You know Australia is a big country, but you may not know how easy it is to get around. The untouched beaches that go for miles and deserts that touch the horizon are just there, waiting to be reached and explored. The following are the different ways you can explore our vast country.
Getting around Australia
Air
Flying is the best way to cover large distances in a short time. You can spend more time on the Australia's can't-miss landscapes and relaxing lifestyle. Moreover, competition among airlines makes great flying fees available for you.
Drive
Australia has a vast network of well-maintained roads and some of the most beautiful touring routes in the world. You have no difficulty finding car rental companies at major airports, central city locations, suburbs and attractions.
Bus
Bus travel in Australia is comfortable, easy and economical. Buses generally have air conditioning, reading lights, adjustable seats and videos. Services are frequent, affordable and efficient.
Rail
Train travel is the cheapest and gives you an insight into Australia's size and variety, all from the comfort of your carriage. Scheduled services are a great way to get quickly between our cities and regional centers.
Ferry(轮渡）
The Spirit of Tasmania runs a passenger and vehicle ferry service between Melbourne and Tasmania nightly. Extra sen ices are running during summer rush hours. Sea-link ferries connect South Australia and Kangaroo Island several times a day. Ferries connect suburbs in our capital cities.
Walk
With easy-on-the-feet pedestrian.(行人)streets, walking is a great way to get around our cities.
Besides all the above, you can also experience some of the longest: tracks and trails in the world in central Australia——impressive journeys of a thousand kilometers or more that can take several weeks to complete.The underlined word "untouched" in Paragraph 1 means .
| A．secure | B．special | C．natural | D．artificial |
Which of the following is true about travelling in Australia?
| A．You can easily rent a car to explore its beautiful touring routes. |
| B．More travellers make the flying fees among airlines higher than before. |
| C．Taking a bus tour is the most comfortable, economical and efficient way. |
| D．Train services can offer you more comfort than any other means of transport, |
Ferry service between Melbourne and Tasmania usually runs •
| A．several times a day | B．only at night hours |
| C．between different cities | D．only during rush hours |
From the passage, we know that.
| A．travelling in central Australia is time-consuming |
| B．central Australia has the world's shortest railway line |
| C．pedestrian walking is a great way to travel between cities |
| D．you have no choice but to walk over 1,000 kilometers in central Australia |
It just may be the world’s most costly vacuum cleaner ( 吸尘器). The price of CleanSpace One is eleven million dollars. But yet, it has a big job to do. Recently, researchers in Switzerland said they planned to build this new cleaning machine.
CleanSpace One will not be for use in homes or businesses. It will be shot into space to help remove thousands of pieces of space junk floating around up there.
Last year, we reported on the problem of space junk. Over time, many unused spacecraft have hit each other far above the Earth. Big pieces break into thousands of small pieces. Sometimes they fall back into the atmosphere (大气层) and burn up. But when they do not, it creates big problems.
Scientists fear that if something is not done to remove these objects, it may soon become too dangerous to send people and machines into space. There is a large chance that they might hit some of this junk. So that is why the Swiss researchers are developing the new machine.
CleanSpace One is not really a vacuum cleaner. It will not be used to take away space junk. But scientists plan to move it close to an old satellite that is no longer being used. Then a claw-like instrument will catch the satellite, and force it back through the atmosphere. There, the satellite will be destroyed by the heat of friction (摩擦) with the air.
Researchers say that all they need to do is slow down the speed of some of these unwanted objects. Once they begin to move more slowly, they will fall back to the Earth. There is little chance that they will fall through the atmosphere and harm the people or things below.Space junk is created when .
| A．unused spacecraft hit each other |
| B．people in space throw away rubbish |
| C．a new spaceship is sent up |
| D．an old spaceship creates friction with the air |
What’s the danger of space junk?
| A．It will pollute space. |
| B．It will hurt people on the Earth. |
| C．It will hit a spaceship. |
| D．It will burn in the atmosphere. |
Unwanted objects will fall back to the Earth when .
| A．they are made to move slowly |
| B．they meet other objects in space |
| C．they are not used for years |
| D．they are near the atmosphere |
The passage is most probably a .
| A．science research paper | B．science fiction story |
| C．newspaper ad | D．science news report |
You’ve probably heard of the expression “A leopard can’t change its spots.” This, of course, is true of leopards. But isn’t it true of people? Can people change themselves? Are we humans just creatures of habits? Do we not have any control over our actions and habits?
One guy said, “Bad habits are like a comfortable bed. They’re easy to get into, but hard to get out of.” Someone else said, “The chains of habits are too small to feel until they’re too strong to break.” So breaking the mould of our bad habits takes effort.
Habits are like the roads we take through our life every day. The problem is that not every road takes us where we need to go. Actually, our routes through life often become our ruts (惯例) in life. We end up stuck in them and find it hard to dig ourselves out. That’s why we must change our bad habits as soon as possible before they become our second nature. You see, our habits become our character and our character becomes our life. As one wise person said, “First we make our habits, and then our habits make us.”
But we humans don’t like to change. So we come up with excuses, like “I can’t be different; that’s just the way I am.” And the good excuse is “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” But that’s just it: we’re not dogs or animals. In fact, we’re the only creatures who have the freedom and power to change and choose the kind of person we want to become.We can learn from Paragraph 2 that .
| A．getting rid of bad habits is very hard |
| B．people can’t find their bad habits themselves |
| C．entering bad habits is hard |
| D．people don’t have the courage to change their bad habits |
What’s mainly talked about in Paragraph 3?
| A．What bad habits are. |
| B．How bad habits are formed. |
| C．How to change our bad habits. |
| D．Why we should change our bad habits. |
The author’s attitude towards changing one’s bad habits is .
| A．doubtful | B．optimistic |
| C．negative | D．indifferent |
Le Val de Cantobre, Aveyron (France)
It’s in the grounds of a medieval house. There’s a swimming pool, a river and a pizza restaurant. The scenery (景色) around the park is beautiful and great for walking. A week’s stay will cost you about €280.
For more information please go to www.eurocamp.co.uk.
Four Seasons Tented Camp, Golden Triangle (Thailand)
This must be one of the best campsites ( 野营地) in the world. Instead of tents, there are “canvas cabins (帆布船舱)”. And there’s a gourmet restaurant, a spa and a pool. There are only 15 of cabins to rent so you’ll have to book early. The campsite can only be reached by river boat, but once there you can learn to ride an elephant. Unfortunately, it isn’t cheap, and two nights at the Four Seasons will cost you about €1,500!
For more information please go to www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle.
Three Cliffs Bay, Gower (Wales)
The Three Cliffs Bay is in a beautiful part of the country, and it won’t cost you much either: a family tent (2 adults, 2 children) is about €28 a day. There’s a camp shop where you can buy food and drinks, and there are pubs and restaurants nearby so you won’t even have to cook. You can water-ski from the beach, or go walking along the Gower Way.
For more information please go to www.Threecliffsbay.com.
Longitude 131, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia)
Situated in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, near the massive (巨大的) red rock formerly known as Ayer’s Rock, this is more like a hotel than a campsite. There’s a restaurant, a pool and even a library. The only problem is that it’s a bit expensive — around €1,500 a night.
For more information please go to www.Longitude131.com.au.If a couple want to stay in Le Val de Cantobre for two days, they will have to pay about .
| A．€56 | B．€280 | C．€160 | D．€80 |
Visitors can do all the following in Four Seasons Tented Camp EXCEPT .
| A．enjoy a spa | B．rent a cabin |
| C．ride an elephant | D．visit a pub |
If families like water-skiing, they can find information on .
| A．www.eurocamp.co.uk |
| B．www.Threecliffsbay.com |
| C．www.Longitude131.com.au |
| D．www.Fourseasons.com/goldentriangle |
What do we know about Longitude 131?
| A．It is the most expensive. | B．It is made of rocks. |
| C．It is located on a bay. | D．It is a real hotel. |
What kind of pets do people have in your country? Dogs? Cats? How about a duck, hippo or lion? Here are two cases of animal owners with unusual pets.
Barrie Hayman has a pet duck called Star. Barrie adopted (领养) him after his brothers and sisters stayed away from him at birth. Barrie, a duck breeder, realized the little duck needed special attention. So he began taking Star with him everywhere he went. “I would put him in my pocket while I did my shopping,” said Barrie. Now, at five months, Star is too big for Barrie’s pocket, but the two are still inseparable. They watch sports together and even share a drink together. Barrie said, “He is one fantastic duck. I’ve never known any like him.” Star even has his own Facebook page, with more than 2,000 Facebook friends.
Then there’s the case of Tonie and Shirley Joubert in South Africa. They live with their pet hippo, Jessica. Tonie saved Jessica from floodwaters when she was only a day old. Jessica lives outside their riverside house, but she knows how to open the kitchen door, and often goes there for a snack. Tonie recently said, “I don’t know whether Jessica sees me as a hippo or whether she sees herself as a human.” Shirley is more certain, “Jessica sees herself as our child and I see Jessica as my daughter. I can’t imagine my life without Jessica.” Jessica is free to leave, and often visits wild hippos that live nearby. But she always returns home at night. Jessica’s website notes that she has three hippo boyfriends, but one in particular, Fred, is her favorite. They often go grazing (吃青草) together and Fred has recently moved onto the Jouberts’ house as well.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Some websites are set up to protect pets. |
| B．Some unusual pets are adopted by people. |
| C．People should take good care of their pets. |
| D．Pets sometimes can be very interesting. |
What does the underlined word “inseparable” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Always together. | B．Always separated. |
| C．Always friendly. | D．Always healthy. |
Barrie took Star everywhere he went because .
| A．he had never seen a duck like Star |
| B．he set up a Facebook page for Star |
| C．he wanted to care more about Star |
| D．he needed Star to drink with him |
We can learn from the passage that Jessica .
| A．came to the Jouberts’ home when she was 5 months old |
| B．loves eating in the Jouberts’ kitchen |
| C．doesn’t see herself as a human being |
| D．has more than three boyfriends |
Three Boys and a Dad
Brad closed the door slowly as Sue left home to visit her mother. Expecting a whole day to relax, he was thinking whether to read the newspaper or watch his favourite TV talk show on his first day off in months. “This will be like a walk in the park,” he’d told his wife. “I’ll look after the kids, and you can go visit your mom.”
Things started well, but just after eight o’clock, his three little “good kids”—Mike, Randy, and Alex—came down the stairs in their night clothes and shouted “breakfast, daddy.” When food had not appeared within thirty seconds, Randy began using his spoon on Alex’s head as if it were a drum. Alex started to shout loudly in time to the beat（节拍）. Mike chanted “Where’s my toast, where’s my toast” in the background. Brad realized his newspaper would have to wait for a few seconds.
Life became worse after breakfast. Mike wore Randy’s underwear on his head. Randy locked himself in the bathroom, while Alex shouted again because he was going to wet his pants. Nobody could find clean socks, although they were before their very eyes. Someone named “Not Me” had spilled a whole glass of orange juice into the basket of clean clothes. Brad knew the talk show had already started.
By ten o’clock, things were out of control. Alex was wondering why the fish in the jar refused his bread and butter. Mike was trying to show off his talent by decorating the kitchen wall with his colour pencils. Randy, thankfully, appeared to be reading quietly in the family room，but closer examination showed that he was eating apple jam straight from the bottle with his hands. Brad realised that the talk show was over and reading would be impossible.
At exactly 11:17, Brad called the daycare centre (日托所）.“I suddenly have to go into work and my wife’s away. Can I bring the boys over in a few minutes?” The answer was obviously “yes” because Brad was smiling.When his wife left home. Brad expected to .
| A．enjoy his first day off work |
| B．watch TV talk show with his children |
| C．go out for a walk in the park |
| D．read the newspaper to his children |
Which of the following did Randy do?
| A．Drawing on the wall | B．Reading in a room |
| C．Feeding the fish. | D．Eating apple jam |
Why did Brad ask the daycare centre for help?
| A．Because he wanted to clean up his house. |
| B．Because he suddenly had to go to his office |
| C．Because he had to take his wife back |
| D．Because he found it hard to manage his boys at home. |
This text is developed _____________.
| A．by space | B．by time |
| C．by process | D．by comparison |
At first, Brad thought he would be __________ on his first day off .
| A．relaxed | B．embarrassed |
| C．bored | D．unhappy |