第一节 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

Have you ever been to the following places? If not, try to find a chance to visit them.

Fez, Morocco

Fez, about 240 miles northeast from Marrakesh，a wonderful scene is taking root slowly. It started with immigrants building castles, and continues as hotels and restaurants. The biggest news is that the Hotel Sahrai is completed with a bar and 50 rooms, many overlooking a pool.

Catskills, New York

The region that welcomed Jewish families in the 50s，hippies in the 60s, and soon, casino gamblers (赌博者). Many stylish B&Bs have opened. Among them are the Hotel Dylan in Woodstock, the Arnold House in Livingston Manor，with its bar and diminutive spa (水疗中心). So now is the time to enjoy fly-fishing, hiking and other peaceful experiences.

Rotterdam, Netherlands

The constantly unfolding city center in Rotterdam has become one amazing explosion of style, which surprised the tourists greatly. The latest attraction, and reason enough to visit, is the MVRDV-designed Markthal, an igloo (圆顶冰屋)-like horseshoe that houses 20 shops, nine restaurants, and 228 apartments. It also happens to be Holland' s largest artwork.

Chengdu, China

Famous for its 1,600 pandas, most of which still live in the wild, Chengdu has introduced a 72-hour no-visa policy that makes it easier for Americans to drop in on one of the city' s three major panda research facilities. But it' s worth sticking around longer to experience what' s doing in Chengdu, a city on the rise. One of the shiniest attractions is New Century Global Centre, the world' s largest building, complete with an artificial beach.

21. What can a tourist do in Catskills?

A. Join the local people in building castles. B. Design igloos with the tourists.

C. Play with the pandas in the wild. D. Go fishing and hiking.

22. What did Chengdu do to attract the American travelers?

A. It improved its quality of service.

B. It introduced a 72-hour no-visa policy.

C. It built the world' s largest building.

D. It completed a building with an artificial beach.

23. Which is Holland's largest artwork?

A. Markthal. B. The Hotel Dylan.

C. The Hotel Sahrai. D. New Century Global Centre

B

California places limits on water use to deal with the state’s four-year drought. Californians are feeling the heat after Governor Jerry Brown announced an order that puts mandatory(强制的) statewide water cutbacks into effect.

California has faced water-use cutbacks in the past. In January 2014, Governor Brown called for residents to curb their water use by 20 percent, but many places around the state failed to meet that goal. This most recent announcement, however, marks the first time in the state’s history that mandatory restrictions have been ordered.

Most of California’s water supply comes from the Sierra Nevada mountain range snowpack. Normally, during the spring and summer, this snow melts and puts new supplies into groundwater. but this past winter, the snowpack reached its lowest point since 1950. “today we are standing on dry grass where there should be feet of snow” announced Governor Brown.

As part of his order, Governor Brown called upon the state Water Resource Control Board to draft emergency rules for water use in the coming month. Cities and towns across the state must cut water usage by 25 percent. If city water agencies fail to meet these targets for water conservation, they could be fined $$10,000 a day.

The state will also support local governments in replacing 50 million square feet of lawns with drought-tolerant plants that use less water. Outdoor lawn watering will be limited to two days per week, and residents will not be permitted to water their lawns during rainstorms and for two days afterwards. The order also asks local water agencies to raise the price of water to discourage excessive water use.

Governor Brown said change may not be easy, but it’s necessary to ensure that residents can fill their water glasses into the future. “it is a wake-up call,” he said. “it’s requiring action and changes in behavior.”

24. What does the underlined word “curb” in the second paragraph mean?

A. reduce B. increase C. measure D. schedule

25. This year’s drought in California is mainly caused by .

A. The lack of rainfall last winter. 高考英语模拟试题库  http://www.17xuexiba.com/yy/