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.

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

Dangerous as they are, extreme sports remain appealing among many Australian young people! Camp Xtreme is the perfect test of your heart.
Kite Surfing
It’s the exciting mixture of kite, board and waves. The idea of using a kite to accelerate speed seems like a new challenge, yet the art of kite flying dates back to the 13th-century Chinese when it was used as a simple means of transport.
Catch a wind and you’re moving — up, down and across the surf. “It’s always exciting. You’d jump 5 feet or 35 feet. You never know if you’re going to go up in the air, and your heart is just going boom, boom, boom.”
Coasteering
It is by far the best activity and the event that everyone is still talking about. This is exploring the coastline without worrying about a coastal path or finding a rocky bay blocking your route. You climb, dive and swim from one place to another. With Coasteering, you don’t have to be able to swim as the wet suit and buoyancy(浮力) aid will keep you floating when you are in the water.
Sky Diving
Traditional parachuting(跳伞) doesn’t sound risky enough. So now sky diving is the name for jumping from a plane and listening to your heart beating heavily as you move fast towards earth before you open your parachute at the last moment.
Mountain Biking
It’s been around so long that bikers are no longer satisfied with just going up and down a mountain. Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough land, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but include features designed to improve strength and performance in rough areas.
For details, please call us on 1300-792-668 or click here: www.xtremecamp.com.au.
【小题1】All the four extreme sports are mainly intended to test one’s _____.

A．heart beat	B．physical health
C．potential strength	D．courage

【小题2】The underlined word in the second paragraph “it” refers to _____.

A．the kite	B．kite surfing
C．kite flying	D．the art of kites

【小题3】Which of the following sports can be the most risky?

A．Kite surfing.	B．Coasteering.
C．Sky diving.	D．Mountain biking.

【小题4】We can infer from the passage that _______.

A．kites were the main means of transport in China

B．swimming skills play a key role in Coasteering

C．parachuting is the least popular sports at present

D．mountain biking requires more than riding common bikes

你班打算在下周日下午举行讲英语故事的比赛。假如你是英语课代表，请你在班上口头通知此事。该口头通知需包括活动益处、具体时间、地点、评委及要求等内容。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
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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.