Running: February 1st through April 30th
This delicious tour goes through the city on its way to Treasure Island where we will stop at the famous Winery SF. Here you can enjoy 4 pours of some of the best wine San Francisco has to offer. (Included in tickets price)
Departing from the Cannery: Tour times upon request.
Duration (时长): 2 hours
Price: $90
Back to the Fifties Tour
Running: August 16th through August 31st
This tour transports you back in time to one of San Francisco’s most fantastic periods, the 1950s! Enjoy fun history as we take you through San Francisco for a free taste of ice cream.
Departing from the Cannery: 5:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Duration: 2 hours
Price: $90
Spooky Halloween Tour
Running: October 10th through October 31st
Join us for a ride through the historical Presidio district. Authentic fire gear (服装) is provided for your warmth as our entertainers take you to some of the most thrilling parts of San Francisco.
Departing from the Cannery: 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Price: Available upon request
Holiday Lights Tour
Running: December 6th through December 23rd
This attractive tour takes you to some of San Francisco’s most cheerful holiday scenes. Authentic fire gear is provided for your warmth as you get into the holiday spirit.
Departing from the Cannery: 7:00 pm and 9:00 pm
Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Advance reservations required.
1. Which of the tours is suitable for tourists who are interested in history?A.San Francisco Winery Tour. | B.Back to the Fifties Tour. |
C.Spooky Halloween Tour. | D.Holiday Lights Tour. |
A.Take some drinks. | B.Set off early in the morning. |
C.Wear warm clothes. | D.Make reservations in advance. |
A.Travel brochure. | B.Encyclopedia. | C.Textbook. | D.Biography. |
2 . Landscape architect Kotchakorn Voraakhom has designed a new green roof on the Rangsit Campus of Thammasat University, about 25 miles north of central Bangkok, Thailand. Her imaginative work challenges the common thinking that urbanization has a negative impact on the planet, whether flooding, excess (过度的) energy use, disrupted (扰乱) biodiversity or the heat island effect.
The 236, 806-square-foot structure, which opened in December 2019, includes a flood water management system and Asia’s largest rooftop organic farm. It combines modern landscape architecture with traditional agricultural knowledge, creating a green and friendly environment.
The green roof, containing an H-shaped landscape, looks like a futuristic hill with a brick building beneath it. The hill features a complex pattern of zigzagging terraces (之字形梯田) of planted beds, leading all the way down to the bottom. When rainwater hits the roof, it flows down the zigzags while being absorbed by the soil in the beds, The excess water is directed into four storage ponds — with a capacity of up to 3 million gallons. The process slows down the flow speed of rainwater runoff compared to a normal concrete rooftop. This keeps the area from flooding during heavy rains.
The roof’s terraces are filled with organically grown crops, including a drought tolerant variety of rice, many local vegetables and herbs. The farm can supply the canteens on campus with a large amount of rice, herbs and vegetables a year. The food waste is composted (把……制成堆肥) to fertilize the farm, and water from the storage ponds is used to water plants, creating an entirely localized and circular system.
The farm serves as an outdoor classroom and a source of local jobs, too. Farmers offer workshops on sustainable agriculture and nutrition as part of the university’s sustainability curriculum. “Students and community members are invited to participate in seasonal seeding, harvesting, and so on,” says Voraakhom. “The urban farm is training a new generation of organic farmers with real-world skills. It also promotes a sense of community.”
1. What can we say about Voraakhom’s work?A.It’s short-lived. | B.It’s creative. |
C.It’s demanding. | D.It’s time-consuming. |
A.To store more water. |
B.To plant diverse vegetables. |
C.To slow the speed of water flow. |
D.To make it look more attractive than other buildings. |
A.It uses food as fertilizer. | B.It benefits the environment. |
C.It improves students’ lifestyle. | D.It produces vegetables and fruits. |
A.Students can learn hands-on knowledge on the farm. |
B.Farmers working on the farm can become professors. |
C.The farm prevents government from offering people jobs. |
D.The farm harms the relationship between university and community. |
3 . Recently, my husband and three kids were playing in the Mediterranean, swimming and floating in the picture-perfect sea. It was extremely beautiful in Majorca, Spain. The way the sun danced across the water and how the blue horizon was dotted with storybook sailboats were such beautiful scenes. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.
My husband and I always dreamed about taking our kids on a trip around the world. It was something we always wanted to do “one day”. It was one of the things we talked at length about, when we imagined our life with the children we hoped we would have.
Fourteen years later, we had three boys who were growing up faster by the day. It was time to make good on those plans.
We spent dozens of hours discussing, researching and planning. We had to learn how to “road school” our kids and arrange time off from work. We renewed our passports, and then packed our bags. We showed our kids the world. It was about experiencing the dozens of flights and trains and taxis together. We showed them how wonderful, how diverse, and how amazing the world is. We wanted them to learn all that we had learned ourselves, through our own travels as young adults.
But there was something more than that: What we really wanted is to slow down time. We wanted the days to last a bit longer, and the weeks to take their time. The years with our children are going too fast. We wanted to put the brakes on (阻止) our busy lives for a year, and just be with our kids. We wanted a break from the daily morning routine of making lunches, eating breakfast and rushing out of the door in time for school. We needed a family time-out.
It was a wonderful two-month trip in Europe, full of incredible moments. And when we look back at our lives, I know we’ll be glad we did it. I know we’ll be happy that this is a chapter of the story of our family.
1. What was the author’s attitude toward the trip when planning it?A.Worried. | B.Calm. | C.Stressed. | D.Eager. |
A.Change. | B.Realize. | C.Improve. | D.Cancel. |
A.To teach her children to value life. |
B.To allow her children to see the world. |
C.To enjoy a family breakaway from their life routine. |
D.To enable her children to learn something out of class. |
A.Tired. | B.Satisfied. | C.Inspired. | D.Disappointed. |
4 . Many people enjoy spending their vacations swimming, lying in the sun and staying at luxurious hotels.
“I’m a successful lawyer from San Francisco,” says Gavin Murphy. “
Camping out does have its disadvantages, however.
Park rangers (护林员) recommend that visitors watch out for snakes, whose bites can be poisonous. They stress the fact that it is necessary that food be kept packed away, so that an unexpected bear doesn’t pay an unwelcome visit to some surprised guests.
A.If it rains, there is not much to do. |
B.Camping is not really my cup of tea. |
C.But every once in a while I like to get back to nature. |
D.Some of the visitors have no experience being in the country. |
E.Yet, nature lovers continue to visit national parks year after year. |
F.But there are countless others who prefer a different kind of holiday. |
G.Visitors to national parks have a wide variety of activities to choose from. |
5 . Summer is always a busy travel season, but even at peak times like July, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll see lots of hotels with No Vacancy (空房) signs. More and more travelers are choosing instead to stay in vacation rentals: decorated private houses, rooms, or apartments that only you and your party share for the period of your stay. Or you can get adventurous and book a cabin, a tree house, a houseboat, or even a castle.
The idea appeared in 2007, when Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia, the owners of a hotel, realizing that a San Francisco tech meeting would make hotel rooms in the area harder to come by, let travelers sleep on air mattresses (充气床垫) in their apartment for a fee. They called it Air Bed and Breakfast, and the company—now known as Airbnb—is worth almost $100 billion today and has six million listings worldwide.
More space is a major attraction of this accommodation (住宿): the average hotel room measures just 330 square feet, while the average vacation rental room tops 1,300. And in 20 of the largest U. S. cities, average daily rates are comparable to (or slightly lower than) those of hotels.
If you’re willing to share your own digs while you’re away, Love Home Swap pairs you with like-minded travelers for stays in each other’s homes for a membership fee as low as $ 11 per month. If you’d like to list your home, check your local zoning laws, as some areas have strict rules on short-term rentals. In parts of Honolulu, a new law taking effect in October will up the minimum stay to 90 days.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?A.Vacation rentals have replaced hotels nowadays. |
B.Travelers have more options of where to live now. |
C.Hotels have no empty rooms during travel seasons. |
D.Instead of staying in rentals, travelers choose private rooms. |
A.The presence of the Airbnb. | B.The requirement of travelers. |
C.The shortage of hotel rooms. | D.The popularity of air mattresses. |
A.become its member first. | B.rent your house for free. |
C.list your house for at least 90 days. | D.find partners with the similar ideas. |
A.To list the various rentals for travelers. |
B.To urge hotels to take on more vacation rentals. |
C.To compare two different ways to spend vacation. |
D.To introduce a new trend on vacation accommodation. |
6 . Mammoth Cave National Park, in the state of Kentucky, is a unique and historical natural wonder. It has the world’s longest cave system. There may be another 600 miles of cave passageways that have yet to be explored. In addition, more than 200 caves that are disconnected from the larger system can be found in the park.
The underground caves were created naturally by the process of limestone (石灰岩) erosion. Rain and rivers slowly dissolve (溶解) and shape soft limestone. The system is still being shaped today. Not only are they an amazing destination to visit, but the system also provides drinking water for about 40% of the US population.
The caves’ first explorers were Native Americans, who mined (采矿) the upper levels of Mammoth Cave. Later, the sites were left in great shape and began to draw public interest.
Mammoth Cave was made into a national park thanks to strong support. Back in the 1920s, the Southern Appalachian National Park Commission was set up in 1925. After years of work, as well as building roads and public facilities, the park was completed on July 1, 1941.
The park now receives around 2 million visitors a year, with about a quarter taking a tour of the caves—everything from a cultural tour to the more adventurous tours on offer. The cave supports more than 130 wildlife species (物种). The park is also much more than just a cave; the forest around has a diverse (多种多样的) range of species. There are miles of trails open for horseback riding, with canoe trails and great fishing spots. There are also more than 1,300 flowering species in the forest, and animals like wood warblers, thrushes, and bald eagles can regularly be seen.
1. What can we learn about Mammoth Cave from the first two paragraphs?A.It was made by ancient people. | B.It has the length of 600 miles. |
C.It is made up of 200 connected caves. | D.It has a large underground system. |
A.Explorers mine the upper levels. | B.The government searches for drinkable water. |
C.Water dissolves limestone. | D.People build roads and public facilities. |
A.More than 1,300 flowers grow in the caves. |
B.The park offers visitors diverse experiences. |
C.Most visitors come to the park just for caves. |
D.Two million people have visited the park till now. |
A.Planning cave tours around the world |
B.Exploring the world’s longest cave system |
C.Learning about the explorers of Mammoth Cave |
D.Predicting the future of Mammoth Cave National Park |
7 . Standing on a hill at Cliveden Gardens on a sunny winter day, its dark-green lake surrounded by centuries-old trees took my breath away.
“The English landscape is more beautiful because its beauty is understated,” my friend Will said to me later as we walked through an exhibition at Tate Britain. He pointed to a painting of a peaceful countryside. “This is the landscape I grew up with”, he said. Unlike grand waterfalls or wild forests, this scenery doesn’t shout about its beauty.
I wonder if Chinese tourists will explore beyond London.
Experiencing both cultures, I’ve realized that the English and Chinese both express achievements with understatement.
A.Cliveden isn’t a famous holiday place. |
B.Rather, its beauty is reserved for the locals only. |
C.I’ve been impressed by British humor all the time. |
D.They tend to prefer places with a strong reputation. |
E.But the more I looked, the more I saw its quiet elegance. |
F.Over the years, I’ve become familiar with British modesty. |
G.This mix makes me appreciate the unusual beauty of Cliveden. |
8 . One day in March 2008, I made a big decision. I decided to shut down my law practice and travel around the world in a year. What’s more, I would do it without taking any flights or making a single advance booking of any kind.
When I made this hare-brained plan, I didn’t mean to have an ever lasting life on the road. I was planning to come back after my year of travel, open a new law practice and write a hugely successful book about my adventure.
I set off on my adventure in December 2008 and I found travelling without using planes was not easy. Trying to travel around the world in 16 months made it even harder. Even so, traveling overland was the most amazing way to truly understand the immensity of our wonderful planet.
I took three overnight buses to travel 3,000 km through Argentina, from Ushuaia to the capital Buenos Aires. I would look out of the windows for hours on end at the completely unspoiled (未遭破坏的) plains (平原), as if humans had never touched it.
It took seven days and nights on trains to get from Moscow to Beijing, each day spent looking out of the windows for hours as the Siberian plains swept by. Sometimes, I wouldn’t see a village or a human being for ten hours. Later in my journey, it took me 22 days to get from New Zealand through the Panama Canal and back to Philadelphia to finish my round-the-world adventure.
It turned out that travelling with no advance booking was far less difficult than I had imagined. Pulling into a city on a bus with a backpack, looking in a guidebook for a few suggestions for accommodations and then finding an empty room was never much of a problem anywhere. It also kept me free and open about all my travel plans which is the advice I give to everyone who asks plan far less than you think you should.
1. What does the underlined word “hare-brained” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Clever. | B.Secret. | C.Crazy. | D.Detailed. |
A.Lower travel costs. | B.Longer stays in each country. |
C.Better appreciation of the world. | D.More favourable accommodations. |
A.He had a taste for adventure. | B.He finished his global travel as planned. |
C.He became a writer after his global travel. | D.He planned his travel carefully in advance. |
A.Challenging but satisfying. | B.Dangerous but wonderful. |
C.Boring and risky. | D.Costly and tiring. |
9 . Best Family Vacations in the Caribbean
Choosing a Caribbean vacation that meets the needs of young children, preteens and adults might seem like a challenging task. The following introduction may provide you with some choices.
U. S. Virgin Islands
With three islands to choose from, U. S. Virgin Islands appeal to families who like to combine beach time with a bit of exploration. Virgin Islands National Park on St. John offers this combination — and more — with 20-plus trails and access to popular Trunk Bay beach. Kids will also enjoy Coral World Ocean Park on St. Thomas, where they can swim with dolphins and sea lions.
Bahamas
Beautiful beaches, magnificent reefs and opportunities for horseback riding and surfing lessons make the Bahamas a family favorite. Plus, this string of 700 islands boasts plenty of budget- and family-friendly resorts. One of the most famous resorts — Atlantis Paradise Island — even has its own 141-acre water park and the world’s largest open-air marine habitat for the young to enjoy. At the marine habitat, travelers can enjoy watching various aquatic animals swim by.
Cayman Islands
Grand Cayman, the largest and most popular of this three-island chain, offers families tons of ways to enjoy their time together. Adults and kids can sunbathe, build sandcastles and float in the Caribbean Sea at Seven Mile Beach, or swim with stingrays (刺魟) in the shallow water of Stingray City. To get up close and personal with more sea life, head to the Cayman Turtle Centre to interact with turtles of all shapes and sizes.
British Virgin Islands
Calm waters and pollution-free beaches attract travelers of all ages to the British Virgin Islands. While the destination can be pricey, families can save money by splashing around Smuggler’s Cove, a free beach known for its sea turtles and relaxing atmosphere. Visitors will also enjoy themselves in the Baths National Park.
1. What is special about the U. S. Virgin Islands?A.The beaches are free of pollution. |
B.Water sports courses can be taken. |
C.Exploration lovers may be interested in it. |
D.Kids can learn to communicate with dolphins. |
A.By going to a free beach. |
B.By exploring a national park together. |
C.By swimming only in shallow water. |
D.By getting close to the marine habitats. |
A.They all have a special park. |
B.Beautiful reefs can be appreciated. |
C.Visitors have access to sea animals. |
D.Places for building sandcastles are provided. |
10 . In 1983, Ski Rixen USA became the first water ski cable park in the United States. Located in Deerfield Beach, Florida, the park offers riders a chance to experience all kinds ofwater sports.
In the past 40 years, Six Rixen USA has welcomed more than 1.5 million visitors. The park was the brainchild of engineer Bruno Rixen. Born in 1931 in Germany, Rixen grewfrustrated with the sport of water skiing, which required pulling by a motor boat.
“He used to wait for four hours in line to do three laps around the lake, ” explained Allan Wlodarczyk, the manager of Ski Rixen USA. He added that riding five minutes and waiting another four hours sparked Rixen’s idea of cable parks. Rather than relying on a boat, Rixen considered his own cable way. He also designed skis and set up a power source.
“The first cable was actually an old farm tractor, ” Wlodarczyk said. “Rixen took the wheels off, attached some ropes to the wheel disks, and started pulling people back and forth around the lake.” Over the years, Rixen improved his design and earned several patents. He opened the world’s first commercial cable water park in 1966 in Benidorm, Spain.
The sport grew from entertainment to international contests. Rixen died in 2020, but his idea has taken hold around the world. Today, there are more than 500 cable water parks on different continents. Typically, the cable tows riders at a speed of about 20 miles per hour.
But for beginners, who can take lessons, the speed is about 15 miles per hour.
Ski Rixen USA also offers riding opportunities and events to people with special needs to ski effortlessly. “We have a specially designed ski, called a sit ski,” Wlodarczyk said. “It’s a larger board with a lot of surface area. The riders are completely seated in the water and don’t actually have to hold onto the rope.”
1. What does the underlined word “brainchild” in paragraph 2 mean?A.Idea. | B.Area. | C.Birthplace | D.Destination |
A.How Rixen protected the lake. |
B.How Rixen set up a power source. |
C.How much Rixen liked water skiing. |
D.How Rixen created his cable water park. |
A.He brought fun to visitors. |
B.He invented a cable tractor. |
C.He turned it into a business. |
D.He made cables travel fastest. |
A.It is easy to ride. | B.It runs extremely quickly. |
C.It offers a narrow board. | D.It is dangerous for the riders. |