Our site specializes in European cycling tours, Bike & Boat Tours, Road Bike Tours and now River Cruises (航行) throughout Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

We take great pride in offering you the best services and in providing you with a vacation that will be fondly remembered. Whether it is a European bike tour, river cruise, or one of many other cycling vacations, our staff will do everything to plan your dream holiday.

Our bike tour prices are the lowest on the market and we’ve managed to keep them that way without sacrificing quality. We hope you’ll let us take you on one of our many European cycling tours and now river cruise adventures!

Bike & Boat Trips

We have perhaps the largest online catalogue of well-established European bike and boat tours and sailing holidays.

Luxury Boat Tours

Take a Bike & Boat cycle tour on a luxury ship! A cycling tour in Europe with a beautiful boat by your side is not to be missed.

Bike Europe and Beyond

Bicycle touring in Europe and beyond -- cycle your next vacation almost anywhere in Europe from our carefully chosen catalogue of bike tours. Recently we have also added a few American bike tours as well as bike tours in Vietnam. Whether you cycle Europe with a standard bicycle or an e-bike (electrically assisted bicycle), one of our cycling tours is bound to be right for you.

Road Bike Tours

Cycle Europe and experience one of our great new European road bike tours! These cycle tours in Europe (and now one is in the New Zealand) are intended for the more experienced cyclist that is not afraid of the long distances through extremely beautiful countryside.

River Cruises

We now offer river cruises throughout the world’s most famous waterways. Whether it is a European river or a river cruise in China, one of our cruises is certain to attract you.

1.The text is mainly written to _________.

A. introduce fantastic tour places

B. invite readers to join in the tours

C. compare boat tours with bike tours

D. Encourage readers to have adventures

2.Which countries have been added to “Bike Europe and Beyond”?

A. America & New Zealand. B. New Zealand & China.

C. Vietnam & America. D. China & Vietnam.

3. Which of the following require(s) certain cycling experience?

A. Road Bike Tours.

B. Bike & Boat Trips.

C. Luxury Boat Tours.

D. Bike Europe and Beyond.

4.The text is probably taken from a _________.

A. newspaper B. textbook

C. website D. Magazine

Boys’ schools are the perfect place to teach young men to express their emotions and involve them in activities such as art, dance and music. Far from the traditional image of a culture of aggressive masculinity (阳刚), the absence of girls gives boys the chance to develop without pressure of following that tradition, a US study says.

Boys at single-sex schools are said to be more likely to get involved in cultural and artistic activities that help develop their emotional expressiveness, rather than feeling they have to follow the “boy code” of hiding their emotions to be a “real man”.

The findings of the study are so against received wisdom that boys do better when taught alongside girls.

Tony Little, headmaster of Eton, warns that boys are being faded by the British education system because it has become too focused on girls. He criticizes teachers for failing to recognize that boys are actually more emotional than girls.

The research argues that boys often perform badly in mixed schools because they become discouraged when their female schoolmates do better earlier in speaking and reading skills. But in single-sex schools teachers can tailor lessons to boys’ learning style, letting them move around the classroom and getting them to compete in teams to prevent boredom, writes the study’s author, Abigail James, from the University of Virginia.

Teachers can encourage boys to enjoy reading and writing with “boy-focused” approaches such as themes and characters that appeal to them. Because boys generally have sharper vision to learn best through touch, and are physically more active, they need to be given “hands-on” lessons where they are allowed to walk around. “Boys in mixed schools view classical music as feminine (女性的) and prefer what centers on violence and sexism, ” James writes.

Single-sex education also makes it less likely that boys would feel they have to follow the tradition that men should be “masterful and in charge” in relationships. “In mixed schools boys find themselves pushed to act like men before they understand themselves well enough to know what that means,” the study reports.

1.The author believes that a single-sex school will _________.

A. force boys to hide their emotions to be “real men”

B. help to develop masculine aggressiveness in boys

C. encourage boys to express their emotions more freely

D. naturally make boys accept the traditional image of a man

2.It is commonly believed that in a mixed school boys _________.

A. perform relatively better

B. grow up more healthily

C. behave more responsibly

D. receive a better education

3.What does Tony Little say about the British education system?

A. It fails more boys than girls academically.

B. It focuses more on mixed school education.

C. It fails to give boys the attention they need.

D. It places more pressure on boys than on girls.

4.According to Abigail James, one of the advantages of single-sex schools is _________.

A. teaching can be tailored to suit the characteristics of boys

B. boys can focus on their lessons without being absent-minded

C. boys can choose to learn whatever they are interested in

D. teaching can be designed to promote boys’ team spirit

Dogs are social animals and without proper training, they will behave like wild animals. They will soil your house, destroy your belongings, bark excessively, fight other dogs and even bite you. Nearly all behavior problems are perfectly normal dog activities that occur at the wrong time or place or are directed at the wrong thing. The key to preventing or treating behavior problems is learning to teach the dog to redirect its normal behavior to an outlet that is acceptable in the domestic (驯养的) setting.

One of the best things you can do for your dog and yourself is to train its obedience. Obedience training doesn’t solve all behavior problems, but it is the foundation for solving just about any problem. Training pens up a line of communication between you and your dog. Effective communication is necessary to instruct your dog about what you want it to do.

Training is also an easy way to establish the social rank order. When your dog obeys a simple request of “come here, sit,” it is showing obedience and respect for you. It is not necessary to establish yourself as top dog or leader of the pack (群) by using extreme measure. You can teach your dog its subordinate (从属的) role by teaching it to show submission to you. Most dogs love performing tricks for you to pleasantly accept that you are in charge.

Training should be fun and rewarding for you and your dog. It can enrich your relationship and make living together more enjoyable. A well-trained dog is more confident and can more safely be allowed a greater amount of freedom than an untrained animal.

1.Behavior problems of dogs are believed to _________.

A. occur when they go wild

B. be just part of their nature

C. get worse in modern society

D. become a threat to the community

2.The key to solving dogs’ behavior problems is to _________.

A. teach the dog to perform clever tricks

B. make the dog aware of its owner’s authority

C. enable the dog to regain its normal behavior

D. provide the dog with a pattern accepted by its owner

3.Why do pet dogs love performing tricks for their masters?

A. To avoid being punished.

B. To show their affection for their masters.

C. To win leadership of the dog pack.

D. To show their willingness to obey.

4.When a dog has received effective obedience training, its owner _________.

A. can give the dog more freedom

B. will enjoy a better family life

C. can give the dog more rewards

D. will have more confidence in himself

“Mommy, I’m a funny bird,” Jack, my almost-4-year-old tells me. He moves his little fingers like wings.

“You are?” I say. I’m sitting across from him while he eats breakfast at our table. I smile; he says the greatest things. A week ago, however, when he had chocolate on his face and I licked (舔) my finger to wipe it off, he said, “Don’t put your dirty water on me.”

A week ago, I wouldn’t have been sitting here with him during breakfast. I wouldn’t have been up, emptying the dishwasher, cleaning the kitchen, or answering emails. We always had dinner together at the table, but other meals got much less attention. I work from home, and my husband owns an advertising agency and often travels. We were so busy that we had to do the chores during breakfast or lunch.

Why was I not sitting down with my son? It could take Jack an hour to eat a meal, during which I could feel the tug (猛拉) of unanswered emails, a deadline, and the unswept floor each minute.

Then we went to visit friends for a weekend. They have two kids. They are busy, professional, and good parents. And at every meal -- not just dinner -- we all sat down at the table and ate. When we got home, my husband said, “Maybe we should be doing that.”

I took this as criticism. My husband works a lot, so mealtimes are mostly under my charge. The “we” he was talking about was me.

Then, I remembered myself that I’m a big girl, and took his comment the way it was meant. We both want what’s best for Jack. Yes, I thought. I’m home. I have to eat, too. My husband is Jack’s favorite, which delights and moves me, but I am Jack’s constant. Constants are there. Constants sit down.

So I’ve been sitting. And, surprise, I haven’t missed a deadline. The house has been clean. And Jack seems to like having me there. Two days ago, over lunch, he smiled and stared at me.

“What?” I asked, amused.

“Mommy, I love you so much and I can’t stop loving you.”

I could have missed that.

God, I could have missed that.

1. Before visiting the friends, Jack _________.

A. didn’t like chocolate

B. couldn’t eat by himself

C. was sometimes rude to his mom

D. preferred his mother to his father

2.After visiting the friends, the author _________.

A. was determined to learn to cook

B. asked her husband to have every meal with her

C. decided to have dinner together with her family

D. was advised by her husband to learn from the friends

3.What does the underlined word “that” in the last paragraph refer to?

A. The best time to visit friends.

B. Jack saying sweet words to his mom.

C. A deadline for answering emails.

D. Jack having lunch with his mom.

The word addiction usually makes you think of alcohol or drugs. 1. Some people are compulsive (难以自制的) shoppers. Others find it impossible to pull themselves away from their work. Still others spend countless hours watching TV or playing computer games.

2. Many people enjoy going to markets or stores more and more every day, but it’s more than a common hobby for some of them. They have turned into shopaholics. They are people who simply enjoy shopping and walking around spending money without being able to stop doing it. They are so interested in shopping that they usually buy things they don’t need. Even though they don’t have enough money, they buy everything they want.

The question is why they have this addiction. There isn’t a specific answer. Some people go shopping when they are sad, worried, upset or lonely. 3. Shopaholics say that they feel more important and better after they buy something. They also tend to have this addiction when they feel guilty.

4. Some of them can be psychological. If this is the case, people addicted to shopping should go to a support group to help them break this habit. However, the process, like for most addictions, is long, and they suffer a lot. It can also cause financial problems. They just think about satisfying their feelings, so they spend money they don’ t have. 5.

A. Once you are addicted to alcohol or drugs, it is difficult to get rid of.

B. Over the years, shopping has become a very common activity.

C. They use this activity as a way to forget their problems.

D. However, in modern-day society we are seeing some new kinds of addictions.

E. People addicted to computer games consider the games as great ways to amuse themselves.

F. They get deep in debt, and can even go bankrupt (破产) and get sent to prison.

G. Shopaholism seems to be a harmless addiction, but it can bring out problems.

It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. He didn’t hate the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects. Knowing this, one year I to reach for something special just for Mike. The came in an unusual way.

Our son Kevin, who was 12 that year, attended a wrestling match against a team sponsored by an inner-city church shortly Christmas. These youngsters’ sneakers were in and the shoestrings seemed to be the only thing holding them , compared to our boys’ gold uniforms and shoes. I was even shocked to find they had no helmets.

Mike, seated beside me, his head sadly, “I wish just one of them could have won,” he said. “They have a lot of potential, but losing could take their dreams away.” That’s when the idea for his came.

That afternoon, I went to a local sports store and bought some wrestling helmets and and sent them anonymously（匿名地） to the inner-city . On Christmas Eve, I placed the envelope on the tree, the note telling Mike what I had done and that this was his gift from me. His smile was the brightest thing about Christmas that year.

For each Christmas, I the tradition. The envelope became the most exciting part of our Christmas. It was always the thing opened on Christmas morning and our children, ignoring their unwrapped (打开的) new toys, would stand with wide-eyed as their dad lifted the envelope from the tree to exhibit its .

As the children grew, the toys more practical presents, but the envelope lost its temptation. The story doesn’t end there.

We lost Mike due to cancer. When Christmas rolled around, I was in . But Christmas Eve found me placing an envelope on the tree, and in the morning, three more it. Each of our , had placed an envelope on the tree for their dad. The tradition has grown and someday will expand further with our grandchildren standing around the tree as their fathers take down the envelope with expectation. Mike’s spirit, like the Christmas spirit, will always be with us.

1.A. decidedB. urgedC. struggledD. declared

2.A. storyB. ChristmasC. inspirationD. affection

3.A. afterB. beforeC. duringD. on

4.A. ruinsB. stylesC. chainsD. rags

5.A. apartB. foreverC. togetherD. around

6.A. noddedB. shookC. wavedD. turned

7.A. wordB. noteC. envelopD. present

8.A. shoesB. shoestringsC. giftsD. sports

9.A. houseB. schoolC. churchD. store

10.A. insideB. outsideC. betweenD. nearby

11.A. refusedB. imaginedC. followedD. missed

12.A. bestB. firstC. worstD. last

13.A. comfortB. patienceC. satisfactionD. expectation

14.A. conceptsB. contentsC. shadowsD. shapes

15.A. gave way toB. keep up withC. get away withD. fit in with

16.A. onceB. neverC. everD. seldom

17.A. angerB. shockC. sadnessD. annoyance

18.A. attendedB. enteredC. placedD. joined

19.A. grandchildrenB. childrenC. friendsD. relatives

20.A. watchingB. singingC. smilingD. crying

Americans are proud of their variety and individuality, yet they love and respect few things more than a uniform, whether it is the uniform of 1. elevator operator or the uniform of a five-star general. Why are uniforms so popular there?

Among the arguments for uniforms is that most uniforms look more 2. (profession) than civilian (百姓的) clothes. People expect superior quality from a man 3. wears a uniform. The television repairman wearing a uniform tends 4. (inspire) more trust. Faith 5. the skill of a garage worker is increased by a uniform. Uniforms also have many practical 6. (benefit). They save on other clothes and laundry bills. They are often 7. (comfortable) than civilian clothes.

Among the arguments against uniforms 8. (be) their lack of variety and the loss of individuality. 9. there are many types of uniforms, the wearer of any particular type is generally stuck with it, without change. When people look alike, they will think, speak, and act 10. (similar).

短文改错（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每次错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号()，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。

修改：在错的词下画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

I almost didn’t wake up in time for school this morning. I stayed up late last night, prepare my lessons. The alarm clock does go off, but I didn’t hear them because I was too tired.

It was already 7 o’clock when I opened my eye. The first thing I was aware was that I would be late. Terrified, I ran to school and without having breakfast. I didn’t want to be criticized by the teacher, nor I want to be laughed at by my classmates. Lucky, I rushed into the classroom in the last minute. We had a test today, for that I was well-prepared and it was so easy a exam that I got high marks. What an exciting experience!

假定你是李华，现就读于光明中学高二年级。目前你的学习出现了问题。面对即将到来的重要考试，你很紧张，出现一些焦虑症状（头晕、睡眠不好等）。请你用英语向某英文报编辑写一封信，希望得到帮助。

注意：1. 词数：100字左右。开头和结尾已给出，不计入词数；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 参考词汇：头晕—dizzy(adj.)

Dear editor,

I am Li Hua of Senior Two, Guangming Middle School. ____________________________

_______________________________________________________________________.

_______________________________________________________________________.

_______________________________________________________________________.

Yours,

Li Hua

One of my neighbors used to have a beautiful tree in her front yard. Her dad had planted it for her when it was nothing more than a twig and several years later it started to shoot towards the sky with amazing speed. Soon it blessed her with cooling shade in the summer and glorious, golden leaves in the fall.

When the two-day snowstorm struck our town, heavy snow fell on the tree’s branches that were still full of leaves. The weight split that lovely tree down the middle. It was so sad seeing half of it laying on the ground after the storm. When I talked to my neighbor later, she said that the damage had been too much and that the entire tree would have to be cut down. Thankfully she had saved a few saplings(树苗) from it that she hoped to replant in the future.

Still, it was a shock to drive by her house the other day and see nothing but a stump in her front yard. I missed that tree. I missed its beauty, its leaves shinning in the afternoon sun. I missed seeing its limbs reach towards the heavens. I thought that the stump would be a sad reminder of its loss for a long time to come. My wonderful neighbor, though, had another plan. When I drove by her home today I saw a tiny bird feeder sitting on that stump and a colorful songbird having its dinner. It was such an affirmation of life. It was such a joy to see. I could feel my heart smile.

Life by its very nature is a mixed bag. It hands us both beauty and tragedy, love and loss, pleasure and pain. What we do with it, however, is up to us. We can let it split us in two, or we can use even its hardest times to make our souls stronger and our hearts more loving. We can spend it complaining or we can use it to help others.

1.We know from the first paragraph that _____．

A. the tree grew very slowly.

B. the tree showed its beauty and benefits.

C. the author’s neighbor was good at planting trees.

D. the tree was so strong that it could bear any weight.

2.The author’s neighbor left a stump in her front yard to use it as_____.

A. a good reminder.

B. a seat after dinner.

C. a place to feed birds.

D. a beautiful sculpture.

3.What does the author mainly want to show in the passage?

A. Life has beauty and tragedy.

B. Life consists of pain and suffering.

C. Life should be pleasant rather than painful.

D. Life is determined by our attitude towards it.