Hee-haw! Scores of farms across the country are opening up to overnight guests. The best have all the appeal of a first-rate inn ----- plus here a moo, there a moo.
Sure, you and your kids plan to conquer the theme parks. In the meanwhile, why not make a little hay? Farm stays are fast becoming the great American alternative to the pre-packaged vacation.
LIBERTY HILL FARM
Rochester, Vt.; 802/767-3926; www.libertyhillfarm.com. Adults$75, teens $50,kids 12 and under $35, including breakfast and dinner; shared baths.
Beth and Bob Kennett run a farm straight out of a storybook. You’ll find Beth in the kitchen, rolling out dough(生面团) for a pie. Bob’s busy with other work. Guests sleep in seven sunny bedrooms right in the farmhouse and can participate in any of the farm jobs. Maybe you and your kids won’t be up at 6 a.m. to meet the milk truck, but you can help with the milking twice a day, collect eggs, and pick sweet corn and wild blackberries in season.
HULL-O FARM
Durham, N.Y.; 518/239-6950; www.hull-o.com; Adults $110, kids 10—14 $60, 5—9 $50, 2—4 $35, under 2 free, including breakfast and dinner; private baths.
It started in 1993 as a way to bring in some extra money at a time of falling milk prices. But soon after Frank and Sherry Hull opened their Catskill Mountains dairy farm to overnight visitors, they discovered they loved it. As you drive up, Sherry greets you on the porch(入口处)of the 1825 farmhouse with a cow-shaped cookie jar. Before long your kids are playing around with the cows, sheep, ducks, goats and getting ready for a hayride(乘坐装满干草的牛车出游).
MERAMEC FARM CABINS
Bourbon, Mo.; 573/732-4765; http://www.wine-mo.com Doubles with private bath $75, $10 per additional person. Trail and riding fees extra.
Climb onto the back of the Ford pickup and catch up with the herd. One gentle cow named Cricket will even let the kids sit on her back. At the barn(牲口棚), Carol will introduce you to the horses ---15 Missouri Fox Trotters --- and lead you on a trail ride over the hills and down along the spring-fed Meramec River, where everyone swims. Grab a fishing pole and head back to the river. When you have your fill of the wild, try Carol and Dave’s favorite restaurants or wineries(酿酒厂), within 20 miles of the farm.The underlined sentence in the first paragraph implies that ___________.
A.you can enjoy the best cuisine at the first rate restaurant |
B.some farm provide country experiences as well as good accommodations |
C.farm work is hard, but you can enjoy it a lot, playing with the animals |
D.if you want to hear a cow’s cry, please stay on a best farm |
We can learn from the three ads that _____________.
A.Hull-O Farm was not built for overnight visitors |
B.Frank and Sherry Hull run a farm out of a storybook |
C.kids can sit on a gentle cow’s back on Hull-O Farm |
D.you can’t milk a cow if you get up late on Liberty Hill Farm |
The Browns have a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter. If they stay on Liberty Hill Farm for one night, how much will they pay?
A.$175. | B.$220. | C.$235. | D.$250. |
Who will be most likely interested in the webpage?
A.Kids who want to find pleasure in the theme parks. |
B.People who expect to be employed on the farm. |
C.Researchers who are interested in raising cows on farms. |
D.Those who plan to have family vacations on working farms. |
Kenya is losing an average of 100 of its 2,000 lions each year because of growing human settlements, increasing farming, climate change and diseases, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS).
“Lions have a special place in Kenyans’ life,” said Paul Udoto, a spokesman for the organization. “Other than being the symbol of national strength, they are among the Big Five, a main attraction for visitors to Kenya.”
There were 2,749 lions in Kenya in 2002 and their population dropped to 2,280 by 2004 and to about 2,000 today, according to KWS figures.
“The fall of the lion population is worrying and every effort needs to be made to make sure that Kenya either protects its population of 2,000 lions at present or increases the numbers to an ecologically (生态上地) acceptable level,” said Mr. Udoto.
“There is no doubt that the numbers are in free fall. I’d be surprised if they even last as long as 20 years,” said Laurence Frank, project director of Living With Lions, a Kenya-based animal protection organization. “When I first came here 30 years ago, I would always hear lions roaring across the land at night and see their tracks in the morning. Now that is very rare.”
“The reason is simple. As the numbers of people grow and the numbers of cows increase, they take up much of the lion’s space. Alongside that there are other ways, including poisoning, to kill lions.”
Animal lovers are making a new strategy to save the animals. Part of the measures will include tracking lions fitted with radio collars (无线电项圈) in the Amboseli area in southern Kenya, close to the border with Tanzania.
Wildlife officials in Tanzania face similar challenges in protecting their lions, but there is far less human encroachment(侵犯) on the animals’ homeland there than in Kenya.The lion population is falling in Kenya for the following reasons EXCEPT __________.
A.climate change | B.too many visitors | C.disease | D.human activities |
In Paragraph 2, Paul Udoto wants to show __________.
A.the importance of lions in Kenya |
B.the tourist attractions in Kenya |
C.Kenyan’s special lifestyle |
D.Kenya’s national symbol |
We know from Laurence Frank’s words that __________.
A.lions are losing their attraction for visitors to Kenya |
B.the lion population will be controlled from now on |
C.lions will disappear within twenty years in Kenya if not protected |
D.more cows are needed to feed lions in Kenya |
What is the main idea of the passage?
A.Kenya is losing its Big Five. |
B.Kenyan wildlife is in danger. |
C.Lions face extinction in Kenya. |
D.Lions’ place in Kenyans’ life is falling. |
What will the following passage most probably talk about?
A.Lions’ past living condition in Kenya. |
B.Ways of improving lions’ condition. |
C.Radio collars tracing lions. |
D.Lions’ present living condition in Tanzania |
In many parts of the world, cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them. So the idea that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by government but also by car manufacturers.
The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2020 all cars will be computerized, which will mean much saving, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself, and it will not be owned by one individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.
According to Dr. David Davis , who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which has blocked up our cities, polluted our air , and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.
Davis says, cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. The car will automatically speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.
By 2010, Dr. David Davis believes, car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road, whatever the weather conditions, by projecting an image of the road ahead on to the car’s windscreen. And by 2020, cars will travel in convoy, linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form “road–trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount.” says Davis. “But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount, and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”We know from the passage that governments and car manufacturers _______
A.do not believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2020 |
B.are devoted to the technological revolution in car industry |
C.consider the predictions seriously |
D.have put the super-intelligent car into mass production |
Which of the following will be the characteristic of the cars of 2020?
A.in line | B.sidelong | C.side by side | D.shoulder to shoulder |
What will happen if cars are joined to each other electronically in 2020?
I really hadn’t meant to yell at them. But that grey afternoon saw it just as my son and daughter were making a terrible mess on the floor in the kitchen.
With a tiresome report to write, I felt bothered at my desk. Suddenly, it occurred to me that my kids were at fault. A voice inside me insisted that I do something quickly.
“Ok, you two here, but what an awful thing you are attempting!” I was shouting angrily. I made for them, while it became evident that the boy wanted no part of me. “Get away from us!” he shouted back, there being an expression of support from his sister.
All of a sudden, I found the fault in myself. Quickly I shaped my hands into pincers and crawled towards them, “Crabby Daddy is here. Ha, Ha, Ha, he likes to yell at children, and then eat them!” My son continued to keep me away, but now he was laughing and crying at the same time. My mission to repair the damage caused by my yelling seemed to work well. Still, I regretted not having controlled myself first in a right way.
Need I let them know how badly they were acting by blaming? This is a lesson that serves myself. It only shows just how to get rid of something (ill-feelings, responsibility…) by blaming others. It’s not my “best self”.
We have to search for our “best self” when with our children. They don’t need perfect parents, but they do need parents who are always trying to get better. Here, I am reminded of the words of a great thinker. “When a man lives with God, his voice shall be as sweet as the murmur of the book…” Then, in our lifetime, couldn’t we always speak to our kids in such a sweet voice since most of us consider them as the most precious in the world? And before we reach this level, what should we do when we come across various difficult cases with our children?The author couldn’t help yelling at his kids this time probably because________.
A.the weather was so unpleasant | B.he was tired of his boring work |
C.the kids didn’t ask him to join them | D.a Daddy has his right to do so |
Which of the following made the author aware of his fault?
A.No obvious reason. |
B.The boy’s yelling back. |
C.His self-awareness. |
D.The girl’s shouting back. |
According to the passage, the author will _____ in another similar situation.
A.play a crab again like this time |
B.apologize to kids in a sincere way |
C.avoid blaming kids in a hurry |
D.beat them up about such things |
What will the writer go on to write about in the next paragraph(s)?
A.How to behave ourselves properly when kids are at fault. |
B.How to play with our children in a more interesting way. |
C.How to deal with the housework with children around us. |
D.How to persuade children to do what they are told to. |
What does “the boy wanted no part of me” in the third paragraph mean?
A.The boy was happy because I loved them. |
B.The boy was curious because I wanted to help them. |
C.The boy was very happy for I was angry. |
D.The boy didn’t want me to join them. |
Before she appeared on the reality show(真人秀) Britain’s Got Talent, Susan Boyle was just an ordinary middle-aged British woman. Now all this is going to change.
She lives in a house with her cat Pebbles in a tiny Scottish town. Because of learning difficulties, she doesn’t have much education. But what she does have is a very good voice. As a kid, she sang in church and choirs and school plays. For a living, she sang at local pubs.
When she took the stage on April 10th her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags. The audience laughed at her.
But then she opened her mouth. A few bars into the song and the laughing audience went silent. A beautiful voice was singing I Dreamed a Dream from the musical Les Miserables. Everyone was amazed. At the end of her song, the audience jumped to their feet and applauded wildly.
Almost overnight, Susan became a household name. She won fans and millions of admirers. Her online videos have drawn over 85.2 million hits.
Susan’s story proved the truth of an old saying: “Never judge the book by its cover.” Susan may look ordinary, and doesn’t have much dress sense, but she can certainly sing.
Susan’s fans admire her courage, as much as they do her voice. She has experienced mockery and many disappointments, but her love for music has kept her going, which is worth anyone’s respect.According to the passage, Susan Boyle _______.
A.is a famous young actress |
B.became famous after a show |
C.used to be a good student |
D.is good at dancing and has millions of admirers |
The underlined phrase “just one step up from” in the third paragraph probably means______.
A.far from | B.close to |
C.different from | D.the same as |
The audience jumped and applauded wildly because__________.
A.her hair was untidy and her clothes seemed just one step up from rags |
B.she looked very funny |
C.she sang so well that everyone was amazed |
D.she made a foolish mistake in the end |
Susan Boyle has many fans now because of _______.
A.her beautiful face |
B.her knowing how to dress |
C.her good education |
D.her beautiful voice and courage |
The passage is mainly about___________.
A.how to win fans |
B.how to sing well |
C.a woman’s sudden success |
D.a woman’s simple life |
Talk about happiness
We should not hesitate too much during the first half of our lives, while we should not regret at what we’ve done during the other half. We should seize every opportunity to find a way out in our lives, for it goes off swiftly. We should say something urgent slowly, something serious clearly, something small humorously and something unsure cautiously. We should never say something that did not happen, something that you cannot do, something that does harm to others, and something that is disgusting. We should tell others our happiness on specific occasions and should not tell anyone our unhappiness. Do not easily say something about others. We should follow our own heart and interest, and fulfill what we should do instead of merely paying lip service and looking forward to the future.
Everyone is longing for a happy life, but owning wealth does not necessarily mean owning happiness. To truly reach happiness, we need to know how to get on with others. So we need to understand what happiness is really about and achieve what we desire.
We need to know and understand happiness before we finally get it. A smart man must know to do something good even though it may be small, and not to do something evil even though it may be tiny in the course of socializing. As long as we keep a kind heart and do everything morally and legally, we can live a peaceful life. But if we keep an evil heart and do whatever we want, we are indeed digging a tomb for ourselves. A smart man knows to learn a lesson from his falls, for he knows that every setback is a precious experience leading to happiness in the future. He will not waste his time in criticizing others. Instead, he tends to spend more time seeking his own happiness. He knows to keep a heart of conscience and not to spread others’ mistakes. He also knows to think before he leaps so that he will not feel regretful afterwards. Moreover, he knows to tolerate others, so he can naturally lead a happy life.
Without happiness, one will feel terribly miserable, for he always insists that he has done the right thing all the time and that others often do wrong to him. He blames every mistake on others or the environment instead of reflecting on himself, which keeps him farther and farther away from happiness. A celebrity once said, “Nobody intends to make mistakes. One makes mistakes because of his ignorance.” Therefore, if someone makes mistakes, we need to care about him, forgive him and enlighten him by setting a good example to him instead of losing temper and hating him. Otherwise, we are also ignorant like him, for we also make a stupid mistake that leads us farther from happiness.
In order to possess a happy life, we need to know more about others, about the society, about our culture and history. We should be patriotic(爱国的), obey the law and realize our own responsibility, and then we will definitely have a happy life.
Title |
Talk about happiness |
Wise actions in life |
●Do things without ●Seize every opportunity to do the things we should. ●Avoid saying or doing what we are not ●Don’t comment on others easily. |
Things about happiness we should |
●Getting on well with others is necessary. ●Doing good things with a kind heart may make us live ●Knowing future happiness ●Thinking twice before action and tolerating others can |
Reasons for lack of happiness |
●He blames everything wrong on others or the ●His |
●We should care about the people who make mistakes instead of losing temper and set an example to them. ●We should have a rich ●We should obey the law and shoulder our own responsibility. |