1 . Some beaches are perfect for relaxing, while others offer activities like hiking and water sports. Visit these beautiful beaches for an unforgettable vacation.
Cannon Beach
If your perfect beach vacation spot features postcard-worthy scenery and peace, look no further than Cannon Beach. In this Pacific Northwest town, you can even build a fire on the beach to relax beside while watching the sun set. When you need a break from the beach, grab a bike and head downtown to explore its art galleries, shops and restaurants.
Horseshoe Bay Beach
For a one-of-a-kind beach experience, head to Horseshoe Bay Beach on Bermuda’s South Shore. Known for its pink sand, this beach is a popular destination for families looking to play in the calm blue-green waters and build blush-colored sandcastles. Adventure seekers can also take part in the self-guided island bicycle tour or engage in exciting water sports.
Mohegan Bluffs
This beach is famous for its natural beauty. Upon arrival, pause to admire your surroundings and learn about its ties to the native people, their ancient traditions, and connection to the land, adding depth to your beach experience. Then, take the 141 steps down to the sand to sunbathe. After that, climb back up to visit the Southeast Light for an up-close view of its 18th-century lighthouse.
South Beach
This tropical district on Florida’s Atlantic Coast is world-renowned for its powdery white sand. Although technically part of the Miami Beach area, South Beach stands out due to its Art Deco architecture seen in everything from the beachfront lifeguard towers to the high-rise buildings along the famed Ocean Drive.
1. What similarity do Cannon Beach and Horseshoe Bay Beach share?| A．The chance to cycle around. | B．Their lively artistic scene. |
| C．The unique water sports. | D．Their distinctive sand color. |
| A．Those seeking water sports. | B．Fans of modern lighthouses. |
| C．Those interested in local culture. | D．Enthusiasts of mountain climbing. |
| A．Its beach sand. | B．Its architectural style. |
| C．Its ocean drive. | D．Its high-rise buildings. |
2 . National Parks: Made for You and Me
·While the term “national park” is associated with images of the American West, there are national park units in every. U. S. state and territory. Together they welcome about 300 million visitors each year and span some 85 million acres, almost 55 million of which are in Alaska.
·There are more than 400 sites in the National Park System, though that includes far more than what we traditionally think of as “parks”, such as parkways and rivers, Strictly speaking, there are 63 national parks (California has the most, with nine), but there are also national historic parks, national military parks, and other designations. A few are thoroughly unique. Among them: the White House.
·The National Park Service (NPS) oversees all 400+ of these sites. But rules about what you can and cannot do in national parks differ from site to site. Activities that are prohibited at national parks, such as hunting and fishing, are allowed on some national preserves. Many national parks allow the scattering of ashes (the Grand Canyon is a notable exception); though, like Hitchcock, you need to obtain NPS permission. The same goes for couples who wish to marry inside a national park.
·Additions to the National Park System generally require acts of Congress, but the president can name new national monuments. Of the 63 national parks, only one is named after a president: Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota.
·It was another president who created the NPS in 1916; Woodrow Wilson Parks that predate (早于) the NPS include Yosemite in California and Mount Rainier in Washington. But Yellowstone, which turned 150 this year, was the world’s first national park. Today, more than 100 countries have national parks and preserves. The largest by area is in Greenland, though 97 percent of the Galapagos Islands is a national park.
1. Which state has the widest span of national parks in the USA?| A．California. | B．Alaska. | C．Washington. | D．North Dakota |
| A．Rules about what you can and can’t do in different national parks vary. |
| B．All national parks prohibit hunting and fishing. |
| C．National parks don’t allow the scattering of ashes. |
| D．Couples can marry inside a national park. |
| A．after the approval of local residents |
| B．after the president names them |
| C．after the relevant acts of Congress are passed |
| D．after these parks meet some specific criteria |
| A．Yellowstone. | B．The White House. | C．The Grand Canyon. | D．Greenland. |
| A．An instruction book. | B．A university newspaper. | C．A magazine. | D．A student guide. |
3 . The Zero Energy Building in Singapore, which has been entirely powered by sunlight since it began operating in 2009, is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. Transformed from a former workshop, the three- story building may hold the key to the island’s effort to reduce its dependence on imported fuel.
Generally, green building strategies can be categorized into passive and active solutions. Active solutions involve improving lighting and the HVAC(Heating, Ventilation (通风) and Air-conditioning)systems that consume most of the energy in buildings. Passive solutions aim to provide more energy-efficient architectural improvements (such as building envelopes and roofs) to reduce the reliance on active solutions. Research has shown that passive strategies are much less costly compared to active solutions. Therefore, passive design is recommended in many green and sustainable design guidelines.
“However, passive solutions, such as daylight and natural ventilation, are sensitive to climatic and outdoor conditions and therefore have their limitations of application,” said project officer Letchimi Palanisamy. “For example, buildings in the tropics (热带) usually have a North-South direction to avoid facing the sun directly. But the Zero Energy Building has an East-West orientation, which made the task more challenging.”
Innovations that are being tested at the Zero Energy Building include personalized ventilation and a new air-conditioning system patented by the National University of Singapore (NUS). Different plants have also been planted on the roofs and along the walls of the building to reduce heat absorption, yet allow maximum natural ventilation and daylight into the building to lower the need for air-conditioning and artificial lighting. The biggest improvement is the addition of a new roof that can turn sunlight into 500,000KWH of electricity each year.
“The Zero Energy Building is a test bed for the green building technologies in the tropics,” Letchimi Palanisamy said. “If they are successfully commercialized, they will help Singapore cut its energy consumption in the buildings by 50%.”
1. What does the second paragraph mainly focus on?| A．Methods to improve the HVAC systems. |
| B．Ways to classify green building strategies. |
| C．Major innovations adopted in green buildings. |
| D．The benefits and limitations of green technologies. |
| A．Buildings in the tropics usually face the sun directly. |
| B．Passive designs depend heavily on the natural conditions. |
| C．Active strategies are much less expensive than passive solutions. |
| D．The energy consumption in the Zero Energy Building is cut by 50%. |
| A．Natural ventilation. | B．Plants grown along the walls. |
| C．Innovations for maximum daylight. | D．NUS’s air-conditioning system. |
| A．A project profile. | B．An on-site test. | C．An advertisement. | D．A government plan. |
4 . Things To Remember On Your First Solo Travel Adventure
If you’ve ever thought about just taking a trip yourself instead of waiting for someone to join you, you’re not alone.
Don’t be afraid to talk to random people. Though there is someone who poses a threat, it’s important to remember that not everyone is out to get you.
It’s okay to have bad days.
It’s okay to start small.
| A．You are the boss of your own adventure. |
| B．You need to make an unusual travel choice. |
| C．It’s no secret that solo travel is on the rise. |
| D．Sometimes things can go incredibly wrong. |
| E．People like you simply don’t know how to start. |
| F．Most of the time people are just curious and try to be friendly. |
| G．Remember, your first solo trip doesn’t have to be to a whole other continent. |
5 . Cultural tourism is a form of travel that focuses on exploring and experiencing the cultural heritage and traditions of a particular destination. Cultural tourism is a good way to enrich your experience as a tourist.
Cultural tourism helps to encourage the protection of culture and heritage by keeping endangered traditions alive. For example, heritage handicraft skills (手工技能) might be little practical, but outside interest could be enough to safeguard a tradition that might otherwise have been lost.
Cultural tourism also improves education.
However, when cultural practices and traditions are presented only for tourism purposes, they may lose their true meaning and become superficial (表面的) performances aimed at entertaining tourists.
In addition, a lot of tourists can put a pressure on local resources.
Most importantly, cultural tourism may lead to the loss of cultural diversity. As destinations become more popular to mass tourism, there is a risk of homogenization, where cultural practices and traditions become standardized to the tastes and expectations of tourists.
| A．Only when culture tourism is managed properly |
| B．This can lead to a misunderstanding of the culture |
| C．It is important to improve cultural understanding and respect |
| D．Because cultural tourism often involves travelling to far areas |
| E．Travelers have the chance to take part in educational activities |
| F．But it’s worth noting that this type of travel has both benefits and downsides |
| G．Popular cultural destinations often experience an increase in the number of visitors |
6 . Tokyo restaurant Sushiya no Nohachi reportedly serves great sushi, but it is most famous for its gimmick—making the world’s smallest sushi with a single grain of rice.
Located in Asakusa, a slightly quieter part of Tokyo, Sushiya no Nohachi is the place to go if you want to enjoy the tiniest, most adorable sushi in the world. Each piece is made with only a grain of rice and a tiny slice of topping wrapped in the thinnest piece of nori(海苔). Every served piece is actually perfect, which hints at the amount of work and patience that Bes into making them. They are the work of Hironori Ikeno, the chef of Sushiya no Nohachi, who came up with the idea in 2002 when a client asked him how small he could make his sushi. He answered, “as small as a grain of rice”, and proceeded to demonstrate that he wasn’t kidding. Over the years, the restaurant has become internationally famous for making the world’s smallest sushi.
Despite its size, miniature sushi actually takes a bit longer to make than regular-sized me, because of the precision and concentration required to put the tiny ingredients together. That is part of the reason why the restaurant only prepares tiny sushi for customers a few times a week and no more than five times a day, although they do sometimes make exceptions for foreign visitors who travel to the restaurant just to experience the world’s smallest sushi.
“I had a client from Sweden who came just to see my tiny sushi and the moment she saw it, she literally cried with joy.” Hironori Ikeno said.
Interestingly, one cannot simply order the tiny sushi at the restaurant. It is served for f re upon request with a regular-sized sushi course. Considering the sushi served at this place is reportedly delicious, you should probably be more excited about that. Plus, it also justifies the gimmick that the restaurant is so famous for.
1. What does the underlined word “gimmick” in paragraph 1 probably refer to?| A．A class to teach cooking skills. |
| B．A trick to attract customers. |
| C．A plan to promote the sushi. |
| D．A dish to win over opponents. |
| A．His pursuit for perfection. |
| B．The curiosity of a customer. |
| C．The requirement from his boss. |
| D．A bet he made with others. |
| A．Take more time to make one |
| B．Unpopular among customers |
| C．costs more money to buy one |
| D．needs more expensive materials |
| A．Diversity of the customers. |
| B．His lack of experience. |
| C．Special treatment to foreigners. |
| D．His sense of achievement. |
7 . The Enchanting Scenery of Zhangjiajie
Located in China’s Hunan province, Zhangjiajie offers a unique and breathtaking landscape with nature’s unbound creativity. This region, famous for its rock formations and deep gorges (峡谷), is a popular destination for travelers to see the nature’s wonders.
Tianmen MountainTianmen Mountain, the tallest peak in Zhangjiajie, stands tall at 1,518 meters. Its most famous Tianmen Cave, a natural arch which spans over 100 meters wide, offers a breathtaking view of the surrounding mountains. There is also a challenging glass walkway, offering visitors a thrilling walk above the clouds.
Zhangjiajie National Forest ParkThis park is a shelter for nature lovers, with over 2,400 species of plants and animals. Its highlights include the “Avatar” Hallelujah Mountains, which were a filming location for the popular movie “Avatar”. The park’s hiking trails offer visitors the chance to explore its thick forests and breathtaking valleys.
Huangshi VillageKnown for its traditional Tujia architecture, Huangshi Village offers a look into the rich cultural heritage of the local community. Visitors can enjoy the village’s peaceful atmosphere, admire the unique stone houses, and taste the delicious local cuisine.
Baofeng LakeThis beautiful lake, surrounded by lush green hills, offers a peaceful escape. Boating on the lake, one can appreciate the reflections of the surrounding mountains, creating a picture-perfect scene.
1. Which of the following is NOT a feature of Tianmen Mountain?| A．It is the tallest peak in Zhangjiajie. |
| B．Its glass walkway gives visitors a thrilling walk. |
| C．It is famous for its flat and plain landscape. |
| D．A natural arch called Tianmen Cave is the most famous. |
| A．Tianmen Mountain. | B．Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. |
| C．Huangshi Village. | D．Baofeng Lake. |
| A．The beautiful lakes and green hills. | B．The traditional architecture and cuisine. |
| C．Various species of plants and animals. | D．The uniqueness of its rocks and mountains. |
8 . Imagine living in a cool, green city alive with parks and threaded with footpaths, bike lanes and buses which transport people to shops, schools and service centers in a matter of minutes.
This fancy dream is behind the idea of the 15-minute city, where all basic needs and services are within a quarter of an hour’s reach, improving public health and lowering vehicle emissions.
Artificial intelligence could help urban planners realize that vision faster, with a new study from researchers at Tsinghua University in China demonstrating how machine learning can generate more efficient spatial layouts (空间布局) than humans can.
Automation scientist Zheng Yu and his colleagues wanted to find new solutions to improve our cities which are fast becoming blocked. They developed an AI system to tackle the tough tasks of urban planning and found it can produce urban plans that outperform human designs by about 50 percent in three aspects: access to services, green spaces and traffic levels.
Starting small, Zheng’s team tasked their model with designing the urban area only a few square kilometers in size (about 3×3 blocks). After two days of training, the AI system searched for the ideal road designs and land use to fit with the concept of the 15-minute city and local planning policies and needs.
While the AI model has some capabilities that could extend its use for planning larger urban areas, designing entire cities will be more complex. Drafting a neighborhood consisting of 4×4 blocks contains twice as many planning decisions as designing 3×3 blocks, the researchers said. But automating even a few steps in the planning process can save huge amounts of time: the AI model can compute in seconds certain tasks that take human planners between 50 to 100 minutes to work through.
Rather than AI replacing people, Zheng and his colleagues think their AI system can work as an “assistant” to urban planners, who could generate concept designs optimized (优化) by the system, and reviewed, adjusted and evaluated by human experts based on community feedback.
1. According to the text, which of the following is NOT a benefit of the “15-minute city” concept?| A．Better public health. | B．Lower vehicle emissions. |
| C．Decreased access to green spaces. | D．Fast and convenient service. |
| A．High levels of pollution. | B．Limited access to public services. |
| C．Shortage of affordable housing. | D．Rising crowding and traffic problems. |
| A．It can design entire cities efficiently. |
| B．It takes longer to train for larger urban areas. |
| C．It can complete tasks much faster than human planners. |
| D．It is limited to planning only a few square kilometers at a time. |
| A．Designing better cities with AI |
| B．The 15-Minute City: A Dream or Reality? |
| C．Improving Public Health with Greener Cities |
| D．The Role of Machine Learning in Urban Design |
9 . My family and I had set out on a day trip from Shillong to Cherrapunji, a town known for being one of the wettest places on Earth. However, after we had been stuck in traffic for more than four hours, one of my sisters proposed going back to the city as a last attempt to save whatever remained of the day. A quick online search revealed other must-visit spots around Shillong. Most were familiar, but one caught our attention—Nartiang with its mysterious monoliths (独石碑). The photo showed tall stones piled together in a strange formation, appealing to us to explore further despite the lack of details provided.
That is how I found myself standing in the shadow of the huge monoliths of Nartiang, which is home to the thickest and largest collection in the region. Curious to uncover their history, I approached Maryo Symblai, a village elder I met later that day, who told me the story of the monoliths that has been orally passed down over generations. She said, “Back in the day, Nartiang didn’t have a bazaar (集市) and the nearest one was at Raliang. On one such bazaar, a giant named Mar Phalyngki was caught in heavy rain on his way back. He requested to borrow an umbrella from the Raliang chief’s youngest daughter, but she wanted to test his legendary strength instead. ‘Why don’t you go lift that huge stone in the bazaar and use it as an umbrella?’ she said dismissively. Emboldened by her challenge, he just did that, but before reaching Nartiang, he placed it in a forest when the rain had stopped.”
“There is a certain overlap of ancient story and memory in the case of the Nartiang monoliths. The locals’ account of how the place came to be is based on ancient stories or folk customs. But they also remember it because it served their ancestors as a weekly marketplace, a memorial, and a place for political gatherings. That is how oral history works. It mixes fact and fiction into collective memory”, said Dr Reeju Ray, a local writer.
Today, even though the traditional customs and more confirmed historical accounts offer some insight into the site, the mystery(奥秘)of the stone giants lasts.
1. Why did the author and his family come to visit the monoliths of Nartiang?| A．It was in their original trip plan. |
| B．They had to choose it as an alternative. |
| C．It was the only remaining place to visit. |
| D．An elder village r gave them the suggestion. |
| A．Threatened. | B．Moved. | C．Stimulated. | D．Frightened. |
| A．To info rm what the monoliths served as. |
| B．To illustrate how the mysterious story came into being. |
| C．To introduce the feature of Nartiang monoliths. |
| D．To deny the overlap of ancient story and memory. |
| A．A Trip to the Monoliths. | B．The Mystery of Shillong. |
| C．The Formation of the Monoliths. | D．A Disappointing Travel Experience. |
10 . How many times have you checked your tickets, money and passport before you set off? Well, maybe add a note about food hygiene (卫生), too, as there are lots of food-borne hazards (危害) to be mindful of when you travel.
Taking precautions doesn’t mean ignoring local food, culture and customs.
In countries with doubtful water quality, avoid ice and — if you have no other option—drink only unopened bottled water. Better still, take a reusable filtered (过滤) water bottle so that you can drink the local water safely and not add to the mountain of single-use plastic waste.
If you’re being offered buffet food or shared plates, think about how long that food has been sitting in the heat. It doesn’t take long at all for bacteria to multiply at alarming rates on food, so where possible, choose refrigerated dishes or food that is piping hot.
| A．Avoiding them is all in the planning. |
| B．My guiding principle is: if in doubt, leave it out. |
| C．Wash your hands even more frequently than normal. |
| D．Don’t drink straight from fountains, hotel room taps, or streams. |
| E．Raw fruits with thick peels are okay if you prepare them yourself. |
| F．Trying local food is joyful, but it pays to know which dishes to avoid. |
| G．Instead, it means you can get enjoyment with minimum risk while travelling. |
