BRITAIN is a popular tourist place. But tours of the country have pros and cons.
Good news
Free museums: No charge for outstanding collections of art and antiquities(古董).
Pop music: Britain is the only country to rival (与……比敌)the US on this score.
Black cabs: London taxi drivers know where they are going even if there are never enough of them at weekends or night.
Choice of food: Visitors can find everything from Ethiopian to Swedish restaurants.
Fashion: Not only do fashion junkies love deeply and respect highly brand names such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen; street styles are justly loved, too.
Bad news
Poor service: “It’s part of the image of the place. People can dine out on the rudeness they have experienced,” says Professor Tony Seaton of Luton University’s International Tourism Research Center.
Poor public transport: Trains and buses are promised to defeat the keenest tourists, although the over-crowded London tube is inexplicably(不可解的) popular.
Lack of language: Speaking slowly and clearly may not get many foreign visitors very far, even in the tourist traps.
Rain: Still in the number one complaint.
No air-conditioning: So that even splendidly hot summer become as unbearable as the downpours.
Overpriced hotels: The only European country with a higher rate of tax on hotel rooms is Denmark.
Licensing hours: Alcohol is in short supply after 11 p.m. even in 24-hour cities.What do tourists complain most?
| A．Poor service. |
| B．Poor public transport. |
| C．Rain. |
| D．Overpriced hotels. |
What do we learn about pop music in Britain and the US through this passage?
| A．Pop music in Britain is better than that in the US. |
| B．Pop music in Britain is as good as that in the US. |
| C．Pop music in Britain is worse than that in the US. |
| D．Pop music in Britain is quite different from that in the US. |
When is alcohol not able to get?
| A．At 9:00p.m. | B．At 10:00p.m. | C．At 11:00p.m. | D．At 12:00p.m. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．You have to pay to visit the museums. | B．It’s very cheap to travel by taxi there. |
| C．You cannot find Chinese food there. | D．The public transport is poor there. |
“iPhone 5”, the tallest thing to happen to iPhone since iPhone
We don’t want to change your phone, we want to make you say, “Wow, that is a bigger change than I expected”. “iPhone 5” is a result of that desire to surprise.
It’s been completely redesigned. For the first time ever, we’ve increased the size of display (显示) by making the screen taller but not wider.
You can see more of your content without the need to scroll. We are making scrolling the thing of the past. It is more comfortable to use and reduces tiredness from scrolling when you read long documents.
Even with the larger display, it is the thinnest iPhone we ever built. To achieve the design this tall, we have to look at it and completely redesign the architecture inside. It’s 18% thinner and 79.5% taller than the previous iPhone. It makes everything you do on “iPhone5” easier. No more hidden menus, no confusing gestures. Everything is right at your fingertips.
The panorama feature (全景拍照) is simply awesome. The ultra HD (超高清) widescreen display lets you get your entire shot in a single snap (快门). You can also use its creative design for picture stabilization.
With an iPhone this tall, reception of signals has never been better. And of course, all your favorite applications are still available. In fact you will find your old favorites also benefit from the new experiencing handsome ultra HD widescreen. We found while many previous iPhone owners were using Facetime, they only used it for the faces. That’s why we are introducing Bodytime. With its ultra HD widescreen display, Bodytime lets you see a person’s entire body.
It took all of our learning and all of our thinking to realize something so simple, so clear, and yet so tall.
And I wish your pocket were tall enough to hold such a perfect invention!How is the screen of “iPhone 5” different from the previous ones?
| A．Wider. | B．Taller. | C．Easier. | D．Thinner. |
What does the underlined word “scroll” probably mean?
| A．Update the webpage. | B．Download new documents. |
| C．Refresh the content. | D．Move the content upward. |
What can we infer about “iPhone 5” from the passage?
| A．It is really necessary for you to hide menus. |
| B．The reception of signals is bad due to its length. |
| C．Bodytime is popular with previous iPhone owners. |
| D．New applications of “iPhone 5” are unbelievable. |
“iPhone 5” is introduced in a(n) ________ way in this passage.
| A．humorous | B．objective | C．scientific | D．serious |
Xinhua News Agency－The International Conference on Power Engineering (ICOPE) 2013, organized by the Chinese Society of Power Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, opened in Wuhan, on Oct 24. More than 300 energy experts, scholars and businessmen from countries and areas including the United States, Japan, the EU, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Nigeria, Arab and China are attending the three-day academic conference on the world’s energy problems.
Professor Zheng Chuguang, from the School of Energy and Power Engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, gave a speech on the development of oxygen fuel technology in China, and said that settling the problem of cost ranks highest.
George Saxon, vice-president of Conco Systems Inc, US, presented a report on the topic of Energy Engineer to Shape the Future. He said that the company’s research and innovation (创新) are of great significance for the future and already contribute to reducing costs and improving efficiency (效率).
Professor Didier Mayer from the Ecole des Mines de Paris, France, spoke about “Wind Energy R&D Line Based on the Global Renewable Energy Status”, and Professor Yasuo Koizumi of Shinshu University in Japan and Li Chun-Zhu of Curtin University of Technology in Australia also gave speeches at the conference.
The academic meetings are expected to cover topics from various fields. In addition, the participants will discuss the most advanced academic research around the world, the latest progress and development trends in the various fields. The conference has attracted 232 academic papers, with 176 papers from China, and 56 from abroad.Who probably attended the meeting?
| A．Students from high schools. | B．Scholars from Canada. |
| C．Officials from governments. | D．Experts from companies. |
According to Professor Zheng, what matters most about energy problems?
| A．Reducing cost. | B．Using wind energy. |
| C．Saving energy. | D．Developing new fuels. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．300 participants are attending the two-day academic conference. |
| B．George Saxon supports the company’s research and innovation. |
| C．Didier Mayer gave a speech on oxygen fuel technology in China. |
| D．The conference has attracted 232 academic papers from abroad. |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To discuss the world energy problems. |
| B．To introduce to readers some energy experts. |
| C．To introduce an international energy conference. |
| D．To show the world’s great concern about environment. |
My wife Julie and I were out on the road that runs around where we live, when we saw an old worn-out dog stumbling (蹒跚) painfully up the road. We stopped, bent down, talked gently to the dog and patted it. I checked and there was a collar with a phone number. I called but no one answered.
The dog was painfully thin. So Julie ran home to get some of our dog’s food while I tried to encourage the dog. After Julie came back, we sat down on the sidewalk while our new friend made short work of the food. Eventually we got her home.
After trying for many times we got a response from the number. A lady came around with a bunch of flowers for us. She explained that Tara had been her father’s dog. She was very old and got lost that morning. So, Tara was safely returned home.
Here is the truth of the story:
Actually Julie and I were out that morning because I was leaving. She was trying to persuade me to come back, but I wasn’t hearing anything that made that sound likely.
I was about to turn and go when an old black dog walked between us and almost fell down. Suddenly we had something more important than our problem to worry about. There was a creature in need right before us and we had to work together to help it.
We did help it. And here I am writing the story in my own home, in my own family.
In the song “Love Is Not a Fight” Warren Barfield talks about marriage. At one point he sings, “And if we try to leave, may God send angels (天使) to guard the door.”
Sometimes angels come disguised (伪装) as dogs. How was the dog when found?
| A．Too weak to walk. | B．Thin and worn out. |
| C．Unable to eat food. | D．Homeless but gentle. |
We can infer from Paragraph 2 that .
| A．the dog didn’t go with the writer |
| B．the writer had his own pet dog |
| C．Julie bought some food for the dog |
| D．the dog didn’t eat any of the food |
The underlined part “our problem” in the passage refers to the fact that .
| A．the writer didn’t want to take Julie’s advice |
| B．an old black dog appeared in front of them |
| C．Julie disagreed with the writer’s travel on business |
| D．the couple had some trouble with their marriage |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
| A．An Angel Dog | B．A Helpful Couple | C．Saving the Dog | D．A Famous Song |
We would like to wish all our readers a wonderful winter break. Our January magazine is now in the shops and available digitally. We’re looking forward to sharing more adventures and discoveries with you in 2014, including:
At a crossroads in the Atlantic
As the population of Ascension Island rises up to mark the 200th anniversary of British rule, Fred Pearce wonders what the future might have in store for this strange part of land.
Photostory: On the road again
A selection of images from an exhibition opening this month at the Royal Geographical Society go hand in hand with M Aurel Stein’s early 20th century photographs of the Silk Road.
Dossier: Going underground
Mark Rowe discusses the role that carbon storage can play in the global effort to reduce carbon dioxide emission (排放).
Net loss
Kit Gillet reports from the Gulf of Thailand, whose fisheries (渔场) have been almost destroyed by the commercialization of the Thai fishing industry.
And don’t forget…
…a round-up of the latest geographical and climate science news; a hot spot focus on Turkey; advice on taking photographs in Antarctica; an interview with Lucien Castaing-Taylor, professor of visual arts at Harvard; plus lots, lots more…
Buy your copy now, click here and save up to 35% or call +44 (0)1635 588 496. Geographical is also available in WHSmith and many independent news agents.Who took photos of the Silk Road?
| A．M Aurel Stein. | B．Fred Pearce. | C．Mark Rowe. | D．Lucien Castaing-Taylor. |
If you want to read something about global warming, you can read .
| A．At a crossroads in the Atlantic |
| B．Photostory: On the road again |
| C．Dossier: Going underground |
| D．Net loss |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Ascension Island has a bright future with more population. |
| B．Commercialization contributes to the loss of fishery in Thai. |
| C．The January edition of 2014 is to come out in the winter break. |
| D．The topics of this magazine focus on geography and interviews. |
The passage is written to .
| A．share adventures and discoveries |
| B．give advice on taking photos |
| C．attract readers to buy the magazine |
| D．introduce the content of the magazine |
Chinese parents are very generous when it comes to educating their children. Not caring about the money, parents often send their children to the best schools or even abroad to England, the United States or Australia. They also want their children to take extra-course activities where they will either learn a musical instrument or ballet, or other classes that will give them a head start in life. The Chinese believe that the more expensive an education is, the better it is. So parents will spend an unreasonable amount of money on education. Even poor couples will buy a computer for their son or daughter.
However, what most parents fail to see is that the best early education they can give their children is usually very cheap.
Parents can see that their children’s skills vary, skilled in some areas while poor in others. What most parents fail to realize, though, is that today’s children lack self-respect and self-confidence.
The problem is that parents are only educating their children on how to take multiple-choice tests and how to study well, but parents are not teaching them the most important skills they need to be confident, happy and clever.
Parents can achieve this by teaching practical skills like cooking, sewing and doing other housework.
Teaching a child to cook will improve many of the skills that he will need later in life. Cooking demands patience and time. It is an enjoyable but difficult experience. A good cook always tries to improve his cooking, so he will learn to work hard and gradually finish his job successfully. His result, a well-cooked dinner, will give him much satisfaction and a lot of self-confidence.
Some old machines, such as a broken radio or TV set that you give your child to play with will make him curious and arouse his interest. He will spend hours looking at them,tying to fix them ,your child might become an engineer when he grows up. These activities are not only teaching a child to read a book, but rather to think, to use his mind. And that is more important.Parents in China according to this passage.
| A．are too strict with their children |
| B．are too rich to educate their children |
| C．have some problems in educating their children correctly |
| D．have no problems in educating their children strictly |
The writer of the passage does not seem to be satisfied with.
| A．the parents’ ideas of educating their children |
| B．the education system of the school |
| C．children’s skills in cooking at home |
| D．children’s hobbies in the classroom |
Doing some cooking at home helps children.
| A．learn how to serve their parents |
| B．learn how to become strong and fat |
| C．get a lot from it and prepare themselves for the future |
| D．make their parents believe that they are clever |
According to the last paragraph we can conclude that.
| A．broken radios and television sets are useful |
| B．one’s interest and curiosity may be useful for his later life |
| C．an engineer must fix many broken radios |
| D．a good student should spend much time repairing radios |