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.

Opening Times & Admission
Museum Opening Times
The museum is open daily: 10 am -5 pm
Collections Centre opens daily: 11 am - 5 pm
Last admission to the museum and Collections Centre is 4:30 pm.
Closed: December 24 , 2017 - January 1, 2018 inclusive
Museum Admission

Adult	£ 14
Child (5 -16 yrs)	£ 9
Under 5 yrs	FREE
Concession (优惠价) (60 yrs+, unemployed, student)	£ 12
Family ticket (2 adults, 3 children)	£ 39
Groups of 12 or more (pre-booking essential)	£ 9

 

Your entry fee will be treated as a donation to our charity on which we may also be able to claim (索要) Gift Aid. In return you will receive FREE admission to the museum for a year with our Annual Pass (this excludes 5 Special Show Days per year).

Tickets for that very day are only available to buy at the museum.

Museum Tours

An optional (可选择的) tour of the museum is included in your entry fee. The tours are available between 11:15 am and 2:15 pm every day. They do not have to be pre-booked but have time limits.

Collections Centre

Access to the Collections Centre is included in your entry fee, so you will just need to show your museum admission ticket at the door to gain entry.

Show Days

On most show days the normal museum entry prices apply. There are, however, five Special Show Days per year when the admission price varies, including entry both into the show and the museum. On these days, Gift Aid tickets and promotional vouchers are not accepted. Advance discounted Show Day tickets are available online or via our Ticket Hotline 019 -26645033.

For more information about the British Motor Museum, please click here.

【小题1】If you arrive at the museum at 4:35 pm, __________ .

A．you may visit it for free

B．you will find it closed

C．you will still have enough time to enjoy it

D．you won’t be allowed to enter the museum

【小题2】How much does a 65-year-old lady need to pay for the admission?

A．£ 9.	B．£ 12.
C．£ 14.	D．£ 39.

【小题3】What can we know from the passage?

A．You can book discounted Show Day tickets by phone.

B．The museum opens later than the Collections Centre.

C．You need to pay an extra fee to visit the Collections Centre.

D．An Annual Pass will allow your entrance all year round.

   Spending money on a vacation may seem like a luxury（奢侈品）—but sometimes, you have to relax yourself. Here's where to go for a good time at an unbelievable value.

Captiva Island, Florida

Keep it simple by looking for seashells, bicycling, or jet skiing; you can even hit the tennis courts. The Summer Getaway package offers a fourth night free and a rate of $ 209 a night, making the average of a four-night stay $156.75.  Kids 12 and under eat breakfast free.

Reykjavik, Iceland

STA Travel Beats specializes in taking travelers to music festivals around the globe. It has an eight-day tour, Icelandic Beats, which takes you to the Icelandic geothermal spas（地热温泉）, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and black sand beaches. End your vacation at the Secret Solstice Festival on June 18. The tour is $1, 218, not including airfares.

Malpais, Costa Rica

You get daily surfing instruction, sunset surf sessions, and yoga in the outdoor, oceanfront yoga studio in a week-long tour. As you get your mind, body, and spirit together, keep it going with healthy meals at the beachfront restaurant. Prices are $2, 895 for shared accommodations（住宿）, $3,095 for private accommodations with shared baths, and $3,595 for private accommodations.

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire

Waterville Valley Resort is surrounded by 100 miles of trails in the White Mountain National Forest. If you get a Freedom Pass, you can save about $100 a day during a six-day tour; the pass enables you daily to have a two-hour mountain bike rental, unlimited tennis, a round of golf and so on. Rates start at $139 a night.

【小题1】How much is a four-night stay in Captiva Island, Florida?

A．$418.	B．$470.25.
C．$627.	D．$836.

【小题2】Which of the following offers the longest tour?

A．Reykjavk, Iceland.

B．Malpais, Costa Rica.

C．Captiva Island, Florida.

D．Waterville Valley, New Hampshire.

【小题3】What is the main purpose of the passage？

A．To advertise four coming events.

B．To encourage people to travel abroad.

C．To introduce famous travelling routes.

D．To suggest places for wonderful vacation.

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.

   Looking for something entertaining to do? Check out some wonderful festivals around the world.

Koningsdag — The Netherland

Koningsdag or King’s Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is celebrated on 27 April (26 April if the 27^th is a Sunday), the date marking the birth of King Willem-Alexander. Orange is the national color, and the streets become a sea of feather boas (羽毛围巾) and body paint as crowds gather in the plazas and on the boats in the rivers. Amsterdam is the center of this outdoor party, with many live music events, but nearly every town is alive with orange on this day.

Thai National Elephant Day — Thailand

Thai National Elephant Day is a national holiday in Thailand. Thai National Elephant Day has been celebrated on March 13^th of every year since 1998. Because the elephant is the national animal of Thailand, it is highly respected and treasured. During the festivals elephant are honored during a ceremony (典礼) in which they are fed with bananas, other fruit, and sugarcane.

The Fire Festival — Shetland

On the last Tuesday of January the entire town of Lerwick, Shetland is in flames. At the festival, you’ll find yourself sitting, dancing, or stumbling around the largest bonfire you’ve ever seen in your life. The festival lasts only one day but takes the entire year to plan. Be prepared for an evening of singing, dancing, and fast paced activities, and don’t worry about making it to work next day — it’s a national holiday!

Holi — India

Holi, the Festival of Color, is a Hindu celebration full of joy and one of India’s most important holidays. On the last full moon day of the lunar month, usually late February or early March, the air is full of bright-colored powder. The festival is celebrated differently throughout the country, with bonfires and music, but the cheerful spirit is common throughout Hindu communities around the world.

【小题1】The festival celebrated on March 13^th in Thailand is held to ______.

A．show people’s respect for their Queen

B．show Thai people’s respect for elephants

C．ask people to protect endangered animals

D．help people relax by singing and dancing

【小题2】Why don’t people have to worry about working the day after the Fire Festival?

A．Because people are allowed to sleep at work next day.

B．Because the activities are too simple to get people tired.

C．Because people don’t have to go to work next day.

D．Because the festival ends very early at night.

【小题3】Where should you go if you are interested in the Festival of Colors?

A．India.	B．Shetland.
C．Thailand.	D．The Netherlands.