1 . 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.
Sakura are usually only in full bloom (盛开) for about one week.
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.
| 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. |
2 . Depths of our Earth hold great wonders. Below we explore four deepest places on Earth.
Veryovkina Cave, Georgia
Its entrance is located 2,285 meters above sea level. In 2018, scientists reached its bottom at 2,212 meters down. They squeezed through tiny openings to get from one cave to another. Rockfalls and floods waited secretly at every turn. Scientists could develop new medicines from microorganisms found in cave samples. Caves also record ancient life and past climates.
The Mariana Trench, the Pacific Ocean
The Mariana Trench, with the maximum depth of 11,034 meters, is the deepest part of Earth’s surface. Pressure there is intolerable, but creatures like sea cucumbers (海参) still exist. Scientists exploring it can gain deeper insights into how plates move and why earthquakes and volcanoes occur.
The Dead Sea, the Middle East
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on land at about 1,400 feet (about 400 meters) below sea level. It’s nearly ten times saltier than ocean water, so you literally can’t sink in the Dead Sea! Scientists think it could go dry in a few decades. Despite its name, the Dead Sea holds life. A few kinds of algae (藻类) and bacteria love its salty water.
Lake Baikal, Russia
At the depth of 1,642 meters, Lake Baikal is the deepest inland body of water. The Baikal seal is the only known seal that lives in this world’s deepest freshwater lake. Scientists study the lake not only for the solid stuff beneath it that records climate history but because it’s in a zone where a plate is splitting apart, causing earthquakes.
1. What do we know about Veryovkina Cave?| A．It was discovered in 2018. | B．Its pressure is far from bearable. |
| C．It is risky to explore. | D．Its samples are of little practical value. |
| A．Georgia & Russia. | B．Russia & the Pacific Ocean. |
| C．Georgia & the Pacific Ocean. | D．The Middle East & Russia. |
| A．They have some sign of life. | B．They are over a thousand meters deep. |
| C．They are results of climate change. | D．They are all below sea level. |
Located in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, the Jiuzhai Valley runs more than 50 kilometers, towards the Sichuan Basin. The Jiuzhai Valley got
More than 400 million years ago, the region was
In 1978, the Jiuzhai Valley
Now a network of wooden walkways has been built to provide a
4 . Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina. It is made up of a variety of landscapes, from mountains and beaches to deserts and rain forests. Most people live along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, where the capital, Lima, is located.
Along Peru’s west coast is a narrow strip (狭长地带) of desert, which is about 1, 555 miles long. Ancient people, called the Chimú and the Nasca, first lived in this region thousands of years ago. The coastal desert makes up only about 10 percent of Peru, but it is home to more than half of all Peruvians.
The world’s largest rain forest, the Amazon, covers nearly half of Peru. Called the selva in Spanish, this huge jungle (丛林), which also covers half of Brazil, is home to plants and animals that do not live anywhere else on Earth, Some scientists think there may even be Indian tribes (部落) there that have never seen the outside world.
The second highest mountain range in the world runs through Peru. These peaks, called the Andes, are so tall and forbidding that the ancient Inca people thought they were gods. They run from north to south and can be seen from Peru’s beaches 50 miles to the west. The highest peak of it, Mount Huascaran, is 22, 205 feet high.
1. Where did most Peruvians live?| A．In the huge jungle. | B．In the Indian tribe. |
| C．In the mountain. | D．In the coastal desert. |
| A．Almost half of Peru is covered by rain forests. |
| B．It is the third largest country in population in South America. |
| C．More than half of the native population live in the mountains. |
| D．About 1, 555 years ago, ancient people moved to the coastal desert. |
| A．They can’t be seen from the Peru’s coast. |
| B．They are where most Peru’s people plant rice. |
| C．Some of them belong to the second highest mountain range. |
| D．The highest mountain range in Peru runs from east to west. |
| A．The Attractions of Peru | B．The History of Peru |
| C．The Official Languages of Peru | D．The Geography of Peru |
5 . Balmoral Castle
Balmoral Castle, which started in the late 1300s. is the private residence of the Queen. It has remained a favourite residence for the Queen and her family during August and September.
Some 85,000 people visit Balmoral each year, and the estate maintains and restores footpaths throughout the property for visiting hikers.
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is an official residence of The Queen and the largest occupied castle in the world. The castle was the inspiration for the Royal family’s surname.
William the Conqueror built the castle in 1080 and it has remained a royal palace for over 900 years. Windsor is the oldest royal home in Britain and, covering 13 acres, it’s the largest castle in the world that is still lived in.
Each year, the Order of the Garter ceremony is held at Windsor Castle, and the Queen occasionally hosts a “dine and sleeps”, for politicians and public figures.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse
Founded as a monastery (修道院）in 1128, the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh is The Queen’s official residence in Scotland. It was also the home of many Scottish royals.
The Queen holds receptions, state functions, and investitures(授职仪式）within its walls, and each year during Holyrood Week Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip invite 8» 000 Scottish guests to the Garden Party.
St. James Palace
St. James’s Palace was built between 1531 and 1536 and was home of kings and queens of England for over 300 years. The palace was built by Henry VU on the site of the Hospital of St. James, Westminster. After the destruction by fire of the Palace of Whitehall in 1698, all monarchs until William W lived at St. James's for part of the time.
1. Where do the Queen and her family like to stay during the summer holiday period?| A．Windsor Castle. |
| B．Balmoral Castle. |
| C．The Palace of Holyroodhouse. |
| D．St. James Palace. |
| A．is visited by the largest number of tourists |
| B．is intended for officials |
| C．has the longest history |
| D．is the most beautiful |
| A．was rebuilt by Henry Ⅶ |
| B．was built on the site where a hospital used to be |
| C．was pulled down by King IV |
| D．was destroyed by fire |
内容要点：
1. 庆阳位于甘肃省东部，占地面积27119平方公里（square kilometers),总人口（population）约270万。
2. 庆阳市历史悠久，文化底蕴深厚，其中以香包（sachet）、皮影(shadow puppets)、剪纸(paper-cutting)而闻名。
3. 庆阳有着丰富的自然资源----石油和各种各样的绿色农产品---苹果、杏子(apricot)。
Dear Mark,
I am very glad to have a chance to introduce my hometown to you.
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Welcome to Qing Yang--my hometown. It is a beautiful place for you to visit and you’d better come here in summer, when you will see many folk cultural exhibitions.
Yours,
Li Hua
People say it is Canada’s most beautiful city,
8 . The Mississippi is a romantic river whose relationship with man goes back beyond its discovery by the Spaniards in the 16th century. Indians used the river as a highway and as a source of food, and it was they who gave it its name —''misi'', meaning ''great'' and ''sipi'' meaning ''water''.
When the length of its great tributary (支流), the Missouri, is added to it, the Mississippi becomes the third longest river in the world. From the source of the Missouri to the tip of the delta (三角洲), it is 2,480 miles long. Its head waters have been compared to a healthy, thick-branched tree, healthy because its main branches, or tributaries, are navigable for most of their length.
The Indians paddled up and down the river in their canoes. The first streamer was launched in 1810. It had a single great paddle-wheel at the stern, and was known as a ''paddle-wheeler.'' Throughout the 19th century these unique ships were queens of the Mississippi. They have become part of American history and American literature. The noted writer, Mark Twain, immortalized (使不朽) the river in his greatest novel, Huckleberry Finn, and Oscar Hammerstein immortalized it in his song, Old Man River, which was made popular all over the world by the great black American singer and actor, Paul Robeson.
1. The Mississippi was discovered by the .| A．Americans | B．Indians |
| C．Spaniards | D．Queens of the Mississippi |
| A．the Mississippi | B．the Missouri |
| C．the tributary | D．the delta |
| A．branch | B．river | C．paddle | D．tree |
| A．the 16th century | B．the 19th century |
| C．the 17th century | D．the 15th century |
The oceans can absorb 93 percent of the heat trapped by the greenhouse gases
“If the ocean wasn’t absorbing as much heat, the surface of the land would heat up much
However, the ocean itself, as Discover Magazine noted, is heating up 40 percent faster on average than the United Nations
10 . Sitting on the “Roof of the World”, Mount Qomolangma National Nature Reserve is one of the world’s hotspots for biodiversity protection. Mount Qomolangma, also known as Mount Everest, is to be measured again by a Chinese team to make sure its exact height after last official measurement.
“Conducting research and protecting the region can help us learn more about the origin and development of the earth, as well as our human-beings and wildlife,” said Cheng Pengfei, president of the Chinese Academy of Surveying & Mapping (CASM).
The weather in the Mount Qomolangma area changes frequently. While the maximum temperature in the tent is more than 20 degrees Celsius, or even 30 degrees Celsius at noon, it may start snowing in the afternoon, and a gale may spring up at night, even blowing away the tents. Those taking part in the mission are ready for the task after preparing thoroughly at the base camp.
The complex geological environment has formed diverse landforms in the area. Distinctive snow mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes and glaciers can be found. And the unique ecological environment has also established a special biological diversity.
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．The ecological environment around the Mount Everest has nothing to do with its biodiversity. |
| B．The height of Mount Everest has been measured before. |
| C．The weather in Mount Everest area is relatively steady with a small temperature change. |
| D．Learning more about wildlife in the area is one of the most important purposes of the research. |
| A．a name of an animal. | B．a kind of grass. |
| C．a strong wind | D．a name of a machine |
| A．In a geography textbook. | B．In a travelling brochure. |
| C．In a government report. | D．In a newspaper |
