Be a Traveler, not a Tourist
Last summer, I had just enough money saved to buy a golden ticket—a 3-month train pass that would take me to the furthest reaches of Europe. Excited for my journey, I packed all the necessities—except the ________.
While the convenience of the Internet was definitely a contributing factor to my ________not to take with me the few expensive kilograms of out-of-date information, this was not the only reason why I decided to fly alone.
To be honest, my main ________with the guidebook is that I find it ________ the pleasure of a journey—like bossy aunt who is always telling you what to do, ________ she doesn’t always know what is the best.
Experience has taught me that there is an obvious ________ between a tourist and traveler.
While waiting in a queue, I met a man who had a checklist. He showed me his list of “Top 20 Things To Do in Italy” and ________ off in a loud American accent that he’d seen everything Italy has to offer in just four days.
The problem I had with this man’s ________ to travelling was that he was too ________ information provided by his guidebook. He was lost in the ________ attractiveness of the “must-sees” and ________ to all the wonders and adventures that might happen during the ________ trip.
So, ________any guidebook, I traveled to Estonia, the tiny Baltic country bordering Russia. In the ________ of advance plans as guidebooks would suggest, I had no choice but to turn to some friendly faces for advice. I _________myself first and then asked them what was happening around the town. When this ________ an invitation to a beautiful Estonian home by a river where I ________ a 110-degree wood-stove sauna（桑拿浴）, ________ picked forest-mushrooms and the good ________ of our five newfound Estonian friends, I was most glad that I had left my “bossy ________” at home.
1.A. guidebook B. magazine C. cash D. map
2.A. goal B. excuse C. decision D. mistake
3.A. suggestion B. problem C. dislike D. connection
4.A. increases B. annoys C. removes D. limits
5.A. even though B. as if C. as though D. as long as
6.A. similarity B. distinction C. competition D. misunderstanding
7.A. cut B. showed C. gave D. put
8.A. way B. determination C. confidence D. approach
9.A. cautious about B. amused by C. focused on D. surprised at
10.A. likely B. seemingly C. orderly D. lovely
11.A. blind B. dumb C. deaf D. eager
12.A. guided B. imagined C. real D. paid
13.A. without B. beyond C. except D. unlike
14.A. loss B. control C. face D. absence
15.A. introduced B. warned C. calmed D. enjoyed
16.A. resulted in B. cut in C. broke in D. put in
17.A. found B. enjoyed C. ordered D. bathed
18.A. locally B. secretly C. rarely D. nervously
19.A. experience B. company C. opinion D. time
20.A. mom B. book C. aunt D. master
Start Small, Think Big
Remember when you were asked to write compositions about “a meaningful experience” as young students? You would write about how you overcame hardship and unpleasantness in order to help others. You learned then that there was more to life than earning lots of money and living in comfort.
It’s easy to lose sight of the greater meaning in our life when running our business and making time for our family and friends. 1.
Rank our values. Many people are successful, but people who live lives of real significance actually think about and work for others instead of just collecting wealth. They’re getting involved in ordinary activities that make a difference to others or fulfill a need in their communities. 2.The hard work they put in helping others is reflecting the values that are most meaningful to them.
Think locally. People who live significant lives don’t necessarily jet around on airplanes going to so-called extraordinary events and board meetings. 3.That could mean creating a great employment environment for a dozen people, raising funds for a cancer charity, or volunteering in a local school district. The key is that your actions are in agreement with your values and you are committed to making a positive difference.
4. Donate your old clothes and books to children in poor areas. Join a volunteering project. Help set up a waste bin for used batteries in your building. Hand out leaflets to your neighbors on how to protect themselves in the growing air pollution.
5. We’re giving more than we’re taking away and making them better because of it. when people say “I like myself best when I’m with you, and you know you’re making the world a better place,” you’re living a life of significance.
A. It matters a lot to measure your own business against your community
B. They just improve their own parts of the world for the benefit of others.
C. Significance comes when we create value and make contributions to people we care about
D. Their seemingly small deeds actually come bigger than other goals
E. They often aim high
F. But the good news is that you can take action to begin to get back on track
G. Be kind and considerate.
A primary school in Hangzhou said on Monday it’s pulling a sex education textbook over complaints after gaining recent international attention for both its progressive approach and its graphic content.
Controversy sparked after a mother of a second-grader at the school posted about the textbook on Sina Weibo on February 28, complaining the book contained overly-graphic illustrations of reproductive(生殖的)organs.
The book, published by Beijing Normal University, aims for students aged 6 to13. It had been used in schools for nearly a decade before the recent round of controversy.
In China, sex education often faces resistance, especially from the older generation of parents who used to tell their children that babies were picked up in streets or jumped out from rocks. China’s sex education is considered conservative and schools usually try to avoid the subject, leaving the responsibility to parents or society. Nowadays, the frank description of sexual behavior in a recently-released sex education textbook for primary school students in the city has triggered a wave of parental concern. Is the sex education textbook truly too clearly expressed?
Some people hold that the sex education book should be detailed. Sex education is an important way of teaching children knowing themselves, so we cannot ambiguous words describing the sex. On the other hand, adults see dirty things in the books while students may not. They see things in a different way and we should not judge the books from our perspective. There is no need to avoid sex in education.
Others do not agree. They think it is not wrong to describe sex in direct ways, but the sentences in the book are too rude and are even banned from our website. The wording should be more tender and beautiful in books for children.
As far as I can see, we should be more careful about the sensitive topic, sex education. Different methods should be applied to children of different age groups. We can tell more details about sex to the older children, because they can accept it smoothly, and give more pictures, or tender words to the younger ones.
1.Why did the elder generation use to lie about where kids came from?
A. Because they were innocent and had no idea about that
B. Because they were not open-minded and didn’t want their kids to be exposed to sex too early
C. Because sex was so private that they felt shameful when telling the truth
D. Because they didn’t want to go against schools, who usually tried to avoid the subject
2.Which of the following statements does not agree with the original text?
A. Recently, the sex education book mentioned above has become a global concern.
B. Parents criticize the direct ways the sex education book adopted to describe sex
C. People divide their opinions on whether sex education is necessary or not
D. It’s not the first time the sex education book mentioned has been used in schools
3.What can we infer from the text?
A. There was no debate over the sex education book before the recent round controversy
B. According to the supporters, parents should put themselves in their children’s shoes when dealing with the sex education book
C. Different methods should be used on children of different age groups
D. Sex education is so sensitive a topic that the writer can hardly bring forward any advice
4.Which of the following words is the nearest in meaning to the underlined word “progressive” in the first paragraph?
A. Rewarding B. Strange
C. Reasonable D. Advanced
Born in 1995 or later, a lot of Gen Z-ers are entering into adulthood and will soon join the workforce. Having grown up with the Internet, they are said to be “tech-savvy” and mad about social media.
They live in a more tolerant ear when gay marriage is being legalized in more and more societies. But they’ve also witnessed the rise of global terrorism.
Most people will agree that the single biggest difference between Gen Z and other generations is how connected they are. This is a group of people who were hooked up to social media as soon as they were born. Social media have changed the way Gen Z-ers interact with each other and how they get and process information. “We are the first true digital natives,” Hannah Payne, an 18-year-old UCLA student and lifestyle blogger, was quoted by The New York Times as saying. “I can almost at the same instant create a document, edit it, post a photo on Instagram and talk on the phone, all fro the user-friendly interface of my iPhone.”
“Gen Z takes in information instantaneously,” she added, “and loses interest just as fast.”
Gen Z-ers may have a shorter attention span than a goldfish, but they are conscientious(认真尽责的)and civic-minded(有公德心的). They are entered their adulthood, accompanied by the economic downturn and global terrorism and they have their eyes open from the very beginning.
The Guardian also notes that young people in the UK are becoming more active in politics. According to a British Election Study that is cited by the newspaper, an estimated 58 percent of 18-to-24-year-old voted in the 2015 general election in the UK, a significant jump from the 38 percent turnout among the same age group in 2005.
Voting is just one way of making one’s voice heard. The European Commission has found that “young people regard voting as one option among many, and they show their political engagement in many different, issue-specific ways that can potentially influence policies more directly”.
1.According to the passage, we can infer that __________.
A. Gen Z has become a mainstream of the society
B. it is still unacceptable for gays to get married in some societies
C. global terrorism occurs less often than before
D. Internet and intelligent mobile phones have dominated Gen Z’s life
2.Which of the following cannot characterize Gen Z-ers?
A. They are highly connected by means of social media
B. They an access and process information in a more advanced way
C. They are going through an age free from care and worry
D. They hold no lasting interest in things
3.How does Gen Z obtain information according to Hannah Payne?
A. Directly B. Surprisingly
C. Conveniently D. Independently
4.What can we conclude from the last two paragraphs?
A. There’s a significant drop of young voters’ engagement in general election in UK in 2015
B. The young generation is getting more and more active in running for governors
C. Young people will directly decide policy making
D. Voting in political elections can help young people express their standpoint
A young man wandered through the desert for forty until he reached a beautiful castle at the top of a mountain. There lived the sage that he was looking for.
With considerable patience, the sage listened attentively to the reason for the boy’s visit, but told him that at that moment he did not have time to explain to him the secret of happiness.
He suggested that the young man take a walk around his palace and come back in two hours’ time.
“However, I want to ask you a favor,” he added, banding the boy a teaspoon, in which he poured two drops of oil. “While you walk, carry this spoon and don’t let the oil spill.”
The young man began to climb up and down the palace staircases, always keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. At the end of two hours he returned to the presence of the wise man.
“So,” asked the sage, “did you see the Persian tapestries(挂毯)hanging in my dining room? Did you see the fantastic garden that the Master of Gardeners spent ten years in creating?”
Embarrassed, the young man admitted that he had seen nothing.
“So, go back and see the wonders of my world,” said the wise man. “You can’t trust a man if you don’t know his house.”
Now more at ease, the young man took the spoon and wandered again through the palace, this time paying attention to all the works of art that hung from the ceilings and walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around the palace, and the delicacy of the flowers. Returning to the sage, he reported in detail what he had seen.
“But where are the two drops of oil that I entrusted to you?” asked the Sage.
Looking down at the spoon, the young man realized that he had spilled the oil.
“Well, that is the only advice I have to give you,” said the sage of sages. “The secret of happiness lies in looking at all the wonders of the world and never forgetting the two drops of oil in the spoon.”
1.What was the intention of the young man to travel to look for the sage?
A. To appreciate the most beautiful scenery along the way
B. To experience adventures of the outside world
C. To figure out whether the sage was knowledgeable or not
D. To learn the secret of happiness from the wisest man
2.Which of the following statements is wrong?
A. The sage listened to the young man with patience
B. During his second round of wandering, the young man appreciated the wonders of the castle
C. The young man made it as the sage had expected
D. The young man was too concerned about the oil when he first went around the castle
3.Why did the sage ask the young man to go around his castle with a spoon of two drops of oil?
A. Because he wanted to find out whether the young man was perseverant in accomplishing his goals
B. Because he intended to let the young man know that happiness came at a price
C. Because he wanted to let the young man trust him
D. Because he wanted to help the young man to uncover the secret of happiness in an indirect way
4.What can we learn from the story?
A. We can’t trust a man unless we get familiar with his house
B. Real happiness consists in enjoying our rights and meanwhile fulfilling our duties
C. The search for the secret of happiness demands our devotion
D. It’s not easy to keep balance between enjoyment and commitment
On Sept.15, TripAdvisor, one of the world’s largest travel review websites, named the world’s top 25 museums in its Travelers’ Choice Award according to the reviews and opinions of travelers worldwide. Now let’s take a look at the top four museums which are ranked as follows by the popularity around the world.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
It is the largest museum in the Western Hemisphere, with a collection of 2 million items from more than 5,000 years of world culture. The iconic museum includes important collections from ancient Egypt and medieval Europe as well as ancient Greece and Rome. Here, visitors can get lost in different centuries: They can see the Temple of Dendur from early Egypt, Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield With Cypresses an US pop Andy Warhol’s Souper Dress, all in one place.
Muse d’Orsay, Paris
Located in the center of Paris on the bank of the River Seine, the Musee d’Orsay houses the world’s most amazing collections of impressionist and post-impressionist art. It offers the chance to view major works from greats like Van Gogh and Claude Monet. The museum is famous for being home to Starry Night over the Rhone, an oil painting by Van Gogh that is often praised along with his masterpiece Starry Night.
Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois
It was named the world’s best museum in 2014. The world-famous Windy City museum houses nearly 300,000 works, including one of the largest collections of modern art, including pieces such as Spanish painter Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist, US artist Georgia O’Keeffe’s Black Cross and French artist Henri Matisse’s Bathers by a River. A TripAdvisor reviewer commented, “No matter how many times I visit, it never gets old. Paintings from every era, works fro every great artist.”
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid
Nowhere is able to present the entire history of Spanish art like the Museo Nacional del Prado.
Here, visitors can enjoy a detailed view of the Spanish school of the Modern Age. Outstanding masterpieces by artists such as Diego Velazquez, Francisco Goya and Joaquiin Sorolla make up an internationally-famous collection. The Italian school is another highlight of the museum’s collection, as it includes the 15th century masterpieces such as The Annunciation by Fra Angelico, The Death of the Virgin by Andrea Mantegna and The Dead Christ Supported by Angels by Antonello da Messina.
1.How is the Metropolitan Museum of Art different from the other three museums?
A. It is the largest art museum in the world
B. It is so big that visitors may easily get lost in it
C. It is the most popular museum of the four museums
D. Its main collection is from ancient Egypt and medieval Europe
2.If you are interested in impressionist art, _____ is a place you cannot miss.
A. Metropolitan Museum of Art B. Musee d’Orsay
C. Art Institute of Chicago D. Museo Nacional del Prado
3.Which is a correct match of the painting and the museum?
A. Pablo Picasso’s The Old Guitarist—Musee d’Orsay
B. Henri Matisse’s Bathers by a River—Metropolitan Museum of Art
C. Vincent van Gogh’s Wheatfield With Cypresses—Art Institute of Chicago
D. Andrea Mantegna’s The Death of the Virgin---Museo Nacional del Prado
