For beach vacations that get you out of town and invite you and your family to dive into culture, consider a trip to Panama City. Here, you will enjoy beaches and city exploring. Book your stay at the Westin Playa Bonita, where you can book a room starting at $222 a night. There are various programs, including beach Olympics, star observation and Spanish lessons.
Jupiter, Florida
This place offers you quality time you can spend with your loved ones. Book your stay at Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa, with rates for a family of four starting at $207 a night. Here, you can shoot baskets at the basketball courts, take a dip in the pool or teach your children beach yoga.
San Diego, California
The West Coast is a great spot for cheap beach vacations, so tell your family to pack their bags for a visit to San Diego. A cheap $10 Uber ride from the airport will have you pull up at the Kona Kai Resort & Spa. Here, a family of four can stay in a Deluxe Guest Room starting at $159 per night. Your kids can practice cannonballs at the pool after a visit to the world-famous San Diego Zoo.
Kihei, Hawaii
For west coasters who are growing bored with their background, fly to the islands of Hawaii. Stay at the Aston at the Maui Banyan, with a charge of $179 a night for a family of four. Here, you’ll see some of the best sunsets of your life while your kids play in the Pacific. And if you set about cooking a fancy meal, you’ll enjoy suites that come with a full kitchen.
1. Which of the following charges you least a night?| A．The Westin Playa Bonita. |
| B．The Kona Kai Resort & Spa. |
| C．Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa. |
| D．The Aston at the Maui Banyan. |
| A．Observe fantastic stars. |
| B．Visit a world-famous zoo. |
| C．Admire beautiful sunsets. |
| D．Play some beach sports. |
| A．They are all intended for family trips. |
| B．They all offer rooms with a full kitchen. |
| C．They all pick up visitors from the airport. |
| D．They all provide basketball courts on the beach. |
2 . Some people love travelling while some prefer to stay at home. If you don’t love travelling, you can make a change now. Why?
Travelling takes you out of your comfort zone. Your comfort zone is comforting.
Travelling is a good way to expand your mind. It gets you out of a routine and makes you use your brain, your ears and your eyes. While travelling, there are a lot of things that have to be taken in: new sights, new flavours, new noises, etc.
Have you ever thought about travelling abroad as a volunteer? You can benefit a lot from this kind of trip.
| A．Because you can really benefit a lot from travelling. |
| B．All of them require your complete attention. |
| C．It is not as expensive as you might expect. |
| D．This kind of trip is really popular with people. |
| E．Travelling can help you remove your fears. |
| F．You are exposed to many new things. |
| G．But it doesn’t always give you the opportunity to grow. |
3 . At 12, my father decided to take me on a trip to France. I had never been out of the country before, so I was very excited. My aunt, my father and I went around with my father showing us all the unbelievable sites in Paris. None of us spoke much French but we loved the city.
We had taken the subway all over the city and were congratulating ourselves on our mastering what is honestly an excellent subway design that is pretty easy to follow. We decided to visit Versailles by train. We chatted happily along the way until my father realized we were far into the French countryside and no one around spoke English.
We reached the end of the line and felt afraid when everyone finally left the train. An old man and his grandchild noticed us and came to help. He spoke no English, so in broken French we tried to explain. When he finally understood, this great man settled his grandson and showed us to the correct train and then boarded with us.
Later we knew the truth that there was a train transfer (转乘) and he didn’t want us to miss it. This kind man rode a train for an hour and a half out of his way to make sure that three Americans got where they wanted to be. He refused to let us pay for his ticket. He did it all with a gentle smile and patted our hands gently at the stop. Then in his quiet way, he boarded the train to return the way he had come.
What impressed me most was the man and his kindness during the amazing trip. Some Americans think the French are rude for some reason, but I always try to persuade them to change their minds with this very story.
1. What happened to the author and his family on the train?| A．They couldn’t understand the signs of the train. |
| B．They failed to get off the train at the right time. |
| C．They had different opinions about where to go first. |
| D．They found it hard to communicate with the French. |
| A．He paid for their train tickets. | B．He showed them the returning way. |
| C．He invited them to travel together. | D．He led them to their place. |
| A．Seeing is believing. | B．Being kind is a good manner. |
| C．Travelling enriches one’s life. | D．Helping others brings great pleasure. |
| A．To explain an unexpected problem. |
| B．To list the unbelievable sites in Paris. |
| C．To share an unforgettable foreign experience. |
| D．To show the importance of mastering a foreign language. |
4 . Given the crowds of visitors and many attractions at the Disney parks, it's easy to get lost. Thankfully, you will always find a worker to point you in the right direction. When you do, you just might start to notice something unique about their body language—and it's just one of the many secrets Disney employees won't tell you.
Cast members, as park employees are called, are taught in their training to always point with two fingers instead of one. The first reason for this is that pointing with just the one index finger(食指), as most Americans do, is considered impolite in some cultures and countries. The Disney parks have always attracted many international visitors, so the friendlier two-finger gesture became the norm among employees, in an effort to be sensitive and welcoming to every person. Employees have even affectionately named it "the Disney point”. Michaela Paris, a former Disney employee, said the Disney point is a sign of respect.
"Disney receives plenty of foreign travelers to their parks. The typical single finger point is a symbol of disrespect and has a negative(负面的) meaning in many cultures. Therefore, Disney created 'the Disney point' to accommodate all of their guests, " Paris said.
Other sources say this way of pointing is related to Disney himself. According to the Huffington Post, it's actually how Walt Disney himself used to point things out to visitors, because he usually had a cigarette balanced between the two fingers. You won't find cast members today smoking a cigarette—there's no smoking allowed for anyone, employees or guests, once you are inside the entrances at Disney parks—but the tradition of pointing with two fingers still stands.
Keep an eye out for the statue of Walt and Mickey doing "the Disney point" next time you're at Disney World. Meanwhile don't miss other such rules that all Disney employees must follow.
1. When will a visitor probably notice "the Disney point"?| A．When asking the way. | B．When entering the park. |
| C．When greeting foreigners. | D．When smoking a cigarette. |
| A．A gesture. | B．An employee. | C．A park. | D．A statue. |
| A．offer space to. | B．put up. | C．provide food for. | D．adapt to. |
| A．Rules to follow in the park. |
| B．The life story of Walt Disney. |
| C．Some attractions at Disney World. |
| D．A possible origin of “the Disney point”. |
5 . On an island in northern Norway, the sun doesn’t set from May 18 right through to July 26. The locals, having spent the long polar night from November to January, when the sun doesn’t rise at all, make the most of these months, with no regard to conventional timekeeping. The island intends to exchange its watches for flower garlands (花环) and declare itself the world’s first time-free zone.
“There’s constant daylight, and we act accordingly,” says islander Kjell Ove Hveding in a statement. “In the middle of the night, which citizens might call ‘2 am’, you can spot children playing soccer, people painting their houses or mowing their lawns, and teens going for a swim.”
Now they want to make it official. Islanders gathered at a town hall meeting to sign a petition (请愿) for a time-free zone and on June 13, Hveding met with a Norwegian member of parliament (国会) to hand over the locals’ signatures and to discuss the practical and legal challenges.
“To us, getting this in writing would simply mean formalizing the lifestyle we have been living for generations,” he says.
Islanders hope to be free of traditional opening hours and to introduce flexibility in school and working hours. Fishing and tourism are the main industries on this island with a population of little more than 300 people. Local fisher and women often spend days on the ocean for their catch, with little regard to timetable.
It’s clear that they mean business. When visitors cross the bridge to the island from the mainland, they aren’t greeted with padlocks (symbolizing love locks) like on similar bridges worldwide. The bridge is covered with watches, as people prepare for entry to the land time forgot.
1. What do the islanders normally do at midnight from May 18 to July 26?| A．Do daily work or have fun. | B．Sleep like outside people. |
| C．Struggle with strong light. | D．Turn watches into flowers. |
| A．It is difficult to describe. | B．It has been a long tradition. |
| C．It is a new kind of lifestyle. | D．It proves practical and legal. |
| A．Visitors actually prefer watches on bridges. | B．Visitors are ready to enter a time-free island. |
| C．The islanders intend to treat tourism as business. | D．The islanders are serious about being free of time. |
| A．An island wants to be a time-free zone officially. | B．Islanders in Norway have been free from time. |
| C．It’s time to lead a life without the limit of time. | D．An island won’t be open to the world any longer. |
6 . The Best Free Tourist Places in America
Alaska: Anchorage Market and Festival
Although Anchorage isn’t the capital of Alaska, it is the state’s largest city with the largest population. The Anchorage Market and Festival is open and free of charge on weekends. Anchorage is at the beginning of the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, where walks can last between two hours and a half day.
It’s free, of course.
Arkansas : Walmart Museum
Lying in the northwest corner of Arkansas is Bentonville, which gave birth to a little mall you may have heard of. It’s Walmart, one of the biggest companies in the world at present. It is free to visit the Walmart Museum, which attracts thousands of visitors every year. And just outside the town is the well-known Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which is also free.
Connecticut: Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut was the first place in the U.S. to offer pizza to the hungry and the homeless, including students of Yale University. While in New Haven you can go on a tour of the campus (校园), where many beautiful buildings have existed for a long time. It’s the university where President Bushes, Bill and Hillary Clinton, journalist Bob Woodward, and Samuel F. B. Morse studied.
Kansas: Santa Fe Trail
Western Kansas has very little light pollution. So as you travel along, stop once in a while and stare at the night sky. The Santa Fe Trail went through Kansas and you can still walk the longest remaining distance of the road just outside Dodge City.
1. What may especially attract visitors to Bentonville?| A．The chance to find many interesting goods. |
| B．The chance to get trained in a large company. |
| C．The chance to get something free in Walmart. |
| D．The chance to get a good knowledge of Walmart. |
| A．Make pizza with students of Yale. |
| B．Appreciate old buildings. |
| C．Meet famous people. |
| D．Attend some free classes. |
| A．Kansas. | B．Bentonville. | C．Anchorage. | D．New Haven. |
7 . Holidays
Holiday News Vacancies(空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season. |
The Snowdonia Centre The Snowdonia Centre for young mountain climbers has a mountain climbing lesson. The beginners’ costs are ￡57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost. You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of mountain climbing adventure. |
The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking, waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about — from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokoy and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours. |
| A．Choose the holiday in Devon. | B．Go to the Snowdonia Centre. |
| C．Join the World Sea Trip of 2008. | D．Visit Acapulco and Hawaii. |
| A．It provides chances of family gatherings. | B．It provides customers with good food. |
| C．It offers a sports lesson. | D．It offers comfortable rooms. |
| A．You can have free meals on deck every day. |
| B．You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
| C．You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
| D．You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
8 . Take a closer look at the wonders of Kew Gardens by joining a guided walking tour. Led by our knowledgeable volunteer guides, it is a fun and informative way to explore the grounds.
Free daily walking tours
Tours leave at 11 am and 1:30 pm from the information desk at Victoria Gate Plaza. Each guide presents their own tour and takes in the highlights(最精彩的部分) of the season.
Themed tours
Tours leave at 12 from the information desk at Victoria Gate Plaza. Our guides offer attractive seasonal themes including Autumn Colour and Winter Evergreens.
Expert-guided tours
Every Tuesday throughout the year at 11:30 am and 2:30 pm we’ll be holding an expert-guided tour. The tour will feature (以…为特色) a different plant each month and you’ll go behind the Scenes and talk to Kew staff about their work. You’ll find out interesting facts about the featured plant or fungus(真菌), including why it’s grown at Kew and how it’s used and cared for.
Price
The cost is £ 60 per guide (this does not include your entry to the Gardens). Each guide can take 15 people. Groups of more than 15 must book more than one guide. Smaller groups are also accepted but the cost remains £ 60.
Tours take about one hour and may be booked from 10 am every day. Please note that no refunds(退款) can be given once tickets are booked.
1. What time can you choose if you go to Free daily walking tours?| A．9 am. | B．10 am. | C．11 am. | D．2:30 pm. |
| A．People can get in touch with experts ahead of time. |
| B．People have no choice but to go on Tuesday. |
| C．People can be warmly received by the staff. |
| D．People can have a taste of fungus. |
| A．£ 60. | B．£ 120. | C．£ 150. | D．£ 300. |
9 . Choose Your One-Day Tours!
Tour A—Bath & Stonehenge including entrance fees to the ancient (古老的) Roman bathrooms and Stonehenge—£37 until 26 March and £39 thereafter. Visit the city with over 2,000 years of history and Bath Abbey, the Royal Crescent and the Costume Museum. Stonehenge is one of the world’s most famous prehistoric monuments dating back over 5,000 years.
Tour B—Oxford & Stratford including entrance fees to the University St. Mary’s Church Tower and Anne Hathaway’s—£32 until 12 March and £36 thereafter. Oxford: Includes a guided tour of England’s oldest university city and colleges. Look over the “city of dreaming spires (尖顶)” from St. Mary’s Church Tower. Stratford: Includes a guided tour exploring much of the Shakespeare wonder.
Tour C—Windsor Castle & Hampton Court: including entrance fees to Hampton Court Palace—£34 until 11 March and £37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Windsor and Hampton Court, Henry Ⅷ's favorite palace. Free time to visit Windsor Castle (entrance fees not included). With 500 years of history, Hampton Court was once the home of four Kings and one Queen. Now this former royal palace is open to the public as a major tourist attraction. Visit the palace and its various historic gardens, which include the famous maze (迷宫) where it is easy to get lost!
Tour D—Cambridge including entrance fees to the Tower of Saint Mary the Great—£33 until 18 March and £37 thereafter. Includes a guided tour of Cambridge, the famous university town, and the gardens of the 18th century.
1. In which of the following tours could you enjoy the most ancient history of Britain?| A．Tour A. | B．Tour B. | C．Tour C. | D．Tour D. |
| A．Bath & Stonehenge and Oxford & Stratford. |
| B．Oxford & Stratford and Windsor Castle & Hampton Court. |
| C．Windsor Castle & Hampton Court and Cambridge. |
| D．Cambridge and Bath & Stonehenge. |
| A．To visit the Costume Museum. |
| B．To know more of Shakespeare. |
| C．To look over the city from St. Mary’s Church Tower. |
| D．To look into the life of a famous king and his palace. |
10 . 4 Popular Places to Go This Winter
Harbin, China
China Harbin’s winter is for the brave ones—the average temperature is 1.8°F- but those who brave the cold will be rewarded with experiencing one of the world’s largest winter festivals. 2021 marks the 37th Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival (January-March), when massive frozen structures rise and are lit up, transforming the city into a winter wonderland.
Lyon, France
Paris may be called The City of Light,but every December, light takes center stage in Lyon, France’s third-largest city. That’s when the annual Festival of Lights (around December 8) takes over, with light installations (装置)that transform the city’s streetscapes into modern works of art. The city is also home to two Christmas markets (one in La Croix-Rousse; the other at the Place Carnot; through December 25).
Lima, Peru
Peru’s capital Lima is home to the world’s highest number of cooking schools per person. Aside from its delicate dining, the city also has great cocktail bars where you can taste classic or contemporary takes on the Pisco Sour.Combine that with the oceanfront setting and temperatures in the 80s, and you’ll understand why Lima should no longer be ignored this winter.
Vermont, US
Winter in Vermont means skiing and snowboarding, Many resorts (度假胜地)have greatly upgraded their snowmaking abilities as part of a $15 million statewide program that replaced many outdated snow guns with new, low-energy models.These new machines will also improve the quality of snow surfaces and lengthen the season, meaning this will be one of the best winters for skiing and riding in Vermont in recent memory.
1. What similarities do the first two places have?| A．They are decorated with lights. | B．They offer snow sculptures. |
| C．They have three-day festivals. | D．They are extremely cold. |
| A．Harbin. | B．Lyon. | C．Lima. | D．Vermont. |
| A．Skiing and snowboarding. | B．A longer winter. |
| C．Cooking schools. | D．Updated equipment. |
