1 . The Banaue Rice Terraces (梯田) in Ifugao Province in the Philippines offer a great sight. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is also rich in history and features how human creativity can produce amazing outcomes. Through hard work, the Ifugao native managed to survive by flattening the mountain’s surface layer by layer and using them as farmlands. This practice of more than two thousand years has put together a well-known wonder.
There are several rice terraces in the Ifugao region but the Banaue Rice Terraces are the most popular tourist spot. The photos of this area are often used in printed materials like textbooks magazines and postcards. After getting a good look at the rice terraces, I was reminded of the first time that I saw their pictures in our textbook during my elementary days. I already found them amusing as a kid and seeing their beauty as an adult got me more amazed.
The tourism officer told us that we were lucky to catch them in their greenest form. If you plan to visit this tourist spot as well, you should take note that we got there last June 1. You can also take into consideration that the rice planting cycle is typically 3 to 6 months.
Unlike the other terraces, the local government created a platform that makes it easy for everyone to get a closer look at the rice terraces. The platform has four stone statues that they refer to as rice protectors.
It’s sad that the younger generation of Ifugaos are slowly abandoning the rice terraces. According to tour guide Alvin, the part of the rice terraces where people can see thick bushes and trees were former rice fields. But the children who inherited (继承) those decided to give up farming and work in big cities instead. I hope that a new farming method with modern equipment will encourage the Ifugaos to continue their rice terraces farming tradition to protect this cultural treasure.
1. What can be learned about the Banaue RiceTerraces?| A．They are most known for their history. |
| B．They were made to mainly draw tourists. |
| C．The locals created them with great wisdom and effort. |
| D．Many mountains and lakes were turned into farmlands. |
| A．To show the Banaue Rice Terraces are really attractive. |
| B．To show Ifugao Province is heavily dependent on tourism. |
| C．To show the Banaue Rice Terraces are more suitable for kids to visit. |
| D．To show advertisements for the Banaue Rice Terraces spread rapidly. |
| A．Tell us some facts about rice planting. |
| B．Encourage more people to go to Ifugao. |
| C．Raise public awareness of local traditions. |
| D．Share the proper time to visit the Banaue Rice Terraces. |
| A．Worried. |
| B．Positive. |
| C．Confused. |
| D．Curious. |
2 . Victoria Falls is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. Statistically speaking, it is the largest waterfall in the world. Victoria Falls is located on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The falls are also close to the border of Botswana. The Zambezi River, which originates in northern Zambia, serves as the falls’ water source.
There are basically two seasons for the Victoria Falls area. The rainy season runs from late November to early April with the remaining months accounting for the dry season. One would imagine that the rainy season with more water would make the falls more spectacular (壮观的), however, the additional water and subsequent mist(水汽) in the air makes it nearly impossible to see the base of the falls.
The months of June and July are probably the best time to view the falls. The water levels are still high enough to show the beauty of the falls, but the amount of water is less, creating less mist and more visibility of the falls.
As you move into the later part of the dry season, August through October, it is quite possible that you will see more rock face than falls. However, this also opens the door for walking across the top of the falls, which can be a unique and exhilarating experience as well.
During the rainy season and high water, Victoria Falls can be a challenge to capture (抓拍) with a camera because of all of the mist in the air. However, this increases the probabilities that you will be able to capture rainbow images around the falls.
The lower water levels can create more dramatic pictures with various rocks cropping out between the falls. You should also be able to see the canyon and base of the falls. You will also be able to walk across the top of the falls and take images down the face of the falls.
1. Where does the water source of Victoria Falls originate?| A．In northern Zambia. | B．In southern Zimbabwe. |
| C．At the border of Botswana. | D．Between the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. |
| A．From November to April. | B．From August to October. |
| C．In the months of June and July. | D．In the months of May and June. |
| A．A camera. | B．High water. |
| C．The rainy season. | D．All of the mist in the air. |
| A．Travel strategies at different water levels. | B．Challenges for falls travelers to overcome. |
| C．Photo opportunities in different seasons. | D．Different views of the falls all the year round. |
3 . On November 18, 2020, state workers who were tracking sheep were flying over the Utah desert in a helicopter. They noticed an object that is called monolith later, and landed nearby to see what it was. It was a shiny, three-sided metal column about 3.7 meters tall and planted solidly in the middle of the desert.
Bret Hutchings, who flew the helicopter, said, “I have to admit, that's been about the strangest thing that I've come across out there in all the years of flying.” The shape of the monolith and its strange appearance in the desert have reminded people of a black monolith in the science fiction movie 2001: A Space Odyssey. In that movie, the monolith was also unexplained, but it appeared to have been created by creatures from another world.
Some people say that the monolith appears to be similar to artwork created by some well-known artists. But one of the possible artists died in 2011. Two others have said that the work is not theirs.
Still, people working for the government believe that the monolith was most likely put there as an art project. But they note that it was quite a difficult task. The monolith is in a hard-to-reach spot somewhere in the 93,000 square kilometers of Utah land managed by the US Bureau of Land Management(BLM). Delivering the column that seems valuable to that location in the traditional way would have required moving very heavy materials. They must have thought of other ways.
One metal statue in the desert may not cause too many problems for the sheep, but what if lots of people decide to visit the site? That's one reason the BLM hasn't released where it is. The BLM is also afraid that the monolith might encourage other artists to plant other similar artworks in the desert. That's something that the department doesn't want to happen. Anyway, the government still hasn't decided whether to remove the monolith or let it remain.
1. Why did the author mention the science fiction movie?| A．To explain the film was imaginary. | B．To show the monolith is strange. |
| C．To make the text more interesting. | D．To prove what Bret said was true. |
| A．It was created by aliens from another planet. |
| B．Some artists made it by copying an art project in a Sci-Fi movie. |
| C．BLM transported the heavy materials to the desert in a traditional way. |
| D．It remains puzzling how the monolith was made and transported to the desert. |
| A．Keep its location secret. | B．Get it removed at once. |
| C．Preserve it as an artwork. | D．Make it a tourist attraction. |
| A．Metal Column Planted in the Ground |
| B．Man-made Column Drawing Attention |
| C．Unusual Monolith Found in the Desert |
| D．Monolith Presenting Strange Appearance |
This small but striking bay in Thailand has waters free from riptides（激流）,making it safe for families to play water in the sun.As its nickname implies—Farang is Thai for foreigners—you'll find a large concentration of backpackers here.Still,with only a couple of simple food shops,it's a far cry from the noises of Chaweng beach on Koh Samui or Kamala on Phuket,which makes it to be one of the top tourist destinations.
Rent a sea kayak（皮划艇）(100 baht,which is around￡2 an hour) and go around the comer to Tham Morakot (the Emerald Cave),a winding cave that opens up to a.bay walled by thick leaves and often visited by groups of monkeys.It is very inspiring,but to fully appreciate it,be sure to prepare a light to avoid knocking into cave walls and other kayaks.To avoid being crowded,make the trip in the late afternoon.
Where to eat
The Ko Yao Viewpoint Hotel is the best place for tourists.Drink the sweet cocktails in favour of an icy Chang beer and sit in the last rays of the day.
Where to stay
Cheaper hotels of comparable quality are set slightly back in the forest,but if you want beachfront access it's worth choosing one of the basic hotels at Koh Mook Charlie Beach Resort (bungalows from￡32).
Getting there
Fly from Bangkok to Trang with Air Asia (from￡30),then take a one-hour Tigerline ship from Hat Yao Pier (￡19).Besides,a five-hour ship from Phuket at Rassada Pier(￡41) goes directly to the island and will drop passengers at Haad Farang.
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1. What is most likely to attract many people to Haad Farang?| A．Its riptides. | B．Its scenery. |
| C．Its simple food shops. | D．Its quiet environment. |
| A．It has winding rivers suitable for boating. |
| B．There live groups of monkeys inside it. |
| C．Tourists need to take care when swimming here. |
| D．There are fewer people in the late afternoon. |
| A．They are near the sea. | B．They are not expensive. |
| C．It's very quiet there. | D．It's of high quality there. |
| A．Travel magazines. | B．Newspapers. |
| C．Internet. | D．Travel Agency notes. |
5 . The most exciting storms are the ones with flashes of lightning.Unfortunately,those are scarce,unless you are near the Catatumbo River in Northwestern Venezuela.Here,nature's grandest sound and light show is often seen, because it happens about 160 nights a year.And it lasts for as long as 10 hours at a time.And unlike other lightning storms that cause just one or two flashes,this one is with as many as 280 per hour.It is the highest in the world. Besides,each one of them is so powerful that each can power every light bulb in South America.Not surprisingly,they can be seen for almost 250 miles.Fishermen and sailors often use them to guide them across the waters during dark nights.
What's even more surprising is that the lightning has been happening above the same spot where the Catatumbo River meets Lake Maracaibo for thousands of years.The best part is that the show is different every night.That's because the color of the lightning changes,depending on the amount of water in the atmosphere.On dry nights,the lightning appears white.When the air is not dry,it helps split up the bright light into red,orange and even purple.
Strangely enough,though this has been going on for centuries,scientists have still not been able to figure out the cause of this phenomenon.Some say that the storms are the result of the interaction of the area's unusual topography（地貌）,wind and heat.Others,however,believe that the storms are caused by a kind of gas in the area.The locals simply think that it is the "spirit of Catatumbo" that lights up the night sky.
1. According to Paragraph 1,if we say something is scarce,we probably mean .| A．it is far away | B．it is very terrible |
| C．it can be hardly seen | D．it can be very dangerous |
| A．people daren't go out at night |
| B．it rains heavily almost every day |
| C．lightning is used to power light bulbs |
| D．storms with flashes of lightning are common |
| A．The spot of the lightning |
| B．The air of the lightning spot |
| C．The color of the environment |
| D．The level of water in the Catatumbo River |
| A．scientists will no longer study the lightning storms there |
| B．locals know about the lightning storms better than scientists |
| C．heat in Northwestern Venezuela is different from any other place |
| D．the reason why such lightning storms happen there is still unknown |
6 . Here are some undiscovered places around the world, which will surely impress you.
Byblos, Lebanon
This quiet settlement north of Beirut in Lebanon has been around a really long lime. Today, its rich history is well-represented in its ruins, which include ancient temples and tombs and Neolithic houses. Three sites in particular steal the show: the restored Roman amphitheatre (圆形剧场）, the grand 12th century Crusader castle, and the beautiful]y restored medieval open market.
Carreg Cennen, Carmarthenshire, Wales
The ruins of Carreg Cennen must be among the most noticeable sites in Wales. Carreg Cennen is defended by two drawbridges and three gate towers, although it hasn’t seen much action since it was partly damaged in 1462, during the Wars of the Roses. However, one rare feature of the castle is unchanged. Ifs the stone passage that leads down to a natural cave underneath.
Providence, Rhode Island, US
Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US. Its capital, Providence, has many of the attractions. Ivy League member Brown University and the famous Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) give the city a strong student influence. Up on College Hill, east of the Providence River, are streets lined with 18th century wood framed houses.
Sequoia National Park, California, US
Not content with having the worlds tallest (coast redwoods) and oldest (bristlecone pines), California is also home to the largest tree—the giant sequoia (红杉树). It grows only to its lull size in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Many of these trees are found in the Yosemite National Park, but for more quality time with the trees, it's best to head south to the far less known Sequoia National Park, which gets a quarter of Yosemite’s visitor numbers.
1. What do Byblos and Carreg Cennen have in common?| A．They were once destroyed in the history. |
| B．They are defended by two drawbridges. |
| C．They are most famous for their temples. |
| D．They are located in the same country. |
| A．Lebanon | B．California |
| C．Rhode Island | D．Carmarthenshire |
| A．People who love walking in streets. |
| B．People who are interested in visiting castles. |
| C．People who want to feel a strong student influence. |
| D．People who are interested in tress. |
| A．Rhode Island is the smallest state in the world. |
| B．Yosemite National Park is located in California. |
| C．The Carreg Cennen castle has been totally changed. v |
| D．The medieval open market in Byblos has never been destroyed. |
Centuries ago, when Europeans first saw Chinese porcelain, for example, it seemed so fine that they concluded it must have been made with magic and called it “white gold”.
They couldn’t find out how it was made, but they knew where it came from: the town of Changnan. Changnan porcelain was so in demand that early traders began calling the whole country by this town’s name, mixed by foreign tongues, Changnan transformed into China.
Two million years after porcelain’s invention, the town, now called Jingezhen, is still one of the world’s most important centres for porcelain production.
“The people are the most important treasure here, their roots are deep in history,” says Zhang Jia. She’s part of a new wave of designers who have come to Jingezhen to learn techniques handed down and refined(使精美) over a hundred generations. “This is the best place to study porcelain in China, perhaps in the entire world.” She adds.
Chinese artists aren’t the only ones drawn here. Founded in 2005 by Caroline Cheng, the Pottery Workshop runs classes for visitors from around the world.
In the Pottery Workshop’s second floor studio, I meet Trudy Golley and Paul Leather, a husband-wife duo from Canada. Paul tells me that when he first visited Jingdezhen there were no street lamps and only dirt pavements. There were workshops but their goods were bought by traders and sold on elsewhere. These days, stylish cafés and bars pop up next to concept stores. At one such shop, I admire some tiny teacups settling on a thick wooden branch like birds.
With the popularity of the Pottery Workshops, China’s young people are more interested in unique, individually-made products. Many of the designers are using Jingdezhen’s master craftsmen(工匠) to make them because they know they offer quality, attention to detail.
1. What made the writer realize that he was in China?| A．Fine tea sets. | B．Hand-painted ceramic earrings. |
| C．Standard Chinese. | D．Fine Chinese porcelain. |
| A．know something about Jingdezhen’s history |
| B．enjoy the beautiful scenery of Jingdezhen |
| C．study techniques of making porcelain |
| D．pay a visit to some of her foreign friends |
| A．many foreign visitors came to Jingdezhen to study porcelain |
| B．in the past Jingdezhen was a poor and dirty town |
| C．their goods were not popular in western countries |
| D．China’s young people are more interested in unique products |
| A．To appeal to people to buy Chinese porcelain. |
| B．To tell people traditional Chinese porcelain earns great reputation in Jingdezhen. |
| C．To advertise porcelain products in Jingdezhen. |
| D．To introduce some information about one traditional Chinese art in Jingdezhen. |
