along them.

F．And it flows through the second largest rain-forests in the world.

G．Streams that begin in the Andes Mountains are its sources.

4 . If you are looking for the place that has everything, there is only one place to visit, and that’s New York. It’s a whole world in a city.

The World of Theater: All of New York is a stage. And it begins with Broadway. Where else can you find so many hit shows in one place? Only in New York!

The World of Music: Spend an evening with Beethoven at Lincoln Center. Swing to the great jazz of Greenwich Village. Or rock yourself silly at the hottest dance spots found anywhere.

The World of Art: From Rembrandt to Picasso. From Egyptian tombs to Indian teepees. Whatever kind of art you like, you will find it in New York.

The World of Fine Dining: Whether it’s roast Beijing duck in Chinatown, lasagna in little Italy, or the finest French coq au vin found everywhere, there is world of great taste waiting for you in New York.

The World of Sights: What other city has a Statue (雕塑) of Liberty? A Rockefeller Center? Or a Bronx Zoo? Where else can you take a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park? Only in New York!

1. From the text we know that “Rembrandt” is most likely to be the name of a famous            .

A．actor	B．painter
C．cook	D．musician

2. Which of the following can visitors do only in New York?

A．To enjoy a Beethoven concert.	B．To taste the finest French coq au vin.
C．To see the Statue of Liberty.	D．To eat Roast Beijing Duck.

3. This passage may be taken from .

A．a handbook for English learners	B．a pocketbook for businessmen
C．a guidebook for foreign travellers	D．a storybook for local readers

6 . If you think about World Heritage Sites, you probably think of places connected with ancient art and culture, historical buildings and monuments. And of course, many of these are on the World Heritage List (WHL) (世界遗产名录). But the WHL contains a lot of sites that are not so obvious. Let’s look at a few of them.

Robben Island in South Africa

This island was used through the centuries as a prison, a hospital and a military base. But it’s probably most famous as a maximum-security prison for political prisoners in the twentieth century. Nelson Mandela was one of its most famous residents. The WHL says it represents “the triumph of democracy (民主) and freedom over oppression and racism”.

Borders of France and Spain

This is an area of great natural beauty and the mountains have many interesting geological formations. But it is also an area of small farms. People there still use a type of agriculture (农业) that used to be common in mountainous areas of Europe but that has almost completely disappeared in modern times.

The city of Brasilia, Brazil

Brasilia is a capital city that was created from nothing in 1956. The WHL calls it “a landmark in the history of town planning”. The different areas of the city and the buildings themselves were all designed at the same time carefully. Every part of the city shows the ideas of the planner and architect.

Simien National Park, Ethiopia

Simien National Park was one of the first sites to be listed in 1978. It is one of the highest mountainous areas in Africa, and the WHL calls it “one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world”. It is also important for its wildlife. The population of some rare animals is getting smaller and smaller.

1. Which of the following sites was listed on the WHL for its political symbol?

A．Simien National Park, Ethiopia.	B．The city of Brasilia, Brazil.
C．Borders of France and Spain.	D．Robben Island in South Africa.

2. The WHL has listed Borders of France and Spain probably because ________.

A．it shows us past European society by the type of agriculture

B．this is an area of great natural beauty

C．the mountains there have many interesting geological formations

D．people there still use a type of agriculture that is common in Europe in modern times

3. Which of the following sites is famous for the wonderful plan of buildings?

A．Robben Island in South Africa.	B．The city of Brasilia, Brazil.
C．Borders of France and Spain.	D．Simien National Park, Ethiopia.

4. The passage mainly talks about ________.

A．the remains of ancient cultures on the WHL

B．the household heritage sites on the WHL

C．some of the less well-known sites on the WHL

D．important places of art and culture

7 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Truth about Whisky

Whisky is probably     1     most famous product of Scotland. Whisky making provides work     2     several thousand people in the Scottish Highlands and islands, and whisky is Scotland's biggest goods     3     (sell) to every corner of the world.

The qualities of whisky come from the water which     4     (use) to make it the rich "peaty"(多泥炭的) water of Scotland. When whisky is first made, it is     5     (actual) clear, not brown in colour. The colour comes from the wooden     6     (container) in which the whisky is stored for several years to allow it     7     (mature) from a little added sugar.

For many years, whisky has been one of the most popular drinks all over the world, and Scotland     8     (produce) more and more of it so far. But whisky sales have not increased as fast, so there are now large reserves of whisky in Scotland, especially the better and     9     (much) expensive whisky. So a lot of the whisky sold today was made several years ago when people thought that whisky would get more and more popular. That is     10    , today, a lot of the whisky in the shops is marked with "Ten years old", or even "Fifteen years old".