黑龙江省大庆市2022届高三上学期第一次教学质量检测英语试题含答案

大庆市高三年级第一次教学质量检测试题

英语

第I卷

第一部分  听力

第一节

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

1. Who is the little girl?

A. The woman's sister.

B. The woman's niece.

C. The woman's daughter.

2. Why does the man make the call?

A. To apologize for being late.

B. To invite the woman to the library.

C. To change the place of an appointment.

3. What does the man ask the woman to do?

A. Answer faxes.

B. Sign letters.

C. Check diaries.

4. What are the speakers doing?

A. Doing some shopping.

B. Preparing for camping.

C. Cleaning the can

5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A. An air conditioner.

B. The weather

C. The temperature.

第二节

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。

6. Why does the man make the works of art?

A. To protect the environment.

B. To earn money.

C. To have fun.

7. What does the woman like doing most?

A. Working.   B. Having a rest.   C. Collecting coins.

听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。

8. How does the man try to keep healthy?

A. By taking exercise.

B. By stopping eating bread.

C. By having one or two small meals a day.

9. What does the woman like to cat especially?

A. Fruits.   B. Vegetables.   C. Cakes.

10. What is the woman going to do right now?

A. See a doctor.

B. Continue her meal.

C. Go to the gym.

听第8段材料，回答第11至14题。

11. What is the relationship between the speakers?

A. Boss and secretary.

B. Husband and wife.

C. Writer and editor.

12. What will the man do in the late afternoon?

A. Publish an article.   B. Write to a magazine.   C. Prepare for a speech.

13. Where will the man have dinner tonight?

A. At home.   B. In the office.   C. In a meeting room.

14. How will the man go home?

A. By bus.   B. By taxi.   C. By car.

听第9段材料，回答第15至17题。

15. What do the speakers decide to do?

A. Play bowling.   B. Play tennis.   C. Go dancing.

16. When will the man leave?

A. At 7:00.   B. At 7:10.   C. At 7:30.

17. What does the man think of driving a car?

A. Time-saving,  B. Troublesome.   C. Comfortable.

听第10段材料，回答第18至20题。

18. Why did the speaker go cycling?

A. To break a speed record.

B. To relax his mind.

C. To strengthen his body.

19. What was wrong with the speaker's bike?

A. It was too old to go fast.

B. It had trouble going up hills.

C. Its brakes needed attention.

20. What was the speaker dissatisfied with about his trip?

A. The food.   B. The weather.   C. The local people.

第二部分  阅读理解

第一节

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

A

Peru is a perfect touring destination: everything from the ancient Inca culture and centuries-old Spanish villages to deep rainforests, high mountains, and a beautiful coastline. Amazon Rainforest Tour

Arriving at Amazon rainforest, you'll spend one day traveling by boat to your hotel in the middle of the forest. You can then spend three days exploring the rainforest with a local guide and enjoying the plants and animals unique to the rainforest

Machu Picchu Tour

This four-day walking tour will take you to the city of Machu Picchu. There you will have a day to explore and be amazed by this ancient city. Especially amazing is the Incas' dry stone method of building. Inca builders cut stones to exact sizes so that nothing was needed to hold walls together other than the perfect fit of the stones.

Cusco Tour

Spend four days enjoying the unique Spanish and local Indian culture high in the Andes at Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire from the 13th until the 16th century. Stay in a local hotel, visit the museums, admire the architecture, enjoy the excellent local food, and go shopping at the local markets.

Lake Titicaca Tour

Enjoy the beautiful countryside as you spend a day driving along the new highway connecting Cusco to Lake Titicaca. There, a boat will take you to stay with a local Uros family on an island for three days. Both the island and Uros homes are made of water plants from the lake.

For more information about other package tours around Peru, contact us at tourinfo @travelperu. org.

21. What is extremely surprising in the city of Machu Picchu particularly?

A. Excellent local food.    B. Unique plants and animals.

C. Houses made of water plants.   D. Dry stone method of building.

22. Which tour would you recommend to people who enjoy Indian culture?

A. Amazon Rainforest Tour.     B. Machu Picchu Tour.

C. Cusco Tour.         D. Lake Titicaca Tour.

23. What do the four tours have in common?

A. The traveling time.    B. The transportation means.

C. The accommodation.   D. The shopping markets.

B

If you're looking for a way to achieve naturally glowing skin, you needn't look further than face yoga. That's what Akiko Grabin, a face yoga teacher，believes.

The main reason people give it a shot is because of its effect on skin, with Grabin claiming that it can prevent wrinkles, or at least smooth their appearance. And there's some evidence to back these claims. Research from 2018 found that 30 minutes a day of facial exercises over a 20-week period might improve the appearance of skin in middle-aged women.

Takatsu is credited as the creator of the Face Yoga Method. She wrote about how she started it on her website, saying she came up with the concept following a car crash in which her body was injured and her face was left looking asymmetrical (不对称的). Standing in front of the mirror one day, Takatsu had a realization: “if I exercise my body muscles, I should be able to do the same for my face.” After Takatsu started practicing this method, people began praising her appearance and were eager to know how she achieved such results. The Face Yoga Method was born.

But Dr Imaan Joshi, a cosmetician working in a beauty agency, remains skeptical of the practice. She believes face yoga can have “some beneficial effects” in terms of relaxing muscles, but says there's no evidence it can reduce or prevent wrinkles. Joshi explains that wrinkles form from repetitive, life-long movement of facial muscles, accompanied by loss of collagen (胶原）and fat as we age. “So, there's no realistic way of getting rid of wrinkles apart from reducing or freezing the movement of these muscles.”

24. Why do people try to do face yoga?

A. Doing face yoga can do good to people's health.

B. Face yoga is the best way to achieve smooth skin.

C. Doing face yoga is beneficial to people's skin.

D. Face yoga is highly recommended by experts.

25. What inspired Takatsu to create face yoga?

A. The wish to heal her injured face.

B. The praise for her appearance.

C. The lecture she attended

D. The comments on her website.

26. What does the underlined word “cosmetician” in the last paragraph mean?

A. A professor who studies physical exercise and health.

B. A teacher who teaches biology.

C. A physician who improves people's looks.

D. An adviser who provides the old with nutritious diets.

27. Which statement may Joshi agree with?

A. Face yoga is an effective way to get rid of wrinkles.

B. The claim that face yoga can relax muscles lacks evidence.

C. Repetitive movement of facial muscles causes loss of collagen.

D. More movements of facial muscles can result in the formation of wrinkles.

C

The LEGO Group, whose plastic building toys are familiar to many people, has been working on making LEGO bricks out of recycled plastic. The bricks aren't ready yet，but the company says it's making progress.

Since roughly 1960, LEGO bricks have been made from ABS plastic which makes LEGO bricks very tough and gives them great clutch power so that the things users build don't fall apart easily. Sadly, ABS plastic can't really be recycled and it takes an extremely long time to break down.

However, since 2015, LEGO has been trying to make earth-friendly products. Making bricks from recycled materials could cut pollution from the company's bricks by 70%. But making bricks out of recycled plastic is challenging. The goal is to make bricks out of PET plastic, which is softer than ABS plastic and can be found in things like bottles and clothing. A recycled one-liter plastic bottle could make about ten 2×4 LEGO bricks. Over the past three years, the company has tested over 250 different ways of creating LEGO bricks from recycled plastic. A team of more than 150 people are working on the problem. Tim Brooks，who focuses on environmental responsibility at LEGO, says that experimenting and failing is “an important part of learning”.

Now, the company says they can make a good 2×4 brick from PET. One important step was finding a way of adding things to PET plastic to make it tougher and give it better clutch power like ABS. They will also work on shaping bricks into other forms and adding color to them-right now they are just white. The bricks will go through many different tests, which will take at least a year.

The company aims to make all their main products out of sustainable materials by the year 2030. “We know kids care about the environment and we want to tell them we're working on it.” said Mr. Brooks.

28. Which of the following can best describe LEGO bricks made from ABS plastic?

A. Strong and firm.

B. Recyclable and soft.

C. Cheap and familiar.

D. Popular and new.

29. Why is LEGO working on making PET plastic bricks?

A. Because the company wants to show that it's making progress.

B. Because this has always been LEGO's goal since its foundation.

C. Because using PET plastic bricks can reduce pollution to the earth.

D. Because PET plastic bricks are much softer and cheaper.

30. What can we learn about making PET plastic bricks?

A. LEGO has found a way to make colorful PET plastic bricks.

B. It's not necessary to put things into PET plastic to make it tough.

C. A lot of tests have been carried out and there will be more tests.

D. Children keep asking the company to replace ABS plastic bricks.

31. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A. LEGO becomes a leading toy company

B. LEGO works to make bricks from recycled plastic

C. LEGO recycles plastic toy bricks to protect the environment

D. LEGO makes the best of ABS plastic to reduce cost

D

This year's US Independence Day celebrations were extra special due to the arrival of a second, smaller Statue of Liberty from France. This one, nicknamed “Little Sister”, was displayed on Ellis Island - across the water from the original Statue of Liberty, which sits on Liberty Island—from July 1 through 5, 2021. It then was moved to the French Embassy in Washington, DC, where it will remain until 2031.

The 9.3-foot-tall, 1000-pound statue is about one-sixteenth the size of the original Statue of Liberty. It was crafted in 2009 from the 3-D scan of the model of the original, which was created by sculptor Frederic-Auguste Barthold in the late 1 800s. Before being shipped to the US, “Little Sister” spent ten years welcoming visitors in Paris. “This statue symbolizes the virtues of freedom and integration (融合),” the sculptor said. “These two values forever unite France and the United States.”

The original Statue of Liberty was also designed to celebrate France-American friendship. The idea was first proposed in 1865 by French historian Edouard de Laboulaye. However, it was not until 1875 that US President and former Civil War general Ulysses Grant agreed to the monument. The two nations decided that France would pay the cost of building the statue while America would fund the $250,000 pedestal (底座) upon which she would stand. It took Barthold and his team, which included Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel, builder of Paris's Eiffel tower, ten years to complete the masterpiece.

Today the magnificent monument is one of New York City's most popular tourist attractions, drawing more than 4 million visitors annually. The arrival of its “Little Sister” is sure to attract more fans in Washington, DC.

32. What do we know about “Little Sister”？

A. It was initially exhibited in the US.

B. It will be kept on Ellis Island for about 10 years.

C. It looks like the original one except in size.

D. It was created by Frederic-Auguste Barthold.

33. Why was “Little Sister” given to the US as a present?

A. To welcome visitors in Paris.

B. To celebrate the victory of Civil War.

C. To encourage people to pursue freedom.

D. To strengthen the friendship between the US and France.

34. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A. The cost of the Statue of Liberty

B. The history of the Statue of Liberty

C. The designers of the Statue of Liberty

D. The significance of the Statue of Liberty

35. Which of the following can be die best tide for the text?

A. The “Little Sister” is about to meet the world

B. More visitors will flood into the US for file “Little Sister”

C. The Statue of Liberty welcomed the arrival of her “Sister”

D. The US celebrated this year's Independence Day differently

第二节

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。选项中有项为多余选项。

Floods can strike quickly and with little warning in many parts of the world. Surviving a flood is a combination of preparation and appropriate action as soon as the disaster begins.    36  

●Make a flood survival plan.

   37    Pick several meeting spots in case you need to leave home, such as a friend's home in a safe town or a shelter in your area. Make sure everyone in the family knows where these locations are and how to get there. Make sure the shelters and the routes to them are through high ground

●Escape flood waters.

You may have only a short time to escape. Act quickly, using your planned route. Head to designated shelters during flood warnings. When emergency services tell you to leave, listen to their instructions.

Move to higher ground away from water. Whether you are on foot or have to abandon your car, higher ground is your best option. If you're stuck at home, head for the roof if you can do so safely.

Avoid crossing through water. Water up to your ankles is enough to be dangerous. When you're in doubt about the water depth，don't risk it.   38    Use it to measure the water's depth and feel for stable ground.

●Follow news and warnings.

Flooding information can be found on your local news or weather station's TV channel or website.   39    Also, listen to local radio stations for regular updates.

●   40  

Roads and other paths will have been eroded. Stay off bridges. The soil under usual routes will be muddy and less able to support the weight of vehicles. Find alternate routes over high ground or wait for the authorities to indicate which roads are safe.

A. Watch out for damaged areas.

B. Protect your home during a flood.

C. If you have to go through water, bring a stick.

D. You should tune in to monitor changes in the weather.

E. If your car gets stuck in water, open or break the windows.

F. Sit down with your family to establish a plan of action.

G. Here are some tips to help you and your family survive a flood.

第三部分  语言知识运用

第一节  完形填空

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Eleven years ago, I took a photo of a mother holding her baby. It changed my life.

This year, I met her again and fulfilled a deep wish to    41    her, something I didn't do when we first met.

Early in 2010, I visited Nanchang Railway Station in Jiangxi province, to    42    the Spring Festival travel season. I saw a woman bowed down with    43    and holding a baby. I was    44   . She was about 10 meters away, so I squatted down (蹲下) and    45    my camera. As I pressed the shutter, she    46    her head and looked ahead, her eyes fixed. I asked if she needed help and wanted to chat, but she    47    me.

The    48    touched many people. It won the China News Award and the China News Photography Award. After that I began to focus my camera on    49    people and did many grassroots stories.

When I saw the woman, Bamuyubumu at the station, I was moved by her    50    and love for her baby, so I started    51    her to learn more about her    52    and help fund her child's education.

The search was    53   . I visited many counties in Jiangxi, asking people if they had    54    her, but in vain. I never gave up because she    55    me at a critical stage of my career.   56   , Bamuyubumu's daughter saw the photo online and I    57    her again. I was pleased to discover that she is a(n)   58    mother with a good life    59    her hard work and the help of the government.

During our meeting, she told me about her life,   60    she was full of hope for the future.

41. A. instruct   B. interview  C. observe  D. follow

42. A. enjoy   B. prepare  C. recommend  D. cover

43. A. care   B. sadness  C. luggage  D. age

44. A. embarrassed  B. frightened  C. confused  D. shocked

45. A. held up   B. look apart  C. picked out  D. looked over

46. A. patted   B. raised   C. shook   D. hung

47. A. corrected  B. charged  C. replaced  D. refused

48. A. photo   B. woman  C. baby   D. station

49. A. energetic  B. unusual  C. regular   D. wealthy

50. A. achievement  B. strength  C. experience  D. education

51. A. looking for  B. calling on  C. writing to  D. connecting with

52. A. vacation  B. interest  C. belief   D. life

53. A. efficient   B. easy   C. hard   D. touching

54. A. greeted   B. seen   C. contacted  D. helped

55. A. influenced  B. convinced  C. seized   D. chose

56. A. Directly   B. Occasionally C. Currently  D. Eventually

57. A. imitated   B. rewarded  C. found   D. treated

58. A. unique   B. positive  C. imaginative  D. enthusiastic

59. A. as a result of  B. at the risk of C. in favor of  D. on behalf of

60. A. expecting  B. analyzing  C. saying   D. replying

第II卷

第三部分  语言知识运用

第二节

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Born on March 14, 1997, in Columbus，Ohio, Simone Biles has been known    61    a champion in her sport. She and her sister, Adria,   62    (raise) by their grandfather Ron and grandmother Nellie, after their mother's struggle with substance abuse problem.

Ron and Nellie eventually    63    (official) adopted the two girls, and Biles calls her grandmother Nellie has been a constant source of support through Biles' rise in the world of    64    (compete) athletics.

Biles became    65    (interest) in gymnastics at age six during a day-care field trip to Bannon's Gymnastix, and she remained there for 11 years under the    66    (direct) of her coach, Aimee Boorman.

At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she became the first female U. S. gymnast    67    (win) four gold medals at a single Games. She was given    68    honor of being the Team USA flag bearer during the Olympics' closing ceremony.

There were high    69    (expectation) for Biles as she entered the 2020 Tokyo Games,   70    were delayed until 2021. However, she withdrew from most events due to a medical condition.

第四部分  写作

第一节  短文改错

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下面画一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

This July I took part in a summer camp. It has been more than three months before I left the summer camp. Besides, there's one thing I will never forget it. It happened on the third day. It was my turn to give an English speech in class. I felt worried because my poor spoken English. So I went to Miss Zhao for help. Not only does she comfort me, but she suggested that I should be confident enough and gave me some valuable advices. And then I practiced very hard. To my greatly joy, my speech was a success. It was the teacher's encouragement which helped me get courage. If Miss Zhao hadn't helped me, I couldn't have enjoyed the success.

Through this experience, I know that when we have difficulties, we should never be afraid to ask other for help and I am happy to live in this world filling with love.

第二节  书面表达

假定你是李华，正在伦敦某中学做交换生。学校文化社将举办一个文化交流活动，主题为“Festivals around the world”。负责人Henry邀请你在活动中介绍一个中国传统节日。请给他回封邮件，内容包括：

1. 接受邀请；

2. 说明你将分享的节日；

3. 给出选择该节日的理由。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

Dear Henry,

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

大庆市高三年级第一次教学质量检测

英语试题答案及评分参考

第I卷

第一部分：听力

1—5 BCABA  6—10 CBACB  11—15BCACA  16—20 CBBCA

第一部分：阅读理解

21—23 DCA  24—27 CACD  28—31 ACCB  32—35 CDBC

36—40 GFCDA

第三部分：

第一节  完形填空

41—45 BDCDA 46—50 BDACB  51—55 ADCBA  56—60 DCBAC

第II卷

第三部分

61. as  62. were raised  63. officially  64. competitive  65. interested

66. direction  67. to win  68. the  69. expectations  70. which

第四部分：

第一节  短文改错

（注意：短文中共有10处错误，在答题规范的情况下，找到一处错误并修改正确得1分；若找到一处错误但没有改对得0.5分。）

This July I took part in a summer camp. It has been more than three months I left the summer camp. there's one thing I will: never forget it. It happened on the third day. It was my turn to give an English speech in class. I felt worried because my poor spoken English. So I went to Miss Zhao for help. Not only she comfort me, but she suggested that I should be confident enough and gave me some valuable . And then I practiced very hard. To my joy my speech was a success. It was the teacher's encouragement helped me get courage. If Miss Zhao hadn't helped me I couldn't have enjoyed the success.

Through this experience. I know that when we have difficulties, we should never be afraid to ask for help and I am happy to love in this world with love.

第二节  书面表达

四、One possible version

Dear Henry,

Thank you for inviting me to talk about one of China's traditional festivals in your culture exchange activity. I'd like to go and share what I know about the Spring Festival.

As you know, there're many traditional festivals in China, the most important of which is the Spring Festival. In different areas of China, the festival is celebrated in different ways. But lighting fireworks and eating dumplings are the most popular choices during the festival.

I think some knowledge about the Spring Festival will help foreign students learn more about Chinese culture. And I believe the students will be interested in this festival. I'm looking forward to taking part in the activity.

Yours,

Li Hua

附：听力部分录音原文

Text 1

M: Hi, Helen, I saw you yesterday with a lovely little girl at the market. Your daughter?

W: No, she's my sister's daughter. She's just visiting, and will be staying with us for a couple of days.

Text 2

W: Hello, I can't take your call at the moment Please leave a message after the tone.

M: Debbie, this is Peter. I'm sorry but I can't meet you in the library at 11. Shall we meet on the playground then?

Text 3

W: Have you signed the letters I put on your desk?

M: Yes. Now we've got several faxes that need answering at once. Could you do that?

W: No problems. After that, I will have to check the diaries for this week.

Text 4

M: Well, I think we've got everything in the car.

W: I thought the tent wasn't going to fit. And the sleeping bags and fishing equipment take up a lot of space, too.

Text 5

M: Haven't you turned on the air conditioner? It's so hot in here.

W: Yes. And I've set it for 23℃, but it turns off at 27℃.

M: Let me see. Oh, I think it must be broken.

Text 6

W: What are you doing, Sam?

M: Making some plants and toys from cardboard and plastic bottles, you know self-made works of art.

W: Do you sell them?

M: Oh, no. I do these things just for pleasure. I keep some of them and give others away. It's my hobby. What do you usually do in your spare time?

W: Nothing. I try to do as little as possible. Being relaxed is my hobby.

M: There must be something you like doing when you're free.

W: I used to collect coins but I've had to give it up. My work takes up most of my time.

Text 7

W: This hamburger is delicious! Do you want some?

M: No, thank you. I'm working out at the gym these days. I want to be healthy, so I've also started eating good, fresh food.

W: You're exercising? When did you start thinking about your weight and staying in shape?

M: Last month I had a check-up. My doctor told me that I should be leading a much healthier lifestyle now that I'm getting older. Now, I try to eat small, regular meals instead of one or two big meals a day.

W: I see. What types of food do you usually eat now?

M: I eat lots of fruit and vegetables. I try to eat less bread and rice. I also try not to eat sugary foods.

W: Oh dear! I love sugary foods, especially cakes.

M: Well, try to eat food that is good for you. You need to take care of yourself.

W: You're right. I should start thinking about a healthier lifestyle. But first, I'm going to finish my hamburger!

Text 8

M: I have such a busy day today. I don't know when I'll be home. Can you pick up our son from school today?

W: Oh, you have to speak at the High School of Science and Technology today?

M: That'll be finished by three o'clock. But then I have to go to the office and get my notes ready for my speech at the Computer Society's annual dinner tonight.

W: Well, at least your magazine article has already been written and given to your editor. It was due today, wasn't it?

M: Yes, at least that's done. In fact, it should be published sometime next month.

W: Do you think you'll be given time to eat tonight or will you have to spend the entire evening answering questions?

M: I might be asked to speak as soon as everyone sits down for dinner. In that case, I guess I'll be pretty hungry when I get home.

W: Do you have any idea what time you'll be finished?

M: No.

W: Well, I'll have something for you to eat. Can you catch the last bus? Or maybe you should take a taxi.

M: Don't worry, dear. That's already been taken care of. The Computer Society is sending a car for me. It's picking me up at the office at six and will bring me home after the meeting.

Text 9

W: I'd like to go dancing with Jane. But she's hurt her ankle so she'd rather not.

M: I guess it means she doesn't want to play tennis，either.

W: That's right. She says it's OK to go bowling if we don't expect her to do well.

M: Let's do it! I guess we can go dancing another time.

W: Well, I booked us some time at the bowling center of Entertainment City.

M: What time did you book for?

W: The first booking I could get was 8 o'clock. It's 7 now. I'll leave in ten minutes and meet you there.

M: I'll take my car, so I'll be quite quick. I'll be out of here in half an hour.

W: OK. You're so lucky to have a car! You can get around so easily.

M: Well, yes and no. I often spend ages driving around trying to find a car park.

Text 10

M: Have you ever been cycling? This spring my older brother and I spent a long weekend cycling in the countryside. Our average speed was only 14 kilometers per hour, but that didn't matter. We hadn't come to break any speed records，or to get fit and healthy. All we wanted was some fresh air and a break from schoolwork. My bike only once went more than 30 kilometers per hour, and that was when I raced my brother down the only hill on our route. We really enjoyed cycling along flat, traffic-free country paths. There was plenty of spring sunshine, but it was quite cold. We didn't mind, though. Our only problem was when my brakes started making a terrible noise. But I didn't mind as it gave us an excuse to visit a cafe while a helpful bike repairman had a look at it. And there was one of the best things about our route which made us happy: every few kilometers there was a village where we could find everything we needed. All the local people were really friendly. However, most places we stopped at served chips with all the meals, which soon got fairly boring. One night we were woken at 4 a.m. by the noise in the hotel. We were tired when we set off the next morning and very nearly got lost, but soon felt more cheerful when the sun came out. That's what I like about cycling—it's simple and it's fun. If you're looking for a short break that's active and cheap, then cycling is a great choice.