The Oxford Mal, England
Most prisons are the kind of place you’d be desperate to escape from, not somewhere you’d possibly conceive of escaping to.
But this former Oxford prison has been converted into a boutique hotel by the fashionable Malmaison chain and offers the kind of luxurious living that former convicts could only have dreamed of.
Rates: Double room £140 (US$233). Breakfast £12.95 per person
Jules’ Undersea Lodge, United States
Originally a research laboratory, the world’s only underwater hotel sits at the bottom of the Emerald Lagoon in Florida, and can only be reached by scuba diving down six meters.
The lodge can accommodate two couples and is kitted out with showers, a microwave and a fridge.
The real attractions are the fish; the lodge is like a goldfish bowl in reverse, where you sit and watch angelfish, parrotfish, barracuda and snappers peering in at you through the window.
Rates: From US$400
Das Park Hotel, Austria
Stay overnight in a concrete sewer pipe on the banks of the River Danube.
The drainpipes are two meters in diameter and two and a half meters long, with a porthole to look out of, a front door to close and a cozy nest to snuggle into, which includes a low-slung futon, bedside lamp, woolly blanket and light sleeping bag.
Rates: You pay as much, or as little, as you want.
Sant` Angelo Luxury Resort, Italy
“Four-star boutique cave-hotel” is the proud boast of the Sant’Angelo in the city of Matera, which is famous for its sassi-houses dug into the rock. Matera is the only place in the world where people can boast to be still living in the same houses as their ancestors did 9,000 years ago. The rooms have been fashioned from old sassi stables and workshops. There are two restaurants, a bar and an art gallery.
Rates: A three-night package costs from US$560 per person including some meals, a walking tour and car hire, but not flights.
La Balade Des Gnomes, Belgium
A truly out-of-this-world experience, this hotel makes you feel like you’re on the moon.
You can sleep in a moon buggy, bathe in a lunar capsule, and the walls and ceilings are covered in twinkling stars and planets.
Other themed rooms include a newly opened Trojan Horse, a Troll Forest, a South Seas sailing ship and a Wine Room.
Rates: From €115 (US$170) per double
Das Park Hotel is different from the other hotels in that __________.
| A．it is underwater | B．you decide the pay |
| C．it used to be a prison | D．it is not in Europe |
If you want to experience the life on the moon, most probably you will choose to stay in __________.
| A．Jules’ Undersea Lodge, United States | B．La Balade Des Gnomes, Belgium |
| C．Das Park Hotel, Austria | D．The Oxford Mal, England |
If Mr. and Mrs Smith put up at the Oxford Mal for one night and have breakfast there, they will have to pay at least _____________.
| A．£165.9 | B．£152.95 | C．£258.9 | D．£305.9 |
Schooling Matters
March 25, 2014 Chengdu Michelle Obama
You see, the truth is that I grew up like many of you. My mom, my dad, my brother and I, we lived in a tiny apartment in Chicago, which is one of the largest cities in America. My father worked at the local water plant…
While we certainly weren’t rich, my parents had big dreams for me and my brother. They had only a high school education themselves, but they were determined to send us both to universities.
So they poured all of their love and all of their hope into us, and they worked hard. They saved every penny. And I know that wasn’t easy for them, especially for my father. You see, my father had serious illness called multiple sclerosis(多发性硬化症). And as he got sicker, it got harder for him to walk, and it took him longer to get dressed in the morning.
But no matter how tired he felt, no matter how much pain he was in, my father hardly ever missed a day of work, because he was determined to give me and my brother a better life. And every day, like so many of you, I felt the weight of my parents’ sacrifices on my shoulders. Every day, I wanted to make them proud.
So, while most American kids attend public schools near their homes, when it was time for me to attend high school, I took an exam and got into a special public high school where I could get a better education. But the school was very far from my home, so I had to get up early every morning and ride a bus for an hour, sometimes an hour and a half if the weather was bad. And every afternoon, I’d ride that same bus back home and then immediately start my homework, often studying late into the night – and sometimes I would wake up at 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning to study even more.
And it wasn’t easy. But whenever I got tired or discouraged, I would just think about how hard my parents were working for me. And I would remember something my mother always told me – she said, “A good education is something that no one can take away from you.”The passage can be sorted as a ．
| A．self-introduction | B．short story | C．news report | D．speech draft (草稿) |
Which of the following is TRUE about Michelle Obama and her family?
| A．Her parents were poor but had good educational backgrounds. |
| B．She attended a public high school near her home. |
| C．Her father suffered a serious disease and became disabled. |
| D．She was aware of her parents’ sacrifices and expectations. |
Which of the following words best describes Michelle’s father?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Humorous. | C．Strong-minded | D．Generous |
What does Michelle mainly want to tell readers in this excerpt?
| A．We should work hard and get good educations. |
| B．Our parents always have high expectations for us. |
| C．She is an ordinary person from an ordinary family. |
| D．The road to the US First Lady is not easy. |
Henry Ford grew up on an un-electrified farm, and as a young man he followed Edison's career as the inventor became a national role model. Ford took a job at the Edison Illuminating Company working his way up to chief engineer．
In 1896 Ford was thirty-three and, though still working for Edison Co., he had created his first experimental automobile the Ford Quadricycle2 during his off-time. At an Edison company party in New York, Ford had his first chance to meet his hero Edison and was able to explain his new automobile to the great inventor. Edison was impressed. Edison is said to have slammed his fist down_and shouted, “Young man, that's the thing! You have it! Your car is self-contained and carries its own power plant.” Edison himself had been working on the idea, but had only been considering electricity as the power source, so the idea of a gas engine was a somewhat new one．
The words comforted Ford greatly, who immediately set out building a second car which was to become the Model-T.6. The two men became fast friends and would go on camping trips together．When Edison later became limited to a wheelchair, Ford brought an extra one to his house so they could race．At the 50th anniversary of the invention of light-bulb, Ford honored Edison．When Edison spoke, he ended his speech directed at Ford, “ As to Henry Ford, words fail to express my feelings．I can only say that he is my friend.” Therefore it is no surprise that Ford wanted something to remember Edison by after he passed away in 1931.
Once, Ford asked Thomas Edison's son Charles to sit by the dying inventor's bedside and hold a test tube next to his father's mouth to catch his final breath. Ford was a man with many strange behaviors (as was Edison) including some interest in reanimation and spiritualism（夏活通灵术）and some say that he was attempting to catch Edison's soul as it escaped his body in hopes of later bringing the inventor back to life.
The test tube itself didn't turn up until 1950 when it was listed in the Ford possessions after Clara Ford's passing away, and then lost again until 1978 when it was discovered in an exhibit Entitled “Henry Ford-A Personal History” in the Henry Ford Museum. It would then be discovered that the tube was labeled “Edison's Last Breath”.
There is a further mystery of this “last breath” test tube．It would seem as if Edison had quite a last breath indeed, as the Edison Estate holds a collection of 42 test tubes all supposedly containing Edison's last breath．
Regardless of the excitement over the last breath, the test tube is quite touching in its meaning．Although both men were known for all sorts of poor behavior towards their loved ones and mistreatment of employees, between them at least, there was clearly a deep respect and admiration．The purpose of the author writing this passage is to .
| A．remind the readers of the importance of the two inventors |
| B．stress the importance of friendship |
| C．tell the readers some stories about the two inventors |
| D．show that love can lead to some poor behaviors |
From the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2, we can learn that .
| A．Edison envied what Ford had achieved |
| B．Edison was annoyed that Ford did better than him |
| C．Edison was angry because Ford stole his idea |
| D．Edison was extremely amazed at Ford's new idea |
“The 1ast breath test tube” can probably be regarded as .
| A．a symbol of a friendship and memory |
| B．a witness to a scientific breakthrough |
| C．a failure to bring Edison back to life |
| D．a sign of the two inventors' poor behavior |
It can be learned from the last paragraph that“ ”.
| A．Great minds think alike |
| B．Nobody is perfect |
| C．Two heads are better than one |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed |
Below are pages adapted from, http://sochi2014. com/en/
Sochi Volunteers
● 5 December 2013 Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team is Prepared for Games
On international Volunteer Day, 5 December, the Organizing Committee of the Winter Games in Sochi presented the national “Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team”, The Sochi 2014 Volunteer Team is complete, consisting of 25,000 volunteers from 26 volunteer centers across Russia as well as global volunteers.
● 6 August 2013 Sochi 2014 Sochi 2014 volunteer s meet athletics stars in Moscow
Approximately 2,000 Sochi 2014 volunteers will take part in the staging of the World Athletics Championships, which will be held in Moscow from 10-18 August.
● 30 May 2013 “Sochi 2014”volunteers on the presentation of the Olympic and Paralympic medals
In St. Petersburg during the 11th “Sport Accord”, Annual International Sports Convention was held on the presentation of the Olympic and Paralympic medals.
● 11 March 2013 Sochi 2014 Volunteer Training Program Launched across Russia
On March 11, the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee launched a large-scale project for training 25,000 volunteers for the 2014Games in Sochi.
Sochi Culture Activities
● International Ballet Stars Gala, 29 January 2014
Year of Russian Culture in the United Kingdom and Year of British Culture.
● Sochi 2014 Culture Olympiad to Present History of Sports in Russia, 20 December 2013
As part of the Year of the of the Museum of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad the “ Training the Strength of the Body, Sports and the Romanov Family ” exhibition will be open starting from 21 December at the Sochi Art Museum.
● Sochi 2014 Cultural Program Culminates in Grand Finale, 16 December 2013
The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has presented an entertaining Cultural Program for the guests and participants of the Olympic Games.
● Sochi 2014 Games Fans’ Anthem will Unite Spectators in the Stands, 31 October 2013
100 days before the start of the first ever Olympic Winter Games in Russia, the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad and General Partner of the Games Sberbank have unveiled the fans’ anthem for the Games. The anthem will be played at all Olympic venues and will be the main song at the sports fields for the competitions.
● “White Stick” Music Festival to Take Place during the Start of Sochi 2014 Torch Relay, 7 October 2013
On 7 October, during the launch of the Olympic Torch Relay, the “White Stick” IV International charity festival will take place against the backdrop of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad in Moscow.
● Winners of Cultural Program Competition to Perform at Sochi Games, 19 September 2013
The Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee’s cultural program Contest has come to an end and the winners have been announced. It took place within the framework of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad.
● Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad to Showcase Russia’s cultural diversity, 22 August 2013
From August, 25 to September 8, the “Alluring Worlds, Ethnic Russia” travelling festival will travel along the coast of the Black Sea. The festival is part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad’s Year of the Museums and will illustrate Russia’s diversity.Sochi 2014 Volunteer Training Program was launched on ．
| A．30 May 2013 | B．11 March 2013 | C．16 December 2013 | D．19 September 2013 |
“White Stick" Music Festival took place in .
| A．Sochi | B．St. Petersburg | C．the United Kingdom | D．Moscow |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The 25 ,000 volunteers were from Russia. |
| B．Winners of Cultural Program Competition weren't known until 19 September 2013. |
| C．From August,25 to September,8,you were able to enjoy Winter Games in Sochi. |
| D．Few of the cultural activities were intended for creating atmosphere of Sochi Winter Games. |
From the two boxes, you can learn that the activities were listed according to .
| A．importance | B．place | C．date | D．name |
On Saturday, Feb 12, 2000, two things happened that changed my life.
First of all, my baby sister got married. She was 26 this day, and yet to me she was still my baby sister.
I was happy, but also sad. Gone were the days of me bossing(支使) her around. My bossy behavior had once earned me the nickname Lucy. If you’re a fan of Peanuts, then you can clearly imagine my behavior as an older sister.
At one point, I left the wedding reception to get some air. I went outside and walked to a nearby playground. I’m not sure how long I sat there before my sister came and joined me. We talked about how we were both grown up. As she wiped a tear from my eye, she lovingly said, “You’ll always be Lucy to me.” We hugged.
Then, my cousin Mike walked over to tell us that it was time to cut the cake, and the second thing that changed my life that day came to pass.
“Hey, did you guys hear that Charles Schulz died today?” he said casually – as if it were no big deal. Then he took my sister’s arm and they turned to head back to the reception hall. “Coming?” they asked. “In a minute,” I replied, and I sat back down on the bench, dizzy from what Mike had just told me.
How could Charles Schulz be dead? He was my creator! He was almost like a father to me!
I had lost so many things on that day. My innocence had slipped away like a thief in the night. It was gone before I could do anything about it, taking with it all the treasures that I had held in my heart. I felt myself grow up in an instant. I saw, for the first time, what I really was – a 30-year-old woman with a husband of my own, and soon, a child of my own.
I took a deep breath and stood up from the bench. I turned and headed back to the hall, hoping I hadn’t missed the cutting of the cake. It was the day that my sister grew wings of her own and left the nest – the day that Lucy died, and I was born.Why did the author feel sad at her sister’s wedding?
| A．She was afraid of change. |
| B．Her sister was getting ready to move far away from her. |
| C．Her wonderful childhood with her sister had become a thing of the past. |
| D．She had nobody to turn to for help with housework. |
When the author’s cousin told her that Charles Schulz had died, she __________.
| A．felt a great sense of loss |
| B．burst into tears |
| C．thought he was joking |
| D．got angry at him for his attitude |
What is implied when the author says that “Lucy died, and I was born”?
| A．The author has realized how her sister must have felt about her and decided to change. |
| B．Lucy no longer matters to the author. |
| C．The author doesn’t like the nickname Lucy anymore. |
| D．The author is no longer sad and ready to face the fact that she is an adult. |
The best title of the passage can be __________.
| A．Two things changing my life |
| B．My baby sister’s wedding |
| C．Not Lucy anymore |
| D．Not innocent anymore |
Can you believe everything that you read? It seems as if every day, some new articles come out about a new discovery about this or that. For example, water is bad for you, or good for you. The answer depends on which scientific study has just come out. People cannot decide which food items are healthy, how pyramids were constructed, and why dinosaurs disappeared. When we look for answers we sometimes can believe persuasive researches and scientists. But how trustworthy are they really? Here are two examples of scientific hoaxes (骗局).
As far back as 1726, Johann Beringer was fooled by his fellow scientists into thinking he had made an amazing discovery. The fossils of spiders, lizards, and even birds with the name of God written on them in Hebrew were unlike anything that had been found before. He wrote several papers on them and was famous for those only to have it revealed that they were planted by jealous colleagues to ruin his reputation.
When an early human being was discovered in 1912, scientists at this time were wild with excitement over the meaning it had for the theory of evolution. There were hundreds of papers about this Piltdown man over the next fifty years until it was finally discovered to be a complex hoax. The skull (头骨) of a man had been mixed with the jawbone of an orangutan (猩猩) to make the ape (猿) man.
The next time you read the exciting new findings of a study of the best scientist, do not automatically assume that it is true. Even qualified people can get it wrong. While we certainly should not ignore scientific research, we do need to take it with a grain of salt. Just because it is accepted as the truth today does not mean it will still be trustworthy tomorrow.What does Paragraph 1 want to say?
| A．Researchers and scientists are not perfect. |
| B．Something that we read may not be true. |
| C．Researchers and scientists know everything. |
| D．People don’t know whether water is good or bad. |
What is the reason why Johann Beringer was fooled?
| A．His fellow scientists wanted to make fun of him. |
| B．His workmates are eager to become famous too. |
| C．These scientists made a mistake because of carelessness. |
| D．His colleagues envied him and did so to destroy his fame. |
The excited scientists thought that this Piltdown man ______.
| A．was in fact a complex hoax |
| B．was a great scientific invention |
| C．contributed to the theory of evolution |
| D．had the skull like that of an ape |
What does the underlined phrase “with a grain of salt” in Paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Happily. | B．Generally. | C．Doubtfully. | D．Completely. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Hebrew is probably a kind of language. |
| B．Truths of science will never be out of time. |
| C．People believe scientists because they are persuasive. |
| D．We are advised to believe famous scientists. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号