2 . Here are four best destinations to be after heart-stopping adventure, a close-up look at history, or the perfect meal.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Buenos Aires becomes a hub for art, sports, and politics. Though the Argentinean capital is already home to a collection of galleries, Art Basel Cities promises to promote Buenos Aires’ reputation in the global art scene by offering professional support for local artists, as well as lectures and workshops throughout the year to draw art lovers to the city.

Los Cabos, Mexico

Located at the tip of the Baja Peninsula, the two small colonial towns of Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo have become the hottest vacation destinations in Mexico in recent years. With wide, original beaches, lively nightclubs, natural resorts, and a farm-to-table food scene, the oasis of Los Cabos is drawing tourists in record numbers. As a result, the hotel scene is booming, with lots of new developments and renovations completed this year.

Zambia

Until now, Zambia has had little recognition as one of Africa’s great safari (狩猎远征) destinations. Yet experts know it as the birthplace of the walking safari In South Luangwa National Park, visitors can expect to see more animals than baobab trees, while Liuwa Plain National Park is the setting for the world’s second-largest wildebeest migration, when tens of thousands of the creatures head across the plain from neighboring Angola.

Brussels, Belgium

Visitors may want to return to the Belgian capital in 2018 to visit two cutting-edge museums. The Millennium Iconoclast Museum of Art opened to show contemporary art from around the world. There’s also the Citroen Cultural Centre, which will launch its first exhibition in May. The JAM Hotel with exposed brickwork and concrete beams housed in a former art school, is the perfect place for culture lovers to stay. Don’t leave town without experiencing beer culture at youthful breweries (啤酒厂) like Brasserie de la Senne or Brussels Beer Project.

1. How does Art Basel Cities promote Buenos Aires’ reputation?

A．By offering lectures only.	B．By giving professional help.
C．By building workshops.	D．By drawing some pictures.

2. What attracts so many tourists to the oasis of Los Cabos?

A．Its wild climate.	B．The booming hotels.
C．Its charming attractions.	D．The special location.

3. Where can you go if you want to see wildebeest migration?

A．Zambia.	B．Los Cabos, Mexico.
C．Buenos Aires, Argentina.	D．Brussels, Belgium.

4. What does the author strongly advise you to do in Brussels, Belgium?

A．Visit modern museums.	B．Live in luxury hotels.
C．Enjoy beer culture.	D．Attend the art exhibition activities.

5. Where does this passage most probably come from?

A．A teachers’ handbook.	B．A story book.
C．A science magazine.	D．A travel journal.

4 . I was dirty, smelly, hungry and somewhere beneath all that, suntanned (晒黑的). It was the end of an Inter-Rail holiday. My body couldn’t take any more punishment. My mind couldn’t deal with any more foreign timetables, currencies or languages.

“Never again,” I said, as I stepped onto home ground. I said exactly the same thing the following year. And the next, all I had to do was to buy one train ticket and, because I was under twenty-five years old, I could spend a whole month going anywhere I wanted in Europe. Ordinary beds are never the same once you’ve learnt to sleep in the passage of a train, the rhythm rocking you into a deep sleep.

Carrying all your possessions on your back in a rucksack (背包) makes you have a very basic approach to travel, and encourages incredible wastefulness that can lead to burning socks that have become too anti-social, and getting rid of books when finished. On the other hand, this way of looking at life is entirely in the spirit of Inter-Rail, for common sense and reasoning can be thrown out of the window along with the paperback book and the socks. All it takes to achieve this carefree attitude is one of those tickets in your hand.

Any system that enables young people to travel through countries at a rate of more than one a day must be pretty social. On that first trip, my friends and I were at first unaware of the possibilities of this type of train ticket, thinking it was just an inexpensive way of getting to and from our chosen camp-site in southern France. But the idea of non-stop travel proved too attractive, for there was always just one more country over the border, always that little bit further to go. And what did the extra miles cost us? Nothing.

We were not completely uninterested in culture. But this was a first holiday without parents, as it was for most other Inter-Railers, and in organizing our own timetable we left out everything except the most available sights. This was the chance to escape the guided tour, an opportunity to do something different. I took great pride in the fact that, in many places, all I could be bothered to see was the view from the station. We were just there to get by, and to have good time doing so. In this we were not different from most of the other Inter-Railers with whom we shared passage floors, food and water, money and music.

The excitement of travel comes from the sudden reality of somewhere that was previously just a name. It is as if the city in which you arrive never actually existed until the train pulls in at the station and you are able to see it with your own tired eyes for the first time.

1. At the end of his first trip, the writer said “Never again” because ________.

A．he fell ill

B．he disliked trains

C．he was tired from the journey

D．he had lost money

2. What does the writer mean by “this way of looking at life” in Paragraph 3?

A．Worrying about your clothes.

B．Throwing unwanted things away.

C．Behaving in an anti-social way.

D．Looking after your possessions.

3. Why did the writer originally buy an Inter-Rail ticket?

A．To get to one place cheaply.

B．To meet other young people.

C．To see a lot of famous places.

D．To go on a tour of Europe.

4. What the writer liked about traveling without his parents was that ________.

A．he could see more interesting places

B．he could spend more time sightseeing

C．he could stay away from home longer

D．he could make his own decisions

5. What does the underlined word “it” in the last sentence of Paragraph 6 refer to?

A．A name.

B．The city.

C．The train.

D．The station.

5 . As the capital of China, Beijing is a beautiful combination of antiquity and modernity. If you come to visit China for the first time, this 4-day classic Beijing tour is just designed for you. It covers the most popular and typical places in Beijing, fully displaying the scenery, culture, history, local lifestyles and features, business, food and drinks.

Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Your guide meets you at Capital Airport, and helps you check in at your hotel.

Feel free to enjoy the rest of the day as you wish.

Enjoy Beijing Duck as welcome dinner.

Accommodation: Beijing downtown

Day 2: The Great Wall the Summer Palace

Start your day at the most famous part of the Great Wall, the Badaling Great Wall. Leave the downtown for the Great Wall at 8 am. It is a long drive (about 2 hours), so you’ll have a break at the Jade Museum on the way.

Lunch will be enjoyed in a local restaurant.

In the early afternoon, you will come back to the city and have a sightseeing tour of the Summer Palace.

Recommended Activity: Beijing Opera Show (Liyuan Theatre, 19: 30-21: 10 every evening)

Accommodation: Beijing downtown

Day 3: Beijing city sightseeing Local experience

Your guide meets you at the hotel at 8 am and set out for the day’s touring: Tian’anmen Square and the Forbidden City.

After visiting the two sites, you will have a break and get ready for lunch.

Hutong visit: see some traditional arts of the old Beijing, such as paper cutting and kite making, and then visit a local family.

Accommodation: Beijing downtown

Day 4: Beijing Olympic sites

Visit the Olympic sites: Bird’s Nest, Water Cube and the Olympic Park, witnessing the fast-developing modern China. Enjoy some free time after visiting the sites. After lunch, it is shopping time and then the tour is over.

For more information, please contact hld@wnbl. corp. Tel: 925-3736.

1. This advertisement is probably aimed at __________.

A．foreigners who are new to China	B．experts who study history and cities
C．kids who are born in other cities	D．people who are interested in touring

2. On the way to the Badaling Great Wall from the downtown, the tourists will take a break at __________.

A．the Summer Palace	B．the Olympic Park
C．the Forbidden City	D．the Jade Museum

3. If tourists want to enjoy Beijing Opera, they should __________.

A．go to Liyuan Theatre in the evening	B．visit the Summer Palace on the first day
C．go sightseeing in Beijing Hutong	D．live in a local family

4. On which day can tourists visit a local family?

A．Day 1.

B．Day 2.

C．Day 3.

D．Day 4.

5. According to the passage, __________ can show Beijing is a fast-developing modern city.

A．Beijing Capital Airport	B．Bird's Nest, Water Cube and the Olympic Park
C．Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City	D．the Great Wall and the Summer Palace

7 . Into the Night

The lights from the cottage windows disappear, as we follow a dark footpath through a field into the open countryside. Thick clouds prevent the moonlight from lighting up the way ahead. Yet, as my eyes begin to get used to the darkness, the landscape around me reveals itself in a new light.

Mount Caburn, an iron-age hill fort (堡垒), looks like shadows against the sky. On the horizon is a tree bent by the wind. The rocky outcrop (露出的部分) at the top of the field turns out to be a flock of sleeping sheep. A fox cries, a pheasant crows, and the air is full of a strong earthy scent.

“For most of human history, man lived in close contact with the land,” says Nigel Berman, my guide. “Only in the past few hundred years have we shut ourselves off from our natural surroundings. Walking at night is a powerful way of reconnecting. When your vision is reduced, your other senses are sharpened.”

Nigel and I walk from the village of Glynde across the South Downs towards the town of Lewes. It is a walk I know well by day, but at night everything is different, and a familiar wander becomes a mini adventure. When Nigel told me not to bring a torch, I was alarmed. I can’t remember the last time I used my night vision and I’m not even sure how it works.

Normally, at this time of night, I would be having a glass of wine in front of the television, but being out in the countryside is a purer form of relaxation. I forget about work and family tensions, and begin to blend into the surroundings. There is no one other than Nigel to see or hear me and, with little visual distraction, my mind calms. I am aware of the breeze on my face, the rustle (沙沙声) of leaves, and as I watch the clouds slowly changing color against the sky like a natural sound and light show, it feels fascinating.

Having got used to the dark, we continue walking and the path that leads up the escarpment (峭壁) of Saxon Down now appears to almost shine in front of us. We climb carefully, feeling our way on the uneven ground. Walking at night is not without risk, but with knowledge and preparation it opens up a new side to walking.

As we reach the top, Lewes appears below as a twinkly mass of lights, a sight I would generally consider as inviting. In just a few hours, however, I find myself unwilling to walk back down. Walking at night is like discovering a new world on your doorstep. As Henry David Thoreau wrote in Night and Moonlight: “Night is certainly more novel and less profane (世俗的) than day.”

1. According to Nigel Berman, why is walking at night significant?

A．It helps people appreciate natural surroundings.

B．It is a way to take risks and explore new places.

C．It improves our vision and sharpens other senses.

D．It makes us avoid distractions from work and family.

2. Why did the author feel alarmed when Nigel told them not to bring a torch?

A．He was afraid of getting lost in the dark.

B．He hardly had any trust in Nigel as a guide.

C．He didn’t know how to use his night vision.

D．He worried about the way on uneven ground.

3. The night walk brought the following benefits to the author except ________.

A．a reconnection with nature

B．a chance of abandoning wine

C．an escape from daily tensions

D．an approach to getting relaxed

4. What can we learn about the author from the article?

A．He had gone for a walk on his own at night before.

B．He intentionally picked a cloudy night for his walk.

C．He enjoyed the feeling after reaching the top of the mountain.

D．He badly wanted to go home to have a glass of wine after the walk.

5. What is the article mainly about?

A．Describing his night hike through the countryside.

B．Contrasting the experience of day and night walking.

C．Encouraging readers to go on a night walk themselves.

D．Exploring the history of human connection with nature.

8 . 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.

2. What does the author think of removing the brise-soleil of the Queen Emma Building?

A．It’s confusing.	B．It’s pleasing.
C．It’s regrettable.	D．It’s unbelievable.

3. Why were many Victorian buildings in San Francisco torn down?

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.

4. What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?

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.