1 . Frequently Asked Questions for Yellowstone National Park
How much is the entrance fee?
| $35 - Private, non-commercial vehicle; $30 - Motorcycle or snowmobile (winter) $20 - Visitors 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc. * This fee provides the visitor with a 7-day entrance permit for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. |
Your decision may depend on how much time you have and what you want to see the most. If you plan on visiting Yellowstone National Park for only a few days and want to experience some of the main attractions then West Yellowstone would be a good base. From there, it is a short drive to the geyser basins, Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon. If you want to have the full park experience then perhaps lodging at Old Faithful would be a good choice. If you want to view the most wildlife, then we suggest the Northeast Entrance. The South Entrance is a great option if you have more time and want to visit Grand Teton National Park; however it is a longer drive to the heart of Yellowstone if you base out of Jackson. The North Entrance is park headquarters and has the most historic information on the park. |
This depends on what your interests are. Spring has abundant wildlife, roaring waterfalls and wild weather. Summer has it all including the most crowds, so you’d better get out early and eat your breakfast on the road! Fall is a special time of year. Everything seems to be diminishing including the crowds. Winter is a time of being a bit of social isolation. In years past it was more “economical” to visit most of the park. Now it is more restricted unless you can afford a snow-coach or guided snowmobile tour. |
Free public Wi-Fi is available at Al-bright Visitor Center and at some park lodges for registered guests. Cell service is extremely limited, with reception only available in or near major developed areas. In summer, service is often maxed out in these areas. Yet, it is sad to see the latest generation fade away from normal everyday activities and conversation. Get out, look around, admire the wonders. There’re plenty of natural and human distractions around every corner. The last thing we want to do is divert visitors from Yellowstone’s wonders especially while driving. |
| A．$105 | B．$55 | C．$35 | D．$50 |
| A．visiting Yellowstone in winter is preferred by most local people |
| B．most of the park was restricted to visitors in winter in the past. |
| C．nowadays most people choose to tour the park on a snow-coach in winter. |
| D．winter used to be a better time to visit the park in terms of expenses |
| A．the entrance ticket applies to Yellowstone only |
| B．Old Faithful provides a full view of the park |
| C．the wireless connection is not satisfactory in summer |
| D．younger generations make up the majority of park visitors |
2 . Sometime in the early 1960s, a significant thing happened in Sydney, Australia. The city discovered its harbor. Then, one after another, Sydney discovered lots of things that were just sort of there — broad parks, superb beaches, and a culturally diverse population. But it is the harbor that makes the city.
Andrew Reynolds, a cheerful fellow in his early 30s, pilots Sydney ferryboats for a living. I spent the whole morning shuttling back and forth across the harbor. After our third run Andrew shut down the engine, and we went our separate ways — he for a lunch break, I to explore the city.
“I’ll miss these old boats,” he said as we parted.
“How do you mean?” I asked.
“Oh, they’re replacing them with catamarans. Catamarans are faster, but they’re not so elegant, and they’re not fun to pilot. But that’s progress, I guess.”
Everywhere in Sydney these days, change and progress are the watchwords (口号), and traditions are increasingly rare. Shirley Fitzgerald, the city’s official historian, told me that in its rush to modernity in the 1970s, Sydney swept aside much of its past, including many of its finest buildings. “Sydney is confused about itself,” she said. “We can’t seem to make up our minds whether we want a modern city or a traditional one. It’s a conflict that we aren’t getting any better at resolving (解决).”
On the other hand, being young and old at the same time has its attractions. I considered this when I met a thoughtful young businessman named Anthony. “Many people say that we lack culture in this country,” he told me. “What people forget is that the Italians, when they came to Australia, brought 2000 years of their culture, the Greeks some 3000 years, and the Chinese more still. We’ve got a foundation built on ancient cultures but with a drive and dynamism of a young country. It’s a pretty hard combination to beat.”
He is right, but I can’t help wishing they would keep those old ferries.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．Sydney’s striking architecture. | B．The cultural diversity of Sydney. |
| C．The key to Sydney’s development. | D．Sydney’s tourist attractions in the 1960s. |
| A．He goes to work by boat. | B．He looks forward to a new life. |
| C．He pilots catamarans well. | D．He is attached to the old ferries. |
| A．It is losing its traditions. | B．It should speed up its progress. |
| C．It should expand its population. | D．It is becoming more international. |
| A．A city can be young and old at the same time. |
| B．A city built on ancient cultures is more dynamic. |
| C．Modernity is usually achieved at the cost of elegance. |
| D．Compromise should be made between the local and the foreign. |
3 . As Ginni Bazlinton reached Antarctica, she found herself greeted by a group of little Gentoo penguins (企鹅) longing to say hello. These gentle, lovely gatekeepers welcomed her and kick-started what was to be a trip Ginni would never forget.
Ever since her childhood, Ginni, now 71, has had a deep love for travel. Throughout her career (职业) as a professional dancer, she toured in the UK, but always longed to explore further. When she retired from dancing and her sons eventually flew the nest, she decided it was time to take the plunge.
After taking a degree at Chichester University in Related Arts, Ginni began to travel the world, eventually getting work teaching English in Japan and Chile. And it was in Chile she discovered she could get last-minute cheap deals on ships going to Antarctica from the islands off Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of the South American mainland. “I just decided I wanted to go,” she says. “I had no idea about what I’d find there and I wasn’t nervous, I just wanted to do it. And I wanted to do it alone as I always prefer it that way.”
In March 2008, Ginni boarded a ship with 48 passengers she’d never met before, to begin the journey towards Antarctica. “From seeing the wildlife to witnessing sunrises, the whole experience was amazing. Antarctica left an impression on me that no other place has,” Ginni says. “I remember the first time I saw a humpback whale; it just rose out of the water like some prehistoric creature and I thought it was smiling at us. You could still hear the operatic sounds it was making underwater.”
The realization that this is a precious land, to be respected by humans, was one of the biggest things that hit home to Ginni.
1. Which of the following best explains “take the plunge” underlined in paragraph 2?| A．Try challenging things. | B．Take a degree. |
| C．Bring back lost memories. | D．Stick to a promise. |
| A．Lovely penguins. | B．Beautiful scenery. |
| C．A discount fare. | D．A friend’s invitation. |
| A．It could be a home for her. | B．It should be easily accessible. |
| C．It should be well preserved. | D．It needs to be fully introduced. |
| A．A childhood dream. | B．An unforgettable experience. |
| C．Sailing around the world. | D．Meeting animals in Antarctica. |
4 . Writing while traveling can be either professional or personal. Some people travel and write as part of their jobs, while others simply want to make the most out of their travel experience.
Journal every night before you go to bed. If you are writing to keep a diary of your destinations, writing things down in a journal every night is a good way to keep track of each individual day.
Avoid spending too much time writing. Set a watch or a timer on your phone and do as much work as you can inside 1 to 3 hours. After that, take a break and enjoy your destination. This is especially important if your writing is task- based rather than time- based. Make sure you’ re writing as efficiently as possible.
| A．Establish your writing habit. |
| B．Take advantage of “dead time”. |
| C．Make sure you remember all the little things about your trip. |
| D．However, you may find it difficult to write sometimes during travel. |
| E．People often forget important details of their travel as soon as the next day. |
| F．To make the most of this time, carry a pen and notebook everywhere you go. |
| G．Of course, this will be less of a problem if you plan to set aside one full day each week for writing. |
5 . Would you like to know something that our ancestors knew? Here is a chance to take a trip back in time to the following places and discover it.
Great Orme Copper Mines, Wales
The discovery of the copper mines changed much of what we knew about our Bronze Age ancestors. It was believed that metalworking had come to England with the Romans, but this Welsh discovery proved that the British were already working metals 4,000 years ago. The mines are made up of five miles of passageways. Some are so small that historians think they were dug by children as young as five years old.
Jurassic Coast, Dorset
Spreading an impressive 95 miles between Exmouth and Dorset, the Jurassic coast is frequently described as a “walk through time”. It’s perfect for looking for fossils after a storm. Several beach towns along the way make for a much-needed short break. The clean water is perfect for swimming and the Clock Tower Café which is typical of the countryside has beautiful views and delicious cakes.
Cheddar Gorge, Somerset
There’s something other-worldly about this limestone gorge, where caves carved out by an underground river were once used by our ancient ancestors for maturing cheese and other foods. Visitors to the Gorge can also explore a cave where Britain's oldest human skeleton, the 9,000-year-old Cheddar Man, was first discovered back in 1903.
Compton Bay, Isle of Wight
Compton Bay hasn't always been a wonderful place. Some 130 million years ago it was occupied by dinosaurs both great and small. Take a walk along Compton Bay's sandy beach, and you may have a chance to find new fossil dinosaur footprints, preserved in rock.
1. Which of the following can the discovery of the copper mines show?| A．The Bronze Age ancestors were very strong. |
| B．Romans brought metalworking to England. |
| C．The work of metalworking was very interesting. |
| D．The British knew metalworking four thousand years ago. |
| A．It's a good and safe place to see storms. | B．Visitors can eat some delicious cakes. |
| C．It's only fit for people to walk on. | D．Visitors must bring food when going there. |
| A．In a shopping poster. | B．In a novel. | C．In a tourism magazine. | D．In a science report. |
1. Why does the woman come to see the man?
| A．To say goodbye. | B．To ask for advice. | C．To invite him for a trip. |
| A．Canada. | B．France. | C．Germany. |
| A．Guangzhou. | B．Beijing. | C．Shanghai. |
8 . Tom’s father is a lawyer. In his spare time, he likes to go out in the country and take some pictures of animals.
For a long time, Tom had wanted to go with his father on one of his
Tom and his father drove to the farm which
It was still dark when Tom heard the alarm clock the next morning. He wondered why it was running so early. He couldn’t remember
He ran downstairs. The others were already in the
They ate breakfast quickly. They didn’t talk
| A．trips | B．buses | C．shows | D．mountains |
| A．after | B．when | C．until | D．unless |
| A．led | B．stuck | C．got | D．belonged |
| A．cost | B．spent | C．slept | D．took |
| A．where | B．how | C．who | D．what |
| A．happily | B．sleepily | C．quietly | D．suddenly |
| A．imagined | B．pronounced | C．forgot | D．remembered |
| A．valley | B．town | C．farm | D．station |
| A．dressed | B．ordered | C．eaten | D．prepared |
| A．bathroom | B．kitchen | C．dining-room | D．sitting-room |
| A．seemed | B．felt | C．tasted | D．smelled |
| A．lonely | B．soundly | C．much | D．highly |
| A．wake | B．go | C．put | D．come |
| A．of | B．with | C．in | D．by |
| A．before | B．what | C．after | D．that |
9 . Unique Lighthouses
August 7 is National Lighthouse Day. It's a day to celebrate the lights that guide us home and the historic importance of lighthouses and their keepers, who not only guided ships into harbor but also played key roles in naval battles across the globe. Check out these fantastic lighthouses across the globe as well as recommendations on the best places to stay near them.
Cape Byron Lighthouse, Byron Bay, Australia
The Cape Byron Lighthouse in Byron Bay, Australia was built in the early 20th century to help protect the Australian coastline. Today, it's a beautiful location to watch the sunrise. Within walking distance is the Watermark, a perfect place to stay and get some much-needed rest and relaxation from daily life.
Lighthouse of Chania, Crete, Greece
The Lighthouse of Chania, Crete is one of the oldest surviving lighthouses in the world, dating back to the sixteenth century. Travelers can take a walk along its long pier (码头) during the sunset. Located near the pier to the lighthouse is a hotel from 1890, which offers beautiful views of the bay.
Key West Lighthouse, Key West, Florida, USA
The Key West Lighthouse was built in 1825 to help guide ships entering the port. Travelers can enjoy climbing up the lighthouse to reach the wonderful sea views and can stay at the Kimpton
Lighthouse Hotel, with easy access to the lighthouse and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Pescadero, California, USA
The Pigeon Point Lighthouse in Pescadero, California was built in 1871 to help ships navigate (导航) the region's dangerous coastline. Today, the lighthouse is a state landmark, and the quarters where the lighthouse keepers lived have been turned into a hostel, making it a great home base to explore the outdoors, spot whales and watch the stars.
1. Why is National Lighthouse Day celebrated?| A．To show the hard life of lighthouse keepers. |
| B．To instruct how to guide ships into harbor. |
| C．To honor lighthouses and their keepers. |
| D．To stress the importance of light. |
| A．Cape Byron Lighthouse. | B．Lighthouse of Chania. |
| C．Key West Lighthouse. | D．Pigeon Point Lighthouse. |
| A．They are all located in the USA. |
| B．They have become tourist attractions. |
| C．They offer accommodation to visitors. |
| D．They are good spots to watch the sunrise. |
1．表示欢迎；
2．推荐他来你的家乡；
3．说明理由。
注意：
1．词数80左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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