India is an ancient civilization with rich cultural heritage (遗产), and its cultural heritage has something to do with all major religions of the world. Here we take a look at some of the top heritage destinations in India.

Sun Temple, Konark

As the name suggests this temple is all about the power of the sun God. A huge chariot (二轮战车) drawn by seven horses and twelve pairs of wheels reflect the importance which ancient people placed on the power of the sun. The pictures of animals and humans give this place a special look.

Churches Goa

Goa is the only Indian state which was under the Portuguese (葡萄牙人), so the scene in Goa is dotted with (点缀着) Portuguese style churches. Some of the famous churches include the church of Saint Catherine, church of Saint Augustine and church of saint Francis of Assisi. These churches exhibit beautiful paintings and flower designs which make them a must visit.

Ajanta and Ellora Caves

These caves contain well designed paintings which are widely regarded as the most outstanding works of Buddhist religious art.

Taj Mahal, Agra

Built on the bank of the Yamuna River, it is an excellent building. The writing and paintings on the outside structure provide the finest examples of the outstanding style of buildings.

Sanchi

Sanchi is a UNESCO world heritage site with numerous Buddhist temples dating back to the seventh and eighth centuries.

On your visit to India, be sure to visit some of these heritage destinations. An Indian journey is not wonderful without experiencing the beauty of these heritage destinations.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A.Ellora Caves only have statues of animals.

B.The Portuguese controlled the whole India two centuries ago.

C.Indian cultural heritage is related to religions.

D.The church of Saint Catherine is the earliest one in the world.

2.The ancient people in India attached importance to      .

A.animals           B.the sun’s power   C.ancient temples     D.ancient civilization

3.What is the main idea of the passage?

A.Several top heritage destinations in India.

B.The great effect that Indian religion has on culture.

C.India has rich cultural heritage in the world.

D.India is famous for its cultural heritage.

 

As a boy growing up in India,I had longed to travel abroad. I used to listen to the stories my father would tell me about his stay in Canada and tours to Europe in the 1970s,with great interest.

My big moment finally came in the summer of 1998 when I was able to accompany my parents to Europe,where my father was to attend a meeting. We planned to travel to Belgium,Netherlands and West Germany.

I have vivid memories even today of going to Mumbai airport at night all excited about finally going abroad. I had heard several great things about Lufthansa till then but now I finally got to experience them first hand,during the flight to Frankfurt. We flew business class and even today I can remember the excellent service by the Lufthansa crew. The flight was really smooth and thoroughly enjoyable,even for someone like me,who is otherwise scared of flying.

After spending almost two weeks in Europe,we took the Lufthansa airport express from Dusseldorf to Frankfurt airport,for our return flight. What a journey that was! All along the Rhine (莱茵河),it was simply an unforgettable experience. I was in a sombre mood on the flight back to Mumbai as it marked the end of a wonderful vacation,but the Lufthansa crew members were able to change it into a most enjoyable experience yet again,with the quality of their service.

Being the first airline to take me overseas,Lufthansa will always hold a special place in my heart. Even today,I continue to enjoy flights on Lufthansa and simply cannot dream of choosing any other airline. Flying,in general,for me,has always been an ordeal (terrible and painful experience).Flying on Lufthansa,however,is something I always have and always will look forward to.

1.What made the author so interested in traveling abroad?

A.Growing up in India.

B.Once staying in Canada.

C.Once traveling to Canada with his father.

D.His father's stories about his traveling experiences.

2.Which of the following is TRUE about the author's trip to Europe in 1998?

A.The author traveled with one of his parents.

B.Both their going and return are by air.

C.They traveled in spring that year.

D.They stayed in Europe for nearly two months.

3.It can be inferred from the passage that Lufthansa is ________.

A.a city in India                           B.a city in Europe

C.an airline company                      D.a travel agency

4.The underlined word “sombre” in the 4th paragraph probably means “________”.

A.happy            B.sad              C.angry             D.enjoyable

 

Research suggests that a newly-identified gene known as insomniacs(失眠症患者) may play a role in keeping us asleep. By cloning and testing this gene in about 21,000 fruit flies, Rockefeller University researchers say they have discovered an entirely new mechanism (机制) by which sleep is controlled.

By studying these flies, the researchers discovered that mutations(变异) in the insomniac gene were associated with a great reduction in sleep. While a typical fruit fly slept for an average of 927 minutes a day, the mutant flies slept for just 317. They also slept for shorter periods of time, and slept and woke more frequently.

“The results showed a great loss of both the time that the flies’ sleep lasted and their ability to remain asleep after they slept,” says researcher Nicholas Stavropoulos.

The researchers also examined the link between sleep and lifespan, finding that flies with mutations to the insomniac gene lived only about two-thirds as long as unchanged flies. But when the scientists removed insomniac only in neurons(神经细胞)---allowing it to remain in the rest of the flies’ bodies---this difference disappeared; the resulting animals slept poorly but lived just as long.

“This suggests that reduced sleep can be ‘uncoupled’(分开) from reduced lifespan, supporting the idea that some interruptions of sleep do not affect overall health, at least as far as lifespan is concerned,” Stavropoulos says.

Although flies and humans would appear to have little in common when it comes to lifestyle, scientists say that the mechanisms of sleep and wakefulness are likely to be quite similar.

“Sleep is a fundamental behavior in all animals, and it is poorly understood from a scientific standpoint, says Stavropoulos. This work could prove useful in understanding and treating sleep disorders”

1.The text is mainly about____.

A.the progress in cloning fruit flies

B.the methods of cloning fruit flies

C.the link between gene and lifespan

D.the influence of a gene on the ability to sleep

2.According to paragraph2, the mutant flies________.

A.slept about 5 hours a day

B.had problems waking up

C.didn’t seem sleepy at all

D.could not fall asleep

3.We can conclude from the text that________.

A.sleep and health go hand in hand

B.sleep can be controlled by humans

C.research into sleep is very fruitful

D.the findings are useful in medical treatment

 

You may know the English letters A, B and C. But do you know there are people called ABC? You may like eating bananas. But did you know there is a “banana person”? How strange! Are these people from “another Earth”? No. They are just Chinese people like you and me.

ABC means American-Born Chinese. An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States. Sometimes, people call an ABC a “banana person”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So, when a person is a banana, he or she is white inside—thinking like a Westerner and yellow outside—looking like a Chinese.

Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or the Chinese language. Some of them don’t speak Chinese.

But if ABCs cannot speak Chinese, can we still call them Chinese people? Yes, of course. They are Chinese. They are overseas  Chinese. These people may be citizens of another country like the US, Canada or Singapore. But they have Chinese blood. Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were from China. They all have black eyes and black hair.

But they are not Chinese citizens. They are not the people of the People’s Republic of China. For example, we all know the famous scientist  C.N. Yang(杨振宁). He got the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957. The Chinese love him, but he is an American citizen.

1.What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A.He wants to tell us something about “ABC”.

B.He wants to show that Chinese are well respected in America.

C.He wants to tell us some knowledge about the English language.

D.He wants to introduce the American culture to us.

2.Chinese in Western countries are called “banana persons” because ____.

A.their bodies are white inside but yellow outside

B.they think like Westerners but look like Chinese

C.they were born in China but go to study in America

D.they like to eat bananas

3.C.N. Yang is mentioned here to show that ____.

A. American Chinese are great      

B. we love American Chinese

C. The Chinese can win Nobel Prizes

D. American Chinese are not Chinese citizens

4.Which is NOT true?

A. ABCs are Chinese people.

B. ABCs are all “banana persons”.

C. If you go to America or another country one day, you’ll really become an ABC.

D. ABCs know our country very little.

5.What does the underlined word in the passage mean?

A.People who born and live or work in other countries.

B.People who love other countries.

C.People who know other countries very much.

D.People who can speak other countries’languages.

 

Tourism wasn’t as important as it is today. In the past, only people with a good deal of money could travel on holidays to other countries. More people travel today than in the past because there is a growing middle class in many parts of the world; that is to say, people now have more money for travel. Special plane fares for tourists make travel less expensive and more attractive than ever before. One person doesn’t travel for the same reason as another. But most people enjoy seeing countries that are different from their own. They also like to meet new people and to taste new food.

Tourism causes many changes in a country and in people’s lives. People build new hotels and restaurants and train native men and women as guides to show visitors around interesting places. There’re new nightclubs and other amusements. International tourism is clearly a big business.

1.In the old days _________ could travel to other countries.

A. boys and girls, men or women, young or old   

B. either kings or queens

C. both the poor and the rich                   

D. nobody but those who had money

2.More people travel today than in the past because______________.

A.  people have become interested in traveling

B.  traveling today is easier than in the past

C.  people now have spare money for travel

D.  great changes have taken place in the world

3.What makes travel more attractive than before?

  1. Travel by air to other countries is much cheaper today.
  2. More guides are being trained to show beautiful spots.
  3. Modern telegraph lines make travel less expensive.
  4. New hotels and restaurants have been built.

4.Which of the following statements is true according to the article?

A.  Tourism won’t bring any changes in people’s minds.

B.  People have some trouble in making journey.

C.  With the development of tourism, great changes have taken place in many parts in the world.

D.  Tourism causes only some changes in clothing.

5.What is the best title of the passage?

A. The Change of Tourism                B. Tourism

     C. The Importance of Tourism                            D. The Cause of Tourism Change

 

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