Trip 1  Black Bear Count

Societies all over the world name places in similar ways. Quite often there is no official naming ceremony but places tend to be called names as points of reference by people. Then an organized body steps in and gives the place a name. Frequently it happens that a place has two names: One is named by the people and the other by the government. As in many areas, old habits died hard, and the place continues to be called by its unofficial name long after the meaning is lost.

       Many roads and places in Singapore(新加坡) are named in order that the pioneers will be remembered by future generations. Thus we have names such as Stamford Road and Raffles Place. This is in keeping with traditions in many countries ---- in both the West and the East.

       Another way of naming places is naming them after other places. Perhaps they were named to promote friendships between the two places or it could be that the people who used to live there were originally from the places that the roads were named after. The mystery is clearer when we see some of the roads named in former British bases. If you step into Selector Airbase you will see Piccadilly Circus ----obviously named by some homesick Royal Air Force personnel.

       Sine places were named after the activities that used to go on at those places. Bras Basah Road is an interesting example, “Base Basah” means “wet rice” in Malay(马来语). Now why would anyone want to name a road “Wet Rice Road”? The reason is simple. During the pioneering days, wet rice was laid out to dry along this road.

       A few roads in Singapore are named by their shapes. There is “Circular Road” for one. Other roads may have part of their names to describe their shapes, like “Paya Lebar Crescent”. This road is called a crescent(月牙) because it begins on the main road, makes a crescent and comes back to join the main road again.

We learn from Paragraph 1 that _____.

      A. the government is usually the first to name a place

      B. many places tend to have more than one name

      C. a ceremony will be held when a place is named

      D. people prefer the place names given by the government

What does the underlined phrase “die hard” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

      A. Change suddenly.               B. Change significantly.

      C. Disappear mysteriously.          D. Disappear very slowly.

Which of the following places is named after a person?

      A. Raffles Place.             B. Selector Airbase.

      C. Piccadilly Circus.          D. Paya Lebar Crescent.

Bras Basah Road is named _______.

      A. after a person   B. after a place    C. after an activity   D. by its shape

What can be inferred from the passage?

      A. Some place names in Singapore are the same as in Britain.

      B. Some places in Singapore are named for military purposes.

      C. The way Singaporeans name their places is unique.

      D. Young Singaporeans have forgotten the pioneers.

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。

注意：请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填1个单词。

Living in a foreign country is fun but it isn’t always easy. There are many differences between cultures and although some of these differences are unimportant, some can cause a lot of embarrassment. In addition to the obvious language problems of living in a foreign country, I certainly experienced culture shock when I was living in Paris. I know I’m not the only one so I spoke to a few foreign friends about how they experienced culture shock in China.

   Aubin arrived two months ago from Europe to take part in a language programme in Shanghai. Before he left, he was actually taught the differences between European and Chinese Cultures, including everything from table manners to classroom behavior. However, some things have still taken him by surprise. For example, he couldn’t understand why waiters did not want to accept the tips he gave them after meals in restaurants. He said that in Europe waiters got angry if you didn’t leave them a tip! I had to explain to him that people don’t usually tip in China and that this comes from the Confucian idea that one must avoid accepting any undue income.

   Another friend, Julia, came to Guangzhou from London to teach at a language school. After a month, she told me that she was really let down by her students. I asked her why and she told me that they were so quiet that she was the only person talking in class and it felt like the children were being respectful but she said it would be more respectful if they answered her questions. I think we should be proud of the Chinese tradition that stresses politeness but I do think Julia has a good point.

   And it is not only the West and the East that have cultural differences. Even Korea and China, two countries that are very close to each other, have differences too. “I thought Chinese and Korean people were the same,” said my friend Ji-Hyun in perfect Chinese, “but I was wrong . In ancient times the Chinese used to take their shoes off. They don’t do that any more, but Korean people still do! I keep getting that wrong even though I’ve been here for five years!”

   Luckily, whether we take our shoes off or not, or leave unnecessary tips, the world still runs perfectly. In my opinion, cultural differences should simply be seen as a way of making life interesting. Imagine how boring it would be if we all did everything exactly the same way! Learning to understand and respect differences is, after all, what life is all about.　　

In Canada and the United States, there is a new group of children called “satellite kids”, who live in one place but whose parents live in another place．

 Asians are immigrating to Canada and the United States in larger numbers than ever before．Most Asians immigrate because they believe that they can give their children a better education in the West．In Asia, especially in China, Japan, and Korea, it is difficult to go to university．Students must first pass the strict national examination．However, in Canada and the United States, it is easy to go to university, and anyone who wants to go can go．As a result, Asian parents decide to leave their countries so that their children can go to university．

         The problem is that when Asians arrive, they discover that finding a job and making money are more difficult in the West than in the East．Also, they find that they are very lonely, and that they miss their homes．Because of these two reasons, most Asian parents decide to go back to work while their children study in the West．Therefore, these children become “satellite kids”, and most of their parents do not know how sad it is to be a “satellite kid”．

         Only until now are Canadians and Americans discovering the “satellite kid” problem．Because these children do not speak English and because their parents are not there to take care of them, they are often absent from school．To be a “satellite kid” means to grow up in a country where you know you are different and where you cannot make friends because you do not speak English well．Also, it means to grow up lonely, because your parents are elsewhere．What these “satellite kids” will probably say to their parents is that it’s better to have parents around than to have a university education．

1.Some Asian parents send their kids abroad because ________．

A. they hope their children may easily find a job there

B. the kids may not be accepted by universities in their own countries

C. all foreign universities are better than the ones in their own countries

D. the kids want to improve their English and make foreign friends

2. “Satellite kids” refer to Asian kids ________．

A. without patents

B. living abroad alone

C. with university education

D. speaking no English

3.Some Asian immigrant children become “satellite kids” because their parents ______．

A. want to leave their own country

B. want them to go to university

C. return to their countries to work 

D. want them to be independent

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A. Parents want better education for their kids．

B. Parents feel lonely and miss their families．

C. Canadians and Americans begin to notice the “satellite kids” problem．

D. Kids in foreign countries alone are badly in need of care from family．

In the tour book below, four countries are missing. Try to identify them.

The combination of travel and volcanoes has not mixed well in recent times. Many thousands of holiday makers were left stranded in 2010 after the eruption of an Icelandic volcano created a dust cloud which covered much of mainland Europe and severely interrupted air travel. For some, though, volcanoes and travel are a combination made in heaven, with increasing numbers of enthusiasts booking specific excursions to visit volcanoes around the world.
So before you start digging out your passport, changing up your travel money and renewing your travel insurance, take a look at this list of the top 5 volcano travel break destinations and see what takes your fancy.
Italy
Italy is home to three active volcanoes, the largest of which is Mount Etna, situated on the east coast of the Italian island of Sicily. Etna is one of the ‘liveliest’ volcanoes on the planet and is almost constantly active – making it one of the best places in Europe to observe smoking craters and volcanic activity first hand. While in Italy you may also want to consider a trip to Pompeii, the ruins of a city decimated by the eruption of the Mount Vesuvius volcano and an impressive reminder of the true power that volcanoes hold.
_1__
Situated on the boundary of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, it is an island whose very creation is a result of many undersea volcanic eruptions. Pay a visit to the beautiful landscape of its highlands and you can expect to see geysers, awe-inspiring glaciers and lava deserts alongside a selection of active volcanoes. You may also want to visit the site of the volcano that caused more pronunciation problems for newsreaders during the ash cloud crisis of 2010 than possibly any other name ever – Eyjafjallajokull.
_2__
The mountainous Kamchatka region, located in Far East, is home to an incredible landscape of volcanoes and volcanic activity. One of the standout volcanoes of the region is the Mutnovsky Volcano, a combination of many merged craters that spew forth great jets of superheated water and plumes of sulphurous smoke.  
_3____
It is a group of islands said to have been ‘created by fire’ – formed after massive undersea volcanic activity in the Pacific. Quite apart from its reputation as a paradise island, which makes it a popular destination for many, it is undoubtedly a Mecca for volcano lovers. The Kilauea volcano on the Big Island is the most active volcano on the planet and – conditions permitting – you will be able to visit one of Kilauea’s active lava streams as it pours dramatically into the sea.
_4___
Sitting on the border of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the Central American country is another beautiful place that has many areas of volcanic interest for you to discover. Hikes to see the volcanoes here will take you from jungle to peak, through some of the country’s magnificent national parks. There, you can visit landmarks such as the Irazu Volcano and its stunning green lake.