Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs.
AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival (19 Oct.) cost £169.15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room cost £118.15.
If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid-or you're looking for a big event to pass your time-check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.
STAYAWAY FROM THE STATION If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday.
Don't be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge's Central Euston hotel in London for Saturday 22 September was £95.95. A room just a tube journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just £62.95.
LOOK AFTER YOURSELF Really central hotels in cities such as London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O'Neill Flat on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, available for £420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults.
GET ON A BIKE London's 'Boris bikes' have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs.
Among the smaller cities with their own programmes are Newcastle (casual members pay around £1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes, or £5 per day). (358 words)
| 1． |
The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may.
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| 2． |
"Farringdon" in Paragraph 5 is most probably.
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| 3． |
The passage shows that the O'Neill Flat.
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| 4． |
Cardiff's program allows a free bike for a maximum period of.
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| 5． |
The main purpose of the passage is.
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A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device(装置), the LongPen.
After many tiring book-signing tours from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them. She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手写板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(网络摄像机) and computer screens.
Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here , Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.
The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.
“It’s really fun”, said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author, but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing.”
The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t afford it.”Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen?
| A．To set up her own company. |
| B．To win herself greater popularity. |
| C．To write her books in a new way. |
| D．To make book signings less tiring. |
How does the LongPen work?
| A．It copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book. |
| B．It signs a book while receiving the author’s signature. |
| C．The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city. |
| D．The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself. |
What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?
| A．It has been completed but not put into use. |
| B．The basement caught fire by accident. |
| C．Some versions failed before its test run. |
| D．The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty. |
How could the LongPen be used in the future?
| A．To draft legal documents. |
| B．To improve credit card security |
| C．To keep a record of the author’s ideas. |
| D．To allow author and fan to exchange videos |
What could be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6?
| A．Atwood doesn’t mean to end book tours. |
| B．Critics think the LongPen is of little use |
| C．Bookstore owners don’t support the LongPen |
| D．Publishers dislike the LongPen for its high cost. |
Wealth starts with a goal saving a dollar at a time. Call it the piggy bank strategy(策略). There are lessons in that time-honored coin-saving container.
Any huge task seems easier when reduced to baby steps. I f you wished to climb a 12,000-foot mountain, and could do it a day at a time, you would only have to climb 33 feet daily to reach the top in a year. If you want to take a really nice trip in 10 years for a special occasion, to collect the $15,000 cost, you have to save $3.93 a day. If you drop that into a piggy bank and then once a year put $1,434 in a savings account at 1% interest rate after-tax, you will have your trip money.
When I was a child, my parents gave me a piggy bank to teach me that, if I wanted something, I should save money to buy it. We associate piggy banks with children, but in many countries, the little containers are also popular with adults. Europeans see a piggy bank as a sign of good fortune and wealth. Around the world, many believe a gift of a piggy bank on New Year’s Day brings good luck and financial success. Ah, but you have to put something in it.
Why is a pig used as a symbol of saving? Why not an elephant bank, which is bigger and holds more coins? In the Middle Ages, before modern banking and credit instruments, people saved money at home, a few coins at a time dropped into a jar or dish. Potters(制陶工) made these inexpensive containers from an orange-colored clay(黏土) called “pygg,” and folks saved coins in pygg jars. The Middle English word for pig was “pigge”. While the Saxons pronounced pygg, referring to the clay, as “pug”, eventually the two words changed into the same pronunciation, sounding the “i” as in pig or piggy. As the word became less associated with the orange clay and more with the animal, a clever potter fashioned a pygg jar in the shape of a pig, delighting children and adults. The piggy bank was born.
Originally you had to break the bank to get to the money, bringing in a sense of seriousness into savings. While piggy banks teach children the wisdom of saving, adults often need to relearn childhood lessons. Think about the things in life that require large amounts of money--- college education, weddings, cars, medical care, starting a business, buying a home, and fun stuff like great trips. So when you have money, take off the top 10%, put it aside, save and invest wisely. What is the piggy bank strategy?
| A．Paying 1% income tax at a time. |
| B．Setting a goal before making a travel plan. |
| C．Aiming high even when doing small things. |
| D．Putting aside a little money regularly for future use. |
Why did the writer’s parents give him a piggy bank as a gift?
| A．To delight him with the latest fashion. |
| B．To encourage him to climb mountains. |
| C．To help him form the habit of saving. |
| D．To teach him English pronunciation. |
What does the underlined word “something”(Paragraph 3) most probably refer to?
| A．Money | B．Gifts |
| C．Financial success | D．Good luck |
The piggy bank originally was _________.
| A．a potter’s instrument |
| B．a cheap clay container |
| C．an animal-shaped dish |
| D．a pig-like toy for children |
The last paragraph talks about ________.
| A．the seriousness of educating children |
| B．the enjoyment of taking a great trip |
| C．the importance of managing money |
| D．the difficulty of starting a business |
“Show them the money!” That’s what some people are saying for college athletes. They say students who play sports for their school should receive salaries.
Top athletes should be paid because many of them practice full time, Mark Jameson argues. Rico Cannon, a former college football player, agrees. “Nonathletes can get a job for extra spending money, but many student athletes spend so many hours in training that they don’t have time to work,” he explains. “Shouldn’t athletes be able to earn extra money too?”
The students also make money for their schools when people buy tickets to their games. The players should receive some of that cash, supporter Robbie Pokora reasons.
College athletes are about honor and tradition, but they’re also a business. Thanks to ticket sales, there’s money for schools to build new athletic stadiums and give the coaches high salaries. The cash should be shared with athletes. They’re the ones out on the field or court working hard for their school.
The money matter has others crying foul, though. Kaitlyn Rentala argues that colleges should not pay their athletes. Students are in school to get an education. Playing a sport is an extracurricular(课外的)activity, not a job. If athletes need extra money, they can apply for college scholarships(奖学金). Michael Massett is a middle school teacher and a football and a basketball coach. He agrees. “Athletes should be paid with scholarships, like nonathletes are,” Massett explains.
In addition, if colleges pay their athletes, those students might focus more on sports than on their education. “Most students do not become professional athletes after college. If they focus too much on sports, they may not learn the skills they need to get good jobs,” Kate Macrae reasons. Plus, she says, many athletes have schoolships that help them pay for school.What is Rico Cannon’s opinion on paying student athletes?
| A．They make money for their schools and should receive salaries. |
| B．Training leaves them no time to work and they should be paid. |
| C．Playing a sport at school is not a job and they shouldn’t be paid. |
| D．They can apply for scholarships and should not be paid. |
Who supports the idea of paying student athletes?
| A．Kaitlyn Rentala | B．Robbie Pokora |
| C．Michael Massett | D．Kate Macrae |
What does the underlined part “crying foul” in Paragraph 5 mean?
| A．Making no progress. | B．Giving up beliefs. |
| C．having different opinions | D．Taking no interest. |
What’s the best title for the text?
| A．Pay to play? —— Will it be popular with college athletes? |
| B．College athletes make a lot of money for their schools. |
| C．College athletes can apply for scholarships as their salaries. |
| D．Pay to play?—— Should college athletes be paid? |
You and your friends are settling into your seats. The new Spider-Man movie is about to start and you’ve got the snacks: soda and popcorn. Food is part of what makes the movies fun.
Just as the lights go out, you catch a slight smell of … tuna fish?! You turn your head, searching for the source. Then you spot him: A couple rows back, some guy is enjoying a tuna fish sandwich. How’d he get that in here? You wonder. Then you remember how much you paid for your snacks.
What invites the unwelcome outside food is probably the price. Why pay $ 5 for a bag of M&Ms when you can get them for a dollar at the corner store?
Earlier this year, a Michigan man decided to fight for his right to snack. Joshua Thompson is using his local theater after it banned outside food. He argues the ban breaks a Michigan law that prevents businesses from charging extremely high prices. However, most legal experts believe Thompson has little chance of winning his case, though he does have a point: 85 cents out of a dollar of treats a movie theater sells is pure profit(纯利).
The truth is that movie theaters are more in the snack business than the movie business. A huge part of the ticket income goes to the Hollywood studio. This makes sense, since the studios have to pay the costs of movie production and advertising. But that often doesn’t leave much cash for the theater, which also has its own running costs. If customers stopped buying food, owners would have to raise ticket prices even higher.
Of course, there’s another reason to think twice before bringing food into the movies: It’s against the rules. Breaking those rules can have unpleasant consequences too. Some theaters will kick you out if they catch you. Even without the threat of punishment, we should follow rules all the time------out of respect.
Here’s a good idea: Eat before the movie.What is the topic of the text?
| A．The pleasure of enjoying snacks. |
| B．A Michigan man’s fight for his right. |
| C．Movie theaters’ ban on outside food. |
| D．Bad manners in movie theaters. |
What do we know about Joshua Thompson?
| A．He broke a Michigan law. |
| B．He is likely to lose the case. |
| C．He thinks cinema tickets are too expensive. |
| D．He was forbidden to have snacks at the theaters. |
In Paragraph 5, the author mainly explains _________.
| A．how movie studios work with movie theaters |
| B．how movie theaters reduce their operating costs |
| C．why Hollywood studios must pay high costs |
| D．why snack sales are important to movie theaters |
How does the author feel about bringing outside food into the cinema?
| A．It is unacceptable. | B．It is convenient. |
| C．It is great fun. | D．It is lawful.. |
Two words rhyme with each other when they have the same ending word, like “think,” ”pink”. The last word in each of the lines of a poem does not have to have a rhyming sound, many of them do. Two lines of poetry that rhyme with each other at the end are call rhyming couplet.
Writing rhyming poetry can be difficult because you need to choose words that not only rhyme but have meaning, too. Even though some poems are short, you have to think extra long at which words to choose. Here is an example of a short poem:
He was only a bug, but he was the king.
She smiled at him when he gave her a ring.
He forgot to be careful of one little thing.
His queen was a bee, and she could sting.What does it mean when two words rhyme?
| A．They have the same ending sound. |
| B．They have different ending sounds. |
| C．They must have the same meaning. |
| D．They must have different meanings. |
Which of the following rhyme with each other in the short poem?
| A．Ring and thing | B．Bug and king |
| C．Queen and king | D．Bee and sting |
Rhyming poetry is sometimes hard to write because you need to choose___________.
| A．rhyming words without meaning |
| B．rhyming words with meaning |
| C．short lines with extra long words |
| D．meaningful words without rhyming |