2 . Family-Friendly Events in January

ZooLights: Glow Wild Jan. 1-19

The Phoenix Zoo’s yearly holiday light show is on until Jan. 19, allowing families one or more opportunities to enjoy the city’s zoo, with millions of lights giving an added dimension to the festivities.

Glow Wild, 455 N. Galvin Pkwy. , Phoenix, phoenixzoo.org, $11. 95 members, $13. 95 general admission.

Downtown Mesa Festival of the Arts Jan. 4-18

The Downtown Mesa Festival of the Arts features the work of established and emerging artists, including those who create woodwork, metal crafts, food items, art, photography and gifts.

On Macdonald, off of Main Street in Downtown Mesa, dtmesafest.com, free admission.

Family Fun Winterfest Jan. 4

OdySea Aquarium in the Desert is hosting the third annual Family Fun Winterfest in its Desert Courtyard, featuring real snow for the kids to play in. This free event features everything from bounce houses to rides, games, snowflake crafts and face painting to go with various stands set up by local sellers, with food and other offerings for sale at the event.

9500 E. Via de Ventura, Scottsdale, odyseainthedesert.com, free.

Youth Fine Arts Course Jan. 18-Mar. 7

Mesa Arts Center is hosting an eight-week youth arts course on Saturdays to teach artistic skills and knowledge through fun and challenging art classes in a wide variety of art materials, including painting, drawing, mixed media and sculpture, ensuring mentally stimulating sessions for all.

Mesa Art Center, 1 E. Main St, Mesa, mesaartscenter.com, $93.
1. How can you get a discounted ticket to the ZooLights show?

A．Bring a friend.	B．Get a membership.
C．Join a tour group.	D．Book a ticket online.

2. What can you do at Family Fun Winterfest?

A．Have free food.	B．Take art classes.
C．Enjoy real snow.	D．Meet local artists.

3. Which event lasts the longest?

A．ZooLights: Glow Wild.	B．Downtown Mesa Festival of the Arts.
C．Youth Fine Arts Courses.	D．Family Fun Winterfest.

3 . 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。

China has formally made an announcement of its first five national parks of 230, 000 from Tibet to Hainan, focusing on     1     (preserve) of its most valuable bio-resources.

Giant Panda National Park will surely be     2     hit with the swells of tourists who come yearly for some of the world’s cutest animals.     3     (cover) three provinces (Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu), the region is the panda’s natural habitat.

The intersection (交汇处) of Jilin and Heilongiang provinces is home to Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park, which     4     (set) out to protect the habitats of those two species since its start. It is the unique area       5     live both wild Siberian tigers and Siberian leopards.

China’s best-preserved rainforest is in Hainan, the only place in the world     6     (find) the Hainan black-crested gibbon(黑冠长臂猿). Hainan Tropical Rainforest National Park protects the gibbons and     7     (they) environment.

Unlike those three, Wuyishan National Park in Fujian Province and Sanjiangyuan National Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau focus     8     (much) on preserving multiple animals than     9     (specific) protecting one species. They serve various rare and endangered species and conserve biodiversity.

Now, with some tourist programs     10     place, these parks will be a good way for tourists to truly experience the natural originality as well as expansive Chinese landscape.

4 . With the approaching of New Year, more and more visitors will come to China. Don’t know where you should go? Here are some places recommended for you.

Shanghai Expo Culture Park

The Shanghai Expo Culture Park will soon open its northern section to the public, in which the major attractions include a traditional garden that is similar in design to Shanghai’s famous Yuyuan Garden and a 400-meter avenue exhibiting the history of the area, while in the southern section lies a grand theater.

Macao Tower AJ Hackett Bungee Jump

The Macao Tower, 338 meters tall, is the world’s 10th highest tower, with a variety of activities, such as eating and entertainment. One of the activities which enjoy good fame is the bungee jump. The AJ Hackett Macao Tower Bungee Jump is 233 meters high, making it a Guinness World Record as the highest commercial (商业的) bungee jump in the world. Raise your arms and off you go!

Harbin’s Frozen World

For those who have never been to Harbin, there is an almost endless list of things to do. At Harbin Ice—Snow World, you can not only see the world—famous ice architecture, but also have great fun! You can have hotpot at the restaurants which are made of ice, enjoying the product of both ice and fire, go down the world’s longest ice slide (滑梯) and join in the popular Ice and Snow Electronic Music Festival to welcome 2024.

The winter is cold and the night is long, so why not go to the theatre? Harbin was listed by the United Nations as a “music city” in 2010. Harbin Grand Theater is where artistic souls defrost (化霜) a little to share their love of art.

1. Where should visitors go if they want to do extreme sports?

A．Shanghai Expo Culture Park.	B．The Macao Tower.
C．Shangha’s Yuyuan Garden.	D．Harbin Ice—Snow World.

2. What can visitors do in Harbin’s Frozen World?

A．Attend a famous music festival.	B．Play with both ice and fire.
C．Turn water into instant ice.	D．Learn to make ice architecture.

3. What do Shanghai Expo Culture Park and Harbin’s Frozen World have in common?

A．They have a high tower.	B．They have a long ice slide.
C．They have a grand theater.	D．They have traditional architecture.

5 . Expecting to travel abroad but lacking a loose budget? Interested in meaningful volunteering programs but worried about issues like your security or working conditions? Here comes a right place for you — Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary (保护区).

Highlights

 Volunteering with elephants and bringing them back into their natural habitat

 Making a difference in the conservation efforts to save elephants living under awful conditions

 Helping teach English to the communities and raising awareness about the captive (圈养的) elephant situation

 Wandering the forests and observe elephant’s natural behaviors in their home environment

Our Sanctuary

Our sanctuary has rescued 5 elephants from the tourism industry and we have now brought them home to live out their lives in the forest, in semi-wild conditions. We need volunteers to help us keep these elephants happy and healthy in their natural habitat. With volunteer support, we hope to return more elephants to the forest soon.

Your tasks

 Performing research on the natural elephant behaviors and the surrounding forest

 Taking part in community projects such as teaching English at the school and to other locals

 Carrying out litter pick-ups with the kids to educate on waste management

Your Rough Schedule:

Day 1: Pickup from Chiang Mai at 9 am. Travel through a national park and stunning mountains until you arrive in our unique village. Meet your homestay family and the other volunteers, and immerse yourself in hill tribe culture.

Day 2: Wake up early to hike in the forest and find our elephants. Spend the morning recording and learning about these amazing animals and their natural behaviors. Return to the village in the late afternoon and take part in our community & camp & teaching projects.

Day 3: Another early start to hike to observe our elephants one last time. Return to Chiang Mai in the afternoon.

1. Which of the following is a feature of volunteer work at the sanctuary?

A．Looking after captive elephants with the locals.

B．Seeking and observing elephants in natural forests.

C．Helping rescue elephants living in the poor environment.

D．Teaching people to conserve elephants’ natural habitat.

2. What should you do as a volunteer there?

A．You should participate in anti-poverty projects.

B．You should have the great ability to go hiking for days.

C．You should master local languages and know about tribe culture.

D．You should undertake research into wild elephants independently.

3. Where does this text most probably come from?

A．A holiday brochure.	B．A travel journal.
C．A geographical essay.	D．An educational website.

7 . Central Park

Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York. Let’s have a look at its main sights.

Central Park is New York’s largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres (about 3.4km²). This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas. You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this greenspace of New York.

Besides being the city’s primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams (婴儿车).

On Foot or by Bicycle

To get to know some of the wildest parts of Central Park we suggest walking. However, to get a general feel for the whole park, the best thing to do is hire a bicycle and enjoy the scenery.

If you decide to hire a bike, you will find lots of bike rental stores around Central Park that are not very expensive.

Open Time

From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

From 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.

Price

Entry to the Park is free. But if you visit some parts like Central Park Zoo, you need to buy a ticket.

Transport

Subway: Line 5, 6, 7, A, B, C and D．

Bus: Line M1, M2, M3, M4 and M10.

Nearby places

Metropolitan Museum of Art (447 m)

Guggenheim Museum (564 m)

American Museum of Natural History (688 m)

Whitney Museum of American Art (1 km)

The Frick Collection (1.3 km)

1. What can we learn about the Central Park from the text?

A．It is home to lakes and waterfalls.

B．It is perfect for doing outdoor sports.

C．It is the largest city park in the world.

D．It is the most famous symbol of New York.

2. Which one of the following things is free?

A．Hiring a bicycle.	B．Entrance to Central Park.
C．Visiting Central Park Zoo.	D．Going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

3. Where can we find this text?

A．In a science report.	B．In a geography book.
C．In a fashion magazine.	D．In a travel guide.

8 . Europe is one of the best travelling options for everyone. It’s rich in culture, and every country is distinct in beauty. Plus, the cuisine is not to be missed. Here are the best four European cities to travel to!

Vienna

The capital of Austria, Vienna, is the largest city in the country, and it’s also a cultural, economic and political center. It is known as the city of music and the city of dreams, being an important place for Beethoven and Sigmund Freud. It’s also considered one of the cities in the world which is suitable for living and where the quality of life is high.

Berlin

Berlin is the capital of Germany and is the place of culture, politics, media and science. It holds a strong history, and you can learn many things about the city’s contributions to the whole world. Travelling to Berlin is quite easy, given that it’s an accessible city and you have plenty of affordable options such as trains, trams, buses and the metro.

Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital city of Denmark and is known to be one of the most sustainable cities in the world. It’s full of Michelin-starred restaurants, has plenty of museums and holds the Copenhagen Fashion Week, which is the largest fashion event in Northern Europe.

Amsterdam

The capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam, is known for the number of canals that are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are also the main attraction of the city, but that’s not all. The good thing about Amsterdam is that you can visit it by bike, as it has one of the best networks of cycle routes in the world.

1. Which is not a reason for traveling to Europe?

A．Yummy food.

B．Natural scenery.

C．Adequate culture.

D．Good transportation.

2. If you are a fashionable icon, which city will you choose to visit?

A．Vienna.

B．Berlin.

C．Copenhagen.

D．Amsterdam.

3. Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．Vienna wins a reputation for being livable.

B．Berlin is less influential compared to others.

C．Copenhagen is modern but not eco-friendly.

D．Transportation can be an issue in Amsterdam.