1 . The village of Misfat al-Abriyeen has changed its fortunes by transforming mud-brick homes into fine hotels. The village of 800 people, located on the cliffs of Oman’s “Grand Canyon“, opened its narrow streets six years ago to foreigners and locals seeking adventure in the deserts and green corners of the Gulf area.
Villager Yacoub al-Abri said it all started in 2010 when his uncle suggested they take another look at the mud houses that had lain ignored for years in the ancient settlement about three hours’ drive from the capital Muscat. The owners had abandoned the centuries-old homes, fearing they could topple, and moved to the opposite side of the village where they built new accommodation.
The brown-walled homes, made of mud bricks with palm-leave roofs, were tuned into simple but elegant inns with wood furniture and handcrafts made using sill banded down from their ancestors.“We started with only five rooms, then we increased the number and bought other old houses. Today we have 15 rooms and there are plans to continue expanding until we reach 50,” Abri said.
At an altitude of more than 1,000 meters, the tiny village which is home to the Abri tribe is a charming collection of traditional houses located along dozens of small alleys (小巷) overlooking lands bursting with banana plants and citrus and palm trees. It is part of a region known as the Grand Canyon of Oman where tourists can hike the rocky mountains and valleys, and explore the old ways of local people. The region is also famed for its centuries-old stories that are still widely told in similar villages across the country.
Renoda, a Dutch psychologist living in Muscat, was visiting with three of her friends. “It’s perhaps the 10th time that I have visited this hotel since last year. I come here for a night or two every month, seeking calm, relaxation and comfort,” she told AFP.
1. What does the underlined word “topple” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．Move. | B．Shrink. | C．Disappear. | D．Fall. |
| A．Splendid. | B．Outdated. | C．Traditional. | D．Ordinary. |
| A．The unique lifestyle of the local people. |
| B．The special location of the small village. |
| C．The introduction of the history of the village. |
| D．The attractive features of the small village. |
| A．She lives a busy life in the city. |
| B．She enjoys adventurous traveling. |
| C．She visits the villagers as part of her work. |
| D．She wants to settle down in this village permanently. |
2 . For thousands of years, Chinese writers have travelled all over the country to take down notes about the geographical conditions of each city. Among them, well-known Chinese geographer and writer Li Daoyuan, in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), composed his book, Commentary on the Water Classics, after studying the original literary version, Water Classics. He later expanded the river records to 1, 252 from the original 137.
The book is now being studied again by Professor Li Xiaojie and his team from Fudan University. They have been using drawing software and 3D modelling to recreate the waterway situations on a map based on the book description. So far, they have completed research on four rivers.
“Ancient people knew really well how to apply the power of nature to technical considerations,”Li said, giving the example of Qianjin’e, one of the most famous ancient water conservation projects in Luoyang, Henan. In order to lead the river into the city for irrigation (灌溉) in ancient Luoyang, the officials built a canal branch by separating a northwest-southeast river. However, the canal water wasn't enough to support the citizens in dry seasons. To solve that, on the northern side of the canal branch, the officials built a reservoir (水库) and a channel to lead the water to the canal branch, where the waterways would converge and flow together to the city.
In Commentary on the Water Classics, a total of 2, 800 cities are recorded with details. Still, the process of recreation takes much effort. After doing a lot of text analysis and fieldwork, the team has gradually created the model with 3D modelling software based on repeated deductions (推论).
For Professor Li, the book is not only a record of the natural landscape over 1, 000 years ago, but also a detailed description of humanity and culture and a treasure for today’s reference.
1. What can we learn about the book Commentary on the Water Classics?| A．It has been out of date. | B．It explains 3D modelling. |
| C．It keeps records of 137 rivers. | D．It is based on previous studies. |
| A．Join. | B．Pass. | C．Cross. | D．Begin. |
| A．Its major problems. | B．Its detailed analysis. |
| C．Its complex process. | D．Its successful application. |
| A．3D Technology Fuels Modern Research |
| B．Ancient Classics Inspire Modern Research |
| C．An Effective Approach to Model Recreation |
| D．A Famous Writer of Chinese Ancient Classics |
There are certain things on the Earth that we must not lose. The great animal migration across the Serengeti Plains or the towering pyramids of Egypt are such examples. Every country is proud of
The incredible splendour of heritage sites is a
It is in heritage sites like this
4 . Warm Mineral Springs Park
Step into the past at the only natural warm spring in Florida! With a consistent average temperature of 85 °F year round, Warm Mineral Springs Park provides visitors with a number of recreation options. The spring is reported to have one of the highest mineral contents of any natural spring in the United States. With highly mineralized properties, internationally known for its healing qualities, the park attracts more than 130,000 visitors annually.
At Warm Mineral Springs Park, you will find a day full of relaxation. A variety of spa services are available to those who book in advance by calling (941) 426-1692. An on-site gift shop offers diverse items and souvenirs for purchase.
Pricing
Tickets are not refundable, cannot be exchanged, and cannot be reissued if lost or stolen. Same day re-entry is permitted. Residents include all of Sarasota County. Proof of residency includes driver’s license, water bill and tax bill. Entry pricing, including sales tax, is as follows:
| Pass | Resident | Non-Resident |
| Adults (ages 18 and above) | $15 | $20 |
| Students (ages 6-17) | $11.25 | $15 |
| Children (ages 5 and younger) | FREE | FREE |
| Annual Pass | $1,125 | $2,000 |
| 10 Visit Pass | $112.50 | $150 |
| 30 Visit Pass | $150 | $200 |
General Rules
To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all visitors, please respect the following rules:
♦ Children 10 years and younger must stay in the children’s area.
♦Children ages 11-16 must remain in the outer border.
♦You must be 17 years or older to swim in the middle.
♦No toys are allowed in the water.
♦No food or drinks in the water.
♦No visitors may block the entrance or exit ramps (坡道).
♦Devices for the producing or reproducing of sound are prohibited.
For Daily Programming, Contact: (941) 426-1692
Hours of Operation: Monday through Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Open every day, with the exception of December 25.
1. What makes Warm Mineral Springs Park unique in Florida?| A．The natural spring. | B．The recreation options. |
| C．The average temperature. | D．The mineral contents. |
| A．$11.25 | B．$22.50 | C．$15 | D．$30 |
| A．Visitors can purchase souvenirs all year round. |
| B．The entrance or exit ramps aren’t available to visitors. |
| C．Activity zones are separated according to the age of visitors. |
| D．Each visitor to the park can relax himself through spa services. |
1．南通的地理位置；
2．南通的气候、物产、风景名胜等；
3．欢迎他来南通参观。
注意：
1．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
2．词数80左右，开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Mark,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
Covering 7 million square kilometers of jungle and river over eight countries, the Amazon Rainforest is home to millions of sorts of plants and animals, some of
The Amazon Basin
With the destruction of the Amazon Rainforest, global warming becomes more of a threat. It is up to each individual to fight against the
7 . Earth’s longest artificial structure is usually said to be the Great Wall of China. Just how long that is is hard to say, for northern China actually has many walls, built at different times and not always interconnecting. Earth’s second-longest artificial structure, though, is not a wall, but a fence. Its length is known exactly. It stretches for 5,614km across eastern Australia and is intended to stop the country’s native feral dogs, the dingoes, which live mainly to its north, from preying on sheep, which are farmed mainly to its south.
Australia’s dingo fence is remarkable. But it does not stand alone. Millions of kilometres of fences wrap the world. Some are intended to control the movement of animals, some the movement of people, and some merely to mark the limits of territory, so that everyone knows who owns what. Even fences built for other purposes, though, often serve to limit animals, too. Such worries are not foolish. Hardening borders in Central Asia, coupled with the expansion of fenced railways, have reduced numbers of another large, endangered mammal, the saiga antelope.
No sitting on the fence, please Smarter fencing can help. In the American West, for example, Montana and Wyoming are mounting campaigns to replace decades-old fences with ones that are more ecologically friendly. The changes required are often small. Making fences low enough for deer to jump over helps.
Adding poles improves a fence’s visibility, stopping unfortunate collisions at speed. And not all wire need be barbed(带倒刺).
There is, though, also a need to paint a clearer picture of where fences are, and to remove those past their prime. Such structures are seldom well-documented and are difficult to pick out in satellite photographs, so doing this can be hard. Jeffrey Masek, a specialist in Earth-imaging at NASA, America’s space agency, suggests instead using commercial drones, which fly at low enough altitudes to capture detailed pictures. Deserted fences are of use to neither man nor beast. To beasts, in fact, they are positively disgusting.
1. The first paragraph is developed mainly .| A．by example | B．by listing data | C．by comparison | D．by contrast |
| A．They control the movement of animals. |
| B．They may harm the movement of people. |
| C．They may go beyond the original purposes. |
| D．They did harm to environmental protection. |
| A．Remove all the current fences. |
| B．Prevent some unfortunate collisions at speed. |
| C．Change the height and appearance of fences. |
| D．Make the fences more appealing in appearance. |
| A．The need to take clear photos of fences. |
| B．The importance of knowing the location of fences. |
| C．The damage of the deserted fences to humans and beasts. |
| D．The tools in helping deal with fences. |
8 . First established as a state capital in 229 CE, Nanjing, China, has long been one of the country’s most important (and largest) inland river ports and is recognized as one of the Four Great Ancient Capitals of China.
Why do people love it?
What’s it like living here?
For those who miss the foods of home, there’s no shortage of foreign restaurants and cafes that cater to expats and international students.
Residents rave about how affordable Nanjing is compared to other Chinese cities, especially when it comes to housing.
In general, a certain traditionalism and conservatism can be felt more strongly here than in other Chinese cities, which can make it more of a challenge to make local friends quickly. The language and cultural barrier tends to be high.
| A．Rent for an 85-sq-m apartment is more than 50% cheaper than Beijing and 65% less than Shanghai. |
| B．If you want to experience more of Nanjing’s past, the streets of Lao Men Dong is a must-see. |
| C．As a result, natural sites often appear in unexpected areas of the city. |
| D．Though home to 8.3 million people, Nanjing is one of the few big cities left in China to offer easy access to peace. |
| E．The city also has plenty of low-key and live-music clubs. |
| F．Getting around the city is easy. |
| G．So learning and speaking Mandarin Chinese can help with integrating into the local community. |
9 . Lost cities that have been found
The White City
In 2015, a team of explorers to Honduras in search of “the Lost City of the Monke God” led to the discovery of the White City. It is believed that local people hid here when the Spanish conquerors (征服者) occupied their homeland in the16th century.
Canopus and Heracleion
The Egyptian cities Canopus and Heracleion, where Queen Cleopatra often visited, weren’t found until 1992. Artifacts (史前器物) showed that the cities once highly developed as a trade network, which helped researchers piece together more about the last queen of Egypt.
Machu Picchu
A Yale professor discovered “the Lost City in the Clouds” in 1911. Machu Picchu displays the Inca Empire at the height of its rule. Abandoned in the 16th century for unknown reasons, the city was hidden by the local people from the Spanish conquerors for centuries keeping it so well preserved.
Troy
The ancient city of Troy in Homer’s The Iliad was considered a fictional setting for his characters to run wild. But in 1871, explorations in northwestern Turkey exposed nine ancient cities layered (层叠) on top of each other, the earliest dating back to about 5,000 years before. It was later determined that the sixth or seventh layer contained the lost city of Troy and that it was actually destroyed by an earthquake, not a wooden horse.
1. Why did people hide in the White City in the 16th century?| A．To survive the war. | B．To save the land. |
| C．To protect their country. | D．To search for a lost city. |
| A．The White City | B．Canopus and Heracleion |
| C．Machu Picchu | D．Troy |
| A．It was built by Homer. | B．It consisted of nine cities |
| C．It had a history of 5,000 years | D．It was ruined by a natural disaster. |
