Melbourne,Australia

Melbourne is a hot-spot travel destination,and it’s easy to see its beautiful beaches and busy city life.

Why it’s a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel,and because of that,many solo travelers go there As an English-speaking country,you won’t be faced with any language barriers. Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!

Thailand

Thailand is great for solo travelers—perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets,which promote equality among the sexes.

 Why it’s a great choice: Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere,and as a travel hot-spot,there are plenty of chances to meet other like-minded travelers.It is well known for being very cheap,especially in the north.It is a good choice if you want to get away on a budget.Thailand has a lot to offer,from the party-central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical（热带）jungle.
Hong Kong,China
     Hong Kong is a great place to relax for solo travelers as it is full of “Zen moments,” such as beautiful gardens and Tai Chi classes.　
     Why it’s a great choice: Hong Kong is regarded as one of the safest cities in the world.If you’re not well-traveled, or perhaps a bit tired of things like language barriers,Hong Kong is a great place to start,as it mixes both Eastern and Western at the same time.
Bali,Indonesia

Bali is a spiritual place with yoga,spas,healthy food and beaches.The combination of friendly people and splendidly visual culture has made Bali Indonesia number one tourist attraction.　
     Why it’s so great: You won’t be the only solo traveler in Bali.Everyone is known for being extremely friendly and you’re sure to meet some amazing characters along the way.As a Hindu island,Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat（静修）.The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is fantastic—if you like monkeys,anyway.

1.What do the four places have in common according to the text?
A.They offer good spas and yoga.                                    B.There’re no language barriers.
C.They’re great for solo travelers.                                    D.They’re cheap to travel around.
2.Where can you enjoy both convenient transport and beautiful beaches?
A.Melbourne,Australia.          B.Thailand.            C.Hong Kong,China.             D.Bali,Indonesia.
3.What has made Bali Indonesia No.1 tourist attraction?
A.Yoga,spas,healthy food and beaches.                             B.Meeting some amazing characters along the way.
C.Fantastic monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest.           D.Friendly people and splendidly visual culture.

Andy rode slowly on his way to school,day-dreaming about the fishing trip that his father had promised him.He was so busy dreaming about all the fish he would catch that he was unaware of everything else around him.

He rode along until a strange sound drew him to the present.He came to a stop and looked curiously up to the heavens.What he saw shocked and terrified him.A huge swarm of bees filled the sky like a black cloud and the buzzing mass seemed to be heading angrily towards him.

With no time to waste,Andy sped off in the opposite direction,riding furiously—but without knowing how to escape the swarm.With a rapidly beating heart and his legs pumping furiously,he sped down the rough road.As the bees came closer,his panic increased.Andy knew that he was sensitive to bee stings(蜇).The last sting had landed him in hospital—and that was only one bee sting! He had been forced to stay in bed for two whole days.Suddenly,his father’s words came to him.“When you are in a tight situation,don’t panic.Use your brain and think your way out of it.”

On a nearby hill,he could see smoke waving slowly skywards from the chimney of the Nelson family home. “Bees don’t like smoke,” he thought.“They couldn’t get into the house.” Andy raced towards the Nelson house, but the bees were gaining ground.Andy knew he could not reach the house in time.He estimated that the bees would catch up with him soon.

Suddenly,out of the corner of his eyes,he spotted a small dam used by Mr.Nelson to irrigate his vegetable garden.Off his bike and into the cool water he lived,disappearing below the surface and away from the savage insects.After holding his breath for as long as he could,Andy came up for air and noticed the bees had gone. Dragging himself out of the dam,he struggled up the hilly slope and rang the doorbell.Mrs.Nelson took him inside and rang his mother.

“You’ll really need that fishing break to help you recover,” laughed his mother with relief.“Thank goodness you didn’t panic!” But Andy did not hear her.He was dreaming once again of the fish he would catch tomorrow.

4.Why did Andy fail to notice the swarm of bees earlier?

A.He was riding to school.                                B.He was listening to a strange sound.

C.He was going fishing with his father.               D.He was lost in the thought of the fishing trip.

5.Which of the following is NOT mentioned about the swarm of bees in the passage?

A.They crowded like a black cloud.                    B.They shocked and terrified Andy.

C.They tried to attack Andy in a mass.               D.They made Andy stay in hospital for two days.

6.How did Andy avoid the bees in the end?

A.He rode off in the opposite direction.               B.He asked Mr.Nelson for help.

C.He hid himself under the water.                      D.He rushed into the Nelson house.

7.Which of the following can best describe Andy’s escape from the bees?

A.No pains,no gains.                                         B.In time of danger,one’s mind works fast.

C.Once bitten,twice shy.                                          D.Where there is a will,there is a way.

Lisa Pina never thought she would need the fire safety training she received during her apprenticeship(学徒期) as a union painter and dry waller(筑墙工).On Friday morning,she was thanking God she had it.

On Thursday night,while Pina was babysitting her granddaughter,nephew and two nieces in her sister’s apartment,she smelled smoke and realized the apartment building was on fire.When her 4-­year-­old granddaughter Ilean Garcia began saying,“We’re going to die,”she knew she had to act.Pina,39,first sealed the door,and then told all four children to get on the floor.After calling 911,she told the children to start singing and promised them all treats as soon as they reached safety.“I said,‘OK,we’re going to lie down and we’re all going to play a game,’” Pina said.“We all started singing our ABCs and 123s.I was just trying to make it fun.” Pina patiently waited,and a few minutes later,Riverside County sheriff’s deputies (治安官的助手) arrived.Pina,Ilean,8-­year-­old Gabriel Parga, 5-­year-­old Aubreyana Parga and 4-­year-­old Meriyah Parga were all trapped on the second floor as flames filled the first story.Pina did the only thing she could.She opened the window and dropped the children,one-­by-­one,into the arms of the sheriff’s deputies about 15 to 20 feet below.“I just needed to keep the kids calm so they wouldn’t be afraid,”Pina said.“I was deathly afraid inside，but I couldn’t let them know that.”Not long after dropping the children out of the window,fire-fighters arrived with a ladder and rescued her.Ten people were treated at the scene for suffering smoke,but nobody was seriously injured.

8.What is the passage mainly about?

A.A big fire without serious injury.                            B.An urgent call 911.

C.A brave babysitter.                                               D.A babysitter rescuing kids from a big fire.

9.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 1 mean?

A.A union painter.         B.A dry waller.              C.The apprenticeship.           D.The fire safety training.

10.What did Lisa Pina do before she called 911，in order to prevent the fire?

A.She let children get on the floor.                                   B.She opened the windows of the second floor.

C.She had children start singing.                               D.She closed the door hard.

11.What do we know according to the passage?

A.The fire didn’t cause any injury.                                   B.Lisa Pina was the last one to be rescued.

C.The children were sent to hospital after the fire.             D.During the fire Lisa Pina wasn’t afraid at all.

Food picked up just a few seconds after being dropped is less likely to contain bacteria than if it is left for longer periods of time,according to the findings of research carried out at Aston University’s School of Life and Health Sciences.The findings suggest there may be some scientific basis of the "5-second rule" — the belief about it being fine to eat food that has only had contact with the floor for five seconds or less.Although people have long followed the ‘5-second rule’,until now it was unclear whether it actually helped.

The study,undertaken by final year Biology students and led by Anthony Hilton,Professor of Microbiology at Aston University,monitored the transfer of the common bacteria from a variety of indoor floor types as carpet, cement floor to toast,pasta,biscuit and a sticky sweet when contact was made from 3 to 30 seconds.The results showed that: time is a significant factor in the transfer of bacteria from a floor surface to a piece of food,and the type of flooring the food has been dropped on has an effect,with bacteria least likely to transfer from carpeted surfaces and most likely to transfer from cement flooring surfaces to moist foods making contact for more than 5 seconds. Professor Hilton said,"Consuming food dropped on the floor still carries an infection risk as it very much depends on which bacteria are present on the floor at the time."

The Aston team also carried out a survey of the number of people who employ the ‘five-second rule’.The survey showed that: 87% of the people surveyed said they would eat food dropped on the floor,or already have done so.55% of those that would,or have eaten food dropped on the floor are women.81% of the women who would eat food from the floor would follow the ‘5-second rule’.Professor Hilton added,"Our study showed that a surprisingly large majority of people are happy to consume dropped food,with women the most likely to do so.But they are also more likely to follow the ‘5-second rule,which our research has shown to be much than an old wives’ tale."

12.According to the passage,which of the following is true?

A.A toast dropped on the carpet is easier to be polluted than that dropped on the cement floor.

B.A sticky chocolate dropped on the carpet is easier to be polluted than that dropped on the cement floor.

C.The food dropped on the carpet shares the same potential of being polluted with the food dropped on the cement floor.

D.The food dropped on the cement floor is not as safe as food dropped on the carpet within 30 seconds.

13.What is the passage probably developed?

A.Contrast             B.Example             C.Time                  D.Space

14.How did Professor Hilton feel after analyzing how many people chose to eat dropped food?

A.Puzzled              B.Upset                 C.Satisfied             D.Astonished

15.What is the main idea of this passage?

A.The food which is dropped on the floor can be eaten safely.

B.A research on the safety of food dropped on the floor is undertaken.

C.The bacteria have no negative effect on the safety of food.

D.People surveyed in the research are willing to accept the idea.

Ways to save time

We all wish we had just a bit more time.Just think what you could do with an extra hour or two each day: you could finally stick to an exercise routine,or spring-clean the house,or write your novel,or learn the guitar and so on.
         16   But I can help you find more hours in your day for the things that really matter.
       ★Get Out of Bed Earlier.
       If you normally get up at 7; 30 a.m.try getting up at 7:00 a.m.That half-hour might not sound like much,but it could be time that you use to exercise,to read that book you've been meaning to finish.   17  
       ★Do the Important Tasks First.
       Once you get to work,get the important ones done first（not the easy ones,or even the urgent ones）.  18  If you work like this,you’ll usually save time.The urgent tasks will still get done,and you won't miss the important ones. 
       ★Reduce Interruptions.
       If colleagues have a habit of hanging around your desk to chat,or if the phone is constantly ringing,you might find that it takes you half the day to finish a simple task like writing a letter.  19  

★   20 

A few minutes chatting,browsing the web,and so on,can easily turn into hours of wasted time over the course of a day.If you concentration is slipping,take a proper break: go and get a glass of water,or stretch your legs a bit.And if you’re facing a difficult task,try breaking it into small steps or stages so that it’s easier to deal with.

A.Stay Focused on Your Work.

B.Take Breaks When Necessary.

C.Would you want me to make your day longer?

D.I can’t magically make all your days 25 hours long.

E.Or simply to get your day off to a calm and organized start.

F.Constant interruptions don’t just eat up time,they also break your concentration.

G.You can afford to spend at least an hour working on big,important tasks rather than on all those little urgent ones.