Four most Extreme Travel Destinations in the World
Coldest Inhabited Place on Earth: Oymyakon, Russia
As the coldest inhabited place on earth, the small Russian town of Oymyakon was once only used as a location for political prisoners. Winter temperature average at about -58 degrees F, the ground is frozen all year long. Popular sports include skiing, ice hockey and ice fishing.
Closest Place to Outer Space: Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador
Mount Chimborazo stands at over 20,000 feet high. Standing on it will put you closest to outer space that man can ever reach on foot. Its peak is completely covered by glaciers, but this mountain has several routes for climbers.
Hottest Place on Earth: Lut Desert, Iran
Here, temperatures reach as high as 158 degrees F. Though tourists visit this desert land, it’s a destination only for those willing to take on the challenge of surviving the heat and the dry climates.
Most Isolated Place on Earth: Tristan da Cunha, United Kingdom
Looking for a getaway from the everyday? This is about as far away from it as you can get. The island is home to fewer than 300 inhabitants and has no airport, Tristan da Cunha is accessible only by sea.Oymyakon was once used as a location for political prisoners probably because it ________.
| A．is isolated and cold |
| B．was covered by glaciers |
| C．is hot and deserted |
| D．is a getaway for people |
How can we get to Tristan da Cunha?
| A．By air. |
| B．By car. |
| C．By ship. |
| D．By train. |
Where does this text probably come from?
| A．A science fiction. |
| B．A tourist guide book. |
| C．A sports magazine. |
| D．An economic handbook. |
Does Fame Drive You Crazy?
Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just
imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.
According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities — famous people — worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”
The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed
Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited
America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain (抱怨)
about his lack of privacy. Tabloids of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.
Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something
ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.
If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.
Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.It can be learned from the passage that stars today .
| A．are often misunderstood by the public |
| B．can no longer have their privacy protected |
| C．spend too much on their public appearance |
| D．care little about how they have come into fame |
What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
| A．Great heroes of the past were generally admired. |
| B．The problem faced by celebrities has a long history. |
| C．Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids. |
| D．Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers. |
What makes it much harder to be a celebrity today?
| A．Availability of modern media. |
| B．Inadequate social recognition. |
| C．Lack of favorable chances. |
| D．Huge population of fans. |
What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?
| A．Sincere. | B．Sceptical. |
| C．Disapproving. | D．Sympathetic. |
Commuters (上下班往返的人) who drive to work will face a parking charge of up to ￡350 a year.Ministers are backing a workplace parking charge which will come into force in Nottingham in 2013 and is likely to be adopted across the country.The scheme will see firms with more than ten parking places for staff charged ￡350 a year for each space in two years.
Employers would be free to pass on the charge to their staff—meaning it would effectively be a tax on driving to work.The scheme aims to reduce traffic by preventing unnecessary car journeys and raise funds to improve public transport，but critics say it is just an excuse for councils to fill their coffers (金库)．
Some ten million Britons drive to work each day，and the British Chambers of Commerce says the new charge could total ￡3.4 billion a year if rolled out nationwide.
Already some firms in Nottingham have threatened to leave the city，where 40,000 commuters use their cars to get to work.A spokesman said the scheme was nothing more than a tax on jobs.“It is very unfair to discriminate against those employers who have parking spaces，which get vehicles off the streets，” he said.“And these charges apply around the clock，which is especially unfair on shift workers who rely on their cars because public transport is not available.This is more about increasing the government’s income than reducing traffic.”
However，Transport Minister Sadiq Khan gave the plan an official approval during a visit to Nottingham. The council says the tax will raise as much as ￡100 million over ten years—one fifth of the cost of a new transport system for the city.
Another transport spokesman Theresa Villiers said the tax would have a devastating impact on businesses struggling to cope with the economic decline.
But Richard Hebditch of the Campaign for Better Transport said the tax would raise money to invest in better transport.“We put forward the idea of workplace parking taxes as a fairer way to raise money to invest in the future local transport services.We are pleased that the people of Nottingham will be the first to benefit.”Supporters argue that the scheme________.
| A．can help improve the parking conditions for the staff |
| B．should be applied to ail commuters driving to work |
| C．is certain to be carried out despite the objections |
| D．will relieve traffic pressure and improve public transport |
According to the objectors，the scheme is unfair for________.
| A．the firms with parking lots |
| B．the workforce without cars |
| C．the employees parking their cars on the streets |
| D．the staff driving to work in the daytime |
Which word can best describe Theresa Villiers’s attitude towards the scheme?
| A．Neutral. | B．Negative. |
| C．Understanding. | D．Positive. |
It can be inferred from the passage that________.
| A．many firms are willing to pay the charges for their staff |
| B．the public transport in Nottingham is in great need of improvement |
| C．the author believes Britons will benefit from the scheme |
| D．those firms with more commuters will leave Nottingham |
In 1943, when I was 4, my parents moved from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, to Fairbanks, Alaska, where adventure was never very far away.
We arrived in the summer, just in time to enjoy the midnight sun. All that sunlight was fantastic for Mom's vegetable garden. Working in the garden at midnight tended to throw her timing off, so she didn't care much about my bedtime.
Dad was a Railway Express agent and Mom was his clerk. That left me in a mess. I usually managed to find some trouble to get into. Once I had a little Are going in the dirt basement of a hotel. I had tried to light a barrel（桶） of paint but couldn't really get a good fire going. The smoke got pretty bad, though, and when 1 made my exit, a crowd and the police were there to greet me. The policemen took my matches and drove me
Mom and Dad were occupied in the garden and Dad told the police to keep me, and they did! I had a tour of the prison before Mom rescued me. 1 hadn't turned 5 yet.
As I entered kindergarten, the serious cold began to set in. Would it surprise you to know that I soon left part of my tongue on a metal handrail at school?
As for Leonhard Seppala, famous as a dog sledder (驾雪橇者), I think I knew him well because I was taken for a ride with his white dog team one Sunday. At the time I didn't realize what a superstar he was, but I do remember the ride well. I was wrapped (包裹) heavily and well sheltered from the freezing and blowing weather.
In 1950, we moved back to Coeur d'Alene, but we got one more Alaskan adventure when Leonhard invited us eight years later by paying a visit to Idaho to attend a gathering of former neighbors of Alaska.What can be inferred about the author's family?
| A．His father was a cruel man. | B．His parents didn't love him. |
| C．His parents used to be very busy. | D．His mother didn't have any jobs. |
What happened when the author was 4?
| A．He learned to smoke. | B．He was locked in a basement. |
| C．He was arrested by the poli | D．He nearly caused a fire accident. |
Which of the following is true?
| A．Leonhard was good at driving dog sleds. |
| B．The author spent his whole childhood in Alaska. |
| C．Leonhard often visited the author's family after 1950. |
| D．The author suffered a lot while taking the dog sled in Alaska. |
What is the author's purpose of writing the text?
| A．To look back on his childhood with adventures. |
| B．To describe the extreme weather of Alaska. |
| C．To express how much he misses Leonhard. |
| D．To show off his pride in making trouble. |
A volcanic eruption in Iceland has sent ash across northern Europe. Airlines have stopped or changed the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in airports.
Grirmsvom is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes Grimsvom different is that it lies under a huge glacier（冰川） of ice up to 12 maters thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice above it, which then forms a layer（层）of water between the glacier and the volcano This layer of water puts pressure on the volcano, keeping it stable, As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava（岩浆） from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what happened today.
Now, airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash. According to KLM. one of Europe’s biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or over it. Going through the cloud can result in ash getting stuck in the airplane’s engines, causing damage to the plane.
The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp. Glass-like rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them from eating ash- covered grass to the sharp object. What makes Grimsvom different from other volcanoes?
| A．It is below ice. |
| B．It lies under the sea |
| C．It is the largest volcano |
| D．It is lava affects the airlines |
What keeps Grimsvotn still?
| A．The slow flow of water |
| B．The low water temperature |
| C．The thick glacier |
| D．The water pressure |
Which of the following is the result of the volcanic eruption?
| A．People stop traveling in Europe |
| B．Airlines suffer from the loss of planes |
| C．It becomes dangerous for animals to eat outside |
| D．Farmers have lost many of their animals |
This text is most probably taken from_
| A．a research paper |
| B．a newspaper report |
| C．a class presentation |
| D．a geography textbook |
Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, “In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence”. Given that this is the case, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult(侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution(解决)：stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words, namecalling, and accusations only add fuel to the emotional fire. On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy(策略) for conflict resolution: listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask nonthreatening questions to clarify the speaker's position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need to consider what they are bearing. This doesn't mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these：How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, “64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves”. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.This article is mainly about ________.
| A．the lives of school children |
| B．the cause of arguments in schools |
| C．how to analyze youth violence |
| D．how to deal with school conflicts |
From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ________.
| A．violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime |
| B．a small conflict can lead to violence |
| C．students tend to lose their temper easily |
| D．the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight |
Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?
| A．To find out who is to blame. |
| B．To get ready to try new things. |
| C．To make clear what the real issue is. |
| D．To figure out how to stop the shouting match. |
After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that ________.
| A．there was a decrease in classroom violence |
| B．there was less student cooperation in the classroom |
| C．more teachers felt better about themselves in schools |
| D．the teacherstudent relationship greatly improved |
The writer's purpose for writing this article is to ________.
| A．complain about problems in school education |
| B．teach students different strategies for school life |
| C．advocate teaching conflict management in schools |
| D．inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence |