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Before there was the written word, there was the language of dance. Dance expresses love and hate, joy and sorrow, life and death, and everything else in between.

1.We dance from Florida to Alaska, from north to south and sea to sea. We dance at weddings, birthdays, office parties and just to fill the time.

“I adore dancing,” says Lester Bridges, the owner of a dance studio in Iowa. “I can’t imagine doing anything else with my life.” Bridges runs dance classes for all ages. “Teaching dance is wonderful. 2.It’s great to watch them. For many of them, it’s a way of meeting people and having a social life.”

3.“I can tell you about one young couple,” says Bridges. “They’re learning to do traditional dances. They arrive at the class in low spirits and they leave with a smile. 4.”

So, do we dance in order to make ourselves feel better, calmer, healthier? Andrea Hillier says, “Dance, like the pattern of a beating heart, is life. Even after all these years, I want to get better and better.5. I find it hard to stop! Dancing reminds me I’m alive.”

A. So why do we dance?

B. Dance in the U.S. is everywhere.

C. If you like dancing outdoors, come to America.

D. My older students say it makes them feel young.

E. I keep practicing even when I’m extremely tired.

F. Dancing seems to change their feeling completely.

G. They stayed up all night long singing and dancing.

Adults understand what it feels like to be flooded with objects. Why do we often assume that more is more when it comes to kids and their belongings? The good news is that I can help my own kids learn earlier than I did how to live more with less.

I found the pre-holidays a good time to encourage young children to donate less-used things, and it worked. Because of our efforts, our daughter Georgia did decide to donate a large bag of toys to a little girl whose mother was unable to pay for her holiday due to illness. She chose to sell a few larger objects that were less often used when we promised to put the money into her school fund(基金)(our kindergarten daughter is serious about becoming a doctor)

For weeks, I've been thinking of bigger, deeper questions: How do we make it a habit for them? And how do we train ourselves to help them live with, need, and use less? Yesterday, I sat with my son, Shepherd, determined to test my own theory on this. I decided to play with him with only one toy for as long as it would keep his interest. I expected that one toy would keep his attention for about five minutes, ten minutes, max. I chose a red rubber ball-simple, universally available. We passed it, he tried to put it in his mouth, he tried bouncing it, rolling it, sitting on it, throwing it. It was totally, completely enough for him. Before I knew it an hour had passed and it was time to move on to lunch.

We both became absorbed in the simplicity of playing together. He had my full attention and I had his. My little experiment to find joy in a single object worked for both of us.

1.What do the words “more is more” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A. The more, the better.    B. Enough is enough.

C. More money, more worries.    D. Earn more and spend more.

2.What made Georgia agree to sell some of her objects?

A. Saving up for her holiday    B. Raising money for a poor girl

C. Adding the money to her fund    D. Giving the money to a sick mother

3.Why did the author play the ball with Shepherd?

A. To try out an idea

B. To show a parent’s love

C. To train his attention

D. To help him start a hobby

4.What can be a suitable title for the text?

A. Take It or Leave It    B. A Lesson from Kids

C. Live More with Less    D. The Pleasure of Giving

While famous foreign architects are invited to lead the designs of landmark buildings in China such as the new CCTV tower and the National Center for the Performing Arts, many excellent Chinese architects are making great efforts to take the center stage.

Their efforts have been proven fruitful. Wang Shu, a 49-year-old Chinese architect, won the 2012 Pritzker Architecture Prize — which is often referred to as the Nobel Prize in architecture — on February 28. He is the first Chinese citizen to win this award.

Wang serves as head of the Architecture Department at the China Academy of Art (CAA). His office is located at the Xiangshan campus(校园) of the university in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Many buildings on the campus are his original creations.

The style of the campus is quite different from that of most Chinese universities. Many visitors were amazed by the complex architectural space and abundant building types. The curves(曲线) of the buildings perfectly match the rise and fall of hills, forming a unique view.

Wang collected more than 7 million abandoned bricks of different ages. He asked the workers to use traditional techniques to make the bricks into walls, roofs and corridors. This creation attracted a lot of attention thanks to its mixture of modern and traditional Chinese elements(元素).

Wang’s works show a deep understanding of modern architecture and a good knowledge of traditions. Through such a balance, he had created a new type of Chinese architecture, said Tadao Ando, the winner of the 1995 Pritzker Prize.

Wang believes traditions should not be sealed in glass boxes at museums. "That is only evidence that traditions once existed," he said.

"Many Chinese people have a misunderstanding of traditions. They think tradition means old things from the past. In fact, tradition also refers to the things that have been developing and that are still being created, " he said.

"Today, many Chinese people are learning Western styles and theories rather than focusing on Chinese traditions. Many people tend to talk about traditions without knowing what they really are, " said Wang.

The study of traditions should be combined with practice. Otherwise, the recreation of traditions would be artificial and empty, he said.

1.Wang’s winning of the prize means that Chinese architects are ___________.

A. following the latest world trend

B. getting international recognition

C. working harder than ever before

D. relying on foreign architects

2.What impressed visitors to the CAA Xiangshan campus most?

A. Its hilly environment.

B. Its large size.

C. Its unique style.

D. Its diverse functions.

3.What made Wang’s architectural design a success?

A. The mixture of different shapes.

B. The balance of East and West.

C. The use of popular techniques.

D. The harmony of old and new.

4.What should we do about Chinese traditions according to Wang?

A. Spread them to the world.    B. Preserve them at museums.

C. Teach them in universities.    D. Recreate them in practice.

Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness(荒野). But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30,000.

Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains and sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warming. An avalanche(雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20,000 people who dug for gold, 4,000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.

But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in settling down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go — to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City — its present population is 762.

1.What attracted the early settlers to New York City?

A. Its business culture.

B. Its small population.

C. Its geographical position.

D. Its favourable climate.

2.What do we know about those who first dug for gold in Dawson?

A. Two-thirds of them stayed there.

B. One out of five people got rich.

C. Almost everyone gave up.

D. Half of them died.

3.What was the main reason for many people to leave Dawson?

A. They found the city too crowded.

B. They wanted to try their luck elsewhere.

C. They were unable to stand the winter.

D. They were short of food.

4.What is the text mainly about?

A. The rise and fall of a city.

B. The gold rush in Canada.

C. Journeys into the wilderness.

D. Tourism in Dawson.

Welcome to Holker Hall & Gardens

Visitor Information

How to Get to Holker

By Car: Follow brown signs an A590 from JB6, M6. Approximate travel times: Windermere-20 minutes, Kendal-25 minutes, Lancaster-45 minutes, Manchester-1 hour 30 minutes.

By Rail: The nearest station is Cark-in-Cartmel with trains to Carnforth, Lancaster Preston for connections to major cities & airports.

Opening Times

Sunday-Friday (closed on Saturday)11:00 am-4:00pm,30 March-2nd November.

Admission Charges

Special Events

Producers: Market 13th April

Join us to taste a variety of fresh local food and drinks. Meet the producers and get some excellent recipe ideas.

Holker Garden Festival 30th May

The event celebrate its 22nd anniversary with a great show of the very best of gardening, making it one of the most popular events in gardening.

National Garden Day 28th August

Holker once again opens is gardens in aid of the disadvantaged. For just a small donation you can take a tour with our garden guide.

Winter Market 8th November

This is an event for all the family. Wander among a variety of shops selling gifs while enjoying a live music show and nice street entertainment.

1.How long does it probably take a tourist to drive to Holker from Manchester?

A. 20 minutes.    B. 25 minutes.

C. 45 minutes.    D. 90 minutes.

2.How much should a member of a tour group pay to visit to Hall & Cardens?

A. £12.00.    B. £9.00.

C. £8.0    D. £5.50

3.Which event will you go to if you want to see a live music show?

A. Producers’ Market.    B. Holker Garden Festival.

C. National Garden Day.    D. Winter Market.