1 . Best Libraries in London

British Library

Opening times: Mon — Thu 9:30 am — 8 pm, Fri 9:30 am — 6 pm, Sat 9:30 am — 5 pm, Sun 11 am — 5 pm

British Library is the second largest library in the world, offering one of the greatest literature collections. It is a public library. The collection includes well over 150 million items. Its collection “The Treasures of British Library” presents the most precious historical documents stored in the library, including Leonardo da Vinci’s original notebook.

Maughan Library

Opening times: Mon — Sat 8:30 am — 1 pm, Sun 8:30 am — 12 am

Inside Maughan Library, you can discover a famous reading room, known as “the Round Room”. The library holds a large collection of books (almost 750,000) covering various topics. It also holds a collection of rare (稀有的) books, called the Foyle Special collection, which includes a variety of books dating from the 15th century to the present day.

National Art Library

Opening times: Tue — Thu, Sat 10 am — 5: 30 pm, Fri 10 am — 6: 30 pm, Sun — Mon Closed

The library’s resources specialise in art and art history literature. The library is relatively small and is open to the public only 5 days a week. Those who consider using the library on a regular basis can fill in a simple registration form and provide any ID to get a membership.

Senate House Library

Opening times: Mon — Thu 9 am — 8:45 pm, Fri 9 am — 6:15 pm, Sat 9:45 am — 5:15 pm, Sun Closed

This is the tallest library on the list — the building has 19 floors, and the library itself takes up 14 of them. The collection includes arts, humanities and social sciences books. The library offers different memberships, with free access for students of the University of London. The Senate House also holds manuscripts (手稿) by the famous British.

1. At which library can you find Leonardo da Vinci’s original notebook?

A．British Library.

B．Maughan Library.

C．National Art Library.

D．Senate House Library.

2. When is the National Art Library open on Saturdays?

A．8:30 am — 1 pm.	B．9:30 am — 5 pm.
C．9:45 am — 5:15 pm.	D．10 am — 5:30 pm.

3. What is special about the Senate House Library?

A．It’s rather small in size.

B．It’s only open five days a week.

C．It holds the rare Foyle Special collection.

D．It offers free access for the University of London students.

2 . It’s well-known that being in green spaces is good for physical and mental health.     1     A population-based study published in Scientific Reports looked at the effect of urban waterways on mental health and found that proximity (接近) to water increased positive feelings of wellbeing.

“If you’re in a body of water, your internal state just becomes calm,” Dr Natalie Azar, NBC News medical contributor, told TODAY. “    2     However, we’ve never really been intentional about it.”

Being near water gives people a consciousness of something greater than themselves. The sounds and movement of water can get people to focus their attention and this invites calm. “You don’t have to go to the coast to experience this wellbeing,” said Azar. “Any waterway will do, including lakes, rivers, canals or ponds.     3    ”

A new study conducted by King’s College London has also proved that spending time near urban canals and rivers is linked to feeling happy and healthy, stressed a press release from the college. Moreover, it has found that urban waterways are superior to feelings of wellbeing than just being near the ocean.

“    4     This means their capacity to improve mental wellbeing is likely to be due to the multiple benefits associated with both green and blue spaces,” said Andrea Mechelli, professor of early intervention in mental health at King’s College London.

The study has also found that there are continuous improvements to mental wellbeing for up to 24 hours after visiting urban waterways.     5     In England and Wales, people have access to 3,218 kilometers of rivers and canals that are readily accessible. In fact, 9 million people live within 1 km of a canal—something that is easily walkable.

A．These results remain to be tested.

B．Even a flowing fountain will work.

C．This is good news for urban people.

D．It’s something that I think we’ve all experienced.

E．Our findings show that blue spaces are naturally calming.

F．Canals and rivers contain not only water but also trees and other plants.

G．Now scientists have discovered blue spaces are also connected to better mental health.

3 . Rome can be pricey for travelers, which is why many choose to stay in a hostel (旅社). The hostels in Rome offer a bed in a dorm room for around $25 a night, and for that, you’ll often get to stay in a central location (位置) with security and comfort.

Yellow Hostel

If I had to make just one recommendation for where to stay in Rome, it would be Yellow Hostel. It’s one of the best-rated hostels in the city, and for good reason. It’s affordable, and it’s got a fun atmosphere without being too noisy. As an added bonus, it’s close to the main train station.

Hostel Alessandro Palace

If you love social hostels, this is the best hostel for you in Rome. Hostel Alessandro Palace is fun. Staff members hold plenty of bar events for guests like free shots, bar crawls and karaoke. There’s also an area on the rooftop for hanging out with other travelers during the summer.

Youth Station Hostel

If you’re looking for cleanliness and a modern hostel, look no further than Youth Station. It offers beautiful furnishings and beds. There are plenty of other benefits, too; it doesn’t charge city tax; it has both air conditioning and a heater for the rooms; it also has free Wi-Fi in every room.

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes

Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes is located just a 10-minute walk from the central city station and it’s close to all of the city’s main attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful, providing you with a map of the city when you arrive, and offering advice if you require some. However, you need to pay 2 euros a day for Wi-Fi.

1. What is probably the major concern of travelers who choose to stay in a hostel?

A．Comfort.	B．Security.
C．Price.	D．Location.

2. Which hotel best suits people who enjoy an active social life?

A．Yellow Hostel.	B．Hostel Alessandro Palace.
C．Youth Station Hostel.	D．Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes.

3. What is the disadvantage of Hotel and Hostel Des Artistes?

A．It gets noisy at night.	B．Its staff is too talkative.
C．It charges for Wi-Fi.	D．It’s inconveniently located.