From Japantown to Union Square in San Francisco, here are four fantastic hotels with atmosphere to spare.
| Sir Francis Drake Hotel Location: Union Square, the city’s tourist-friendly shopping district(区) First impression: Despite some changes, the hotel has kept much of its attraction, and doormen still wear beefeater uniforms（英王卫士制服）. Rooms: Many of the 417 rooms are small, but they have features like curved(弧形的) walls. There includes a pet-friendly floor and yoga kits you can borrow. Plus: The Sunday meal features an exciting show. Info: 450 Powell St, 800/795-7129, sirfrancisdrake.com, from $139 |
| Orchard Garden Hotel Location: Steps from Chinatown and North Beach, a historically Italian area. First impression: Everything is earth-friendly, from the energy-saving bulbs（电灯泡） in the hall ways to the soy ink used to print your bill. Rooms: The 86 rooms are done in greens and yellows. Even the toilet paper is recycled paper. Plus: High-tech amenities(设施) include Wi-Fi, and key cards that turn on the electricity when you enter a room. Info: 466 Bush St, 888/717-28881, theorchardgarden-hotel.com, from$189 |
| Hotel Beresford Location: Near the theater(剧院) district, but bordering the Tenderloin area. First impression: The Beresford is one of the city’s oldest buildings--it was built in 1911--with original woodwork and period furniture, such as a writing desk. Rooms: Several of the 114 rooms were just repainted, adding old style door frames（框架）. Hallways are lined with photos of popular city sights. Plus: The White Horse Bar& Restaurant, known for its steaks, is a favorite with theatergoers. Info: 635 Sutter St, 800/533-6533, baresford.com, from $89 |
| Galleria Park Hotel Location: Where the Financial District meets Union Square. First impression: Renovated(翻修) in March, the hotel’s large lobby（门厅） is a mix of styles with an art fireplace, 1930s’ portraits（画像） in pearly frames, and Victorian crystal skylights（水晶天窗）. Rooms: The 177 rooms feel great, with silk curtains, leather headboards（皮革床头靠背）, and clocks with MP3 players. Minus: The hotel’s restaurant is under construction. Walk one block north to Belden Place instead. Info: 191 Sutter St, 800/792-9639, galleriapark.com, form $149 |
George, an environmentalist, is now at San Francisco to attend a meeting, he would prefer to live in _______
| A．Galleria Park Hotel | B．Hotel Beresford |
| C．Sir Francis Drake Hotel | D．Orchard Garden Hotel |
About Sir Francis Drake Hotel, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The hotel lies in the district where tourist goods are sold. |
| B．The restaurant of the hotel is being built at present. |
| C．On Sunday tourists can have a chance to watch a show . |
| D．The hotel has kept its own attractive style for many years. |
Suppose you are a play lover and will travel to San Francisco in a few days, which number will you call to book a hotel?
| A．800/795-7129 | B．800/533-6533 | C．888/717-2881 | D．800/792-9639 |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To teach us how to choose the best hotel in San Francisco |
| B．To compare the differences of four hotels in San Francisco |
| C．To introduce four hot hotels in San Francisco |
| D．To tell us the advantages of four hotels in San Francisco |
Fourteen – year – old Richie Hawley had spent five years studying violin at the Community School of Performing Arts in Los Angeles when he took part in a violin contest. Ninety two young people were invited to the contest and Hawley came out first．
The contest could have been the perfect setup for fear, worrying about mistakes, and trying to impress the judges. But Hawley says he did pretty well in staying calm. “I couldn’t be thinking about how many mistakes I’d make — it would distract me from playing,” he says. “I didn’t even remember trying to impress people while I played. It’s almost as if they weren’t there. I just wanted to make music.”
Hawley is a winner. But he didn’t become a winner by concentrating on winning. He did it by concentrating on playing well．
“The important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part,” said the founder of the modern Olympics, Pierre de Coubertin. “The important thing in life is not the triumph (胜利) but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.”
A characteristic of high performers is their intense, pleasurable concentration on work, rather than on their competitors or future glory or money, says Dr. Charles Garfield, who has studied 1,500 achievers in business, science, sports, the arts, and professions. “They are interested in winning, but they are most interested in self - development, testing their limits.”
One of the most surprising things about top performers is how many losses they’ve had and how much they’ve learned from each. “Not one of the 1,500 I studied defined losing as failing,” Garfield says. “They kept calling their losses ‘setbacks’.”
A healthy attitude toward setbacks is essential to winning, experts agree．
“The worst thing you can do if you’ve had a setback is to let yourself get stuck in a long depression. You should analyze carefully what went wrong, identify specific things you did right and give yourself credit for them.” Garfield believes that most people don’t give themselves enough praise. He even suggests keeping a diary of all the positive things you’ve done on the way to a goal．Hawley won the contest because ________．
| A．he put all his mind to his performance |
| B．he cared much about the judges’ feelings |
| C．he tried his best to avoid making mistakes |
| D．he paid close attention to the people around |
According to the passage, successful people concentrate on ________．
| A．challenging their own limits | B．learning from others |
| C．defeating their opponents | D．avoiding setbacks |
The passage tells us that “praise” in times of trouble ________．
| A．helps people deal with their disappointment |
| B．makes people forget their setbacks |
| C．makes people regret about their past |
| D．helps people analyze what went wrong |
Riding a London subway, a person from other countries will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other．In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness ― people are just too busy to bother looking．
Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet thinking．Nor are they reading a book．New technology has replaced quiet habits．Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book．
Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters（使用月票上下班者）. Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40, 000 ― yes, 40, 000 “apps” have been designed．
Commuters love them because they are the perfect time - fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks．Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. iSteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “steam” on your phone screen．
For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be the distraction (消遣) of choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music － iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages．
And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film? The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV shows or films on the way to work．With all these distractions, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train．Those who want to save time to reach where they go can download ________ to their iPhones
| A．iShoot | B．Tube Exits | C．iSteam | D．iPod |
People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because ________．
| A．they are going to work and have no time to communicate with each other |
| B．they love reading books and do not want to be disturbed |
| C．they feel sleepy because of getting up early |
| D．they’re busy playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films |
The underlined word “apps” in the third paragraph means ________．
| A．computers |
| B．programs downloaded for the iPhone |
| C．computer companies |
| D．fortune from London commuters |
The main idea of the passage is that ________．
| A．London commuters are unfriendly to strangers |
| B．Apple has earned a lot of money from selling 40, 000 apps |
| C．technology is changing how London commuters spend their traveling time |
| D．riding a London subway is a must when visiting London |
Springtime in Paris
Departures: May 5, 12, 19 and June 9
4 days for $129 per person
Paris in the Springtime was, is and always will be, something rather special. Why not experience it for yourself with this excellent break for four days? This attractive city has something to offer everyone and with prices at just $129. It's great value too.
Your break begins with executive coach transfer (中转) from regional (各地的) pickup points and travel to Paris is via crosschannel ferry (渡船), arriving at your hotel in the evening. The Ibis is an excellent quality hotel with private facilities in all rooms: satellite TV, radio, telephone and alarm clock. It has a bar and a restaurant and is situated about two miles south of Notre Dame enabling you to explore Paris with ease.
The following day, after continental breakfast (included), the coach takes you on a comprehensive sightseeing tour of the city, during which you will see the Eiffel Tower, Champs Elysees, L'Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, in fact almost every famous landmark you will ever have heard of. You then leave Paris and take a short drive to the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the home of Louis XIV. The tour ends midafternoon back in Paris where you will have the remainder of the day at your leisure. In the evening there is a ‘Paris By Night’ tour showing you the beautiful buildings with bright lights.
Day three takes you to Montmartre, perhaps the most picturesque quarter of Paris and home of the Sacre Coeur and the Moulin Rouge. In the afternoon you are free to explore this beautiful city as you wish, perhaps a pleasure voyage on the River Seine, wander around the picturesque gardens or look through among the antique shops (古玩店). In the evening you will have the opportunity to visit the best nightclub in the city, the splendid Patin. On the final day it's back to the UK via channel ferry.
Included in the price of $129 per person：
* Return executive coach travel to Paris;
* Return ferry crossings；
* Three nights accommodation in a twin bedded room in a Central Paris hotel with private facilities；
* Continental breakfast during your stay；
* Guided sightseeing tour of “Paris By Day” and “Paris By Night”；
* Visit to Chateau of Versailles (admission not included)；
* Tour on Montmartre；
* Services of an experienced bilingual tour guide at all times.This advertisement is mainly________.
| A．to tell tourists the route to Paris |
| B．to show the price of traveling to Paris |
| C．to introduce the city of Paris |
| D．to attract tourists to Paris |
During the stay in Paris, the tourists will________.
| A．have a free time of half day |
| B．have a “Paris By Night” on the first evening |
| C．have a pleasure voyage on the River Seine together |
| D．live in a hotel two miles away from Paris |
After paying $129，the tourists will have to pay ________ in Paris.
| A．the continental breakfasts |
| B．tour on Montmartre |
| C．admission ticket to Chateau of Versailles |
| D．services of a bilingual tour guide |
We learn from the text that________.
| A．the tourists can telephone in Ibis without paying |
| B．the tourists will see the Eiffel Tower on the third day |
| C．Palace of Versailles is not in the center of Paris |
| D．it will take you a long time to get to Montmartre from Paris |
It was one of the hottest days of the dry season. We had not seen rain in almost a month. The crops were dying. Cows had stopped giving milk. If we didn’t see some rain soon we would lose everything.
I was in the kitchen making lunch for my husband and his brothers when I saw my six-year-old son, Billy, walking toward the woods. He was obviously walking with a great effort. Minutes after he disappeared into the woods, he came running out again, toward the house.
Moments later, however, he was once again walking toward the woods. This activity went on for over an hour: walking cautiously to the woods, then running back to the house. Finally, my curiosity got the best of me. I went out of the house and followed him on his journey.
He was cupping both hands in front of him as he walked; being very careful not to spill the water he held in them. Branches and thorns (荆棘) slapped his little face but he did not try to avoid them. As I leaned in to spy on him, I saw the most amazing site.
Several large deer appeared threatening in front of him. But Billy walked right up to them. I almost screamed for him to get away. And I saw a baby deer lying on the ground, obviously suffering from heavy loss of water, lift its head with great effort to drink the water cupped in my beautiful boy's hand.
I stood on the edge of the woods watching the most beautiful heart working so hard to save a life. As my tears began to hit the ground, they were suddenly joined by other drops... and more drops... and more. I looked up at the sky. It was as if God, Himself, was weeping with pride. Why did the author follow her son?
| A．Because there might be danger. |
| B．Because her son was doing a good deed. |
| C．Because she was curious. |
| D．Because she intended to help. |
Which of the following statements is Not True according to the passage?
| A．Rain was in great need. |
| B．There were few trees in the woods. |
| C．Billy carried water with his small hands. |
| D．Billy walked into the woods and then returned over and over again. |
What Billy did mainly showed that he was ________.
| A．caring | B．beautiful | C．childlike | D．brave |
Which is the correct order of the development of the story?
① The author was moved to tears.
② Billy fed the water to the baby deer.
③ Billy walked towards the large deer.
④ It began to rain.
⑤ The author followed Billy into the woods.
| A．③②⑤①④ | B．④①③②⑤ | C．⑤③②①④ | D．⑤②①③④ |
The 115-year-old prestigious (有名望的)Oxford Dictionary will now include popular new Chinese terms like“shanzhai” “youtiao” and “fangnu”, as part of the modern Chinese language．
As China plays a more and more important role in the world economy, the Chinese language is forever developing, attracting more attention from people who want to understand this ancient yet lively language．
For instance, the word “shanzhai” is used to describe the countless knockoffs（名牌仿制品）of iPhones or designer bags imprinted with Louis Vuitton logos．
Another new term in the new edition is the word “fangnu”, or a “mortgage slave”—a term used to describe the phenomenon in large cities where well-educated youth complain of a miserable existence due to the heavy burden of a home mortgage．
All these new or often fashionable terms can be found in the new Oxford English –Chinese, Chinese-English dictionary that was unveiled(公布于众的)in the recently concluded Beijing International Book Fair last week．
The dictionary now is available for retail sales since the beginning of this month．This dictionary is the largest single volume English-Chinese, Chinese-English dictionary and contains 670,000 words and phrases after five years of preparation．Sixty editors from the Oxford University Press and its partner in China—the Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press—worked together on the project．According to Julie Kleeman, the dictionary’s chief editor, most of the firm’s editors were Chinese, while about one fourth were native-English speakers．
“We don’t want to make it florid（绚丽的）, we want it to be modern and conversational．．．many of the words in the present dictionary are no longer in use,” said Kleeman．“The need for studying Chinese by foreigners today is totally different from decades ago．．．Precise, native and practical—that is our main advantage,” she said．
Kleeman said newer publications updates will be available only for the online version as language often changes too quickly for book versions to keep pace．The online version will also offer a Chinese phonetic pronunciation guide．The online version, allowing access via different platforms from the PC to the iPad, will be ready “as soon as possible”, Kleeman said．According to the above passage, we learn that ________
| A．knockoffs can be found in China but not very often. |
| B．the Oxford University Press made the dictionary without outside aid. |
| C．most Chinese editors are also native speakers of English. |
| D．well-educated youth in China’s big cities have difficulty buying houses. |
The possible reason why newer publications updates are not available for book versions is that ________．
| A．book versions can’t keep up with the changes of language. |
| B．the computer network is available everywhere. |
| C．book versions can’t offer a Chinese phonetic pronunciation guide. |
| D．computer technology like the PC and the iPad keeps pace with language. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．New Chinese terms like “shanzhai” and “fangnu” have got into Oxford Dictionary． |
| B．The latest Oxford English-Chinese, Chinese-English Dictionary is on the market． |
| C．Oxford Dictionary has become more fashionable due to the Chinese language． |
| D．Beijing International Book Fair was where the new Oxford Dictionary was published． |