1 . A Journey to the Yosemite Firefall
Each year, thousands of people are attracted to the Yosemite National Park in California for a chance of seeing —and photographing ——the unique “firefall”. The amazing “firefall” comes to life only when there is enough water from the melting（融化）snow to keep the Horsetail Fall flowing and when the light of the setting sun hits the waterfall at the right angle. It can only be seen for a short time in February on clear sunny days.
This year, the weather isn’t stopping the “firefall” from happening, but it is making the journey to see it more difficult.
“What would have been a 10-minute walk turned into a two-hour hike through deep snow,” photographer Ryan Fitzsimons said about his recent trip to see the phenomenon. “Our clothes were all wet by the time we got to a viewing site. But the heavy snow made the sight much more beautiful since the waterfall is much bigger this year.”
Another photographer Andy Heitz was making his first trip to see the “firefall”. He had to wait five hours in the extreme cold for his turn to take a picture.
“I got to the site at about 12:00 at noon. The place was already filled with hundreds of people waiting to see and photograph the ‘firefall’. I was so lucky that I shot a really wonderful burner! I was completely amazed with what I saw,” he said. “You know, only on a couple days of the year in February and when the sun sets down at the perfect angle to shine on Yosemite’s Horsetail Fall can we see the ‘Fire Fall’. I’ll never forget what I have seen.’’
The “firefall” should continue to be there from 20 to 24 February. But park officials said that there’s no guarantee（保证）that visitors will see it on any given day.
1. When might be the best time to take pictures of the “firefall”?| A．Early in the morning. | B．At noon. |
| C．Late in the afternoon. | D．At night. |
| A．There wouldn’t be enough snow. | B．It might be too cloudy. |
| C．The waterfall might not freeze. | D．The snow might melt too fast. |
| A．A worker in the kitchen. |
| B．The fire in the Yosemite National Park. |
| C．A part of a cooker or stove. |
| D．The unique Horsetail Fall in the setting sun. |
| A．To introduce an attraction. | B．To give suggestions for a trip. |
| C．To advertise a park in the US. | D．To explain what is a “firefall”. |
2 . At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural medal at the 2021 German iF Design Awards.
The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li still worked on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.
In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.
The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.
Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.
1. How did Li feel about city life?| A．Satisfied. | B．Noisy. | C．Attractive. | D．Tired |
| A．The forest of bamboo. | B．The smoke of cooking. |
| C．The fresh air in the village. | D．The feeling of loneliness. |
| A．It is ancient and broken. | B．It can hold many guests. |
| C．It must have been carefully designed. | D．It has been rebuilt by the couple. |
| A．Continuing their music dream. | B．Living in the countryside. |
| C．Staying at the old house. | D．Developing a city. |
3 . As summer approaches, many kids and teenagers may find that they have more time in hand. One great way to make use of the extra time is to go on an adventure and travel. Clearly, I am not a naturally adventurous person, but I have found that taking risks and challenging myself to explore and travel to unfamiliar places can be a very rewarding experience.
Because I am usually quite busy during the school year, most of my travels take place during the summer. Over the past few summers, I have hiked in the Grand Canyon, explored Niagara Falls, and camped out in the countryside of New York. Although these experiences are varied, they are similar in that they instill a sense of appreciation for nature and a more balanced view on life. When I hiked in the Grand Canyon, for example, I was in awe of the geological process that shaped the canyon.
Adventures, of course, are not limited to hiking. There are many other choices, such as camping, volunteering in a foreign environment and travelling to different countries. In my opinion, adventures are more enjoyable with family or a few friends. There is a sense of bonding that one only gets through spending time together in outdoor adventures. For example, when I was in Boy Scouts, I often went on weekend camping trips with my friends. When I came back from a Boy Scouts camping trip, I often was eager to go outside more and explore the parks and nature around me.
Next fall, I will attend college. In the meantime, though, I hope to make the most of my summer to explore and travel. Now, I am planning on hiking and camping out in Maine. When I visited Maine last fall, I was amazed by how beautiful it was, and I really hope to enjoy the beauty of nature.
1. We can learn from the first paragraph that the writer .| A．likes travelling with his father |
| B．can’t take good care of himself |
| C．has never been to unfamiliar places |
| D．likes challenging himself by travelling |
| A．Exploring the parks. |
| B．Going to different countries. |
| C．Going on weekend camping trips. |
| D．Travelling with your parents or friends. |
| A．go to college |
| B．visit close friends |
| C．go on an adventure |
| D．camp out in upstate New York again |
| A．a friendly guide |
| B．a college student |
| C．a warm-hearted teacher |
| D．a school student |
4 . When you go on a trip to America, you will see the word Motel on signs and notice boards. It is made up of “motor” and “hotel” and it is really a hotel for people who arrive by car (however, you don’t need a car to stay at one). You have to pay when you arrive for your room, which usually has a bath. Meals are not provided but there will certainly be a cafeteria. Americans eat a lot of salads and sandwiches. Along the main roads there are a lot of motels. Each tries to offer more than the others. Some provide television in every bedroom; others have swimming pools and so on. Motels are especially useful when you are in the country, far from a town or city. You will also find them in big national parks.
In these great national parks, you may meet guests you don't expect to see. An American friend told me a short story. In the middle of a moonless night，she heard strange noises outside her motel window in the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Thinking it might be a thief, she jumped out of bed, opened the door and crept towards a dark shadow. As she got close, she saw the thief. She was dreadfully frightened: it wasn’t a human thief-it was a big black bear. The bear was turning over some empty tins with its paws, looking for tasty bits of food. My friend decided to leave that particular thief alone!
There are also, of course, places called “rooming houses”, where they provide lodges（客房).You will see such signs as Tourists or Rooms Rent, and you could try one of these. A word of warning-looking for a room in New York during the tourist season is like looking for gold on the moon!
1. Motels provide all the following EXCEPT .| A．bath | B．TV | C．meals | D．swimming pools |
| A．moved slowly | B．rushed out | C．threw away | D．ran fast |
| A．tourists can find gold there |
| B．it is difficult to find a room there |
| C．tourists can have a sweet dream there |
| D．there is a warning for tourists to New York |
5 . When leaving school, I was pleased that my exam results meant that I could study engineering at university. But I also wanted to travel before starting my course. A friend of mine told me about the Schools Exploring Society, an organization which helps students take a gap year （a year between leaving school and going to college）. It has three foreign journeys a year, taking 16-20-year-olds on science and nature trips. I love being outdoors, and a mountaineering trip to Alaska was on offer. So I signed up immediately.
There was one problem, though. I had to raise a large amount of money for the trip. It was a big task, but I managed to make it. I washed cars, worked in a cafe and also sold off some of my old books, clothes and CDs. Then, just before starting out, I started worrying. Can I do this? Am I fit enough? What if I see a bear?
Seventy of us traveled to Alaska. The first two days after arrival were spent in a school hall preparing our equipment and five tons of food. Then we left for the beautiful Talkeetna Mountain. On the trip we dug paths and recognized plant species. Then we climbed a mountain that was over 6,000 feet high. It was tiring but exciting.
Looking back, a gap year was so right for me. I learned a lot about accepting other people for what they are. We had to help each other and it made me less selfish. My gap year has also made me more able to concentrate. Now, whenever Tm worried about anything, I think I did Alaska-I can do this!
1. We can learn from Paragraph 1 that the author .| A．hadn’t taken foreign trips before |
| B．made the trip together with his friends |
| C．was not satisfied with his exam results |
| D．was going to study engineering at a college |
| A．His body was not strong. |
| B．He couldn’t afford the trip. |
| C．He had no outdoor experience. |
| D．He had little time to prepare for the trip. |
| A．was well worth it |
| B．got him interested in plants |
| C．made him fall behind others in study |
| D．helped him know more about himself |
| A．To explain how to prepare for trips. |
| B．To advise on how to spend a gap year. |
| C．To describe his experience in his gap year. |
| D．To encourage students to do part-time work. |
6 . Everyone loves a holiday! A little time off for some much-needed R&R (rest and relaxation) can be exactly the thing to rejuvenate and refresh from work. So if you're struggling to think of your next destination(目的地) then look no further. Don't waste time debating where to go, but let your blood decide.
Everybody has a lineage(家系). Recently, finding out more about our family origins has become popular. By the start of 2019, 26 million people had taken an ancestry DNA3 test at home, according to a report by MIT Technology Review. They believe by 2021 this number will have risen to 100 million.
This trend has been noticed by opportunistic travel operators. Some are looking to provide a service that both allows people to track their family roots and travel to the destinations where their ancestors originated from.
Airbnb, an online boarding marketplace, recently partnered with 23andMe, a DNA testing company, to offer recommendations that encourage travellers to walk in the footsteps of their forefathers. And they aren't the only ones.
The Shelbourne hotel in Dublin has its own 'genealogy butler(宗谱管家)'. Hellen Kelly offers advice to help guests track their Irish lineage using official records. This allows them to 'fill in the blanks of their Irish ancestry', she told Good Morning America.
The Conte Club, a luxury travel company. offers custom routes of travel based on DNA tests. "These experiences are about going deeper into who we really are." says Conte Club CEO Rebecca Fielding in an article in the Condé Nast Traveller. "It might be the most meaningful trip we can take."
So next time you think of going on vacation, why not take a DNA test first? Once you know how far your family has come, take the time to holiday back.
1. What does the underlined word "rejuvenate" in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Take a holiday. | B．Feel lively again. | C．Do a DNA test. | D．Return to work. |
| A．The creativity of travel agency. |
| B．The report by MIT Technology Review. |
| C．The competition of the boarding market. |
| D．The rising number of people tracking their lineage. |
| A．By making comparisons. |
| B．By analyzing information. |
| C．By giving examples. |
| D．By offering reasons. |
| A．Negative. | B．Supportive. | C．Uninterested. | D．Doubtful. |
7 . Many families take their children on vacation. They will usually travel for a few days or weeks during school breaks. But Julie and Tim Smith have planned a longer vacation with their two children. The Smith family is on a one-year trip around the world .They plan to visit 30 countries in all. Right now, the four travelers are about halfway through their trip.
Ms. Smith says they are trying to see as much of their world as they can. Mr. Smith says one of the most interesting experiences of the trip has been meeting new people. He says people have been extremely friendly, very welcoming and love their kids. Eleven-year-old Tyler says he has enjoyed learning about the people they have met. He says, “I learned in Africa that people have very different lifestyles than in America."His sister, 9.year-old Kara, discovers that she likes Thai food. Ms. Smith says that the trip teaches the children a lot.
It took the family a year to prepare for the trip. They had to sell their house and cars. Ms. Smith left her job and her husband is using unpaid leave. They carry small bags filled with lightweight clothing and whatever else they need. Ms. Smith says she enjoys being able to carry everything she needs on her back. .She says she does not miss the things she has back home. “What has become more important is making these memories as a family and taking ”those” with us instead.”
The Smiths will continue to head east for the next six months.
1. In what way is the Smith family’s trip different from many others’ according to Paragraph1?| A．They take their children on vacation. |
| B．They travel around the world for a year with children. |
| C．They travel during school breaks with children. |
| D．They travel for a few weeks with children. |
| A．Living in Africa. | B．learning different Lifestyles in America. |
| C．Having Thai food. | D．Learning about the people they have met. |
| A．They left their jobs. | B．It took the Smith family a year. |
| C．They sold their house and cars. | D．They put lightweight clothing in small bags. |
| A．The small bags they carry. | B．The memories of the family. |
| C．The things on her back. | D．The things back home. |
Scotland! Wow !!! What a fantastic place! I'm having a great time. I’m afraid that I started off badly by making a fool of myself. I was standing in the great old Bell Tower looking across the lake at the hills on the other side.
This rather handsome guy happened to be standing next to me, so I casually(随意地) said, "It's really beautiful here in England." Do you know what he replied? "Well, why don't you go there then?" Then he laughed and explained that he was used to foreigners making mistakes about that. After that bad start we got on really great, though.
Fergus told me lots about Scotland. I'd already noticed the unusual names: Fergus, Angus, Hamish for the guys and Ina, Gillian and Aileen for girls. They also usually have family names that begin with Mac or Me - Mckay, McDonald and the like. The Mc or Mac stands for "son of".
Anyway, Fergus is a Campbell. That's another typical(典型的) Scottish name and he is from an old Scottish family. You know that the Scots have their own traditions with kilts ( 短褶裙) and all that. Fergus showed me his family's tartan (花格图案).
I tried some really strange food today. When we had lunch together, Fergus practically forced me to taste something called haggis. That was the first and the last time for me. I have no idea what it is made of and I don’t think I want to try any more.
Everybody here is very friendly, not just Fergus. By the way, all that talk about the Scots being mean is not right. Fergus is certainly the opposite. He says the jokes about the Scots have all been invented by the English, their traditional enemy.
Tomorrow Fergus is taking me to Glasgow. Can you believe it? I thought he would just say goodbye and walk off. But he really seems interested. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing bright lights and discos after all this peace and quiet. I love it here but there are more sheep than people. I hope I'll have some other sides of life in Scotland to report after tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed! I'll keep you posted.
Love,
Nancy
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．Nancy knew much about Scotland. |
| B．Nancy met Fergus by chance. |
| C．Hamish is the name of a girl in Scotland. |
| D．Nancy enjoys the Scottish food. |
| A．Made up. | B．Shared | C．Laughed at. | D．Understood. |
| A．To advertise Scottish kilts. |
| B．To introduce Scottish customs. |
| C．To compare two different cultures. |
| D．To share a travelling experience in Scotland. |
9 . Can any travel be greener than traveling by bike? We hear a lot about various methods of＂green" travel,but we don't hear much about traveling in a way to nearly clear our carbon footprint altogether.
Traveling by bicycle is one of the few methods of travel that allow a deep relationship with Mother Nature.Bicycles use no fuel,and are easy on the ground we pass over,but the best part of traveling by bicycle is the opportunity to get to know the earth and her people in a much better manner than any other vehicle can allow.My family and I traveled southward from Alaska.We went over the mountain,sailed through valleys,and woke up finding snow covering our tent.We rode through deserts and rain forests.Children climbed trees and tasted fruits they had never heard of.
We had the opportunity to get to know people.There is something about a bike that draws people closer and encourages them to show their kindness.It might be something simple like handing us a bag of apples or tomatoes, or it might be as complex as hiding drinks along the highway, but all added magic to our lives.I can tell many stories about the people we've met.About the woman in Oregon who handed us the keys to her house and said,“Go to my house and make yourselves at home.I'll be here in a few hours." She didn't even know our names, but showed her support and encouragement to us.Or the man who cycled up to where we were eating cheese and cookies in a park and invited us to his home for a warm dinner and a soft bed for the night.
One day in Mexico we ended up in a migrant workers' camp, and our boys played with some of the poorest kids in the country.Another day,we were invited to stay with a very rich family.Young couples and old.Rich and poor.White,black, and brown.All made our travel experience wonderful.
I'm convinced traveling by bike is the best way to see the world.It allows us to gain a much deeper respect for Mother Nature and local people that we could not gain in any other manner.
1. What's the author's purpose of writing this article?| A．To encourage readers to travel with their families. |
| B．To call for a much deeper respect for Mother Nature. |
| C．To introduce a green traveling method. |
| D．To call on readers to travel only by bike. |
| A．It benefits our health. |
| B．It does good to our environment. |
| C．It enables us to know the earth and her people better. |
| D．It helps us to build a deep relationship with Mother Nature. |
| A．She wanted them to wait for her there. |
| B．She was one of the author's friends. |
| C．She wanted to support and encourage them. |
| D．She was also fond of cycling. |
| A．Different kinds of people. |
| B．All migrant workers. |
| C．A wealthy family. |
| D．Poor kids. |
10 . The Hearst Castle
Hearst Castle is a park on the central California coast and a National Historic Landmark.It was designed by Julia Morgan for William Randolph Hearst from 1919 until 1947.Despite its location far from any urban center, the site attracts roughly one million visitors per year.
Guided ToursTour 1 is recommended for first time visitors.It now includes the movie, Hearst Castle Building the Dream.
Tour 2 gives visitors a closer look at the main house's upper floors, Mr Hearst' s private suite, the libraries,and the kitchen.
Tour 3 looks at the Castle's North Wing,guest rooms and guest house Casa Del Monte.
Tour 4 includes the impressive gardens and grounds, the largest guest house,the wine basement,and the Hidden Terrace.
The evening tour is a special tour that allows visitors to experience the Castle at night as one of the Hearst 's own visitors might have.
Ticket PricesHearst Castle accepts VISA,Master Card,American Express and Discover.Free day use parking is available for automobiles,motorcycles,tour buses and recreational(休闲的）vehicles.
Reservation(预订）Information
While tickets may be purchased at the Visitor Center upon arrival, tour reservations can be made online now or by calling 1-800-444-4445,see below for time.
Reservation Call Center HoursDates Monday-Friday Saturday-Sunday
March-September 8 am-6 pm 8 am-6 pm
October-February 9 am-5 pm 9 am-3 pm
Visit www.hearstcastle.org for more information.
1. If you are quite interested in wine,which tour will you choose?| A．Tour 1. |
| B．Tour 2. |
| C．Tour 3. |
| D．Tour 4. |
| A．36. |
| B．48. |
| C．60. |
| D．75. |
| A．At 8 am on Monday in February. |
| B．At 6 pm on Saturday in October. |
| C．At 7 pm on Friday in September. |
| D．At 9 am on Sunday in March. |
