1 . The Sanxingdui Museum in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province enjoyed huge popularity during the three-day Qingming Festival holidays by receiving nearly 20,000 visitors on the peak day, after the new archaeological(考古的) discoveries brought international attention.
According to media reports, the museum saw over 15,000 visitors on Saturday, the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays, breaking its record for daily visitors. And on the next day, more visitors swarmed into the museum to exceed 19,800. To cope with the large flow of people, on Sunday afternoon, the official Weibo account of the Sanxingdui Museum released a message to remind visitors of avoiding rush hours or rescheduling their visiting time.
The Sanxingdui Museum showcases various kinds of precious cultural relics unearthed at the site, such as the 2.62-meter-tall standing statue, 1.38-meter-wide bronze mask, and 3.95-meter-high bronze tree. Earlier on March 20, Chinese archaeologists announced some new major discoveries made during the 37th excavation (挖掘) since its last excavation 35 years ago. The ruins were first discovered in the late 1920s and first excavated in 1934. More than 500 important cultural relics have been unearthed in the six newly-found pits. Since the new discoveries were known to the public, the number of people visiting the Sanxingdui Museum has increased sharply.
The museum said although it was open as usual, the newly-found pits had not opened to the public yet and the newly-excavated cultural relics were still under restoration and couldn’t meet the public currently. But a hall for cultural relic conservation and restoration would be in pilot operation in April and officially opened on May 18. Visitors to it can see how the relics are restored, according to Zhu Yarong, vice director of the Sanxingdui Museum.
Dating back about 3,000 years, the Sanxingdui Ruins have shed light on the ancient Shu civilization and cultural origins of the Chinese nation, and have been regarded as one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the 20th century.
1. What mainly brought about a surge in tourists visiting the Sanxingdui Museum?| A．Tourists’ enthusiasm. |
| B．Sichuan Province’s policy. |
| C．The Qingming Festival holidays. |
| D．New archaeological discoveries. |
| A．The Sanxingdui Ruins were first discovered in 1934. |
| B．Newly-excavated cultural relics on display attracted tourists very much. |
| C．The Sanxingdui Museum reacted immediately to the large flow of tourists. |
| D．Tourist numbers reached the peak on the first day of the Qingming Festival holidays. |
| A．Trial. | B．Private. | C．Official. | D．Personal. |
| A．The Sanxingdui Museum gives tourists insights into Chinese history. |
| B．Chinse people make full use of the Qingming Festival holidays to travel. |
| C．The Sanxingdui Ruins are a perfect tourist attraction over the Qingming Festival holidays. |
| D．New discoveries make the Sanxingdui Museum more popular during the Qingming Festival holidays. |
BEAUTIFUL IRELAND AND ITS TRADITIONS
Ireland’s beautiful countryside has always had a great influence on its people and traditions. The country has a long history of producing great writers and poets. Its beautiful countryside excites and inspires all, offering something for each of the senses. The peaceful landscape of the “Emerald Isle” and its many green counties is a true feast for the eyes, with its rolling green hills dotted with sheep and cattle. And down by the sea, the roar of the ocean waves and cries of the seabirds make up the music of the coast. On a quiet morning in the mountains, feel the sun on your skin, and breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song. With all this beauty, it is not surprising that Ireland has developed strong traditions that include music, dancing, and dining. To have a chance of experiencing this, stop by a village pub and relax with a glass of wine or a local beer. Better yet, enjoy a delicious traditional Irish Beef Stew. If you’re lucky, you might be able to enjoy some traditional music and dancing, too. And if you introduce yourself to a friendly face, you are more than likely to experience local culture and customs first-hand.
2. What are the best ways to experience some Irish traditions and culture?
3. What is the meaning of “breathe in the sweet scent of fresh flowers while birds greet the new day with their morning song”?
4. What are the best ways to experience Chinese traditions and customs?
3 . The Hong Kong Palace Museum (HKPM), located in the West Kowloon Cultural District of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, was established on June 22 and is scheduled to open to the public on July 2. More than 40,000 tickets were sold or reserved within eight hours on the first day of public sale, and all free visits on Wednesdays in July were fully booked.
The HKPM, not only adds to cultural atmosphere in the city, but also provides a new site for local residents and visitors to learn about the development of Chinese civilization and culture. More than 900 pieces of treasures from the collection of the Palace Museum in Beijing will be put on display at the opening exhibitions. From paintings to ancient architectures, the exhibits span the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization, covering all categories of the collection of the Palace Museum, including 166 pieces of first-class cultural relics of the country. This will be the largest and highest-level cultural heritage exhibitions of the Palace Museum outside of the mainland since its establishment in 1925.
Prepare work for the exhibitions began in 2018, with the Palace Museum fielding a team of leading experts and scholars, associated with the manage team of the HKPM.
“It is a great thing to display the pieces of cultural relics in Hong Kong, which reflects the central government’s support to the development of Hong Kong’s cultural projects,” said Ng, adding that the exhibits from the Palace Museum will present a cultural feast to Hong Kong residents by telling them about the motherland’s long history and splendid culture.
“Promoting traditional Chinese culture is one of our important tasks,” said Betty Fung, chief executive officer of West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. She said the HKPM will actively push ahead with the publicity of the motherland’s culture and history after its opening, enhancing Hong Kong residents’ cultural confidence in the country, especially among youths.
Fung said that the HKPM will actively enhance cooperation with international museums, telling the world the stories of China, including the stories of Hong Kong.
1. What can we infer from the first paragraph?| A．Hong Kong citizens can visit the museum freely. |
| B．Hong Kong Palace Museum is warmly welcomed. |
| C．Hong Kong citizens can enjoy the exhibition in June. |
| D．Hong Kong Palace Museum opens within eight hours per day. |
| A．900 pieces of first-class cultural relics. |
| B．The history of Hong Kong since 1925. |
| C．The development of international civilization. |
| D．All categories of the collection of the Palace Museum. |
| A．Favorable. | B．Disappointed. | C．Doubtful. | D．Puzzled. |
| A．HKPM: Hong Kong’s Cultural Authority |
| B．HKPM: Cooperation with International Museums |
| C．HKPM: A New Cultural Landmark of Hong Kong |
| D．HKPM: Showcase of Hong Kong’s Cultural Relics |
4 . Getting off the train and stepping into the places will make your trip a more memorable one than simply admiring the scenery from the window. Check out some of the can't-miss destinations along the Chinese section of the China-Laos railway.
Fuxian Lake in Yuxi
What makes the lake attractive is the possibility that a city lived under its quiet and calm surface. In the 1990s, a large number of stone remains were fond in the lake, which led to a series of underwater research. Traces (踪迹) of ancient constructions were discovered, but their origins are still unknown.
Sun-River National Park in Pu'er
The word "Pu'er" may remind many of the famous tea from Yunnan Province. Back in ancient China, this region also served as an important stop along the trade route-Tea Horse Road. This has much to do with its location. The Sun-River National Park here is highly recommended if you are looking for some fresh air and a close encounter with nature. The rainforests in the park provide habitats for over 800 animal species and 2,000 different plants.
Wild Elephant Valley in Xishuangbanna
For those wishing to interact with the giant creatures themselves, the Wild Elephant Valley is a must-visit. It will take three hours to get to Xishuangbanna from Kunming once the China-Laos railway becomes operational, and a new train station has been set up near the nature reserve, offering more accessible journeys. Extra effort has been made by the government to reduce the effect of railway construction on the local environment.
Starlight Night Market in Xishuangbanna
The Starlight Night Market, as the name suggests, offers a colorful nightlife experience. It is the best place to get to know local people's lives. The market features local food, various activities, and creative art of works by the young. This is also an area for hanging out with other travelers for shopping.
1. What mostly made Pu'er an important stop along the Tea Horse Road?| A．The national parks. | B．Its location. |
| C．Its natural resources. | D．The famous tea. |
| A．Fuxian Lake. | B．Wild Elephant Valley. |
| C．Starlight Night Market. | D．Sun-River National Park. |
| A．A magazine. | B．A novel. | C．A journal. | D．A report. |
5 . Travel allows us to experience the world. But as we travel, we are also leaving our footprint on every place we visit. This is why culturally immersive (沉浸) travel is so important. Because the wrong kind of travel negatively affects the world. One of the reasons we started this blog was to help others travel better and feel comfortable getting off the beaten path, interacting with locals, and take you “Beyond the traditional Bucketlist”, if you will.
People who only get 2-weeks off per year are often just looking for an easy destination with a beach to relax on. This isn’t travel. This is a vacation. But “Immersive Travel” or “Cultural Travel” is an entirely new type of trip. It is about experiencing and preserving the various traditions around the world. It’s about being open to new experiences and willing to step into another’s shoes. Cultural travel is jumping in with both feet and leaving your idea about what your trip should be behind you. It’s eating local dishes and sleeping in guesthouses. It’s building genuine connections with locals. It’s learning about the history of a country and leaving your trip with a greater understanding of the place you came to see and the people who live there.
Often times in today’s age, “travelers” will visit a country just to snap some photos of the famous sights to post on Instagram or to drink the night away, or even just to relax on a tropical beach. But that kind of vacation can be harmful to the very communities you’re traveling to.
Beyond supporting the local communities and the preservation of local customs and traditions, you’ll also experience some personal benefits through cultural travels. There’s simply no way to travel this way with a closed mind. You’ll get to know different cultures intimately and understand them a lot better. You’ll also become less judgmental of others the more you travel.
1. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the first paragraph?| A．To stress the negative influence of travel. |
| B．To describe the importance of cultural travel. |
| C．To recommend a totally different type of travel. |
| D．To convey his unique feelings about cultural travel. |
| A．establish close connections with the locals during the travel |
| B．choose a tourist attraction for adventure and exploration |
| C．show more interest in the history of a travel destination |
| D．post the photos taken in the journey on the social media |
| A．It is focused on studying local people's lifestyle. |
| B．Its travelers should be open-minded and understanding. |
| C．It is a specific way to make judgments of other cultures. |
| D．Its major concern is preserving local traditions and customs. |
| A．A travel brochure. | B．A blog post. |
| C．A historic magazine. | D．An encyclopedia website. |
6 . My husband and I just spent a week in Paris.
The place wasn’t entirely authentic, though. Unlike a normal Parisian apartment, the plumbing (水管) worked.
Parisians are different from you and me. They never look lazy or untidy. As someone noted in this paper a couple of weeks ago, they eat great food and never gain weight.
In France, quality of life is much more important than efficiency.
You can tell this by cafés life. French cafés are always crowded.
| A．Not all the customers are tourists. |
| B．The quality of life in France is equally excellent. |
| C．There was a nice kitchen and a comfortable bed. |
| D．The amazing food is mainly consumed by local farmers. |
| E．That’s not the only reason the French eat less than we do. |
| F．Our aim was to see if we could live, in some way, like real Parisians. |
| G．The food is so delicious that you don’t need much of it to make you happy. |
| [1] I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability-to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this… [2] When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a marvellous vacation trip-to Italy. You buy a bunch of guidebooks and make wonderful plans: the Coloseum①, the Michelangelo② David, the gondolas③ in Venice, etc. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting. [3] After months of eager expectation, the day finally arrives. You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The airhostess comes in and says, “Welcome to the Netherlands.” [4] “The Netherlands?!” you say. “What do you mean, the Netherlands?? I signed up for Italy! I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.” [5] But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in the Netherlands and there you must stay. [6] The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, awful, dirty place, full of diseases. It’s just a different place. [7] So you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. [8] It’s just a place. It’s slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around and you begin to notice that the Netherlands④ …and the Netherlands has tulips⑤. The Netherlands even has Rembrandts⑥. [9] But everyone you coming and going from Italy and they’re all boasting about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life, you will say, “Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned. [10] And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away because the loss of that dream is a very, very significant loss. [11] But if you spend your life regretting the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about the Netherlands. | ① ② (1475~1564) Italian artist and architect ③  ④  ⑤  ⑥(1606~1669) Dutch painter |
1. The author compares her motherhood to ________.
| A．her involvement in traveling abroad |
| B．her experience with an unfamiliar task |
| C．her dream of enjoying beautiful scenery |
| D．her journey to an unplanned destination |
| A．the Netherlands has many scenic spots to visit and enjoy |
| B．the Netherlands is a country with many paintings to appreciate |
| C．a mother of a disabled child can also feel the bright side of her life |
| D．a mother who has traveled a lot can receive a special treat from her child |
| A．proud | B．anxious | C．sociable | D．sensible |
| A．beyond her endurance | B．more a gift than a loss |
| C．worthy of others’ sympathy | D．preferable to going to Italy |
8 . I have three kids and a great husband and I’m enjoying a career that I find challenging and fun. This feels like “Success” to the outside world. But there is still a voice in my heart asking if this is who I truly am. Only in silence do I hear the self and wonder who that person might be．
So I booked a trip to find out. I travelled, for the first time, without my husband or kids．I went to Iceland with a friend, who shares an appreciation for wilderness and silence．
For six days, we were immersed in wild, raw scenery and real weather—all kinds of weather. Climbing a mountain against rain and returning to a tent for a simple meal reminds you how little you actually need. And how strong it feels to be uncomfortable sometimes．
I found silence in Iceland，and time to consider the me outside of career and the me outside of kids as I shared stories with strangers．
When I stopped talking and just listened，I became more generous．I 1earned that choosing to be generous can create more space, more food and more warmth．
But I didn’t really gain any better appreciation of what I want from life or my job．I suspect the anxiety that drove me to seek silence in Iceland was losing sight of my ability to choose gratitude and joy，and to be present in the challenges I set in my career and my family．
I came home to noise，rush and love；with no less confusion on who I want to be．I know the answer isn’t waiting out there on the top of a mountain in Iceland. The answer is in front of me with every step on my own 1ife’s path, and in every choice I make．
1. Why did the author take a trip to Iceland?| A．To gain a new experience． |
| B．To enjoy family happiness． |
| C．To better understand herself． |
| D．To appreciate natural beauty． |
| A．Puzzling | B．Thrilling |
| C．Relaxing | D．Demanding |
| A．She became more positive | B．She became more energetic |
| C．She became even lonelier | D．She became more anxious |
| A．Withdraw back to nature． |
| B．Embrace reality bravely． |
| C．Travel to Iceland more often． |
| D．Pay less attention to her feelings． |
9 . Theme Park Tourist is your essential source for news, reviews and park guides for theme parks in Orlando, Florida and beyond. We offer a special perspective (观点) on all the latest news from Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and other parks and resorts, and are proud to deliver some of the most in-depth, well-researched articles about theme parks available anywhere on the web. Here are a few of the features we have to offer:
● Latest news — regular updates from theme parks around the world, including Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and many more.
● In-depth features — fascinating articles about almost every aspect of theme parks- behind the scenes information and more.
● Park reviews and guides — all of the key information for over 90 theme parks, including reviews of attractions, restaurants and hotels.
● Rehab schedules — listings of temporary attraction closures that could affect your theme park visit.
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1. Theme Park Tourist is probably a(n) ________.| A．person guiding people to theme parks |
| B．website offering information about theme parks |
| C．organization providing service for theme parks |
| D．magazine collecting pictures of theme parks |
| A．Latest news. | B．In-depth features. |
| C．Park reviews and guides. | D．Rehab schedules. |
| A．People’s donation to theme parks. |
| B．Up-to-date news about Walt Disney World. |
| C．Tourists’ comments on restaurants of Universal Orlando. |
| D．Newly-opened attractions of theme parks. |
10 . Peru is an unbelievable destination for a twelve-year-old tourist. For me, traveling there changed the definition of “vacation”. Women dressed in colorful, woven clothes wandered the street. The food, however, was something I was never able to get over. It was a huge culture shock for me to online alpmea pizza.
We spent the majority of the trip in a unique mountain city called Cusco. The hotel in Cusco was a pretty little place. The bedroom had three twin beds. Another interesting thing our hotel offered was coca tea. The tea leaves are the same leaves used for cocaine.
I thought that New York City had the worst traffic on the Earth until I visited Cusco. There were taxis everywhere, and local drivers ignored red lights. We would be completely stuck in traffic, yet oncoming cars seemed to believe they could magically drive through the middle of our taxi.
During the trip, we joined in several bus tours. One of them included a visit to a marketplace filled with foods and handmade goods. It was an amazing experience because the market was not jam-packed with tourists like every other place. The majority of the shoppers were Peruvian residents. We weaved in and out of streets, gazing at the beautifully handcrafted(手工制作的) rugs and ponchos. I wish I could have bought everything.
Also on the trip was a tour to a genuine village. The villagers there showed us their lifestyle. One of the women proved the boring process of making different products. Their only income was from the goods they sold. Another trick they showed us was using a bug as a lip stain. They would take a bug, press it, and spread the red blood on their lips. I was speechless when they explained that to us. After the tour was over, we were allowed to view their products. I departed with a soft pair of gloves that not only the four normal finger holes, but also a thumb hole.
1. What did the writer find most terrible in Peru?| A．Eating the local food. |
| B．Drink the tea of the hotel. |
| C．Wearing colorful woven clothes. |
| D．Making a trip in the mountain. |
| A．Cusco isn’t worth visiting because of its traffic conditions |
| B．Cusco’s drivers don’t obey traffic rules. |
| C．taxi drivers can magically drive cars in Cusco |
| D．There are no traffic jams when you’re taking a taxi in Cusco. |
| A．the market is always out of order. |
| B．the market is too busy for tourists to visit. |
| C．the market isn’t an attraction for tourists. |
| D．the market is divided into many different parts. |
| A．Women made money by making products. |
| B．The products of villagers could be taken for free. |
| C．There were only four finger holes in the gloves. |
| D．People used the bug blood to colour their lips. |
| A．In a travel journal. |
| B．In a culture magazine. |
| C．In a travel brochure. |
| D．In a travel advertisement. |
