Everyone should visit a lighthouse at least once.
The most important reason for such a visit is to realize how our ancestors (祖先) battled nature with the basic tools they had . They had only basic ways of creating light , and yet they found a way of using this simple technology in isolated (孤零零的) places to save ships from hitting rocks .
Secondly , visiting lighthouses will help us to understand the lives of lighthouse keepers .By their very nature , lighthouses were built on some rocks or cliffs . Thus , the lighthouse keepers often lived lonely lives . To walk around their small home , and imagine the angry storm outside beating against the walls , is to take a step towards understanding the lives they had.
The reasons for a visit to a lighthouse are not all so backward-looking in time . It is true that lighthouses were built in out-of-the –way places . But on a pleasant sunny summer day. This very isolation has a natural beauty that many people will love to experience . Therefore, with the gentle waves touching all round the lighthouse . the visitor is likely to think it is a world preferable to the busy and noisy modern life.
Another reason for considering a visit is that the lighthouses themselves can be very attractive buildings . Mankind could often not be content just to put up a basic structure . but felt the need . even in such an isolated place , to build with an artistic touch . The result is a view for tired eyes to enjoy .
Finally , lighthouses have a romantic attraction , summed up by the image of the oil-skin coated keeper climbing his winding stairs to take care of the light to warn ships and save lives .
【小题1】What is the reason to look back into the past of a lighthouse ?

The New York Aquarium (水族馆) offers a diverse collection and nice viewing experience for all our guests. Whether you’re observing penguins on their rocky coastline home or swimming underwater, looking at a coral reef (珊瑚礁) under the water, or cheering on California sea lions at the theater, you’ll find plenty to see and do during your visit. Your underwater adventure is waiting for you! This summer, head out to Coney Island to learn about the underwater world at the New York Aquarium.

Just off the Coney Island in Brooklyn, the New York Aquarium features more than 300 marine (海洋的) species, such as dolphins and seals. Meet some of our mammals and fish, and learn about their natural history, biology, and cultural roles.

Total Experience Ticket

Adult                                   $18.00

Child (Ages 3-12)                         $14.00

Senior (65+)                                    $15.00

Groups (at least ten visitors)                                  $8.00

﹡Includes admission to our 4-D Theater Plus General Admission.

﹡Children under 3 years old are free!

﹡To receive the group rate, you must make a reservation at least two weeks in advance of your group’s visit. Please call 718-741-1818.

Friday Afternoon Special

Admission on Fridays beginning at 3:00 p.m. is by donation. Suggested donation is $13 for adults, $9 for children, and $10 for seniors. Every dollar you give supports our work in caring for animals at the aquarium.

Aquarium Parking

Car                                                                                       $13.00

Bus                                                                                       $13.00

Please note:

﹡Due to rising costs, the Wildlife Conservation Society reserves the right to change all fees without notice.

﹡All Aquarium buildings and exhibits are wheelchair-accessible.

﹡For further information, please call 718-265-3454.

1.Which animal can’t visitors probably see at the New York Aquarium?

A. Penguins.               B. Pandas.          C. Dolphins.                D. Seals.

2.Six adults (including a man of 68) and two children (aged 2 and 10) are going to visit the New York Aquarium on Sunday. They will have to pay ______________ at least.

A. $144                       B. $133                        C. $64                          D. $119

3.The donation is used to ______________.

A. help the poor people

B. help to save the endangered animals in the wild

C. care for animals at the aquarium

D. help the disabled visitors

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. You can visit the New York Aquarium at 5:30 p.m. on Christmas.

B. A visitor in a wheelchair can get around at the New York Aquarium.

C. Visitors can enjoy free parking service on Friday.

D. To enjoy the group rate, visitors must make a reservation at least two weeks in advance by sending an e-mail.

Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year, If it falls, within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.   
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert mountains are always changing –-very, very slowly ---as these forces of nature continue to work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that :have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day' a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.
68. Many plants may survive in deserts when__________________.
A. the rain is spread out in a year      B. the rain falls only in a few weeks
C. there is little rain in a year         D. it is dry all the year round
69. Sand dunes are formed when___________________.
A. sand piles up gradually             B. there is plenty of rain in a year
C. the sea has dried up over the years    D. pieces of rock get smaller
70. The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is____________.
A. too much sand              B. more sand than before
C. nothing except sand          D. something else besides sand
71. It can be learned from the text that in a desert____________.
A. there is no rainfall throughout the year               B. life exists in rough conditions
C. all sand dunes are a few feet high              D. rocks are worn away only by wind and heat

The English, as a race, are very different in many ways from all other nationalities, including their closest neighbors, the French, the Belgians and the Dutch. It is claimed that living on an island separated from the rest of Europe has much to do with it. Whatever the reasons are, it may be fairly stated that the Englishman has developed many attitudes and habits which distinguish him from other nationalities.
Broadly speaking, the Englishman is a quiet, shy, reserved person who is fully relaxed only among people he knows well. In the presence of strangers or foreigners he often seems restrained, even embarrassed. You have only to witness a city train any morning or evening to see the truth of this. Serious-looking businessmen and women sit reading their newspapers or having a light sleep in a corner, and no one speaks. In fact, to do so would seem most unusual. An Englishman, pretending to be giving advice to overseas visitors, once suggested, “On entering a railway carriage, shake hands with all the passengers.” Needless to say, he was not being serious. There is an unwritten but clearly understood code of behavior which, if broken, makes the person immediately suspected.
In many parts of the world it is quite normal to show openly extremes of enthusiasm, emotion, excitement, etc, often accompanied by appropriate gesture. The Englishman is somewhat different. Of course, an Englishman feels no less deeply than anyone of a different nationality, but he tends to display his feelings far less. This is reflected in his use of language. Imagine a man commenting on the great beauty of a young girl. A more emotional man might describe her state “Oh, she is a goddess”, whereas an Englishman might just say “Oh, she’s all right.” An Englishman who has seen a highly successful and enjoyable film recommends it to a friend by commenting, “It’s not bad you know”, or on seeing some very unusual scenery he might convey (表达) his pleasure by saying, “Nice, yes, very nice.” The overseas visitor must not be disappointed by this apparent lack of interest and involvement. Instead, he must realize that “all right,” “not bad,” and “nice,” very often have the sense of “first-class,” “excellent,” “beautiful”. This unique style of language use is particularly common in England, and is known as restrained statement.
【小题1】According to the passage, the English are different from other nationalities in _______.

We are going to see the ruins of Machu Picchu in the mountains of the Andes．Machu Picchu was forgotten for centuries but discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, a professor from Yale．It is said to be one of the most beautiful ancient sites in the world．
The Incas built the ancient civilization of Machu Picchu between the 12th century and the early 16th century．They spoke a language called Quechua but had no writing system at all．They kept records on various coloured strings with knots called quipu．
The Incas proved to be wonderful architects．They built most of their buildings with huge stones but without using any cement（粘结材料） to stick them together．However, the huge stones fit together so perfectly that you cannot force a sharp knife between two blocks．They also built bridges, tunnels through mountains and channels to bring water to their cities—just as the Romans did．The Incas turned the mountains into farmlands and planted corn and potatoes, and raised animals like llama and alpaca for food．
Now Machu Piccu has become a major tourist site in Peru, attracting people from all over the world．
【小题1】How long ago was Machu Picchu discovered?