1 . Last summer, after finishing my work in China. I took the trip of a lifetime on the Trans-Siberian Railway (西伯利亚铁路). Leaving Beijing early on a Wednesday morning in July, my wife and I travelled through some awesome (令人惊叹的) countryside before we arrived in Moscow the following Monday.
The first part of the journey took us past the Great Wall and through the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. At the Mongolian border, we had a delay (耽搁) while the wheels were changed because the railway is different.
On our way to the capital, Ulan Bator, we saw herdsmen (牧人) on horseback looking after their cattle. There was a great thunderstorm as we crossed a vast open plain. Later we had a quick tour of Ulan Bator.
Next, the train took us into Siberia. After a stop at Irkutsk, a popular holiday resort (度假胜地), where a tour group left the train, we passed the great Lake Baikal. Later, we saw some lovely wooden houses in pretty and sunny countryside. This surprised us, as we had imagined Siberia as being covered with thick snow.
Over the next few days, we passed through Novosibirsk, Omsk and other cities in the heartlands of the Russian Federation. By now, our body clocks were losing their sense of time. We wanted to sleep and eat at the wrong time!
At last we reached Moscow. We were so tired that we slept for 16 hours that night. The next day we went sightseeing. We saw the Kremlin and some other magnificent (宏伟的) buildings in the Russian capital. Then, all too soon, it was time for us to return to our home in London.
1. How many days did it take the author to reach Moscow?| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Seven. | D．Six. |
| A．The author’s body clock ran faster than the others’. |
| B．The author travelled with a group of friends. |
| C．Ulan Bator is the capital of Mongolia. |
| D．The train broke down at the Mongolian border. |
| A．it was not covered with snow and it was sunny |
| B．the houses there were so pretty |
| C．there were many tourists there |
| D．it was covered with thick snow |
| A．how to travel to Moscow from Beijing |
| B．the trip from Beijing to Moscow |
| C．how wonderful the capital of Russia is |
| D．the Trans-Siberian Railway |
2 . A Portland, Oregon man has become the first person to travel across Antarctica by himself without receiving any assistance.
Colin O’Brady has completed the 1,500-kilometer trip. He crossed the continent in 54 days. Friends, family and other people followed his progress through messages and pictures he left on social media.
O’Brady spoke with his wife Jenna Besaw by telephone soon after he completed the journey. “It was an emotional call,” she said. “He seemed overwhelmed by love and appreciation, and he really wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all of us.”
The 33-year-old O’Brady documented the trip on the social networking services Instagram. He called his journey “The Impossible First”. He wrote that he traveled the last 129 kilometers in one big, final push to the finish line. The distance took over one day to complete. O’Brady wrote, “While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced.”
The day before, he wrote that he was “in the zone” and thought he could make it to the end without stopping. “I was listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe,” he wrote. “I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife. I promised them I would stop when I need to.”
Other people have traveled across Antarctica, but they all had some form of assistance. They either had better, more plentiful supplies or devices that helped move them forward.
In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died in his attempt to travel alone across Antarctica unassisted. Worsley’s friend Louis Rudd, also from Britain, is attempting an unaided solo journey in Worsley’s honor. He was competing against O’Brady to be the first to do it. Besaw told the Associated Press that her husband plans to stay in Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trip.
1. What did O’Brady think of his journey in Antarctica?| A．It was pleasant. | B．It was discouraging. |
| C．It was impossible to complete. | D．It was hard to complete. |
| A．Making sure of his safety. | B．Trying to achieve the goal. |
| C．Keeping in touch with them. | D．Stopping the travel halfway. |
| A．To wait for another explorer. | B．To compete with others. |
| C．To help other explorers. | D．To make his victory recognized. |
| A．The Antarctic Continent | B．The Impossible First |
| C．Traveling in Antarctica | D．An Incomplete Journey |
Scotland! Wow !!! What a fantastic place! I'm having a great time. I’m afraid that I started off badly by making a fool of myself. I was standing in the great old Bell Tower looking across the lake at the hills on the other side.
This rather handsome guy happened to be standing next to me, so I casually(随意地) said, "It's really beautiful here in England." Do you know what he replied? "Well, why don't you go there then?" Then he laughed and explained that he was used to foreigners making mistakes about that. After that bad start we got on really great, though.
Fergus told me lots about Scotland. I'd already noticed the unusual names: Fergus, Angus, Hamish for the guys and Ina, Gillian and Aileen for girls. They also usually have family names that begin with Mac or Me - Mckay, McDonald and the like. The Mc or Mac stands for "son of".
Anyway, Fergus is a Campbell. That's another typical(典型的) Scottish name and he is from an old Scottish family. You know that the Scots have their own traditions with kilts ( 短褶裙) and all that. Fergus showed me his family's tartan (花格图案).
I tried some really strange food today. When we had lunch together, Fergus practically forced me to taste something called haggis. That was the first and the last time for me. I have no idea what it is made of and I don’t think I want to try any more.
Everybody here is very friendly, not just Fergus. By the way, all that talk about the Scots being mean is not right. Fergus is certainly the opposite. He says the jokes about the Scots have all been invented by the English, their traditional enemy.
Tomorrow Fergus is taking me to Glasgow. Can you believe it? I thought he would just say goodbye and walk off. But he really seems interested. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing bright lights and discos after all this peace and quiet. I love it here but there are more sheep than people. I hope I'll have some other sides of life in Scotland to report after tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed! I'll keep you posted.
Love,
Nancy
1. What can we learn from the text?| A．Nancy knew much about Scotland. |
| B．Nancy met Fergus by chance. |
| C．Hamish is the name of a girl in Scotland. |
| D．Nancy enjoys the Scottish food. |
| A．Made up. | B．Shared | C．Laughed at. | D．Understood. |
| A．To advertise Scottish kilts. |
| B．To introduce Scottish customs. |
| C．To compare two different cultures. |
| D．To share a travelling experience in Scotland. |
4 . My mother always said, "You young men should explore your own country before stepping out into the world." It seemed like a tough task. But luckily for me, Via Rail Canada offered youths between the ages of 18 and 25 the chance to ride the train across Canada for the month of July in 2017. I jumped at the opportunity and secured an inexpensive ticket.
Excitement was at its peak as I approached the train station on the morning when my 22-day adventure was to begin. I jumped on board the passenger vessel (车厢) like it was the train to Hogwarts in Harry Potter. The train headed west in search of our first destination — the scenic town of Banff, Alberta. After just an hour on the train, desperation already came on me. The thought of three full days on those tracks broke my spirits. As I gazed out towards Lake Superior's glistening (闪闪发亮) waves, I decided if I was to be stuck in here, I would need to enjoy my time.
Those three days turned into a summer camp on rails. Real friendships with the crew were born within that train. Stops were made in small, remote railroad villages. A large group of strangers turned travelling companions would rush towards the villages to reward our endless patience with local cuisine. At night, we would walk to the glass-domed (玻璃穹顶) train car,which gave a scenic view of the night sky, untouched by light pollution.
After three days, we arrived in Banff. Before my adventure of taking the train across Canada, if I could have skipped the travel and arrived at the destination, I would have. But that is no longer true. I've learned that the journey can be more enjoyable than the destination.
1. What made the author's train trip possible?| A．The attraction of the splendid scenery. | B．A time-limited ticket offer for youths. |
| C．The encouragement from his mother. | D．His determination to face the tough tasks. |
| A．Considerate. | B．Determined. |
| C．Smart. | D．Adaptable. |
| A．To enjoy travelling on his own. | B．To skip to the final destination. |
| C．To explore more in the process. | D．To be content with train service. |
5 . Standing at the top of the world, I cleared the ice from my oxygen mask（氧气面罩）， bent a shoulder forward against the wind, and stared absently down at the land of Tibet. Finally I had made it-the top of Mount Qomolangma.
I understood on some dim level（隐约地）that the earth down there was a grand sight. I’d been longing for this moment, and the excitement that would come with it. But now that I was finally here, actually standing on the top of Mount Qomolangma, I just couldn’t collect the energy to care.
It was early on the afternoon of May 10, 1996. I hadn’t slept for fifty-seven hours. My stomach was upset because the only food I’d been able to force down over the past three days was a bowl of soup. To make things worse, weeks of violent coughing had made ordinary breathing a bitter process. At 29,028 feet above the sea level, there was so little oxygen reaching my brain that I couldn’t think better than a slow child. Right now I could not feel much of anything except cold and tired. After taking four quick photos, I turned and headed down. I’d spent less than five minutes on the roof of the world.
Looking down the route we had climbed, I noticed something that until that moment had escaped my attention. To the south, where the sky had been perfectly clear just an hour earlier, a blanket of clouds now hid the lesser mountains surrounding. Nothing I saw early that day suggested that a violent storm was approaching. To my oxygen-exhausted mind, the clouds coming up the grand valley of ice appeared no different from the harmless clouds that rose from the valley almost every afternoon.
As I was climbing down, I began to get extremely anxious. However, my concern at that moment had little to do with the weather; I had almost run out of oxygen. I ought to have checked earlier. I needed to get down, fast.
1. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 mean?| A．The top of the world. | B．The land of Tibet. |
| C．A grand sight. | D．Reaching the top. |
| A．He was exhausted and weak. | B．He had dropped his camera. |
| C．An unexpected violent storm arrived. | D．He had fear of heights. |
| A．The grand sight made the writer scream. |
| B．The weather on Qomolangma was changeable. |
| C．The writer was energetic and strong-minded. |
| D．The writer was experienced and well-prepared. |
6 . We have introduced solo (单独的) holidays for anyone travelling on their own without children. Now solo travelers can enjoy fantastic group holidays in beautiful locations hosted by a member of our staff.
Beach Break in Istria, Croatia: 7 to l1 May 2019
A 4-night solo beach holiday on the pretty Croatian peninsula. Relax by the pool or on the beach of our superior 4-star adult only hotel, complete with a wonderful spa. This solo trip is offered with a varied programme, including boat trips to the ancient city of Rovinj and the pretty coastal town of Porec and a visit of the historic seafront city of Pula. Read more.
Short Break in Slovenia: 17 to 20 October 2019
A short solo holiday to show you the best of Slovenia in 3 days. It includes a wine tasting evening, a visit of Slovenia's elegant capital with its charming old town and a boat trip on Lake Bled and the ancient Predjama Castle. Our 4-star hotel is worth a visit in itself with its amazing inside and impressive views of Lake Bled. Read more.
City Break in Vienna, Austria: 28 November to 1 December 2019
Join us on a solo city break to Vienna where pretty squares turn into magical Christmas markets. Your local tour guide will take you around pretty cobblestone lanes and show you the historic highlights of Vienna, followed by evenings in Viennese restaurants, walks around the Christmas markets and a tasting of the best Austrian wines. Read more …
1. Who are the solo holidays intended for according to the passage?| A．Travelers of all ages. | B．Adults traveling alone. |
| C．Families with children. | D．Newly married couples. |
| A．Short Break in Slovenia. | B．Beach Break in Istria. |
| C．A coastal visit of Porec. | D．City Break in Vienna, Austria. |
| A．Boat trips. | B．4-star hotels. |
| C．Historic highlights. | D．Wine-tasting. |
