Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible for sustaining 200, 000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at £4 bn per year. Tourists from the United Kingdom make up the bulk (主体) of visitors to Scotland. In 2002, for example, UK visitors made 18.5 million visits to Scotland, staying 64.5 million nights and spending £3.7 bn. In contrast, overseas residents made 1.58 million visits to Scotland, staying 15 million nights and spending £806 m. In terms of overseas visitors, those from the United States made up 24% of visits to Scotland, with the United States being the largest source of overseas visitors, and Germany (9%), France (8%), Canada (7%) and Australia (6%), following behind.

Scotland is generally seen as clean, unspoilt destination with beautiful scenery which has a long and complex history, combined with thousands of historic sites and attractions. These include prehistoric stone circles, standing stones and burial chambers, and various Bronze Age, Iron Age and Stone Age remains. There are also many historic castles, houses, and battlegrounds, ruins and museums. Many people are drawn by the culture of Scotland.

The cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are increasingly being seen as a cosmopolitan（全世界的）alternative to Scotland’s countryside, with visitors year round, but the main tourist season is generally from April to October inclusive. In addition to these factors, the national tourist agency, VisitScotland, have deployed a strategy of niche (适当的) marketing, aimed at exploiting, amongst other things, Scotland’s strengths in golf, fishing and food and drink tourism. Another significant, and increasingly popular reason for tourism to Scotland — especially by those from North America— is genealogy, with many visitors coming to Scotland to explore their family and ancestral roots.

1.People from ________ visited Scotland most.

2.For Chinese students, the best time to visit Scotland is in ________.

3.Scotland mainly impresses tourists with its ________.

4.In 2002, visitors from the US made about ________ visits to Scotland.

5.Which of the following is true according to the text?

Scotland is a well-developed tourist destination, with tourism generally being responsible for sustaining 200, 000 jobs mainly in the service sector, with tourist spending averaging at £4 bn per year. Tourists from the United Kingdom make up the bulk (主体) of visitors to Scotland. In 2002, for example, UK visitors made 18.5 million visits to Scotland, staying 64.5 million nights and spending £3.7 bn. In contrast, overseas residents made 1.58 million visits to Scotland, staying 15 million nights and spending £806 m. In terms of overseas visitors, those from the United States made up 24% of visits to Scotland, with the United States being the largest source of overseas visitors, and Germany (9%), France (8%), Canada (7%) and Australia (6%), following behind.
Scotland is generally seen as clean, unspoilt destination with beautiful scenery which has a long and complex history, combined with thousands of historic sites and attractions. These include prehistoric stone circles, standing stones and burial chambers, and various Bronze Age, Iron Age and Stone Age remains. There are also many historic castles, houses, and battlegrounds, ruins and museums. Many people are drawn by the culture of Scotland.
The cities of Edinburgh and Glasgow are increasingly being seen as a cosmopolitan（全世界的）alternative to Scotland’s countryside, with visitors year round, but the main tourist season is generally from April to October inclusive. In addition to these factors, the national tourist agency, VisitScotland, have deployed a strategy of niche (适当的) marketing, aimed at exploiting, amongst other things, Scotland’s strengths in golf, fishing and food and drink tourism. Another significant, and increasingly popular reason for tourism to Scotland — especially by those from North America— is genealogy, with many visitors coming to Scotland to explore their family and ancestral roots

1. 1.

   People from ________ visited Scotland most

   1. A.
      the USA
   2. B.
      France
   3. C.
      the UK
   4. D.
      Germany
2. 2.

   For Chinese students, the best time to visit Scotland is in ________

   1. A.
      the Spring Festival
   2. B.
      the winter vocation
   3. C.
      the summer vacation
   4. D.
      any time
3. 3.

   Scotland mainly impresses tourists with its ________

   1. A.
      food and drink
   2. B.
      beautiful scenery with cultural relics
   3. C.
      big cities like Edinburgh
   4. D.
      many North Americans’ family and ancestral roots
4. 4.

   In 2002, visitors from the US made about ________ visits to Scotland

   1. A.
      18.5 m
   2. B.
      1.58 m
   3. C.
      4.45 m
   4. D.
      0.38 m
5. 5.

   Which of the following is true according to the text?

   1. A.
      In history, many Scotlanders moved to North America
   2. B.
      Overseas visitors do not like to stay in Scotland for the night
   3. C.
      VisitScotland is trying to change people’s impression on Scotland
   4. D.
      Overseas visitors come to Scotland mainly to explore their family roots

It was the second day of a winter holiday in Queenstown, New Zealand, three years ago. When we decided to explore the beautiful scenery, our landlady   36  us,“Make sure you are well wrapped up today. The weather is   37 . Head back when you see snowfall.”

The day was bright and sunny, and I started to wonder if she was being too cautious. When snow began to fall at 6:00 pm, I was not worried, thinking we’d have no   38  in catching a taxi back. However, we waited for a while, and all the drivers shook their heads when told of our   39 .

The first driver passed by and gave me a card with a number for me to   40  help. I was filled with   41  , but I had no choice but to lead my three sisters to a nearby place to make the   42 . Then a taxi drew up and we climbed in. The driver did not appear very friendly. Then the light streaming from his headlights showed very   43  why no taxi wanted to take us to our hotel. And I began to understand the driver’s apparently unfriendly silence — he was worried. The steep incline (斜坡) ahead was   44  with snow. The taxi slowly made its way up the hill. Suddenly, we came to a dead stop, and the driver turned to us. “Look! It is very    45  to go forward. You have to get out and walk. If I drive any further, the taxi will slide back,” he said. “Er ... can you keep your headlight on and help my elder sister? The rest of us will follow you up,” I said. The driver   46 .

We made it safely back to our hotel. Even though it   47   for the rest of the days, we could see the silver lining in the cloud(一线希望): the generous soul who helped us.

1.                A．protected       B．guarded        C．helped   D．warned

2.                A．hateful         B．colorful         C．changeable    D．unforgettable

3.                A．reason         B．time           C．trouble   D．opportunity

4.                A．situation        B．destination      C．background   D．information

5.                A．call for         B．wait for         C．give up   D．look up

6.                A．confidence      B．pride           C．doubt    D．joy

7.                A．appointment     B．call            C．way D．invitation

8.                A．clearly         B．weakly         C．Unwillingly D．quietly

9.                A．charged        B．covered        C．crowded  D．provided

10.               A．dangerous      B．possible        C．limited    D．unacceptable

11.               A．agreed         B．admitted        C．admired   D．applied

12.               A．shone          B．blew           C．rained    D．snowed

When most people think of tropical islands, lined with white sandy beaches and bright blue seas, it is often the Caribbean or South Pacific that comes to mind. But for Chinese tourists who want a taste of paradise on Earth there is a new place to consider.

Mauritius, an island lying off the southeast of Africa in the Indian Ocean, has just been added to China’s list of tourist destinations. Rich in history, natural beauty and culture, the island has been a popular destination for the world’s tourists for many years.

On December 15 a total of eight African countries were added to the list. The others are Tunisia, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Seychelles.

The island has passed through the controlling hands of a number of European powers, including Dutch, French and British. In 1968, Mauritius won its independence.

At present, over half the population of Mauritius is Hindu and another fifth is Muslim. Both groups are descendants(后裔) from workers brought to the island from India by the British. Some Chinese were also brought over to work. There are also descendants of African slaves and Franco-Mauritians, the original settlers of the island.

One of the best things about the island is the food. There is a mouth-watering mix of European, Chinese and Indian flavours and seafood is very popular. A typical Mauritian dinner might have Indian chicken curry, Chinese pork, British roast beef and French-style vegetables. Boiled rice is served with just about everything. All that is washed down with a plentiful supply of local beer and rum(朗姆酒).

The pleasant tropical climate and scenery provide the perfect setting to enjoy everything. The sea is full of colorful life that lives around the coral reef. This makes Mauritius a wonderful place for swimming and diving. The large number of interesting fish means it is also an exciting place for those who like to go fishing. (from www.nmet168.com)

5. Which of the following can’t be used to describe Mauritius?

A. Tropical island, white sandy beach and bright blue sea.

B. Beautiful scenery, rich history and culture.

C. Most of the people in Mauritius are black.

D. Delicious food mixed with eastern and western flavours.

6. Which group of the following topics is not discussed in the text?

A. Food and history.                  B. Scenery and population.

C. Location and sports.               D. Natural resources and agriculture.

7. Which of the following is true?

A. Mauritius has something similar to the Caribbean or South Pacific.

B. Mauritius has a history of less than 40 years.

C. Mauritius has been a popular destination for Chinese tourists for many years.

D. The main food in Mauritius is local beer and rum.

8. The underlined word “This” in the last paragraph refers to ________.

A. Pleasant tropical climate        B. Beautiful scenery  

C. The sea with colorful life       D. The coral reef 

任务型阅读(共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分)

We all have goals that we are moving towards and making a great effort to achieve. This is a good thing. Or can it be bad? How many of us never reach our goals and yet we have tried so hard and really thought about nothing else? I believe the mistake most of us make is that we do not focus on our present situation.

Let me explain. Most of us see our present situation as a stepping stone that we use simply as a means of reaching our final destination. We don’t take time to truly appreciate where we are today and all the great things we already have in our lives. We should focus our attention on the journey and not on the destination, or we will miss the beautiful scenery along the way.

Let’s use our job as an example. Now most of us want a promotion. We have plans to become the manager or general manager in our companies. Unfortunately, most of us will never reach the goal, but will watch others achieve our goal instead.

What we should be doing is focusing on the job we are currently in now. Forget where we want to get to and just focus on the present. You see, what we can control is our performance in our current job. We can decide to be the best we possibly can in our current job. Now this may mean further education to have the skills we currently do not have. It may mean working harder to produce better results than our colleagues. It could simply be a change of attitude, such as stopping complaining and becoming a more devoted and supportive employee. By doing our current job to the best of our abilities, we in fact give ourselves the best chance of promotion.

So the best thing for all of us to do to achieve our goals is to just focus on what we have and where we are now. Do the best and be the best we possibly can in our current situations, and we will give ourselves the very best chance of reaching our goals in the future. We have heard the old sayings and they are true: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”, “Patience is a virtue”, and so on.

Have patience, have appreciation of what we already have, and take time to help ourselves be the very best we can. Do these things and we will all reach our goals, but more importantly, we will enjoy our life every day.