1 . Popular Libraries in the World
The idea of a public library —— where anyone in the community is trusted to borrow books, often for long stretches of time, for free —— is fairly magical. Some of the libraries in the world are pretty popular now.
The British Library, London, the UK
The British Library is comparable to the Library of Congress in terms of the size of their holdings, many of which are unique. According to its annual report, the British Library welcomes millions of visitors every year, but the figure in 2016-2017 represents a small but disappointing reduction in the overall visitor numbers.
The State Library of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia
According to its annual report, the State Library of Victoria’s visitors broke the 2 million in 2016-2017 visit record for the first time in its history, making it the busiest library in Australia. It also recorded many online visits, accessed collection items and uses of digitized collection items.
The New York Public Library, New York, the USA
The New York Public Library reports that it has hosted millions of visitors and circulated large numbers of items over their locations. According to a press, the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building —— the main branch of the library —— yearly receives the greatest number of visitors.
The National Library of China, Beijing, China
Established as the Imperial Library of Peking in 1909, the National Library of China is now the largest library in Asia, with holdings of over 30 million items. The library’s annual report puts its total visitors across multiple locations at several million every year.
1. What do we know about the British Library?| A．It holds many rare collections. |
| B．Its visitors are constantly on the rise. |
| C．It has the largest collection of books in Europe. |
| D．Its coverage is the smallest in the world’s libraries. |
| A．They possess two branches. |
| B．They gain plentiful visitors. |
| C．They are the busiest libraries in their countries. |
| D．They face a decline in tourism in the 20th century. |
| A．Finance. | B．Culture. |
| C．Architecture. | D．Technology. |
1. Where is Story Time held?
| A．In the Children’s Room. |
| B．In the Meeting Room. |
| C．In the Reference Room. |
| A．On Thursday. | B．On Saturday. | C．On Sunday. |
| A．Give a speech. |
| B．Listen to a lecture. |
| C．Read stories to children. |
| A．Movie nights. | B．Library events. | C．Weekend activities. |
3 . China’s famous museums include ancient buildings and world class modern museums with big collections. They are excellent places for sightseeing and learning about China.
Sanxingdui Museum
The museum is on the path less beaten by tourists, but it makes one of the top museums for the 3,400-year-old artworks. If you’re an ancient history fan, this place will attract you. If you love art, its style will surprise you a lot.
The Palace Museum
The museum is one of the largest old building kept in the country with a history of 600 years old. Built at the beginning of the Ming Dynasty between 1406 and 1420, it was the home of 24 rulers and their courts. It is one of the fines buildings in China and a good place to study Chinese history.
The Shanghai Museum
The big modern museum is popular with foreign tourists. It is probably the most modern museum with the focus on creative art displays about the history of the whole area. Most famous for its huge collection of china, it is in People’s Square which is also a popular tourist attraction.
The Shaanxi History Museum
Since 14 historical dynasties founded their capitals and developed in Shaanxi Province, the museum may have the oldest treasure of all museums in Chins. The artworks show the greatness of the museum, and the displays are modern and well laid out.
1. Which of the following is on the less-frequently-visited road?| A．Sanxingdui Museum. | B．The Palace Museum. |
| C．The Shanghai Museum. | D．The Shaanxi History Museum. |
| A．Its founder. | B．Its building style. |
| C．Its collection of china. | D．Its home of rulers. |
| A．Modern art. | B．Ancient science. |
| C．Chinese historical culture. | D．Chinese modern building. |
4 . Hotels often undergo makeovers. However, few can compete with the Ice hotel in Jukkasjãrvi, Sweden. Carved entirely from “Snice”—a mix of snow and ice—the hotel is rebuilt annually, with each version more impressive than the previous one. The 32nd Ice hotel was open to guests on April 17, 2022.
The must-visit Swedish tourist destination came about accidentally. In 1989, Ice hotel’s founder Yngve Berquist organized an art show to attract tourists to Jukkasjärvi during the chilly winter months. The exhibition, held inside a 5.5-square-metre igloo (冰屋), was a runaway (迅速的) success. Many visitors decided to spend the night, selling out all of Jukkasjärvi’s warm houses. Hence, when a group approached Berquist about a place to spend the night, he offered them the igloo. “To my surprise, the guests were very impressed by the experience the morning after. Ice hotel was born,” Berquist recalls.
The Ice hotel has come a long way since its humble (简陋的)start. Constructed from 1, 000 tons of ice, and 30,000 tons of “Snice”, it now covers an area of over 5, 500 square metres, Preparations for the annual hotel begin in March with the harvesting of 5,000 tons of ice from the nearby Torne River. The ice is kept in cold storage until November when about 100 workers and artists get to work carving out a new structure. Ice hotel is typically open for business by mid-December.
This year’s hotel comprises 36 rooms, including 12 crafted art suites (套间). Decorated with massive ice stones and carved water shapes, it aims to provide visitors with a good nature experience. The “Dickensian Street” suite promises to take visitors on a tour of 19th-century England, complete with cobbled (铺鹅卵石的) streets, shops, and buildings from the era. Guests are advised to stay inside thermal (保暖的) sleeping bags and wear gloves and winter hats all night. Not surprisingly, most move to the conventional, warmer cabins nearby after a single night.
1. When was Sweden’s Ice hotel open for the 22nd time?| A．In 2012. | B．In 1992. | C．In 1990. | D．In 2022. |
| A．Warm houses’ being sold out. | B．The special warmth of it. |
| C．The cheap ticket of it. | D．The unique structures of ice. |
| A．Differences of Ice hotel rebuilt from ever before. |
| B．The preparations for the annual hotel rebuilt. |
| C．How the ice is kept in cold storage in Ice hotel. |
| D．The development and construction of Ice hotel. |
| A．Wear summer clothes even if in winter. |
| B．Spend nights in modern rooms in warm sleeping bags. |
| C．Experience 19th-century England in the “Dickensian Street” suite. |
| D．Taste different kinds of local special food in the Dickensian Street. |
1. What is the man probably doing?
| A．Reading a newspaper. | B．Playing a video game. | C．Driving in the country. |
| A．To attract more tourists. |
| B．To be famous on the Internet. |
| C．To call drivers’ attention to safety. |
| A．A local farmer. | B．A transport company. | C．A government department. |
1. Why does Vivian call Roger?
| A．To ask for help. | B．To express thanks. | C．To make an apology. |
| A．It’s too expensive. | B．It has no furniture. | C．It’s not near school. |
| A．Visit an apartment. | B．Go to meet Vivian. | C．Stay at the school. |
1. Where is the Royal Oak?
| A．Near the main square. | B．On the airport road. | C．In the countryside. |
| A．A bit far. | B．Quite unusual. | C．Very peaceful. |
| A．It’s quite lovely in summer. |
| B．It has an indoor swimming pool. |
| C．It was rebuilt from a private house. |
| A．The Bridge Hotel | B．The Royal Oak. | C．Carlton House. |
1. What does Zhuyun Art Museum display to the public?
| A．Jiading’s art crafts dating back to Tang Dynasty. |
| B．China’s modern culture, art and history. |
| C．Jiading’s native culture, art and history. |
| A．December 2013. | B．September 2008. | C．September 2013. |
| A．The art of carving in the Northern Wei Dynasty. |
| B．Galleries and Museums in Shanghai. |
| C．Works of art from all over the world. |
1. Which meal is included in the room price of Gardens Hotel?
| A．Breakfast. | B．Lunch. | C．Supper. |
| A．It’s close to the shops. |
| B．It’s near the subway station. |
| C．It’s open to conferences. |
| A．20. | B．$28. | C．$40 |
| A．Both are in the city centre. |
| B．Both need online booking. |
| C．Both offer a buffet dinner. |
1. What did the woman like best about Twentieth-Century Architecture?
| A．Its pictures. | B．Its arguments. | C．Its structure. |
| A．It was difficult. | B．It was interesting. | C．It was focused. |
| A．Glass and Concrete. | B．We Make Space. | C．Change and Tradition. |
| A．It was poorly translated. |
| B．It was too detailed in places |
| C．It had an inadequate catalog. |
