1 . 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 HostelIf 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 PalaceIf 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 HostelIf 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 ArtistesHotel 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. |
| A．Yellow Hostel. | B．Hostel Alessandro Palace. |
| C．Youth Station Hostel. | D．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. |
2 . The Biggest Stadiums in the World
People have been pouring into stadiums since the days of ancient Greece. In around 80 A.D., the Romans built the Colosseum, which remains the world’s best known stadium and continues to inform contemporary design. Rome’s Colosseum was 157 feet tall and had 80 entrances, seating 50,000 people. However, that was small fry compared with the city’s Circus Maximus, which accommodated around 250,000 people.
These days, safety regulations-not to mention the modern sports fan’s desire for a good view and comfortable seat — tend to keep stadium capacities (容量) slightly lower. Even soccer fans tend to have a seat each; gone are the days of thousands standing to watch the match.
For the biggest stadiums in the world, we have used data supplied by the World Atlas list so far, which ranks them by their stated permanent capacity, as well as updated information from official stadium websites.
All these stadiums are still functional, still open and still hosting the biggest events in world sport.
·Rungrado 1st of May Stadium, Pyongyang D.P.R. Korea. Capacity: 150,000. Opened: May 1,1989.
·Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, U. S. Capacity: 107,601. Opened: October 1, 1927.
·Beaver Stadium, State College, Pennsylvania, U. S. Capacity: 106,572. Opened: September 17, 1960.
·Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, U. S. Capacity: 104,944. Opened: October 7,1922.
·Kyle Field, College Station, Texas, U. S. Capacity: 102,512. Opened: September 24, 1927.
1. How many people could the Circus Maximus hold?| A．104,944. | B．107,601. | C．About 150,000. | D．About 250,000. |
| A．Michigan Stadium. | B．Beaver Stadium. | C．Ohio Stadium. | D．Kyle Field. |
| A．They host big games. | B．They have become tourist attractions. |
| C．They were built by Americans. | D．They are favored by architects. |
3 . Priscilla Ouchida’s “energy efficient” house turned out to be a horrible dream. When she and her engineer husband married a few years ago, they built a $100,000 three-bedroom home in California. Tightly sealed to prevent air leaks, the house was equipped with small double-paned windows and several other energy-saving features. Problems began as soon as the couple moved in, however. Priscilla’s eyes burned. Her throat was constantly dry. She suffered from headaches and could hardly sleep. It was as though she had suddenly developed a strange illness.
Experts finally traced the cause of her illness. The level of formaldehyde gas in her kitchen was twice the maximum allowed by federal standards for chemical workers. The source of the gas? Her new kitchen cabinets and wall-to-wall carpeting.
The Ouchidas are victims of indoor air pollution, which is not given sufficient attention partly because of the nation’s drive to save energy. The problem itself isn’t new. “The indoor environment was dirty long before energy conservation came along,” says Moschandreas, a pollution scientist at Geomet Technologies in Maryland. “Energy conservation has tended to accentuate the situation in some cases.”
The problem appears to be more troublesome in newly constructed homes rather than old ones. Back in the days when energy was cheap, home builders didn’t worry much about unsealed cracks. Because of such leaks, the air in an average home was replaced by fresh outdoor air about once an hour. As a result, the pollutants generated in most households seldom built up to dangerous levels.
1. It can be learned from the passage that the Ouchidas’ house ________.| A．is well worth the money spent on its construction |
| B．is almost faultless from the point of energy conservation |
| C．failed to meet energy conservation standards |
| D．was designed and constructed in a scientific way |
| A．Poor quality of the air inside. | B．Poor quality of the construction. |
| C．Gas leakage in the kitchen. | D．The newly painted walls. |
| A．relieve | B．accelerate | C．worsen | D．improve |
| A．Because indoor cleanliness was not emphasized. |
| B．Because energy used to be inexpensive. |
| C．Because environmental protection was given top priority. |
| D．Because they were technically unavoidable. |
| A．Energy Conservation | B．House Building Crisis |
| C．Air Pollution Indoors | D．Traps in Building Construction |
4 . The 14th National Games held in Xi’an has triggered great interest — not only in sports and fitness, but also in the host city itself. If you are planning a tour of Xi’an taking less than 3 days, you’ll want to hit all the following highlights.
The Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army is not just China’s premier historical attraction but one of the greatest discoveries of the 20th century, which was constructed by China’s First Emperor Qin Shi Huang of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC-207 BC). It is a collection of thousands of life-size terracotta soldiers, horses, and chariots (战车) in battle formation, showing the emperor’s armies in full splendor.
Ancient City Wall
Xi’an City Wall was built in the 14th century by Zhu Yuanzhang, the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) as a military defense system. Now it is one of the oldest and best-preserved Chinese city walls. The wall is now a landmark, dividing the city into inner and outer areas.
Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
One of China’s most famous Buddhist pagodas, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) for the study of Buddhist scriptures. One of the main functions of the pagoda was to store sutras (经文) brought to China from India by the famous monk and traveler Xuan Zang. It was built with layers of bricks and has a grand structure and appearance. It is exemplary of traditional Chinese architecture.
Shaanxi History Museum
The Shaanxi History Museum is home to over 370,000 precious relics unearthed in Shaanxi over the years. Its collections range from bronze wares to pottery figures, gold and silver wares and wall paintings from the Tang Dynasty (618-907) tombs. Among its precious collections, 18 pieces have been listed as national treasures.
1. Which of the following has the longest history?| A．The Terracotta Army. | B．Ancient City Wall. |
| C．Giant Wild Goose Pagoda. | D．Shaanxi History Museum. |
| A．Chariots discovered in Xi’an. | B．Sutras brought from India to China. |
| C．Relics unearthed in Shaanxi. | D．Wall paintings from the Qing Dynasty tombs. |
| A．They hold collections of antiques. | B．They are of historical and cultural value. |
| C．They represent the modern spirit of Xi’an. | D．They are examples of traditional Chinese architecture. |
5 . Old and unrestored theatres are all around us and yet so unnoticed. A new photobook unveils their often overlooked beauty.
Proctor’s Theatre, Newark, New Jersey
Although available outdoors from street sellers, food was banned in theatres to display respectability. In the late 1920s, however, the operators in Proctor’s Theatre in Newark began to set up stands to improve the economic situation during the Great Depression. Popcorn and Coke would become a significant part of the theatre’s income.
Proctor’s Theatre, Troy, New York
Originally opened as Proctor’s Fourth Street Theatre in 1914, it hosted famous comedians such as Jack Benny and Bob Hope. From 1929, it was successively taken over, renamed as Proctor’s Troy Theatre and switched to screening films. In the 1960s, it began playing second-run films before closing in 1977. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1979. In 2010, the theatre was repaired but is currently not being used today.
RKO Keith’s Flushing Theatre, New York
Originally opened in 1928, RKO Keith’s Flushing Theatre was designed by Thomas Lamb. In 1982, it was listed on the NRHP. In 1986, the theatre was bought and closed by its new owner who planned to build a shopping centre on the site, intentionally damaging the hall. In 2019, despite the preservation efforts, the hall was knocked down to make way for a residential tower block.
Metropolitan Opera House, Philadelphia
The theatre was originally opened as the Philadelphia Opera House in 1908. In the 1920s, it was renamed as the Metropolitan Opera House, showing silent films in addition to hosting various opera companies. In the 1940s, it became a sports arena. In 1954, it was turned into a church. In the late 1990s, the building was purchased by Mark Hatcher. The church and the developer came to an agreement on a repair for a music venue that was completed and reopened in 2018.
1. In the late 1920s, Proctor’s Theatre in Newark set up stands to ________.| A．show respect for the guests | B．increase the theatre’s income |
| C．promote newly released movies | D．compete with the street sellers |
| A．RKO Keith’s Flushing Theatre is well preserved. |
| B．Proctor’s Theatre in Troy plays second-run films now. |
| C．Metropolitan Opera House has witnessed changes in its function. |
| D．Proctor’s Theatre in Newark has been officially listed on the NRHP. |
| A．To rank the old and unrestored theatres. |
| B．To show the development of American theatres. |
| C．To encourage people to protect the old theatres. |
| D．To provide information on overlooked old theatres. |
6 . Libraries are the temple for book lovers, the main source of knowledge and wisdom. Here are the biggest libraries in the world.
The Library of Congress
The Library of Congress in the US is the biggest library in the world, whose collections are from all around the world. The library has a collection of 32 million cataloged books. It receives 22,000 copies per day from the publication produced in the US. Some of the major works stored in the library are Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence, the world’s most famous architectural designs and so on.
The British Library
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is the second biggest library in the world. It holds 150 million items from different countries. It receives 8,000 copies per day from the publication produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its collection includes 14 million books. Every year over 3 million items are added to the library. The major highlights of the library collection are Diamond Sutra and Alice’s Adventures under Ground.
Library and Archives (档案馆) Canada (LAC)
Canada has the third biggest library in the world. The library holds 20 million books, 24 million photographs and a lot of digital works. Its collection includes The Proclamation of the Canadian Constitution Act, the British North America Act and many more precious works.
The New York Public Library (NYPL)
It is the fourth largest library in the world. It is the public library having 87 branches. The library has a collection of 53 million items. It also has four research libraries which are open to the general public. You can ask and discover about anything on the official website of NYPL.
1. Which of the following works is stored in the Library of Congress?| A．The British North America Act. |
| B．Alice’s Adventures under Ground. |
| C．Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence. |
| D．The Proclamation of the Canadian Constitution Act. |
| A．About 22,000. | B．More than 8,000. |
| C．About 14 million. | D．More than 3 million. |
| A．Library and Archives Canada. | B．The Library of Congress. |
| C．The New York Public Library. | D．The British Library. |
7 . Last year, 138,000 San Francisco residents used Airbnb, a popular app designed to connect home renters and travelers. It’s a striking number for a city with a population of about 850,000, and it was enough for Airbnb to win a major victory in local elections, as San Francisco voters struck down a debatable rule that would have placed time restrictions and other regulations on short-term rental services.
The company fiercely opposed the measure, Proposition F, with a nearly $10 million advertising campaign. It also contacted its San Franciscan users with messages urging them to vote against Proposition F.
Most people think of Airbnb as a kind of couch-surfing app. The service works for one-night stays on road trips and longer stays in cities, and it often has more competitive pricing than hotels. It’s a textbook example of the “sharing economy”, but not everyone is a fan.
The app has had unintended consequences in San Francisco. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported last year, a significant amount of renting on Airbnb is not in line with the company’s image: middle-class families putting up a spare room to help make ends meet. Some users have taken advantage of the service, using it to turn their multiple properties into vacation rentals or even full-time rentals. Backers of Proposition F argued that this trend takes spaces off the conventional, better-regulated housing market and contributes to rising costs.
“The fact is, widespread abuse of short-term rentals is taking much needed housing off the market and harming our neighborhoods,” said ShareBetter SF, a group that supported Proposition F. Hotel unions have protested the company’s practices in San Francisco and other cities, saying that it creates an illegal hotel system.
San Francisco is in the middle of a long-term, deeply rooted housing crisis that has seen the cost of living explode. Actually, explode is a generous term. The average monthly rent for an apartment is around $4, 000. Located on a narrow outcropping of land overlooking the bay, San Francisco simply doesn’t have enough space to accommodate the massive inflow of young, high-salaried tech employees flocking to Silicon Valley.
As the Los Angeles Times reported, some San Francisco residents supported the measure simply because it seemed like a way to check a big corporation. Opponents of Proposition F countered that the housing crisis runs much deeper, and that passing the rule would have discouraged a popular service while doing little to solve the city’s existing problems.
1. The intention of Proposition F is to ________.| A．place time limits in local election. | B．set limits on short-term rental. |
| C．strike down a controversial rule. | D．urge users to vote against Airbnb. |
| A．It shrinks the living space of middle-class families. |
| B．Users are taken advantage of by the service financially. |
| C．It makes the house market more competitive. |
| D．It indirectly leads to high house rental price. |
| A．explosion of the living cost | B．its geographic characteristics |
| C．generosity of local enterprises | D．inflow of migrant population |
| A．objective | B．supportive |
| C．negative | D．indifferent |
Higher density (密度) neighborhoods can lead to benefits for the environment and public health, argues Dr. Tom Logan,
Dr. Logan says the government should be aiming
Accessible cities are also safer and more
However, Dr. Logan says many people are opposed to higher density housing.
“Density, when it’s done right,
“Creating that is one of our big
For travelers who used to think that Chinese farmers live in poor conditions, the rural tours can be quite an eye opener.
Longshang village, which has 140 people from 51 households, is
Also in Nanjing, Bulao village in Pukou district, known as Never Aging village, has attracted many who are interested in finding the secret of staying young.
10 . Shannan Hearne's oldest dream was to own a ranch(牧场). In February 2020, her dream finally came true when she opened the gates of Sun and Moon Ranch. Then, just a month later, the county slid into COVID-19 lockdown.
With large areas of grasslands and plenty of sunshine and fresh air, there was no safer way for frightened neighbors to get out of the house.
Another boy became selectively silent because of his autism (自闭症).
| A．The ranch, Hearne realized, should be for everybody. |
| B．As the pandemic deepened, locals began to gather there. |
| C．Soon Hearne's dream began to grow into something bigger. |
| D．Locals desired to put up a tent there when they felt won out. |
| E．Lesson by lesson, Hearne watched him slowly come out of his own world. |
| F．He went from not answering questions to literally talking our ears off. |
| G．There is something empowering about controlling a thousand-pound animal. |
