1 . If you’re looking for an active winter vacation, there are two strategies: Head toward the snow and cold to ski, sled, and skate; or get as far away from the white stuff as possible. At these North American hotels, there’s a unique winter experience for everyone.

HÔtel de Glace, Québec, Canada

The HÔtel de Glace is North America’s only ice hotel. Each winter, sculptors use 2,000 blocks of ice and tons of snow to build a grand entrance hall, bar, and 30 guestrooms to open in early January. After spending the night on a frozen bed, guests can take a hot shower at the HÔtel Valcartier next door and go snow tubing or ice skating at the neighboring winter playground.

Flamingo Lodge, Everglades National Park, Florida

Shipping containers were used to construct the new Flamingo Lodge near the southernmost visitor center of Florida’s Everglades National Park, The only hotel in the park replaces earlier structures destroyed by hurricanes. In addition to bright, simple rooms, guests find an indoor-outdoor restaurant and views of Florida Bay. The birdwatching out of Flamingo is incredible and the best place to see a crocodile in Florida is at the bay.

Métis Crossing, Alberta, Canada

Stargaze and learn about the culture of Canada’s Métis from the sky watching cabins at Métis Crossing. The 512-acre cultural center has near-zero light pollution. This makes night sky viewing around the campfire particularly appealing. The heated cabins, which gather around the main hotel, have glass roofs over the beds for star views.

1. What do we know about HÔtel de Glace?

A．There are over 30 rooms in this hotel.

B．It’s the only ice hotel in North America.

C．Tourists can take hot showers in the hotel.

D．Sculptures are built in the entrance hall each winter.

2. What’s so special about Flamingo Lodge?

A．It’s built on ships.	B．It keeps birds indoors.
C．It’s built after hurricanes.	D．There’s a zoo near the hotel.

3. What makes night sky viewing at Métis Crossing so appealing?

A．There’s almost no light pollution.	B．Tourists can view stars on the roof.
C．It’s a cultural center of Canada’s Métis.	D．People can view the sky around the campfire.

2 . I recently signed up to a _________ newsletter that is emailed on the first and last Friday of every month.

A．bimonthly

B．weekly

C．biweekly

D．yearly

3 . Emily loved reading. She used to be very shy. She _________ talking to others. So she turned to _________. In 2019 her dad got sick. It was very serious. Books became an even bigger comfort for _________.

Emily’s dad got better. And she came up with a plan to _________ others.

Emily started a book drive in her hometown. She _________ books. She took them to _________ being cared for in hospitals. _________, she has collected more than 10,000 books.

Emily and her father are very close. When her father learned of her plans for the book drive, he wasn’t surprised. “She was always interested in books,” he says. “_________ she always wanted to do things for the neighborhood.” Emily runs the book drive herself, but she gets some help from her _________. “We do the driving,” her dad says.

Emily still runs the book drive. The memory of meeting the children she helps sticks with her. “It was the ____________ day of my life,” she says. “I realized I wanted to do this type of work forever.”

1.

A．was afraid of

B．was interested in

C．was good at

D．was sorry for

2.

A．music

B．sports

C．books

D．stamps

3.

A．me

B．her

C．him

D．it

4.

A．teach

B．save

C．move

D．help

5.

A．wrote

B．collected

C．read

D．bought

6.

A．kids

B．men

C．women

D．newborns

7.

A．In short

B．Hardly ever

C．So far

D．On time

8.

A．So

B．Or

C．But

D．And

9.

A．parents

B．friends

C．teachers

D．neighbors

10.

A．saddest

B．best

C．shortest

D．strangest

4 . How to Apply China Visa (签证)

How to apply China visa is the most concerned question for international tourists who plan to travel to China. Here you will find the useful information about China visa requirements and instructions.

China Visa Requirements

▶The valid (有效的) passport

Original passport valid for at least 6 months with blank visa pages, and a photocopy of data page (with your photo on it)

▶China visa application form and photo

The applicants must fill in a complete visa application form and attach it with a recent-taken colour passport photo.

So what is the requirement of the photo? The photo you submit must be passport-type (bare-head, full face) and standard with the correct dimension and background colour.

▶Effective proof of legal stay or resident status (it applies to those who do not apply for China visa in their countries of citizenship).

Supporting Application Documents

For C-Visa, a letter of guarantee issued by a foreign transport company or an invitation letter issued by a relevant authority from China side shall be provided.

For D-Visa, the original and a photocopy of foreign permanent residence identification form issued by China’s Ministry of Public Security shall be provided.

For F-Visa, an invitation letter issued by relevant authorities or individuals from China side shall be provided.

For G-Visa, an onward air (train, bus, ship) ticket with confirmed date and seat to the third country or region shall be provided.

For L-Visa, the tour itinerary (行程) and documents with round trip flight tickets and accommodation reservations, or an invitation letter issued by relevant authorities or individuals from Chinese side shall be provided.

For M-Visa, documents of business activity, trade fair invitation letter or other invitation letter issued by trade partners in China shall be provided.

Further reading: click the link China visa knowledge and types.

1. In what situation do people have to prove the legal stay for the application?

A．Not being in his country of nationality.

B．Without documents of business activity.

C．Without photos that match the requirements.

D．Not being invited by trade partners in China.

2. Which visas need the trip ticket?

A．C-Visa and M-Visa.	B．L-Visa and D-Visa.
C．G-Visa and L-Visa.	D．F-Visa and M-Visa.

3. Where is the text probably from?

A．A science magazine.	B．A travel brochure.
C．A hotel poster.	D．A web page.

5 . The holidays can be a difficult time to stay on track with your fitness goals.     1    . Even the most disciplined people can find it difficult to stick to their fitness routines during the holiday season. Here are some expert-recommended tips that can help you stay on track.

    2    .

Planning is the best way to make sure you don’t lose track of your goals. Plan your workouts for the week and mark them in your schedule to assure they are a part of your day.

Exercise early.

    3    . Make sure workouts are in the morning and you’ll set yourself up for a productive day. Then you can enjoy holiday activities and time with family without worrying about when you’ll have time to exercise.

Keep moving.

Research shows that getting up for just five minutes every 30 to 60 minutes and performing light activities reduces the risk of heart disease risk factors. Small efforts to get moving can help your overall health during the holidays. In addition to staying active, try to avoid sitting for long periods of time, such as when watching football games or eating.     4    .

Think out of the box.

The holidays are busy, but do your best to avoid the “all or nothing” mentality when it comes to physical activity.     5     — like taking a family walk around the neighborhood before opening Christmas presents.

A．Plan ahead

B．Plan out your route before you go

C．Exercising in the morning is one of the biggest tips

D．Remember: too much sitting is harmful to your health

E．Your schedule will be filled with family gatherings and celebrations

F．Get creative with exercise and make physical activity a family affair

G．Rather than skipping the gym altogether, make time for a quick workout

6 . Several projects are________ to help those poor college students to finish their education.

A．under way

B．by the way

C．all the way

D．in the way

7 . ________ too many sweets is bad for one’s teeth.

A．Eat

B．Eating

C．Ate

D．To eat

8 . The parents as well as their son ________ determined to go abroad for their holiday this year.

A．is

B．had

C．are

D．has

9 . Frosty Ridge Resort (FRR) is a popular tourist attraction with a long history. Do you want to join the proud tradition of service at FRR? Welcome to join us!

Parking Host

The responsibility of a parking host is to help guests properly park their vehicles (交通工具), informing guests of parking steps and answering questions. You must be at least 18 years of age. A driver’s license (执照) is required. It’s necessary to have a team player attitude and be able to work with people of diverse cultures. The ability to work with different groups of people in a calm and professional manner is also a must.

Child Care Provider

Previous child care experience is preferred. You should provide quality child care, by meeting the needs of various age groups and guest demands in a positive way. Show positive communication skills, and offer children funny activities. Climb stairs to work space and work at a desk or computer work station for one or two hours.

Ski Instructor

Teach ski lessons to guests with the specific focus on students’ goals while emphasizing (强调) safety, fun and learning. You should be able to ski or snowboard. Great customer service skills and good adaptability are required. In particular, unlike the two positions above, you must work during the Christmas week.

1. What should people in the parking host position do?

A．Teach ski lessons to guests.

B．Help guests park their cars.

C．Look after guests’ children.

D．Answer questions from FRR director.

2. What is specially required for a ski instructor?

A．Being communicative.	B．Providing fun for guests.
C．Working during Christmas week.	D．Having related working experience.

3. Who is the text intended for?

A．Job hunters.

B．Project managers.

C．Local visitors.

D．College students.

10 . It is late autumn—millions of gardeners across the northern hemisphere, pulled on their thickest sweaters, spent hours clearing large piles of leaves and packed them into plastic bags at the end of driveways.

In the US alone, nearly 10 million tonnes of garden waste go to landfill every year. That is a large amount of effort, not just from an environmental viewpoint but from that of our aching backs, too. So where does this advice come from? Well, it largely comes from the belief that thick fallen leaves can make plants under them unable to breathe, especially shorter grass. They shut down important photosynthesis (光合作用) and get in the way of the growth of the shorter grass. However, this received wisdom has recently been questioned by researchers at Wisconsin University.

The key finding of their new research was that although clearing fallen leaves is one of the most common gardening practices, it makes very little sense. In natural ecosystems, fallen leaves help return nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth to the soil, which greatly improves soil condition. Removing leaves year after year breaks this ecological (生态的) balance. Letting some leaves stick around to cover your garden is a great way to help your grass and the local ecosystem.

They further explained that if up to 50percent of your grass lawn (草坪) is covered by fallen leaves, you might as well go back indoors and put your feet up. The advantages of this light leaf coverage far outweigh the disadvantages—the leaves will quickly break down and help next year’s lawn grow far better than if you had cleared them. Only at over 50 percent coverage do the Wisconsin researchers recommend clearing.

So why not consider leaving the leaves? Save time, carbon and effort, and in exchange get a healthier lawn from this garden waste—that seems like a pretty good deal. And how many plastic bags could be saved by simply not binning fallen leaves every year? In the US alone, about 700 million.

1. What does the author describe in paragraph 1?

A．An amazing autumn game.	B．A common sight in gardens.
C．A hot attraction in the north.	D．An extreme weather event.

2. What is the received wisdom?

A．Fallen leaves need not be cleared.

B．Fallen leaves protect shorter grass.

C．Fallen leaves block photosynthesis.

D．Fallen leaves are hard to break down.

3. The new research finds clearing fallen leaves makes little sense, because ________.

A．it ruins city image	B．it breaks gardening rules
C．it affects local economy	D．it causes ecological damage

4. What’s the author’s attitude to Wisconsin University’s study?

A．Doubtful.

B．Positive.

C．Unclear.

D．Worried.