1 . Welcome to Santa Cruz County. It is home to rough coastline and it’s the main destination for many hiking adventurers!
California King Tides Are Coming!
California King Tides are coming back to Santa Cruz County, and this season you have even more opportunities to enjoy these impressive tides! These naturally occurring and predictable events are when the highest and lowest tides hit our shores and create an even more dramatic coastline.
Winter Wildlife Getaway!
This season marks the start of the best wildlife watching on the California coast! Migrating whales and many special birds make December and January the perfect time for a wildlife adventure.
Magic Monarch Butterfly!
In Santa Cruz, we like to celebrate all creatures great and small, especially those of the migrating variety. On one hand, we are attracted by the sight of a whale surfaceing from the depths of the sea and, on the other hand, we delight in the attractive magic of a flying monarch butterfly.
County Shores!
Explore Santa Cruz County shores, and you’ll delight in rock y tide pools full of unique sea creatures. While exploring local tide pools, remember to have respect for your surroundings.
Care & Safety
Never turn your back on the ocean. Sleeper waves are a real phenomenon, and can sweep you away at any time.
We know how wonderful it might be to touch a plant or catch a fish from its waters, but disrupting tide pool life harms its inhabitants. Even if you think you’re saving a fish that appears to be pushed out of water, it’s best to leave it be. The tide will finally return it.
1. What are California King Tides like?| A．Unpredictable. | B．Splendid. | C．Ordinary. | D．Destructive. |
| A．Spring. | B．Summer. | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
| A．Handle them gently. | B．Catch them immediately. |
| C．Leave them where they are. | D．Take them back to the ocean. |
2 . A famous magazine, Amusement Today, does a survey among park lovers every year both in the US and overseas, based on which, “Top 5 List of the Best Amusement Parks in the World” has come out as follows:
Disneyland, California
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California, the US. More than 515 million guests have traveled to this American landmark from around the world since the park first opened to guests on July 17, 1955. The park consists of many world-famous sections, such as Main Street, Adventure land, New Orleans Square, and so on.
Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida
Magic Kingdom is a theme park within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, near Orlando opened on October 1, 1971. It is the most famous theme park in Florida. The park’s design and attractions don’t make much difference from Disneyland Park in Anaheim.
EPCOT, Disney World, Florida
EPCOT is the second theme park built at the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida. The park opened on October 1, 1982, and was named EPCOT Center from 1982 to 1993. It was the largest Disney theme park in the world until 1998, when Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened.
DisneyMGM Studios, Florida
MGM’s streets are the home for some great moviethemed attractions with a history of less than 30 years. With the addition of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and the Rock and Roller Coaster, the park is now home to Disney World’s most thrilling rides.
Universal Studios, Florida
Go behind the scenes, beyond the screen and jump right into the action of your favorite movies at Universal Studios, the number one movie and TV theme park in the world.
1. Which of the following theme parks have similar attractions?| A．Disneyland & Magic Kingdom. |
| B．Disneyland & Universal Studios. |
| C．EPCOT & DisneyMGM Studios. |
| D．Magic Kingdom & Universal Studios. |
| A．Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Florida. |
| B．DisneyMGM Studios, Florida. |
| C．EPCOT, Disney World, Florida. |
| D．Disneyland, California. |
| A．To attract tourists to these theme parks. |
| B．To increase the sales of Amusement Today. |
| C．To introduce world’s best amusement parks. |
| D．To compare attractions in different theme parks. |
3 . For some experienced Chinese travelers who have visited many destinations at home and abroad, their focus has changed toward exploring the less traveled domestic road and sharing their stories online.
Tuotuo and Susu are known for their first-person video blogs about less visited destinations in China. The couple’s short videos attract over 1.66 million followers on Sina Weibo, many of whom are youngsters with an urge to travel.
The couple has traveled to quaint villages where tourists seldom visit. For example, they visited Laozhai village in Lingshan county, Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region (自治区). The ancient Yao ethnic group village only has about 200 residents (居民) in 48 households.
During their travels, Tuotuo and Susu dine and rub shoulders with the locals and enjoy rural life. “These travels allow us to meet many interesting Chinese people and experience their unique lifestyles,” said 33-year-old Tuotuo.
However, the couple’s travels aren’t always without challenges. For example, when they visited a cattle-farming family in Yangdong village, Liping county, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous region in Guizhou, they had to drive on a winding road and a bumpy mud path, but the wonderful view of fields proved to be worthwhile.
“It’s like a Land of Peach Blossom in modern society. Their material life may not be as good as those in big cities, but they lead a life of ease and comfort,” Tuotuo said.
“Rather than common scenic areas, frequent visitors prefer in-depth travel and are interested in the local lifestyles and local people. For them, tourism has become a kind of lifestyle, and lifestyle has also become an essential part of tourism,” said Liu Simin, vice president of tourism at the Beijing-based Chinese Society for Future Studies.
1. Where can we probably learn about Tuotuo’s traveling video blogs?| A．From the advertisement. | B．From the Internet. |
| C．From the travel brochure. | D．From the textbook. |
| A．Old-fashioned and unusual. | B．Newly-built and wonderful. |
| C．Well-known and modern. | D．Long-standing and wealthy. |
| A．They will probably live in the country. |
| B．They hate good material life in big cities. |
| C．They are deeply attracted by local lifestyles. |
| D．They are more interested in traveling abroad. |
| A．The couple’s travels are always challenging. |
| B．The scenery in the country is quite impressive. |
| C．The conditions in Yangdong village are very poor. |
| D．Difficulties on the way won’t discourage the couple. |
4 . Visit London’s most famous places of interest on one of these top London sightseeing tours. Don’t forget your camera!
Warner Bros. Studio Tour
Take the Warner Bros. Studio Tour for a lively, behind-the-scenes look at film-making. What attracts the tourists most are the sets, costumes and props from the Harry Potter film series. They can experience the British art, technology and talent that produced world-famous movies at Warner Bros. Studio Tour. (Tickets from￡63)
City Cruises Sightseeing Tours
Have a sightseeing tour on the Thames with City Cruises. Sit back, relax, and enjoy London’s top sights and attractions from the river. You can also enjoy a special lunch, dinner or an afternoon tea with a view you’ll never forget. (Tickets from ￡9.75)
Walking and Bike Tours
Spread your legs and explore London on a guided walking or bike tour. Choices include a celebrity walking tour of Notting Hill, a walk around Westminster by gaslight, a Jack the Ripper tour, a London street markets walk, and bike tours around secret attractions and royal London. (Tickets from￡10)
Houses of Parliament
Follow the same steps the Queen takes when she opens a session at the Houses of Parliament. Stand behind the Prime Minister’s seat in the House of Commons and see Cromwell’s death warrant for Charles I. Use the guided audio tour to recreate the atmosphere of government and learn about its historical significance. (Tickets from￡18.50)
1. If you are crazy about Harry Potter, you can choose .| A．Walking and Bike Tours | B．City Cruises Sightseeing Tours |
| C．Houses of Parliament | D．Warner Bros. Studio Tour |
| A．make a walking tour of Notting Hill |
| B．enjoy sights and attractions from the Thames River |
| C．see Cromwell’s death warrant for Charles I |
| D．watch world-famous movies produced at Westminster |
| A．￡19.5 | B．￡20 | C．￡37 | D．￡126 |
5 . China is one of the world’s ancient civilizations and has the earliest outstanding bronze casting technology. Here we’ve created a list of 4 museums where you can gain an in-depth understanding of Chinese bronze.
Sanxingdui Museum
Address: Sanxingdui Ruin Site, 133 Xian Road, Guanghan, Deyang, Sichuan province
Hours: Comprehensive Gallery (the first exhibition hall): 8:30-18:00; Bronze Gallery (the second exhibition hall): 8:30-18:30. Last tickets sold at 17:00. Closed on the morning of Chinese New Year’s Eve
Ticket booking: 0838-5651526
General admission: Gallery ticket 80 yuan
Note: Children shorter than 1.2m (including 1.2m) can visit the gallery free of charge. The ticket must be used on the day it is sold and authorizes one visit to each gallery.
National Museum of China
Address: East side of Tian’anmen Square, Dongcheng district, Beijing
Hours: 8:30-17:00 (no entry after 16:30)
General admission: Free (passport required for entry), Closed Mondays (except for national holidays)
E-mail: webmaster@chnmuseum.cn
Shanghai Museum
Address: 201 Renmin Avenue, Huangpu district, Shanghai
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (no entry after 16:00), Closed Mondays (except for national holidays)
E-mail: webmaster@shanghai-museum.org
General admission: free (a max of 8, 000 admitted daily)
Hunan Museum
Address: 50 Dongfeng Road, Changsha, Hunan province
Hours: 9:00-17:00 (no entry after 16:00), Closed Mondays (except for national holidays) and the eve of Chinese New Year
Tel: (+86-731) 8415833, 84475933
E-mail: web@hnmuseum.com
General admission: Free (passport required for entry)
1. Which museum should you choose for your family to visit next Monday?| A．Sanxingdui Museum | B．Hunan Museum |
| C．Shanghai Museum | D．National Museum of China |
| A．They are all free of charge. | B．They all set a deadline for entry. |
| C．They all lie in the south of China. | D．They can all be available through E-mail. |
| A．Science | B．Today’s News | C．Entertainment | D．History and Culture |
6 . Over the last century, engineers all over the world have spared no effort to achieve the unachievable in bridge design.
Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge
No bridge is as long as the Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge in the world. The 164.8-kilometre-long bridge built in 2011 in China serves as part of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Railway. The trip from Ningbo to Jiaxing that previously took 4.5 hours has been reduced to two, thanks to this bridge.
Rio-Niterói Bridge
Completed in 1974, the Rio-Niterói Bridge in Brazil is the second-longest bridge in all of Latin America connecting the cities of Rio and Niterói across the Guanabara Bay. The Rio-Niterói Bridge is technically known as a “box-girder (箱形梁)” bridge, made of special concrete. It receives an astonishing 140,000 (or more) vehicles per day.
Hartland Covered Bridge
The Hartland Covered Bridge is the world’s longest covered bridge. The 1,282-foot-long bridge was opened in 1901 and has been on Canada’s list of National Historic Sites since 1980. Although it was originally built without a roof, the bridge was capped with wooden materials during the repairs in 1921.
Jiaozhou Bay Bridge
The newly-built Jiaozhou Bay Bridge in China was named “world’s longest bridge over water” by Guinness Book of World Records in 2011, a title previously held by the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The dispute was settled when the title of “longest continuous bridge over water” was given to the causeway, with the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge receiving the title of “longest bridge over water”.
1. On which of the following can trains pass?| A．Danyang-Kunshan Grand Bridge. |
| B．Rio-Niterói Bridge. |
| C．Hartland Covered Bridge. |
| D．Jiaozhou Bay Bridge. |
| A．It is a busy bridge. | B．It was built in 1980. |
| C．It has a roof. | D．It is a wooden bridge. |
| A．In America. | B．In Brazil. | C．In Canada. | D．In China. |
7 . I live in Xizhou in Yunnan Province, on the historic Tea Horse Road. I have to admit that when I first heard that Paul Salopek was going to walk the entire globe on his own two feet, I was blown away. I couldn’t imagine that there could be such an unusual person in the world.
Last May, I met Paul. He told me that it was his first time in China. He talked to me with great excitement about the history, migrations, and discoveries in my region of China. He spoke of the Shu-Yandu Dao (the Southern Silk Road), the travels of the 17th-century Chinese explorer Xu Xiake, the Tea Horse Road and the early 20th-century American botanist Joseph Rock. He also talked of Xuanzang. Paul considered many of them heroes and in a sense Chinese pioneers of slow journalism.
I decided to accompany Paul on his walk toward Yunnan. On September 28, 2021, we set out. Our days were simple: walk, eat, sleep, and repeat. We woke up at sunrise, set off in high spirits, and rested at sunset, dragging ourselves into exhausted sleep.
We met many people on the road. Some were curious, surrounding us and watching us; some gave us directions; some invited us into their home to take a rest; some spoke of the charm of their hometown. We met many beautiful souls, simple souls and warm souls. We were walking with our minds.
Together, we were impressed by the biodiversity of the Gaoligong Mountains. As I walked on ancient paths through mountains, I seemed to hear the antique voices of past travelers urging me to be careful on the road.
Looking back on the more than 200 miles I walked with Paul, I came to a realization. Walking for its own sake, while healthy and admirable, is only a small part of the benefit of moving with our feet. A deeper reward is rediscovering the world around us, shortening the distance between each other, and sharing each other’s cultures.
1. How did the writer first respond to Paul’s travel plan?| A．Scared. | B．Puzzled. |
| C．Disappointed. | D．Surprised. |
| A．He was a western journalist. | B．He had a knowledge of China. |
| C．He came to China several times. | D．He was Joseph Rock’s acquaintance. |
| A．They honored the ancestors. | B．They set off in high spirits. |
| C．They satisfied the locals’ curiosity. | D．They built bonds with people. |
| A．To share and reflect on a journey. | B．To suggest a new way of travel. |
| C．To advocate protection of biodiversity. | D．To introduce and promote Chinese culture. |
8 . By the time Joy Ryan, a US grandma, turned 85, she had never seen the ocean or mountains. For Joy, trips to the local fishing area with her husband were about the farthest place she had ever gone, even if she loved watching the Travel Channel.
But one day Joy’s grandson, Brad Ryan, discovered that he and his grandma had a common interest in their love for traveling, when they began to visit the American great outdoors together.
Brad said, “When I learned my grandma had never seen the great wildernesses of America—deserts, mountains and oceans, I thought there was something I needed to do.” It was after taking his grandma out of Ohio on a visit to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that he came up with the idea of visiting all the 63 US national parks with her to create inspiring memories.
Going to all the 63 US National Parks is a huge achievement even for a much younger adventurer (冒险家). Brad said his grandmother’s physical strength (体力) grew with their trips. For example, his grandma went water rafting (漂流) at 91, with class three rapids and when walking at the New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia, she broke the record by almost a decade!
It wasn’t always like this, however. Joy was so wobbly (不稳的) on her first trip, challenged by her balance. A group of college students clapped their hands when she reached the top of a path they were following.
Joy broke her age limitation (限制) and at the age of 93, she made history as the oldest living person to visit every US National Park. Joy believes it’s the mix of hopefulness, willpower, and the good health that gives her strength.
1. With whom did Joy Ryan visit all the 63 US national parks?| A．Her grandson. | B．Her husband. |
| C．Her daughter. | D．Her student. |
| A．She had a love for traveling. |
| B．Water rafting is dangerous for the old. |
| C．There is no age limitation for water rafting. |
| D．She had developed a strong body from traveling. |
| A．Her memory. | B．Her balance. |
| C．Her physical strength. | D．Her sense of direction. |
| A．Brave and hopeful. | B．Humorous and outgoing. |
| C．Hard-working and helpful. | D．Thoughtful and self-confident. |
9 . Here are some fantastic parks in San Antonio.
Brackenridge Park
The park was first established in 1899 and has been popular with both locals and visitors ever since. Towering trees and peaceful riverbanks will greet guests along the park’s paths, and the facilities include playgrounds, museums, a miniature train, a Japanese tea garden, and one of the oldest golf courses in the city.
Friedrich Wilderness Park
In the park, you’ll find about 10 miles of paved(铺过的)and unpaved trails(路线), with a little something for everyone. From rocky climbs to deep canyons, and enchanting forests to open views, there’s no shortage of natural beauty. The area is nationally famous for birdwatching.
San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
The park is the state’s only one on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site. It covers quite a large area, so it’s best to make it a full-day or at least a half-day trip so you can be sure to cover everything. While the Alamo is a separate attraction, you will get to enjoy the architectural wonders of Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan, and Mission Espada. They’re all connected by a hike and bike trail, with plenty of stops along the way to picnic, climb trees, and refill water. Admission is free!
Eisenhower Park
Just a 20-to 30-minute drive from the city center, the park puts the best landscapes in the Texas Hill Country on full display, holding 6 miles of hiking trails, both paved and unpaved. Explore dried creek beds, look out over plunging canyons, and enjoy full views of San Antonio down below. You can also find playgrounds for the little ones, picnic tables, and barbecue facilities.
1. What is Friedrich Wilderness Park well-known for?| A．Birdwatching. | B．Ancient buildings. |
| C．A Japanese tea garden. | D．Unpaved hiking paths. |
| A．Brackenridge Park. |
| B．Friedrich Wilderness Park. |
| C．San Antonio Missions National Historical Park. |
| D．Eisenhower Park. |
| A．Golf courses and bicycle trails. |
| B．Museums and no entrance fee. |
| C．Birdwatching and playgrounds. |
| D．Hiking trails and barbecue facilities. |
10 . Scotland is packed with beautiful places to visit and you could honestly spend months and months exploring everything this wonderful country has to offer! Next I’m going to take you through some of the best place to visit in Scotland, based on where we have personally visited so far!
Glen Coe
If you asked me where my favourite place to visit in all of Scotland is... I would say, Glen Coe. The whole area of Glen Coe constantly had my face in shock due to the beauty that I was witnessing1 was witnessing (亲眼看见). It’s just a stream of dramatic mountains, lakes, rugged (崎岖的) beauty and more.
Fort William
Fort William is probably one of the most well-known places to visit in Scotland. It’s a popular tourist destination thanks to being home to the UK’s tallest mountain: Ben Nevis. Fort William is also the starting point for one of the world’s most famous train rides: The Jacobite. Harry Potter fans will recognize it as the Hogwarts Express, and this train ride will take you through the beautiful countryside, crossing some iconic Harry Potter filming locations such as the Dumbledore’s Grave and the Glenfinnan Viaduct!
Isle Of Skye
This island feels totally different from other parts of Scotland and is truly rugged and ready! There are many hot spots to explore including the Old Man of Storr, the Fairy Glen. I even stayed on a private island with its very own lighthouse, which was one of the coolest places I’ve ever visited and one of the most romantic places stay in Scotland.
Cairngorms National Park
This is the largest national park in the UK so it’s another popular place to visit in Scotland and it’s no surprise why. It’s absolutely beautiful and there’s so much happening at the Cairngorms National Park! From skiing or meeting local reindeers, you’ll not go bored and you’ll be surrounded by beauty the entire time.
1. Which place probably attracts Harry Potter fans most?| A．Glen Coe. | B．Isle Of Skye. |
| C．Cairngorms National Park. | D．Fort William. |
| A．The Jacobite. | B．Local reindeers. |
| C．The UK’s tallest mountain. | D．A cool lighthouse. |
| A．A geography textbook | B．A science journal. |
| C．A travel blog. | D．A diary. |
