1 . The Silk Road is the name of different roads that long ago connected Europe, Africa and Asia. People reached these different places along these roads. Scientists believe people began to travel the Silk Road about 3000 years ago. By the time the Chinese silk trade became important in the world, the Silk Road covered almost 6500 kilometers. It spread from Rome to China, which is from the West to the Far East.
Traders travelling along the Silk Road carried silk, of course. They also carried and traded spices (香料), cloth, valuable stones and gold.
There is a famous old story along the old road. It is said that Roman soldiers travelled through central Asia. They started to live somewhere near the ancient Chinese village of Liqian. Sortie of these Romans married local Chinese women and the story of blue-eyed villages of China was started.
During its busiest period, the Silk Road allowed people from many different cultures and countries to meet each other and mix. The Silk Road allowed the sharing of valuable goods and new ideas. These included people and trading goods from the Mediterranean, Persian, Magyar, Armenian, Bactrian, Indian and Chinese areas. All these peoples travelled the Silk Road, and they shared goods, stories, languages, and cultures.
In modern times, the old Silk Road routes (路线) are still used, but now they are crossed by trains instead of camels and horses. There is even a Silk Route Museum in Jiuquan in China. It has over 35,000, objects from all along the Silk Road. In this way, China protects the history of many countries and peoples.
1. How many kilometers did the Silk Road cover?A.About 3000. | B.Nearly 6500. | C.Almost 2000. | D.Over 35,000. |
A.Silk. | B.Cloth. | C.Gold. | D.Tea. |
A.Valuable things could not be sold along the Silk Road. |
B.The Silk Road allowed people from different countries to mix. |
C.Ancient Chinese along the Silk Road maybe able to speak different languages. |
D.The objects in the museum in Jiuquan in China are from all along the Silk Road. |
A.History and Geography. | B.Sports World. |
C.Man and Animals. | D.Popular Science. |
2 . Even though these monuments are extremely well known, they hold secrets that not many people are aware of.
Empire State Building
On the 103rd floor of the Empire State Building in New York, there is a secret observation deck that not a lot of people know about. To access the balcony, you have to take a series of elevators and then a very steep, narrow staircase. The observation deck isn’t open to the public, but many celebrities have been photographed there.
Eiffel Tower
There is a secret apartment and office at the very top of the Eiffel Tower that has just recently become open to the public. In 1889, Gustave Eiffel, the engineer of this famous Paris landmark, built himself a private apartment and office. It has been restored and has wax models of Gustave, his daughter, and American inventor Thomas Edison on display.
Statue of Liberty
There is actually a room in the torch of the Statue of Liberty that showcases breathtaking views of the city. People used to be able to visit that room until 1916 when German agents blew up a nearby wharf (码头). The explosion sent broken pieces into the raised arm of Lady Liberty, making the staircase up to the hidden room unsafe.
Disneyland
Hardcore Disney fans might think they know all of the secrets of the park, a famous U.S. landmark, but many haven’t heard of Club 33. This exclusive restaurant is hidden behind an unmarked door in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. If you want to dine here on your next trip to Disneyland, don’t get your hopes up. It costs $25,000 to join the club, plus an annual fee of $12,000.
1. What do the monuments have in common?A.They are all in Europe. |
B.They all have skyscrapers. |
C.They are all the best-known. |
D.They all hide little-known secrets. |
A.Disneyland. | B.Eiffel Tower. |
C.Statue of Liberty. | D.Empire State Building. |
A.Attractive. | B.Expensive. |
C.Wonderful. | D.Beautiful. |
3 . Today, we visit one of the most famous parks — Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. This huge park in the southeastern part of the state covers more than 10 thousand square kilometers of the Alaskan wilderness. It includes mountains, glaciers, fjords (峡湾), and even rain forests. Glacier Bay supports hundreds of kinds of animals, including many species of birds, fish, bears, whales and sea lions.
As its name suggests much of Glacier Bay is covered by glaciers. A glacier is a large area of ice that moves slowly down a slope or valley, or over a wide area of land. Glaciers cover a large area of the park.
The glaciers found in the park today are what remain from an ice development known as the Little Ice Age. That period began about 4,000 years ago. During the Little Ice Age, the cold weather caused the ice to grow and develop. That growth continued until the 1700s, when the climate began to warm. The hotter temperatures caused the ice to start melting (融化). That melting led the huge glacier to divide into more than 1,000 different glaciers.
The extremely tall mountains seen in Glacier Bay were formed by the ice developing and then melting over time. The melting of the ice also created water that filled in and created the many fjords within the park. Fjords are narrow parts of the ocean that sit between cliffs or mountains.
Glacier Bay is a popular place for people searching for adventure. Some visitors choose to explore the park by kayak. The small, narrow boats offer visitors a chance to experience the park’s many fjords and its hundreds of kilometers of coastline.
1. If you pay a visit to Glacier Bay, you will find ________.A.it almost covers the whole Alaskan wilderness |
B.the rain forests are rare in such conditions |
C.there live numbers of kinds of animals |
D.there are more birds than other species |
A.Some glaciers existed there long long ago. |
B.Greenhouse effect has affected the glaciers. |
C.The glaciers will disappear in the soon future. |
D.Only 1,000 large glaciers are left at present. |
A.They are formed on the top of mountains. | B.The melting of the ice is also called fjords. |
C.Water is the source of creating many fjords. | D.Fjords move as the oceans flow around. |
A.To do a research about Glacier Bay. | B.To warn visitors there are too many dangers. |
C.To show Glacier Bay has a long history. | D.To introduce Glacier Bay to readers. |
4 . Best places to visit in the UK
The United Kingdom has long been a favourite European tourist destination for many because of its beautiful countryside, historical cities, top museums and outstanding theaters. Here are some of the best places to visit in the UK.
Cambridge
Cambridge is a charming English city located on the River Cam just north of London. As the home to one of the world’s top universities, the University of Cambridge, it has all of the cultural and entertainment options you might expect from a college town.
Chester
Located on the River Dee in Cheshire England, Chester is more than 2,000 years old, which means there is plenty of history, culture and architecture on hand lasting several centuries. The Roman and medieval (中世纪的) walls around the city are one of the Chester’s biggest tourists attractions.
Stonehenge
One of the most famous sites in the world, Stonehenge consists of earthworks surrounding a circular setting of large standing stones in southwest England. It is also home to some of the most important Neolithic and Bronze Age finds and structures in the UK. It was not until 1600 BC that Stonehenge came to be completed.
Lake District
Located in northwest England, the Lake District is the second largest National Park in the UK. The main attractions are the lakes, mountains and hills carved by glacial erosion (冰川侵蚀) and providing dramatic and inspiring scenery. It is England’s famous destination for hiking and climbing.
1. What will you do in Cambridge?A.Do various shopping. | B.Meet famous people. |
C.Visit the top university. | D.Enjoy wonderful music |
A.It is a college town. | B.It offers exciting scenery. |
C.It is a city with a long history. | D.It has a great many monuments. |
A.To explain why the UK is so famous. |
B.To introduce some great places in the UK. |
C.To recommend ways of transport in the UK. |
D.To tell us which university is the most popular in the UK. |
5 . Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museums, cycling culture and so on. It is the capital city of the Netherlands and often referred to as the “Venice of the North” because of its expansive system of bridges and canals. Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.
Must-See Attractions
Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre, which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers, and coffee shops. You’ll also want to check out Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter in the South District, which is great for shopping at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark. The top museums to visit there are the Rijksmusuem, the Ann Frank House, and the Van Gogh Museum.
If You Have Time
There are several other unique districts in Amsterdam, and you should try to explore as many of them as time allows. The Canal Ring is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that was originally built to attract wealthy home owners and is a center for celebrity spotting and nightlife today. The Plantage area has most of the city’s museums and the botanical gardens.
Money Saving Tips
●Unless you really want to see the tulips(郁金香) blooming, avoid booking between mid-March and mid-May. This is when hotel and flight prices rise.
●Look for accommodations in Amsterdam’s South District, where rates are generally cheaper than in the city center.
●Buy train tickets at the machine instead of the counter to save a bit of money.
●Instead of hiring a tour guide, hop on a canal boat. They’re inexpensive and will give you a unique point of view of the city.
Check out our homepage to view price comparisons for flights, hotels, and rental cars before you book.
1. What can be learned about Amsterdam from this passage?A.The Van Gogh Museum lies in the South District. |
B.The Canal Ring is a place to attract garden lovers. |
C.The Old Centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. |
D.Amsterdam is called the “Venice of the North” because of its location. |
A.arrange a guided tour | B.buy train tickets at the counter |
C.reserve a hotel in the South District | D.book flights between mid-March and mid-May |
A.A magazine. | B.An essay. | C.A report. | D.A website. |
6 . When it comes to planning a student trip, there are few better choices than our nation’s capital. There are many places of interest in Washington, DC, with sites that will attract students who are interested in everything from history, art, to STEM. Don’t miss these must-see sites on your trip to Washington, DC.
Smithsonian Museums
Managed by the Smithsonian Institution, admission (入场券) is free, and all locations are open every day except December 25. Students will love the exhibitions of the National Air and Space Museum, and everyone can enjoy the National Zoo, which is home to giant pandas, Sumatran tigers, and much more.
National Gallery (画廊) of Art
This is an amazing place for students interested in art. It includes the East Building and the West Building and houses the gallery’s more modern works and a collection of older works. The museum welcomes visitors from 10 am to 5 pm from Monday to Saturday and 11 am to 6 pm on Sundays. There is a variety of free self-guided and audio (音频) tours available.
Newseum
The Newseum aims to increase public awareness of the importance of a free press. Visitors can experience the story of news, the role of a free press in major events in history and how freedom of speech is applied to their lives.
Mount Vernon
Only 16 miles south of Washington, DC lies Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. This historic place features beautiful gardens and wonderfully kept grounds. The outbuildings surrounding the main house still run today. Visitors can tour these structures in addition to the inside of the main house and go there by subway.
1. In Smithsonian Museums, students _________A.are allowed to drive space ships |
B.can get in close contact with nature |
C.can watch animals and learn space knowledge |
D.are free to visit the National Zoo at Christmas |
A.Students can enjoy famous artworks of different times there. |
B.Some artists offer to teach visitors to draw for free |
C.It just opens to the public from Monday to Saturday. |
D.It helps visitors choose their favorite guide. |
A.Newseum. | B.Mount Vernon. |
C.Smithsonian Museums. | D.National Gallery of Art. |
7 . The Silk Road is arguably the most famous long-distance trade route of the ancient world. This passage connected Europe in the West with China in the East, and allowed the exchange of goods, technology, and ideas between the two civilizations. Although merchants could make huge profits travelling the road, it was not without risk.
The main Silk Road started in Chang’an (known today as Xi’an), the early Han capital. Travelers commencing their journey from this city could take a northern route that would take them across China’s northwestern provinces. After this, they would face the Gobi Desert, arguably the greatest danger of the Silk Road.
The Gobi Desert, the largest desert in Asia, consists mainly of rocky, hard earth. This feature made it easier for traders to travel across, compared to sandy deserts like the neighboring Taklamakan Desert. Like other deserts, the Gobi Desert is dry and hot, and therefore the biggest challenge travelers faced was obtaining enough water for themselves as well as for their camels.
So, rest stops were created along the route, allowing travelers to rest, eat and drink. These places also promoted the exchange of goods, and even ideas, amongst the travelers who stopped there. Usually, the rest stops were placed within a day’s journey of each other. In this way, travelers could avoid spending too much time in the desert, which would make them targets for robbers, another danger of the Silk Road.
Once through the Gobi Desert, travelers would continue their journey into Iran, Turkey, and finally Europe. While this part of the journey may have been less dangerous, it is not entirely without its perils (风险).
1. The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to _________.A.making huge profits | B.traveling the Silk Road |
C.exchanging goods and ideas | D.connecting different civilizations |
A.The desert’s surface was easier to walk on. |
B.Camels for transportation were easier to find. |
C.It was smaller and could be crossed in less time. |
D.There were more natural water sources available. |
A.Travelers were offered free accommodation. |
B.They were located around the edges of the desert. |
C.They were shared by travelers from different countries. |
D.Exchanging goods and ideas there was entirely without risk. |
A.The origins of the Silk Road. |
B.The benefits of the Silk Road. |
C.The difficulties faced by Silk Road travelers. |
D.The cultural exchanges among Silk Road travelers. |
A river is a flowing (流动的), moving stream of water. Usually a river feeds water into an ocean, lake, pond, or even another river. Rivers can vary in size and there is no hard rule on how big a flow of water must be to be called as a river. Here are five famous rivers in the world.
_______①______
It is about 4144 miles (1 mile = 1609.44 meters) long. It is located in the continent of Africa, mostly in the countries of Egypt and Sudan. It flows north into the Mediterranean Sea.
_______②______
It is about 4026 miles long. It is located in the continent of South America and flows through several countries including Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, and Ecuador. It ends at the Atlantic Ocean.
_______③______
Located in China, it is about 3975 miles long and flows into the East China Sea.
The Mississippi River and the Missouri River
The river system of the Mississippi River and the Missouri River is the longest river system in North America at about 3891 miles. It flows south into the Gulf of Mexico.
_______④______
It starts in Mongolia and flows through Russia to the Kara Sea in the Arctic Ocean(北冰洋). It is about 3445 miles long.
There are 76 rivers in the world. A lot of people think that rivers always flow south, but four of the ten longest rivers in the world flow north. The United States alone has around 3.5 million miles of rivers. Four of the top ten longest rivers flow through China at some point.
1. Please choose the correct one to fill in the four blanks in the passage.a. The Yenisei River (叶尼塞河) b. The Yangtze River (长江) c. The Amazon River (亚马孙河) d. The Nile River (尼罗河)
①:
2. The Nile River is
3. The Mississippi River ends at
4. How many kilometers is the Yangtze River?
5. Please translate the underlined sentence into Chinese.
9 .
Suuface area(sq mi) | Volume(cu mi) | Percentage of total | |
Salt water | |||
The oceans | 139,500,000 | 317,000,000 | 97. 2% |
Inland seas and saline lakes | 270,000 | 25,000 | 0.008 |
Fresh water | |||
Freshwater lakes | 330,000 | 30,000 | 0.009 |
All rivers(average level) | - | 300 | 0.0001 |
Antarctic Icecap | 6,000,000 | 6,300,000 | 1. 9 |
Arctic Icecap and glaciers | 900,000 | 680,000 | 0. 21 |
Water in the atmosphere | 197,000,000 | 3,100 | 0.001 |
Ground water within half a mile from surface | - | 1,000,000 | 0. 31 |
Deep-lying ground water | - | 1,000,000 | 0. 31 |
Total(rounded) | - | 326,000,000 | 100.00 |
The Antarctic Icecap is the largest supply of fresh water, representing nearly 2% of the world' s total of fresh and salt water. As can be seen from the table above, the amount of water in our atmosphere is over 10 times as much as the water in all the rivers taken together. The fresh water actually available for human use in lakes and rivers and the accessible ground water amount to only about one—third of 1% of the world' s total water supply.
1. Which two places share equal amount of fresh water?A.Freshwater lakes and all rivers(average level). |
B.Antarctic Icecap and water in the atmosphere. |
C.Deep -lying ground water and Arctic Icecap and glaciers. |
D.Ground water within half a mile from surface and Deep -lying ground water. |
A.about 1,086,700 cu m | B.about 6,300,000 cu m |
C.about 680,000 cu m | D.about 2,000,000 cu mi |
A.Fresh water. | B.Salt water. | C.Water supply. | D.Water protection. |
10 . The highest mountain in the world is Mount Everest. It is 8,848.86 meters above sea level. Many men have tried to climb this mountain but without success. High winds, cold and little oxygen have made this almost an impossible (不可能的) thing. It was not until 1953 that two men stood on the top. One of the men was Edmund Hillary from New Zealand. The other was Tenzing Norgay from Nepal. They were members of a British Expedition (探险队). There were nearly twenty people in the whole team. They spent about sixty days finishing the whole climbing. The last day, May 29th, was fine;Hillary and Tenzing started climbing as the sun rose. At half past eleven they were on top of Mount Everest. They were very glad. They wanted to stay there for some time, but they couldn't. It was too cold and dangerous. They had climbed as high as anyone can climb—they were on the top of the world.
1. When did people first climb up to the top of the world's highest mountain?A.Never. | B.On May 28, 1954. |
C.One day in 1953. | D.Nearly 60 days after May 29, 1953. |
A.High winds, cold and little oxygen | B.No cars and planes |
C.Few people | D.Winds, cold and oxygen |
A.British people. | B.An expedition. |
C.A New Zealander and a Nepalese. | D.None. |
A.Few people | B.A lot of people |
C.Only the men | D.The British people |
A.No one knows. | B.9.8 kilometers. |
C.8,848. 86 meters above sea level. | D.Above the sea level. |