2 . China’s most attractive museums

Beijing Minsheng Art Museum
Opening year: 2015
Art focus: Contemporary art

Right next to the capital’s art centre 798 Art District, Beijing Minsheng Art Museum took over a decommissioned (停止使用的) electronics factory, reopening after being redesigned by Chinese architect Zhu Pei. Funded by China Minsheng Bank, the museum has already hosted a lot of big-ticket exhibitions.

Power Station of Art
Opening year: 2012
Art Focus: Contemporary art

Fans of London’s Tate Modern will immediately spot the similarities with Shanghai’s Power Station of Art, a huge riverside box with a 165-metre chimney. It started life as the Nanshi Power Plant three decades ago before becoming the Pavilion of the Future at the 2010 Shanghai Expo. In 2012, it became China’s first state-owned contemporary art museum, with six floors of exhibition space.

Design Society
Opening year: 2017
Art focus: Design

Design Society in Shenzhen serves as a showcase for local and international design, given serious standing by its partnership with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, probably the most famous design institution in the world. On show are 250 objects from the collection in London, telling how design represents a two-way exchange of ideas and culture.

Sifang Art Museum
Opening year: 2013
Art focus: Architecture, contemporary art

Positioned on a hillside in Laoshan National Forest Park in Nanjing, this private art museum is actually a group of diverse buildings, each designed by outstanding architects and artists. The centrepiece is a boxy gallery space protruding (突出) from the mountainside and seemingly súspendedin mid-air, designed by American architect Steven Holl.

1. What do the first two museums have in common?

A．Both used to be factories.

B．Both are state-owned art museums.

C．Both are redesigned by Chinese architects.

D．Both opened in the same year as the Shanghai Expo.

2. Which of the following partners up with a London museum?

A．Beijing Minsheng Art Museum.	B．Power Station of Art.
C．Design Society.	D．Sifang Art Museum.

3. Which city is Sifang Art Museum located in?

A．Shanghai.

B．Beijing.

C．Shenzheng.

D．Nanjing.

3 . There is no better way for a foreigner to understand China and its people than firsthand experience.     1    

The experience of traveling around China has paid off handsomely, both in aspects of personal enrichment and in my ability to do my job well as an editor. When news articles mention places in China, I can often visualize(视觉化) them.

There was an article, for example, about the people of Guoliang village, built on the top of a remote cliff(悬崖) in Henan province.     2     They used hand tools to dig an amazing tunnel through hard rock to achieve that goal.

I have seen that tunnel and, having done so, acquired a vivid understanding of that incredible task. But what has stuck with me above all other memories of China was an experience at Beijing’s Temple of Heaven.

It was a pleasant summer evening, just at sunset. My wife and I were walking through the gate of the temple park to enjoy the dusky calm. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like distant voices raised in song.     3     The sound grew louder as I approached until I finally came to the source—a group of maybe 30 ordinary people gathered in a loose circle, singing joyfully.

    4     But I could follow the melody(旋律) and harmony, taking advantage of a small amount of vocal training and practice from my distant past. And so I joined in, adding my voice to help send the sound to heaven.

The Chinese people standing nearby offered smiles of welcome. It was a moment of unity. The politicians might call it a people-to-people exchange. For me, the group represented a feeling of love, like a family.

It was over all too soon, and everybody left.     5     I couldn’t help but wonder. If whole nations could sing together, wouldn’t the world be a better place?

A．I didn’t know the Chinese lyrics(歌词).

B．However, I didn’t want to be rude.

C．I went to investigate out of curiosity.

D．However, the feeling stayed with me.

E．They needed to connect with the outside world.

F．I will always be grateful to be given that opportunity.

G．The travel to Guoliang village always sticks in my mind.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The wilderness(荒野) is one of Canada’s treasures and the Canadian national parks are the system through     1     the Canadian government protects, preserves and displays some of the country’s most     2     (impress) territory for the benefit of residents, visitors and the environment.

Every national park in Canada is a little bit different, but the majority are     3     (heavy) forested areas with mountainous landscapes that get snowy in the winter. Most national parks can be used     4     hiking, cycling and camping, as well as skiing during snowy months.

All of Canada’s national parks     5    (run) by the Canadian federal government and many have unique rules that must be obeyed. In theory, any park can be visited,     6     many national parks do not permit camping outside of campsite areas, or require campers     7    (get) permission to camp in advance. While the majority of national parks have government facilities within them, such as visitor centers or ranger stations(护林站) to provide emergency     8    (assist) for visitors, many do not,     9    (mean) visitors may be taking     10     serious personal risk when exploring. Canada is famous for its wild animals, which tend to be numerous in national parks.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

After three days in Hangzhou, we     1     (wind) our way up a road that looked like a black snake along the tight curves around Mo Gan Mountain. The trees and bushes waved in the mild breezes     2    , before the founding of the People’s Republic of China, made Mo Can Mountain a favorite place often     3     (visit) by wealthy foreign colonialists     4     (seek) a short escape from the heated plains below.

Giant bamboo blanketed the mountains so     5     (thick) that they resembled green feathers, waving in the wind.     6     when the road led us beneath the     7     (tower) bamboo they became great cathedrals — an endless living tunnel opening into an almost unusual light.

As we inched around curves, the bamboo cover sometimes gave way     8     a magnificent view of Swiss-looking villages, their wooden shingled (盖木瓦的) homes with carved wooden balconies nestled in alpine valleys far below. I     9     (spend) a summer on MoGan Fountain happily but we were already behind schedule, and after too brief     10     stay we pushed on to the Great Ditch.

10 . Planning a family trip? Let the professionals handle it.

In the ever-evolving world of travel, using a travel professional to decode your family vacation options can really pay off. Here are several things to bear in mind:

Is it travel time?

Before the pandemic, planning a vacation took time, knowledge, patience and perseverance. While the pace of change has slowed, keeping track of the global landscape can still be incredible.     1     He or she uses his or her experience and skills to make even the most complicated travel schedule a reality.

Know how it works.

    2     Some get paid by travel suppliers such as a hotel or restaurant. Others charge consulting fees sometimes determined by the number of people traveling and the complexity of the trip. Still, others rely on a combination of both. Families also benefit from top agents’ access to upgrades and value-added options. Should your trip take an unwelcome turn, a good agent will have your back to help with canceled flights, health challenges or the need for a last-minute shift in the travel schedule.

    3    

If you are eager to visit a Disney resort; understand the evolving nature of the cruise world; visit a ski resort or explore a specific city, region or country, using an agent with that specialty can give you a bonus.     4     They’ll know how to book the best cabins, sort through meal and activity options and provide insight into how each member of the family might make the most of the sailing.

Spend your time well.

Whether you’re traveling with the kids or with the extended family for a milestone birthday or anniversary celebration, you no doubt hope to return with treasured memories rather than tales of a trip gone wrong.     5    

With more families learning and working from home, a good agent can help zero in on destinations and lodging options that can maximize your current lifestyle.

A．Choose a specialist.

B．Choose a destination.

C．This is where a travel agent can come into play.

D．Travel agents can provide you with a rewarding holiday.

E．Travel agents earn money by offering their service in various ways.

F．Travel agents benefit a lot from their planning the travel route for you.

G．Those professionals can select the brand that best matches your travel expectations.