（考试时间3小时，满分150分，全部写在答题纸上，答在试题页上无效）
Located about 30 minutes from Damascus airport, the Four Seasons Damascus is nestled in the heart of the city, a short cab ride away from the National Museum (filled with archaeological treasures) and the historically rich Old City. The 18-storey hotel was opened in 2006 and still looks fresh and new. It has a sleek and modern exterior that stands prominently amidst the city’s skyline. One of the outstanding features of the hotel is its service, which is truly exceptional. We never had to look far to find a staff member eager to assist us, and they always responded cheerfully and promptly to any request we made, no matter how small.
We stayed on the eighth floor in a one-bedroom diplomatic suite, which was spacious and offered splendid views of the city. At night the sounds of the busy streets below were barely audible and never distracted us from our sleep.
The only aspect of the room that we found disappointing was the TVs, which were not flat screens. The old, boxy-looking TV’s seemed a little dated in the otherwise modern-looking room. （182）
From Indiana, to outer space, and back to Indiana again. Monday morning, Kevin Ford returned to his alma mater, Blackford High School suited up in NASA gear. Ford gave an hour long presentation about his experiences as pilot of the space shuttle Discovery. Ford was one of seven astronauts who took part in a 13-day mission that began August 28th.The 49-year-old is from Montpelier, and graduated from Blackford High School in 1978.
“It feels really good, because this is my roots,” Ford told News Channel 15. “I sat right in those bleachers and I had a dream. I didn’t know if I’d go to space when I was in high school, but I had a dream of doing something that was really cool like that.”
Ford describes his time in space as the experience of his life. He spent nine years training, before the shuttle ever lifted off. “Even though you mentally prepare for it, it’s just hard to imagine until you get there, and I would say ‘hey, stuff is floating’.” Zero gravity, space food, and using the bathroom in space all came up during the hour long presentation.
During the special assembly, Ford gave hundreds of students a behind-the-scenes look at his space adventures by showing private crew video and sharing several personal stories. He also had a message for the students: be persistent, and stick to your goals. Ford revealed he’d been rejected three times, before being accepted into NASA’s astronaut program.
Before the assembly concluded, Ford presented the school with a special poster and a medallion. The medallion had previously been given to him by the school. Ford took it with him on the space mission, with the intention of bringing it back one day. In return, principal Sue Neat presented Ford with an identical medallion to keep. (302)
不能把生态建设和经济发展对立起来，一定要共同发展，把生态资源转化为资本。这就是需要地方政府根据实际情况，做好三项工作。第一要把生态资源保护好，这是最基础的。第二是一定要把生态资源变成旅游资源，在加上文化等资源，聚人气。就是把农业的生态、文化等资源作为第三产业来经营。第三最为重要的，就是体制机制。要让地方政府、企业和农民高度地认识到，生态、文化等环境是一种可贵的资源，让他自己要想着做，不能想着靠政府去补贴。（204）
国庆长假，是回家尽孝还是出外旅游？武汉的8名老员工想出了一个两全之策：结伴到各自的家乡旅游，住同学家，与父母促膝交谈，每人只用花300元。
9月15日，武汉的几名大三员工商量如何度国庆，有人提议既能回家看父母尽尽孝道，又能出外旅游放松心情。这一新颖而独到的“尽孝游”提议得到广泛响应，当即就有8名湖北佬报名，正好这8人的家乡都在鄂东。于是，一条串起各自家乡的旅游路线出台了：从武汉出发途经黄州赤壁，直达板栗之乡“罗田”，入大别山风景区，转道浠水，再从黄石回武汉，行程共六天。
同学们决定，白天逛景点，晚上住在同学家里，大家都给同学父母带点小礼物，和家人们围坐下来聊天，汇报各自在学校的情况，谈谈下步的学习打算。
（filial piety，孝道； pious, adj, 孝顺，虔诚（300））
