Tayka Hotel De Sal
Where: Tahua, Bolivia
How much: About $95 a night
Why it’s cool: You’ve stayed at hotels made of brick or wood, but salt? That’s something few can claim. Tayka Hotel de Sal is made totally of salt—including the beds (though you’ll sleep on regular mattresses (床垫) and blankets).The hotel sits on the Salar de Uyuni, a prehistoric dried-up lake that’s the world’s biggest salt flat. Builders use the salt from the 4,633-square-mile flat to make the bricks, and glue them together with a paste of wet salt that hardens when it dries. When rain starts to dissolve the hotel, the owners just mix up more salt paste to strengthen the bricks.
Green Magic Nature Resort
Where: Vythiri, India
How much: About $240 a night
Why it’s cool: Ridding a pulley(滑轮)-operated lift 86 feet to your treetop room is just the start of your adventure. As you look out of your open window—there is no glass!—you watch monkeys and birds in the rain forest canopy. Later you might test your fear of heights by crossing the handmade rope bridge to the main part of the hotel, or just sit on your bamboo bed and read. You don’t even have to come down for breakfast—the hotel will send it up on the pulley-drawn “elevator”.
Dog Bark Park Inn B&B
Where: Cottonwood, Idaho
How much: $92 a night
Why it’s cool: This doghouse isn’t just for the family pet. Sweet Willy is a 30-foot-tall dog with guest rooms in his belly. Climb the wooden stairs beside his hind leg to enter the door in his side. You can relax in the main bedroom, go up a few steps of the loft in Willy’s head, or hang out inside his nose. Although you have a full private bathroom in your quarters, there is also a toilet in the 12-foot-tall fire hydrant outside.
Gamirasu Cave Hotel
Where: Ayvali, Turkey
How much: Between $130 and $475 a night.
Why it’s cool: This is caveman cool! Experience what it was like 5,000 years ago, when people lived in these mountain caves formed by volcanic ash. But your stay will be much more modern. Bathrooms and electricity provide what you expect from a modern hotel, and the white volcanic ash, called tufa, keeps the rooms cool, about 65℉in summer.(Don’t worry—there is heat in winter.)What is the similarity of the four hotels?
A.Being expensive. | B.Being beautiful. |
C.Being natural. | D.Being unique. |
What does the underlined part “Sweet Willy” refer to?
A. The building of Dog Bark Park Inn B&B.
B. The name of a pet dog of the hotel owner.
C. The name of the hotel.
D. The name of the hotel owner.Which of the hotel makes you have a feeling of living in the far past?
A.Tayka Hotel De Sal | B.Green Magic Nature Resort |
C.Dog Bark Park Inn B&B | D.Gamirasu Cave Hotel |
Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature. However, whether you are on the mountains, in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence on the environment.
Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside, but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its courses (球场) in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today. You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be “green gyms”. They are better replacements for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best of all, it’s free. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?
A.Cycling around a lake. |
B.Motor racing in the desert. |
C.Playing basketball in a gym. |
D.Swimming in a sports center. |
What do we know about golf from the passage?
A.It is popular in Portugal and Spain. |
B.It causes water shortages around the world. |
C.It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes. |
D.It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green. |
The author uses power walking as an example mainly because _________.
A.it is an outdoor sport |
B.it improves our health |
C.it uses fewer resources |
D.it is recommended by experts |
The author writes the passage to _________.
A.show us the function of major sports |
B.encourage us to go in for green sports |
C.discuss the major influence of popular sports |
D.introduce different types of environment-friendly sports |
How to Be a Winner
Sir Steven Redgrave
Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
“In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes (糖尿病) . Believing my career (职业生涯)was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it----the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn’t difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn’t finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way.”
Karen Pickering
Swimming World Champion
“I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of my diary. This is the key to success—you can’t follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. “Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you’ll be a step closer to achieving them.”
Kirsten Best
Poet & Writer
“When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can’t achieve something. Then, there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as ‘calm’, ‘peace’ or ‘focus’, either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological (心理的) tool.” What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?
A.Difficulties influenced his career. |
B.Specialists offered him medical advice. |
C.Training helped him defeat his disease. |
D.He overcame the shadow of illness to win. |
What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?
A.Her training schedule. |
B.Her daily happenings. |
C.Her achievements. |
D.Her sports career. |
What does the underlined word “distractions” probably refer to?
A.Ways that help one to focus. |
B.Words that help one to feel less tense. |
C.Activities that turn one’s attention away. |
D.Habits that make it hard for one to relax. |
According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?
A.Courage. |
B.Devotion. |
C.Hard work. |
D.Self-confidence. |
LIPITOR
ABOUT LIPITOR Lipitor is a prescription medicine.Along with diet and exercise,it lowers “bad,’ cholesterol(胆固醇)in your blood.It can also raise “good'’ cholesterol. Lipitor can lower the risk of heart attack in patients with several common risk factors, including family history of early heart disease,high blood pressure,age and smoking. |
WHO IS LIPITOR FOR? Who can take LIPITOR: .People who cannot lower their cholesterol enough with diet and exercise · Adults and children over l0 Who should NOT take LIPITOR: .Women who are pregnant,may be pregnant,or may become pregnant. Lipitor may harm your unborn baby. .women who are breast-feeding.Lipitor can pass into your breast milk and may harm your baby. · People with liver(肝脏)problems |
POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS OF LIPITOR Serious side effects in a small number of people: .Muscle(肌肉)problems that can lead to kidney(肾脏)problems,including kidney failure .Liver problems.Your doctor may do blood tests to check your liver before you start Lipitor and while you are taking it. Call your doctor right away if you have: .Unexplained muscle pain or weakness,especially if you have a fever or feel very fired .Swelling of the face,lips,tongue,and/or throat that may cause difficulty in breathing or swallowing · Stomach pain Some common side effects of LIPITOR are: · Muscle pain · Upset stomach · Changes in some blood tests |
HOW TO TAKE LIPITOR DO: .Take Lipitor as prescribed by your doctor. .Try to eat heart-healthy foods while you take Lipitor. .Take Lipitor at any time of day, with or without food. .If you miss a dose(一剂),take it as soon as you remember. [But if it has been more than 12 hours since your missed dose,wait.Take the next dose at your regular time. Don’t: .Do not change or stop your dose before talking to your doctor. [ .Do not start new medicines before talking to your doctor. |
What is a major function of Lipitor?
A.To help quit smoking. |
B.To control blood pressure. |
C.To improve unhealthy diet. |
D.To lower "bad" cholesterol. |
Taking Lipitor is helpful for .
A.breast-feeding women |
B.women who are pregnant |
C.adults having heart disease |
D.teenagers with liver problems. |
If it has been over 12 hours since you missed a dose, you should
A.change the amount of your next dose |
B.eat more when taking your next dose |
C.have a dose as soon as you remember |
D.take the next dose at your regular time |
Which of the following is a common side effect of taking Lipitor?
A.Face swelling. |
B.Upset stomach. |
C.Kidney failure. |
D.Muscle weakness. |
What is the main purpose of the passage?
A.To teach patients ways for quick recovery. |
B.To present a report on a scientific research. |
C.To show the importance of a good lifestyle. |
D.To give information about a kind of medicine. |
A recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct (不同的) species
The discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard universities when they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants—the Asian elephant, African forest elephant and African savanna elephant
Once they obtained DNA sequences (序列) from two fossils (化石),mammoths and mastodons the team compared them with DNA from modern elephants. They found to their amazement that modern forest and savanna elephants are as distinct from each other as Asian elephants and mammoths.
The scientists used detailed genetic analysis to prove that the African savanna elephants and the African forest elephants have been distinct species for several million years. The divergence of the two species took place around the time of the divergence of Asian elephants and woolly mammoths. This result amazed all the scientists.
There has long been debate in the scientific community that the two might be separate species but this is the most convincing scientific evidence so far that they are indeed different species.
Previously, many naturalists believed that African savanna elephants and African forest elephants were two populations of the same species despite the elephants’ significant size differences. The savanna elephant has an average shoulder height of 3.5metres while the forest elephant has an average shoulder height of 2.5metres. The savanna elephant weighs between six and seven tons, roughly double the weight of the forest elephant. But the fact that they look so different does not necessarily mean they are different species. However, the proof lay in the analysis of the DNA.
Alfred Roca, assistant professor in the department of Animal Sciences at the University of Minois, said, “We now have to treat the forest and savanna elephants as two different units for conservation purpose. Since 1950 all African elephants have been conserved as one species. Now that we know the forest and savanna elephants are two very distinct animals, the forest elephant should become a bigger priority (优先)for conservation purpose .” One of the fossils studied by the researchers is that of ________.
A.the Asian elephant |
B.the forest elephant |
C.the savanna elephant |
D.the mastodon elephant |
The underlined word “divergence” in paragraph 4means “________”
A.evolution |
B.exhibition |
C.separation |
D.examination |
The researcher’s conclusion was based on a study of the African elephant’s ____________
A.DNA |
B.height |
C.weight |
D.population |
What were Alfred Roca’s words mainly about?
A.The conversation of African elephants. |
B.The purpose of studying African elephants |
C.The way to divide African elephants into two units |
D.The reason for the distinction of African elephants |
Which of the following can be the best title for the passage?
A.Naturalist’s Belief about Elephants. |
B.Amazing Experiment about Elephants |
C.An Unexpected Finding about Elephants |
D.A Long scientific Debate about Elephants |
Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer(征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the united kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work , forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm-hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived(复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish song which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc. What does the author tell us in paragraph 1?
A.How the Irish fought against the English. |
B.How Ireland gained independence. |
C.How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. |
D.How two “Irelands” came into being. |
We learn from the text that in Ireland .
A.food shortages in the 1840s led to a decline in population |
B.people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside |
C.it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker |
D.different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments |
The last paragraph is mainly about.
A.the Irish character |
B.Irish culture |
C.Irish musical instruments |
D.a famous Irish writer |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.Life in Ireland |
B.A Very Difficult History |
C.Ireland, Past and Present |
D.The Independence of Ireland |