5 . 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.

2. What can we learn about Andrew Reynolds?

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.

3. What does Shirley Fitzgerald think of Sydney?

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.

4. Which statement will the author probably agree with?

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.

6 . 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.

2. What made Ginni decide on the trip to Antarctica?

A．Lovely penguins.	B．Beautiful scenery.
C．A discount fare.	D．A friend’s invitation.

3. What does Ginni think about Antarctica after the journey?

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.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．A childhood dream.	B．An unforgettable experience.
C．Sailing around the world.	D．Meeting animals in Antarctica.

7 . Journey Back in Time with Scholars

Classical Provence(13days)
Journey through the beautiful countryside of Provence，France，with Prof. Ori Z. Soltes. We will visit some of the best-preserved Roman monuments in the world. Our tour also includes a chance to walk in the footsteps of Van Gogh and Gauguin. Fields of flowers, tile-roofed(瓦屋顶)villages and tasty meals enrich this wonderful experience.
Southern Spain(15days)
Spain has lovely white towns and the scent(芳香)of oranges，but it is also a treasury of ancient remains including the cities left by the Greeks，Romans and Arabs. As we travel south from Madrid with Prof. Ronald Messier to historic Toledo，Roman Merida and into Andalucia, we explore historical monuments and architecture.
China’s Sacred Landscapes(21days)
Discover the China of “past ages,” its walled cities，temples and mountain scenery with Prof.   Robert Thorp. Highlights(精彩之处)include China’s most sacred peaks at Mount Tai and Hangzbou’s rolling hills，waterways and peaceful temples. We will wander in traditional small towns and end our tour with an exceptional museum in Shanghai.
Tunisia(17days)
Join Prof. Pedar Foss on our in-depth Tunisian tour. Tour highlights include the Roman city of Dougga，the underground Numidian capital at Bulla Regia, Roman Sbeitla and the remote areas around Tataouine and Matmata，uique for underground cities. Our journey takes us to picturesque Berber villages and lovely beaches.
1. What can visitors see in both Classical Provence and Southern Spain？

A．Historical monuments.	B．Fields of flowers.
C．Van Gogh’s paintings.	D．Greek buildings.

2. Which country is Prof. Thorp most knowledgeable about？

A．France.

B．Spain.

C．China.

D．Tunisia.

3. Which of the following highlight the Tunisian tour？

A．White towns.

B．Underground cities.

C．Tile-roofed villages.

D．Rolling hills.

8 . Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens

Visitor Information
How to Get to Holker

By Car: Follow brown signs an A590 from JB6, M6. Approximate travel times: Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester-1 hour 30 minutes.

By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster Preston for connections to major cities & airports.

Opening Times

Sunday-Friday (closed on Saturday)11:00 am-4:00pm,30 March-2nd November.

Admission Charges

	Hall & Gardens	Gardens
Adults:	£12.00	£8.00
Groups	£9	£5.5

Special Events

Producers: Market 13th April

Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.

Holker Garden Festival 30th May

The event celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.

National Garden Day 28th August

Holker once again opens is gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.

Winter Market 8th November

This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifs while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.

1. How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester?

A．20 minutes.	B．25 minutes.
C．45 minutes.	D．90 minutes.

2. How much should a member of a tour group pay to visit to Hall & Cardens?

A．£12.00.	B．£9.00.
C．£8.0	D．£5.50

3. Which event will you go to if you want to see a live music show?

A．Producers’ Market.	B．Holker Garden Festival.
C．National Garden Day.	D．Winter Market.

9 . When I was 17, I read a magazine article about a museum called the McNay, once the home of a watercolorist named Marian McNay. She had requested the community to turn it into a museum upon her death. On a sunny Saturday, Sally and I drove over to the museum. She asked, "Do you have the address? ""No, but I'll recognize it, there was a picture in the magazine. "

"Oh, stop. There it is!”

The museum was free. We entered, excited. A group of people sitting in the hall stopped talking and stared at us.

"May I help you?" a man asked. "No, "I said. "We're fine.” Tour guides got on my nerves. What if they talked a long time about a painting you weren't that interested in? Sally had gone upstairs. The people in the hall seemed very nosy(爱窥探的), keeping their eyes on me with curiosity. What was their problem? I saw some nice sculptures in one room. Suddenly I sensed a man standing behind me. "Where do you think you are? " he asked. I turned sharply. "The McNay Art Museum!" He smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry, the McNay is on New Braunfels Street." "What’s this place?” I asked, still confused. "Well, it's our home." My heart jolted(震颤). I raced to the staircase and called out, "Sally! Come down immediately! "

"There's some really good stuff(艺术作品) up there." She stepped down, looking confused. I pushed her toward the front door, waving at the family, saying, "Sorry, please forgive us, you have a really nice place." Outside, when I told Sally what happened, she covered her mouth, laughing. She couldn't believe how long they let us look around without saying anything.

The real McNay was splendid, but we felt nervous the whole time we were there. Van Gogh, Picasso. This time, we stayed together, in case anything else unusual happened.

Thirty years later, a woman approached me in a public place. "Excuse me, did you ever enter a residence, long ago, thinking it was the McNay Museum?"

"Yes. But how do you know? We never told anyone."

"That was my home. I was a teenager sitting in the hall. Before you came over, I never realized what a beautiful place I lived in. I never felt lucky before. You thought it was a museum. My feelings about my home changed after that. I've always wanted to thank you."

1. What do we know about Marian McNay?

A．She was a painter.

B．She was a community leader.

C．She was a museum director.

D．She was a journalist.

2. Why did the author refuse the help from the man in the house?

A．She disliked people who were nosy.

B．She felt nervous when talking to strangers.

C．She knew more about art than the man.

D．She mistook him for a tour guide.

3. How did the author feel about being stared at by the people in the hall?

A．Puzzled.	B．Concerned.
C．Frightened.	D．Delighted.

4. Why did the author describe the real McNay museum in just a few words?

A．The real museum lacked enough artwork to interest her.

B．She was too upset to spend much time at the real museum.

C．The McNay was disappointing compared with the house.

D．The event happening in the house was more significant.

5. What could we learn from the last paragraph?

A．People should have good taste to enjoy life.

B．People should spend more time with their family.

C．People tend to be blind to the beauty around them.

D．People tend to educate teenagers at a museum.

10 . D

Seeing a volcano erupt (喷发) is a wonderful experience, and you can really feel the beat by climbing to the summit (山顶) of Pacaya for a close-up view. There are guided tours every day up this highly active volcano from Antigua. Giving travelers a chance to see Mother Nature at her most powerful.

Pacaya is an easy drive from Antigua, a beautiful city with many colorful houses along its old streets that are turned into art-works during its Holy Week festival. No matter when you come to Antigua, you won’t miss the Pacaya-tour companies.

But climbing Pacaya is no easy job: it is 2560 metres high, and reaching the summit takes two to three hours of seemingly one-step-forward and two-step-back movements. As you climb, you hear the dull sounds of eruptions high above. Steaming, hot remains from recent eruptions begin to line the path as you near the active summit; the McKenney Cone (火山锥). Just as though you were going to walk over to the edge of the cone, the road turns to the left and up to the relative safety of the old, inactive summit.

Many tours are timed so that you arrive at the cone of the volcano is plenty of time for sunset and the full contrast between the erupting red lava (熔岩) and the darkening sky. On a good day the view from the summit is extremely exciting. The active mouth boils, sending red lava over its sides, and once in a while shoots hot streams up to 100 metres into the air. There is a strong bad smell in the air even if you take care to be upwind of the cone. As evening turns deeper into the night. the burning lava quietly falls down tae side of the volcano. For you, too, it is time to get down .

1. What is the main purpose of this passage?

A．To attract tourists to Pacaya.	B．To describe the beauty of Pacaya.
C．To introduce guided tours to Pacaya.	D．To explain the power of nature at Pacaya.

2. Antigua is a city      .

A．where people can enjoy cultural festivals	B．where the daring Pacaya tour starts
C．that gives a close-up view of Paraya	D．that is famous for its tour companies

3. Climbing to the McKenney Cone, people will .

A．walk directly to the active summit	B．hear the continuous loud noise from above
C．make greater efforts than to other summits	D．see a path lined with remains of earlier eruptions

4. Many tours are timed for people to      .

A．get down the mountain in time when night falls

B．avoid the smell from the upwind direction of the cone

C．enjoy the fantastic eruption against the darkening sky

D．appreciate the scenery of the 2560-metre-high mountain