Amsterdam is one of the most popular travel destinations in the world, famous for its beautiful canals, top art museum and cycling culture. It is the capital and most populous (人口稠密) city in the Netherlands and often referred to as the “Venice of the North” due to its convenient system of bridges and canals. Here are some of the key points to remember as you plan your trip to Amsterdam.

Must-See Attractions

Most visitors begin their Amsterdam adventure in the Old Centre, which is full of traditional architecture, shopping centers and coffee shops. Don’t miss the Dam Square and the areas around Spui and Nieuwmarkt. You’ll also want to check out Amsterdam’s Museum Quarter in the South District, which is great for shopping at the Albert Cuyp Market and having a picnic in the Vondelpark.

Transportation

Travelers should be aware that Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is one of the busiest a airports in the world. You can catch a train from Schiphol to Amsterdam Central Station, which has many connecting routes. Cycling is very popular here, and it’s easy to find cheap bike rentals around town.

Recommended Restaurants

Amsterdam is a top destination for foodies, so it is difficult to narrow down your dining choices. Here are a couple of our favorites.

Money Saving Tips

• Unless you really want to see the tulips (郁金香) blooming, avoid booking between mid-March and mid-May. This is when hotel and flight prices rise sharply.

• Look for accommodations in Amsterdam’s South District, where rates are generally cheaper than in the city center.

• Buy train tickets at the machine instead of the counter to save a bit of money.

• Check out our homepage to view price comparisons for flights, hotels, and rental cars before you book.

21. Amsterdam earns the name “Venice of the North” because of its       .

A. modem traffic systems                                             B. popular places of interest

C. large numbers of bridges and canals                             D. big population and warm climate

22. Where can you enjoy dishes of French cooking?

A. The Albert Cuyp Market.       B. Ciel Bleu.                       C. Foodism.                       D. Vondelpark.

23. To save money on accommodation in Amsterdam, you’d better       .

A. book a hotel in April                                                        B. make advance booking at the machine

C. check into a hotel at the city center                                D. compare the prices on the website

24. Where can we probably read the passage?

A. A travel webpage.                                                    B. A business report.

C. A research paper.                                                    D. A geography textbook.

Hachiko is a national hero to the Japanese. Several movies have been made about him and his moving story.

The amazing story of Hachiko took place in the 1920s. After being adopted in 1923 by Eizaburo Ueno, a professor at Tokyo University, Hachiko soon became the best friend with his new owner. Eizaburo loved his dog above all and treated him as his son. The two of them were inseparable (亲密无间的).

As Hachiko grew older, he started to see his owner off to work in the morning at the Shibuya Train Station and went to pick him up in the afternoon. On May 21, 1925, the two-year-old Hachiko was sitting by the exit at the train station waiting for Eizaburo as usual. Sadly, his owner never showed up.

It turned out that Eizaburo had suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage (脑出血) and died unexpectedly while at work.

Hachiko moved in with a former gardener of the Ueno family. However, throughout the rest of his life, he kept going to the Shibuya Train Station every day, regardless of the weather, waiting fruitlessly for the return of his beloved owner.

A major Japanese newspaper picked up the story in 1932. Soon, Hachiko became well known all over the country. In 1934, a statue of Hachiko was put up in front of the Shibuya train station. One year later, on March 8，1935, Hachiko passed away peacefully on the street outside the train station.

Hachiko is now on display at the National Science Museum in Tokyo. In front of the Shibuya train station, where the faithful dog waited patiently to meet his master every day for ten years, Hachiko’s statue has been a popular attraction. Every day, hundreds of people come to learn about the dog’s moving story and have their photographs taken with him.

25. What made Hachiko a Japanese national hero?

A. Movies about his story.                                            B. A major Japanese newspaper.

C. A gardener of the Ueno family.                                       D. His devotion to his owner.

26. What can we learn from the passage?

A. Hachiko’s body is kept in a museum in Tokyo.

B. Hachiko stayed at the train station for ten years.

C. Hachiko lost his owner the year he was adopted.

D. The statue was set up one year after Hachiko died.

27. What’s the purpose of the passage?

A. To attract more foreign tourists to Japan.

B. To advise people to see movies about Hachiko.

C. To tell the story behind a famous attraction in Japan.

D. To show that dogs have a close relationship with humans.

With schools far away and little money to pay for transport costs, children in many developing countries like India and Kenya walk long distances to school. The situation is even worse for girls, who often experience violence on their way to school. So girls are often kept at home helping with the housework.

However, World Bicycle Relief is helping to change that. It is seeking to change girls’ lives through the power of the bicycle.

Bihar, is the poorest state in India. Until 2007, too many teenage girls in Bihar were dropping out of school. But, that same year, World Bicycle Relief began offering bicycles to girls to help them get to school. And the results are measurable. A 2016 study found that providing bicycles to teenage girls in India increased school attendance by 28% and increased academic (学术的) performance by 59%. Loise Luseno is a 16-year-old girl. Members of her family work as farmers. They earn just about $ 30 a month—not nearly enough for food, school costs and transport. In the past, she had to get up at 4 a.m. and walk about 15 kilometers to reach school. Last year, she dropped out of school because of the distance. But, a few months ago, Luseno went back to school—this time on a bicycle.

The positive influence has led to further projects across Africa, South America and South-East Asia, resulting in a running total of over 320,000 bicycles in the past ten years.

“Bicycles reduce the safety risks for girls because the girls get to school quicker. It also helps parents not to lose work time taking their girls to school.” Christina Kwauk, an expert on girls’ education, explains. She calls the bicycle programs a low-cost and very promising solution, saying that many organizations in wealthier countries would be happy to provide this kind of resource.

28. All the following stop girls in developing countries going to school except       .

A. transport costs                                                               B. long distances to schools

C. safety risks                                                                     D. girls’ poor academic performances

29. What is the aim of World Bicycle Relief?

A. To help poor countries to raise education levels.

B. To expand bicycle markets in developing countries.

C. To allow girls in developing countries to have access to school.

D. To encourage wealthier countries to donate more bicycles.

30. What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us?

A. World Bicycle Relief has made a great difference in India.

B. The educational conditions of Bihar have been improved.

C. Indian families are thankful to World Bicycle Relief.

D. Loise Luseno is lucky to return to school.

31. What is Christina Kwauk’s attitude toward World Bicycle Relief?

A. Unconcerned.                B. Optimistic.                      C. Unfavorable.                  D. Curious.

Correctly understanding the signals that people give away with their body language is a useful skill to understand what they are really thinking, regardless of what they are saying. But research has proven that some body language is often misunderstood.

The Eyes of a Liar

Most people say that someone cannot look another person in the eyes and lie, but that is not true. It has been found that some liars have no problem staring someone in the eyes and lying.

And what about people who avoid eye contact (接触)? Are they dishonest? In fact, nervousness and shyness can make people drop their eyes, even when they’re telling the truth.

Eye Contact is Good

Many believe that more eye contact is better. However, directing a fixed stare at another usually makes the other person uncomfortable. Eye contact that lasts a few seconds is best for showing attention and sincerity. Any eye contact longer than that may be regarded by the other person as rude or aggressive.

Hands Behind the Back

Some people mistake a person putting their hands behind their back when standing as a sign of power. This type of body language is actually not a sign of strength but that of someone who is not trustworthy. People like to see a person’s hands in order to know what they are doing with them. To gain others’ trust, a person should keep their hands front.

Fast-Talkers Can’t Be Trusted

Many people have been faced with, a fast-talking salesman who has tried to fool them into buying something. But fast-talk doesn’t necessarily mean someone is trying to bamboozle you. On the contrary, slower speakers who take too many pauses may be trying to make up details as they go along.

Remember to take all things into consideration—cultures, societies, personal habits—and use as much information as possible when judging another person based on his or her body language.

32. Which of the following is true about eye contact?

A. People who avoid eye contact are dishonest.

B. Proper eye contact shows attention and sincerity.

C. A long stare at others is considered good manners.

D. Looking into someone’s eyes can make them tell the truth.

33. When communicating with others, we should keep our hands front to       .

A. show our belief in them                                            B. defend ourselves from harm

C. show that we can be relied on                                        D. prove that we are powerful

34. The underlined word “bamboozle” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “      ”.

A. impress                          B. attack                                   C. approach                       D. cheat

35. What can be the best title of the passage?

A. Ways to Use the Right Body Language

B. Misbeliefs about Some Body Language

C. How to Judge a Person by Body Language

D. Body Language Gives Away Your Real Thoughts

Good friendships improve all aspects of our life, reducing stress, providing comfort and joy, strengthening our health, and preventing loneliness. Friendship is a two-way street. Being a good friend to others brings them all of the above benefits.   36   However, your old friendships may simply change over time as interests and situations in your life change. So friendships take time to form and take even more time and effort to deepen. Here are steps that can help, you be a good friend and keep your friendships growing.

1. Be the friend that you would like to have.   37   Be reliable, thoughtful, trustworthy, and willing to share yourself and your time.

2. Invest (投入) in the friendship.   38   Find things you enjoy doing with your friend and devote the time to doing them, even when you’re busy or stressed.

3.   39   Don’t be too dependent or needy. Don’t set too many expectations. Be sure not to abuse your friend’s generosity. Everyone is unique (唯一的). Everyone needs to be alone or spend time with other people as well.

4. Be forgiving (宽恕的).   40   You should learn to forgive others. So when your friend does something wrong, don’t keep blaming them. Try to find a way to get over, the problem and move on. It will often deepen the friendship between you.

A. Give your friend enough space.

B. Sometimes things don’t go exactly as you expect.

C. Treat your friends just as you want them to treat you.

D. No friendship will develop without regular attention.

E. No one is perfect and every friend will make mistakes.

F. Good friends don’t require you to always agree with them.

G. It also makes you feel needed and adds purpose to your life.