| A．She is likely to visit the castle. |
| B．She is impressed with the visit. |
| C．She is disappointed at the castle. |
2 . Best Places to Visit in the World
Mumbai
Mumbai is a busy city located in India, celebrated for its distinctive culture and history. Notable attractions include Elephant Island and the Mumbai Museum. Additionally, Mumbai is a cooking paradise, offering a variety of local dishes and snacks. Visitors can enjoy a range of delicacies, including curry, Indian flatbreads, and yogurt. Best Time; October to February.
Barcelona
Barcelona is an energetic and lively city located in the northeast of Spain, known for its rich history, culture, and delicious cuisine. It boasts (拥有) world-renowned attractions like the Sagrada Familia and the Gothic Quarter. Additionally, Barcelona is famous for its unique football culture, making it one of Europe’s most beloved football cities. Best Time: May to August.
Mauritius
Mauritius is a beautiful island nation situated in the southwest of the Indian Ocean. It is well-known for its amazing beaches, crystal-clear waters, and diverse marine life. Visitors can enjoy water activities like diving, surfing, and fishing, as well as explore jungles and volcanic landscapes. Mauritius also offers world-class hotels and resorts, providing excellent dining and service. Best Time: March to October.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a dynamic and culturally rich city located in the Netherlands. Known for its historic architecture, museums, and art galleries, Amsterdam boasts famous landmarks like the Rijks museum and the Van Gogh Museum. The city is also diverse, with international communities and unique cultural events. Best Time: July to October.
1. What do Mumbai and Barcelona share?| A．They are both located in Europe. |
| B．They are both famous for football. |
| C．They both offer delicious food. |
| D．They both feature world-class museums. |
| A．Relax on the beaches. C. Experience live concerts. |
| B．Enjoy cultural events. D. Visit art galleries. |
| A．February. | B．March. | C．May. | D．September. |
3 . Food festivals are a common occurrence in the UK and take place in all sorts of places and at all sorts of times. Whatever your taste, there’s a food festival to match — no matter how specialized.
1. Meatopia
This three-day, London-based festival takes place at the end of August and is a meat lover’s paradise. In addition to a range of legally sourced meat products, from juicy burgers to tender steaks, attendees can listen to live music, watch butchery demonstrations, and attend informal meat-based workshops.
2. The National Honey Show
If you have a sweet tooth, then it could be that the National Honey Show, which started in 1921 and is the largest event of its kind, is the place for you to be. This three-day event attracts many local entries who showcase their sweet golden honey, some of which is sold globally.
3. The Orange Sauce Festival
Have you heard about a festival that is devoted only to orange sauce? Held in Cumbria, this sweet, fragrant festival has been running for 3 years. What attracts people most is a competition to find the best homemade orange sauce. There are thousands of participants from over 30 different countries across the globe, bringing their local snacks to share here.
4. The Ginger and Spice Festival
If you’d prefer something with a little more kick to it, then you could attend The Ginger (姜) and Spice Festival held in Market Drayton. Unlike other food festivals, it celebrates its town’s historic connection to Robert Clive, who returned from India with ginger. Because of this, they specialize in baking gingerbread, but also sell a range of traditional spices from mild to hot.
1. What do Meatopia and the National Honey Show have in common?| A．Both of them last for three days. | B．Both of them hold workshops. |
| C．Both of them originated from London. | D．Both of them have a long history. |
| A．The Meatopia. | B．The Ginger and Spice Festival. |
| C．The National Honey Show. | D．The Orange Sauce Festival. |
| A．It has something to do with a historic figure. |
| B．The ginger used in the festival is from India. |
| C．It sells spicy food. |
| D．The food is cooked by Robert Clive. |
4 . Camping tips: Which overnight wilderness experience is right for you?
If you’re an experienced backpacker, read no further. This article is for camping rookies, those who have never slept beneath the stars or haven’t pitched a tent since their youth but are seriously thinking about overnighting in the wilderness.
Car camping
At its most basic, car camping involves packing a tent, sleeping bag, fold-up chair, cooler and camp stove into your vehicle and staying at a drive-up campground. Nearly every national park, and many state and county parks and private facilities, offer drive-up campgrounds with restrooms, potable water, fire rings or pits, and maybe even hot showers. So there are lots of choices.
The downside of car camping is the fact that these campgrounds are often packed with other campers. Not a lot of privacy, they can be noisy, and possibly hinder your quest of communing with nature.
Backpacking
No vehicle required; just your feet and a good pair of hiking boots or shoes to get you to the next overnight spot. A multi-day hiking trip is without doubt the most immersive way to experience the great outdoors.
Different from maybe car camping, it requires the least expense and equipment. All you really need are a backpack, sleeping bag, water bottle, small first-aid kit, enough food to last the entire travel. It can be done just about anywhere on the planet.
Boat Camping
While this does involve owning or renting a watercraft or using a ferry or water taxi service to reach the overnight site, camping via canoe, kayak, raft or boat offers a similar get-away-from-it-all adventure as backpacking.
Experienced paddlers and boaters usually prefer to camp on their own along a secluded shoreline. But many adventure or wilderness outfitters offer guided trips that can last anywhere from a couple of days to two or three weeks. With a boat, you can sometimes camp places that not even backpackers can reach.
1. Who are the intended readers?| A．Red-blooded males | B．White-collar staff |
| C．Blue-blooded tourists | D．Green-hand campers |
| A．Backpacking allows you to communicate with nature deeply. |
| B．Car camping is the most economic way to experience nature. |
| C．The drive-up campgrounds provide people with private environment. |
| D．Boat camping offers the same adventures as backpacking. |
| A．Feature | B．Style | C．Travel | D．Entertainment |
1. What is the relationship between the speakers?
| A．Old classmates. | B．Neighbours. | C．Fellow workers. |
| A．At a hotel. | B．At Betty’s home. | C．At the railway station. |
| A．Working at a restaurant. | B．Cooking in the kitchen. | C．Buying food for dinner. |
| A．See a film. | B．Go shopping. | C．Visit an old town. |
6 . Heading out of the Scottish Borders and west into Dumfries &Galloway, there are plenty of sights still to see on the journey.
GREY MARE’S TAIL
As one of the UK’s highest waterfalls, Rey Mare’s Tail is well worth a stop. Park up at the car park, and just along a short path, you can stand and admire this tall, natural feature as the water pours down the hanging valley. On the other side from the first path is a second path, following the path, and you’ll reach Loch Skeen, a beautiful glassy swimming pool of mountain water available for travellers.
MOFFAT
After you walk head to nearby Moffat for a short stroll around the town, you can have something to eat in one of the cafes or restaurants. If you’ve got time to spare, Moffat is Europe’s first Dark Sky Town, so as soon as the sun sets, you get a better view of the night sky thanks to the special street lighting.
WANLOCKHEAD
Take a drive further west into Dumfries & Galloway and you’ll soon reach the dizzy heights of not just the south of Scotland, but all of Scotland! Wanlockhead is Scotland’s highest village, which won’t come as a surprise once you’re there.
CRAWICK MULTIVERSE
Just a short drive from the highest village, is a good place to stretch your legs and see a different place on the area’s local industry. Crawick Multiverse has used landscape art to transform a former open cast coal mine into a 55-acre artland, visitor attraction and public space.
1. What’s special about Grey Mare’s Tail?| A．Its water is the purest. |
| B．You can swim in Loch Skeen. |
| C．There is a famous valley there. |
| D．It’s the largest waterfall in the US. |
| A．Dumfries & Galloway. | B．Dark Sky Town. |
| C．Wanlockhead. | D．Crawick Multiverse. |
| A．Culture. | B．Advertisement. | C．Education. | D．Travel. |
7 . Highest Mountains in the World
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro, a dormant(休眠的)volcano, is the highest mountain in Africa. Its summit is 5, 895 meters above sea level. Located in Tanzania, it is the largest free-standing mountain rise in the world, meaning it is not part of a mountain range. Kilimanjaro is made up of three volcanoes: Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. Kibo is the summit of the mountain and the tallest of the three volcanic formations. While Mawenzi and Shira are extinct, Kibo is dormant and could possibly erupt again.
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the highest mountain in Asia and the highest mountain in the world. Its summit is 8, 848. 86 meters above sea level. It is located in the Himalaya Mountain Range on the border of Nepal and China. The Chinese name is Chomolungma, which means “Mother Goddess of the World”. The Nepali name is Sagarmatha, which has various meanings.
Denali
Denali is the highest mountain in North America. Its summit is 6, 193 meters above sea level. It is located in the USA, in the state of Alaska. “Denali” comes from Koyukon, a traditional native Alaskan language, and means “the tall one”. This name had been used for many generations and was used by early non-native researchers and naturalists. But in 1896, William A. Dickey, a prospector(探矿者), began calling Denali “Mount McKinley”, in honor of William McKinley, a presidential candidate at the time.
Mount Vinson
Mount Vinson is the highest mountain on Antarctica. Its summit is 5, 140 meters above sea level. It is located in the summit plateau of Vinson Massif, near the base of the Palmer Peninsula in western Antarctica. Mount Vinson is part of the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains. It was spotted from the air by U. S. pilot Lincoln Ellsworth in 1935.
1. Why is Kibo the most dangerous one among the three volcanoes?| A．It is the highest of the three volcanoes. |
| B．It is covered with snow all through the year. |
| C．It is home to a great number of wild animals. |
| D．It is likely to erupt again sometimes in the future. |
| A．Mount Kilimanjaro. | B．Denali. |
| C．Mount Everest. | D．Mount Vinson. |
| A．An American. | B．An Australian. |
| C．A Frenchman. | D．A Japanese. |
8 . A free two-hour guided walking tour is a great way to get the best out of the Smithsonian’s National Zoo in a limited amount of time. They do not require scheduling except for groups of more than 10 people.
On the tour you’ll...
•See some of the Zoo’s most interesting animals, including cheetahs (非洲猎豹), Asian elephants, Aldabra tortoises, lions and Andean bears, to name just a few.
•Have a trained guide answer your questions.
•Learn how the Zoo takes care of its animals.
•Hear first-hand how the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute is working to save species.
Highlights tours are best suited for general Zoo audiences and are not designed for school groups.
Guests wishing to take a tour should meet at the front desk in the Visitor Center lobby shortly before 9:45 a.m. To schedule a group tour for more than 10 people, please call 202-633-3061.
All tours are wheelchair accessible and accommodate up to 10 people per group on weekdays and more on weekends. Access services for guided tours, including sign language interpretation, hearing assistance devices and tactile (触觉的) tours with verbal description, are available by request. Please call 202-633-3061 at least two weeks prior to your visit to request any additional accessibility services.
Snore&Roar Sleepovers (通宵派对)
Available from May through to September
Fall asleep to the sounds of howling wolves or wake up to barking sea lions when you spend the night at the Zoo! It’s the best way to see the animals after hours and have the park all to yourself. Snore& Roar Sleepovers include games, activities, a walk through the Zoo and more. Separate family and adult-only options are available.
1. You can ______ when you tour the National Zoo.| A．have close contact with Andean bears |
| B．ask a professional guide questions |
| C．gain knowledge about wild animals |
| D．learn how to protect rare animals and plants |
| A．call 202-633-3061 |
| B．form a group of more than 10 people |
| C．sign up for games and services |
| D．choose a day from May to September |
| A．research report. |
| B．A tour introduction. |
| C．book about animals. |
| D．science magazine. |
9 . What do you think of when you hear the word Australia? Kangaroos and beaches? We’ve rounded up some top Aussie travel bloggers who have given us their trips about the best places to visit in Australia.
Blue Mountains
If you’re looking for a dose of nature, the Blue Mountains are for you. Make sure you have time to visit Wentworth Falls. This spot offers walks of varying difficulty with appealing views of the waterfall, and it’s just a short drive from the main event—The Three sisters. These famous rock formations are the highlight of this picturesque (如画的) postcard area. If you head to Echo Point, don’t miss the Science Railway—the steepest passenger railway in the world.
Sydney
Sydney is filled with beautiful beaches, fun activities and good food. One of the best ways to view the beauty of Sydney is by taking a relaxing walk. An amazing beach walk, and one of the best, is from Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach. It offers extremely pleasant views of the area’s famous rocky beach, thin beach and sandy beach.
Byron Bay
Byron is one of Australia’s top tourist destinations. From countless waterfalls and swimming holes to mountains and bushwalks, this small region hides so much beauty. I would suggest starting with a hike to the bottom of Minyon Falls for a swim, a hike to the top of Mt Warning for a sunrise, and then a hike to the Natural Arch. These are just some of the most accessible, but there is so much more if you’re willing to explore.
Sunshine Coast
The Sunshine Coast has become one of the most beautiful strips of coastland in Australia, long white beaches lined with health-conscious cafés and boutique clothes shops (精品服装店). When you aren’t absorbing the sunshine on one of the many beaches, you can head out to the hinterland (内陆地区) for a day of mountain hiking or discover the swimming holes and waterfalls with not a soul in sight.
1. It can be learned from the text that _______.| A．walking along various beaches is a good way to enjoy the scenery in Sydney |
| B．we can find swimming holes and waterfalls on the Blue Mountains |
| C．we can experience the steepest railway in Sydney |
| D．only Byron Bay is Australia’s best tourist destination |
| A．On Bondi Beach. | B．In Byron Bay. | C．In Sunshine Coast. | D．In Blue Mountains. |
| A．geography document | B．science magazine | C．book review | D．travel blog |
10 . Ten years ago, I went on a vacation in Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic (全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.
Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.
Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn't want to mess with that. Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway.
Now when I look at the photo, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.
This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who "ruined" it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured and frozen on some strangers bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don't even know has been immortalized (使永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.
Perhaps we all live in each other's spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us. That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.
1. What happened when the author was about to take a photo?| A．Her camera stopped working. | B．A friend approached from behind. |
| C．Someone asked her to leave. | D．A woman blocked her view. |
| A．losing her patience | B．enjoying herself |
| C．waiting for the sunset | D．thinking about her past |
| A．The woman's existence in the photo. | B．The perfect positioning of the camera. |
| C．The rich color of the landscape. | D．The soft sunlight that summer day. |
| A．the need to be close to nature | B．the importance of private space |
| C．the shared passion for beauty | D．the joy of the vacation in Italy |
