Visitors worry that London is an expensive city but there really are so many things to do for

free in London from museums and galleries to free music and walking tours.

Art Galleries

Tate Modern and Tate Britain are exceptional national art galleries housing some of the finest artworks in the world. Tate Modern focuses on contemporary art while Tate Britain displays British Art from the sixteenth century to the present day.

Museums

All of London's major museums are free, but most offer some special exhibitions for a fee. My favorite is the Museum of London where you can learn the history of London from Roman times to today. Other great major museums are the British Museum, the V&A, the Science Museum, and the      Natural History Museum. Oh, and I love the Geffrye Museum. And the. Now I can't decide which is the best!

Many of London's major art galleries and museums are open in the evening and often have special evening events. This can be a great way to relax at the end of a busy day seeing the sights. The main London galleries and museums are air-conditioned so it can be a wonderful way to cool down in the height of summer in the city. Galleries and museums are not open late every night so here is a handy list to help you plan your days and evenings.

Royal Parks

Many people say the Queen Mary's Rose Gardens in Regent's Park is their favorite spot in London, and who am I to argue? I would also recommend St. James's Park as it offers one of the best views of Buckingham Palace. Hyde Park is enormous and includes the ever popular Diana Memorial Fountain and the Peter Pan Statue.

There are often free talks and guided walks in the royal parks so do check the What's On section of the Royal Parks website.

Changing of the Guard

No visit to London is complete without seeing this military tradition. The Queen's Guard in London changes in the Forecourt inside the gates of Buckingham Palace at 11:30am every day in the summer and every other day in the winter. Get there early and view the spectacle from outside the front gates.

53. The passage is intended to _________.

 A. recommend some free scenic spots to tourists       

 B. help visitors save money while visiting Ireland

 C. advise travelers how to choose art articles      D. tell readers London’s wonderful history

54. If you visit some museums in London in the evening, you ________.

 A. can see all the artworks free of charge                B. have to endure the heat of the summer

 C. need to pay admission for general exhibition  

D. may have a chance to enjoy some special events

55. In order to watch Changing of the Guard in summer, visitors have to _________.

  A. gain access to the front gates after 11:30 a.m.

  B. pay a sum of money to enter the Royal Parks

 C. arrive at Buckingham Palace before 11:30 a.m.

 D. come through the gates of Buchingham Palace

Many people influenced various aspects of my life, based on their personal characteristics, accomplishments, and values. I have been fortunate to have had numerous teachers and professors who I respect for their patience and intelligence. There are artists that have inspired me by their natural talents and original creativity. I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their ability to change our futures. But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father.
As the youngest girl in my family, I always considered myself to be“Daddy’s little girl”. While I grew up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbors without a father or father-like figure around. This helped me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children’s lives. In every aspect of my life my father continuously pushes me to excel, so I could accomplish my work outstandingly among my people. Whenever I feel like giving up, or have a question or a concern, I know I can always call on him for advice. From him I have also learned that sometimes you have to put others’ needs ahead of your own, but you should make sure you are not taken advantage of by others. His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to accomplish anything he sets his mind on, no matter how tiny it is. I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, compassion(同情) for people, and sense of understanding. He is a very reserved(保留的) man, but to everybody’s surprise, he has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends.
Living in his affection and instruction, I am very proud of my father. He also professes (声称) how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in whatever we are involved in.
【小题1】What is the best title for the passage?

The advertisement appeared in my e-mail—“1-800-Flowers: Mother’s Day Madness —for just $39.99！” I almost clicked on it, forgetting that those services would not be needed this year. My mother, Margaret Feiddman, died at the age of 89, and so this is my first Mother’s Day without my mom.

In my childhood, my mom appeared to be a typical suburban housewife of her generation. She sewed many of my sisters’ clothes, including both of their wedding dresses and boy’s suits for me. And on the side, she won several national bridge tournaments(桥牌锦标赛).

My mom left many indelible marks on me. The first was to never lose heart and to be independent. My dad died suddenly when I was 19. My mom worked hard for a couple of years. But in1975, I won a scholarship to study in Britain and my mom surprised us all by announcing that she decided to go with me. When I met difficulties, she always said: “You’re a man, so never lose heart, never be knocked down, and try your best to pursue(追求) your dreams.”

My mom’s other big influence on me is a sense of optimism (乐观). She had taken her knocks. But every time life knocked her down, she got up and kept on marching forward, encouraged by the saying that pessimists(悲观者) are usually right, optimists are usually wrong, but most great changes are made by optimists.

How I wish to listen to my mother’s words, and give my best regards on this Mother’s Day, but I have no chance now! My best friends, treasure(珍惜)your mother’s love!

The author mentioned the advertisement to ___.

   A．show he’s tired of the advertisements       B．explain he missed his mother very much

C．make you believe that he was very kind     D．urge the readers to buy the present for their mothers

What experience of the author’s mother surprised the author?

   A．That she volunteered to go to Britain with her son.

B．That she gained knowledge all by herself.

C．That she did all the housework by herself.

D．That she won several national bridge tournaments.

What dose the underlined word “indelible” in the 3rd paragraph probably mean?

   A．be out of control    B．be easy to remember

C．be destroyed easily   D．be impossible to forget

We can know about the author’s mother that_____.

   A．She encouraged the author to pursue his dreams       B．she felt very lonely in her late life

C．She never received a present from her children        D．she passed away before the author’s father

Which can be the best title for the passage?

   A．My Great Mother       B．Mother and I  

C．Treasure Mother’s Love        D．Mother’s Day Madness

Many people influenced various aspects of my life, based on their personal characteristics, accomplishments (才艺）, and values. I have been fortunate to have had numerous teachers and professors who I respect for their patienceand intelligence. There are artists that have inspired me by their natural talents and original creativity. I value many political leaders, who have inspired me by their contributions to society, and their ability to change our future. But of all the people I have known in my life, the person I admire most is my father.
As the youngest girl in my family, I always considered myself to be “Daddy’s little girl.” While growing up, it always made me sad to see so many of my friends and neighbours without a father or father-like figure around. This helped me appreciate how my father always takes an interest in his children’s lives. In my early life my father continuously pushes me to excel, so I could accomplish my work outstandingly among my people. Whenever I feel like giving up, or having a question or a concern, I know I can always call on him for advice. From him I have also learned that sometimes you have to put others’ needs ahead of your own, but not to the point they will begin to take advantage of you. His strength seems to be unbreakable during hard times, and he is extremely determined to accomplish anything he sets his mind on, no matter how tiny it is. I highly respect him for how he stands up for what he believes in, and will never back down. I have always admired his open mind, enthusiasm for work and people around, and sense of understanding. He is a very reserved man, but to everybody’s surprise, he has a great sense of humor, and always knows how to put a smile on the faces of his wife, his children and his friends.
Living in his affection and instruction, I am very proud of my father. He also professes how proud he is of his children, and is still there to support us in whatever we are involved in.
【小题1】What is the best title for the passage?

　　Like most people, I’ve long understood that I’ll be judged by my occupation, that my profession is used by people to see how talented I am. Recently, however, I was disappointed to see that it also decides how I’m treated as a person.

　　Last year I left a professional position as a small-town reporter and took a job waiting tables. As someone paid to serve food to people, I had customers say and do things to me I suppose they’d never say or do to the people they know. One night a man talking on his cell phone waved me away, then called me back with his finger a minute later, saying angrily that he was ready to order and asking where I’d been.

　　I had waited tables during summers in college and was treated like a peon（勤杂工） by plenty of people. But at 19 years old, I believed I deserved inferior（低等的）treatment from professional adults. Besides, people responded to me differently after I told them I was in college. Customers would joke that one day I’d be sitting at their table, waiting to be served.

　　Once I graduated I took a job at a community newspaper. From my first day, I heard a respectful tone from everyone who called me. I assumed this was the way the professional world worked--- politely and formally.

　　I soon found out differently. I sat several feet away from a person in advertising department with a similar name. Our calls would often get mixed up and someone asking for Kristen would be transferred to Christie. The mistake was immediately clear. Perhaps it was because of money, but people used a tone with Kristen that they never used with me.

　　It’s no secret that there’s a lot to put up with when waiting tables, and fortunately, much of it can be easily forgotten when you pocket the tips. The service industry exists to meet others’ needs. Still, it seemed that many of my customers didn’t get the difference between server and servant.

　　I’m now applying to graduate school, which means someday I’ll return to a profession where people need to be nice to me in order to get what they want. I think I’ll take them to dinner first, and see how they treat someone whose job is to serve them.

　　68. What makes the author disappointed?

　　A. Professionals tend to look down upon workers.

　　B. Talented people have to do the job waiting tables.

　　C. One’s position is used to measure one’s intelligence.

　　D. Occupation affects the way one is treated as a person.

　　69. What does the author intend to say by the example in Paragraph 2?

　　A. Waiting tables is a hard job.

　　B. Some customers are difficult to deal with.

　　C. The man making a phone call is absent-minded.

　　D. Some customers show no respect to those who serve them.

　　70. How did the author feel when waiting tables at the age of 19?

　　A. She felt it unfair to be treated as a servant.

　　B. She found it natural for professionals to treat her as inferior.

　　C. She was embarrassed each time her customers joked with her.

　　D. She felt badly hurt when her customers regarded her as a peon.

　　71. The author says one day she’ll take her customers to dinner in order to _______.

　　A. see what kind of person they are

　　B. experience the feeling of being served

　　C. share her working experience with her customers

　　D. help them realize the difference between server and servant