The Best Time to Visit Sydney
If you prefer the cold to heat，especially if seeking to escape the northern summer，the best time to visit Sydney could be in the Australian winter from June 1 to August 31.
The Sydney winter isn’t really harsh and the weather’s generally pleasant.It’s great for touring the city on foot and for bushwalking.And the ski slopes are not too far away.
Holiday time
You get the Queen’s Birthday holiday weekend in June and the school holidays in July.Aside from within those periods，accommodation costs in the city will generally be lower.
Winter weather
Expect generally cool conditions.The average temperature should range from around 8℃(46) at night to 16℃(61) in the daytime in midwinter.Expect from 80mm to 131mm of rain in a month，with the most rain in June tapering into August.
Winter accommodation
Outside of the holiday periods，Sydney accommodation will usually be available and should be relatively cheaper.
Winter activities
·The weather’s fine for a walking tour of Sydney.Visit the Rocks，the Sydney Opera House，the Royal Botanic Gardens，Art Gallery of New South Wales，Australian Museum，Hyde Park，Chinatown，Darling Harbour.
·Go on a harbor cruise.At the very least，take a Sydney ferry and cross the harbor to Manly.
·Take a day trip north，south and west of Sydney.
·Spot the whales as they travel north in the whale migration season.
·Go bushwalking at the Royal National Park.
1.Considering weather and accommodation，the best time to visit Sydney is in .
A. June B. July
C. August D. December
2.Which of the following activities is NOT recommended in the passage?
A. Going skiing near Sydney.
B. Hunting whales in the Royal Botanic Gardens.
C. Touring Sydney on foot.
D. Bushwalking at the Royal National Park.
Teaching is challenging and teaching college is often a mixed bag.Sometimes my class feels more like a cafeteria，where students come and go，______ in the middle of my lectures.Mostly these students have entered college right out of high school.College seems to them like ______ a continuation of high school，______ the sense of newness that often drives curiosity and achievement.
But there is a category of students that gives everyone reasons for ______.They are the so called “nontraditional students”：those who，for one reason or ______，didn’t go to college when they were 18，but many years later.Some years back in my teaching，while calling out names from the name list on the first day，I noticed a gray haired woman of about 70.She was wandering in the doorway，______ her new books like a schoolgirl.
“I’m not on the name list，” she volunteered.“But I was ______ if I could sit in for the first class，to see what marine(海洋) biology is about.” This woman’s eagerness ______ me，so I invited her to have a seat.I began the class with questions to get a(n) ______ of how much knowledge they were bringing to the course.As I questioned them about the difference between fishes and seagoing mammals，most of my new students remained ______.But Natalie，the older woman，was on the edge of her seat，______ answers.At the end of the class，she came up to me and apologized for being the “extra” student.She said，“Will you ______ me another chance？” ______ at losing her，I acted quickly to remove her ______.“I’ll see you next class，”I said.Natalie turned out to be a vital and ______ student.She commuted 50 miles each day to get to school，often in the severe winter，and never missed a class.______ this，she was enthusiastic about helping my younger students.Apparently these older students have the ______ over them.It lies in the breadth and depth of their path of life.After having ______ numerous personal and professional barriers，they have an expansive world view.______ a return to school may，at first，be frightening for them，they tend to make it because they are ______ great trouble to put their studies into an already full life.
1.A. often B. seldom C. never D. hardly
2.A. more than B. other than C. rather than D. no more than
3.A. creating B. lacking C. involving D. inspiring
4.A. anger B. desperation C. hope D. pity
5.A. another B. others C. the other D. none
6.A. bringing B. buying C. holding D. fetching
7.A. hoping B. wondering C. thinking D. expecting
8.A. impressed B. embarrassed C. puzzled D. amused
9.A. plan B. sense C. concept D. idea
10.A. enthusiastic B. silent C. interested D. calm
11.A. asking B. repeating C. rejecting D. volunteering
12.A. offer B. make C. learn D. introduce
13.A. Relieved B. Relaxed C. Alarmed D. Annoyed
14.A. concern B. curiosity C. attention D. concentration
15.A. diligent B. humorous C. intelligent D. openminded
16.A. Regardless of B. But for C. Except D. Apart from
17.A. ability B. experience C. advantage D. belief
18.A. got over B. got across C. got away from D. got through
19.A. Unless B. Until C. When D. While
20.A. demanding B. taking C. sparing D. escaping
—It really annoys me when a person’s cell phone goes off during a movie!
—Yeah，me too.It really .
A. costs me an arm and a leg B. gets on my nerves
C. beats my brains out D. pulls my legs
Outside，the wind to pick up，and the rain started coming down even harder.
A. has begun B. had begun
C. would begin D. is beginning
—It was fine yesterday.
— .And a good day for picnicking，isn’t it?
A. So it is B. So is it
C. So it was D. So was it
—What a mess！You are always so lazy!
—I’m not to blame，mum.I am you have made me.
A. how B. what
C. that D. who
