Planning a visit to the UK? Here we help with ways to cut your costs. AVOID BIG EVENTS Big sporting events, concerts and exhibitions can increase the cost of accommodation and make it harder to find a room. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy Festival(19 Oct.) cost PS169. 15 at Booking.com. A week later, the same room costPS 118.15 If you can be flexible and want to know dates to avoid--or you're looking for a big event to pass your time--check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category. STAYAWAY FROM THE STATIONIf traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good base close to the station, but you could end up paying more for the sake of convenience at the start of your holiday. Don't be too choosy about the part of town you stay in. Booking two months in advance, the cheapest room at Travelodge's Central Euston hotel inLondonfor Saturday 22 September was PS95.95. A room just a tube journey away at itsCovent Gardenhotel was PS75.75. And at Farringdon, a double room cost just PS62.95. LOOK AFTER YOURSELFReally central hotels in cities such asLondon,EdinburghandCardiffcan cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. As an alternative consider checking into a self-catering flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city centre buildings. A great example is the historic O'Neill Flat onEdinburgh's Royal Mile, available for PS420 for five days in late September, with room for four adults. GET ON A BIKELondon's 'Boris bikes' have attracted the most attention, but other cities also have similar programmes that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs. Among the smaller cities with their own programmes areNewcastle(casual members pay around PS1.50 for two hours) andCardiff(free for up to 30 minutes, or PS5 per day). TheBrightonComedy Festival is mentioned mainly to show big events may   _  . A) help travelers pass time B) attract lots of travelers to theUK C) allow travelers to make flexible plans D) cause travelers to pay more for accommodation
D


(Question)
Most artists have a favorite material they like to work with.For 28-year-old Kristen Alice, it happens to be garbage.The eco-friendly designer uses her incredible talent to transform garbage like empty drink bottles and candy wrappers into charming dresses that sell for thousands of dollars. Kristen says the idea came to her after she saw how much vaster she and her three college roommates generated on a daily basis.The Fine Arts student began to dream about transforming the deserted bags and packages into beautiful garments. Her first dress' made from plastic bags and rolled magazines was strange, fun and even charming.However, she only made it to test her creativity. The young designer did not consider starting a commercial venture until she spent a week working at Couture Fashion Week in New York City.There she observed the excitement generated by new and vintage looks and decided to see if her unusual idea would result in as much enthusiasm.She began by creating a line of 12 garbage-inspired dresses.They were a huge success. Today her company that has offices in Palm Beach, Florida and New York City, produces a wide variety of dresses ranging from cocktail dresses to ball gowns  .Kristen, of course, doesn't search garbage cans for her material anymore.Instead, she seeks it from companies that have produced more than they need and are planning to throw away the extras. However, if you think the garbage-inspired dresses come cheap, think again.The price for ready-made creations retails from $500 to $1,500.Though that may appear expensive, the designer says she has no shortage of customers.In fact she now even has garbage-inspired clothing for men that includes jackets, ties, trousers and even board shorts! While most of the clothes are strong enough to resist multiple wears, whether they can be cleaned is a little unclear: What made Kristen think of using trash as her favorite material? A) Her poor living conditions at college. B) The education from her parents not to waste anything useful. C) Her roommates' advice of using garbage to replace ordinary material. D) Her consciousness of environmental protection and trained eyes.
(Answer)
D


Ques: Findley Lake, New York is a small beautiful village that sells itself as a holiday place for all seasons. The Findley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce   supports a number of events all the year round that begin in March. At Findley Lake during the summer, there is boating, fishing and water sport activities. You can watch a boat parade   and a fireworks display   at the Findley Lake 4thof July boat parade. The "Harvest Festival" and October's "Autumn at the Lake" show that fall season is coming. In November, Findley Lake's "Christmas through the Village" starts off the holiday shopping season. Shopping at Findley Lake is a wonderful experience. It is easy to walk along Main Street and visit all the shops. There are over twenty shops that sell different kinds of gifts. Some of the special shops are the candle making factory, the year-round Christmas shop, and the Victorian shop. At the center of Findley Lake is the Blue Heron Inn which is a pleasant place to stay in. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are open to the public and the meals are delicious. Dine outside on the porch looking down the lake or inside the comfortable dining rooms. Take time to shop at their store, Nostalgia, for unique items. As you walk around town, you can see a working waterwheel. If you have an interest in history, stop and visit the World War II Museum as well.  The Village of Findley Lake offers something for everyone. It is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. With year-round shopping and delicious dining at the Blue Heron Inn while looking down at the beautiful view of the lake, it is certain to please the visitors to this attractive village. From the passage we know Nostalgia   _  . A) is a World War II museum B) sells special goods C) serves delicious local foods D) provides comfortable rooms
Ans: B


Sometimes in the next century, the familiar early-newspaper on the front porch will disappear. And instead of reading your newspaper, it will read to you. You'll get up and turn on the computer newspaper just like switching on the TV. An electronic voice will distribute stories about the latest events, guided by a program that selects the type of news you want. You'll even get to choose the kind of voice you want to hear. Want more information on the brief story? A simple touch makes the entire text appear. Save it in your own personal computer if you like. These are among the predictions from communication experts working on the newspaper of the future. Pictured as part of broader home based media and entertainment systems, computer newspapers would unite print and broadcast reporting, offering news and analysis with video images of news events. Most of the technology is available now, but convincing  more people that they don't need paper to read a newspaper is the next step. But resistance to computer newspapers may be stronger from within journalism. Since it is such a cultural change, it may be that the present generation of journalists and publishers will have to die off before the next generation realize that the newspaper industry is no longer a newspaper industry. Technology is making the end of traditional newspapers unavoidable. Despite technological advances, it could take decades to replace news-print with computer screens. It might take 30 to 40 years to complete the changeover because people need to buy computers and because newspapers have established financial  interests in the paper industry. It might take 30 or 40 years for computer newspapers to replace traditional newspapers because   _  . A) it is technologically impossible now B) computer newspapers are too expensive C) both the general people and professional journalists are against them D) traditional newspapers are easy to read

C