It had been a long，hard，wonderful day.The two of us had walked from the sea’s edge through the length of a beautiful valley，climbed a superb mountain，travelled its narrow，rocky ridge(山脊)，and now stood on its final peak，tired，happy and looking for the perfect campsite.
The experienced backpacker has a natural feeling for such things，and our eyes were drawn to a small blue circle on the map，like an eye winking at us.We could not see it from where we were，but we followed our judgement and went down steeply until it came into view.
We were right.It was a calm pool，with flat grass beside it.Gently taking our packs off，we made the first of many cups of tea before pulling up our tent.Later that evening，over another cup of tea and after a good meal，we sat outside the tent watching the sunset over a sea dotted with islands，towards one of which a ferry was slowly moving.It is not always so perfect，of course.On another trip，with a different companion，a thoroughly wet day had ended at a lonely farm.Depressed at the thought of camping，we had knocked and asked if we could use a barn(谷仓) as a shelter.
Backpacking could be defined as the art of comfortable，selfsufficient(自给自足的) travel on foot.Everything you need is in the pack on your back，and you become emotionally_as_well_as_physically_attached_to_it.I once left my pack hidden in some rocks while I made a long trip to a peak I particularly wanted to climb.I was away for nearly three hours and ended up running the last stretch in fear that my precious pack would not be there.It was，of course.
The speed at which the backpacker travels makes this the perfect way to see any country.You experience the landscape as a slow unfolding scene，almost in the way it was made；and you find time to stop and talk to people you meet.I’ve learned much local history from simply chatting to people I met while walking through an area.At the end of a trip，whether three days or three weeks，there’s a feeling of achievement，of having got somewhere under your own power.
After years of going out walking just for the day，many people start backpacking simply through wanting to stay out rather than cut short a trip.The writer and his companion knew there was a pool because ________.
| A．they had been told about it |
| B．they could see it on the map |
| C．they had seen it earlier in the day |
| D．they could see it from the top of the mountain |
What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
| A．The map. | B．The pool. |
| C．The mountain. | D．The campsite. |
How did the writer and his companion feel at the end of the day?
| A．They were too tired to put up their tent. |
| B．They wished they could have found a farm. |
| C．They were anxious about the coming weather. |
| D．They were delighted with the spot they’d found. |
What does the writer mean by being “emotionally as well as physically attached to it ” in Paragraph 4?
| A．It is more than just a practical aid. |
| B．He walks better when he is wearing it. |
| C．It is not a good idea to leave it anywhere. |
| D．He might die on the mountains without it. |
A jobless man applied for the position of "office boy" at Microsoft．The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test．"You are employed," he said．"Give me your e-mail address and I’ll send you the application to fill in, as well as the date when you may start." The man replied, "But I don't have a computer, neither an e-mail." "I'm sorry," said the HR manager．"If you don't have an email, that means you do not exist. And who doesn’t exist cannot have the job．"
The man left with no hope at all．He didn't know what to do, with only ten dollars in his pocket．He then decided to go to the supermarket and buy 10 kg tomatoes．He then sold the tomatoes from door to door．In less than two hours, he succeeded to double his capital (资金). He repeated the operation three times, and returned home happily with 60 dollars．
The man realized that he could survive in this way, and started to go every day earlier, and return later．Thus, his money doubled or tripled every day．Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, and then he had his own fleet (车队) of delivery vehicles．Five years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers (零售商) in the US.
He started to plan his family's future and decided to have a life insurance．He called an insurance broker and chose a protection plan．When the conversation was concluded, the broker asked him his e-mail．The man replied, "I don't have an e-mail．"The broker said curiously, "You don't have an e-mail, and yet have succeeded to build an empire．Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?" The man thought for a while and replied, "Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft !"According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The man was one of the biggest food retailers in the world |
| B．The man didn't give up though he failed the interview |
| C．He started his career by selling tomatoes in the supermarket |
| D．Those who have e-mails can work at Microsoft． |
The underlined word "tripled" in paragraph 3 can be replaced by ____
| A．became large | B．became 3 times |
| C．decreased slightly | D．decreased quickly |
The man can be described as ____．
| A．helpful and considerate | B．positive and generous |
| C．smart and hardworking | D．nervous and unselfish |
Which proverb can best describe the story?
| A．Misfortune may be an actual blessing． |
| B．Where there is a will, there is a way． |
| C．Accidents will happen |
| D．No pains, no gains |
Eco City Farms are becoming more popular in cities and towns around the Unites States.
Eco City Farms in Edmonton, Maryland, is located near shopping centers, car repair shops and homes. The neighborhood is a working-class community. People do not have very much money. And they have limited access to fresh food in markets.
Over the past two years, the farm has attracted volunteers form the community like Marcy Clark. She schools her four children at home. On a recent day she brought them to Eco City Farms for a lesson, her son Alston Clark thinks his experience is very valuable. “I like coming out here,” he says, “You know, you connect with the earth, where your food comes from. You appreciate the food a little bit more.”
Margaret Morgan started Eco City Farms. She thinks of it as a place where people can learn to live healthier lives. “Growing food in a community brings people together, ”she continues, “Every piece of what we do here is a demonstration (范例) to show people everything about how to have an eco-friendly community.” she says. From the Eco City Farms people come to know that they are not only growing food and raising chickens and bees, but improving the soil with compost (肥料) made from food waste.
Eco City Farms is an experimental operation. The farm gets its power not from the local electricity networks, but from the sun with solar panels (板). In winter, the green house use a geothermal (地热) system.
Vegetables can be grown all year. So once a week, all winter long, neighbors like Chris Moss and her three children bike to the farm to pick up a share of the harvest.
“I like eating the vegetables” say five-year-old Owen Moss.What is mainly talked about in the passage?
| A．Eco City Farms save a lot of energy. |
| B．Eco City Farms are influencing community life. |
| C．Eco City Farms helps the working-class live better. |
| D．Eco City Farms are gaining popularity. |
What is the author’s attitude toward Eco City Farms?
| A．Enthusiastic. | B．Disappointed. |
| C．Surprised. | D．Doubtful. |
According to the passage, Eco City Farms are close to the following places EXCEPT______.
| A．shopping centers |
| B．car repair shops |
| C．fast-food restaurants |
| D．working-class community |
In which of a newspaper can you most probably read this article?
| A．People. | B．Travel. |
| C．Environment. | D．Education. |
“Why should I care about the environment?” some people ask. There is a very simple reason: We live on the earth, and it is the only place we can live on right now, as we cannot live in space yet. If we treat the earth like a garbage dump, it will become dirty and unlivable. If we treat it well by being eco-conscious, the earth will stay clean and suitable for living, for ourselves and for our children.
What is “being eco-conscious”?
Being eco-conscious means being aware of your actions, and what you do to the environment. For example, you might think, “Using hairspray is great for fixing my hair.” However, if you are eco-conscious, you would ask, “Does this hairspray have CFCs in it? Could I be destroying the earth by using hairspray?”
How can I be eco-conscious?
You can find many simple ways to help the environment in your everyday life.
When you go shopping, bring a bag or a basket with you. Please try not to use plastic bags as much as you can.
You can go to work by bike or on foot if it is not far from your home.
You can put your rubbish into different bags, which makes it convenient for recycling.
You can eat less chewing gum.
You can use your own chopsticks instead of the disposable ones in your company or in restaurants.
You can put batteries in a special box instead of in garbage bins.
You can use the water which has been used for washing vegetables or fruits to clean the floor and the toilet or to water your garden.
You can turn off the decorative lights in your room when watching TV.
You can turn down your air conditioner by one degree, as this will cause a 10% reduction in energy use.
You can use recycled paper. Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil. You can also use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials. This will reduce the related air pollution by 20%, and the related water pollution by 50%.
Please believe that. If you do a little, it will make a big difference.Human beings should care about the environment because _________ .
| A．if we make the earth unlivable, we’ll have to live in space |
| B．it can help our children live better |
| C．if we don’t, the earth will become a garbage dump |
| D．it will help to make the world a good living place |
If your deskmate is an eco-conscious person, he should __________.
| A．be aware of the importance of protecting the environment |
| B．use plastic bags when he buys something |
| C．know nothing about CFCs |
| D．turn his air conditioner to a higher degree |
If you want to help the environment, you should do all the following EXCEPT ________.
| A．share a car with your colleagues |
| B．use paper bags instead of plastic bags |
| C．use hairspray containing CFCs |
| D．use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials |
It can be inferred from the passage that _________.
| A．it’s very hard for human beings to keep the earth clean and comfortable |
| B．protecting the environment is the duty of everybody |
| C．we should protect the environment together, as it’s no use doing it individually |
| D．it’s very easy to be eco-conscious |
According to the author, which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．Being eco-conscious means you should know much about the environment. |
| B．The more we care, the better the environment will be. |
| C．If each of us just does a little, we can’t make any difference. |
| D．If we treat the earth badly, we’ll make a lot of trouble for ourselves. |
“Our aim is to take our art to the world and make people understand what it is to move,” said David Belle, the founder of parkour(跑酷).
Do you love running? It is a good exercise, yet many people find it boring. But what if making your morning jog a creative one? Like jumping from walls and over gaps, and ground rolls? Just like the James Bond in the movie Casino Royale? Bond jumps down from a roof to a windowsill and then runs several blocks over obstacles on the way. It is just because of Bond’s wonderful performances that the sport has become popular worldwide.
Yes, that’s parkour, an extreme street sport aimed at moving from one point to another as quickly as possible, getting over all the obstacles in the path using only the abilities of the human body. Parkour is considered an extreme sport. As its participants dash around a city, they may jump over fences, run up walls and even move from rooftop to rooftop.
Parkour can be just as exciting and charming as it sounds, but its participants see parkour much more than that.
Overcome all the obstacles on the course and in life it is part of the philosophy(理念) behind parkour. This is the same as life. You must determine your destination, go straight, jump over all the barriers as if in parkour and never fall back from them in your life to reach the destination successfully. A parkour lover said, “I love parkour because its philosophy has become my life, my way to do everything.”
Another philosophy we’ve learnt from parkour is freedom. It can be done by anyone, at any time, anywhere in the world. It is a kind of expression of trust in yourself that you earn energy and confidence. Parkour has become popular throughout the world because of .
| A．its founder, David Belle | B．the film, Casino Royale |
| C．its risks and tricks | D．the varieties of participants |
The underlined word “obstacles” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “”.
| A．streets | B．objects | C．barriers | D．roofs |
Which of the following is true of parkour?
| A．It challenges human abilities. | B．It is a good but boring sport. |
| C．It needs special training. | D．It is a team sport. |
As its participants move around a city, .
| A．they can ask for help | B．they may choose to escape |
| C．they should run to extremes | D．they must learn to survive |
Which of the following is the philosophy of parkour?
| A．Sports and extremes. | B．Excitement and freedom. |
| C．Dreams and success. | D．Determination and freedom. |
London is a huge city with more things to do than anywhere else. With the London Pass, you get free entry to over 50 specially selected places with one purchase. In the list you’ll find:
●19 historic buildings
●22 museums and art galleries
●8 tours, cruises and walks and leisure activities
●13 places of interest including ships and aquariums
●12 restaurants and services
The London Pass offers not only great value and convenience , but also enables you to beat the queues at selected attractions. There are also special offers such as discounts at restaurants and theaters , where the attraction is normally free to the public. The London Pass also gives you great offers such as a free guided tour. So whether you prefer museums or cinemas, galleries or ice skating or zoos, with the London Pass there really is something for everyone.
You can buy Adult or Child passes for 2, 3 or 6 days. See all ticket prices below and choose what you need.
| Description |
Price |
| London Pass 2 days Adult-Item E-036 |
$87 |
| London Pass 3 days Adult-Item E-037 |
$104 |
| London Pass 6 days Adult-Item E-038 |
$140 |
| London Pass 2 days Child (5-15 years) |
$62 |
| London Pass 3 days Child (5-15 years) |
$72 |
| London Pass 6 days Child (5-15 years) |
$100 |
You can contact us by sending emails or making calls.
Please call 1-888-254-0637
Outside the US please call 00-800-84468370 or +1 210 507 5997
VIP reservations: Contact a Customer Service representative at 1-866-270-2849
NOTE: If your reservation is made prior to Jan 15th, 2013, email sales@previewhotels.com.With the London Pass you can probably do all the following things for free EXCEPT_________ .
| A．see famous buildings | B．stay at hotels |
| C．go boating | D．join in entertainment activities |
According to Paragraph 2, with the London Pass, visitors ________ .
| A．won’t have to pay for guided tours |
| B．can eat meals for free at some restaurants |
| C．will be fined unless they wait in line |
| D．won’t be allowed to travel alone |
How much should Mr King pay for the London Pass 2 days if he goes with his wife and 7-year-old son?
| A．$174 | B．$236 | C．$244 | D．$270 |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．The London Pass has discounts for students. |
| B．16 year olds can enjoy the London Pass 2 days Child. |
| C．Children under 5 don’t need the London Pass. |
| D．The London Pass cannot be bought on weekends. |
If you are a VIP customer, you can reserve by calling ______ .
| A．1-888-254-0637 | B．00-800-84468370 |
| C．+1 210 507 5997 | D．1-866-270-2849 |