2 . The United Kingdom is a land of natural beauty and history, with many of its finest attractions discovered through hiking. Now, dust off your boots, plan according to the following routes presented by a survey of senior hikers and an incredible experience will wait for you.

Wales Coastal Path

Wales is the only country in the world that has an official walking path covering its whole borders. The Wales Coastal Path is a footpath stretching 870 miles from Chester to Chepstow. Walking the whole thing might be demanding, but there are plenty of stretches that can be enjoyed over a day or two.

Southwest Coast Path

You need a fair amount of annual leave, a casual 52 days or so, to undertake this in one go. The route runs from Somerset all the way to Dorset, via rugged cliffs, cute fishing villages and surfing spots along the coastline. You can surely jump on to any point as you like, but you can't afford to miss all the pubs full of jokes and laughter on the way!

Coast to Coast Walk

This long-distance trail isn’t official, but popular in the country, taking hikers from the Irish Sea to the North Sea as it rolls into historic Robin Hood’s Bay in Yorkshire. Following local footpaths, the route takes you through three UK National Parks: the Lakes, the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors.

Cleveland Way

You’ll want nine days to folly complete this hike, which explores both the North York Moors and the county’s world-famous coastline. Just make sure you allow enough time to properly enjoy spots like Roseberry Topping hill and pick up a gentle afternoon walk at Whitby’s clifftop church.

1. Who will be more interested in the routes?

A．Explorers in the UK.	B．Hiking lovers.
C．Nature photographers.	D．Field researchers.

2. What is highly recommended about Southwest Coast Path?

A．Fishing villages.	B．Surfing spots.
C．Local pubs.	D．National parks.

3. What do the four routes have in common?

A．They include cliffs worth visiting.	B．They are official and demanding.
C．They run along the coast.	D．They can be completed in a month.

3 . Last summer holiday, Aunt Emily took us to a safari park (野生动物园), not far from Liverpool.

I was very happy to go as I had never been to a safari park before. It’s a very interesting park, full of wild animals running freely.

When we got there, we bought our tickets and drove into the park. We were very excited at the thought of going to see the lions. But to get to the lions’ place we had to go through the monkeys’ land first. And that was an unforgettable experience because they climbed all over the car, ate apples and bananas, and threw all kinds of things at us. They seemed very unfriendly.

Anyway, we went on our way to the lions’ place where we had to lock ourselves in the car as we knew lions could be dangerous. A lion came up very close to us. Then it was on the bonnet (车盖). It looked calm but we felt terrified. Aunt Emily, who isn’t very brave, started to call for help. The kids started crying. Only my brother, George, stayed cool. I sounded the horn (喇叭) but nobody heard us.

In the end a guard arrived in his car, and the lion just got off our car and started smelling the guard’s hand as if nothing was the matter.

1. Which animal did the author want to see the most?

A．The lions.

B．The elephants.

C．The monkeys.

D．All of them.

2. Why did they lock themselves in the car?

A．Because the monkeys might steal things.	B．Because they were afraid of being robbed.
C．Because the lions might be dangerous.	D．Because something was wrong with the car.

3. What does the underlined word “terrified” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A．Excited.

B．Bored.

C．Interested

D．Scared

4. Who stayed calm among the visitors when they met the lion?

A．Aunt Emily.

B．George.

C．The guard.

D．The author.

4 . Walled Cities Of The World

There are numerous historical walled cities across the world, whose walls date back several centuries. These walls were fortification (碉堡), a necessity throughout medieval eras for defense. They have been preserved as historical monuments and popular tourist attractions in the modern time.

York, England

The city of York is a medieval city situated in the north of England. Historically, the city was ruled by the Romans, Angles, and the Vikings before being incorporated as part of the Kingdom of England in 954. Located in the city are walls built in 71 AD which have been restored and extended with time.

Xi’an, China

The city of Xian is one of the oldest cities in China. It prospered economically as the eastern last station of the Silk Road. The existing walls were originally built in 770 BC and reconstructed in the 14th century under the Ming Dynasty. The walls are well preserved and are a major tourist attraction in the city.

Quebec City, Canada

Quebec City was a colonial (殖民地的) town which was fortified by the settling Europeans. The walls began to be built in 1608 under both British and French regimes (政权). A fort was constructed by the British as an additional defensive measure and remains undamaged to date. The city’s fortifications were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

Mexico City, Mexico

Historically, the City of Mexico gained importance as the Aztec Capital. The Spanish then drove out the Aztecs and rebuilt it as the Spanish Capital. The walls protecting the city were built in 1521. Mexico City is also home to numerous colonial-era buildings which together with the walls are major tourist attractions in the city.

1. Which city has walls of the longest history?

A．York, England.	B．Xi’an, China.
C．Quebec City, Canada.	D．Mexico City, Mexico.

2. What do Quebec city and Mexico city have in common?

A．They were once colonies of other countries.

B．They were once the capital of the Aztec empire.

C．Their walls were once built under British regime.

D．Their walls were once damaged after construction.

3. In which section of a magazine may this text appear?

A．Culture.

B．Entertainment.

C．Science.

D．Society

5 . Down House, home of Charles Darwin:

Fun fact

Charles Darwin, his wife, Emma, and their children lived at Down House for 40 years from 1838. Several rooms appear as if the family still live here: with croquet sets thrown into an under-stairs cupboard, a half-played game of backgammon on a side table and Emma’s knitting(毛线) left on a chair in the drawing room. Upstairs, an exhibition showcases Darwin’s voyage aboard HMS Beagle, including a reconstruction of his cabin. Outside, visitors can explore the sheltered gardens which Darwin used as an open-air laboratory, and the greenhouse in which he planted rare plants and devised botanical experiments.

No room at Down House escaped Darwin’s experiments. In the drawing room he once placed a jar of earthworms on the grand piano to see whether they could hear.

Getting there

A 15-minute drive from the A21/Farnborough. Free parking. The R8 bus from Orpington stops nearby (except Sundays) or the 146 bus from Bromley North and South terminates (终点站) in Downe village, half a mile from the property. The nearest railway stations are Chelsfield or Orpington, about four miles away.

Value for money?

It’s ￡12 (adult), ￡7.20 (child), or ￡31.30 (family with 2 adults). Under 5s go free.

Opening hours

Open daily 10am-6pm from 30 March to 30 September; daily 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. between 1 to 31 October. Opening times vary through the winter (check website for details).

Verdict(评价)

8/10. An unstuffy educational, gentle day-trip attraction with friendly, knowledgeable staff.

1. What can visitors do in Down House?

A．Play the grand piano.	B．Set sail in HMS Beagle.
C．Explore Darwin’s work and life.	D．Try food sourced from the garden.

2. How much would a couple with their 4-year-old twin sons pay for admission?

A．￡38.40.

B．￡26.20.

C．￡31.30.

D．￡24.

3. What do we know about Down House?

A．It is highly thought of.	B．It charges parking fees.
C．It has fixed opening hours.	D．It is inconveniently located.

6 . In the Arab world, a souk is a market usually held in an open-air location. Souks are an important part of life in the Middle East.     1    Another attraction of souks is that they offer visitors a great opportunity to feel the local culture.

Most major souks probably started as informal meetings of merchants (商人) in open spaces, which slowly developed into more formal markets.    2    For example, some souks have partial ceilings (天花板) to protect against bad weather, along with narrow streets which do not permit cars.

Everything from glassware to meat can be found at a souk,with merchants coming from nearby areas to sell their products.     3    So visitors can easily find beautiful artworks in all shapes and sizes at a souk, often at very reasonable prices.

    4    By tradition, shoppers at a souk must negotiate (协商) with shopkeepers to reach a price. For large items, customers will have to sit down with the shopkeeper. They will be offered tea and snacks while the price, including storage and delivery costs sometimes, is discussed.

If you happen to be traveling in the Middle East, just pay a visit to a souk. Some regions have famous markets with a long and interesting history, and a souk is a great place to get souvenirs. You can find a local guide for your visit to ensure that you know local cultural rules well.    5    

A．Europeans prefer to pay the list price.

B．Many countries in the Middle East have long artistic traditions.

C．That will certainly allow you a more enjoyable day at the market.

D．People may be shocked at the long process of making a deal at souks.

E．There are many cultural differences between the West and the Middle East.

F．Nowadays, souks make special designs to create a customer-friendly environment.

G．Many visitors to the Middle Eastern countries enjoy going to souks to buy great goods.

7 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Daniel and Lucas are twins. They are teenagers, studying in the same class. Their teenage life is rich and colorful. Tony is their grandpa, whose age is 70 this year. The two grandsons like to take exercise with their grandpa and even go out on adventures.

In the summer of last year, they paid a visit to Stone Mountain Park with their grandpa. They had the opportunity to spend the day with their grandpa, seeing the various beautiful sights and attractions. One thing that three of them had really desired to do was climb to the top of the mountain. Stone Mountain isn’t a very high mountain and fortunately there are some walking routes to the top of it, but for the two teenagers, along with a rather old grandpa, it’s a difficult task.

Daniel and Lucas were much more interested in the walk than their grandpa, and they viewed it as an exciting adventure. But climbing the mountain was a rather big challenge for Tony, who was old and thin. He decided to start the slow walk up to the mountain.

It seemed like that Tony was taking forever to climb just a short distance, but considering his personal safety, he had to remind himself that it took him two steps to equal his grandsons’ one step. When he walked closer to his grandsons, he had to stop for a while to regain energy, and then tried to catch up with them, over and over again.

Tony was very tired. He just wanted to arrive at the top of the mountain as soon as possible to enjoy the beauty of the mountain top. But the twin grandsons were not focused at all on the trial of climbing the mountain. On the contrary, they were simply enjoying the journey of the walk. They enjoyed all that they had seen and all that they had heard along the way up to the top of the mountain. They stopped now and then to look at every large rock and observe the unusual plant formations. Suddenly, they found a strange plant. Daniel called out, “Grandpa, here is a special plant. Come and have a look.”

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Tony was hurrying towards his grandsons when he fell down.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Daniel and Lucas wondered how to get their grandpa to the top of the mountain.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9 . Best Places to Visit in England

As the largest part of the United Kingdom, England is home to many great places to visit. The following destinations are some of the best.

London

Of course, most visitors to England will arrive in London. It’s home to a long list of famous sights as well as beautiful green spaces. It also houses some of the best museums on the planet, many of which are free. See the city from above by riding the London Eye or run into famous people at Madame Tussauds (杜莎夫人蜡像馆).

Liverpool

Liverpool is well known as the place that started The Beatles, though you’ll find a lot more to do there than visit The Beatles Museum. Spend time in the pubs chatting with the locals, go shopping at Liverpool One and enjoy the beaches. Art lovers will enjoy Liverpool’s excellent art sight.

Bath

Some people say Bath is England’s most beautiful small city, named for its natural hot springs that served as ancient Roman baths (浴缸) 2,000 years ago. And, today, it’s the only place in the United Kingdom where you can bathe in naturally hot, mineral-rich waters just like the Romans did long ago. Enjoy rooftop baths with wonderful views over this Georgian city, dine in award-winning restaurants and stay in romantic hotels.

Dover

Dover, located in White Cliffs Country, offers a rich history as well as peaceful countryside and a breathtaking coastline. This area has a unique place in history. You could easily spend weeks experiencing this area’s castles, like Dover Castle as well as the Secret War Time Tunnels, once used as an underground hospital.

1. What can visitors do in London?

A．Have a bath in naturally hot water.

B．Visit The Beatles Museum for free.

C．Enjoy the city’s view from the London Eye.

D．Learn about its music at Madame Tussauds.

2. Which place is well known for natural hot springs?

A．London.

B．Liverpool.

C．Bath.

D．Dover.

3. What can we know about the Secret War Time Tunnels?

A．It is in Liverpool.

B．It is a 2,000-year-old art sight.

C．It looks like Dover Castle.

D．It was an underground hospital before.