London is great .It's great .Rome and Paris were fine places ,but I knew as soon as we landed in London ,this was the finest of the three.
There are only two small things which I don't like about London . First of all, everyone speaks English here. I had so much fun in Rome and Paris . There I could speak in foreign languages. In words ,I made a lot of friends that way .But here everybody can understand me. I don't have any reason to start up a conversation with a stranger  .  And speaking of restaurants that is the other problem with London . The food here is no good at all! I haven't had one good meal in the three days we've been here.
Since you asked me to write to you about everything I learned on this trip ,here is what I've learned about London.
London's population of eleven million makes it the second largest city in the world .It is bigger than New York but not as big as Tokyo .London is twice the size of New York .It has an area of 620 square miles!
The Thames River runs right through the center of the city .Someone once called the Thames “liquid history”.It is a very good name. Dozens of armies have crossed it over the past few thousand years .One of the first was the army of Julius Caesar two thousand years ago .And most recentlyMr .and Mrs. Gill.
So far I have only had time to visit one neighborhood .It is called Bloomsbury .In fact there is a group of writers known as the Bloomsbury Group. It got its name because so many of them lived there. Virginia Woolf was one of them .I know how much you like her novels.
Baker Street is also part of Bloomsbury .Do you remember who once lived on Baker Street When I asked Bob this question, he answered,“a man who baked bread ,right ” Sherlock Holmes ,of course ,I won't have time to find his address .Maybe you will when you come.
【小题1】We learn from the first two paragraphs that _______.

A．it is more difficult to start up a conversation in English in London than in any languages

B．the writer had made a trip in Italy and France before she came to England

C．of all the meals the writer has had in London, only one she thinks is good enough

D．the writer hates to talk to strangers who can speak English

【小题2】It seems that the writer _______.

A．can speak English as a foreign language	B．does not like her mother language
C．does not speak French at all	D．can speak French as a foreign language

【小题3】Who do you think Mr.and Mrs.Gill are

A．A famous general and his wife.	B．A famous American writer and his wife.
C．Two friends of the writer's.	D．The writer and her husband.

【小题4】Who once lived on Baker Street

A．A man who baked bread.	B．Sherlock Holmes.
C．The former US Secretary of State.	D．A friend of the writer's.

   It’s great fun to explore new places, and it may be like an adventure, even when you know you’re not the first to have been there. But to make sure not to get lost or waste time going round in circles, the following tips may be helpful.

• Do the map reading if you’re being driven somewhere. It’ll be easier if you keep the map following the direction you’re traveling in. Keep looking ahead so that you can give the driver lots of warning before having to make a turn or you’ll have to move to the back seat.

• Get a group of friends together and go exploring. You’ll need a good map, a compass, a raincoat, a cell phone to call for help in case you get lost, and a bit of cash for emergencies. Tell someone where you’re going before you set out and let him know what time you expect to be back. The purpose of the activity is in not getting lost, not in seeing how fast you can go, so always stick together, waiting for slower friends to catch up.

• See if your school or a club organizes orienteering (越野识途比赛), in which you need a map and a compass to find your way. This can be done as a sport, with teams trying to find the way from A to B (and B to C, etc.) in the fastest time, or simply as a spare-time activity. It enables you to be familiar with the use of maps and compasses and gain some practical skills. In some way, it’s not only good fun, but also a great way to keep fit.

No matter which way you choose, it’s not only good fun, but a great way to keep fit.

【小题1】Sitting beside the driver, you should ________.

A．direct the driver when necessary

B．look ahead to see where there’s a gas station

C．move to the back seat if feeling uncomfortable

D．keep looking at the map to find another place to go to

【小题2】Why do you need to wait for the slower friends in exploration?

A．To show them how fast you can go.

B．To avoid yourself or your friends getting lost.

C．To share the fun with your friends in exploration.

D．To tell them fiat’s going on with the group members.

【小题3】Orienteering can ________.

A．make people work fast	B．help people stay healthy
C．help people organize other activities	D．make people get prepared for sports

【小题4】The text mainly talks about ________.

A．the fun of exploration	B．what to bring for exploration
C．the way to use a map in exploration	D．how to prevent people getting lost in exploration

   Some of my fondest memories with my family are from when I was in middle school， when the three of us enjoyed trips that I remember vividly to this day. But during my younger days， like 4 or 5 years old， we vacationed in places like Cancun， Jamaica and Hawaii and I can't tell whether I actually recall those memories or whether I'm filling in the gaps through photo albums.

A frequent discussion I have with my coworkers and friends，' who are also in their 20s， is how we wish our parents had taken us on more vacations when we were much older. What I suggest is to hold off on those grand vacations until your kid is about 12， when they can begin to understand what a privilege is， and you can save the international travel until they're in high school. Of course， I do understand that sometimes， it's not the kids but the parents who just want to enjoy a vacation. But in other cases， when the main goal is to create family memories， you can still accomplish that in other ways.

It wasn't until college that I realized how important travel is， and I can't tell you how many times I've thought about wanting to redo those family trips now. Especially during a time in my life when an international trip is outside of my budget， I think about how much money my parents spent on our vacations that ended up being a complete blur.

I'm not telling you to deprive （剥夺） your children of fun family memories， either. I'm simply arguing that you should travel locally or within your state. Although your little ones might not care about the destination， they will remember that you are all together and have a great time. That's the  most important thing， anyway.

【小题1】When recalling the previous trip to Hawaii，the author may feel _____________ .

A．disappointed	B．excited
C．touched	D．frightened

【小题2】What time does the author think is the right time for children to travel abroad?

A．When they start to go to school.

B．When they 'are4 or 5 years old.

C．When they study in high school.

D．When they are eager to have a trip.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “blur” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Jokes that are made between families.

B．Efforts that are made to achieve a goal.

C．Memories that can't be remembered clearly.

D．Expectations that may be reached in future.

【小题4】What may be the best title for the text?

A．Create Chances of Vacations with Children

B．My Memories of Previous Vacations

C．Older Children Hope to Travel with Their Parents

D．Take Children on Vacation until They Are Old

When you go to St. Petersburg, the number of attractions can seem overwhelming. If you’re short on time, or just want to make sure to hit the highlights, these are the top must-see sights in St. Petersburg.
The Hermitage Museum

The Hermitage Museum is one of the most important sights to see for any visitor to St. Petersburg. There you can see lots of different paintings of old masters inside the Hermitage. Prepare to come face-to-face with classic Western artists.
The Russian Museum

The Russian Museum holds one of the largest collections of Russian art in the world. View Russian art creations through the ages, from Byzantine (拜占庭)-style icons to the Socialist Realism of Stalin’s times.
Kizhi Island

Kizhi Island is an open-air museum of wooden buildings from the Karelia Region of Russia. These impressive structures are made without any nails (钉子) — the wood fits together with joints and grooves (沟槽).

Peterhof

Peterhof is as beautiful as it is fun. You’ll be charged for admission (门票), but go to Peterhof when the fountains (喷泉) are working — during the day in the summer. They are shut off in winter as well as in the evenings.
The Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood
Love it or hate it, the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood is an attractive must-see sight. The beautiful look may make your eyes brighten, and the paintings inside the church will make you say “Wow!”
The Bronze Horseman Statue

The Bronze Horseman is a part of Russian Culture and a symbol of St. Petersburg. Made famous by Alexander Pushkin (普希金), this statue of Peter the Great sitting on his horse can truly show Peter the Great’s influence on the Russian idea of greatness.
【小题1】If you’re interested in paintings, you’d better go to _____.

A．the Hermitage Museum and Peterhof

B．the Hermitage Museum and the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood

C．Kizhi Island and the Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood

D．the Russian Museum and Kizhi Island

【小题2】The man on the Bronze Horse refers to _____.

A．Peter the Great	B．Alexander Pushkin
C．Byzantine	D．Stalin

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

A．The fountains in Peterhof can be seen all year round.

B．The largest collection of Russian art is in the Hermitage Museum.

C．The buildings on Kizhi Island are made of wood.

D．You can visit Peterhof free of charge.

【小题4】The main purpose of this passage is to _____.

A．show the wonderful history of Russia

B．introduce the famous buildings in Russia

C．persuade artists to study St. Petersburg

D．attract tourists to visit St. Petersburg

语法填空

Last year I 【小题1】 (work) in Nepal for three months. When I had a few days off，I decided 【小题2】 (go) into the jungle (丛林) . I asked a Nepalese guide，Kamal Rai to go with me.

We started our trip at six in the morning with two elephants 【小题3】 (carry) our things. It was hot, but Kamal made me wear shoes and trousers to protect me 【小题4】 snakes. In the jungle there was a lot of wildlife, but we were trying to find tigers. We climbed onto the elephants' backs to see better. However, 【小题5】 is unusual to find tigers in the afternoon because they sleep in the daytime.

Then, in the 【小题6】 (distant), we saw a tiger, and Kamal told me to be very quiet. We moved nearer and found a dead deer, 【小题7】 was the tiger's lunch! Suddenly, I started to feel very 【小题8】 (frighten), then a huge tiger jumped out suddenly. It caught Kamal's leg between its teeth, but I managed to pull Kamal away. One of our 【小题9】 (elephant) ran at the tiger and made it go back into the grass, so we 【小题10】 (quick) ran away.  That night it was impossible to sleep!