1 . With the approaching of New Year, more and more visitors will come to China. Don’t know where you should go? Here are some places recommended for you.
Shanghai Expo Culture Park
The Shanghai Expo Culture Park will soon open its northern section to the public, in which the major attractions include a traditional garden that is similar in design to Shanghai’s famous Yuyuan Garden and a 400-meter avenue exhibiting the history of the area, while in the southern section lies a grand theater.
Macao Tower AJ Hackett Bungee Jump
The Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of activities, such as eating and entertainment. One of the activities which enjoy good fame is the bungee jump. The AJ Hackett Macao Tower Bungee Jump is 233 meters high, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial (商业的) bungee jump in the world. Raise your arms and off you go!
Harbin’s Frozen World
For those who have never been to Harbin, there is an almost endless list of things to do. At Harbin Ice—Snow World, you can not only see the world—famous ice architecture, but also have great fun! You can have hotpot at the restaurants which are made of ice, enjoying the product of both ice and fire, go down the world’s longest ice slide (滑梯) and join in the popular Ice and Snow Electronic Music Festival to welcome 2024.
The winter is cold and the night is long, so why not go to the theatre? Harbin was listed by the United Nations as a “music city” in 2010. Harbin Grand Theater is where artistic souls defrost (化霜) a little to share their love of art.
1. Where should visitors go if they want to do extreme sports?| A．Shanghai Expo Culture Park. | B．The Macao Tower. |
| C．Shangha’s Yuyuan Garden. | D．Harbin Ice—Snow World. |
| A．Attend a famous music festival. | B．Play with both ice and fire. |
| C．Turn water into instant ice. | D．Learn to make ice architecture. |
| A．They have a high tower. | B．They have a long ice slide. |
| C．They have a grand theater. | D．They have traditional architecture. |
2 . I spent this past weekend exploring Edinburgh, Scotland. I went with my program group, CIS Abroad.
On Friday we took the train from London to Edinburgh and arrived in the evening, with just enough time to see around the High Street and have dinner.
On Saturday we visited different castles in the Highlands. The coolest castle that we saw was Doune Castle. The super great part about this castle is that it has been used for many different films, such as Monty Python, The Holy Grail, Outlander and Game of Thrones. In Game of Thrones it was used as the town of Winterfell, which I thought was great.
After Doune Castle we went to Deanston Distillery, which was built in 1966. We went on a tour of the facilities (设备) and saw how they made Scottish whiskey. It was great to see all of the effort that went into it. They showed us the storage room where they kept all of the casks (木桶), and there may be thousands in that room. One of the casks was from 40 years ago; the tour guide said that this cask would sell for about 4,000 pounds a bottle, which would be about 5,300 American dollars! I thought that was unbelievable.
The last day we had some free time to explore the town and shop for gifts. We also saw the most beautiful view of Edinburgh. It seemed like we climbed a million stairs up a hill to see the view, but let me tell you it was totally worth every step.
Scotland now has a special place in my heart. Two days is not enough to learn the city well, so I will certainly be back to one of the most beautiful places on earth.
1. Why did the author go to Edinburgh?| A．To work as a guide. |
| B．To pay a visit to the city. |
| C．To make a film set in the Highlands. |
| D．To plan a program about whiskey-making. |
| A．It has a long history. |
| B．One can buy local gifts there. |
| C．It is well-known as a film-making place. |
| D．One can experience life of Winterfell there. |
| A．She thought highly of its quality. |
| B．She was shocked by its high price. |
| C．She was surprised at the workers’ great skills. |
| D．She strongly wanted to bring one bottle home. |
| A．Hard and boring. |
| B．Happy but tiring. |
| C．Long and colorful. |
| D．Short but enjoyable. |
EVENTS CALENDAR | Spring 2023 | |
| 1-31 May Alton Walking Festival Held at the gateway to the South Downs National Park, known as “Jane Austen country”, Alton Walking Festival welcomes walkers, wanders and explorers of all ages. Discover a variety of wildlife and cultural heritage (遗产) on one of over 100 walks led by experienced volunteer walk leaders. Cost: Varies walkalton.org.uk | ||
| 12-15 May Arran Mountain Festival Scotland’s hillwalking and mountaineering festival offers an opportunity to meet like-minded people, discover a wonderful island and have unforgettable days in the safe hands of experienced local leaders. With names to inspire, like Ceum na Caillich and Caisteal Abhail, Arran’s mountains are among Scotland’s most amazing scenery. Cost: From £20 arranmountainfestival.co.uk | ||
| 27 May-4 June Malvern Walking Festival Over 50 walks offer a wide choice for all abilities and interests, from short local walks to long-distance ones exploring history, nature, the arts and famous people from the area. For the energetic, there’s the popular Malvern Hills End-to-End and Back walk and the 31-mile “Worcestershire Way in a Day”. Cost: From £5 malvernwalking.uk | ||
| 20 May-10 June Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival The Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival takes place in and around the Lincolnshire Wolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This nationally important and beautiful landscape has much to offer with many outdoor activities—from fishing to gliding (滑翔) by way of biking and hillwalking. Cost: Varies woldsoutdoorfestival.com | ||
| A．walkalton.org.uk | B．arranmountainfestival.co.uk |
| C．malvernwalking.uk | D．woldsoutdoorfestival.com |
| A．Alton Walking Festival. |
| B．Arran Mountain Festival. |
| C．Malvern Walking Festival. |
| D．Lincolnshire Wolds Outdoor Festival. |
| A．A report. | B．A textbook. | C．A magazine. | D．A novel. |
4 . Bike Rental & Guided Tours
Welcome to Amsterdam, welcome to MacBike. You see much more from the seat of a bike! Cycling is the most economical, sustainable and fun way to explore the city, with its beautiful canals, parks, squares and countless lights. You can also bike along lovely landscapes outside of Amsterdam.
Why MacBike
MacBike has been around for almost 30 years and is the biggest bicycle rental company in Amsterdam. With over 2,500 bikes stored in our five rental shops at strategic locations, we make sure there is always a bike available for you. We offer the newest bicycles in a wide variety, including basic bikes with foot brake (刹车), bikes with hand brake and gears (排挡), bikes with child seats, and children’s bikes.
Prices
Hand Brake, Three Gears | Foot Brake, No Gears | |
1 hour | €7.50 | €5.00 |
3 hours | €11.00 | €7.50 |
1 day (24 hours) | €14.75 | €9.75 |
Each additional day | €8.00 | €6.00 |
Guided City Tours
The 2.5-hour tour covers the Gooyer Windmill, the Skinny Bridge, the Rijksmuseum, Heineken Brewery and much more. The tour departs from Dam Square every hour on the hour, starting at 1:00 pm every day. You can buy your ticket in a MacBike shop or book online.
1. What is an advantage of MacBike?| A．It gives children a discount. | B．It offers many types of bikes. |
| C．It organizes free cycle tours. | D．It has over 2,500 rental shops. |
| A．€15.75. | B．€19.50. | C．€22.75. | D．€29.50. |
| A．The Gooyer, Windmill. | B．The Skinny Bridge. |
| C．Heineken Brewery. | D．Dam Square. |
5 . Time and time again, I hear someone ask why anyone would want to keep an “ugly” building or a building that is dirty and clearly in need of work. I think you could say we preservationists (文物保护者) look at buildings through a different angle — an angle that can see the swan in the ugly duck, the story in the simple lines, the book behind the cover.
Take the Queen Emma Building for example. While people may remember that building being named as one of the ugliest buildings in town, the angle from which a preservationist will view the building is that it is uniquely constructed with an artistical brise-soleil (遮阳板) to block the sun. The designer used standard concrete bricks to form a decorative wall. Unfortunately, the brise-soleil was removed in 2011, making the building look like many of the contemporary buildings in town.
Sometimes people remember a beautiful site that was replaced by a “very unpleasant” piece of architecture and can’t get over their anger, even when that building becomes an important part of our story. This is particularly true in San Francisco where many preservationists themselves dislike anything newer, than the Victorian era. Yes, it was a tragedy that many failed to appreciate the Victorian buildings and let many get torn down several decades ago, but those losses also tell another important story. It tells the story of the 1950s and 1960s when there was hope for a more equal society with inexpensive housing for the working class. Should that history be wiped from our memories?
Preservation is not just about keeping pretty, well-kept buildings, but about conveying pars of our history — not just the history of huge events, but the story of how everyone used to go to a certain corner market. Our history cannot be told only in buildings that meet someone’s criteria of beauty; sometimes our history is painful, but no less important.
1. How do preservationists see buildings?| A．They focus on their value rather than appearance. |
| B．They pay great attention to ancient buildings. |
| C．They are devoted to repairing famous buildings. |
| D．They prefer ugly buildings to beautiful ones. |
| A．It’s confusing. | B．It’s pleasing. |
| C．It’s regrettable. | D．It’s unbelievable. |
| A．To wipe the history of the Victorian era. |
| B．To make land available for cheap housing. |
| C．To work off the deep anger of the working class. |
| D．To restore the architecture before the Victorian era. |
| A．To introduce some buildings with historical value. |
| B．To explain the reason why architects make ugly buildings. |
| C．To praise the work of preservationists. |
| D．To stress the importance of preserving ugly buildings. |
6 . China Small Group Tours
◆Tour Route 1: 11 Days Private Beijing - Lhasa - Xi’an - Shanghai
Tour Highlights:
Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors
Follow us on a Buddhist pilgrimage to Tibet & appreciate the profound culture
Have a leisurely walk or an exciting bicycle ride on the time-honored City Wall of Xi’an
View the soaring city skylines and feel the pulse of modern Shanghai
From $ 2, 459 per person
◆Tour Route 2: 11 Days Private Bejing - Xi’an - Chonqing - Yangtze River Cruise - Yichang - Shanghai
Tour Highlights:
Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Wariors
Try biking on the Ming Dynasty City Wall of Xi’ an, or tour by electric car
Enjoy the Three Gorges (三峡) scenery on Yangtze River & feel totally relaxed
From $ 1, 879 per person
◆Tour Route 3: 12 Days Private Bejing - Shanghai - Xi’an - Guilin - Yangshuo - Guilin - Hong
Kong
Tour Highlights:
Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors
Experience the Bund, classical garden, modern and old in contrast in Shanghai
Feel the lively atmosphere & explore busy markets freely in Hong Kong
Walk into a local family, learn to cook Chinese food & dine with the hosts in their home
From $ 2, 499 per person
◆Tour Route 4: 12 Days Private Bejing - Xi’an - Chengdu - Guilin - Shanghai
Tour Highlights:
Must-see sights in China — the Great Wall, Forbidden City, Terracotta Warriors, Giant Pandas
Come to Chengdu, the hometown of giant pandas to visit and observe the cute creature
Cruise on the meandering Li River & admire Guilin landscape
Walk into a local Chinese family, interact & dine with the hosts in their home
From $2, 079 per person
1. What do Tour Route 1 and Tour Route 2 have in common?| A．They have cycling activities. |
| B．They include a visit to Tibet. |
| C．Visitors enjoy the Three Gorges scenery. |
| D．Visitors pay the same amount of money. |
| A．Tourists can travel by bike. |
| B．Tourists can visit a huge dam. |
| C．Tourists can dine with a family. |
| D．It is the most expensive of the four. |
| A．Tour Route 1. |
| B．Tour Route 2. |
| C．Tour Route 3. |
| D．Tour Route 4. |
7 . Best Walking Tours in London
London is one of the most walkable capital cities in the world. People may think you’ re mad if you do lace up your sneakers — here are London’s best walking tours for your next visit. drive a car around town. Besides, nothing quite lets you get to know a city like a good walk around. So, lace up your sneakers — here are London’s best walking tours for your next visit.
Tour for Muggles
This is a can’t-miss trip in England. The tour starts near London Bridge subway station and moves on to locations used in the Harry Potter films (and several book locations). There’s one subway ride (LondonBridge to Westminster) but otherwise it’s all on foot. Groups are capped to 20 and accept tourists of all ages.
Jermyn Street Fashion Walk
A seriously professional private tour to match your preferences. Groups are recommended no larger than eight, and it’s all done on foot. Most of the guides, who lead the Jermyn Street walk, have a background of art, history or fashion, and one even trained as a tailor.
Historic Pubs, Food & Beer Tour
Think of this as a walk with friends rather than a tour (groups are capped at 12). You meet at a best selfie spot — at Rotherhithe, overlooking the Thames — then catch the overground train to the pubs. By reservation only. Five of London’s most historic pubs in four hours is not an easy but worthwhile task.
East End Walks
East End Walks is a collection of 15 tours run by one man, David Rosenberg. The tours cover the social history of the traditionally working class area. Groups are capped at 30. You meet near the subway station. Rosenberg, whose grandparents moved to the East End as children, loves the area and its social history a lot — it holds the story of the working class, which is rarely told.
1. Which tour best suits people who are interested in the history of the working class?| A．Tour for Muggles | B．Jermyn Street Fashion Walk |
| C．East End Walks | D．Historic Pubs, Food & Beer Tour |
| A．They limit the number of a group. | B．They have professional guides. |
| C．They are private tours to your preference. | D．They recommend reservation in advance. |
| A．A news report. | B．A travel brochure. |
| C．A geographic magazine. | D．A history textbook. |
1. 表示欢迎；
2. 介绍情况(环境、人文……)；
3. 表达期待。
注意：
1. 写作词数为100左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡相应位置作答。
Dear Eric,
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
9 . Have you ever wondered what you can do visiting Disney in Florida? There are two activity possibilities associated with Disney in Florida.
Choose when you want to go. Disney recommends going during the spring and fall. The best times to go to Walt Disney World are:
Mid-November through mid-December (except the week of Thanksgiving).The weather is usually cool but pleasant, the Christmas decorations are up, special events are running, and the attendance is usually moderate. Expect crowds on Saturdays, especially at the Magic Kingdom.
Second week of January through mid-February. It’s cool at this time of year.
First three weeks of May.
| A．One is Walt Disney World in Orlando |
| B．So many tourists go there to enjoy themselves |
| C．The weather is warm in May |
| D．Disney’s resorts typically fill up early for all of December |
| E．Make a decision on what you want when visiting Florida Disney |
| F．This is one of the least busy times of year and hotel prices are lower |
| G．Late August and entire month of September (even Labour Day weekend) |
10 . So now you’re ready to realize your dream to explore another country, and find the soul of the country. Unfortunately, none of your friends share that dream. So what do you do? You could ask everyone you know--families, acquaintances, co-workers. You could join a tour.
Last year, I made a trip to China, and then zigzagged on a multinational journey through Indonesia, Thailand, England and France.
Compared with travelling with a companion, I have more opportunities to meet people when traveling solo.
The key to solo travel is to open your mind, close your eyes and leap in! Don’t ever let a lack of companionship constrain you from doing what you really want to do.
| A．Locals are more likely to open their mind and be frank with you. |
| B．To travel alone is a difficult decision for anyone, especially for women. |
| C．Or, you could go alone. |
| D．Of course, there have been some not-so-pleasant experiences during my journey. |
| E．It can help your problem-solving and decision-making. |
| F．Having a companion might safeguard me from some of those problems. |
| G．Once you go solo, you’ll be amazed at how wonderful your travel experiences will be. |
