1 . It is always said that China is the homeland of tea, which has a very long history of tea.     1     However, unlike the western custom of using a convenient teabag, Chinese go to a lot of effort and time to prepare good tea for their guests, using tea leaves, natural spring water and a special kettle etc. to create worldwide famous tea culture. Tea is not just a drinkable beverage(饮料), but also a taste of Chinese traditional culture and inheritance(继承) of spirit. Unsurprisingly, there are various tea leaves in China.     2    

➢Color

    3     Good green tea leaves have jade green with fresh vitality. Twisted pan green tea shows glossy gray green. If some of the tea leaves have dry, dark and brown colors, it means it is old tea. If the leaves have mixed, large contrast colors, it is believed that the tea is mixed with yellow leaves, old leaves and even old tea, which does not live up to the standard of good tea.

➢Flavor(味道)

New tea is extremely clear and transparent with strong aroma(芳香), while old tea is characterized by brown color and weak fragrance. Take green tea and black tea for example, new green tea tastes a little bitter first, and then the fresh sweet taste begins to surface gradually, leaving a long and memorable after taste in mouth.     4    

➢Place of origin

There is great gap of quality among various places of origin.     5     For example, it is well-known that Yunnan produces the best quality Pu'er tea and premium Oolong tea can be found within Fujian Province.

A．Every tea leaf has its own shape.

B．Some varieties are identified by tightness of the leaves.

C．It is always advised to select tea from its main producing areas.

D．While you’re selecting tea, you should pay attention to following aspects.

E．For foreigners in China, drinking tea may seem like simple refreshment(提神).

F．Generally, new tea leaves look fresh and pleasing, with light green or dark green.

G．On the contrary, if bitter taste takes the lead and fresh sweet taste subsides(减弱), it is black tea.

2 . Discover America —— California

San Francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf is a historic marketplace on the seafront with smart restaurants, shops and street performers. Visit Ghirardelli Square, home to the amazing Ghirardelli Ice Cream and Chocolate Shop, and Pier (码头) 39, a lively marketplace with shops, restaurants and music. From here you can take a boat trip round the Bay.

Golden Gate Bridge

Connecting San Francisco and Marin County, this is the largest suspension bridge (吊桥) in the world and one of the most famous California landmarks. As you cross the 4200-foot bridge below the famous orange towers, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views of the entire Bay Area.

Venice Beach

This is where skateboarding started, so you must visit the famous skate park right on the beach. Also watch the bodybuilders at Muscle Beach Gym, which is where Arnold Schwarzenegger started his career.

Hollywood

You can stand in the footprints of Jonny Depp at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and then meet his wax model, along with Hugh Jackman, Lance Armstrong, and Brad and Angelina, all at Madame Tussauds Hollywood. Discover how films are made at the working movie studio at Universal Studios Hollywood, where there are also exciting park rides and shows.

Los Angeles

Have you ever wanted to record yourself? Now you can at the fascinating Grammy Museum. You can also learn how to dance like Michael Jackson, and find out about the links between blues and rap.

Disneyland

One of the most magical places in the world, Disneyland Park has hundreds of rides such as Space Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure, Matterhorn and Pirates of the Caribbean. A day in Disneyland is a day you will never forget!

1. At Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, tourists can ______________.

A．take exciting park rides

B．take a boat tour around the bay

C．have a good taste of delicious chocolate

D．enjoys a good view of the historic marketplace

2. Those who are fond of skateboarding won’t miss _____________.

A．Venice Beach	B．Fisherman’s Wharf
C．Disneyland Park	D．Muscle Beach Gym

3. Travellers go to Grammy Museum in Los Angleles to _____________.

A．enjoy the famous local ice cream

B．watch Arnold Schwarzenegger build his body

C．learn about the connection between blues and rap

D．have a look at the wax models of some famous people

3 . Ask people to name the world's tallest peak and anybody with sound general knowledge will name Mount Qomolangma. But quiz them on its exact __and many will be not sure.

In 1975, Chinese surveyors __ that Mount Qomolangma （Mount Everest） was 8848. 13 meters high. As __ improved, satellites, photoelectricity, radars and gravity measurement technologies were __ to get more exact figures. Of course, someone still had to carry __ to what is the world's rooftop.

In 2005, a Chinese team scaled Qomolangma and found that it was not as high as that, as they __ the height to be 8844. 43 meters. Scaling Qomolangma is no __ task. The average air temperature there is -29 degrees Celsius, even four degrees_____ than in Antarctica. The snow there is 4 —5 meters thick and hurricane-like __ blow all the time. Team members were training to __the extreme conditions.

In a nutshell, measuring the Qomolangma's height is a tall order, __ huge amounts of money and human resources, But it is worth the_____. Qomolangma is the perfect __ for observing crustal （地壳的）movements. And changes to the peak's height could __ whether the two plates are heading toward or away from each other.

Besides, the condition of snow and other natural materials at the top is an indicator of upcoming climate change on the Tibet-Qinghai Plateau. That's __ measuring the Qomolangma's height is so significant. Put to good use, it can benefit mankind.

1.

A．location

B．appearance

C．area

D．height

2.

A．determined

B．assumed

C．estimated

D．admitted

3.

A．condition

B．technology

C．society

D．economy

4.

A．employed

B．expected

C．approached

D．inspired

5.

A．weapons

B．vehicles

C．instruments

D．packages

6.

A．changed

B．calculated

C．extended

D．expanded

7.

A．glorious

B．easy

C．admirable

D．tough

8.

A．colder

B．hotter

C．higher

D．lower

9.

A．snows

B．rains

C．winds

D．snowflakes

10.

A．cope with

B．fight for

C．take on

D．carry out

11.

A．wasting

B．spending

C．overcoming

D．involving

12.

A．effort

B．loss

C．harvest

D．achievement

13.

A．channel

B．window

C．solution

D．entrance

14.

A．measure

B．foresee

C．indicate

D．expose

15.

A．where

B．how

C．why

D．whether

4 . America's Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Spring

Washington, D.C.

Every spring, Washington, D.C.is blanketed in pink with cherry blossoms. To celebrate the event, come to the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which takes place from the last week in March to the second week in April. You can view the flowers or take part in festival events.

Charleston, South Carolina

No list of beautiful spring cities would be complete without mention of Charleston, South Carolina. Delight in hanging plants, cobblestone streets, and historical castles. And because of year-round pleasant temperatures, you might even hit a beach day in March or April.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

The North Cascades is home to everything from mountains to forests to grassland, and the scenery changes seasonally. In spring—the snow disappears to bring strong waterfalls, and wildflowers spot the land. Different areas will present totally unique plants, so give yourself a few days to take in the sights.

Central Park, New York

New York is the city that never sleeps, no matter what the season, but springtime is the best time to take a walk through Central Park. It is one of the most filmed locations in the world. A spring time promises walks past Victorian houses, a brief visit to ancient shops, and of course long walks by the lake.

1. Which is the best time to visit Washington, D.C.?

A．March 15.	B．April 1.
C．March 8.	D．April 28.

2. Charleston is worth a visit in spring for________.

A．cherry blossoms and various celebrations

B．pleasant weather and historical castles

C．strong waterfalls and wild flowers

D．Victorian houses, old shops, and long walks

3. If Tom is interested in movies, he may visit_________ .

A．Central Park, New York	B．North Cascades National Park
C．Charleston	D．Washington, D.C.

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

2. We know that in Northwestern Venezuela,          .

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

3. What has the greatest influence on the colors of the lightning?

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

4. From the last paragraph,we learn that          .

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 . 我校校报Superview需要一些介绍中国著名省市的稿件。请根据以下提示，用英语写一篇介绍云南省的短文，并投稿。

地名	云南省（南部美丽的云彩）
位置	最云南的省份
面积	393,000平方公里
民族	拥有25个少数民族
地理特征	拥有高山，湖泊和热带雨林
稀有动物	被誉为“动物王国”，有金丝猴，亚洲象等
植物	“世界花园”，拥有世界上一半的植物物种
自然奇观	石林、虎跳峡等

要求：1.可适当填加细节，以使行文连贯；

2.词数100词左右。

参考词汇：石林Stone Forest             虎跳峡Tiger Leaping Gorge             物种species
热带雨林rainforest             少数民族ethnic minority
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