Explore the State of California
California is one of the most interesting states of America that offers a lot of wonderful sceneries and fun attractions. It is also the most populated state and the third largest in land area. Anyone who has been to California would agree that it is indeed a place that offers a lot to tourists of all ages. Here are some top picks of the best places to visit in California State.
San Francisco Bay Area - Witness the famous San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge which is one of the city's landmarks; and enjoy the beauty of Fisherman's Wharf that offers a lot of seafood restaurants. You should not miss the city's world-famous Cable Car System which is by far the only manually operated cable car system in the whole world.
Yosemite National Park - This is one of the very first wilderness parks in the whole of America. It is known for its natural beauty and breathtaking sceneries. It offers a breath of fresh air away from the city life. Major places to visit include the Yosemite Falls, Sentinel Dome, El Capitan, Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point among many others.
Los Angeles - Explore the home of the L.A. Lakers and do not fail to visit the Disneyland which is one of the major attractions of the city. The warm weather in Los Angeles makes it possible to do a lot of outdoor activities especially during the summer months. It is a family-friendly place that offers a wonderful shopping and dining experience. For those who particularly love the city and night life, L.A. can offer the best of almost everything.
Napa Valley - With over a million visitors every year, Napa Valley is indeed a place you should not miss if you are in California. It is California's most popular wine growing region. You can also experience the Wine Train and hot air balloon ride over the valley.
【小题1】 From the first paragraph, we know that_____.

A．the State of California has the largest population in the US

B．California offers a lot to tourists of young people

C．California is also the largest in land area

D．California is the most interesting state of America

A world of opportunity

The New York Times is now better than ever.

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NEW—The House & Home section. Thursday, filled with useful, interesting features and articles about making the most of all sorts of living spaces.

NEW—An expanded,two-part Weekend section.Fridays,with more ideas about movies, shows, art exhibitions, outdoor and indoor recreation.

Latest news and sports results daily. And of course,daily world and national news, Sunday’s special sections and all the other great features you’ll continue to find in The Times.

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Call I-800-331-1969 or use the postage-paid order card convenient home delivery at 50% off our regular price.

1. This is one of the advertisements put for a ______.

A. book store                B. newspaper

C. magazine                 D. restaurant

2. Detailed information about films can be found in ______ section.

A. The Arts                      B. The Dining In,Dining Out

C. The House & Home             D. Weekend

3. The advertisement tells us The Times is ______.

A. of great benefit               B. of little use

C. paid                        D. priceless

4. The main idea of this advertisement is ______.

A. many opportunities will be provided just to those who order home delivery

B. several new sections have been printed separately from now on

C. readers can be well informed of the latest news and sports results

D. people can pick up all the information they are interested in

Drinking wine in moderation improves the IQ and may boost mental agility in old people,according to Japanese researchers.

A study of the effects of alcohol on the middle aged and elderly found the average IQ of men who drink wine (whether made from grapes or rice) was 3.3 points higher than that of men who do not imbibe.

Similarly,the IQ of women drinkers showed an improvement of 2.5 points over their teetotal sisters.The findings are part of an ongoing study by Japan’s National Institute for Longevity into the links between human intelligence and what we eat and drink.

The tests measured general knowledge,powers of judgment and concentration in drinkers and non-drinkers over 40,all living in Aichi prefecture,central Japan,and sharing the same income level-roughly￡50 000 a year—and educational background.All were university graduates.

But while wine-drinkers appeared to be brighter,the same was not true of those who drank deer,shochu (a local gin) and whisky.

“The benefits of wine and sake (rice wine) in raising IQ could be due to substances they contain,such as polyphenol,which are believed to slow the ageing process,” Hiroshi Shimokata,head of epidemiology research,said.

It was premature to conclude,he added,that drinking wine or sake slowed the deterioration of brain functions in the elderly,or warded off senility.The research does,however,suggest that this is one way to stay mentally alert longer.

But there is a sobering caveat:drinking too much may make you dimmer.“People who drink more than 540 milli-litres (a little over a pint) of sake or wine a day had lower intelligence quotients than those who did not drink at all,”Hiroshi Shimokata said.“Moderation is very important.”

Which one is the topic of the passage?

A.Drinking wine in a large amount improves the IQ of old people.

B.Drinking wine in a reasonable amount raises the IQ of old people.

C.Drinking wine in moderation does good to any one.

D.Drinking wine helps improve the IQ of women.

According to the passage,which of the following is NOT wrong?

A.Every wine drinker’s IQ is 3.3 points higher than that of men who don’t drink.

B.The IQ of women drinker is 2.5 points lower than that of the non-drinking women.

C.Drinking beer and whisky cannot improve one’s IQ.

D.Drinking wine can only do good to the IQ of rich old people.

The reason why wine and sake can improve IQ is that _________.

A.wine and sake have special taste

B.wine and sake can make us excited

C.wine and sake contain substances considered to slow the ageing process

D.wine and sake contain something believed to prevent us from ageing

From the text,it seems that we can conclude _________.

A.the more wine we drink,the brighter we are

B.the less wine we drink,the brighter we are

C.drinking wine less than 540ml a day,we’ll become dimmer

D.drinking wine in moderation,we’ll become brighter

Visiting the Embassies of Washington, D．C．

Washington, D．C．is known for its many museums and government buildings．It is also home to embassies（大使馆）from more than 170 countries. Many of these buildings around the city have interesting histories. Some embassies are in large historical homes. Others were built more recently to show the building desihgn of their countries. Many embassies hold special cultural（文化）events.

The Embassy of Uzbekistan

It is in a richly decorated（装修）home built in 1906 by a wealthy banker, Clarence Moore. But Mr Moore did not live to enjoy his house for very long. He died on board the ship Titanic, which sank 1912·This building served as the Canadian Embassy before Uzbekistan bought it in 1996．

The Embassy of Finland

         The Italian Embassy is near Massachusetts Avenue. Nearby, the Embassy of Finland looks like it is built out of blocks of glass．Its design is modern，but it fits in nicely with the natural environment around it．A screen of plants covers part of the front of the building．Inside．visitors Can look through large glass windows deep into the wooded areas of Rock Creek Park. The Finnish Embassy holds many interesting exhibits．

The Embassy of France

       It is in a gated area off Reservoir Road．The embassy’s cultural center, La Maison Francaise, organizes many cultural events．Also．if you are very lucky, you might be invited to a party at the home of the French ambassador(大使)．This extraordinary home in the Kalorama neighborhood looks like a palace。Organizations like the Washington Opera sometimes hp1d events in this beautiful house。

The International Center

       Last month，China opened a new embassy in the area of Washington called the International Center．C．C．Pei and L．C。Pei designed the building．Measuring more than 10．000 square meters，this is One of the biggest embassies in Washington．C．C．Pei said the areas of plants around the embassy were to present people a natural and calming design．

1.Which embassy was once a large historical home?

       A．The International Center．                       B．The Embassy of Finland．

       C．The Embassy of France．                          D．The Embassy of Uzbekistan．

2.What can we learn about the International Center from the text?

       A．It once belonged to a rich banker．

       B．It was built out of blocks of glass．

       C．It stands in the Kalorama neighborhood．

       D．It is a newly—constructed building．

3.At the Embassy of France，you can       .

       A．see many exhibits of great interest          

         B．attend events in La Maison Francaise

       C．invite the French ambassador home       

         D．visit its designers C．C．Pei and L．C．Pei

4.This text is most probably taken from

        A．a science magazine                                       B．a medical report

        C．a travel guide                                                   D．a history textbook