1 . Bike Rental & Guided Tours
Welcome to Amsterdam, welcome to MacBike. You see much more from the seat of a bike! Cycling is the most economical, sustainable and fun way to explore the city, with its beautiful canals, parks, squares and countless lights. You can also bike along lovely landscapes outside of Amsterdam.
Why MacBike
MacBike has been around for almost 30 years and is the biggest bicycle rental company in Amsterdam. With over 2,500 bikes stored in our five rental shops at strategic locations, we make sure there is always a bike available for you. We offer the newest bicycles in a wide variety, including basic bikes with foot brake (刹车), bikes with hand brake and gears (排挡), bikes with child seats, and children’s bikes.
Prices
Hand Brake, Three Gears | Foot Brake, No Gears | |
1 hour | €7.50 | €5.00 |
3 hours | €11.00 | €7.50 |
1 day (24 hours) | €14.75 | €9.75 |
Each additional day | €8.00 | €6.00 |
Guided City Tours
The 2.5-hour tour covers the Gooyer Windmill, the Skinny Bridge, the Rijksmuseum, Heineken Brewery and much more. The tour departs from Dam Square every hour on the hour, starting at 1:00 pm every day. You can buy your ticket in a MacBike shop or book online.
1. What is an advantage of MacBike?| A．It gives children a discount. | B．It offers many types of bikes. |
| C．It organizes free cycle tours. | D．It has over 2,500 rental shops. |
| A．€15.75. | B．€19.50. | C．€22.75. | D．€29.50. |
| A．The Gooyer, Windmill. | B．The Skinny Bridge. |
| C．Heineken Brewery. | D．Dam Square. |
2 . To become the Olympic champion in the individual (个人) all-around event, Gabby Douglas had to leave everything she
As it turned out, Douglas did
Not so long ago, Martha Karolyl the coordinator (联络人) of the women’s national team, did not think Douglas had what it
“I’m going to inspire so many people,” she said. “I’m ready to
| A．tried | B．thought | C．judged | D．knew |
| A．take up | B．pack up | C．clean up | D．do up |
| A．goodbye | B．hello | C．thanks | D．no |
| A．cause | B．observe | C．ride | D．strike |
| A．common | B．time | C．fun | D．tough |
| A．breathtaking | B．heartbreaking | C．eye-catching | D．head-spinning |
| A．dropped out | B．moved on | C．pulled over | D．went off |
| A．reason | B．talk | C．compete | D．train |
| A．met | B．helped | C．understood | D．needed |
| A．approximately | B．gradually | C．exactly | D．possibly |
| A．defeated | B．pleased | C．respected | D．assisted |
| A．forced | B．transformed | C．persuaded | D．put |
| A．world | B．city | C．team | D．state |
| A．amateur | B．elected | C．average | D．enthusiastic |
| A．clarifying | B．defending | C．winning | D．demanding |
| A．followed | B．organized | C．watched | D．led |
| A．confident | B．nervous | C．excited | D．uneasy |
| A．viewed | B．appeared | C．mattered | D．took |
| A．now and then | B．more and more | C．far and wide | D．on and on |
| A．shine | B．fly | C．dance | D．score |
A MOTHER’S DAY SURPRISE
The twins were filled with excitement as they thought of the surprise they were planning for Mother’s Day. How pleased and proud Mother would be when they brought her breakfast in bed. They planned to make French toast and chicken porridge. They had watched their mother in the kitchen. There was nothing to it. Jenna and Jeff knew exactly what to do.
The big day came at last. The alarm rang at 6 a.m. The pair went down the stairs quietly to the kitchen. They decided to boil the porridge first. They put some rice into a pot of water and left it to boil while they made the French toast. Jeff broke two eggs into a plate and added in some milk. Jenna found the bread and put two slices into the egg mixture. Next, Jeff turned on the second stove burner to heat up the frying pan. Everything was going smoothly until Jeff started frying the bread. The pan was too hot and the bread turned black within seconds. Jenna threw the burnt piece into the sink and put in the other slice of bread. This time, she turned down the fire so it cooked nicely.
Then Jeff noticed steam shooting out of the pot and the lid starting to shake. The next minute, the porridge boiled over and put out the fire. Jenna panicked. Thankfully, Jeff stayed calm and turned off the gas quickly. But the stove was a mess now. Jenna told Jeff to clean it up so they could continue to cook the rest of the porridge. But Jeff’s hand touched the hot burner and he gave a cry of pain. Jenna made him put his hand in cold water. Then she caught the smell of burning. Oh dear! The piece of bread in the pan had turned black as well.
注意：1.续写词数应为150左右。2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
As the twins looked around them in disappointment, their father appeared.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________The twins carried the breakfast upstairs and woke their mother up.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________4 . Theatres and Entertainment
St David’s HallSt David’s Hall is the award winning National Concert Hall of Wales standing at the very heart of Cardiff’s entertainment centre. With an impressive 2,000-seat concert hall, St David’s Hall is home to the annual Welsh Proms Cardiff. It presents live entertainment, including pop, rock, folk, jazz, musicals, dance, world music, films and classical music.
The Hayes, Cardiff CF10 1AHwww.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk
The Glee Club
Every weekend this is “Wales” premier comedy club where having a great time is the order for both audiences and comedy stars alike. It is hard to name a comedy star who hasn’t been on the stage here. If you are looking for the best comedies on tour and brilliant live music, you should start here.
Mermaid Quay, Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF10 5BZwww.glee.co.uk/cardiff
Sherman Cymru
Sherman Cymru’s theatre in the Cathays area of Cardiff reopened in February 2012. This special building is a place in which theatre is made and where children, artists, writers and anyone else have the opportunity (机会) to do creative things. Sherman Cymru is excited to present a packed programme of the very best theatre, dance, family shows and music from Wales and the rest of the world.
Senghennydd Road, Cardiff CF24 4YEwww.shermancymru.co.uk
New Theatre
The New Theatre has been the home of quality drama, musicals, dance and children’s shows for more than 100 years. Presenting the best of the West End along with the pick of the UK’s touring shows, the New Theatre is Cardiff’s oldest surviving traditional theatre. Be sure to pay a visit as part of your stay in the city.
Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3LNwww.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk
1. Where is the Welsh Proms Cardiff hosted?
| A．At the New Theatre. | B．At the Glee Club. |
| C．At Sherman Cymru. | D．At St David’s Hall. |
| A．Watch musicals. | B．Enjoy comedies. |
| C．See family shows. | D．Do creative things. |
| A．www.newtheatrecardiff.co.uk | B．www.shermancymru.co.uk |
| C．www.glee.co.uk/cardiff | D．www.stdavidshallcardiff.co.uk |
1. Which of the following does the woman dislike?
| A．The bedroom. | B．The sitting room. | C．The kitchen. |
| A．Go to another agency. | B．See some other flats. | C．Visit the neighbours. |
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(^)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
We all know that cycling is a greatly exercise. A doctor tells me people who lives the longest are dancers and cyclists. Maybe it is because the combination of fresh air, smooth movement and exercise. Whether you ride a bicycle, you don’t use petrol. So they are not producing carbon dioxide and not cause air pollution. Just see how cars have been taken over our cities. They often run at high speeds, what may put our lives in danger. And there were traffic jams, too. Our cities will be better places if we replace cars with bicycle.
7 . Who is a genius? This question has greatly interested humankind for centuries.
Let’s state clearly: Einstein was a genius. His face is almost the international symbol for genius. But we want to go beyond one man and explore the nature of genius itself. Why is it that some people are so much more intelligent or creative than the rest of us? And who are they?
In the sciences and arts, those praised as geniuses were most often white men, of European origin. Perhaps this is not a surprise. It’s said that history is written by the victors, and those victors set the standards for admission to the genius club. When contributions were made by geniuses outside the club—women, or people of a different color or belief—they were unacknowledged and rejected by others.
A study recently published by Science found that as young as age six, girls are less likely than boys to say that members of their gender(性别)are “really, really smart.” Even worse, the study found that girls act on that belief: Around age six they start to avoid activities said to be for children who are “really, really smart.” Can our planet afford to have any great thinkers become discouraged and give up? It doesn’t take a genius to know the answer: absolutely not.
Here’s the good news. In a wired world with constant global communication, we’re all positioned to see flashes of genius wherever they appear. And the more we look, the more we will see that social factors(因素)like gender, race, and class do not determine the appearance of genius. As a writer says, future geniuses come from those with “intelligence, creativity, perseverance(毅力), and simple good fortune, who are able to change the world.”
1. What does the author think of victors’ standards for joining the genius club?| A．They’re unfair. | B．They’re conservative. |
| C．They’re objective. | D．They’re strict. |
| A．They think themselves smart. |
| B．They look up to great thinkers. |
| C．They see gender differences earlier than boys. |
| D．They are likely to be influenced by social beliefs |
| A．Improved global communication. |
| B．Less discrimination against women. |
| C．Acceptance of victors’ concepts. |
| D．Changes in people’s social positions. |
| A．Geniuses Think Alike | B．Genius Takes Many Forms |
| C．Genius and Intelligence | D．Genius and Luck |
The shelves in most supermarkets are full of family-size this and multi-buy that. However, if you’re shopping for one, buying extra
Of course, shops are not charities — they price goods in the way
Many supermarkets are no longer doing “buy one get one free” promotions because of the
If your supermarket sells loose produce, then buying smaller quantities is easier. Over the last two years, some supermarkets
Who knows, perhaps some of the more forward-looking
9 . The connection between people and plants has long been the subject of scientific research. Recent studies have found positive effects. A study conducted in Youngstown，Ohio，for example, discovered that greener areas of the city experienced less crime. In another，employees were shown to be 15% more productive when their workplaces were decorated with houseplants.
The engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)have taken it a step further changing the actual composition of plants in order to get them to perform diverse，even unusual functions. These include plants that have sensors printed onto their leaves to show when they’re short of water and a plant that can detect harmful chemicals in groundwater. ＂We’re thinking about how we can engineer plants to replace functions of the things that we use every day,＂explained Michael Strano, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT.
One of his latest projects has been to make plants glow(发光)in experiments using some common vegetables. Strano’s team found that they could create a faint light for three-and-a-half hours. The light，about one-thousandth of the amount needed to read by，is just a start. The technology, Strano said, could one day be used to light the rooms or even to turn trees into self-powered street lamps.
In the future，the team hopes to develop a version of the technology that can be sprayed onto plant leaves in a one-off treatment that would last the plant’s lifetime. The engineers are also trying to develop an on and off＂switch＂where the glow would fade when exposed to daylight.
Lighting accounts for about 7% of the total electricity consumed in the US. Since lighting is often far removed from the power source(电源)-such as the distance from a power plant to street lamps on a remote highway-a lot of energy is lost during transmission(传输).Glowing plants could reduce this distance and therefore help save energy.
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．A new study of different plants. |
| B．A big fall in crime rates. |
| C．Employees from various workplaces. |
| D．Benefits from green plants. |
| A．To detect plants’ lack of water |
| B．To change compositions of plants |
| C．To make the life of plants longer. |
| D．To test chemicals in plants. |
| A．They will speed up energy production. |
| B．They may transmit electricity to the home. |
| C．They might help reduce energy consumption. |
| D．They could take the place of power plants. |
| A．Can we grow more glowing plants? |
| B．How do we live with glowing plants? |
| C．Could glowing plants replace lamps? |
| D．How are glowing plants made pollution-free? |
10 . A Few Tips for Self-Acceptance
We all want it… to accept and love ourselves. But at times it seems too difficult and too far out of reach.
●
●Forgive yourself for mistakes that you have made. We are often ashamed of our shortcomings, our mistakes and our failures.
●Recognize all of your strengths. Write them down in a journal. Begin to train your brain to look at strength before weakness. List all of your accomplishments and achievements. You have a job, earned your degree, and you got out of bed today.
●Now that you’ve listed your strengths, list your imperfections. Turn the page in your journal. Put into words why you feel unworthy, why you don’t feel good enough. Now, read these words back to yourself.
| A．Feeling upset again? |
| B．Where do you start? |
| C．Nothing is too small to celebrate. |
| D．Remember, you are only human. |
| E．Set an intention for self-acceptance. |
| F．Stop comparing yourself with others. |
| G．When does the comparison game start? |
