1 .

Supersized activities for your little ones at Sentosa During the June Holidays
Storytelling Comes Alive! Date: Every Wed-Sun at 11:30 am. 3:30 pm & 5:30 pm Venue: Images of Singapore Forecourt Admission: Free Enjoy SUPERSIZED activities for the entire family this June at our international award winning interactive event, Story Telling Comes Alive! This is where the story teller uses a giant storybook, puppetry and characters coming alive to bring the exciting and fun stories to life.	Boogie with Captain Palawan Date: Every Tuesdays to Fridays Time: 2:25 pm &4:15 pm Admission: Free Join in the boogie fun with Captain Palawan on the Beach! Bop to the rhythm and you may dance your way to some prizes!
Art Excursion at Sentosa Date: 8 & 15 June 2015 (Children) 22 June 2015 (Family) Time: 9 am - 5 pm Admission: $120 per child (SentosaPlayPass: $90 per child) $360 per family (SentosaPlayPass: $270 per family) Unleash your child’s creativity with the Art Excursion conducted by My Art Studio. Participants will have the opportunity to exchange creative ideas inspired by what they experience as they move through various stations in Sentosa.	Storytelling at Underwater World Singapore Date: 1-24 June 2015, every Sat& Sun Time: 11:45 am &3:15 pm Venue: Underwater World Singapore Admission: $20 per adult $10 per child (No admission charge for anyone with a SentosaPlayPass) Come and listen to storyteller, Denise Tan, as she shares stories about marine animals and marine conservation in the Living Fossils Hall filled with displays of ancient marine animals.

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*Available during weekdays from 9-5pm at bugis, ChangiAirport, Chinatown, City Hall and Orchard stations. Somerset station is open from 9am-12(noon) on weekends.
1. John, who is a SentosaPlayPass holder, needn’t pay for the activities EXCEPT ______.

A．Storytelling Comes Alive	B．Art Excursion at Sentosa
C．Boogie with Captain Palawan	D．Storytelling at Underwater World Singapore

2. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Boogie with Captain Palawan is an activity that happens daily.

B．Denise Tan will share her stories at Images of Singapore Forecourt.

C．Storytelling Comes Alive is recognized globally for its engaging content.

D．You will win prizes if you spend at least $40 in a single receipt at Sentosa.

3. On a Saturday at 2pm, Mr Smith and his family want to buy the SentosaPlayPass. He should go to ______.

A．Bugis station	B．Somerset station
C．any TransitLink ticket office	D．any Sentosa ticketing office

2 .

A．He had a worthy trip.

B．He didn’t enjoy the trip.

C．The trip was too exhausting.

D．The trip took him by surprise.

5 . Ancient builders across the world created structures that are still standing today, thousands of years later. Yet the concrete that makes up much of our modern world has a lifespan of around 50 to 100 years. A growing number of scientists have been studying materials from long-ago eras, hoping to uncover how they’ve held up for millennia.

Many researchers have turned to the Romans for inspiration. Starting around 200 BCE, the architects of the Roman Empire were building impressive concrete structures that have stood the test of time. Even in harbors, where seawater has been battering structures for ages, you’ll find concrete basically the way it was when it was poured 2,000 years ago. Most modern concrete starts with Portland cement, a powder made by heating limestone and clay to super-high temperatures and crushing them. That cement is mixed with water to create a chemically reactive paste. Then, blocks of material like rock and gravel are added, and the cement paste mixes them into a concrete mass. According to records from ancient architects, the Roman process was similar. The ancient builders mixed materials like burnt limestone and volcanic sand with water and gravel, creating chemical reactions to stick everything together.

In a study published earlier this year, Admir Masic, a civil and environmental engineer, proposed that this power comes from blocks of lime that are scattered throughout the Roman material instead of being mixed in evenly. Researchers used to think these blocks were a sign that the Romans weren’t mixing up their materials well enough. Instead, after analyzing concrete samples from Privernum—an ancient city outside of Rome — the scientists found that the blocks could fuel the material’s “self-healing” abilities. When cracks form, water is able to flow into the concrete, Masic explained. That water activates the leftover lime, leading to new chemical reactions that can fill in the damaged sections.

The ancient architectures suggested using extracts from local chukum and jiote trees in the lime mix. When researchers tested out the recipe, they found the resulting plaster was especially durable against physical and chemical damage.

Studies have found all kinds of natural materials mixed into structures from long ago: fruit extracts, milk, cheese curd, beer, even dung and urine. The paste that holds together some of China’s most famous structures—including the Great Wall and the Forbidden City — includes traces of sticky rice.

“Some of these ancient builders might have just gotten lucky”, said Cecilia Pesce, a materials scientist at the University of Sheffield in England, “They’d throw just about anything into their mixes, as long as it was cheap and available.”

Today’s builders can’t just copy the ancient recipes. Even though Roman concrete lasted a longtime, it couldn’t hold up heavy loads: “You couldn’t build a modern skyscraper with Roman concrete,” Cecilia said. “It would collapse.” Instead, researchers are trying to take some of the ancient material’s specialties and add them into modern mixes.

1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Lime blocks in Roman concrete indicate poor mixing of materials.

B．Ancient Roman concrete structures have witnessed a long history.

C．Modern builders are confused about the Roman method of construction.

D．The concrete used in modern structures has a lifespan of over 200 years.

2. What is proposed as a possible explanation for the self-healing abilities of Roman concrete?

A．The uniform mixing of lime in the concrete.

B．The use of extracts from chukum and jiote trees.

C．The addition of whatever was within reach in the mix.

D．The scattering of blocks of lime throughout the material.

3. The passage mentions that today’s builders can’t simply copy ancient recipes because ______.

A．ancient recipes were not well-documented

B．ancient materials were too expensive

C．ancient materials couldn’t hold up heavy loads

D．ancient builders used materials that are no longer available

4. According to the passage, why do some researchers believe ancient builders included various natural materials in their mixes?

A．To enhance the beauty of the structures.

B．To make the construction process more cost-effective.

C．To create structures that were resistant to chemical damage.

D．To follow ancient traditions without considering effectiveness.

7 . Earlier this year I took a trip to England and France to go see some friends. It was a wonderful trip; I really loved it. But one thing that struck me was how different these cultures are from our own. I guess this would strike any traveler because that is the first thing you notice and it is what makes travel so exciting. Of course, these cultures are also similar to ours in many respects, but it’s the differences that really stand out.

One of the things that struck me in particular was the different attitudes towards smoking. As you know, there’s a growing anti-smoking sentiment in Europe. However, when I went to England and France, I got a new perspective on this issue. People seem to smoke anywhere and everywhere, even though anti-smoking signs are all over public places. On the radio, I heard about a member of the World Cup soccer team who smoked. And people were actually saying, “Well, he should not be on the team because he’s a bad example for our children.” I think, if they want to look at bad examples for their children, they should just go out on the street, or go into the subways, or look in the mirror, even, because so many of them are smoking in very inappropriate places. I visited a restaurant buffet in London and saw an English woman scooping up the food with a lit cigarette in her hand. Smoke rising into the air. Actually, when I talked to English people later, they were pretty shocked too, and they said that smoking in a restaurant is rude even by British standards.

This did not give me a bad impression of English people. It gave me, on the contrary, a positive feeling toward American smokers. There are a lot of American smokers who will proclaim their right to smoke whenever they want, but they will follow the rules, generally, because they have consideration for nonsmokers. So this experience in Europe gave me more of a respect for this kind of smoker.

1. What surprised the writer during his trip to England and France?

A．The wonderful trip to England and France.

B．Cultural differences that he noticed during his trip.

C．Similarity between cultures stands out more than differences.

D．Growing anti-smoking views in Europe.

2. What did the speaker find in England and France about the smoking issue?

A．People discuss the smoking issue on the radio.

B．Smokers are allowed to smoke anywhere and anytime.

C．People are encouraged to smoke in inappropriate places.

D．Many smokers pay no attention to the “No Smoking” signs.

3. The word “sentiment” in the second paragraph means ______.

A．feeling

B．movement

C．offense

D．regulation

4. What kind of smokers does the speaker respect?

A．Those who are from America and Europe.	B．Those who respect others’ feelings.
C．Those who defend the right to smoke.	D．Those who set rules of smoking in public places.

9 . Out of London Tours

Stratford, Oxford, Christ Church and the Cotswolds with Lunch

Length of time

About 10 hours

Days of operation

April 2009 to March 2010—Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

This tour starts at 8:45 am and finishes at around 6:30 pm

Description

* Oxford

Enjoy the magnificence of Oxford! Well-known for over 900 years as a centre of academic excellence. Follow in the footsteps of its famous students, from Bill Clinton to Lewis Carroll. Uncover the university town of Oxford at a leisurely and relaxing pace.

* Christ Church

Lights, camera, action! A treat for all Harry Potter fans—see where many scenes from the films have been shot! Wonder at the magnificence of Christ Church, including the Great Hall which Hogwarts Hall is based upon.

* Cotswolds

Discover the fascinating Cotswolds! Full of history and heritage(历史遗留物), the Cotswolds is a charming combination of breathtaking natural beauty, busy market towns and sleepy villages.

Lunch in the Cotswolds

Treat yourself in a traditional English pub(酒吧) and admire the charm of this old wool town. The lunch will be taken in the Cotswolds village of Burford.

* Stratford

Shakespeare’s birthplace

A market town with a difference! Visit Shakespeare’s Birthplace, the half-wooded house, where the world’s greatest writer was born, to gain a fascinating insight into his childhood.

Anne Hathaway’s Cottage

Satisfy yourself with an eye-opening experience at the childhood home of William Shakespeare’s wife! Wander around the half-wooded house and its eye-catching surroundings.

Price guide

Adult: £74.00

Child (3—18): £64.00

Senior citizen / College student: £69.00

1. The Greens are planning to book the tour. They are Mr. and Mrs. Green, George Green, who is 15 years old, and Grandpa, who is 70 years of age. How much will they pay?

A．£296

B．£286

C．£281

D．£276

2. Since George is a big fan of magic, he will be very excited when visiting ________.

A．Cotswolds

B．Oxford

C．Stratford

D．Christ Church

3. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the leaflet?

A．You may eat in the Cotswolds village of Burford and then buy a woolen scarf.

B．You can book this tour as a Mother’s Day gift for your mother in May 2010.

C．Shakespeare and his wife were born in the same town called Stratford.

D．Oxford University has a long history of more than 900 years.

4. Which of the following CANNOT be used to replace “leisurely” in the leaflet?

A．hurried

B．gentle

C．easy

D．unrushed

10 . How to Travel to Machu Picchu

Mysterious. Brilliant. Powerful. These words describe the Inca (印加). Every year, visitors rush to the Incan citadel (堡垒) of Machu Picchu (meaning “the ancient peak”) in search of the lost civilization. But getting to this UNESCO World Heritage site isn’t cheap and easy. Here’s how to expertly navigate your way to Peru’s most famous destination.

Hiking to Machu Picchu

* The most famous way to hike to Machu Picchu is along a section of one of the Incan roads built as the empire expanded. Dozens of tour operators offer Inca Trail hikes with varying durations and levels of comfort (though all require camping).

* For those who would like a less crowded experience, there are a number of diverse hiking alternatives, one of which is around Salkantay Mountain, one of the most imposing peaks in the Peruvian Andes. Several tour companies offer the treks, but Apus Peru offers an express Salkantay trek, which shaves a day off the normal itinerary for those eager to push their physical limits on their way to Machu Picchu.

* Travelers interested in archaeology should consider the Choquequirao Trek with a Machu Picchu extension. This itinerary includes spectacular hiking in the less-traveled steep Apurimac Canyon and exploration of the Choquequirao archaeological site before heading for Machu Picchu. Note that the trail is closed in December every year for regular maintenance.

Tips for Visiting

* Getting Acclimated (适应水土): Where you`re coming from is probably much lower than Machu Picchu. We highly recommend you go to Aguas Calientes first, and spend a night getting used to it before exploring Machu Picchu. Meanwhile, avoid alcohol and physical exertion to help your body slowly adjust to the thinner air.

* Entrance tickets: If you’re traveling independently, you can buy individual entrance tickets, though you should note that you’ll be required to hire a local guide before entering the site. If you book a tour package through a travel agency, all services should be included. Moreover, all entry tickets are timed, allowing entrance on the hour, and you’re allowed to stay at the site for up to four hours.

*Bring: Water and a rain jacket, even if it looks like a beautiful sunny day. And speaking of sun, remember that the ozone layer (臭氧层) over Peru is compromised. That, combined with the elevation, makes the sun extremely strong, so wear a hat and use high SPF sunscreen.

* Don’t bring: Drones, walking sticks, trekking poles or umbrellas since they’re all prohibited at Machu Picchu. Travelers who require sticks for mobility can bring them in but only with protective rubber tips over the ends.

1. Andy is a college student majoring in archaeology. He is also a keen lover of extreme sports and a seasoned hiker eager to explore the unbeaten track. Now he is considering hiking to Machu Picchu this Christmas. Which of the following routes is he most likely to choose?

A．The Inca Trail.	B．The Apus Peru Trek.
C．The express Salkantay Trek.	D．The Choquequrao Trek.

2. Which of the following information is TRUE for travelers to Machu Piccu?

A．Vigorous exercise isn’t recommended during the hike for fear of altitude sickness.

B．Visitors should bring rain jackets or umbrellas due to the changeable weather there.

C．Visitors can enter the site anytime during the opening hours and stay for four hours.

D．Tour guide services are necessary for individual and group visitors to enter the site.

3. The underlined word “compromised” can be best replaced by ________.

A．harmed	B．strengthened
C．detected	D．lowered