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)
The Brighton Comedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may __________.
| A．help travelers pass time |
| B．attract lots of travelers to the UK |
| C．allow travelers to make flexible plans |
| D．cause travelers to pay more for accommodation |
“Farringdon” in Paragraph 5 is most probably __________.
| A．a hotel away from the train station |
| B．the tube line to Covent Garden |
| C．an ideal holiday destination |
| D．the name of a travel agency |
The passage shows that the O’Neill Flat __________.
| A．lies on the ground floor |
| B．is located in central London |
| C．provides cooking facilities for tourists |
| D．costs over £100 on average per day in late September |
Cardiff’s program allows a free bike for a maximum period of __________.
| A．half an hour | B．one hour | C．one hour and a half | D．two hours |
The main purpose of the passage is __________.
| A．to tell visitors how to book in advance |
| B．to supply visitors with hotel information |
| C．to show visitors the importance of self-help |
| D．to offer visitors some money-saving tips |
"They tell me that you'd like to make a statue（塑像）of me﹣is that correct，Miss Vinnie Ream？"
The deep，gentle voice helped calm the nervous girl．Asking a favor of the President of the United States was no casual matter，especially for a seventeen﹣year﹣old girl．
"Yes，sir，" she replied，her dark eyes meeting his．"I wouldn't have dared to ask you，but my teacher，Mr． Mills，says I am ready．I plan to make it in an admirable manner． "
President Lincoln smiled．"Painters，sculptors﹣they've all tried to make the best of this ordinary face，but I'm afraid there's not much hope．What did you have in mind，Miss Ream？A bust（半身像）？"
Before Vinnie could say yes，the President hurried on，a shade of apology in his voice．"Of course﹣I shouldn't have asked．A full﹣length pose would be much too big a project for a young woman your size． "
Vinnie's face turned red．She realized she looked like a child，with her tiny figure．"Small does not mean weak，sir，" she defended herself．"I was born in the country of Wisconsin．I've driven teams of horses and carried water．Making a full﹣length clay（粘土）figure would not exhaust my strength﹣and that is what I intend to do!"
The President's eyes，brightened at her show of spirit．"Sorry，madam，I have underestimated you as I didn't know your background．"
But his smile faded as he rubbed his beard with bony fingers，in thought．"Miss Ream，" he sighed，"I'd like to let you do it，but as you know，we are in the middle of a war．How could I possibly take the time to pose for a sculpture now？I hardly have a minute to myself．"
Vinnie glanced around and noted the size of his office．"I work quickly，" she said．Her voice was soft but confident as she pointed to the corner near the windows．"If I were to bring my clay here and work for three hours every afternoon，I could complete most of the project while you are at your desk．"
The President seemed to consider her idea seriously．He got up and shook Vinnie's hand warmly， "I've heard that you are a talented young woman，and I have found you charming and intelligent as well．I cannot make my decision immediately，but you will hear from me soon．"
The very next day，Vinnie received an invitation from the President．
（1）What gave Vinnie confidence to make her request of President Lincoln？
| A． |
Her aggressive personality． |
| B． |
Mr． Mills's encouraging remark． |
| C． |
President Lincoln's gentle voice． |
| D． |
Her interest in a challenging job． |
（2）How did President Lincoln first respond to Vinnie's request？
| A． |
Pleased． |
| B． |
Thrilled． |
| C． |
Regretful． |
| D． |
Doubtful． |
（3）Vinnie confirmed her ability to make a full﹣length statue by highlighting ．
| A． |
her experience from other projects |
| B． |
her innocent childhood in the country |
| C． |
the heavy labor she had done before |
| D． |
the skill she picked up in Wisconsin |
（4）Vinnie wanted to choose the corner near the windows to ．
| A． |
achieve effects of natural lighting |
| B． |
keep all her tools within easy reach |
| C． |
observe the President at a right angle |
| D． |
avoid disturbing the President's work |
（5）What message does the story convey？
| A． |
A strong﹣willed soul can reach his goal． |
| B． |
Experience helps to promote excellence． |
| C． |
Ups and downs make one strong． |
| D． |
Devotion requires enthusiasm． |
How to Use a Modern Public Library
Has it been a while since your last visit to a public library？If so， you may be surprised to learn that libraries have changed for the better．It's been years since they were dusty little rooms with books．They have transformed themselves into places where you can develop your love of knowledge，meet interesting people，or find out how to start a business．
Check out a book．While libraries still loan out（出借）books，you'll find it easier to get a copy of whatever you're looking for，thanks to a cooperative network of area libraries．Via such networks，libraries share their books with each other through the use of delivery vehicles．Once the book you've requested is delivered to the nearest branch，they will inform you by e﹣mail，so you can pick it up．
Check out other items．The library is now a multimedia zone，loaded with information in many formats（载体形式）．You can borrow movies on DVDs，music on CDs，and popular magazines．Some libraries even loan out toys and games．If a popular magazine you want isn't offered and the library keeps a list of such requests，they may bring it in when enough interest is shown．
Join targeted reading groups．Libraries will often hold reading﹣group sessions targeted to various age groups．Perhaps you'd like to learn a language or improve your English．The library may sponsor a language group you could join．If you have difficulties reading，ask about special reading opportunities．Your library might be able to accommodate you．And you might find it relaxing to bring your small kid to a half﹣hour Story Time while you sit quietly in a corner with a good book．
Start a business using the help of your local library．If you want to have a business of your own，your local library can become a launch space for it．In library books and computers，you can find information on starting a business．Many libraries will help you with locally supplied information about business management shared through chambers of commerce（商会）and government agencies，and they will offer printing，faxing and database services you need．
（1）Public libraries connected by a cooperative network benefit readers by ．
| A． |
sharing their books on the Internet |
| B． |
giving access to online reading at a library branch |
| C． |
sending a needed book to a library branch nearby |
| D． |
making the checkout procedures diverse |
（2）According to Paragraph 3，what items may be checked out from a public library？
| A． |
A magazine and an e﹣book． |
| B． |
A game and an oil painting． |
| C． |
A music CD and a kid's toy． |
| D． |
A DVD and a video player． |
（3）As is described in Paragraph 4，taking a small kid to a half﹣hour Story Time allows ．
| A． |
the kid to learn a new language |
| B． |
the parent to enjoy quiet reading |
| C． |
the kid to overcome reading difficulties |
| D． |
the parent to meet their program sponsor |
（4）Your local library can help you start a business by ．
| A． |
providing relevant information and supporting services |
| B． |
offering professional advice on business management |
| C． |
supplying useful information of your potential buyers |
| D． |
arranging meetings with government officials |
（5）What is the purpose of the passage？
| A． |
To point out the importance of public libraries． |
| B． |
To encourage people to work in public libraries． |
| C． |
To introduce the improved services of public libraries． |
| D． |
To call for the modernization of public library systems． |
According to a recent study in the Journal of Consumer Research，both the size and consumption habits of our eating companions can influence our food intake．And contrary to existing research that says you should avoid eating with heavier people who order large portions （份），it's the beanpoleswith big appetites you really need to avoid．
To test the effect of social influence on eating habits，the researchers conducted two experiments．In the first，95 undergraduate women were individually invited into a lab to ostensibly （表面上）participate in a study about movie viewership．Before the film began，each woman was asked to help herself to a snack．An actor hired by the researchers grabbed her food first．In her natural state， the actor weighed 105 pounds． But in half the cases she wore a specially designed fat suit which increased her weight to 180 pounds．
Both the fat and thin versions of the actor took a large amount of food．The participants followed suit，taking more food than they normally would have．However，they took significantly more when the actor was thin．
For the second test，in one case the thin actor took two pieces of candy from the snack bowls．In the other case，she took 30 pieces．The results were similar to the first test：the participants followed suit but took significantly more candy when the thin actor took 30 pieces．
The tests show that the social environment is extremely influential when we're making decisions．If this fellow participant is going to eat more，so will I．Call it the "I'll have what she's having" effect．However，we'll adjust the influence．If an overweight person is having a large portion，I'll hold back a bit because I see the results of his eating habits．But if a thin person eats a lot，I'll follow suit．If he can eat much and keep slim，why can't I？
（1）What is the recent study mainly about？
| A． |
Food safety． |
| B． |
Movie viewership． |
| C． |
Consumer demand． |
| D． |
Eating behavior． |
（2）What does the underlined word "beanpoles" in paragraph 1 refer to？
| A． |
Big eaters． |
| B． |
Overweight persons． |
| C． |
Picky eaters． |
| D． |
Tall thin persons． |
（3）Why did the researchers hire the actor？
| A． |
To see how she would affect the participants． |
| B． |
To test if the participants could recognize her． |
| C． |
To find out what she would do in the two tests． |
| D． |
To study why she could keep her weight down． |
（4）On what basis do we "adjust the influence" according to the last paragraph？
| A． |
How hungry we are． |
| B． |
How slim we want to be． |
| C． |
How we perceive others． |
| D． |
How we feel about the food． |
In the mid﹣1990s，Tom Bissell taught English as a volunteer in Uzbekistan．He left after seven months，physically broken and having lost his mind．A few years later，still attracted to the country，he returned to Uzbekistan to write an article about the disappearance of the Aral Sea．
His visit，however，ended up involving a lot more than that．Hence this book，Chasing the Sea：Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia， which talks about a road trip from Tashkent to Karakalpakstan，where millions of lives have been destroyed by the slow drying up of the sea．It is the story of an American travelling to a strange land，and of the people he meets on his way：Rustam，his translator，a lovely 24﹣year﹣old who picked up his colorful English in California，Oleg and Natasha，his hosts in Tashkent，and a string of foreign aid workers．
This is a quick look at life in Uzbekistan，made of friendliness and warmth，but also its darker side of society．In Samarkand，Mr Bissell admires the architectural wonders，while on his way to Bukhara he gets a taste of police methods when suspected of drug dealing．In Ferghana，he attends a mountain funeral（葬礼）followed by a strange drinking party．And in Karakalpakstan，he is saddened by the dust storms，diseases and fishing boats stuck miles from the sea．
Mr Bissell skillfully organizes historical insights and cultural references，making his tale a well﹣rounded picture of Uzbekistan，seen from Western eyes．His judgment and references are decidedly American，as well as his delicate stomach．As the author explains，this is neither a travel nor a history book，or even a piece of reportage．Whatever it is，the result is a fine and vivid description of the purest of Central Asian traditions．
（1）What made Mr Bissell return to Uzbekistan？
| A． |
His friends' invitation． |
| B． |
His interest in the country． |
| C． |
His love for teaching． |
| D． |
His desire to regain health． |
（2）What does the underlined word "that" in paragraph 2 refer to？
| A． |
Developing a serious mental disease． |
| B． |
Taking a guided tour in Central Asia． |
| C． |
Working as a volunteer in Uzbekistan． |
| D． |
Writing an article about the Aral Sea． |
（3）Which of the following best describes Mr Bissell's road trip in Uzbekistan？
| A． |
Romantic． |
| B． |
Eventful． |
| C． |
Pleasant． |
| D． |
Dangerous． |
（4）What is the purpose of this text？
| A． |
To introduce a book． |
| B． |
To explain a cultural phenomenon． |
| C． |
To remember a writer． |
| D． |
To recommend a travel destination． |
Jennifer Mauer has needed more willpower than the typical college student to pursue her goal of earning a nursing degree．That willpower bore fruit when Jennifer graduated from University of Wisconsin﹣Eau Claire and became the first in her large family to earn a bachelor's degree． Mauer，of Edgar， Wisconsin，grew up on a farm in a family of 10 children．Her dad worked at a job away from the farm，and her mother ran the farm with the kids．After high school，Jennifer attended a local technical college，working to pay her tuition（学费），because there was no extra money set aside for a college education．After graduation，she worked to help her sisters and brothers pay for their schooling．
Jennifer now is married and has three children of her own．She decided to go back to college to advance her career and to be able to better support her family while doing something she loves：nursing．She chose the UW﹣Eau Claire program at Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield because she was able to pursue her four﹣year degree close to home．She could drive to class and be home in the evening to help with her kids．Jennifer received great support from her family as she worked to earn her degree：Her husband worked two jobs to cover the bills，and her 68﹣year﹣old mother helped take care of the children at times．
Through it all，she remained in good academic standing and graduated with honors．Jennifer sacrificed（牺牲）to achieve her goal，giving up many nights with her kids and missing important events to study．"Some nights my heart was breaking to have to pick between my kids and studying for exams or papers，" she says．However，her children have learned an important lesson witnessing their mother earn her degree．Jennifer is a first﹣generation graduate and an inspiration to her family﹣and that's pretty powerful．
（1）What did Jennifer do after high school？
| A． |
She helped her dad with his work． |
| B． |
She ran the family farm on her own． |
| C． |
She supported herself through college． |
| D． |
She taught her sisters and brothers at home． |
（2）Why did Jennifer choose the program at Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield？
| A． |
To take care of her kids easily． |
| B． |
To learn from the best nurses． |
| C． |
To save money for her parents． |
| D． |
To find a well﹣paid job there． |
（3）What did Jennifer sacrifice to achieve her goal？
| A． |
Her health． |
| B． |
Her time with family． |
| C． |
Her reputation． |
| D． |
Her chance of promotion． |
（4）What can we learn from Jennifer's story？
| A． |
Time is money． |
| B． |
Love breaks down barriers． |
| C． |
Hard work pays off． |
| D． |
Education is the key to success． |