You can love them or hate them, but no matter which tourist destination you visit, chances are that you’ll see someone with their head buried in a Lonely Planet guidebook.
Lonely Planet is one of the world’s largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages. The popular brand also produces television shows, websites and podcasts(播客)all devoted to travel.
Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable. They also save time and make sure you don’t miss the best things.
They also provide the reviews of hostels(旅店), hotels, restaurants and ticket information about your destination.
This can be great if you’re a nervous traveler, or if you haven’t traveled by yourself before. If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, sometimes there’s nothing better than getting into a taxi and opening up a guidebook. You simply point to a map that directs the taxi driver to a hostel that’s cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer.
But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers like them. They say guidebooks take the fun and spontaneity(自发性)out of traveling, and that part of the enjoyment of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen. They also regret that if you follow a guidebook, you’ll end up doing the same thing and having the same experience as everyone else. You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same route.
Another criticism of travel guides is that they have a large impact on local communities. For example, some locals devote their lives to behaving in ways that attract tourists. They pretend to live a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses in order to attract the tourist dollar.
63. The Lonely Planet guidebook can bring you the following advantages EXCEPT that __________.
A. you can speak a foreign language when opening a guidebook
B. you can easily find a nice place to stay in a strange city
C. it provides lots of useful information about your destination
D. it can help you save time and money when traveling
64. People criticize the guidebook because __________.
A. it is not as useful as most travelers expect
B. tourist destinations will be crowded if everyone follows the same route
C. travelers may not get the chance to have unexpected adventures
D. local people keep modern lifestyles under its influence
65. What do we know about the Lonely Planet guidebook from the text?
A. It’s a world-famous brand only producing guidebooks for travelers.
B. It’s very useful to a person who’s nervous about touring an unfamiliar place.
C. It’s very useful to a tourist who likes to repeat others’ experiences.
D. It is loved by all travelers because of the convenience it brings to travelers.
66. Which of the following best shows the structure of the text? (①—⑦ stand for Paragraph 1
—Paragraph 7 )A. ① B. ① C. ① D. ①
② ②③ ④ ② ② ③
③④ ⑤⑥⑦ ⑤ ⑥⑦ ③④⑤ ⑥⑦ ④⑤ ⑥⑦
The mobile phone rule is just common polite behavior. Most people today have a mobile phone. In fact, many people can’t imagine how they ever get along without them. However, many people also complain(抱怨) about mobile phone users. People complain about other people loudly discussing personal matters in public places. They complain when mobile phones ring in movie theaters and concert halls. They complain about people driving too slow, and paying no attention to where they are going because they are talking on a mobile phone. And they complain about people walking around talking to people who aren’t there.
Whenever a new communication technology becomes popular, it changes the way in which society is organized. Society has to invent rules for the polite way to use the new devices(装置). Our rules of politeness for mobile phones are still evolving(发展;使逐渐形成).
The mobile phone rule applies to most public places. Always try to have your phone ring as low as possible or put your mobile phone on the vibration(振动) mode, so it does not distract the people around you. The basic mobile phone rule includes:
1. Switch it off: Turn it off when you have meetings, worship, and so on.
2. Be brief: When you get a call and you’re with friends, keep the call short.
3. Permission: Often, it is correct and polite behavior to inform others at the beginning of the meeting that you are expecting an important call and get their permission.
4. Be polite: Don’t scream — speak in a lower-than-normal voice.
5. Don’t distract: Avoid talking where you may be distracting to others.
6. Driving: It is not only very dangerous, but also unlawful in most countries to drive and talk on your mobile phone.What is the best title for this passage?
A.How to use a mobile phone. |
B.Mobile phone rule. |
C.The disadvantages of mobile phones. |
D.Mobile phones — making them work for us. |
According to this passage, we can know that the rules for mobile phones are______.
A.far from our satisfaction |
B.getting worse |
C.making people disappointed |
D.developing gradually |
Which of the tips on using mobile phones properly is mentioned in this passage?
A.Concentrate on what others say. |
B.Speak at the top of your voice in order to make yourself heard. |
C.Always turn off your mobile phones. |
D.Had better not distract others. |
What is the main purpose of writing the first paragraph?
A.To attract readers to the topic of the passage. |
B.To give examples about people’s improper behaviors with mobile phones. |
C.To criticize people’s improper behaviors. |
D.To show mobile phones have brought people a lot of trouble. |
What does the word underlined“it” refer to in Paragraph 3?
A.A mobile phone. |
B.The ring of the phone. |
C.The mobile phone rule. |
D.The conversation on the phone. |
Restaurants in the USA
Steve’s Pizza
So many pizza chains compete for the attention of tourists in South Beach, but ask a Miami Beach local where to get the best pizza and they’ll tell you about Steve’s. This is New York–style pizza, handmade with care and good ingredients(成份). New branches of Steve’s are opening elsewhere in Miami, all in non-tourist areas.
Opening hours: 11am-3am
Cattleman’s Steakhouse
This place is 20 miles east of the city, but local folks would probably drive 200 miles to eat here. The food is good, and the scenery is even better. Come early and wander around the grounds of Indian Cliffs Ranch, where you’ll see everything from rabbits to buffalo (水牛), then catch the sunset either before or after your meal.
Opening hours: 5pm-10pm
Absolute Baking & Cafe
The screen door is always swinging open at this town hot spot with giant breakfasts. Try the green chili on eggs – it’s made from scratch, as are the organic(有机的) breads. Lunch includes salads, big sandwiches and local grass-fed beef burgers. Don’t miss a square of soft, fresh carrot cake.
Opening hours: 7am-2pm
Walt’s Wharf
Everybody’s favorite for fresh fish (some drive in from LA), Walt’s packs them in on weekends. You can’t make reservations for dinner (though they’re accepted for lunch), but it’s worth the wait for the tree fire–grilled seafood and steaks in the many-windowed ground floor or upstairs in captain’s chairs.
Opening hours: 11am-3:30pmThe new branches of Steve’s Pizza are mainly intended for .
A.New Yorkers | B.the locals |
C.tourists | D.foreigners |
Cattleman’s Steakhouse offers the wonderful as well as good food.
A.view | B.wine |
C.discount | D.service |
Which restaurant serves both breakfast and lunch?
A.Steve’s Pizza. |
B.Walt’s Wharf. |
C.Cattleman’s Steakhouse. |
D.Absolute Baking & Café. |
Next time you hear a funny joke you’d better not laugh too hard. According to a paper published by the British Medical Journal, laughter isn’t always the best medicine. Sometimes it can even be harmful. Professor Robin Ferner from the University of Birmingham, one of the authors of the study, found that bad things could happen to people who laughed too much. He says: “We found people with heartbeat problems which had stopped their heart, we found people who had fainted(昏倒), and we found people who’d dislocated their jaws or burst their lungs.”
It seems that laughing can be no laughing matter. But it’s not all doom and gloom. Professor Ferner says there are benefits to laughing when you want to lose weight, for example. Yes, that’s right: laugh and be slimmer! Professor Ferner explains that: “You use energy when you laugh, you move your diaphragm(横膈膜), you expand your lungs, and both those things can be helpful.”
According to the research, laughing for a quarter of an hour can burn up to 40 calories, and if you laughed all day you’d use up about 2,000 calories, which is what most people consume in a day. But don’t do that or you might end up with a painful jaw. Ouch! Or you might find people looking at you in a funny way.
But I don’t want to finish this article leaving you feeling desperate. Laughter comes naturally for most of us. Babies begin to laugh at around 3-6 months. So give in to your sense of humor and keep smiling. Life is short anyway.Laughing too much may cause the following harmful results EXCEPT_________.
A.diaphragm movement |
B.heart stop |
C.lung burst |
D.jaw dislocation |
The underlined phrase “doom and gloom” in Paragraph 2 probably means_______.
A.nervous | B.funny |
C.painful | D.hopeless |
How many calories can you use if you laugh for half a day?
A.About 40. | B.About 2,000. |
C.About 1,000. | D.About 2,040. |
What is the author’s attitude towards laughing in the last paragraph?
A.Uninterested. | B.Favorable. |
C.Worried. | D.Disapproving. |
The Cuban iguana(大蜥蜴) is a species of lizard(蜥蜴) of the iguana family. It is the largest of the West Indian rock iguanas, one of the most endangered groups of lizards. This species with red eyes and a thick tail is one of the largest lizards in the Caribbean.
The Cuban iguana is primarily herbivorous; 95% of its diet consists of the leaves, flowers and fruits from as many as 30 plant species, including the seaside rock bush and various grasses.However, Cuban iguanas occasionally consume animal matter, and individuals have been observed eating the dead flesh of birds, fish and crabs, The researchers wrote that quite a few people on Isla Magueyes could have caused this incident.
The Cuban iguana is distributed throughout the rocky southern coastal areas of mainland Cuba and its surrounding islands with a wild population booming on Isla Magueyes, Puerto Rico. It is also found on the Cayman Islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac, where a separate subspecies occurs. Females guard their nest sites and often nest in sites half destroyed by Cuban crocodiles. To avoid the attack from them, the Cuban iguana often makes its home within or near prickly-pear cacti (仙人掌).
In general the species is in decline, more quickly on the mainland than on the outlying islands. One of the reasons for their decline is habitat destruction caused by the over consuming of farm animals, housing development, and the building of tourist resorts on the beaches where the animals prefer to build their nests. Although the wild population is in decline, the numbers of iguanas have been sharply increased as a result of captive-breeding(圈养) and other conservation programs.The underlined word "herbivorous" (Paragraph 2) probably means .
A.dangerous | B.gentle |
C.flesh-eating | D.plant-eating |
Why does the Cuban iguana build its nest near prickly-pear cacti?
A.To keep itself cool. |
B.To avoid crocodiles' attack. |
C.To stay away from people. |
D.To get the food easily. |
How many reasons are mentioned for the habitat destruction?
A.Two. | B.Five. | C.Four. | D.Three. |
What's the author's purpose of writing the text?
A.To give us a brief introduction to the Cuban iguana. |
B.To show he is concerned about the Cuban iguana. |
C.To explain reasons for the Cuban iguana's decline. |
D.To draw people's attention to the endangered Cuban iguana. |
When she moved the covering cloth to look upon his tiny face, she was shocked. The doctor turned quickly and looked out the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed, knowing that his life was to be full of heart- breaks for his imperfect appearance.
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune and popular with his fellow students. He might have been class monitor,but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret.” The operation was a brilliant success, and a new person turned up. His talents blossomed into genius, and his school and college became a series of success. Later he married and entered the diplomatic service.
One day ,he urged his father, “Who gave so much for me?I must know! I could never do enough for him.”
“I do not believe you could, ” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come--- one of the darkest days that a son must endure. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket (棺材). Slowly, tenderly, the father reached out a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to show that the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut, ” he whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they?”
Real beauty lies not in the physical appearance,but in the heart. Real treasure lies not in what can be seen,but in what cannot be seen. Real love lies not in what is done and known, but in what is done and not known.The mother was shocked at the first sight of her baby because.
A.her baby was born without hair |
B.her baby had a tiny face |
C.her baby was born imperfect |
D.the doctor turned to look out of the window |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.The son attempted to repay the donator’s kindness. |
B.The son didn't know the truth until his mother died. |
C.With donated ears, the son’s life developed smoothly. |
D.The boy couldn't hear clearly without ears at first. |
Why did the boy's mother never have her hair cut?
A.Because her hair helped to keep a secret. |
B.Because her hair added to her beauty. |
C.Because her long hair was her pride. |
D.Because she liked her thick and brown hair. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
A.A Misfortunate Boy |
B.Mother’s Hair |
C.Mother’s Secret Love |
D.A Successful Ear Operation |