In the hit film The bucket List, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman meet in hospital in California after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Between them they cook up a “bucket list” ------ a to-do list of all they want to do before they kick the bucket. The movie makes you wonder what would be on your bucket list. So let’s pack up some and see what it would cost to go out and have a little fun.
THE PYRAMIDS, GIZA, EGYPT
On to the pyramids, surely on anyone’s bucket list. Exotik Tours can take you there on a variety of trips, including their popular Egypt Express which includes three nights in Cairo and a three-night Nile Cruise (乘船游览). From $1,384, including four-and five-star accommodation, 12 meals and a ton of sightseeing.
www.exotiktours.com 416-646-3347
TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA
One of the world’s most fascinating images, India’s Taj Mahal makes even Nicholson and Freeman look calm. Toronto’s Goway Travel has many suggestions for India, including a three-day independent visit to Agra. Stay at the attractive Oberoi AmarVilas overlooking the Taj. Include two breakfasts, touring and airport transfer from $1,420.
www.gowaytravel.com 416-322-1034
THE GREAT WALL, CHINA
If the Great Wall of China is on your bucket list, check into Tour East Holiday’s four-day Amazing Beijing Tour for $580 per person, four-star accommodation, sightseeing including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, breakfasts and two lunches, transportation and guide.
www.toureastholidays.com 416-929-0888
THE HIMALAYAS, NEPAL
And on to the Himalayas. Talk about something truly majestic (壮丽的). See the top of the world on GAP Adventures’ Everest Adventure tour, a 15-day exploration including Everest Base Camp, teahouse lodge stays, and walking through Sherpa villages. Incredibly affordable at just $665 plus local payment of $250. GAP Adventures warns that this is a physically demanding trip.
www.gapadventures.com 416-260-0999
1.The underlined phrase “kick the bucket” in Paragraph 1 means ____.
A. come to life B. play a game
C. list interesting places D. pass away
2.According to the passage, where can you enjoy a view of the whole Taj Mahal?
A. In Sherpa village. B. Near the Forbidden City
C. At Oberoi AmarVilas D. Through Egypt Express
3.If you take on the Everest Adventure tour, you should be aware that ____.
A. it is a tiring trip
B. the sights may not be so good.
C. you may not be used to the food there
D. it is an expensive trip
4.Which of the following websites may offer you more information about Agra?
A. www.exotiktours.com B. www.gowaytravel.com
C. www.gapadventures.com D. www.toureastholidays.com
Taking exams in a large group setting can be stressful for students and for the staff members who are watching over them. When classrooms are crowded and desks are close together, cheating might be tempting.
One university in Thailand came up with an anti-cheating hat that makes it almost impossible for students to see other students’ papers. A photo of the students wearing the anti-cheating hats made its way to the internet, and the university was criticized for making students wear those ridiculous looking homemade hats. The hats were made by stapling two pieces of paper onto a headband, one to each side of the head.
After being criticized, senior academic staff at Kasetsart University in Bangkok, Thailand, released a statement saying that the hats idea came from students. They said that in a bid to prevent cheating they asked the students for ideas on how to prevent cheating in the upcoming exam, which was being taken by almost one hundred students. Students came up with different ideas, then the paper hat idea was selected by them as the most fit. The university claims that no-one was forced to use the hat, but they all chose to do so. “When wearing the hat during the exam, students felt more relaxed,” Nattadon Rungruangkitkrai, a lecturer at the university said.“It was not meant to indicate that Kasetsart students often cheat on exams. I apologize if the photo makes other people look at my students in a negative way,’ Rungruangkitkrai added.
1.Why was the university criticized on the Internet?
A．The homemade anti-cheating hat looked too simple.
B．Wearing the anti-cheating hat made students look ridiculous.
C．Wearing the anti-cheating hats couldn’t prevent students from cheating in the exam.
D．The university forced students to wear the anti-cheating hat.
2.What’s most of the Kasetsart University students’ attitude towards the cheating hat?
A. skeptical B. supportive C. objective D. negative
3.It can be inferred from the passage that_______.
A. It’s useless wearing the anti-cheating hat in the exam.
B. Kasetsart students are often caught cheating in the exam.
C. Wearing the anti-cheating hat is effective in some degree.
D. Some students are forced to wear the anti-cheating hat.
My mother always says that I’m born to dance ballet．But that September when I was in a ballet 36 and went to do a turn，something just happened. I heard it and I surely 37 it．I went right to a doctor and got an MRI，which 38 a lot of damage to my knee——a(n) 39 injury for a dancer．I had to have a(n) 40 .
Everything had been going so well and now I had this huge injury．Dance was my life，but 41，I wasn’t going to be able to do it for a year or possibly never again．
My dad was really a big inspiration for me. He was 42 a battle against cancer at that time．He showed me how to make it through a 43 situation．I thought that if he could do that，I could handle this，too． 44 my operation，I had great difficulty walking，but I knew that if I really worked hard，my injury would 45 ．
Several months later, I definitely wasn't at my strongest，but I could 46 a class. The dancing I did was basic 47 that my knee could handle．
Once we started practicing in the fall，I was beginning to feel like myself again．One day，I 48 the schedule and my name was next to Eliot Feld．I thought it must be a(n) 49 because he is very famous in the ballet world．But it wasn’t．He 50 me and taught me a lot of things．At l8，I had a solo performance! It was a big 51 ．I was so excited and felt like a real ballerina．After the 52 ，Eliot said，“You know, you have a gift—and you are also made of 53 ．"That，coming from him，was the 54 compliment(赞美)I have ever received．I’d like to think that 55 my injury made me strong．
1.A．school B．class C．team D．play
2.A．felt B．accepted C．broke D．touched
3.A．pointed B．said C．showed D．read
4.A．necessary B．important C．practical D．deadly
5.A．operation B．cry C．holiday D．test
6.A．all of a sudden B．in time C．at present D．once in a while
7.A．leading B．losing C．fighting D．inventing
8.A．wonderful B．difficult C．positive D．heavy
9.A． At B．During C．After D．Over
10.A．move B．go C．die D． heal
11.A．take up B．get through C．break into D．set out
12.A．damages B．activities C．moves D．breathes
13.A．stole B．checked C．faced D．borrowed
14.A．problem B．opportunity C．mistake D．task
15.A．held B．obeyed C．received D．encouraged
16.A．success B．secret C．surprise D．position
17.A．performance B．speech C．competition D．match
18.A．mud B．wood C．steel D．gold
19.A．simplest B．greatest C．deepest D．smartest
20.A．turning to B．1etting out C．setting up D．dealing with
Nothing could be done, he_____ absent.
A. was B. being C. to be D. be
He ________ the exam, but he was too careless.
A. could have passed B. couldn’t have passed
C. must have passed D. may have passed
These chairs may look good, but they’re very un-comfortable _____.
A. to sit on B. to be sat on C. sit on D. sitting on
