1 . In 2011, artist Grimanesa Amorós stepped off a boat made of totora reeds (芦苇) onto an island—also made of totora reeds — in the northwest portion of Lake Titicaca. It’s home to one of the world’s most innovative achievement of human engineering: the Uros Islands.
The man-made floating islands, which are home to the native Uros people, are created by putting layers upon layers of totora roots and reeds. This water-resistant plant grows in the lake and is the lifeblood of the Uros community. It is used to make boats, houses, roofs, mattresses (床垫) and more. The plant is also eaten and serves as medicine, and its flowers are used to make tea.
However, the Uros weren’t always dependent on the totora. More than 500 years ago, the growing Inca Empire began to invade the Uros’ mainland villages. To beat this threat, the Uros began to build the islands, which could be launched deep into Lake Titicaca, away from danger. Hundreds of years later, there are now about 120 of these constructed islands, with around 1,300 people living on them.
To build the islands, the Uros first gather large blocks of totora roots. Multiple blocks are pulled together, and the roots and reeds mix naturally to form a layer about 1 to 2m thick. The totora reed is laid on top of this floating base. The Uros use a long tool to reach deep down into the water and cut the plant above the base. Then, the reeds are dried in the sun for one to four weeks and bundled (捆绑) together using a rope. Once dried, totora reeds are placed in alternating directions on top of the root blocks and become the ground that the Uros walk and build their homes on.
Today, urban influences are evident on the islands: Solar panels power bedroom lights and small TVs; a radio station operates on the main island. It’s evident that these modern changes and tourism have changed the Uros’ life on the lake. One thing remains certain, though. As long as there is totora growing at Lake Titicaca, the islands’ rooted foundation will stay the same.
1. Which word can best describe the role totora reeds play in the Uro’s life?| A．Essential. | B．Symbolic. | C．Protective. | D．Sustainable. |
| A．To develop tourism. | B．To maintain their lifestyle. |
| C．To escape from enemies’ attack. | D．To be separated from the world. |
| A．The key to selecting building materials. | B．The procedure of building the islands. |
| C．The difficulty of living on the island. | D．The method of spotting reeds. |
| A．Fancy Lifestyles of the Uros | B．Innovative Building Materials |
| C．Floating Homes on Lake Titicaca | D．A Must-see Tourist Attraction of Lake Titicaca |
2 . Colorful Natural Wonders on Earth
The world can be kind of a boring place without the colorful natural wonders. So that’s what I’ve decided to treat you to!
Rio Tinto, Spain
Rising in the Sierra de Huelva mountains of southwestern Spain, this 62-mile river gets its stunning orange and red colors from copper, iron, and other heavy metals. The best way to enjoy the beauty is by visiting the small mining town of Nerva. Note that only about half the length of the river features these colors.
Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada
Known by Stoney Nakota First Nations folks as Ho-run-num-nay, this glacial lake located in Banff National Park gets its turquoise color from finely grained rock particles contained within the ice as it melts in the lake. If you’re a big fan of the movie Thelma & Louise, you’ll be happy to know that there also happens to be a Lake Thelma.
The Lavender Fields of Provence, France
Provence, a geographical region of southeastern France is famous in the summers for its lush lavender fields. To see them with your own eyes, mosey on up to the Luberon and Verdon plateau regions north of Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, or head east past Avignon. But the window is rather brief; they start to blossom around the beginning of June and then by mid-July they’re done-zo.
Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, Yunnan, China
Huge rice stan? Anyway, Yunnan, China is calling your name. With a history going back more than 1,200 years, this series of rice-growing terraces — covering territory more than one million acres — are located in the western part of the country. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013. It sure took them long enough!
1. Where can you enjoy a multicolored river?| A．Spain. | B．Canada. | C．France. | D．China. |
| A．1 month. | B．1.5 months. | C．2 months. | D．2.5 months. |
| A．A journal entry. | B．A travel diary. | C．An introduction. | D．An advertisement. |
3 . Amsterdam, with its scenic canals lined with picturesque, 17th-and 18th-century buildings, a major European tourist destination, is slowly collapsing.
Sinkholes are appearing in small streets, and nearly half its 1,700 bridges are unstable and need repairs. The fundamental problem is the state of the canal walls: about 125 miles of them are so broken that they are in danger of collapsing into the canals, potentially taking buildings and people with them. As a huge project to shore up the canal walls gets underway, the city is beginning to look like one huge construction site.
Like much of the Netherlands, Amsterdam lies below sea level. Built on a swamp and heavily expanded in the 17th century, the city sits on millions of wooden piles that serve as foundations. As modern life changed the city, many houses were strengthened with concrete, but the foundations of streets and canal walls were ignored. Many of the wooden piles have shifted, cracked or collapsed under the pressure, causing bridges and can al side walls to sink and crack. Water then seeps in, washing away mortar(砂浆), further hollowing out the infrastructure and creating sinkholes.
The alderman, Mr. De Vries, said that if the city had continued to ignore the problem, it would have headed straight for a catastrophe. The reconstruction will take at least 20 years and will cost 2 billion euros, perhaps even more. “These are big numbers, and work needs to take place in a very busy, closely-populated area,” Mr. De Vries said. “People live here and work here, and we usually have many tourists.”
He acknowledged that Amsterdam in the coming years would look different from its usual postcard self. Still, he insisted that tourists should not be discouraged from visiting. “We invite everyone to come and see what we are doing,” he said. “We want visitors to realize that such a magnificent city needs maintenance.”
1. What problem does Amsterdam face?| A．Collapsed buildings pose a threat to tourists. |
| B．Bridges under construction disturb citizens’ life. |
| C．The canal walls are in danger of falling down. |
| D．Many old streets are in badly need of being widened. |
| A．Ways of building canal walls. |
| B．Causes of sinkholes in Amsterdam. |
| C．The effects of broken bridges on the city. |
| D．The geographical features of Amsterdam. |
| A．It is costly. |
| B．It demands more than three decades. |
| C．It is a huge and dangerous task. |
| D．It will promote local employment. |
| A．The city will no longer be as magnificent as it used to be. |
| B．Modernity is usually achieved at a cost of the environment. |
| C．Maintenance and tourism should continue at the same time. |
| D．Repairs have become a serious obstacle to the city’s growth. |
4 . The popular documentary series Aerial China (航拍中国) recently returned to the small screen. The latest and fourth season of it gives a perspective that is both excellent and informative. As the final of the series, the new season was shot across 11 provincial-level regions and started in the spring of 2020.
“The experience from the previous three seasons makes us more capable to follow wild animals while avoiding disturbing them,” says Yu, chief director of the series. China has made great efforts to protect endangered wildlife species and their habitats in recent years, and it has become much easier to spot rare species in the wild. Taking Tibetan antelopes as an example, the plateau-based creatures were difficult to encounter in the past, but the expansion of their population and enhanced research on their living patterns have allowed the camera crew to tailor plans to follow the animals.
Most close-ups for the season were shot by photographers from helicopters or cameras installed on drones (无人机). The vital moment for a successful shot depends on the mood of the animals or how good the weather is,” Yu says. In an attempt to fully show China’s huge changes over the past decade, the documentary series consulted experts from different fields to help select the most attractive shooting sites. In the final season, Aerial China has used 73 helicopters and 320 drones to shoot footage over an area of 900,000 kilometers, and selected around 1,000 staffers. More than 30 teams were assigned to shoot in different cities for the fourth season.
The previous three seasons have been watched by 850 million TV viewers and seen online over140 million times. For fans of the series, the director says he hopes that the new season will draw a bigger audience with its unusual perspective to show them China like never seen before.
1. Which can best replace the underlined word “perspective” in the first paragraph?| A．Reference. | B．Viewpoint. | C．Mention. | D．Standard. |
| A．To indicate a successful encounter. | B．To introduce new living patterns. |
| C．To show a biological improvement, | D．To save endangered wildlife species. |
| A．The team members’ roles. | B．The splendid shooting sites. |
| C．The hi-tech devices for shooting. | D．The efforts spent in the season. |
| A．This is the last but one season. | B．This season is well worth viewing. |
| C．The series is popular with TV reviewers. | D．The series is intended for Chinese fans. |
Why Go to Arches National Park
A trip to Arches National Park is like visiting another planet with thousands of natural sandstone arches, red rocks and amazing landscapes, as well as light that seems to change all the time. The way the shadows（阴影）pass through the arches makes the park particularly attractive for photographers.
Sitting 5 miles northwest of Moab, Utah, the park has 26 miles of scenic road and hikes for every level of fitness.
Best Months to Visit
The best time to visit Arches National Park is from April to May and from September to October. In summer, temperatures can go beyond 100 degrees, making exploring the park very uncomfortable. In late summer, violent storms often cause flash floods, which can be quite dangerous. Winter is a good time for sightseeing, with fewer crowds, but occasional snow and ice can make the paths wet, smooth and therefore easy to fall on. However, the visitor center is open daily.
What to Eat
There are no restaurants or hotels in Arches National Park, so you need to bring your own food or plan to eat in neighboring Moab, Utah, about 5 miles from the park entrance. There are several picnic areas in the park, so plan ahead if you want to eat with Arches as the background.
Getting Around Arches National Park
The best way to get around Arches National Park is by car. There is no public transport inside Arches National Park. Visitors can also ride bikes in the park, but there are no bike lanes or shoulders, so this is more of an option for experienced cyclists.
1. What may visitors do at Arches National Park?| A．Have dinner in restaurants. | B．Take some photographs. |
| C．Learn about another planet. | D．Stay in the hotel for a few days. |
| A．The risk of falling. | B．The danger of flash floods. |
| C．The crowds of tourists. | D．The shutdown of the visitor center. |
| A．A travel journal. | B．A geography book. |
| C．A tourism website. | D．An academic article. |
6 . Libraries are places to preserve cultural heritage, develop information resources and carry out social education. Let’s look at some of the most beautiful libraries in the world.
Vennesla Library and Culture House, Norway
The library is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. Opened in 2011, this library is an important site for concerts, theatrical performances and film screenings. The design of the library is unique. The building is supported by 27 laminated (层压的) wood arches that hold the roof up.
Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana, Italy
The library is one of the largest and most important libraries in Italy. It preserves one of the most important collections of Greek, Latin and Asian manuscripts (手稿) in the entire world. Some of them are the most precious pieces. The library specializes in Venetian history and classic philology. Its collection of antique maps is also very significant.
Stacja Kultura, Poland
Thanks to a recent restoration, a station that was once in ruins underwent an architectural change. The library might seem unremarkable from the outside, but the innovative project and its division into a train station, public library and cultural center have certainly made this building worth a visit.
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, United States
The library is the main source of literary archives (档案), ancient manuscripts and rare books at Yale University, and it’s visited by students and researchers from around the world. Completed in 1963, the library is home to the Bollingen Prize for Poetry which is awarded biennially, and the Windham-Campbell Prizes which are awarded annually for fiction, literary essays, poetry, and theater.
1. Which library will attract people interested in the stage?| A．Vennesla Library and Culture House. | B．Biblioteca Nazionale Marciana. |
| C．Stacja Kultura. | D．Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. |
| A．Its architecture. | B．Its collection. | C．Its location. | D．Its original owner. |
| A．They have a long history. | B．They are favored by movie lovers. |
| C．They hold some precious treasures. | D．They are the most important libraries. |
7 . Last fall, the Great Salt Lake hit its lowest level since record keeping began. The lake sank to nearly six meters below the long-term average. The lake’s shrinking threatens to upend the ecosystem, disturbing the migration and survival of 10 million birds, including ducks and geese.
Duck hunters aren’t the only ones worried about the Great Salt Lake. The decades-long decline in lake level is raising alarm bells for millions of people who live in the region. The low lake level and increasing salts in the lake water threaten to destroy economic mainstays like agriculture, tourism and mining. Exposed salts can also reduce air quality and so threaten public health.
Saline lakes (咸水湖) are terminal lakes. They have no rivers flowing out of them. As water disappears, salts are left behind. At the same time, the people who live in these deserts use freshwater for crops, homes and industry. Residents get water from streams and rivers into canals, pipelines or reservoirs before it reaches the lakes. And as the lakes shrink, the salt in water increases.
Lake Poopo, a highland lake in Bolivia that used to stretch 90 kilometers long and 32 kilometers wide, is now a salty mud flat. The Aral Sea shared by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, once the world’s fourth largest lake, has at times in recent decades shrunk to a tenth of its historic 68,000-square-kilometer surface area. Some saline lakes, like Nevada’s Winnemucca Lake, dried up so long ago — the waters that fed it were led to agricultural fields — that most people have forgotten they were ever wet.
The good news is that people still have time to halt the Great Salt Lake’s decline by using less water. Cutting agricultural and other outdoor water use by a third to half through a combination of voluntary conservation measures and policy changes would allow the lake to refill enough to support the region’s economy, ecology and quality of life. If this succeeds, the Great Salt Lake can be a model for how to save other saline lakes around the world.
1. What do we know about the Great Salt Lake from the first two paragraphs?| A．It is home to ducks. | B．It will disappear soon. |
| C．It will be less important. | D．It’s been shrinking for years. |
| A．Their current states. | B．The challenges they face. |
| C．Measures to restore them. | D．Reasons why they become saltier. |
| A．Stop. | B．Boost. | C．Adapt. | D．Learn. |
| A．The Great Salt Lake Is Getting Smaller |
| B．The World Is Becoming Drier and Drier |
| C．Saline Lakes Need Freshwater Deadly |
| D．Many Lakes in the World will Disappear |
8 . Today, there is no list of all of the wonders of the modern world. Still, there are some interesting buildings or landmarks that are called wonders. These landmarks are easily recognized by people everywhere. Here are some of them.
The Taj Mahal
Built: AD. 1631-1648
The Taj Mahal in India is made of white marble and precious stones. About 20,000 people worked to build this giant tomb for the King’s wife.
The Great Wall of China
Built: Some sections were started around the 600 B.C but most of the Great Wall was built between 1386 and 1536. This outstanding wall is over 6,300 kilometers long and was built to keep out invaders (入侵者).
The Statue of Liberty
People everywhere recognize this statue, Inspired by the Colossus of Rhades it stands over 45 meters tall. The French gave it to the United States as a gift of friendship in 1886. It stands in New York Harbor and represents freedom.
The Great Pyramid of Giza
It is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis bordering what is now El Giza, Egypt. The pyramid was built as a tomb for the fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops in Greek) and constructed over a 20-year period concluding around 2560 B.C.
The Channel Tunnel
Built: AD.1986-1994
Three tunnels, which run mostly under the sea bed connect England and France, A high-speed train journey to Paris from London takes about three hours.
These sites and structures are just a few that are on the voting list as possibilities for the modern-day wonders of the world. Which of them would you vote for?
1. Which of the following is the youngest?| A．The Taj Mahal. | B．The Great Wall of China. |
| C．The Great Pyramid of Giza. | D．The Channel Tunnel. |
| A．France. | B．America. | C．India. | D．Egypt. |
| A．For visit. | B．For safety. | C．For transportation. | D．For hunt. |
| A．They were built as tombs. | B．They were built as gifts. |
| C．They belong to the same country. | D．They are not in use now. |
9 . 4 Best Places to Travel in 2023
2023 is the year when travel returns in a big way. To get you started, we’ve rounded up some of the best places to travel in 2023. All you need to do is pick the place that appeals to you.
Copenhagen
With its fantastic houses, clean streets and colorful architecture, Copenhagen is regarded as the most livable city on the earth. Named the World Capital of Architecture for 2023, Copenhagen will offer a series of major artistic events and programs sure to delight architects and design lovers.
Bhutan
For travelers with a sense of adventure and a love of discovery, Bhutan has always been a must-go destination. In 2023, travelers can once again explore the Trans Bhutan Trail, which runs 250 miles from east to west, offering visits to the century-old communities along the journey. The trail spans (横跨)18 major bridges and national parks and connects more than 400 historic and cultural sites.
Bordeaux
The coming years will be sporty in the historical wine region of Bordeaux in France. In 2023, the city will host the Rugby World Cup, an intense and stressful game. Beyond sports, Bordeaux is one of the favorite historical cities, with more than 350 structures that are either nationally or regionally listed as historical monuments.
Namibia
Wildlife and adventure lovers looking for a unique path in African Safari trips should head straight to Namibia in 2023 — this country in southern Africa is the perfect place to travel to reconnect with nature and escape the modern stresses of life. On the wildlife front, you may see lions along with giraffes and elephants.
1. What is Copenhagen well-known for?| A．The natural landscape. | B．The adventure travel. |
| C．Eye-catching architecture. | D．Famous art designers. |
| A．Modern communities. | B．Cultural relics. |
| C．Historical wine regions. | D．National monuments. |
| A．Copenhagen. | B．Bhutan. | C．Bordeaux. | D．Namibia. |
10 . 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. |
