Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost £169.15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost £118.15.
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid—or you’re looking for a big event to pass your time—check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.
STAYAWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.
Don’t be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge’s Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was £95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just £62.95.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O’Neill Flat on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, available for £420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.
GET ON A BIKE London’s ‘Boris bikes’ have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.
Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around £1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or £5 per day). (358 words)
The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may __________.
| A．help travelers pass time |
| B．attract lots of travelers to the UK |
| C．allow travelers to make flexible plans |
| D．cause travelers to pay more for accommodation |
“Farringdon” in Paragraph 5 is most probably __________.
| A．a hotel away from the train station |
| B．the tube line to Covent Garden |
| C．an ideal holiday destination |
| D．the name of a travel agency |
Cardiff’s program allows a free bike for a maximum period of __________.
| A．half an hour | B．one hour | C．one hour and a half | D．two hours |
The main purpose of the passage is __________.
| A．to tell visitors how to book in advance |
| B．to supply visitors with hotel information |
| C．to show visitors the importance of self-help |
| D．to offer visitors some money-saving tips |
Remember how great exercise was when you were a little kid? Back then, racing around the playground or skipping rope for hours, you weren’t thinking fitness, you were thinking entertainment. But in this age of high-tech home equipment and underused gym memberships, the simple joy of jumping rope has been forgotten, Rediscovering it will give you a total-body exercise you can find.
Although considered an excellent form of exercise, jumping rope has never gained widespread acceptance because of two fundamental reasons. First, most people recognize jumping rope as an excellent form of cardiovascular(心血管的)exercise, but they also believe that it is simply too difficult. In other words, they don’t think they’ll be able to continue jumping for the near 20 minutes that it takes to achieve a beneficial physical outcome. Second, many view it as somewhat boring and overly repetitive not as something fun or enjoyable.
As a matter of fact, jumping rope can be great fun if you find a proper way to practice it. Instead of doing the usual two-foot bounce over and over again, people good at rope-jumping often change their pattern every 10 or 20 jumps. A single bounce, a double-bounce, a skip, a knee-up, side swings, as well as a variety of other easy-to-learn free-style rope-jumping.
Now researchers are learning that jumping rope also prepares the brain for learning. It is an exercise allowing both brain hemispheres to perform in parallel to each other. In short, jumping rope can be a life-long activity requiring little equipment, time and space, yet leading to a much healthier life.From the first paragraph we learn that_________.
| A．jumping rope has faded from people’s memories |
| B．people now have more advanced equipment |
| C．racing around the playground was preferred |
| D．people now like to have exercise in a gym |
Rope jumping has not spread widely because_________.
| A．it benefits the cardiovascular system |
| B．it is neither easy nor enjoyable |
| C．it is considered boring and repetitive |
| D．it requires little equipment, time and space |
The first sentence in the 3rd paragraph implies_________.
| A．there is only one proper way to follow |
| B．the usual way should not be used |
| C．the easiest way is always the best |
| D．there are many ways to follow |
According to the researchers, jumping rope_________.
| A．only prepares the brain for learning |
| B．is suitable for students only |
| C．helps both brain hemispheres work together |
| D．can be dangerous for old people |
What is the author’s attitude towards rope jumping?
| A．He is arguing against it |
| B．He is in favor of it |
| C．He is sitting on the fence of it |
| D．He is not clear about it |
In modern society there is a great deal of argument about competition. Some value it highly, believing that it is responsible for social progress and prosperity. Others say that competition is bad, for it sets one person against another and it leads to unfriendly relationship between people.
I have taught many children who held the belief that their self-worth relied on how well they performed at tennis and other skills. For them, playing well and winning are often life-and-death affairs. In their single-minded pursuit （追求） of success, the development of many other human qualities is sadly forgotten.
However, while some seem to be lost in the desire to succeed, others take an opposite attitude. In a culture which values only the winner and pays no attention to the ordinary players, they strongly blame competition. Among the most vocal are youngsters who have suffered under competitive pressures from their parents or society.
Teaching these young people, I often observe in them a desire to fail. They seem to seek failure by not trying to win or achieve success. By not trying, they always have an excuse: “I may have lost, but it doesn’t matter because I really didn’t try.” What is not usually admitted by them is the belief that if they had really tried and lost, that would mean a lot. Such a loss would be a measure of their worth.
Clearly, this belief is the same as that of the true competitors who try to prove themselves. Both are based on the mistaken belief that one’s self-respect relies on how well one performs in comparison with others. Both are afraid of not being valued. Only as this basic and often troublesome fear begins to dissolve （缓解） can we discover a new meaning in competition.The underlined phrase “the most vocal” in Paragraph 3 refers to those who ______.
| A．are against competition most strongly. | B．are fond of competition very much. |
| C．are satisfied with competition. | D．are interested in competition |
According to the passage, why do some people support competition?
A．Because they think friendly relationship needs it. k+s-5#u |
| B．Because they think social progress and prosperity need it. |
| C．Because they think it can make us become cleverer. |
| D．Because they think it can deal with many personal problems. |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．all the people have the same opinion about competition |
| B．Failure can make most people feel down |
| C．Both the true competitors and those with a desire to fail believe one’s worth lies in his performance compared with others |
| D．Competition can make every competitor successful |
The passage manly talks about different opinions about ________.
| A．competition | B．success | C．failure | D．friendship |
Do junk food ads make kids fat? Should they be banned? Based on the evidence, more and more experts say yes. The latest support comes from a group of New Zealand experts who say they've made a link between kids watching television and bad health.
Researchers from the University of Otago in Dunedin studied 1000 children from age 3 to 26．They found that those who watched television more than two hours a day had higher levels of obesity（肥胖）, blood cholesterol（胆固醇）and smoking — as well as lower levels of physical fitness — when they reached adulthood than kids who watched less than two hours a day. k+s-5#u 
Why? Partly because while they are watching TV kids aren't getting out, exercising and playing with other kids, and burning off the calories. But more insidiously（不知不觉地）, while watching TV, they're being shown a lot of ads for drinks and foods of uncertain nutritional value, most of which are full of sugar and fat.
Across the globe, about 155 million kids are obese, according to the International Obesity Task Force. The dangerous thing is not just the well-being of these kids as they grow up, but hundreds of billions of dollars of health costs spent on adults with heart disease, diabetes（糖尿病）, and the disabilities these disease will cause.
In Australia, two thirds of children are overweight and one third are obese. Twenty years ago, only about ten per cent were obese. And Australia has the greatest amount of junk food ads per hour of television than any other country in the world, including the US and the UK. About 30 per cent of all ads in kids' viewing time are for food or drinks. Most of them are for junk food: burgers, chips, soft drinks and sweets —high in fat, salt or sugar.
Here in Australia, experts are also calling for a ban on TV advertising of junk food to kids. The Coalition on Food Advertising to Children （CFAC） wants to make changes to laws, hoping it can ban all food advertising on TV during the time of the day when children under 12 years old are watching. This includes early and afternoon time, and evening TV between 5 pm and 9 pm.From the passage, we can infer that the underlined word “obsess” probably means ______.
| A．very strong | B．very weak |
| C．very confident | D．very fat |
According to the passage, how many hours can kids watch TV a day if they want to be healthier in the future?
| A．more than 120 minutes a day | B．less than 120 minutes a day |
| C．180 minutes or so a day | D．240 minutes or so a day k+s-5#u |
______ has the greatest amount of junk food ads per hour of TV?
| A．Australia | B．Chinese | C．Canada | D．Germany |
In the author’s opinion, the junk food ads on TV are bad for kids’ health because _______.
| A．They are very expensive and harmful | B．They waste a lot of kids’ spare time |
| C．They persuade kids to eat junk food | D．They are more inviting and interesting |
●CAFE DISPLAY
●OUR JOURNEYS
●12 April-29 May 2008
Young people explore how they have adapted to life in Oxford.
“When I first came here,” says one young African woman, “I just wanted to cry all the time. And now I have learned to laugh again.” Working with photographer Rory Carnegie and writer Nikki van der Gaag, young men and women explore their journey from the time they first arrived in a strange place to where they find themselves today. Organised by The Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival （10－17 April 2008）. Supported by the Maggie Black Trust and Oxford City Council.
●ACTIVlTlES FOR CHlLDREN AND FAMILIES
●MODERN ART TROLLEY FREE
Art activities for children every weekend during the exhibition in the Entrance Space from 2 p. m. to 4 p. m. Just drop in. Children must be led by an adult.
●WORKSHOP FOR 8 TO 12 YEAR OLDS
Thursday 7 April, 10：30 A．m. to 1：30 p. m. k+s-5#u 
Looking at themes from the exhibition and exploring pictures based ideas through group discussion and using digital cameras. Led by Judie Waldmann.
●BOOK LAUNCH FREE
The Drawing Book by Sarah Simblet is a practical approach to drawing the world around you. Sarah Simblet, who teaches at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, University of Oxford, will be present to give a short talk about the development of her book. Special price of￡18 on copies purchased in the evening.
Booking recommended on 01865 813802
●TEACHERS’EVENING FREE
Thursday 21 April, 5 p.m. to 7：30 p. m.
Lecture by Susan Bright, independent writer and lecturer, at 5：30 p. m. followed by an opportunity to view the exhibition. FREE Education Notes will be provided for teachers attending the evening.
●WORKSHOP FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS
Saturday 7 May, 10：30 A．m. to 1：30 p. m.
Workshop for primary teachers who would like to develop their practical art skill as well as gain an understanding of modern art practice. Led by Judie Waldmann, artist and former primary school teacher.
●TALKS AND WORKSHOPS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS
Exhibition talks and artist-led workshops to create work in response to the exhibition are available for pre-booked school groups. Suitable for primary and secondary schools, to check availability and discuss details call Sarah Mossop on 1865 813816.If you are a teacher and interested in art, you probably would like to go to ________.
| A．TEACHERS’EVENING | B．MODERN ART TROLLEY |
| C．WORKSHOP FOR PRIMARY TEACHERS | |
| D．BOOK LAUNCH |
From the passage, we know that _______.
| A．Susan Bright will give a short talk at the launch of the Drawing Book. |
B．Sarah Mossop will teach young people how to take photos. k+s-5#u |
| C．The workshop led by Judie is intended for the university students. |
| D．The children who go to the Modern Art Trolley must be led by an adult. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．if you attend “BOOK LAUNCH”, you can get the book at a low price. |
| B．school groups can attend talks and workshops for them at any time. |
| C．All the young people have difficulty in adapting to life in Oxford. |
| D．TEACHERS’ EVENING is only accessible to teachers. |
Which of the following is most probably the best title of the passage？
| A．FREE JOURNEYS | B．SPRING EVENTS |
| C．WEEKEND ACTIVITIES | D．ACTIVITIES FOR TEACHERS |
A senior United Nations Children's fund （UNICEF） official on May 29 praised China for its remarkable achievements in children's welfare（福利）.
A.H.M. Farook, UNICEF's operations area officer for China and Mongolia said, “China can be very satisfied to tell the whole world what can be done with limited resources to help its children to grow healthily and happily.”
China's child population makes up one fifth of the world's total.
“The reason behind the remarkable achievement is China's long tradition of caring for children both at home and in society," he said.
“What's more is that Chinese people have always given special attention to children who are in special need."
The UN official made the remarks when addressing a group of 50 children and staff from the Beijing Children's Welfare Home at the Shangri la Hotel, Beijing.
The hotel invited the orphans to share snacks（小吃）, sing, dance and play games at a park inside the hotel for a “Share the Sunshine" party, as a prelude（前奏） to celebrations to mark the Children’s Day.
The Beijing children's Welfare Home, set up soon after New China was founded in 1949, has at present more than 400 children.
A leading official of the welfare institution said that the children live a happy life and that the agency spends 400－500 yuan a month for an average orphan. An average Chinese worker earned 440 yuan a month during the first quarter this year. k+s-5#u 
Gu Xiaojin, deputy secretary general of the China Youth Development Foundation （CYDF）, said people from all walks of like have contributed to the welfare of the Chinese children.
She said that CYDF set up the Project Hope in 1989, which walls on people across the country to donate money to help poor children to continue their schooling.
By the end of last year, she said, CYDF had collected nearly 700 million yuan in donations, which has helped the establishment（建立） of 2,074 Hope primary schools and enabled more than 1.25 million dropouts to return to school classrooms.According to the passage, how can children grow healthily and happily?
| A．They are offered best education and satisfying life. |
| B．They must have their own parents who are rich. |
| C．Both the society and their parents care for them. |
| D．They are allowed to take part in many activities like computer games as often as possible. |
From the passage, we know the Beijing Children's Welfare Home spends at least _____ yuan on the orphans every year.
| A．1,920,000 | B．700,000 | C．874,000 | D．900,000 |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．China's population makes up one fifth of the world's total. |
| B．The CYDE has used the money to help reduce dropouts. |
| C．The Beijing children's Welfare Home was founded in 1989. |
| D．An average Chinese worker earned 440 yuan during the first quarter this year. |
China can get the remarkable achievements in children’s welfare because _______.
| A．There are many children’s welfare homes. k+s-5#u |
| B．The Hope Project has been very successful. |
| C．The Chinese governments have been working harder than before. |
| D．China has a long tradition of caring for children both at home and in society. |
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