1 . Ancient builders across the world created structures that are still standing today, thousands of years later. Roman builders built thick concrete sea barriers against waves. Mayan builders created great sculptures, and Chinese builders constructed walls against foreign enemies.
A growing number of scientists have been studying materials since a long time ago. They are breaking apart pieces of buildings and reading historical texts hoping to learn how they have stood for thousands of years. The research has turned up a surprising list of materials that were mixed into old buildings. They include tree bark, volcanic ash, rice and beer. These unexpected materials can have the ability to get stronger over time. Figuring out how to copy these features can have real impacts today. While some of our modern concrete has the strength to hold up very tall buildings and heavy structures, it cannot compete with the durability of these ancient materials.
Many scientists have turned to the Romans. Starting around 200 BC, the Roman Empire was building concrete structures that have stood the test of time. Even in places where seawater has been hitting structures for ages, you will find concrete basically the way it was when it was poured 2,000 years ago. They think they have found an important reason why some Roman concrete has held up structures for thousands of years. That the ancient materials have an unusual power to restore themselves and “cure” cracks (裂缝) when they form is the most shocking for them. Exactly how is not yet clear, but scientists are starting to find the reasons.
Today’s builders cannot just copy the ancient processes. Even though Roman concrete lasted a long time, it couldn’t hold up heavy buildings. Instead, researchers are trying to take some of the ancient materials and add them into modern mixes. People don’t need to make things last quite as long as the Romans did. If we add 50 or 100 years to concrete’s lifespan, we’ll surely require less pulling down, less maintenance and less material in the long run.
1. What were the mentioned Roman and Chinese buildings both used for?| A．Travel. | B．Defence. | C．Soldier training. | D．Seawater control. |
| A．Long-lasting. | B．Energy-efficient. | C．Delicate. | D．Flexible. |
| A．Their large cracks. | B．Their clear concrete. |
| C．Their internal structures. | D．Their self-repairing ability. |
| A．Tolerant. | B．Expectant. | C．Suspicious. | D．Indifferent. |
This four-day walking tour will take you on amazing
3 . Recently, a new kind of tourism has sprung (出现) up in China. Called “special forces (特种兵) style tourism”, this new kind of tourism is mainly about visiting many places of interest in a short period, most often on weekends. Most of these visitors are college students.
Yu Yinghua, a college student in Shanghai, is one of them. The 22-year-old started the “special forces style tourism” in March after she was attracted by such experiences of some travel bloggers. “After staying a long time at school, I’m hungry to take trips in my spare time,” said Yu, “Now it’s time! Spring has come and we can go out to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery.”
Most of her trips were inspired by understanding from her daily life, such as a place mentioned in a chat with friends. “But making a plan spot in the city, she was able to find a lot of information and learn more about these sites. That would help her save time when traveling on-site and enjoy the sites better.”
Unlike Yu who traveled in nearby cities, Chen Junjun, a doctoral student in Shanghai likes to travel far to get rid of academic stress. In April, the 24-year-old took a two-day trip to Xi’an, Shaanxi province. During her trip, she visited all the scenic sites in the city. “With many academic responsibilities, such a trip can bring color to my life.” said Chen.
Even so, the 24-year-old added that such tourism is not suitable for everyone. Chen said that it’s labor-consuming (耗费体力的) as visitors have to visit as many sites as possible in a short period. To some degree such trips are not as flexible (灵活的) as days-long trips in which you can change your plan as you like. “Thus, a great deal of energy and a calm mind are needed for this kind of tourism,” said Chen.
1. What do we know about Yu Yinghua?| A．She was hungry in her travel. | B．She only visited one site in a trip. |
| C．She used to serve in special forces. | D．She made a travel plan in advance carefully. |
| A．To use up her energy. | B．To paint some colorful drawings. |
| C．To reduce her study pressure. | D．To take some academic responsibilities. |
| A．Stressful. | B．Time-consuming. |
| C．Frightening. | D．Money-consuming. |
| A．A travel guidebook. | B．A report on special forces. |
| C．A guidebook to a city. | D．An introduction to a travel style. |
1.推荐的城市及原因；
2.表达祝愿。
注意：
1.词数80左右；
2.开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Chris,
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Yours,
Li Hua
1. 活动目的； 2. 游玩过程； 3. 你的感悟。
注意：1. 词数 80左右； 2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
A Weekend Trip
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________6 . Whether it is a relaxing walk or a power one, taking a walk usually only lasts a small period of time. This is not the
On April 2, 2015, Tom decided to walk around the world by himself. It wasn’t a
Tom’s walk
Traveling always has some ups and downs. Tom
Tom
| A．regulation | B．case | C．reason | D．aim |
| A．novel | B．wise | C．simple | D．sudden |
| A．unexpectedly | B．extremely | C．finally | D．undoubtedly |
| A．Torn | B．Shocked | C．Moved | D．Surprised |
| A．strength | B．curiosity | C．will | D．pride |
| A．started | B．progressed | C．determined | D．remained |
| A．neighborhood | B．partnership | C．childhood | D．friendship |
| A．quit | B．exchanged | C．explored | D．adopted |
| A．attracting | B．holding | C．covering | D．equaling |
| A．replied | B．experienced | C．accepted | D．revised |
| A．left alone | B．fallen apart | C．checked out | D．broken off |
| A．responsibility | B．right | C．chance | D．choice |
| A．unique | B．narrow | C．bright | D．graceful |
| A．enjoyed | B．missed | C．impressed | D．addicted |
| A．challenged | B．discovered | C．suffered | D．renewed |
Themed with “Ecological Priority, People-oriented Garden Expo”, the 14th China (Hefei) International Garden Expo
The Hefei Garden Expo Park, the
In overall arrangement and tiny details, the Hefei Garden Expo Park is a
In the future, the Hefei Garden Expo Park will continue to play
1. How is the group getting to the hotel?
| A．On foot. | B．By bus. | C．By taxi. |
| A．Because of an accident. |
| B．Because of the bad weather. |
| C．Because of the heavy traffic. |
| A．At our guide. | B．A taxi driver | C．A hotel manager. |
1.到达桂林交通方式；
2.活动安排（乘船游览漓江、观看《印象刘三姐》表演、品尝地方美食等）；
3.征询他的意见。
注意：①词数80左右；②可适当增加细节，使行文连贯。
参考词汇：印象刘三姐Impression of Liu Sanjie
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1. Where is the speaker?
| A．In a museum. | B．In a forest. | C．In a park. |
| A．Birds. | B．Bears. | C．Fish. |
| A．Red. | B．Blue. | C．Black. |
| A．It is too old. | B．It is too wet. | C．It is too high. |
