Here are some of the top museums in the world.

Smithsonian Institution，Washington D. C. ，the United States

The Smithsonian is the world's largest museum and research complex, with 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park and various research stations. If you spent one minute looking at each object on display day and night, in ten years you'd see onlyten percent of the whole. Therefore, it's wise to head out with a plan.

Main attractions: the dresses of the First Ladies, the Gem Hall at the National Museum of Natural History and the Wright brothers'1903 Flyer.

Louvre, Paris, France

The Louvre was the palace of the kings of France before becoming a museum over two centuries ago. The addition of I. M. Pei's pyramid shocked many people when it was first used in 1989 as the new main entrance. The museum's collections are among the most important in the world. A good place to start is the Sully Wing, which leads straight to the Egyptian rooms.

Main attractions: Venus de Milo, The Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

The State Hermitage Museum，St. Petersburg，Russia

Russia may be isolated（孤立）from the artistic centers of Paris，Rome and London，but the Hermitage has managed to get an amazing collection of world art — more than three million items — from the Stone Age to the early 20th century. The museum occupies six buildings along the Neva River. This blue-and-whitestructure was finished in 1764. Catherine the Great founded the museum that same year when she bought 255 paintings from Berlin.

Main attractions: golden masterpieces from Eurasia and pieces from Nicholas'private collections.

The British Museum，London，England

Britain's largest museum looks after more than eight million objects ranging from prehistoric（史前的）bones to things of the Parthenon in Athens.

Main attractions: the Egyptian gallery has the world's second finest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside Egypt, including the Rosetta Stone, carved in 196 BC.

【小题1】What does the underlined sentence in the passage show?

A．The Smithsonian is open day and night.

B．People visit the Smithsonian frequently.

C．There are so many objects to see in the Smithsonian.

D．The Smithsonian has 19 national museums and galleries.

【小题2】Where should you go if you are interested in the Venus de Milo?

A．The Louvre.	B．The Hermitage.
C．The Smithsonian.	D．The British Museum.

【小题3】What do we know about the Hermitage?

A．It was founded in honor of Catherine the Great.

B．It mainly displays modern artworks.

C．It is the largest museum in Europe.

D．It was founded in the year 1764.

【小题4】What do we learn about the British Museum？

A．It is best known for the Rosetta Stone.

B．It mainly displays things of prehistoric periods.

C．It is a good attraction for people who love Egyptian culture.

D．It has the second finest collection of artworks in the world.

   Though they may often be thought of as services for travelers，ferries（渡轮）are often ignored as tourist opportunities. In cities and regions all over the world，ferries offer an advantage for top destinations.

Staten Island Ferry

Take a famous ride in one of the world's greatest cities；New York's Staten Island Ferry is free all day，every day. On this 25-minute trip between Manhattan and Staten Island，passengers will get a fresh view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Golden Horn Ferry

The Bosporus is a narrow，natural strait located in northwestern Turkey，which carries many a boat between its European and Asian shores. Ferries here offer 20-minute trips or six-hour tours into the Golden Horn. Both feature marks made on the city by 13 different civilizations，including the Egyptians and Bulgarians.

Star Ferry

The Star Ferry travels between Kowloon and Hong Kong Island, providing scenes of striking colors at sunset in the sky and against the skyline. The two-level Shining Star ferry is a reinvention of boats from the 1920s and offers tours of the harbor.

Alaska Marine Highway System

Though many cities host eye-catching ferry rides, other locations provide water journeys of a much greater range. Covering more than 3,500 miles, the Alaska Marine Highway System stretches along the coast from southern Washington to the Aleutian Islands. On this voyage, travelers can see wildlife including whales and bears, the largest national forest in the U. S. , and Alaska-native villages. While on the journey, travelers can book a two-or four-person cottage or put up a tent on one of the ferries.

Each with its own set of sights and experiences, ferries share just one thing—a new angle to redescribe your favorite place.

【小题1】Which is recommended to those in favor of free ferries?

A．Star Ferry.

B．Staten Island Ferry.

C．Golden Horn Ferry.

D．Alaska Marine Highway System.

【小题2】Why is the Shining Star ferry special among the four ferries?

A．It travels between two countries.

B．It was born out of old boats.

C．Its tours take the longest time.

D．It provides services in evenings.

【小题3】What can travelers experience through the Alaska Marine Highway System?

A．Local mountain villages.

B．The Statue of Liberty.

C．The U. S. 's largest national forest.

D．Striking colors at sunset.

The International Voluntary Service runs a number of Youth Exchanges throughout the year. Youth Exchanges give small groups of 4-5 young people the opportunity to take part in volunteering trips abroad for an average of two weeks．These young people are joined by 4-5 young people from 3-4 other nationalities and are a wonderful intercultural experience in a safe environment.
Example Youth Exchanges：
Youth Exchange 1
Location：Ireland
Other nationalities：Ireland，Spain，Italy，Hungary
Theme：Focuses on the topic of community reconstruction and community activities—exploring how local issues facing our communities are connected to global issues．The group will also learn about the eco-village as an example of a community and take part in team-building activities.
Youth Exchange 2
Location：France
Other nationalities：Bulgaria，Italy，France
Theme：Organic gardening & continual living．This project will take place in a natural park，where the group will take part in gardening activities and games／workshops about continuous development．
Youth Exchange 3
Location：Macedonia
Other nationalities：Serbia，Turkey，Ireland
Theme：Foster social inclusion and motivate personal development of young people through sports and outdoor activities．Promote outdoor activities as a tool to help inclusion of young people with fewer opportunities．
Youth Exchange 4
Location：Italy
Other nationalities：Italy，Bulgaria，Greece
Theme：A sociaI-environmental project that intends to promote social inclusion and continuable development，regarded as a process of civil rights and active citizenship. Over 10 days, the group will participate in activities to raise awareness about the effect of our behavior on the environment．
【小题1】What do you focus on when travelling in France?

A．Gardening work.

B．Civil rights.

C．Developing social inclusion.

D．Rebuilding communities.

【小题2】If you are interested in protecting the environment，you can take part in ________.

A．Youth Exchange 1	B．Youth Exchange 2
C．Youth Exchange 3	D．Youth Exchange 4

【小题3】Which nationality are Youth Exchanges most popular with?

A．Spain．

B．Italy.

C．Ireland.

D．France.

Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
Where: Becket, Massachusetts
When: June 15-Aug. 24
Each summer, this influential dance center presents a number of classes and performances by more than 50 companies from around the world. Highlights (最精彩的部分) this season include the Dance Theater of Harlem's production of Alvin Ailey's “The Lark Ascending”, which opens the festival.
Many events are free. Ticketed performances start at $22. jacobspillow.org.
Moab Music Festival
Where: Moab, Utah
When: Aug. 29-Sept. 9
This area is better known for mountain biking than for music. But since 1992, it has hosted a private festival that brings classical, jazz, Latin and other types of music to the land. This year there will be 16 concerts, including three “Grotto Concerts”, where guests take a 45-minute boat ride down the Colorado River to performances.
Events start at $25. moabmusicfest.org.
Cheyenne Frontier Days
Where: Cheyenne, Wyoming
When: July 19-28
There's something for everyone at this 117-year-old festival, from an “Indian village” and Old West museum to country concerts. But the competition is still the main attraction, with cowboys and cowgirls competing for major money in the world's largest outdoor stage.
Competition tickets start at $18, and concert tickets at $23. cfdrodeo.com.
The Glimmerglass Festival
Where: Cooperstown, New York
When: July 6-Aug. 24
Each summer, opera lovers from around the country (and the world) travel to upstate New York to watch productions that include stars like Nathan Gunn and Ginger Costa-Jackson. This year's performances include Wagner's “The Flying Dutchman” and Verdi's “King for a Day”, in honor of the 200th birthdays of both composers (作曲家).
Tickets start at $26. glimmerglass.org.
【小题1】If you want to enjoy a “Grotto Concert”, which date suits you best?

A．June 15.	B．July 19.
C．August 24.	D．September 4.

【小题2】If you go to Cheyenne to watch a competition and enjoy a concert, how much will you pay at least?

A．$18.	B．$22.
C．$36.	D．$41.

【小题3】If you are a big fan of Wagner, you're advised to go to _____.

A．Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival

B．the Glimmerglass Festival

C．Cheyenne Frontier Days

D．Moab Music Festival

The Cambridge Science Festival Curiosity Challenge
Dare to Take the Curiosity Challenge!
The Cambridge Science Festival (CSF) is pleased to inform you of the sixth annual Curiosity Challenge. The challenge invites , even dares school students between the ages of 5 and 14 to create artwork or a piece of writing that shows their curiosity how it inspires them to explore their world.
Students are being dared to draw a picture, write an article, take a photo or write a poem that shows what they are curious about. To enter the challenge, all artwork or pieces of writing should be sent to the Cambridge Science Festival, MIT Museum, 265 Mass Avenue,
Students who enter the Curiosity Challenge and are selected as winners will be honor at a special ceremony during the CSF on Sunday, April 21^st. Guest speakers will also present prizes to the students. Winning entries will be published in a book. Student entries will exhibited and prizes will be given. Families of those who take part will be included in celebration and brunch will be served.
Between March 10^thand March 15h, each winner will be given the specifics of the closing ceremony and the Curiosity Challenge celebration. The program guidelines and other related information are available at :http:// cambridgesciencefestival.org.
【小题1】Who can take part in the Curiosity Challenge?

A．Cambridge locals.	B．School students.
C．CSF winners.	D．MIT artists.

【小题2】When will the prize-giving ceremony be held?

A．On February 8th.	B．On March 10th.
C．On March 15th	D．On April 21st.

【小题3】What type of writing is this text?

A．An exhibition guide.	B．An art show review.
C．An announcement.	D．An official report.