Sightseeing Tours in Germany
      Germany has a variety of cities each with its own characteristics, from the busy city of Berlin, to the
ancient city of Cologne, to the Bavarian capital of Munich. Thankfully, these major German cities offer
sightseeing tours that offer the opportunity to better explore the surrounding regions and the country's
most historic sites.
     Berlin on Bike
     Berlin on Bike takes visitors through the German capital via five bicycle tours, all with guides. Regular
tours include the Wall Tour and Berlin's Best, with stops at some of the city's most famous landmarks,
such as the Reichstag explores what life was like in East Berlin under Communist Rule. The cost of the
tour includes the bike and helmet rental, and tourists may choose to continue renting their bikes once the
tour has ended.
     Berlinonbike.de/English/index.php
     Munich City Sightseeing Tour
     The Munich City Sightseeing Tour transports travelers throughout the city via an open-air,
double-decker bus. Passengers can hop on and off at various stops throughout the day. This tour
includes stops at such sites as the Munich central train station, the 1972 Olympic Stadium Park,
Munich's opera house and Karlsplatz, the gate to the historic city. The bus features a narrated tour guide
and offers an English-language option.
     Raileurope.com/activities/munich-city-sightseeing-tour/index.html
     Nice City Tours- Cologne
     Nice City Tours offers three tours of Cologne, available to private or business groups in a variety of
languages. The old Town Tour runs for two hours and includes a guided tour of the Cologne Cathedral
and some of the city's old squares. The Brewery Pub Tour explores some of the city's most beloved
breweries and pubs, and details the history behind Kolsch, Cologne's resident beer. Finally, the Old
Town and Rhine Tour begins by visiting some of old town's most historic sites and ends with a ride down
the Rhine River.
     Nicecitytours.con/tours.htm

1. The similarity of the three tours lies in that they all include_____.

A. bus tours
B. English service  
C. three routes
D. guide's service

2. If you take a great interest in beer, which tour might be suitable for you?

A. The Wall Tour  
B. The Brewery Pub Tour
C. The Old Town Tour            
D. The Munich City Sightseeing Tour

3. Where can you probably see this passage?

A. In a textbook.
B. On a website.
C. In an encyclopedia.
D. In a journal.

     The Chinese word" Shanzhai" means a small mountain village, but now it becomes an accepted name
for fakes(假货) after" Shanzhai cell phones " produced by small workshops in southern China, became
popular in the mainland market over the past few years. 
     Besides" Shanzhai" electronic products, there are "Shanzhai" movies,  "Shanzhai" stars and even a
"Shanzhai" Spring Festival Gala, a copy of the 25-year-old traditional show presented by CCTV on
Chinese Lunar New Year's Eve.
     "Shanzhai" has become a culture of its own, symbolizing anything that imitates something famous.
     The phenomenon has caused a public debate over whether it is healthy or sick being a copycat.
In southwestern China's Chongqing Municipality, a "Shanzhai"-version"Bird's Nest" woven by farmers
with bamboo attracts wide attention and the "Shanzhai"-version "Water Cube" is popular with tourists
too. Both are copies of the famous Olympics buildings in Beijing.
Xie Xizhang, a literature critic, said that taking the "Shanzhai" Gala as an example, when the traditional
CCTV program becomes less and less attractive to the audience, the "Shanzhai" version appears naturally
to attract people.
     "In spite of its poor techniques and operation, "Shanzhai" culture meets the psychological demands of
common people and could be a comfort to their minds," Xie said.
     Tian Huiqun, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said that "Shanzhai" culture never copies
classic things, only trendy products. In that sense, it's like a computer virus, multiplying without meaning.
     Though controversial, "Shanzhai" culture is becoming a widely accepted phenomenon.
     "To the mainstream culture, the rise of "Shanzhai" culture is a challenge as well as a motivation," said
Xie.
     Tian said different kinds of cultures developing together is an ideal situation and it is for the public to
choose.

1. The Chinese word "Shanzhai" may have its origin in          .

A. fake cell phones
B. electronic products
C. Spring Festival Gala
D. Olympics buildings

2. The underlined word" imitates" is closest in meaning to         .

A. steals
B. copies
C. advertises
D. cheats

3. According to the passage,"Shanzhai" culture refers to          .

A .the action that a person imitates famous people
B. anything that imitates something famous
C. those similar names to famous brands
D. products with poor techniques and quality

4. We can infer that the mainstream culture          .

A. will be held back by "Shanzhai" culture
B. will sooner or later be replaced by "Shanzhai" culture
C. may develop faster because of the challenging of "Shanzhai" culture
D. thinks nothing of the challenge of" Shanzhai" culture

5. The passage mainly tells us that ________.

A. "Shanzhai" culture will definitely fade out
B. "Shanzhai" culture-the mountain village culture
C. "Shanzhai" culture-the mainstream culture
D. "Shanzhai" culture takes on life of its own

(Linguistic(语言学的) Puzzles
     How did language begin? What was the world's first language? Do all languages come from one
original language?   1._____.
     In the 4th century BC, the Greek historian Herodotus wrote this account: Psamtik  I,an Egyptian
King, wanted to find out what the oldest language in the world was.  2.____.He told his servant to find
two newborn babies. When the servant had found them, the king gave them to a shepherd (牧羊人) and
said, "Keep these babies with the goats. Take care of them, but do not talk to them. Listen to any words
that they say." The king wanted to find out what language the children would speak if they were left alone. He said, "The first words they speak will come from the original language of the world."
     3._____  . He told the king who asked his scholars about this word. They told him that the Phiygians, who lived in an area which is now Turkey, called bread "becos".The king said, "Then Phiygian is the
oldest language." Today we know that the king's conclusion was wrong. We don't know why the children
said "becos".
      4._____. Scholars discovered that many European and southern Asian languages belonged to the
same "family" and that they started from the same parent language, ProtoIndoEuropean. Linguists think
that it had split into several different languages, including Greek and Sanskrit, between 2000 and 1000
BC. Other languages, such as English and Spanish, developed from later splits.
     5._____ . Two questions that interest linguists are: How does language change? Why does language
change? If you like solving mysteries, historical linguistics may be the job for you.

A. Nowadays, we study the origin of language more scientifically
B. He was talking about this problem with his scholars when he had an idea
C. The King was very kind to his servant and his servant remained royal to him
D. Linguists are the scholars who are very interested in categorizing the language families
E. People have been trying to find the answers to these questions for more than 2000 years
F. One day, while the babies were babbling to each other, the shepherd heard them say "becos"
G. Linguists have classified many language families, and they are still trying to categorize others

     At midnight on New Year's Eve, people in Rome, Italy, throw out all the things they no longer want.
The streets are filled with old chairs, beds, clothes and dishes. In Madrid, Spain, the new year comes in
more quietly. People flock to the main square. Each holds a bag of grapes. As the clock strikes twelve,
the people eat the grapes- one for each stroke.
     In Tokyo people eat noodles on New Year's Eve. This food is said to bring long life. Early the next
morning, some Japanese families climb Mount Fuji. There they watch the first sunrise of the new year.

1. This story is about New Year's Eve in ____.

A. Italy and Spain    
B. China and Japan
C. Japan              
D. Italy ,Spain and Japan

2. In Rome, Italy, the streets are filled with old things on New Year's Eve because _____ .

A. people throw out all the things they no longer want
B. the city has never been clean
C. people want to change back what they want
D. they want to see the sun come up

3. In Tokyo, people eat noodles on New Year's Eve _____.

A. because they like eating noodles very much
B. so that the daytime could be longer
C. in order that they could live longer
D. though they don't eat them

     Everyone loves Adventure land!The Parks and Exhibitions were built for you to explore, enjoy, and
admire their wonders. Every visit will be an unforgettable experience. You will go away enriched, longing
to come back. What are you going to do this time?
     The Travel Pavilion
     Explore places you have never been to before, and experience different ways of life.
     Visit the Amazon jungle village, the Turkish market, the Tai floating market, the Berber mountain
house and others. Talk to the people there who will tell you about their lives, and things they make. You
can try making a carpet, making nets, fishing...
     The Future Tower
     This exhibition shows how progress will touch our lives. It allows us to look into the future and explore
the cities of the next century and the way we'll be living then. Spend some time in our space station and
climb into our simulator (模拟装置) for the Journey to Mars!
     The Nature Park
     This is not really one park but several.
     In the Safari Park you can drive among African animals in one of our Range Cruisers: see lions,
giraffes, elephants in the wild. Move on to the Ocean Park to watch the dolphins and whales. And then
there is still the Aviary to see...
     The Pyramid
     This is the center of Adventure land. Run out of film, need some postcards and stamps? For all these
things and many more, visit our underground shopping center. Come here for information and ideas too.

1. The Travel Pavilion is built to help visitors ______.

A. realize the importance of travelling          
B. become familiar with mountain countries
C. learn how to make things such as fishing nets
D. learn something about different places in the world

2. If you want to get a toy lion to take home, where will you most likely go?

A. The Pyramid.          
B. The Nature Park.    
C. The Future Tower.    
D. The Travel Pvilion.

     How many historic churches, pubs or buildings are there in your city? Are there worth preserving? Or
are they just a waste of space? There are arguments for and against spending money on historic buildings.
     Dangerous staircases. Uneven floors. A lack of IT infrastructure. The problem with many old buildings
is that they're… old - and extremely expensive to modernize. Take the case of the Combination Room in Cambridge University. It was built in 1347 and was initially used for lectures. Later, it became the
Regent House - the university's parliament. It's of enormous historical value and cultural interest.
However, it doesn't meet accessibility standards for disabled people. As a result, a lift needs to be
installed, but not everyone is happy about this. "Noting will persuade me that this lift would not in its effect, be a substantial alteration to the most precious room in the university. It would destroy the symmetry of
that beautiful room," said one user.
     In general, modern buildings don't have this type of problem. They can be built according to the latest
environment standards, with draught proofing and insulation to help reduce carbon emission and save
energy. They can also be made wheelchair accessible, and they can be designed to ensure maximum
comfort and space. Anyone who's been to a modern cinema, theatre or concert hall recently may
understand the difference between the new buildings and older ones, which tend to have smaller seats, less space and poorer acoustics.
     Very often, there's money to be made by knocking down old building… especially if they're in city
centers. So, the biggest threat to many historic buildings comes from developers. One of Croydon's oldest pubs, The Rose and Crown, is a perfect example of this. A property development company has recently
been granted permission to convert the 18th century building into flats, much to the disappointment of
many local residents. "The bar is full of unique features and perfect examples of a traditional London pub.
It really would be truly tragic for this Grade II listed building to be turned into soulless flats," said a spokesperson for English heritage.
So, are these buildings really worth preserving? "Traditional buildings such as churches, town halls, schools and hospitals give England its character," the spokesman added. "This is about guaranteeing the future of the past. It's about making the past part of our future. This is why we exist."

1. ________ are not accessible to the Combination Room in Cambridge university without a lift.      

A. The old        
B. The disabled      
C. The young      
D. The deaf

2. One of the users is against installing a lift in the Combination Room for all the reasons
     except that ________. 

A. It is extremely expensive to modernize the old building.
B. The lift would do harm to the symmetrical beauty.
C. The lift would not come into use at all.
D. It's rich in historical value and cultural interest.

3. Which of the following advantages of the modern buildings is not mentioned in the passage?    

A. reduction of carbon emission and energy saving
B. installation of IT infrastructure
C. wheelchair accessibility 
D. maximum comfort and space

4. By saying "This is about guaranteeing the future of the past. It's about making the past part of
   our future. This is why we exist." in the last paragraph, the spokesman probably means ______.

A. Traditional buildings represent our culture so that we should protect them and learn from the
      past to enrich the future.
B. Traditional buildings stand for the past of the city so that we should be reminded of the past.
C. Traditional buildings are so precious that we should live in them to memorize the past.
D. Traditional buildings are so rare that we should make full use of them.

5. What would be the best title of the passage? 

A. How to modernize old buildings
B. Combination Room, the treasure of Cambridge University
C. The threat to the old buildings
D. Old buildings, to preserve or not

1. ______ Peter: I'd like to go to some larger museums, where I can get an over-all view of Macau's
history and culture.
2. ______ Catherine: My family runs a small wine mill in China, so I'd like to learn about wine production.
3. ______ Helen: I'm crazy about car races. I'd like to visit some museum related to car races.
4. ______ Elizabeth: The idea of Macau's returning to China has always excited me. I'd like to see the
location where the exciting moment took place.
5. ______ Levin: I'd like to take the chance to see a collection of traditional and modern art works.
A. Macau Museum  
The Macau Museum is a historical and cultural museum with a vast number of objects of great historical
value, which demonstrates the way of life and cultures of the various communities which have been
inhabited the city for ages. The Macau Museum was opened on 18th April 1998, consisting of two
underground levels and a third one above the fortress' top platform where the old Meteorological
Services is housed. The architectural character and special configuration of the architecture has been
retained and preserved.
B. Maritime Museum
If the history of Macau is really connected to the sea, there is no better place for the Maritime Museum,
than the Square of the Barra Pagoda, dedicated to the Taoist goddess "A-MA", the protector of
fishermen, and also believed to be the place where the Portuguese first landed. The precise spot is where
the Maritime Museum is located, the building is in the shape of a sailing ship anchored in the waters of the
Inner Harbour.
C. Wine Museum
This 1400 square-metre space is divided into a number of areas (Historical information/Wine
Cellar/Museum and Exhibitions), using maps, texts, photos, tiles and videos, among other things to relate
the history of wine. The aim of each section is not only to provide information regarding wine and
grapevines, but also to recreate the atmosphere of the production of wine, showing the visitor the modern
and traditional tools connected to wine production.
D. Grand Prix Museum
Opened 1993 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Macau Grand Prix, which features a number of
automobile and motorbike races and takes place every year in November. It started in 1954 due to the
enthusiasm of a group of Macau residents and the support of the authorities. Today it is an international
sports event that attracts thousands of tourists and racing enthusiasts to Macau, to watch the classic
"Guia Race" and the "Formula 3 Grand Prix". As it takes place on a street circuit, which inevitably leads
to a comparison with Monte Carlo, the Macau Grand Prix has been developing into a race that, due to
the exactness and the need for precision which it imposes on the drivers, has had the participation of
great names of the motor racing participating and which has also served as a launching platform for many
other names, the visitor will certainly recognize while visiting the Grand Prix Museum.
E. Macau Museum of Art
Under the management of the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau, the Macau Museum of Art is the only
art museum in Macau, and provides the largest space dedicated to visual arts. It is situated in the Cultural Centre of Macau in the Outer Harbour area, and was inaugurated on 19 March 1999, with a total area
of more than 10,000 square meters and expositive capacity of almost 4,000 square meters. The artistic
works and cultural artifacts include Chinese Calligraphy and Paintings, Seals, Ceramics, Copperwares,
Western paintings, Contemporary Arts, Photography artworks, and other significant collections.
F. Handover Gifts Museum of Macau
The Handover Gifts Museum of Macau is located next to the Macau Cultural Centre in Avenida Xian
Xing Hai (NAPE). The location of the Museum is also the area that was used for the Handover
Ceremony on 20th December 1999 in which Macau was returned to the Mainland. When the hall was
dismantled after the ceremony the area became part of the Macau Cultural Centre. The Handover Gifts
Museum of Macau was opened December 2004. The main aim of the Museum is to commemorate the
handover for its significance in Macau's modern history. The inauguration of the Museum on the 5th
anniversary of the handover is also indeed significant and momentous.

     How words came into being is unknown. All we assume (推测) is that some early men invented
certain sounds, in one way or another, to express thoughts and feelings, actions and things, so that they
could talk with each other. Later they agreed upon certain signs, called letters, which could be put
together to show those sounds and which could be written down.Those sounds, whether spoken or
written in letters, are called words.
    The power of words, then, lies in their associations-the things they bring up to our minds. Words
become filled with meaning for us by experience; and the longer we live, the more certain words bring
back to us the happy and sad events of our past; and the more we read and learn, the more the number
of words that mean something to us increases.
    Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words
which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings. This clever use of words is what we call literary
style (文体). Above all, the real poet is a master of words. He can express his meaning in words which
sing like music, and which by their position and association can move men to tears. We should therefore
learn to choose our words carefully and use them correctly, or they will make our speech silly and
common.

1.We learn from the text that language might have begun with ________.

A. expressions      
B. actions
C .signs  
D. sounds

2.What is mainly discussed in Paragraph 2?

A. The learning of new words.
B. The importance of old words.
C. The relation of human experience with words.
D. The gradual change and development of words.

3. In the last paragraph, what does the author suggest that we should do?

A. Use words skilfully.
B. Make musical speeches.
C. Learn poems by heart.
D. Associate with listeners.

     1_____. However, the real movie capital is Mumbai, in India. Mumbai used to be known as Bombay,
and so the film industry there is called "Bollywood". Bollywood makes twice as many movies each year
as Hollywood-more than 800 films a year. 
     2_____. For one thing. Bollywood movies are much longer than most Hollywood movies. Most
Bollywood movies are more than three hours long, and contain singing, dancing, action, adventure,
mystery, and romance. Because Bollywood films contain so many different features, this style of film
is sometimes called a "masala" film.("Masala" is an Indian word for a mixture of spices.) 
     3_____. It takes much longer to make a movie in Hollywood than in Bollywood. In fact, filming may
begin on a Bollywood movie before the script (剧本) is even finished. The director and writers can make
up the story while the film is being made. 4_____.
     Bollywood actors are very popular and some are in such high demand that they may work on several
movies at the same time. 5_____. Since most Bollywood movies follow the same kind of story, shooting
scenes for several films at the same time is not a big problem for actors or directors. This also helps keep
the cost of Bollywood movies lower than the cost of Hollywood movies. The average Bollywood film,
with a budget (预算) of only two million U. S. dollars, seems very cheap compared to the average budget
of sixty million U.S. dollars for a Hollywood film-thirty times as much!

A. Another big difference between Bollywood and Hollywood movies is the way the movies are made.
B. Bollywood produces more movies than Hollywood.
C. Most people think that the capital of the movie world is Hollywood, in the United States.
D. They may even shoot secens for several films on the same day using the same, clothes and scenery.
E. Only Indian people can understand Bollywood movies.
F. Sometimes they will even write the script by hand instead of taking time to type it.
G. The movies from Bollywood are very different from Hollywood movies.