Plan on traveling around the USA this summer. If you need help in arranging the trip, or want ideas about where to go and what to do, there are a number of outstanding websites that can make your American dream come true.
http://byways. org
The National Scenic Byways Program covers l50 memorable roads. Some are natural routes, such as Route l along the California coast. Others focus on history(such as Route 6) or man-made attractions (the Las Vegas Trip). For each, you are provided with a map, told the route’s length and how long is allowed, and given detailed suggestions on sights and stop-offs.
www. oyster. com
This is the best website for reviews of hotels in US cities and resorts. The reviews are impressively thorough--covering locations, rooms, cleanliness, food and so on. Importantly, these are not promotional photos by the hotels, but more honest and revealing ones taken by inspectors. Search facilities are excellent. From the 243 hotels reviewed in the New York, you can narrow down what you are looking for by locations, facilities and styles, or just pick out a selection of the best.
www. 101usaholidays. co. uk
This is the latest offering that features l01 holiday ideas to the USA. It’s an impressively diverse selection, ranging from touring in the footsteps of Martin Luther King to a golfing break in Arizona and a cycling and wine—tasting trip in California’s Napa Valley. Narrow down what you are looking for--whether by price, region, theme and who will be traveling--and then just the photos of the relevant holidays remain on view. It’s a really clever design.
www. mousesavers. com
Walt Disney World in California can make dreams come true, but the price is not affordable for the majority of people.
So turn to long established Mousesavers. com, dedicated to giving big discounts on tickets, hotels and dining at Walt Disney World. The website also offers general money—saving tips, suggestions for cheap and free stuff and brief coverage of other Florida and California theme parks. If you are going to the USA for the man-made attractions, you can drive along________.
| A．Route l | B．Route 6 | C．the Las Vegas Trip | D．the California coast |
Why are the photos of the hotels in US cities and resorts real in WWW. oyster. com?
| A．Because they were taken by customers who once lived there. |
| B．Because there are comments of customers on each photo. |
| C．Because there are qualifications of the authority. |
| D．Because they are taken by inspectors of the website. |
Travel ideas for a big family with kids and the old are available at .
| A．http://byways. org | B．www. oyster. com |
| C．www. 101 us holidays. co. uk | D．www. mouse savers. com |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A. WWW.mouse savers.com is a newly established website.
B. Discounted tickets of Walt Disney World are not available for everyone.
C. California’s Napa Valley is famous for its wine.
D. The National Scenic Byways Proclaim covers all the roads in the USA. Where does the text probably come from?
| A．A news report. |
| B．A tourist brochure. |
| C．A culture journal. |
| D．A health column. |
I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are happier than others. If so, you have some mistaken ideas about the nature of happiness.
Many intelligent people still equate happiness with fun. The truth is that fun and happiness have little or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is what we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more abiding emotion.
Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun activities that help us relax, temporarily forget our problems and maybe even laugh. But they do not bring happiness, because their positive effects end when the fun ends.
I have often thought that if Hollywood stars have a role to play, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant access to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”.
But in memoir（回忆录） after memoir, celebrities reveal the unhappiness hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and profound loneliness.
The way people stick to the belief that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually reduces their chances of ever obtaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain must be equated with unhappiness. But, in fact, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very endeavors that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, civic or charitable work, and self-improvement.What does the author want to tell us? He wants to tell us.
| A．he lives in Hollywood, so he feels not happy |
| B．the true meaning of happiness |
| C．in fact, famous people are not very happy |
| D．happiness is not equal to fun |
What is many intelligent people’s viewpoint about happiness?
| A．Happiness just means having fun. | B．Happiness is not equal to fun. |
| C．Happiness means doing what you like. | D．Happiness means being rich. |
What does the underlined word “equate” in the second paragraph mean? It means.
| A．compare | B．think |
| C．similar or connected | D．match |
According to the passage, the author may agree.
| A．amusement park can bring us happiness |
| B．fun will bring some happiness to us |
| C．pain will bring us happiness |
| D．efforts can bring us happiness |
One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather’s belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, "To my grandson." Recognizing his grandfather’s handwriting ,the young man opened the envelope. A letter inside read:
Dear Ronny,
Years ago you came to me for help .You said, "Grandpa, how is it that you’ve accomplished so much in your life? You’re still full of energy, and I’m already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you’ve got?"
I didn’t know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are numbered, I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe.
I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it "keeping your eyes wide open."
First ,realize that life is filled with surprises, but many are good ones .If you don’t keep watching for them, you’ll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while ,and you will be.
When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They’ll leave you wiser ,stronger, and more capable than you were the day before .when you make a mistake ,be grateful for the things it taught you .Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.
And always follow the rules. Even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you’re only fooling yourself.
It’s also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your ming focused on it, and be prepared to receive it.
But be ready to end up in some new places too ,As you grow with the years, you’ll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings.
Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar .Life isn’t just reaching peaks, Part of it is moving from one peak to the next .If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit .Leave the past in the past .Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view.
Dump things that weigh you down emotionally and spiritually. When an old resentment, belief, or attitude becomes heavy ,lighten your load. Shed those hurtful attitudes that slow you down and drain your energy.
Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.
And be sure to take breaks once in a while .They’ll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most to you .
Most important of all. never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the once who resolves to win. Give life everything you’ve got, and life will give its best back to you.
Love always,
GrandpaThe underlined part “But knowing my days are numbered” implies that.
| A．his grandpa could count days | B．his grandpa’s cach day was important |
| C．his grandpa knew he was dying | D．his grandpa was eager to tell the young man |
Why did the young man’s grandpa write this letter? Because.
| A．he wanted to recall his whole life |
| B．he wanted to tell his grandson how great he was |
| C．he wanted to explain how to keep energy |
| D．he wanted to show how to succeed |
The young man’s grandpa may agree.
| A．how a person looks at things has nothing to do with one’s future |
| B．we should be thankful for what mistakes teach us |
| C．successful life is just reaching peaks |
| D．It’s not so important to decide exactly what you want |
According to the passage,.
| A．learning to give up is very important | B．we’d better stay in the familiar |
| C．obeying little rules doesn’t matter | D．taking breaks once in a while is good to us |
From babies to body builders, we all have muscles. They grow, they bulge(鼓起), they stretch they stretch and sometimes they even painfully pull. But for all the work they do for us, we are still unable to crown one as "the strongest muscle."
Instead, a few muscles could claim the title, depending on how strength is measured.
If the title goes to the muscle that can exert(产生) the most force, the victor would be the soleus（小腿肚肌）, according to Gray’s Anatomy（解剖学）. Without this muscle, we wouldn’t be able to stand, walk, run or shake our bodies on the dance floor. If the soleus was not continuously pulling, we would always be falling over ourselves (although some of us tend to do that from time to time anyway).
But perhaps the title should go to the muscle that exerts the most pressure. Pressure is different from force — pressure takes into account the area over which a force is exerted. The muscle that takes the prize for delivering the greatest amount of pressure is the masseter, or the jaw muscle, according to the book "Clinical Oral Science" (Reed Educational and Professional Publishing, 1998).
In 1986, Richard Hofmann of Lake City, Fla., achieved a bite strength of 975 pounds (442 kilograms) for two seconds, setting a Guinness Record. Talk about jaw dropping! The jaw is able to clench（咬紧） and chew because of the masseter muscle.
Others may argue the muscles used in childbirth are the most powerful.
When it comes to versatility, perhaps the tongue is the strongest muscle. Its combination of elasticity（伸缩性） and forcefulness gives us the ability to speak, eat and kiss – all things very desirable on a first date. However dexterous（灵巧的） it may be though, its power does not match that of muscles such as the soleus.
If slow and steady wins the race, the heart is certainly a contender for the title. When it contracts, the muscle pumps about 2 ounces (59 milliliters) of blood, and is constantly working over a lifetime. Beating about 40 million times a year, a person’s heart will beat approximately 2.5 billion times by the time of their 70th birthday.According the passage, the underlined word “contender” in the last paragraph is closet in meaning to “”.
| A．failure | B．partner | C．muscle | D．competitor |
Which would be t he best title for the passage?
| A．What’s the strongest muscle in the human body? |
| B．who is the strongest person in the world? |
| C．What are the functions of different muscles? |
| D．What are the standards of the strongest muscle? |
According to the passage,.
| A．Without the soleus, we could still stand, walk, run or shake our bodies on the dance floor |
| B．a few muscles could be the winners, according to different measures |
| C．the muscles used in childbirth are the most powerful |
| D．tongue is the strongest muscle for delivering the greatest amount of pressure |
What would be discussed in the following paragraph?
| A．Another possible strongest muscle. | B．the conclusion of the strongest muscle. |
| C．The functions of different muscles. | D．the Guinness record of strongest muscle. |
Cittaslow has discovered China, and it is awarding a little village in Jiangsu the title of "slow city"
The bored teenagers of Gaochun are impatient with the leisurely pace of hometown life．For them there is no nightlife to speak of, no bright lights, no excitement and they cannot wait to grow up and leave for the urban attractions of the big cities．But it is this laid-back lifestyle that has attracted international attention．At least, a quiet village within Gaochun county has come under the spotlight．Yaxi village, population 20,000, is about to be designated China’s first "slow city" by Cittaslow, the sustainable lifestyle movement that first surfaced in Italy 11 years ago．
At home, the residents at Yaxi are unfazed and pretty much unimpressed by the honor．To them, life has been like this for as long as they can remember．Here, growing old gracefully is natural．
Nobody living in this little county had heard of Cittaslow or the words "slow city" before this．
"The first time I heard the term was last July, when the vice-president of Cittaslow, Angelo Vassallo, visited Yaxi village," says Zuo Niansheng, the chief editor of local newspaper Gaochun Today．
"Vassallo was deeply impressed by this village’s natural and cultural resources and said it perfectly fitted the requirements for a slow city," says Zuo．"That was how Yaxi became connected with Cittaslow．
The Slow City must also be committed to protect and maintain the natural environment as well as promote a sustainable way of development ?all of which are the current strategies adopted in Gaochun．"We’ve been doing this for years," adds Zuo．
Cittaslow was founded in Tuscany, Italy in 1999．It was a spin-off from the Slow Food movement which started, also in Italy, in 1986 as a protest against the first McDonald ’ s opening near the Spanish Steps in Rome．The movement championed a return to healthy, nutritious home-grown, home -cooked food．
Slow Food has since expanded globally to more than 130 countries．Its mission has also broadened to include the promotion of sustainable foods and local small businesses, and the localization as opposed to globalization of food production．
Cittaslow is an expansion of the Slow Food movement, and it actively advocates a lifestyle that is sustainable, that will improve quality of life, and will preserve cultural and culinary （烹饪的）heritage．According the passage, Cittaslow is a（n） ____．
| A．organization | B．person | C．lifestyle | D．honor |
What’ s the reaction of the residents at Yaxi to the award according the passage? They feel
| A．very excited． | B．very shocked |
| C．indifferent | D．very happy |
Why is the village Yaxi awarded the title of “slow city”? Because.
| A．it is full of excitement and activities of nightlife |
| B．the residents at Yaxi enjoy a leisure life |
| C．it is very rich and has a lot of attractions |
| D．foreign people like small towns than big cities. |
It can be inferred from the passage that.
| A．young people at Yaxi enjoy their life very much |
| B．China is more and more popular with foreign people |
| C．the first McDonald’s in Europe was opened in Spain |
| D．the lifestyle of “slow city” will be good to environment and people |
Contrary to common belief, social media websites such as Facebook do not weaken personal ties, they strengthen them in unique ways for different age groups, according to a new study．
The rapid spread of Facebook, which has more than 500 million users worldwide, has prompted concerns about its negative effects, but researchers at the University of Texas have reached a different conclusion．
"Our findings suggest that Facebook is not replacing face-to-face interactions between friends, family and colleagues," said S．Craig Watkins, an associate professor of radio, TV and film who headed the research team．
"In fact, we believe there is sufficient evidence that social media afford opportunities for new expressions of friendship, intimacy and community．"
The researchers questioned 900 college students and recent graduates about how and with whom they interact on Facebook．
More than 60 percent of Facebook users said posting status updates was among the most popular activities, followed by 60 percent who wrote comments on their profile and 49 percent who posted messages and comments to friends．
The researchers also found that although about the same number of men and women use Facebook, they do so in different ways．
"There is a noteworthy difference in aims in how to use a tool like Facebook．We found that for women the content tends to be more affectionate, and （they） are especially interested in using it for connection," said Watkins．
"For men, it’s more functional," he added．
Watkins pointed out that, for example, women are more likely to post pictures of social gatherings with friends, while men are more likely to post pictures of hobbies, or post a political or pop-culture related link．What’s the popular viewpoint of ordinary people about the function of social media websites? They think ____．
| A．It is positive to personal ties |
| B．It has negative effects on personal ties |
| C．It makes no difference to personal ties |
| D．It has both good and bad effects to personal ties |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word in the second paragraph?
| A．resulted from | B．had | C．showed | D．produced |
What do Facebook users like to do mostly on Facebook? They like to ____．
| A．create new expressions of friendship ’ |
| B．wrote comments on their profile |
| C．update their personal statuses |
| D．post messages and comments to friends |
According to the study, ____．
| A．Men concentrate more on the functions of Facebook |
| B．Much more men use Facebook than women |
| C．Men and women use a tool like Facebook for the same aim |
| D．Facebook is taking the place of face-to-face interactions between friends |