Tayka Hotel De Sal
Where: Tahua, Bolivia
How much: About $95 a night
Why it’s cool: You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That’s something few can claim. Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses(床垫) and blankets). The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric dried-up lake that’s the world’s biggest salt flat. Builders use the salt from the 4,633-square-mile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries. When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where: Vythiri, India
How much: About $240 a night
Why it’s cool: Ridding a pulley(滑轮)-operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure. As you look out of your open window—there is no glass!—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy. Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel, or just sit on your bamboo bed and read. You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulley-drawn “elevator”.
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where: Cottonwood, Idaho
How much: $92 a night
Why it’s cool: This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet．Sweet Willyis a 30-foot-tall dog with guest rooms in his belly. Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side. You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a few steps of the loft(阁楼）in Willy’s head, or hang out inside his nose. Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters, there is also a toilet in the 12-foot-tall fire hydrant (消防栓）outside.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where: Ayvali, Turkey
How much: Between $130 and $475 a night
Why it’s cool: This is caveman cool! Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash. But your stay will be much more modern. Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65℉in summer. (Don’t worry—there is heat in winter.)What do we know about Tayka Hotel de Sal?
| A．It is located on a prehistoric lake. |
| B．It should be protected against the rain. |
| C．Everything in the hotel is made of salt. |
| D．You have to cross a rope bridge to the hotel. |
What is the similarity of the four hotels?
| A．Being expensive. | B．Being comfortable. |
| C．Being natural. | D．Being unique. |
What does the underlined part “Sweet Willy” refer to?
A. The name of the hotel.
B. The name of the hotel owner.
C. The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
D. The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.Which of the hotels makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?
| A．Tayka Hotel De Sal | B．Green Magic Nature Resort |
| C．Dog Bark Park Inn B&B | D．Gamirasu Cave Hotel |
What may be the purpose of the writer writing the passage?
| A．To show his wide knowledge |
| B．To introduce some interesting hotels |
| C．To develop business in tourism |
| D．To attract attention from the readers |
There are quite a few advantages of wearing school uniforms. The idea may seem disagreeable at first, considering all the positive effects coming from wearing uniforms you would be more likely to enjoy them.
Teachers love school uniforms because it helps provide and orderly learning environment. Having students dressed in uniforms may teach them how to resent themselves in a neat and professional manner. It gives students the opportunity to learn how to dress like young ladies and gentleman. And they can focus their attention on academics rather than style.
Purchasing (购买) school uniforms is easy and needs less hesitation and consideration. No matter what the school’s policy is, there are only specific essential (基本的) pieces to the wardrobe (服装) that are necessary, so it won’t break the bank. A few wardrobe items can last a long time. Parents could also enjoy an easy morning, as it will take less time to choose a set of clothes for the school day.
Students wearing uniforms will feel less pressure about what to wear or not to wear when their classmates are dressed similarly. Getting dressed before school becomes less of a chore (琐事) when students are limited in their choices, so there shouldn’t be any trouble about choosing an outfit for the day and getting ready quickly. Some students may not like the lack of individuality (个性) with a uniform, but some school dress code policies may offer them the opportunities to show their unique styles.
Uniforms today are also becoming trendier and can be seen in many areas of pop culture. Celebrities (名人) and fashion designers are using uniforms as inspiration for new looks which also appeal to students.What would be the best title for the text?
| A．How to dress properly |
| B．The history of school uniforms |
| C．The advantages of school uniforms |
| D．How to deal with pressure in school |
Teachers think that wearing school uniforms ________
| A．is just a tradition that students should follow |
| B．makes students feel less pressure in study |
| C．helps students put more effort into their studies |
| D．makes students lose their independence and identity |
The underlined part “it won’t break the bank” in paragraph 3 probably means “_______”
| A．a school uniform doesn’t cost a lot of money |
| B．a school uniform should be worn every day |
| C．parents will have to go to the bank many times |
| D．parents who work in a bank can afford the uniform |
We can infer from the text that school uniforms _______
| A．are not popular with fashion designers |
| B．were not accepted by parents in the past |
| C．will be designed by students themselves |
| D．will be more fashionable in the future |
The author’s attitude towards students’ wearing school uniforms is ________
| A．negative | B．supportive |
| C．doubtful | D．unclear |
Unemployment in the United States is still high at 6.7 percent. But for job seekers, especially those with college educations, researchers say findings a job can be as logging on to a computer. It used to be that looking for a job meant hurrying around, knocking on doors and turning to ads. But that’s changing, thanks to the Internet. A new report says, for college graduates, looking for a job is getting easier. More than 80 percent of the jobs are available online.
At the height of the depression(萧条), when U.S. unemployment peaked at 10 percent, just a little more than two million jobs were being posted each month. But as the recovery takes hold, the job picture looks increasingly bright.
That’s great news for Hamilton. Only once has he ever applied in person for a job at a shopping mall. He said,“I think my generation—the idea of going door to door, out knocking and saying, hey are you hiring?—like that—doesn’t exist anymore…those days are gone, just go online.”
Kim Dancy recently graduated with a master’s degree in Public Policy. She found her dream job as an education policy researcher. But she says finding the perfect job online takes a lot of perseverance. She said, ”It can be really frustrating and it takes a long time, but if you applied for enough positions and really do your homework you will get somewhere.
The report’s findings suggest careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math provide the greatest opportunities, with salaries that range between $30—$45 an hour. But for maximum income and satisfaction, workers must be prepared to move and change jobs at least every five years. The highest unemployment rate in the depression in the U.S. was___
| A．10% | B．6.7% | C．6% | D．7% |
In what way does Hamilton find his job in most cases?
| A．Applying in person | B．Searching papers |
| C．Turning to the Internet | D．Going door to door |
What can we learn from Dancy’s experience?
| A．Job applicants should do much housework |
| B．Online job—hunting calls for perseverance |
| C．Only online can an applicant find a job |
| D．Finding a dream job is really exciting |
How can you get a high salary according to the text?
| A．By hurrying around | B．By sticking to your work |
| C．By surfing the Internet | D．By switching jobs regularly |
The best title of this text probably is____
| A．Searching for jobs online | B．College education online |
| C．Unemployment in the US | D．Economic recovery in the US |
Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had.
He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment. Wilder was one of first directors to do this. Between the middle 1930sand the 1980s,Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies. During that time he received more than twenty nominations(提名) from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won six of the Oscar awards. His movies have been seen by people around the world.
In 1944,Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity. Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors. Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945.Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie. It shows that alcohol rules his life, yet he does not admit it. He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking.
In 1950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard. This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies. She plans to return to movies though facing many problems. In 1954, Billy Wilder became an independent producer. The next year, Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success. It was The Seven Year Itch. In this movie, a married mail wants to cheat on his wife with some of hisfriends.In1959,
Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular. It was Some Like It Hot. It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals. They decide to wear women’s clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women.
Wilder died in March,2002. He was ninety-five. A current Hollywood producer said: “Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget.”The text is mainly about_______.
| A．the background of American movies |
| B．the development of American movies |
| C．Wilder’s attitude to American movies |
| D．Wilder’s achievements in American movies |
What was Wilder famous for according to Paragraph 2?
| A．His unique style of making movies. |
| B．Sharp remarks on society in his movies. |
| C．More than twenty awards he received. |
| D．Almost fifty movies he produced himself. |
Which of the following made Wilder among the greatest Hollywood directors?
| A．Double Indemnity | B．Sunset Boulevard |
| C．The Lost weekend | D．Some Like It Hot |
When was The Seven Year Itch made?
| A．In 1944 | B．In 1945 | C．In 1954 | D．In 1955 |
The text is developed mainly______.
| A．by following time order | B．by making comparison |
| C．by analyzing exact data | D．by giving instructions |
Scientists from England’s Newcastle University have discovered that bacteria have the ability to detect smells, according to a study by the university on Sunday.
The team of scientists, led by Dr. Reindert Nijland, discovered that bacteria can detect certain types of smell- producing chemicals, including ammonia (氨) that is produced by other bacteria. Once they sense the smells from other kinds of bacteria, the bacteria will gather together to form a colony (集群) and form a layer of slime (粘液) in order to force the competitors out of their area. The response decreases as the distance between the two bacterial colonies increases.
That slime, also known as biofilm, is one of the primary causes of infection on many medical implants(移植物). Biofilms also slow down ships and are believed to cost the marine industry millions of dollars annually. However, they can also be used to clean up spilled oil floating on the sea, as they grow strong on it.
“This is the first evidence of a bacterial ‘nose’able to detect potential competitors,” Dr. Nijland said in the August 15 statement, which confirms that bacteria possess qualities similar to four of the five senses that humans enjoy (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), the others being touch, taste, and sight.
“The fact that bacteria formed slime when exposed to ammonia has important significance for understanding how biofilms are formed and how we might be able to use them to our advantage,” he added.
Their findings were published in Sunday’s edition of biotechnology journal, and could change the way scientists look at how each of the senses developed over time.
“It was thought for a long time that smell existed only in complex living creatures,” Dr. Nijland said. “Now we see that bacteria are able to do the same, so the indication is that the ability may have developed even earlier.”We learn from the text that biofilms _____.
| A．may cause oil to spill |
| B．can be used to benefit humans |
| C．are the major causes of infection |
| D．are more likely to be found on ships |
Which of the following describes bacteria correctly?
| A．They can talk. |
| B．They cannot see |
| C．They cannot hear. |
| D．They can imitate others. |
The findings may help scientists know more about ______.
| A．how bacteria reproduce |
| B．the development of the senses. |
| C．how to control bacterial infection. |
| D．the complex relation of living creatures |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Bacteria can produce ammonia |
| B．Bacteria have a sense of smell |
| C．Why are biofilms so annoying? |
| D．How do bacteria communicate? |
Four schoolchildren from Belgrave, England were out on their bikes on Wednesday evening. Unexpectedly, they saw an elderly man gasping for breath (喘息) in the street. They tried to call the police and ambulance service, but their phones were not working, due to network problems.
Before the polish man became unconscious, the children kept him calm while they flagged down (招停) a passing driver. The children used words they had picked up from their polish classmates to translate the injured man’s answer to the driver’s questions. Gary,10, and his six-year-old sister, Lily, stayed with the man while Thyus and Owen, both 11, led the ambulance to the spot where he lay. Soon the man was taken to hospital.
The fantastic four children who came to the aid of the elderly man deserve the highest respect for their quick-thinking and courage in an emergency situation. They are a credit not only to themselves, but to their families and their school. And it is great to be able to hear such a positive story about young people.
What is not so positive about this story is the fact that several adults apparently walked by without stopping to help. This seeming indifference (冷漠) to an emergency situation is a well- noted phenomenon which psychologists sometimes refer to as “the bystander effect”. Research suggests that when a group of people witness an emergency, people are likely to assume that somebody else will intervene and they feel that the burden of responsibility is lifted from their shoulders.
Perhaps the answer to this sort of thing is to introduce a “Good Samaritan” law. This already exists in France and places a legal responsibility on people who witness an emergency situation to help out as long as they can do so. This certainly seems to remove any doubt about who bears the burden of responsibility for offering assistance –everybody！What can we learn about the elderly man?
| A．He spoke Polish with the children. |
| B．He fell from his bike and got injured. |
| C．He was taken to hospital by the driver. |
| D．He recovered consciousness in the street. |
In paragraph 3, the author mainly _____.
| A．shows his great sympathy for the man |
| B．gives high praise to the four children. |
| C．offers his special thanks to the driver |
| D．expresses his anger at several adults |
The underlined word “intervene” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “_______”
| A．be curious | B．go on |
| C．give up | D．get involved |
In France, if an emergency happens to someone, _____.
| A．offering help to him is required by law |
| B．people have the right to leave the scene |
| C．others must get permission before helping him |
| D．the witnesses will be punished if the rescue fails. |