There are many places to go on safari(观赏野生动物)in Africa, but riding a horse through the flooded waters of Botswana's Okavango Delta must rank as one of the world's most exciting wildlife journeys.
Several safari camps operate as the base for this adventure, providing unique rides twice a day to explore deep into the delta. The camps have excellent horses, professional guides and lots of support workers. They have a reputation for providing a great riding experience.
The morning ride, when the guides take you to beautiful, shallow lakes full of water lilies, tends to be more active. It is unlike any other riding experience. With rainbows forming in the splashing water around you and the sound of huge drops of water bouncing off your body and face. It is truly exciting. You are very likely to come across large wild animals, too. On horseback it is possible to get quite close to elephants, giraffes and many other animals. The sense of excitement and tension levels rise suddenly though, as does your heart rate, as you move closer to them.
In the evening, rides are usually at a more relaxed and unhurried pace. With golden light streaming across the grassy delta and the animals coming out to eat and drink. Sedate though they are, rides at this time of day are still very impressive. As the sun's rays pass through the dust kicked up by the horses, the romance of Africa comes to life.
Back at the camp you can kick off your boots and enjoy excellent food and wine. Looking back on your day, you will find it hard to deny that a horseback Safari is as close as you will ever come to answering the call of the wild.What does the underlined word "They" refer to?
| A.Flooded waters | B.Wildlife journey |
| C.Safari camps | D.Unique rides |
What does the author find most exciting about a horse safari?
| A.Seeing and feeling the real African life. |
| B.Enjoying good food and wine at the camp. |
| C.Hunting large animals just as our ancestors did. |
| D.Being part of the scene and getting close to animals. |
What does the underlined word "sedate" probably mean?
| A.Wild and romantic | B.Slow and peaceful |
| C.Hurry and thirsty | D.Active and excited |
The author introduced the riding experience in the OKavango Delta mainly by________.
| A.Following space order | B.Following time order |
| C.Making classifications | D.Giving examples |
Health, Wellness and the Politics of Food
9:00—9:45 a.m. Blue Tent
Panelists (成员):Jami Bernard, David Kamp, Marion Nestle and Peter Singer.
Hosted by Denise Grady, science writer for The New York Times.
How does what we eat not only affect our bodies, but also the world?The food and nutrition experts debate the role that the diet plays in both personal and global health, and present a look at food politics.
Sports Writing:For the Love of the Game
9:50—10:35 a.m. Blue Tent
Panelists:Christine Brennan, Ira Rosen, Joe Wallace and Joe Drape.
Hosted by William C.Rhoden, sports writer for The New York Times.
Whether catching that key moment of victory or defeat, or covering breaking news, sports writers are anything but audience. Listen as some professionals discuss the special experience in reporting of sports news.
The Art of the Review
11:15—12:00 a.m. Green Tent
Panelists: John Freeman, Barry Gewen, David Orr, Celia McGee and Jennifer Schuessler.
Hosted by Sam Tanenhaus, editor for The New York Times Book Review. How much of an effect does the book review have on book sales?Join this group of critics(评论家) as they discuss the reality of book review and bestseller lists, and how they choose books for review.
New York Writers, New York Stories
3:00—3:45 p.m.Green Tent
Panelists: Cindy Adams, Richard Cohen, Ric Klass and Lauren Redniss.
Hosted by Clyde Haberman, columnist (专栏作家) for the City Section of The New York Times.
Join this inspiring group of New York-centric writers as they talk about why New York is a gold mine of ideas for their work.If you are free in the afternoon, you can attend_______.
| A.The Art of the Review |
| B.New York Writers, New York Stories |
| C.Health, Wellness and the Politics of Food |
| D.Sports Writing: For the Love of the Game |
Sam Tanenhaus is in charge of ________.
| A.The Art of the Review |
| B.Health, Wellness and the Politics of Food |
| C.New York Writers, New York Stories |
D.Sports Writin g:For the Love of the Game |
All the four activities above _______.
| A.are about writing | B.will last 45 minutes each |
| C.can be attended freely | D.will attract many readers |
We can learn from the text that________.
| A.sports writers are a type of audience |
| B.the New York Times is popular |
| C.Denise Grady will discuss politics |
| D.book reviews may affect book sales |
Will Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen announce a new beginning for China’s higher education reform? It’s too early to answer. But its presence is challenging the Ministry of Education. Even without the approval of the ministry it seems that the school is determined to move forward and enroll 50 students, so-called child prodigies(奇才), to begin classes on March l, 2011.On graduating in 2015, these students will receive a diploma unauthorized by the Ministry of Education-unlike the students of their age from the state-run universities.
The school is committed to modeling itself on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but if the government will not approve the school, the situation could cause a lot of trouble for those 50 students if they want to do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions. Other schools could turn their applications down for their unauthorized diplomas.
The difficulties, however, have not frightened students and their parents away. On Dec.18, 2010 more than 1,000 students and their parents visited Nanfang University of Science and Technology for interviews.
Private investment marks the school out from other higher learning institutions in the nation. Not a penny comes from the government. So the government will have no voice in how the school will be run.
The Ministry of Education has published a comprehensive plan for education reform and development between 2011 and 2020.The goal is to make China’s higher education internationally competitive. To accomplish this goal, the government should have the courage to let the educators who have big ideas try them out. The ministry should have applauded the independence the school in Shenzhen has shown and encouraged more to do likewise.
Education reform in China has reached a new and crucial stage. Nanfang University of Science and Technology has a long way to go to prove itself competitive rather than a diploma mill.Over 1,000 students and parents visited the school because.
| A.they believe that the school will have a bright future |
| B.they believe the government is sure to approve the school |
| C.the school models itself on Hong Kong University successfully |
| D.they will never do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions |
The trouble the students in the school may have is that .
| A.the government will have no voice in the school |
| B.they won’t receive any diploma when graduating from the school |
| C.other schools are unlikely to accept their diploma from the school |
| D.they will not learn how to be competitive |
What does the author think of Nanfang University of Science and Technology?
| A.It is another kind of diploma mill. | |
| B.It’s impossible for the school to be competitive. | |
C.It will never get the approval from the Ministry of Education.![]() |
D.Its independence from the government may benefit the education reform. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A.University of New Style. | B.China’s Education Reform. |
| C.Modeling Hong Kong University. | D.Authorized or Not? |
He's an old cobbler (修鞋匠) with a shop in the Marais, a historic area in Paris.When I took him my shoes, he at first told me: "I haven't time.Take them to the other fellow on the main street; he'll fix them for you right away."
But I'd had my eye on his shop for a long time. Just looking at his bench loaded with tools and pieces of leather, I knew he was a skilled craftsman (手艺人). "No," I replied, "The other fellow can't do it well."
"The other fellow" was one of those shopkeepers who fix shoes and make keys "while-U-wait" -- without knowing much about mending shoes or making keys. They work carelessly, and when they have finished sewing back a sandal strap (鞋带) ,you might as well just throw away the pair.
My man saw I wouldn't give in, and he smiled. He wiped his hands on his blue apron (围裙), looked at my shoes, had me write my name on one shoe with a piece of chalk and said, "Come back in a week."
I was about to leave when he took a pair of soft leather boot off a shelf.
"See what I can do " he said with pride. "Only three of us in Paris can do this kind of work."
When I got back out into the street, the world seemed brand-new to me. He was something out of an ancient legend, an old craftsman with his way of speaking familiarly, his pride in his craft.
These are times when nothing is important but the bottom line, when you can do things any old way as long as it "pays", when, in short, people look on work as a path to ever-increasing consumption (消费) rather than a way to realize their own abilities. In such a period,it is a rare comfort to find a cobbler who gets his greatest satisfaction from pride in a job well done.Which of the following is true about the old cobbler?
| A.He was equipped with the best repairing tools. |
| B.He was the only cobbler in the Marais. |
| C.He was proud of his skills. |
| D.He was a native Parisian. |
The sentence "He was something out of an ancient legend." ( paragraph 7 ) implies that .
| A.nowadays you can hardly find anyone like him |
| B.it was difficult to communicate with this man |
| C.the man was very strange |
| D.the man was too old |
According to the author, many people work just to.
| A.realize their abilities | B.gain happiness |
| C.make money | D.gain respect |
This story wants to tell us that.
| A.craftsmen make a lot of money | B.whatever you do, do it well |
| C.craftsmen need self-respect | D.people are born equal |
For the person keeping a journal, whatever he experiences and wants to hold he can write down. But to get it down on paper begins another adventure. For he has to focus on what he has experienced, and to be able to say what, in fact, the experience is. What of it is new? What of it is remarkable because ofassociations in the memory it stirs up? It is a good or bad thing to have happened? And why, specifically? The questions multiply (增多) themselves quickly. As one tries to find the words that best represent this discovery, the experience becomes even clearer in its shape and meaning.
Beyond the value of the journal as record, there is the value of the discipline it teaches. The journalist begins to pay closer attention to what happened to and around himself. He develops and sharpens his skills of observation. He learns the usefulness of languages as a means of representing what he sees, and gains skill and certainty in the expression of his experiences. To have given up one’s experience to words is to have begun marking out the limits and potential of its meaning. In the journal that meaning is developed and clarified (澄清、阐明) to oneself. When the intention of the development ofthat meaning is the consideration of another reader, the method of the journal redirects itself and it becomes the essay.According to the author, keeping a journal is good for ________.
| A.observation and expression |
| B.certainty and discipline |
| C.experience and adventure |
| D.consideration and development |
By keeping a journal, one can ________.
| A.develop the usefulness of language |
| B.develop his memory |
| C.clarify the consideration to everyone |
| D.have a thorough understanding of his experience |
Which of the following statements is NOT correct?
| A.The journalist can express what has happened. |
| B.A journal can serve as a record of the past happening. |
| C.The journalist must be able to observe closely. |
| D.Writing helps develop the consideration of others. |
The passage is mainly about ________.
| A.how to write a journal |
| B.the expressions of a journal |
| C.the values of keeping a journal |
| D.how to solve the problems in a journal |
The small unframed painting called “Fisherman” was signed by a little-known Italian artist, Maveleone (1669-1740). When it was sold recently in New York for $27,000, the seller, Mr. Oliver Pitt, was asked to explain how the picture had come into his possession.
Pitt said, “I didn’t know it was so valuable. I’m not an art expert. Photography is my hobby. I bought ‘Fisherman’ in Italy in 1970 for $140. The picture was dirty, and I couldn’t see the artist’s signature. But anyway it wasn’t the picture that I liked. I bought it because of the frame. ”
“It’s a most unusual frame, made of tiny, silvery sea-shells. They are set in such a way that they reflect perfect light onto the surface of a picture. I now have a photograph of my wife in that frame, and I’ll never part with it.”
“When I returned to New York I showed the painting in its frame to a customs officer. I told him that I had paid $140 for it but admitted I didn’t know its actual worth. The customs man valued it at $140, and I was asked to pay duty on that value. I did so, there and then. ”
“Later, I took off the frame, and that uncovered Maveleone’s signature. My wife suggested in fun that the painting might be a valuable one, so I cleaned it and put it up for sale.”
As a result of this explanation, Oliver Pitt had to appear in court. He was accused of knowingly making a false statement of the value of a picture so as to cheat the Customs Department.
Pitt was not happy. “I told the truth as I knew it then,” he said, “What else could I say?”
And then the judge agreed with him. “The Customs Department is to be responsible,” he said, “for making a true valuation of goods brought into the country, so that the correct amount of duty may be charged. Mr. Pitt did not cause or try to cause the mistake that was made. He paid the duty that was demanded. If, now, the Customs Department finds that its valuation was not correct, it cannot be allowed to have another try. Pitt is not guilty”.When Oliver Pitt bought the picture, ________.
| A.it was unframed | B.Maveleone signed the deal |
| C.he suggested that it was valuable | D.it was the frame that attracted him |
From the passage we can infer that if Maveleone had been a well-known artist, _.
| A.the painting would have cost much more than $ 140 |
| B.he wouldn’t have sold his painting |
| C.the customs officer wouldn’t have been cheated |
| D.Pitt wouldn’t have had the intention to buy any of his paintings |
Pitt took off the frame probably in order to _.
| A.clean the painting to put it up for sale |
| B.look for the artist’s signature |
| C.use it for his wife’s photograph |
| D.find the painting’s true value |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the story?
| A.In the end Pitt was asked to pay the correct amount of duty. |
| B.In the end Pitt sold the frame of the painting at an even higher price. |
| C.In the end the Customs Department had no right to revalue the painting. |
| D.In the end Pitt’s wife was regarded as an expert because of her wise suggestion. |