1. What does the speaker mainly talk about?
A.Must-see books. |
B.Places to travel. |
C.Important travel experiences. |
A.The rock. | B.The islands. | C.The ancient city. |
A.The coast. | B.Sand stones. | C.Its culture. |
A.In the early morning. |
B.At late night. |
C.At noon. |
2 . When you swim on the beach and sea, have you ever accidentally drunk the seawater? How did it feel? It must have tasted salty. So, why is the seawater salty?
Seawater is water that comes from the ocean. Seawater can be salty because it contains an average salt content of 3.5%. This is also a place for the salt farmers to produce cooking salt and other salt.
Some theories explain that seawater comes from rainwater that falls and flows through rivers and estuaries (河口) where the seawater will be fully filled and again formed clouds because the steam uses the help of the sun. When we talk about this, we talk about the rainwater cycle. But when the rainwater cycle occurs, the water that passes through the river carries mineral salts. These mineral salts are obtained from various places of the land starting from rocks and soils that the rainwater flows through, these remaining mineral salts make seawater salty, so the salinity of seawater is different in each part of the world. But it is certain that seawater is salty or has high salinity.
The saltiest sea in the world is the Red Sea. There the temperature is extremely hot so that evaporation (蒸发) is greatly carried out. High evaporation, coupled with little rainfall and little input of water from the river, causes its highest level of salinity. There is also the Dead Sea, which is nine times saltier. Due to the high salinity, when you swim there, you can float. However, the Dead Sea is not a sea at all which is a lake geographically.
1. What’s the purpose of paragraph 1?A.To draw a conclusion. |
B.To make the article interesting. |
C.To introduce a famous beach. |
D.To bring in the topic. |
A.Land. | B.Ocean. | C.Rain. | D.Cloud. |
A.Its salinity is higher than that of the Dead Sea. |
B.The climate there causes the highest salt level. |
C.People are in danger when they swim there. |
D.The land around it contains the most salt. |
A.The reason why the seawater tastes salty |
B.The reason why the Dead Sea is not a sea |
C.The reason why the rainwater cycle occurs |
D.The reason why the sea looks blue and green |
3 . The country’s first national park, Yellowstone, is renaming one of its largest mountains to honor indigenous people after research revealed the man it had been named after helped lead a massacre (屠杀) against local tribes. As part of the park’s 150th anniversary, officials announced the 10,551-foot high peak formerly called Mount Doane is now First Peoples Mountain.
“It is a victory, yes. Is history being rewritten and retold truthfully? I hope so,” William Snell, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Tribal Leaders Council, told NPR. His group helped advise federal officials on the name change. In an email, Snell said the change to First Peoples Mountain couldn't have come at a better time as Yellowstone officials prepare for the park’s anniversary in August.
The peak—along a range on the eastern side of Yellowstone Lake—had been named after Gustavus Doane, who helped lead the Washburn-Langford-Doane exploration in 1870 that eventually led to the park getting federal protection.
But recently, historians uncovered Doane’s role in an attack that left at least 173 Native Americans dead. Known as the Marias Massacre, Doane carried out the attack over the killing of a white fur trader. In writings, Doane cast a favorable light on the attack and even showed off about it for the rest of his life, the National Park Service said last week.
The renaming to First Peoples Mountain is part of a trend to better recognize the roles and contributions of Native Americans. It has also become a priority of the nation’s first indigenous cabinet secretary—the Interior Department’s Deb Haaland, who oversees the National Park Service—and Charles SamsⅢ, the first Native American to serve as that agency’s director.
Across the American West, many iconic representative mountains and other environmental places were named after early white settlers, mostly men and some with terrible pasts.
In Yellowstone, park officials say they may consider further changes to derogatory (贬损的) or inappropriate geographical names in the months ahead.
1. Why does Yellowstone decide to rename one of its largest mountains?A.To gain more profits. | B.To uncover the history of 1870s. |
C.To be in honour of Native Americans. | D.To change people's attitude towards the park. |
A.The terrible pasts of Doane. | B.The effort historians made. |
C.The contributions Doane made. | D.The conclusion National Park Service drew. |
A.Improve the service qualities. | B.Learn from history events and characters. |
C.Protect the environment of Yellowstone Park. | D.Consider renaming improper geographical names. |
A.Doane regarded his deeds as a shame. | B.Doane was once mistaken for a hero. |
C.Americans reacted to the renaming negatively. | D.The government thought little of the renaming work. |
4 . If you think about World Heritage Sites, you probably think of places associated with ancient art and culture, historical buildings and monuments. And of course, many of these are on the World Heritage List. But the World Heritage List contains a lot of sites that are not so obvious. Some of them are well known. Let’s get to know a few of them.
Robben Island in South Africa
This island was used through the centuries as a prison, a hospital and a military base. But it’s probably most famous as a maximum-security prison for political prisoners in the twentieth century. Nelson Mandela was one of its most famous residents. The WHL says it represents the triumph (胜利) of democracy and freedom over oppression (压迫) and racism.
Borders of France and Spain
This is an area of great natural beauty and the mountains have many interesting geological formations. But it is also an area of small farms. People there still use a type of agriculture that used to be common in mountainous areas of Europe but has almost completely disappeared in modern times.
The city of Brasilia, Brazil
Brasilia is a capital city that was created from nothing in 1956. The WHL calls it a landmark in the history of town planning. The different areas of the city and the buildings themselves were all designed at the same time so that they would harmonise with each other. Every part of the city shows the ideas of the planner and architect.
Simien National Park, Ethiopia
Simien National Park was one of the first sites to be listed in 1978. It is one of the highest mountain areas in Africa, and the WHL calls it one of the most spectacular landscapes in the world. It is also important for its wildlife. It is home to some rare animals, whose population is getting smaller and smaller. That’s why the site is now on the List of World Heritage in Danger.
1. What is the passage mainly about?A.Several little known sites on the WHL. |
B.The household heritage sites on the WHL. |
C.Some of the unusual sites on the WHL. |
D.Places of artistic and historical interest on the WHL. |
A.Robben Island in South Africa. |
B.Borders of France and Spain. |
C.The city of Brasilia, Brazil. |
D.Simien National Park, Ethiopia. |
A.For its natural scenery. |
B.For its city planning. |
C.For its unique wildlife. |
D.For its special agriculture. |
5 . 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. |
6 . 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 |
If cities were people, Chengdu would be a “happy drifter (流浪汉)
It’s the leisurely and slow-paced lifestyle
One of the greatest pleasures in Chengdu is its food. Famous for the use of the tongue-numbing Sichuanese pepper corn and hot chillies, Chengdu dishes are an obsession for locals. “
In fact, according to Wang Xudong, editor-in-chief of Sichuan Cuisine magazine, Chengdu has the highest density of restaurants of any city in the world - there are around 40,000. No wonder it became the first Asian city that
Another important part of daily life is the city’s teahouses,
“Feet
1. Where exactly is Brighton?
A.15 miles from London. | B.50 miles from London. | C.50 miles from Paris. |
A.30,000. | B.130,000. | C.300,000. |
A.Because there are a lot of workers. |
B.Because there are a lot of students. |
C.Because there are a lot of travelers. |
A.Work in a steel factory. | B.Open a small shop. | C.Work in a hotel. |
1. What do we know about the woman’s hometown?
A.It’s cold in the winter. |
B.It’s a very small town. |
C.Things are expensive there. |
A.Because of the home rubbish. |
B.Because of the tourist industry. |
C.Because of the smoke from the factories. |