Why choose National Express?
When you travel with us we want to ensure you're safe, comfortable and arrive at your destination on time. This is why we've made some significant improvements to our services and added new and exciting tools to make sure travelling with us is an easy and relaxing experience.
You go there, we go there
We go to hundreds of towns, cities and airports across the UK. We've over 550 coaches covering 70 million miles a year, so if there's somewhere you want to go, then chances are we go there too.
Safe, modern coaches
A total of 25 million pounds has been invested on over 100 coaches in the last year. Most of our coaches now have leather seats and headrests, ample legroom, power sockets for charging mobiles, tablets and laptops and a toilet on board. For your safety, all our coaches are fitted with the latest safety features as standard. Please turn to page 4-5 for more safety information.
Coach Tracker
Why not use Coach Tracker while travelling with us, or tell your friends and relatives to use it to track where your coaches is in real-time, anytime, anywhere. Simply visit nationalexpresss.com/coachtracker and follow the on-screen instructions.
Assisted travel
The majority of our coaches have an easy-access passenger lift at the front of the coach, providing step free access to wheelchair users and anyone with reduced mobility. We can also offer practical assistance along the way to make your journey easier and more enjoyable. Call 03717 818181 for more information.
Greener journey
Travelling by coaches is one of the most environmentally friendly forms of transport. Our coaches emit up to five times less CO2 per passenger, per kilometer than an average car.
Mobile
If you are looking to book a ticket on the go you can use our mobile site, which your smartphone or tablet will automatically direct you to when you visit our website.
Satellite tracking
We track the majority of our coaches using a satellite tracking system. We know exactly where our coaches are at any given time, and can reroute them should there be any avoidable traffic block. We're committed to getting you to your destination safely and on time.
Thanks for choosing to travel with us. We've created this booklet to keep you up-to-date on our safety information and improvements. Whether you are travelling with us to the airport or visiting your favorite destination, sit back, relax and familiarize yourself with the safety features and facilities on board.
From the passage, we can know that ________
| A．National Express invests 25 million on its coaches every year. |
| B．Disabled passengers have easy access to every National Express coach. |
| C．A National Express coach emits less CO2 than an average four-seat car. |
| D．Family members can have National Express passenger’s real-time location through Coach Tracker. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．The booklet on National Express has at least 5 pages. |
| B．You can call 03717 818181 for more information on mobility issues. |
| C．Most coaches now have leather seats, headsets, tablets and a toilet onboard. |
| D．Most coaches can change their route to avoid traffic jams by satellite tracking. |
The passage is intended to _________ .
| A．inform you of the safety features and latest improvements of the coaches |
| B．introduce the onboard facilities and tools for your safe and comfortable travel |
| C．keep you up-to-date on the safety information and improvements |
| D．promote and advertise the coach service offered by National Express |
What is true about the National Express?
| A．It is a company located in the US that offers coach service nationwide. |
| B．If you visit its website, a ticket will automatically be booked for you. |
| C．It aims to provide safe, relaxing and punctual service for its customers. |
| D．Its coach has step free lifts at both ends of the coach. |
Nearing the age of 101 has not slowed down one Japanese woman．In fact，in the swimming pool—she is only getting faster．
Recently，a 100-year-old Japanese woman became the world’s first centenarian to complete a 1，500-meter freestyle swimming competition in a 25-meter poo1．
Her name is Mieko Nagaoka．Ms．Nagaoka set a world record for her age group at a recent Japan Masters Swimming Association event in the western city of Matsuyama．She swam the race in 1hour，15 minutes and 54 seconds．
By comparison，the overall female world record holder completed the same distance in just under 15 and a half minutes．But that swimmer，Katie Ledecky，is only 17 years old．And Ms．Nagao．ka was not competing against her．In fact，Ms．Nagaoka was the only competitor in the 100-104 year old category．Her race was not a race of speed but of endurance，or not giving up．
Breaking swimming records is nothing new to Ms．Nagaoka．So far she has broken 25 records．But she began competing when she was much younger—at 88.
Ms．Nagaoka sufferred a knee injury in her 80s，so she began swimming to help her body recover．Since her first international swimming competition，she hasn’t looked back，except maybe to see if her competition is catching up．
In 2002．at a masters swim meet in New Zealand，Ms．Nagaoka took the bronze medal in the 50-meter backstroke．In 2004，she won three silver medals at an Italian swim meet.
Masters swimming is a special class of competitive swimming to promote health and friendship among participants．Swimmers compete within age groups of five years.
Japan has a large number of people who live beyond 100 years old．Until she passed away this month，the oldest person in the world was also from Japan．Misao Okawa was born in 1 898．She said her secrets for longevity，or long life，were good genes，regular sleep，sushi and exercise.The underlined word“centenarian”refers to someone who is____．
| A．from Japan | B．100 or older |
| C．an old competitor | D．a new swimmer |
Which is possibly the age category of the masters swimming competition?
| A．82 to 87 years old． | B．93 to 97 years old. |
| C．95 to 99 years old． | D．106 to 110 years old. |
It can be inferred from the passage that_____．
| A．some people are born with longevity genes |
| B．people who like swimming live longer |
| C．the Japanese are interested in swimming |
| D．woman usually live much longer than men |
Which can best explain the spirit of Ms．Nagaoka?
| A．Not to advance is to go back． |
| B．After a storm comes a calm. |
| C．The early bird catches the worm． |
| D．Keep on going，never give up. |
Think about the last time you felt afraid．Was it a fear of height?Did you oversleep on a weekday and fear you’d get into trouble at the office?In any case，you know what it feels like to feel fear．
But one woman doesn’t．The woman，code-named“UM”，gave her first-ever interview after years of being studied by a team of researchers．The woman is given a code name because the researchers want to protect her from anyone who would take advantage of her inability to feel afraid．
UM can’t tell you what fear is because she’s never experienced it．“I wonder what it’s like to actually be afraid of something，”she said．The formal name for the disease is Urbach-Wieth disease，which is characterized by a hoarse(粗哑的)voice，small bumps around the eyes，and calcium deposits(钙沉积的)in the brain．
In the case of UM，the disease has transformed the part of her brain that controls the human response to fear．In the interview，UM talks about an event in her life where she was held at knifepoint and gunpoint，“I was walking to the store，and I saw a man on a park bench．He said．‘Come here，please，’so I went over to him．He grabbed me by the shirt，put a knife to my throat and told me he was going to cut me．I told him，‘Go ahead and cut me，’I wasn’t afraid at a11．And for some reason，he let me go．”
Doctors who have been studying UM’s condition for years have been trying different things that could strike fear into her．They finally figured something out—increasing UM’s carbon dioxide levels．Extra carbon dioxide concentration in the blood is known to cause fear and panic in health individuals．Increasing UM’s carbon dioxide levels did manage to give her a fright．The text starts by_______．
| A．challenging the reader | B．solving daily problems |
| C．1isting situations | D．giving explanations |
Why is the woman with Urbach-Wieth disease given a code name?
| A．To tell her case from other patients． |
| B．To respect her privacy． |
| C．To meet the researchers’demands． |
| D．To ensure her safety． |
From UM’s case，we can know that Urbach-Wieth disease may________.
| A．stop the brain from functioning normally |
| B．1ead to a decrease in calcium deposits |
| C．stop the brain from responding quickly |
| D．1ead to an increase in carbon dioxide |
What will probably happen to UM?
| A．Dying of the Urbach-Wieth disease． |
| B．Getting the sense of panic． |
| C．Experiencing another danger． |
| D．Speaking with a hoarse voice． |
Traveling to Cuba as an American is like jumping through hoops(环)．To help you better prepare for your trip，here are what you need to know about traveling to Cuba．
You wilI need to obtain a visa to travel to Cuba．You’11 need to apply for the visa associated with your travel purposes，such as religious or medical travel，family visits，or people-to-people travel，which is the most common type of visa attained by Americans．
Because of the U．S．restriction，banks have not yet been able to establish a foothold in Cuba，meaning it’s a cash—focused country．You can exchange currency at the José Martí International Airport or at your hotel．Keep in mind that there is a 10 percent fee to exchange U．S．currency for Cuban currency．You’11 also want to be sure to carry change for tips．
You can reserve a hotel room in Cuba online．Then you can call to confirm your reservation．You can also book through a travel agency．However，payment can be tricky：Even if you pay for your room through your travel agent，the restriction may prevent your payment from reaching your hotel in time(another reason to book well in advance)．Come prepared with enough cash to cover the cost，just in case．
If you expect to find the blue waters，volcanic landscapes and beautiful villages of other nearby islands，you’11 be disappointed．But beauty is not hard to find here．Old Havana—a UNESCO World Heritage Site—is home to splendid architecture and a bit of paladars(privately owned res—taurants)．Limited economic opportunities have led Cubans to be creative in other ways．You can’t go two blocks without coming across street paintings，art studios and joyful ballet music．Most Americans get the visa to Cuba by________．
| A．family visits | B．people-to-people travel |
| C．religious travel | D．medical travel |
How much will you pay if you want to exchange$1．000 for Cuban money?
| A．$20 | B．$50 | C．$100 | D．$200 |
Which does the author think is worth seeing in Cuba?
| A．Fantastic buildings | B．Blue waters |
| C．Beautiful villages | D．Volcanic landscapes |
Which can be the best title of the passage?
| A．How to prepare a travel? |
| B．Tips on Visiting Cuba |
| C．Restrictions in Cuba |
| D．Be careful，Americans |
International Exchange Programme
The application form for participation on the exchange programme for 2016／17 can be found in Application Procedures．
Applying Qualification—Current Queen Mary undergraduate students(with the exception of students in Biomedical Sciences，Chemistry，Dentistry and Medicine)have qualifications to apply.
Law Students—Students enrolled in The School of Law should contact Sheila Shirley(s．shirley@qmul．ac．uk)for details of study abroad opportunities.
English and Drama Studen—Students cannot study abroad for the full academic year. Students will be able to spend only the autumn semester studying at one of our exchange partners·
Applications
A complete application will consist of the two-page application form，a personal statement and a supporting academic reference．Students should follow these application procedures. Applicants must ensure they have spoken to their departmental study abroad instructor before submitting their application．Applications can be submitted in person at The Study Abroad Office(E09，Ground Floor，Queens’Building)or by email to h．gibney@qmul．ac．uk
New Exchange Partners for 2016／2017
For 2016／17 we hope to offer students the opportunity to study abroad at the following new partners：The University of Pennsylvania—UPenn(USA)，The University of Sydney(Australia) and Waseda University(Japan)．Should we be unable to send students to any of these new institutions on exchange，and if you intend to include one or more of these destinations with your application，please provide at least one alternative destination from the list of other partner programmes．Who can apply for the exchange programme?
| A．Students in Biomedical Sciences |
| B．Students in Chemistry |
| C．Students in Dentistry |
| D．Students in English and Drama |
The law students who want to study abroad should______．
| A．email to h．gibney@qmul．ac．uk |
| B．email to s．shirley@qmul．ac．uk |
| C．go to E09，Ground Floor，Queens’Building |
| D．go to Masons Lecture Theatre Hall，Bancroft Building |
What will you do if you can’t be sent to the new exchange partners?
| A．Wait for another proper opportunity． |
| B．Cancel your exchange programme． |
| C．Provide another university from the list． |
| D．Contact the university by yourself． |
Once school is out for the summer, students can begin their vacation trips in the great state of New Hampshire. Here are some low budget destinations.
Cannon Mountain
It is not only the well-known oldest ski area in the US, but a top summer destination. The site offers views of the attractions of NH’s Old Man of the Mountain, and the nests of eagles from the surrounding mount. You can treat yourselves to not only the small train ride, but a walk through the US ski museum and a hike along the small road. Feel free to choose a picnic lunch, or eat in the hotel. To comfortably enjoy the Cannon Mountain trip, plan to bring $20 per person in your group.
Mount Washington Auto Road
No trip to New Hampshire is complete without taking a drive up to the Mount Washington Auto Road. At $28 per vehicle and driver, plus $8 for each adult, you can arrive at the mountain top. You can start your trip to the highest top in the northeast, where you can spend a day climbing the rocks, exploring the weather station and the hiker rest area.
Cruising on Lake Winnipesaukee
Lake Winnipesaukee offers seasonal trips on the largest lake in New Hampshire. Summer cruises are designed for all the visitors, from plants tours and houses visiting to evening dinner cruises. Tickets change from $15 to $123 depending on the number of visitors and the season.
Prescott Park Arts Festival
Since 1974, the Prescott Park Arts Festival in Portsmouth has been hosting a free theater experience in the lovely river side Prescott Park. Past performances have included Annie, Shrek the Musical, and other plays. These community theater programs are a delight. And they run from June to August, with both evening shows and afternoon concerts.what can we learn about Cannon Mountain?
| A．It is the oldest ski area in the world. |
| B．A small train ride is available there. |
| C．Tourists have to take their food there. |
| D．There are nests of eagles on the mount. |
How much should you pay if you drive to Mount Washington Auto Road together with your parents?
| A．$ 28 | B．$36 | C．$44 | D．$52 |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Summer cruises are more expensive in the busy season. |
| B．The Prescott Park Arts Festival lasts for a month every year. |
| C．Tourists can dine in the hotel for free in the Cannon Mountain. |
| D．Tourists can explore the weather station in the Cannon Mountain. |