2 . 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 (跳蚤) 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 can hold 2,800 people.	B．It is thought to be the largest in Europe.
C．It’s been visited by 3 million people.	D．It has 50 rooms for visit.

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

A．To sell various goods.	B．To sell artworks.
C．To sell antiques and CDs.	D．To sell local food.

3. What is a must when traveling in Madrid?

A．Having dinner earlier.	B．Visiting Prado Museum.
C．Enjoying flamenco.	D．Drinking in a tapas bar.

3 . 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”.

4 . The four theme parks below offer the most thrilling (刺激的) rides and attractions in the world.

Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Located(坐落) in Virginia，USA，this theme park has some of the highestrated thrill rides in the world. The park’s famous roller coasters include Apollo’s Chariot，Alpengeist，Griffon，the Loch Ness Monster and Verbolten. The park also has thrilling water rides，rides for kids，other rides，shows，tours，animal exhibits and more. Divided into nine areas representing European countries，the park has won an award for the quality of its food.

Everland

As one of the world’s most popular theme parks，Everland is located in Yongin，Gyeonggido Province，South Korea. The park has 40 thrill rides，including a world-famous wooden roller coaster，and many other attractions such as an African hunting ride，a zoo，indoor and outdoor water parks，shows and more.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach

This Lancashire amusement park is one of the most visited theme parks in the United Kingdom. Among the park’s 125 rides and attractions are the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the UK，a classic wooden roller coaster，a steel tower ride，the biggest indoor dark ride in the world，a host of rides for kids and more.

Port Aventura World

Located on Spain’s Costa Daurada，this park is divided into six theme areas. Five areas represent different locations including Polynesia，Mexico，America，China and the Mediterranean. The sixth and newest area has a Sesame Street theme. The park has many rides and attractions suitable for visitors of all ages.

1. What did Busch Gardens Williamsburg win an award for?

A．The highest thrill rides.	B．A Sesame Street theme area.
C．Good quality of its food.	D．A host of thrilling water rides.

2. Which park will a visitor loving thrill and hunting rides probably choose?

A．Busch Gardens Williamsburg.	B．Everland.
C．Blackpool Pleasure Beach.	D．Port Aventura World.

3. Where is the theme park including a China area located in?

A．In Virginia.	B．In Yongin.
C．In Lancashire.	D．On Costa Daurada.

7 . 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.

8 . 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

9 . 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.

10 . 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.