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.

2. Why might the “firefall” disappear between 20 to 24 February this year?

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.

3. What does the underlined word “burner” in paragraph 5 refer to?

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.

4. What is the main purpose of this text?

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 . Anyone can book a trip, but not everyone can plan the best adventure that is affordable and fun. If you want to do it better, the places to stay in for the nights must be chosen carefully.     1    

Check distances on a map. It's common for hotels to slightly exaggerate （夸大）their closeness to attractions around town. They will not tell you the true distance. If being close to a particular airport is important for your trip, you' d better confirm the distance on Google Map before you book a hotel.

    2     A little niceness goes a long way, especially with the hotel staff who have to deal with difficult guests on a regular basis. When you check in, simply say hello to the cleaning staff when you pass them in the hall. This is not only common politeness, but it also increases your chances of getting incidental benefit during your stay.

Give up the package deals（套餐）To appeal to new guests, some hotels will offer themed package deals.     3     Sometimes these packages include things you don’ t want or need and the special prices could be higher than the regular ones.

Ask about parking.     4     You'd better look for a hotel offering free parking. If you have to afford the expensive parking, apps like Best Parking can help you find nearby parking lots at lower prices. As parking costs really go up, if not necessary, we suggest you take a taxi or a bus from the hotel to travel around the city rather than travel in your own car.     5    

A．Be polite to the staff.

B．Pay attention to difficult guests.

C．They are quite cheap but taste bad.

D．In this way you can save much money.

E．In a self-driving travel, parking may cost a lot.

F．They are attractive but may not be good value for money.

G．Here are some tips about hotels that we'd like to share with you.

3 . A day away from the stress of city life!

A perfect experience for nature lovers!

Our One — Day tour will take you to see the most beautiful sunset and sunrise at the top of Mt. Huangshan （Yellow Mountain）.

Schedule

Early in the morning: take the cable car to the top of the mountain to see the breathtaking sunrise at Cloud Dispelling Pavilion.

Late in the morning: Visit such famous places as the Sixinfeng Peak, the Black Tiger pine tree, the Writing Brush Peak or the Xihai Scenic Area.

At noon: have a traditional Chinese lunch at a hotel on the top of the mountain.

In the afternoon: go to the city centre of Huangshan and take a walk along Tunxi Old Street, where traditional old buildings line the quiet street.

In the evening :Return to the Cloud Dispelling Pavillion to enjoy the sunset.

Price:$327

What's included

Professional and friendly English-speaking tour guide; Breakfast, lunch, dinner; All entrance fees; Cable car fees to and from the Cloud Dispelling Pavillion; Two nights at Beihai hotel or similar standard hotels; Hotel pickup and drop-off.

What's not included

Expenses to and from Mt. Huangshan;

Local Chinese-speaking tour guide;

Other attractions not included in the schedule.

1. Where should the tourists go to see the sunset and sunrise?

A．Sixinfeng Peak.	B．Xihai Scenic Area.
C．Cloud Dispelling Pavilion.	D．Writing Brush Peak.

2. When will the tourists go to Tunxi Old Street?

A．In the morning.

B．At noon.

C．In the afternoon.

D．In the evening.

3. This one-day tour is most probably suitable for        .

A．the British

B．the Chinese

C．the Dutch

D．the Germans

4 . Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.

Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents.

In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen, it is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone. It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own.

Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year. He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He says he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person.” said the 30-year-old man.

Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”, which “makes you a more confident person that is ready to deal with anything”. He said, “The feeling of having overcome something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I’m dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”

The great 19^thcentury explorer John Muir once said. “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.

1. Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?

A．Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone.

B．It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries.

C．It is comfortable to travel around without a friend.

D．Traveling abroad helps people to find new things.

2. Traveling alone is challenging because ________

A．you have to make things on your own.

B．it is hard for you to prove yourself to others.

C．you can only depend on yourself whatever happens.

D．it will finally build your character.

3. What can we infer about Chris Richardson?

A．He started traveling alone at an early age.

B．He was once shot in the arm.

C．He used to work as a salesman.

D．His website will inspire others to travel alone.

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Travel Abroad	B．Travel Alone
C．Travel Light	D．Travel Wide and Far

5 . Sagrada Familia ( 2,056,448 visits/year)

Opening hours: 09:00-18:00 (October-March)       09:00-20:00 (April-September).

Admission: $11, or $10 with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled access: Yes.

The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they’ve still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it will be finished. The project’s vast scale (规模) and its special design have made it one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions for many years.

La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)

Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 (November-February)       09:00-20:00 (March-October)

Admission: $9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled access: No.

This building used to be called Casa Mila, but nowadays it’s more commonly known as La Pedrera. It was made of bricks and had colorful tiles (瓷砖).

Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)

Opening hours: 6th April-4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00-20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00 to 18:30.

Admission: $8.50 for entry to museum and an extra $17 for a guided tour.

Disabled access: Yes.

It is now generally considered as the best football museum in the world. You can see so many trophies (奖杯), pictures and statues of great football players. I’m not a football fan but I still enjoyed walking round this museum.

Miró Museum (518,869 visits/year)

Opening hours: Check website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.

Admission: $8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.

Disabled access: Yes.

This museum has a wide range of Miró’s works dating back as far as 1914. This artwork collection includes not only his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures.

1. What can we know about the four tourist attractions?

A．Sagrada Familia is the largest building in Barcelona.

B．La Pedrera is well known for its colors.

C．Barcelona FC Museum will attract football fans.

D．Miró Museum was built in as early as the year of 1914.

2. If you visit the Barcelona FC Museum with a tour guide, you should pay            .

A．$8.5

B．$25.5

C．$17

D．$25

3. What do the four attractions have in common?

A．They are famous for their architectural styles.	B．They are all accessible for the disabled people.
C．Their opening hours are changeable in different times.	D．Tourists can get a discount of 20% with the Barcelona Card.

6 . Red leaves are a symbol of autumn. Enjoying red leaves in the clear, refreshing autumn weather is indeed a good choice.

Now let's have a look at the best red leaves around China and the beauty of autumn.

Destination 1

With different red colors, the Red Leaf Valley extends (延伸) more than 50 kilometers from Jiefang village in Qingling town to Yanjiang village in Songjiang town, Jilin province, Northeast China. Leaves are like different red pigments (颜料), including Chinese red, orange red, ruby red and bright red.

Best time: October

Destination 2

Tachuan or Tashang village is in Huangshan city, Anhui province, East China. The beautiful autumn scenery there is known as one of the four best in China. The red leaves and clear spring add beauty to traditional houses, offering material for photography lovers.

Best time: early to late November

Destination 3

As a result of low temperatures, maple leaves in areas south of the Yangtze River are like shy girls, gradually showing their beauty, turning from green to gold, gold to orange and finally to red. And as it changes slowly, different colors can be seen on the same trees called "colorful maple trees". Viewing at the mountainside is the best choice.

Best time: October to November

Destination 4

For Guangdong province in South China, autumn always comes a little late and lasts longer. Through the end of January, you can see the red leaves any time you want. If you feel pity at saying good-bye to red leaves in North China, you can head to South China to view the beautiful scenery again.

Best time: end of November to end of January

1. If a family from Russia want to enjoy red leaves in China, which of the tourist spots above is the nearest?​

A．Destination 1.	B．Destination 2.
C．Destination 3	D．Destination 4.

2. According to the text, which of the following statements is True?

A．Tachuan has the best red leaves in China.

B．Tourists can enjoy the most colourful leaves in Jilin province.

C．In Guangdong province, red leaves can be seen at any time throughout the year.

D．Maple leaves in areas south of the Yangtze take on more colors because of weather.

3. What is the purpose of writing this text?

A．To attract photography lovers.

B．To introduce different places of interest.

C．To give advice on how to spend autumn.

D．To suggest some red leaves viewing places.

7 . Road trip

Motorhome delivery offers great family holidays．For just $1 a day，you can hire a fully-equipped motorhome，which you deliver to a specific destination within some days and kilometers．You then hire another one to get home or take a bus or train．Your only other expense will be fuel and about $20 a day for parking fees．To learn more，visit apollocamper．com．

Plan ahead

For a comfortable break，flexibility with times，dates and places helps lower the cost．Find a few hotels you like，ask about their vacant rooms，then wait a few weeks and call again．If they still have rooms，you're at an advantage to ask for a better price．Lots of last-minute deals are online．Watif （watif．com．au） has deals on hotels that have dropped their prices so slow．You don't know where you're staying until it's booked，but anywhere with four or five stars has to be fairly good．

Back to nature

Wild camping appeals to nature lovers and costs nothing．This is forbidden on beaches and parks in most urban areas，but you can turn up in more distant area as long as nobody owns the land．You'll need to take everything with you and may need to shop on eBuy （ebuy．com．au）．If you're a camping beginner，be aware of safety measures and get your questions answered on the Internet．

Swap meet

How about a home swap？For a $250 yearly joining cost，you can stay in someone’s home in an international place of your choice while they or someone else stays in yours．Find out more at familylink．com．au．

1. Where can you get the information about motorhomes？

A．apollocamper．com．

B．watif．com．au．

C．ebuy．com．au．

D．familylink．com．au．

2. What helps to pay less for rooms in a hotel？

A．Choosing hotels with four or five stars．

B．Bargaining prices through the Internet．

C．Waiting for some time before booking．

D．Deciding on rooms as early as possible．

3. What's the advice for camping beginners？

A．Keep in touch with eBuy．

B．Watch out for possible dangers．

C．Stay away from no﹣man's land．

D．Take only what you need．

4. What's the purpose of the text？

A．To teach the importance of running away from work．

B．To introduce new destinations for nature lovers．

C．To show the advantages of online service．

D．To help people have fun at less expense．

8 . Look at the map of Spain and point at the center. You've located the country's capital and one of Europe's most beautiful cities: Madrid. This popular destination is considered a city of contrasts with its abundant historic sites, resting in the shadows of modern skyscrapers.

History

This city of over 3 million people is proud of Western Europe's largest royal palace, and some consider it to be Madrid's most beautiful building.

Inside the Royal Palace 2,800 rooms are decorated in glory with museum-quality furniture and artworks. Tourists can tour 50 of these large and splendid rooms.

Art

The Internationally respected Prado Museum is the largest and most impressive art gallery in Spain. Opened in 1819, it is filled with works of art that feature the world's most comprehensive collection of Spanish paintings.

Shopping

Madrid has some of Europe's best shopping, and potential buyers love to look through the stores looking for bargains. But for 500 years, shoppers have gathered to an extremely large outdoor flea market known as the Rastro where they find everything from antiques to CDs.

Entertainment

No trip to Madrid is complete without seeing a performance of Spain's famous art form, flamenco. Every day, flamenco performers sing, dance or play the guitar in small cafes and grand theaters alike.

Food

Madrid has a wide variety of restaurants, but because the Spanish typically eat late at about 9 or 10 p.m., it's difficult to find good dinner food earlier. If you get hungry before then, the best solution is to try a tapas bar where light snacks are served. Be sure to try the jamon, a kind of dry-cured ham: Spain is famous for it.

1. What do we know about the Royal Palace in Madrid?

A．It has 50 rooms for visit.

B．It can hold 2, 800 people.

C．It's been visited by 3 million people.

D．It is thought to be the largest in Europe.

2. What kind of market is “the Rastro”？

A．For discount.

B．For artworks.

C．To sell various goods.

D．To sell antiques and CDs.

3. What is a must when travelling in Madrid?

A．Having dinner earlier.

B．Enjoying flamenco.

C．Visiting Prado Museum.

D．Drinking in a tapas bar.

9 . 根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，。选项中有两项为多余选项。

With the summer holiday just around the comer, it seems like everybody is busy planning their vacations. Here an some tips that can help you enjoy your holiday without emptying your pocket:

Travel off-season

Go to your desired destination while the demand is low and take advantage of huge discounts. During the peak season, the hotel and flight prices increase quickly, and you’ll likely spend more of your vacation time standing in line due to the rush of tourists.     1    

    2    

Websites can help you find discount hotel rooms. Look for places that do not charge extra for children if they use the existing bedding. Stay with the locals. If you and your family are going to stay for a longer period, renting a small apartment is a good choice.

Eat like a local

Why eat at big chain restaurants when you can experience something new?     3     During your family trip, try new food where the locals eat. This will not just save money, but also provide you with a new and different experience. For smaller meals and snacks, avoid restaurants and try street food or other takeout.

Don’t hesitate to bargain

Tourist- heavy places are known for overcharging for just about everything. Clothes, travel goodies, souvenirs, etc. are very expensive at these places.     4     Bargain hard to get the best price.

Choose local transportation

    5     Instead, take buses, railways or subways, which are always cheaper. If you are planning to stay for a while, you can consider renting a car. Hiring a car is much easier than carrying your bags everywhere if you are moving around a lot.

A．Save on hotels.

B．Surf the Internet while traveling.

C．Therefore, avoid buying anything there.

D．So it’s best to find out when the off-season starts.

E．Planning your meals is another way to reduce your travel costs.

F．For this reason, you shouldn’t feel ashamed to ask for bargains.

G．As a tourist, avoid taking taxis whenever possible, since they are expensive.

10 . Sagrada Familia ( 2,056,448 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00-18:00 (October-March)       09:00-20:00 (April-September).
Admission: $11, or $10 with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: Yes.
The temple has been under construction since 1882 and they’ve still got another 30 to 80 years to go before it will be finished. The project’s vast scale (规模) and its special design have made it one of Barcelona’s top tourist attractions for many years.
La Pedrera (1,133,220 visits/year)
Opening hours: 09:00-18:30 (November-February)       09:00-20:00 (March-October)
Admission: $9.50. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: No.
This building used to be called Casa Mila, but nowadays it’s more commonly known as La Pedrera. It was made of bricks and had colorful tiles (瓷砖).
Barcelona FC Museum (1,032,763 visits/year)
Opening hours: 6th April-4th October: (Monday to Saturday) 10:00-20:00; the rest of the year: 10:00 to 18:30.
Admission: $8.50 for entry to museum and an extra $17 for a guided tour.
Disabled access: Yes.
It is now generally considered as the best football museum in the world. You can see so many trophies (奖杯), pictures and statues of great football players. I’m not a football fan but I still enjoyed walking round this museum.
Miró Museum (518,869 visits/year)
Opening hours: Check website for details as they vary depending on the time of the year.
Admission: $8. Save 20% with the Barcelona Card.
Disabled access: Yes.
This museum has a wide range of Miró’s works dating back as far as 1914. This artwork collection includes not only his paintings but also a good selection of sculptures.
1. Which of the following attractions is the most popular?

A．Sagrada Familia.	B．La Pedrera.
C．Barcelona FC Museum.	D．Miró Museum.

2. What can we know about the four tourist attractions?

A．Sagrada Familia is the largest building in Barcelona.

B．La Pedrera is well known for its colors.

C．Barcelona FC Museum will attract football fans.

D．Miró Museum was built in as early as the year of 1914.

3. If you visit the Barcelona FC Museum with a tour guide, you should pay       .

A．$8.5

B．$25.5

C．$17

D．$25

4. What do the four attractions have in common?

A．They are famous for their architectural styles.

B．They are all accessible for the disabled people.

C．Their opening hours are changeable in different times.

D．Tourists can get a discount of 20% with the Barcelona Card.