1 . One morning soon, you’ll get on your bike and ride from one end of America to the other, because the Great American Rail Trail is 53% complete, making a cross-country bike ride closer to a reality.
The idea of a bike trail(小路) made up of scenic paths, trails and former rail lines from Washington DC to Washington State has been 30 years in the making. Now, with more than 50% of the trail up and running, the project, run by the Rails to Trails in cooperation with local authorities, is building up, with hundreds of miles of trails in development now. Though not entirely complete, the rail trail has drawn people of all types.
Last August, Ryan Gardill and a colleague biked 350 miles from Pittsburgh to Washington DC. Their travels took them through some beautiful and historical parts of the American East. “The trail connected me to our revolutionary and industrial history. Most of the towns on the trail were once important to America.”
The major goal of the trail is to provide the American public with the opportunity to explore their beautiful country, without getting in their car. A secondary objective is to bring prosperity(繁荣) back to the small towns and cities that once prospered along the country’s now diminished rail system, according to National Geographic.
One of these is Muncie, Indiana, a city located on a former rail system and a part of the Rail Trail. The city is already seeing the economic benefits of the trail. “A large majority of our customers are local, but the Rail Trail could help grow tourism,” said Jason Allardt, owner of the historic Kirk’s Bike Shop.
This is the hope for many once-prosperous towns and cities all throughout America, though it may take nearly 20 years to get the entire trail up and running.
1. What has made the trail attractive to people?| A．It’s a bike trail with good scenery. | B．It’s a rail line across the country. |
| C．It offers good adventurous paths. | D．Its construction lasted 30 years. |
| A．They were the basic part of the U.S. railways. |
| B．They are mostly located in the mountains. |
| C．They enjoy great popularity as destinations. |
| D．They’re no longer important towns in America. |
| A．Enlarged. | B．Protected. | C．Decreased. | D．Destroyed. |
| A．The Trail will link its scenery to the outside. | B．The Trail will help its economic recovery. |
| C．It has bike paths designed for local citizens. | D．The railway has brought about its prosperity. |
2 . There is fierce debate about the best city and the most desirable county to settle down in Texas. No doubt Montgomery County is one of the state’s top competitors.
There are several thriving (蓬勃发展的) industries. Employment opportunities matter and Montgomery County has some thriving industries that are always looking for some new employees.
You’ll find nearby wildlife. You’re close to the Highlands, where you can see animal species,
It has the feel of a small town. When you move to Montgomery County, you’re very close to Houston. You can go shopping there or catch a Rockets or Astros game any time you like. At the same time, there’s a decidedly small- town feel to the place.
| A．There’s absolutely amazing food. |
| B．Conditions vary from school to school. |
| C．You may get into the healthcare industries. |
| D．There’s a new restaurant opening up in the county. |
| E．The community is close-knit, and there are small-sized classes. |
| F．The following are several reasons why it is such a pleasant place. |
| G．You’re also surrounded by incredible natural beauty in Montgomery County. |
3 . This Cafe Is Designed for Writers with Deadlines
When you’re a writer with a looming deadline, putting words on the page becomes incredibly difficult. Making yourself focus is easier said than done. But one cafe is here to help you do the work: Manuscript Writing Cafe. Located in Koenji, a district of Tokyo, this co-working space helps writers with deadlines using rules and a minder who will check up on your word count progress. It’s only open to people who are writing.
Manuscript Writing Cafe’s premise sounds perfect. If you’ve tried writing at home or at your local coffee shop with little success, it’s the next step. The cafe’s structure builts in external accountability. When you arrive, you let the staff know how many words you need to or want to write during your session at the cafe. You’ll note that work goal on a card. Then a manager will check up on your progress every hour. As the cafe’s site says:
· Upon entering the store, write down at the reception desk how many words and by what time you are going to write your manuscript.
· The manager asks you every hour how your manuscript is coming along.
· You are not allowed to leave the store until you have finished writing your manuscript or writing project.
· Customers can choose different “courses” in terms of how rigorously staff check up on your progress. For instance, an “S” course sees them hurry you along pretty aggressively, and “M” course has them do it a more mildly.
· The “manuscript writing” at the store includes “translation work”, “proposal writing”, “layout work”, “image processing”, etc., indicating that the store caters to a wide range of people.
You pay to use the space, and if you don’t finish the work you put on your card, the staff won’t let you pay. Thus, you can’t leave without breaking the law. This kind of pressure may not work for everyone, but some folks will thrive.
Since this business primarily functions as a recording and broadcasting studio with Manuscript Writing Cafe operating during the studio’s off hours, it’s not so much about the cafe part. They offer hot beverages, and guests can bring their own snacks or have meals delivered to the cafe. For the rental of your seat, you’ll get Wi-Fi, an outlet, a USB charger, a laptop cooling stand, and access to the “free drink corner” to get coffee or to make hot tea.
All I know is my town needs a Manuscript Writing Cafe.
1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?| A．Professionals in the cafe will offer help to ease customers’ writing burden. |
| B．Customers should complete the writing task on their own in given time. |
| C．Guests are not allowed to bring their own snacks or meals to the cafe. |
| D．Guests should pay rentals for their reserved seat as well as Wi-Fi service and an outlet. |
| A．a highlight that meets the needs of coffee lovers |
| B．a reminder that cautions bad guys against illegal temptations |
| C．a condition that requires customers to be self-disciplined |
| D．an ecosystem where shop owners and customers can interact together |
| A．David, who feels lonely and wants to be sociable. |
| B．Johnson, who is writing non-fiction for newspaper. |
| C．Stella, who is an audio-book retailer. |
| D．Miranda, who is going to write a letter to her friend. |
4 . 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
5 . It’s well-known that being in green spaces is good for physical and mental health.
“If you’re in a body of water, your internal state just becomes calm,” Dr Natalie Azar, NBC News medical contributor, told TODAY. “
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.
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.
“
The study has also found that there are continuous improvements to mental wellbeing for up to 24 hours after visiting urban waterways.
| 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. |
6 . The Malaysian night market is based on a concept of open-air shopping where streel vendors (小贩) take over a designated street to set up stalls (货摊). The night market is the place where you can hang around the stalls, enjoy the smell of local foods and maybe pick up some items.
Each night market comprises a different combination of stalls.
The night markets are typically from 5 p.m. till 10:30 p.m. You can get anything from night markets, be it groceries, clothing, good local food, hot snacks, household items, fresh produce, and even the latest styles. By around 6 p.m., the market is in full swing as the first groups of people sweep in. For those who cook, there is stall upon stall selling fresh seafood, meat products, and a limitless variety of vegetables.
It is no secret that all-night markets share a common treasure — tasty street cuisine.
Some places are 24-hour markets, which are livelier at night when traders set up numerous stalls selling unusual local food, exotic tropical (热带的) fruits, cheap clothes, second-hand goods as well as fresh produce. The night market is truly an exciting experience and a feast for the eyes on a tropical night out. The atmosphere is almost festive.
| A．Your curiosity will be satisfied here. |
| B．There is so much to see, buy and eat. |
| C．People would complain about the noises here. |
| D．Noisy crowds are the hallmark of the night market. |
| E．It would be a regret not to try on mouth-watering local dishes. |
| F．New items are constantly being added on in line with current trends and market demand. |
| G．Dried and preserved items such as dried beef and salted eggs are easily available here too. |
7 . A castle was the fortress(堡垒)and home of a king or nobleman.
Most of the castles we think of today were built in Europe. They were constructed from about 1,000 AD to about 1,500 AD, during a period known as the Middle Ages.
Castles played an important role after the fall of the Roman Empire. When a king granted land to nobles, the nobles promised in return to serve the king and provide him with soldiers. Nobles built castles on the lands given to them. But some nobles simply claimed land as their own and built a castle on it. That was asking for trouble. There were many power struggles between nobles and kings, and among the nobles themselves.
A typical stone castle had several main parts. At the centre of the castle was a tall and very strong building called the keep. This is where people in the castle made their last stand if the outer defences failed. The keep was set in a courtyard, where there were workshops, stables, and a kitchen.
High, thick walls surrounded the keep and the courtyard. Strong, round defensive towers stood at the corners of the walls. Guards walked along the tops of the walls and towers.
Many stone castles were surrounded by a wide ditch called a moat. Some moats were filled with water, but many were not. The only way into the castle was across a wooden drawbridge over the moat. If enemies attacked, the defenders raised the bridge. Then they lowered a heavy iron-and-wood barrier called a portcullis to block the entrance to the castle.
A well-built castle was a pretty safe place to be. Attackers had a hard time getting in. But they still had some options. They could go over the walls using ladders. They could smash (撞碎) through the walls or doors. Or they could dig under the walls and try to get part of the wall to fall down. If none of those things worked, they could just camp outside until the defenders ran out of food.
Attackers sometimes brought large machines called siege engines with them to break through castle doors or walls. This was a heavy wooden beam with a metal cap. In the early 1500s, cannons entered wide use in warfare. Cannonballs could dig into the base of stone walls and weaken them. The walls then fell under their own weight. As a result, castles were no longer needed.
1. The underlined word “That” refers to the fact that ________.| A．nobles built castles on the lands given to them |
| B．the nobles promised to serve the king in return |
| C．some nobles simply claimed land as their own |
| D．the nobles provided the king with soldiers |
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6 |
| A．Some castles were built to attract more visitors. |
| B．Kings in ancient Europe were more generous. |
| C．Portcullises were used to break through castle doors. |
| D．Warfare must be frequent from 1,000 AD to about 1,500 AD. |
| A．Attacking a castle |
| B．Weakness of a castle |
| C．Pretty safe place |
| D．Siege engines |
8 . You know by now that dirt is good for lots of things: growing plants, feeding worms, even the occasional mud bath. But building houses? Absolutely.
People build houses with dirt because it is plentiful, really cheap, and fireproof. Thick dirt walls keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. And you can build a whole house with few tools other than your own two hands.
In fact, dirt is so good for building things that half the people in the world live in houses made of mud. Maybe even you!
Mud works best for building where it’s dry for most of the year. If there’s too much rain, the walls of your mud house could melt like ice cream on a warm day.But in places that don’t see many storm clouds, mud bricks (砖块),which are baked hard in the sun or in a hot oven, can be as strong and durable as stone. In Africa, some mudbrick buildings have been standing for thousands of years.
In the southwestern United States, American Indians built fourstory apartment buildings from mud bricks called adobe (土坯). And on the Great Plains, the first white settlers saw an ocean of grass as tall as oxen, but few trees for building houses. So they made their houses out of sod, dirt held together by the thick, tangled roots of prairie grass.
Most sod houses became worm food years ago, but many of the buildings you see every day are pure dirt.The bricks that may make up the walls of your house or school are made of clay that’s been baked in a fiery kiln (炉). So the next time someone says a building is made of bricks, correct them. You know it’s really made of plain old dirt.
1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?| A．The way to build houses of dirt. | B．The best time to build houses of dirt. |
| C．The reasons to build houses of dirt. | D．The places to build houses of dirt. |
| A．Places where it rains most of the year. |
| B．Places where there are many storm clouds. |
| C．Places where there is little rain all the year around. |
| D．Places where it is cold in winter and hot in summer. |
| A．the grass was as tall as oxen | B．they were as strong as stones |
| C．they could make a garden on the roof | D．they were lack of wood |
| A．Sod houses could be destroyed by worms. | B．Sod houses could last as long as stone ones. |
| C．Sod bricks are baked in the oven. | D．Sod bricks are really made of pure dirt. |
9 . In 1670, two Scottish doctors set up a garden in the city of Edinburgh to find out connections between plants and medicine. That first garden wasn’t very big — about the size of a tennis court. Fast-forward 350 years, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) now covers an area bigger than 1,000 tennis courts. The RBGE’s goal is to “explore, conserve and explain the world of plants for a better future”.
After doctors and distant cousins Robert Sibbald and Andrew Balfour graduated from university in the mid-17th century, they shared the goal of improving Scottish medicine by looking into botanical (plant-related) research. They found some land near Holyrood Abbey in Edinburgh and started to collect plants. They taught students how to grow exotic (外来的) plants and use them to make medicines. As the collection expanded (增加), the garden moved to different sites, including what is now Edinburgh’s Waverley Station.
In 1823, the garden was moved to its current location in Inverleith, a suburb of Edinburgh. It took three years to move the collection of plants and trees using specially built machines. The Tropical Palm House was built in 1834, and it was joined by the larger Temperate Palm House in 1858. Both are still popular with visitors. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the RBGE continued to search for new specimens (标本) from around the world.
The RBGE has about 13,500 species of living plants in its collection today. The herbarium — a collection of dried and protected species — includes more than three million plant samples, which represent more than half of the world’s known plants. The oldest specimen dates back to 1697. Experts continue to recognize new species each year, as well as growing plants that are extinct in their own habitats. The RBGE also works with botanical gardens around the world, including in Africa and South America, and supports them with conservation projects, education and training.
1. Why did Robert and Andrew build up the garden?| A．To teach people some knowledge about exotic plants. |
| B．To do research on plants and medicine. |
| C．To protect endangered wildlife. |
| D．To practice their tennis skills. |
| A．In the mid-17th century. | B．In the 20th century. |
| C．In1834. | D．In1858. |
| A．It has made achievements in growing extinct plants. |
| B．It has collected less than half of all known plants. |
| C．It is going to expand its sites in other countries. |
| D．It collects native plants only. |
| A．How the RBGE has expanded. | B．The progress of saving endangered plants. |
| C．Why a botanic garden was built. | D．An introduction to the RBGE. |
10 . Every Saturday morning, at 9 am, more than 50,000 runners set off to run 5km around their local park. The Parkrun phenomenon began with a dozen friends and has inspired 400 events in the UK and more abroad. Events are free, staffed by thousands of volunteers. Runners range from four years old to grandparents; their times range from Andrew Baddeley’s world record 13 minutes 48 seconds up to an hour.
Parkrun is succeeding where London’s Olympic “legacy” is failing. Ten years ago on Monday, it was announced that the Games of the 30th Olympiad would be in London. Planning documents pledged that the great legacy of the Games would be to level a nation of sport lovers away from their couches. The population would be fitter, healthier and produce more winners. It has not happened. The number of adults doing weekly sport did rise, by nearly 2 million in the run-up to 2012-but the general population was growing faster. Worse, the numbers are now falling at an accelerating rate. The opposition claims primary school pupils doing at least two hours of sport a week have nearly halved. Obesity has risen among adults and children. Official retrospections continue as to why London 2012 failed to “inspire a generation.” The success of Parkrun offers answers.
Parkun is not a race but a time trial: Your only competitor is the clock. The ethos welcomes anybody. There is as much joy over a puffed-out first-timer being clapped over the line as there is about top talent shining. The Olympic bidders, by contrast, wanted to get more people doing sports and to produce more elite athletes. The dual aim was mixed up: The stress on success over taking part was intimidating for newcomers.
Indeed, there is something a little absurd in the state getting involved in the planning of such a fundamentally “grassroots”, concept as community sports associations. If there is a role for government, it should really be getting involved in providing common goods-making sure there is space for playing fields and the money to pave tennis and netball courts, and encouraging the provision of all these activities in schools. But successive governments have presided over selling green spaces, squeezing money from local authorities and declining attention on sport in education. Instead of wordy, worthy strategies, future governments need to do more to provide the conditions for sport to thrive. Or at least not make them worse.
1. According to Paragraph1, Parkrun has_____.| A．gained great popularity | B．created many jobs |
| C．strengthened community ties | D．become an official festival |
| A．boost population growth | B．promote sport participation |
| C．improve the city’s image | D．increase sport hours in schools |
| A．aims at discovering talents | B．focuses on mass competition |
| C．does not emphasize elitism | D．does not attract first-timers |
| A．organize “grassroots” sports events | B．supervise local sports associations |
| C．increase funds for sports clubs | D．invest in public sports facilities |
| A．tolerant | B．critical |
| C．uncertain | D．sympathetic |
