72 Hours in Beijing
Traveling to China is no longer a luxury for many foreign passport holders. The Chinese government has permitted a 72-hour visa-free policy that offers access to visitors from 53 countries including the US, France and Austria. Let’s start with the capital of China, Beijing. Here’s a pick of the best in Beijing!
Mutianyu Great Wall
Your trip to Beijing isn’t really complete without seeing one of the “New Seven Wonders of the World”, the Great Wall of China. The Mutianyu section of the Great Wall is by far the most well-preserved of all. Taking a one-hour bus ride Mutianyu would be your ideal location for a half day of hiking away from the large crowds in the city. Also the authorities have allowed tourists to paint graffiti on a specific section of the Great Wall since 2014. The Great Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.
798 Art Zone
This would be on the top of my list! Named after the 798 factory that was built in the 1950s. The art zone is home to various galleries, design studios, art exhibition spaces, fashionable shops and bars. You could easily spend half your day wandering around the complex, feeling the contrast of the present and the past.
Summer Palace
Located in northwestern Beijing, the Summer Palace is by far the city’s most well-preserved royal park. With its huge lake and hilltop views, the palace offers you a pastoral escape into the landscape of traditional Chinese paintings. The Summer Palace was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998.
Sichuan Provincial Restaurant
While in Beijing, apart from trying the city’s best-known Peking duck the Sichuan provincial restaurant is one of the places where you can enjoy regional delicious food. It offers one of China’s eight great cuisines, Sichuan, which ranges from Mapo tofu to spicy chicken.
1.Which of the following is true about the Mutianyu Great Wall?
A.You can paint graffiti anywhere.
B.You need a half day to get there.
C.It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014.
D.It is the most well-preserved part of the Great Wall.
2.When was the Summer Palace added to the UNESCO World Heritage List?
A.In1950. B.In 1987. C.In 1998. D.In 2014.
3.Which place is the author’s first choice when visiting Beijing?
A.Mutianyu Great Wall. B.Summer Palace.
C.798 Art Zone. D.Sichuan Provincial Restaurant.
When Lina was awoken by the sound of thunder, she was alone on the island. The air was cool and bullfrogs croaked. It was that brief moment when the summer sun had set but the stars hadn't yet appeared. Lina rubbed her eyes and looked around.
“Hello?” she called. “Celia? Marie”
There was no response.
The moon was rising now, shedding light on the island. They had always called it “Forgotten Island” because no one but they seemed to remember its existence. It wasn’t on any of the maps they could find, and even the forest rangers didn’t know about it. Lina loved that the island, hidden in a heavily-wooded side stream of the river, was a secret between the three friends — her, Celia, and Marie.
But now Lina was here alone, and it was night. Worse still, it was her own fault.
“Come on, Lina, let Marie row the boat.” Celia had said. Marie was two years older than Lina, but she was a hopeless rower. That’s why Lina refused and rowed the boat to the island. The argument that followed the refusal took the usual form. Celia took Marie’s side, as she always did. Lina had exploded and yelled at them to just leave. So they got back in the boat and left.
A bolt of lightning crossed the darkened sky, accompanied by a deafening thunder clap. The storm was here. As the first cold raindrop slid down her neck, Lina’s mind returned to her current problem. She was stuck here by herself. She just hoped she didn’t become as forgotten as the island. The thought of it sent a chill (寒意) down her back.
Suddenly, Lina spotted something in the water. It was a boat, and inside it were Marie, Celia, and Marie's dad, who was steering through the fast flowing waters. As the boat approached, they saw Lina waving and the worried expressions on their faces turned to relief.
In her excitement Lina jumped into the river. Only once she was in the icy water did she remember how fast the water was moving. Luckily a strong arm reached into the water and pulled her out. She smiled weakly at Marie’s dad and, without a word, hugged Celia and Marie. They didn’t seem to mind becoming wet.
1.What can be inferred about the island?
A.It is very near the ocean.
B.It is a popular place for boating.
C.It is surrounded by thick forest.
D.It has never been reached by others.
2.Why did Lina get angry?
A.Marie would not help row the boat.
B.Lina was left alone on the island.
C.Marie didn't know how to row the boat.
D.Celia supported Marie in the disagreement.
3.What caused Lina to feel a chill?
A.Her shame about the unnecessary argument.
B.The first raindrops of the approaching storm.
C.The idea that no one would come to save her.
D.The drop in temperature as the sun went down.
4.Who pulled Lina out of the water?
A.Marie’s father.
B.Lina herself.
C.Marie.
D.CeliA.
Oseola McCarty
Late one Sunday afternoon in September 1999, Oseola McCarty, an elderly cleaning lady passed away in the little wooden frame house where she had lived and worked most of her life. It may seem like an ordinary _______ to an ordinary life, but there was something quite _______ about this woman.
In the summer of 1995, McCarty gave$150,000, most of the money she had saved throughout her life, to the University of Southey Mississippi in her hometown. The _______ was to help other African Americans _______ university.
She had _______ school in the sixth grade to go to work, never married, never had children and never learned to drive because there was never any place in _______she wanted to go. All she ever had was the work which she saw as a _______. Too many other black people in the countryside of Mississippi did not have even that. She had started her savings habit as a young child when she would return from school to clean and iron _______ money which she would then save.
When she retired, she decided that she wanted to use the money to give children of limited means the _______ to go to university. She had wanted to become a nurse, but had to leave school to look afire sick relatives and work. When asked why she had given her life ________ away, she replied, "I'm giving it away so that children won't have to work so hard, like l did. " After news of her donation ________ the media, over 600 donations were ________ to the scholarship fund. One was given by a media senior manager, Ted Turner, who gave a billion dollars.
She didn't want any fuss made over her ________, but the news ________ and she was invited all over the United States to talk to people. ________ she went, people would come up to her to say a few words or to ________ touch her. She met the ordinary and the ________, President Clinton included. In the last few years of her life, before she died of cancer, McCarty was given over 300 awards. She was honored by the United Nations and __________ the Presidential Citizen's Medal. ________ having no real education, she found herself with two honorary doctorates: one from the University of Southern Mississippi and the other from Harvard University. Her generosity was clearly an inspiration to many and proof that true ________ does exist.
1.A.start B.call C.end D.show
2.A.abnormal B.complicated C.common D.exceptional
3.A.time B.case C.rule D.money
4.A.with B.through C.out D.along
5.A.quit B.needed C.opened D.finished
6.A.general B.public C.particular D.advance
7.A.blessing B.praise C.pleasure D.training
8.A.about B.with C.through D.for
9.A.ability B.space C.opportunity D.time
10.A.happiness B.savings C.time D.experience
11.A.ended B.broke C.controlled D.hit
12.A.took B.had C.made D.put
13.A.gift B.dream C.death D.life
14.A.gave off B.got out C.came about D.put away
15.A.Wherever B.Whoever C.Whenever D.Whatever
16.A.often B.just C.only D.almost
17.A.young B.elderly C.famous D.poor
18.A.gave B.exhibited C.refused D.received
19.A.Despite B.Except C.Besides D.Beyond
20.A.wealth B.selflessness C.carefulness D.affection
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1 个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
I don't like the freezing Northeast winter. So when I had the chance to spend a weekend in Sarasota, Florida, I had my bags 1. (pack) in no time. I 2. (leave) for the land of warmth, 3. (think) of beaches and orange trees. Swimming pools and pink sunsets filled the weekend. But the best part was a 7:00 am visit to the farmer's market there, 4. proved to be worth the early wake-up call.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1 个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
Music can be just what you need 1. you’re feeling down. The right song can make you smile and feel like getting up and dancing. It can also calm you down when you’re worried. Besides changing 2. you feel, music may help your brain work better. Why does music have these powers? It may be because people’s bodies have 3. (nature) rhythms, such as a heartbeat and pulse.
阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1 个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。
In the USA the high school graduation ceremony is of great 1. (important). 12th grade students, or seniors, who are about 17 or 18 years old, look forward to 2. (attend) this event. The graduation ceremony itself takes place at the end of May or beginning of June, which usually 3. (include) music, awards, and a guest speaker.
