2 . A Journey to the Yosemite Firefall

Each year, thousands of people are attracted to the Yosemite National Park in California for a chance of seeing —and photographing ——the unique “firefall”. The amazing “firefall” comes to life only when there is enough water from the melting（融化）snow to keep the Horsetail Fall flowing and when the light of the setting sun hits the waterfall at the right angle. It can only be seen for a short time in February on clear sunny days.

This year, the weather isn’t stopping the “firefall” from happening, but it is making the journey to see it more difficult.

“What would have been a 10-minute walk turned into a two-hour hike through deep snow,” photographer Ryan Fitzsimons said about his recent trip to see the phenomenon. “Our clothes were all wet by the time we got to a viewing site. But the heavy snow made the sight much more beautiful since the waterfall is much bigger this year.”

Another photographer Andy Heitz was making his first trip to see the “firefall”. He had to wait five hours in the extreme cold for his turn to take a picture.

“I got to the site at about 12:00 at noon. The place was already filled with hundreds of people waiting to see and photograph the ‘firefall’. I was so lucky that I shot a really wonderful burner! I was completely amazed with what I saw,” he said. “You know, only on a couple days of the year in February and when the sun sets down at the perfect angle to shine on Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall can we see the ‘Fire Fall’. I’ll never forget what I have seen.’’

The “firefall” should continue to be there from 20 to 24 February. But park officials said that there’s no guarantee（保证）that visitors will see it on any given day.

1. When might be the best time to take pictures of the “firefall”?

A．Early in the morning.	B．At noon.
C．Late in the afternoon.	D．At night.

2. Why might the “firefall” disappear between 20 to 24 February this year?

A．There wouldn’t be enough snow.	B．It might be too cloudy.
C．The waterfall might not freeze.	D．The snow might melt too fast.

3. What does the underlined word “burner” in paragraph 5 refer to?

A．A worker in the kitchen.

B．The fire in the Yosemite National Park.

C．A part of a cooker or stove.

D．The unique Horsetail Fall in the setting sun.

4. What is the main purpose of this text?

A．To introduce an attraction.	B．To give suggestions for a trip.
C．To advertise a park in the US.	D．To explain what is a “firefall”.

4 . At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural medal at the 2021 German iF Design Awards.

The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li still worked on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.

In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.

The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.

Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.

1. How did Li feel about city life?

A．Satisfied.

B．Noisy.

C．Attractive.

D．Tired

2. What impressed the couple when first driving to the village?

A．The forest of bamboo.	B．The smoke of cooking.
C．The fresh air in the village.	D．The feeling of loneliness.

3. What can we infer about the homestay from paragraph 4?

A．It is ancient and broken.	B．It can hold many guests.
C．It must have been carefully designed.	D．It has been rebuilt by the couple.

4. What’s more meaningful than earning money according to Li?

A．Continuing their music dream.	B．Living in the countryside.
C．Staying at the old house.	D．Developing a city.

5 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

There are many great destinations in the UK. One of     1     is the South-West of England. The most popular regions surrounding the South-West     2     (be) the counties of Devon and Cornwall. They are by the coast and known     3     having the sunniest weather in the UK.

In the heart of the South-West, Dartmoor National Park     4     (vote) the UK’s favorite in 2016. There are plenty of breathtaking walks to choose from     5     will lead you to discover Dartmoof’s ancient charm!

In the South-West you will find plenty of attractive and often deserted     6     (beach). Some examples include Whitesand Bay in Cornwall and Woolacombe beach in Devon. If you don’t mind the     7     (slight) cooler temperatures than other beach destinations in Europe, you are in for a real treat!

Apart from    8     (surround) by beautiful nature, the South-West is full of urban gems (精华). The city of Exeter in Devon has great shopping centers as well as lots of cafes     9     pubs. Cornwall has its own treasures too—pretty villages and towns such as St Ives and Mousehole line the coastline and make for the perfect locations to spend those     10     (relax) summer afternoons!