Whether you’re making a one-off trip to London or you’re a regular visitor, using an Oyster travel smartcard is the easiest way to travel around the city’s public transport network.

Advantages of a Visitor Oyster Card

    A Visitor Oyster Card is one of the best ways to pay for single journeys on the bus, tube, DLR, tram, London Over-ground and most National Rail services in London:

● Save time -- your card is ready to use as soon as you arrive in London.

    ● It’s more than 50% cheaper than buying a paper travel card or single tickets with cash.

● There is a daily price cap -- once you have reached this limit, you won’t pay any more.

●Enjoy special offers and promotions at leading London restaurants, shops and entertainment venues -- plus discounts on the Emirates Air Line cable car and Thames Clippers river buses.

 Buy a Visitor Oyster Card

    Buy a Visitor Oyster card before you visit London and get it delivered to your home address. A card costs ￡3 (non-refundable) plus postage. Order online and arrive with your Oyster in hand! You can also buy a Visitor Oyster card from Gatwick Express ticket offices at Gatwick Airport Station and on board Eurostar trains travelling to London.

Top Up（充值）Your Visitor Oyster Card

    You can choose how much credit to add to your card. If you are visiting London for two days, you can start with￡20 credit. If you run out of credit, add credit at the following locations:

● Touch screen ticket machines in tube, DLR, London Over-ground and some National Rail stations.

    ● Around 4,000 Oyster Ticket Stops found in newsagents and small shops across London.

● TFL Visitor and Travel Information Centers.

● Tube and London Over-ground station ticket offices.

● Emirates Air Line terminals.

21. What benefit will you get from a Visitor Oyster Card when travelling in London?

A. It increases your working efficiency.

B. It allows you to have meals free of charge.

C. It saves you money on transportation.

D. It provides a 50% discount at a London shop.

22. How many ways are mentioned to buy a Visitor Oyster Card in the passage?

A. 2.                    B. 3.                    C. 4.                  D. 5.  

23. Where can you top up your Visitor Oyster card?

A. At Gatwick Express ticket offices.             B. At a tube station ticket office.

C. On the Internet.                           D. On Eurostar trains.

Years ago I moved to Woodland Hills to take a job in a small hospital’s emergency department. No one wanted to work on Christmas Eve, so the shift（轮班）went to me. I kissed my family goodbye and went off to spend the night in the hospital. It was a thankless job.

At 9 pm, the ambulance brought in a man in his 60s who was having a heart attack. His face was pale, and he was frightened. The whole night I did my best to save his life. Before I left in the morning to spend Christmas with my family, I stopped by to see how he was doing. It was still tough, but he had survived the night and was sleeping.

The following year I got Christmas Eve duty again. At 9 pm sharp, the ward clerk told me there was a couple who wanted to speak with me. When I approached them, the man introduced himself as Mr. Lee and said, “You probably don’t remember me, but last Christmas Eve you saved my life. Thank you for the year you gave me.” He and his wife hugged me, handed me a small gift, and left.

The following year a new doctor had joined the group, but I wanted to see if Mr. and Mrs. Lee would return. This time, I volunteered for the shift. I kept an eye on the door. Once again, at exactly 9 pm, the Lees appeared, carrying a warmly wrapped bundle. It was their new grandchild. Mr. Lee, his family and I spent 13 Christmas Eves together.

The last year I saw him, he brought me a gift. I carefully opened the package and found a crystal bell inside. It was carved with a single word: Friendship. Now, my family, friends and I ring that bell every Christmas Eve at exactly 9 pm and offer our best wishes to the man who we won’t forget.

24. The author had to work the night shift on Christmas Eve probably because ______.

   A. she was a new arrival                

   B. she was more experienced

   C. her colleagues had no passion for working

   D. her colleagues wanted to give her a surprise

25. When the author left the hospital the next morning, ______.

A. Mr. Lee’s heart sank                B. Mr. Lee insisted on leaving hospital

C. Mr. Lee got very angry with her       D. Mr. Lee was out of immediate danger

26. What does the author ring the bell every Christmas Eve for?

A. To honor an old friend of hers.      

B. To offer best wishes to her family and friends.

   C. To show off her special gift.        

D. To fill her family and friends with hopes.

27. What could be the best title for the passage?

 A. A Kind Couple                         B. A Severe Heart Attack

   C. A thankless task                      D. A Special Appointment

World Book Day is a celebration of all things wonderful about books for all ages, with author events, school fancy-dress parades（游行）and a ￡1 book token（购书券）given to all school children under 18. It is a yearly event on 23rd April, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO ), to promote reading.

In the United Kingdom, the day is recognized on the first Thursday in March. On 3rd March 2016 children of all ages in the UK will come together to appreciate reading. Sometimes, reading a modern novel can be tough ( Booker Prize winner The Luminaries runs to 832 pages! ), especially if reading is not your strong suit. In fact, one in six people in the UK never pick up a book because they’ve experienced difficulties or are out of the habit of reading for pleasure.

The Galaxy Quick Reads series are designed to introduce reluctant readers to bestselling short funny novels, which bring the joy of reading without demanding hours of concentrated time. They cover a range of subjects, from romance to comedy.
    Jojo Moyes’s Paris For One is a romantic adventure in which 26-year-old Nell books a weekend away to Paris with her lazy, neglectful boyfriend. When he fails to turn up, she is alone in the city. That is, until she meets Fabien, who shows her the charms of the French capital -- in more ways than one.
    Adele Geras’s moving story Out In The Dark was set in World War I, in which young Rob came back from the battlefields. Determined to find the officer’s widow to return the photo of her and their daughter that the captain kept with him, he traveled several thousand miles but never gave up.

Dead Man Talking is a fantastic tale of Pat, who had a terrible fight with his best friend, Joe, ten years ago -- but now hears that Joe is dead, and he must attend his funeral. But Joe is not going quietly that very night -- he’s lying in his coffin being very chatty indeed.
28. What is the main aim of the World Book Day?
   A. To promote book selling.                  B. To win authors fame.

C. To encourage reading.                     D. To perfect education.
29. If you lack confidence in your reading skills, you will probably avoid reading _____.
   A. Dead Man Talking                      B. Paris For One
   C. The Luminaries                            D. Out In The Dark

30. What else do you expect the author to introduce?

A. A romance.                                B. A moving story.

C. A horror story.                           D. A comedy.

31. According to the passage, which of the following statements is TURE?

A. The Luminaries tells a story of a Booker Prize winner.

B. Paris For One tells a story of Nell and Fabien.

C. Out In The Dark is a story during World WarⅡ.

D Dead Man Talking is a story of Pat and his talkative friend.

The United States Capitol Dome in Washington, DC, is recognized around the world as a symbol of the U.S. government. Since last November, the dome has been surrounded by metal poles, or scaffolding（脚手架）, and heavy cloth as part of a repair project.

The last major repair work on the U.S. Capitol took place in 1960. Since then, the dome has become weathered and worn. The Architect of the Capitol group reports the dome has more than 1,000 narrow breaks on its surface and other damage.

The dome was completed around 1863. U.S. Senate Historian Don Ritchie says the dome’s cast iron frame is at special risk of weathering. “The capitol dome, being cast iron, has been hit by lightning countless times. And so the current construction is to repair the leaks, to fill the cracks, to take off excess（多余的）layers of paint.”

Workers are removing old paint. They covered a large part of the building in plastic and a special cloth to protect workers from the wind and other elements. Much of the work is done at night, when lawmakers are not in the building.

Some recent visitors to the Capitol were unhappy about its current appearance. They had hoped to get a picture of the usually shining dome. Joyce said, “It was dramatic, and very fantastic, and all white, but when I come here today, it is under construction so my family cannot see it clearly, it is kind of a disappointment.”

Others were more understanding of the repairs. Rick Jones, another visitor, said, “It’s a little inconvenient for us not to see the dome but you have to think about the future and the people will be coming to this place for centuries ... and you know, there just needs to be preventive maintenance. I am not upset with that at all.”

The project is expected to take more than two years to complete. The dome should be ready for the inauguration of a new president in January 2017.

32. We can learn from the passage that the United States Capitol Dome is ______.

A. worn by exposure to the weather

B. surrounded by many repair projects

C. well maintained and in excellent condition

D. acknowledged as a symbol of the U.K. government  

33. According to Don Ritchie, the present repair work involves ______.

a. stopping the leaks   

b. changing the frame

c. removing the old paint

d. replacing the lights

e. filling the narrow breaks

A. abc               B. bcd             C.bde               D. ace

34. Which of the following can describe the recent visitors to the Capitol?

A. They could get a clear look at the dome.

B. They were impressed by the white dome’s fantastic beauty.

C. They held different views on the Capitol’s current appearance.

D. They were all disappointed at the sight of the Capitol building.

35. The underlined word “inauguration” in the last paragraph most probably means ______.

A. tour                              B. taking office

C. interview                         D. taking photos

Ideas to Make Your School a Green Campus

Universities are doing every thing they can to become a green campus. But there are also items students can do to make your campus more eco-friendly.

Recycle everything, especially paper!

There is a large amount of paper a college student goes through per semester.   36   We know that these things can’t be avoided, but the way you handle the use of all the paper can really help create a better green campus.

Buy green.

  37   Paper, cleaning products and water are products that can be purchased as recycled goods. They’re slightly more expensive than the normal products, but it’s worth it to make a green campus.  

Walk and bike to school. 

Most campuses, especially those that are trying to become a more eco-friendly campus, have pretty good public transit.   38   Walking or biking will help make your campus a green university. 

   39  .

    A water bottle can be refilled at any water fountain and can easily be drank in class or while riding a bike. This will save the environment by decreasing the amount of plastic waste on your campus.

Buy used clothing.

It is usually thought of as something to do to save money.   40   Recycling clothes minimizes the use of resources to make clothing and puts a dent in the problem of worldwide sweatshops.

A. Carry a water bottle.

B. It is also good for the environment!

C. Buy recycled goods as much as possible.

D. Paper made of this kind wood is much stronger.

E. On top of that, almost all universities are pedestrian friendly.

F. It includes class notes, term papers, student newspapers and so on.

G. Universities call on all the students to learn to recycle all the waste paper.