For the Travel section, writers and editors selected special items to profile from a dozen cities.

   Brussels: Chocolate.

   Nearly half the chocolate consumed in the world is eaten in Europe, and Belgium---with average consumption of 14.99 pounds per person a year---certainly covers its fair share. While Brussels, the country’s capital, is home to hundreds of chocolate makers, what makes a visit necessary is the rich heritage of traditional chocolate makers.

   Budapest: Paprika(红辣椒)

   The job of preparing Hungarian paprika was once considered too dangerous for mothers to do. A woman who touched her children upon returning from work risked burning them, so only the elderly and unmarried were allowed the delicate task of separating the skin from the flesh. But by the early 20^th century, sweeter varieties and a machine turned paprika into a common feature of all Hungarian cuisine.

  Lisbon: Tiles(瓷砖)

  Is there a bluer country than Portugal? The blue sky and Atlantic Ocean embrace the land. The blue moods of Fado, the dark folk music, form the national soundtrack. And all across Portugal, the typically--- blue designs of azulejos----ceramic tiles---are spread across churches, castles, palaces, university halls, parks. The result is a beautiful land of Christian saints, Portuguese kings, historical glories, aristocrats(贵族) at leisure, seascapes and so on.

   Madrid: Guitars

   Walking into one the Madrid’s storied guitar makers’ workshops can feel like stepping into the past. Curly wood shavings, from the palest pine to ebony, fall onto the floor as artisans(工匠)turn some humble wood into works of art. It’s painstaking work---all done by hand---with classical guitar models and the methods of making them changing little over the last century.

21. What does the job of preparing Hungarian paprika suggest?

   A. The popularity of Hungarian peppers            B. The difficult of processing peppers

   C. The unique tradition in Budapest                D. The hot level of Hungarian peppers

22. Which city can be a splendid setting for a film?

   A. Brussels              B. Budapest           C. Lisbon          D. Madrid

23. What’s the similarity of the four items?

   A. They’re all treasures of a city                  B. They all date back several centuries111]

   C. Their production processes are all painstaking     D. They all win popularity in most European countries

The best family vacation that ever had was going on a road trip to Myrtle Beach. The trip was for 2 weeks during the March break from school. This trip was probably about 20 years ago so it was before the time of things like portable video games and being able to watch movies in the back seat.

So to pass the many hours of travel my brother and I had to entertain ourselves and each other. My mum would set the back set up so that it was out own little playroom. She would pack everything up in the feet well so that we had a big level area to play in. We would play cards and board games.

When it got to the point that we were at each other’s throats we would be sent back to out own side of the seat and would be forced to either nap or read by ourselves until we could be friendly to each other again. I can remember us playing for quite some time when we turned the back seat into a spaceship and travelled around the earth. 

Another time we turned it into a kitchen and had a bake-off（食品烘烤赛）. But the thing that I remember the most and that gave us many hours of enjoyment was using each other’s faces as silly Plasticine(普萊斯蒂辛橡皮泥) and making funny faces. We would see how far we could stretch each other’s mouth open, see how thin we could make the other’s eye by pulling on it. We would keep going until one of us begged for mercy because we had to give our faces a rest. 

    So while I can remember us having a great time on the beach, laughing a lot trying to put the tent up in the rain, what I remember the most of that trip and what always makes me smile the most is remembering the pain that our faces would be in after the trip.

24. What did the author do when traveling to Myrtle Beach?

   A. Watch movies             B. Play video games

   C. Have fun with his brother    D. Pack things up to amuse himself

25. What does the author mean by saying “we were at each other’s throats”?

   A. We were fighting with each other    B. We used up our skills

   C. We were quite out of breath                 D. We were about to fall asleep

26. What impressed the author most during the trip?

   A. Playing cards and board games                B. Pulling each other’s faces and eyes

   C. Having a cooking competition                 D. Playing with silly Plasticine

27. Which of the following titles would best suit the passage ?

   A. An Unforgettable Family Travel                 B. What Is the Most Meaningful Journey

   C. The Good Old Day Never to Be Forgotten         D. How to Kill Time while Traveling in the Past

Mayor Bill de Blasio designated(指定) the Lunar New Year an official public school holiday in New York City in June, 2015.

The move came after de Blasio in March, 2015 declared school holidays on the most-observed holiday in Islam, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. De Blasio, making good on a promise made during his 2013 mayoral f on , said students would also have a day off on the Lunar New Year, and not long ago the Asian holiday took place on February 8, 2016.

"About 15% of the city’s school system is of Asian descent(血统), and many student, have been taking the day off as a sick day” said State Senator Daniel Squadron. “It’s a big deal,” he said, whose district includes Manhattan’s Chinatown. “Families have had to choose between their most important cultural celebration and missing a day of school.”

The city’s Department of Education had been working on the practical arrangements for adding another holiday while maintaining the legal 180 school days. The problem was solved by combining two half days that previously did not count towards the total to form a single full day that can be counted towards the total. After San Francisco, New York is the second major urban school district to add the Lunar New Year to the official school calendar.111.Com]

“This holiday is not about kids just getting a day off from school,” said Assemblyman Ron Kim. “It’s about the City of New York telling hundreds of Asian-American societies that America is a cultural melting pot.” Kim said recognizing the holiday is one way of pushing back against feelings of isolation and marginalization(边缘化) felt by the Asian-American community.

28. What does the underlined party in Paragraph 2 mean?

   A. Make use of      B. Stand by        C. Keep up with     D. Go against

29. How does New York make the Lunar New Year an official public school holiday?

   A. By cancelling a legal 1-day holiday            B. By copying the way of San Francisco

   C. By adding a new full day to the school calendar  D. By changing the legal 180 school days

30. What do we know from Ron Kim’s words?

   A. He’s opposed to the new school holiday

   B. Asian culture is valued most in New York

   C. Asian culture is part of the American society

   D. The holiday wipes out Asian Americans’ isolation

31. What’s the best title for this passage?

   A. A new public school holiday in New York

   B. A promise made by the mayor of New York

   C. Cultural differences between America and Asia

   D. A revolution of the Lunar New Year in New York

Earlier this week, I wrapped up (圆满完成) a 5-day trip in San Francisco. I woke up a few hours before sunrise, drove through the darkness and out of the city, hiked for 30 minutes to the top of a hill overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, and snapped(拍摄) this photo. As I stood there soaking in the early morning light, I was reminded of an important lesson.

   When I arrived in San Francisco, I told myself, “Just take photos as you do other things.” My primary goal was to meet with friends and so I figured I could take pictures as we walked around the city. This resulted in exactly zero photos worth sharing. I had vague ideas like, “I’d like to do some street photography,” but I never went out with the intent of photographing something specific. Finally, on the last morning, I went out with the intent of capturing a specific picture and I ended up with something worth sharing. My mistake was that I assumed that because I wanted to take photos, I would end up getting a desirable result.111.Com]

   How often do you this in your own life? We go to the gym to “work out” without trying to become better at something specific. We wish that we were more creative, but never work on a particular project. When you commit to a task, however, then the next step is obvious. You want to take a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise? Next step: find a good spot. You’ve found a good spot? Next step : wake up early and drive there.

This is perhaps the most shocking thing: if box yourself in, then you’ll begin to break out and achieve something greater than you ever imagined.

32. What’s the author’s original purpose of the trip?

   A. To take pictures       B. To attend lessons   C. To visit friends   D. To enjoy sunrise

33.What lesson did the author learn?

   A. A given task leads to achievement      B. Stick to your own decision111]

   C. Get ready for challenges              D. Hard work pays off

34. What are you advised to do first when you want to get stronger physically?

   A. Make a detailed outline                B. Go to work out immediately

   C. Discuss the ways with coaches           D. Choose a certain muscle group

35. What’s the function of the last paragraph?

   A. To introduce a new topic                 B. To draw a conclusion

   C. To make a suggestion                    D. To ask readers to reflect on something

   Kids with special needs refer to any kid who might need extra help because of a medical, emotional(情感的), or learning problem. For example, kids who can not walk need wheelchairs. They not only need equipment that helps them get around, but they might need to have ramps(坡道) or elevators available.  36  

   Kids with an illness would have special needs, too.        37        . Kids with sight problems might need Braille books to read. Kids with hearing problems might need hearing aids.

       38         . It might be harder to do normal things—like learning to read or just getting around the school. The good news is that parents, doctors, nurses, teachers, and others can help. The goal is to help kids be as independent as possible.

  Other kids also can be a big help. How? By being a friend. Kids who use a wheelchair or have lots of health problems want friends just as you do. But meeting people and making friends can be difficult.      39           . Be sure to tell a teacher if you see someone being bullied (欺辱）or teased.

  Also, try to be helpful if you know someone with special needs.   40   As you get to know them, they may help you understand what it's like to be in their shoes. And you'll be helping fill a very special need, one that everybody has—the need for good friends.

A. Some kids might laugh at or make fun of them. 

B. They also might need to get a special bus to school.

C. Life can be challenging for a kid with special needs.

D. It is good manners to offer help to kids with special needs.

E. Being friendly to kids with special needs is one of the best ways to be helpful.

F. They might need medicine or other help as they go about their daily activities.

G. Someone could have trouble with anxiety, but you wouldn't know it unless told about it.