2021江西省重点中学协作体高三下学期5月第二次联考英语试题含答案

这是一份2021江西省重点中学协作体高三下学期5月第二次联考英语试题含答案，共6页。

 江西省重点中学协作体2021届高三第二次联考
英语试卷 2021.5
命题人：高安中学 九江一中
满分150分 考试时间：120分钟

第一部分 听力（共两节， 满分30分）
该部分分为第一、第二两节，注意回答听力部分时，请先将答案标在试卷上，听力部分结束前，你将有两分钟的时间将你的答案转涂到客观题答题卡上。
第一节 （共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分）
听下面5段对话，每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三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下个小题，每段对话仅读一遍。
1. When did the woman start to write?
A. 2 years ago. B. 4 years ago. C. 6 years ago.
2. What does the man suggest the woman do?
A. Write Daisy a note of apology.
B. Return Daisy’s notes in a few days.
C. Apologize when Daisy is less angry.
3. What did the woman do before last May?
A. A businesswoman. B. A politician. C. A teacher.
4. How does the man usually go to work?
A. By bus. B. On foot. C. By car.
5. What does Maria think of studying English abroad?
A. Useful and necessary. B. Useful but expensive. C. Useless and expensive.

第二节 （共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分）
听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几道小题，从每题所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有5秒钟时间阅读每小题。听完后，每小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白你将听两遍。
听第6段材料，回答第6至7题。
6. What will the woman do first?
A. Make coffee for the man. B. Show the man his room. C. Give the man a cup of tea.
7. What is forbidden?
A. Using the kitchen. B. Having pets in the room. C. Taking other people to the room.
听第7段材料，回答第8至9题。
8. What did the man buy?
A. A shirt. B. A jacket. C. An overcoat.
9. What does the woman say about the man’s family?
A. Rich. B. Poor. C. Ordinary.
听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。
10. How did the man learn about Martin Harris？
A. From TV. B. From the radio. C. From the newspaper.
11. What did Martin Harris do?
A. He saved many people in the flood.
B. He raised awareness about the flood.
C. He donated a lot of money to flood victims.
12. Why does the woman want to write Martin Harris a letter?
A. To express her thanks.
B. To have an interview with him.
C. To know more information about his life.
听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。
13. What is the great benefit of using the lab?
A. Listening to recordings. B. Practicing speaking. C. Remembering words.
14. Why can’t the man take a copy of recording home?
A. He doesn’t have an MP5 player.
B. The voice sounds different at home.
C. The machines in the lab are different from normal ones.
15. What exercises does the man need in the woman’s eyes?
A. Grammar. B. Listening. C. Writing.
16. How many exercises should the man repeat every day?
A. One or two. B. Two or three. C. Three or four.
听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。
17. What might be a way of choosing a place to visit?
A. Calling the travel agency.
B. Watching a movie about the place.
C. Looking for information in the library.
18. Which kind of book gives the description purely objectively?
A. The first one. B. The second one. C. The third one.
19. What’s the primary function of the third kind?
A. To give an accurate description of a place.
B. To inspire people to visit unusual places.
C. To help readers in the most practical way.
20. What should be noticed about the travel books?
A. Publication time. B. Publishers. C. Prices.

第二部分 阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
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
In some ways, every book is about the body. No one lives apart from theirs, and here are the books in my favorite list.
The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World by Elaine Scarry
An analysis of physical suffering that spans from philosophy to medicine, religion to literature, and art, The Body in Pain shows an expansive study of the ways that human beings faced pain and to live with and through it.
The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken
This extraordinary novel about a small-town librarian named Peggy Court and the “over-tall” James Carlson Sweatt – who is six feet by age 11, then seven, and then eight – is a love story above all else. But it’s also an examination of the profound ways a body can connect you, and of how you can love a body even as it fails you.
The Two Kinds of Decay by Sarah Manguso
This book turns the “illness narrative” inside out. A record of the years she spent with a rare and unpredictable blood disorder, the book displays an experience of illness in the language, shape, and timescale of sickness itself.
Teratology by Susannah Nevison
A poetry collection rooted in a series of birth disabilities that affect the author’s legs and feet, and in a lifetime of treatment, Nevison’s book is an act of myth-making, meaning-making and survival. “If your daughter is born / and her legs aren’t made / for standing,” the collection begins – and a whole, extraordinary world unfolds.
21. When your body is suffering great pain, you may read the book by_______.
A. Elizabeth McCracken. B. Sarah Manguso. C. Elaine Scarry. D. Susannah Nevison.
22. What do we know about James Carlson Sweatt?
A. He has a small library. B. He has a blood disorder.
C. He has birth disabilities. D. He has a giant body.
23. What is the purpose of the passage?
A. To encourage people to read books. B. To introduce some books about body.
C. To advise readers to live a healthy life. D. To share stories of disabled authors.
B
Have you ever tried to get your desired things at 1 a.m. in the middle of exam season? The ones that convince you to walk to Hillside in the middle of a snowstorm just for a slice of cheesecake?
Well, I have too. But instead of wanting something normal and yummy like ice cream or cookies, I’ve been longing for cauliflower. I know half of you stopped reading just now. It’s okay. Honestly, I get it. For those of you who stuck around, let’s talk vegetables.
Unlike those terrifyingly healthy food bloggers, my recent adventures in vegetables originated from an existential crisis concerning global warming. It turns out food production is one of the highest producers of the greenhouse gases that contribute to the breakdown of Earth’s ozone layer (臭氧层). And one of the simplest ways to make a difference is by eating more vegetables and less meat and cheese. So I’ve been forcing myself to eat more vegetables to convince myself that Earth can exist after 2050. And just like those terrifying food bloggers say, it has become a habit.
Now, I don’t just chow down on raw cauliflower stems for lunch. Instead, I like to dress up the vegetables, and it turns out the real trick to make them taste good is a perfect seasoning blend (调味品).
And let me tell you, I’ve become addicted to one of my own creations: olive oil, garlic salt, white pepper, and dill. The mixture is cooked at 375℉ for 20-30 minutes. This works on just about any vegetable you can roast. Plus, it’s so good it’s been proven to cause longings.
Eating responsibly is about so much more than “eating healthy.” It’s just as important to eat food you enjoy. If you crave cheesecake, eat cheesecake. If you want to opt for the more head of cauliflower, eat cauliflower.
After all, living to 2050 isn’t worth much if you aren’t happy.
24. Why does the author begin to eat vegetables?
A. The author always adores them. B. The author follows the trend.
C. The author wants to pass the exams. D. The author thinks it benefits environment.
25. How does the author probably enjoy vegetables?
A. The author eats raw vegetables. B. The author toasts vegetables.
C. The author boils vegetables. D. The author dresses up to eat vegetables.
26. What can we infer about the author from the passage?
A. He may be an artist. B. He may be a cook. C. He may be a student. D. He may be a clerk.
27. What is the tone of the author in writing the article?
A. Humorous. B. Critical. C. Confused. D. Ambiguous.
C
"Allez," caretaker Bernard Nsangu shouts in French as he gets ready to distribute a morning snack. Bonobos (倭黑猩猩) nearby tell their friends in the forest that pineapple is coming. Soon, more than a dozen bonobos have gathered near the grassy edge of their enclosure. With chimpanzees, the expectation of food can lead to aggression. But bonobos take a different approach, says Suzy Kwetuenda, a biologist at Lola. As you see, there is many negotiation," she says. "So that makes peace."
This sort of harmony is why, for more than a decade, scientists from around the world have been coming to this reserve just outside Kinshasa, along the banks of the Lukaya River. The researchers think bonobos may help explain how humans evolved the ability to be nice–at least some of the time.
Bonobos look like smallish chimpanzees, with whom they share 99.6% of their DNA. And both of these great apes share 98.7% of their DNA with humans, making them our closest living relatives.
What intrigues scientists is that bonobos and chimps often behave very differently, despite their genetic similarity. What's more, human behavior seems to include aspects of both species.
One way that bonobos differ from other great apes is in their eagerness to share, something that has been documented in experiments.
In one experiment, the scientists put two bonobos in next rooms. Then they gave one of the animals a plate of prized food, like bananas or apples, which have to be imported. The fruit plate was topped with a type of cream Kwetuenda calls "bonobo sauce." The bonobo with food was given a choice: eat alone, or use a special key to let in their neighbor.
"In our mind, we thought that because of nice food they would first eat," Kwetuenda says. "But we were surprised to see that roommate is more important than favorite food."
Later, the scientists repeated the experiment with three bonobos, one of whom was a stranger. This time, the bonobo with food usually shared with the stranger first, then invited the friend to join in.
28. What does the author want to tell us by the example in Paragraph 1?
A. Food makes chimps aggressive. B. Bonobos and chimps fight for food.
C. Bonobos and chimps get along well. D. Bonobos are in harmony with each other.
29. Why are scientists across the world interested in the reserve just outside Kinshasa?
A. To build a relationship between chimps and bonobos.
B. To have a better understanding of the life of bonobos.
C. To explore how human develop the capability to be kind.
D. To tell the difference between bonobos and human beings.
30. What does the underlined word “intrigues” in paragraph 4 most probably mean?
A. Interests. B. Annoys. C. Threatens. D. Thrills.
31. What did scientists find from the two experiments?
A. Bonobos were put in different rooms.
B. Bonobos were willing to share with others.
C. Bonobos were expected to enjoy food together.
D. Bonobos treated friends better than strangers.
D
An unopened letter that was mailed back in 1697 but never delivered has been read by researchers who have developed a way to virtually “unfold” sealed letter packages without having to actually break the seal.
The new technique, described in the journal Nature Communications, should allow historians to learn more about “letterlocking”, the practice of turning a flat sheet of paper with a written message into a tamper-resistant (防篡改) package.
Such security measures were an everyday part of life for centuries. “As we know, the gummed (涂胶的) envelope, wasn’t invented until the 1830s,” says Jana Dambrogio, a conservator with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Libraries.
Letterlocking hasn’t gotten much attention until recently, however, and in the past, the person who managed documents would open locked letters by simply cutting them. “What do we lose when we open the unopened?” asks Dambrogio, who was fascinated to learn of a 17th century postmaster’s trunk from The Hague in the Netherlands that contained 577 unopened letter packets.
Dambrogio and a team of researchers now say they’ve managed to read one of these unopened Renaissance letters, with the help of a medical scanner. “It was originally designed to study teeth. It’s this really high-resolution (高分辨率的) X-ray scanner,” says Amanda Ghassaei, who explains that the device can create a detailed three-dimensional X-ray image of a folded letter. Because the inks used back then contain a lot of metal, says Ghassaei, the writing “shows up as a very bright region on the scan, kind of like the way that your bone would show up really bright on an X-ray.”
The unopened 1697 letter from the postmaster’s trunk has an especially lovely folding pattern, says Dambrogio, even though the letter’s contents make it clear that it’s just an ordinary bit of family business.
“They revealed the text, which was wonderful. To do that without opening the letter is itself a sort of miracle, which I love,” says Brent Seales.
32. What do we know about “letterlocking”?
A. It was a way to write coded letters. B. It was only daily used by scholars.
C. It was applied to making envelops. D. It was used for a long time.
33. Why is X-ray scanner possible to read the unopened Renaissance letters?
A. Because the letter was written with inks containing a lot of metal.
B. Because the scanner can create a rough three-dimensional image.
C. Because the paper used to write the letter has a very bright region.
D. Because the scanner was first invented to check bone in hospitals.
34. What does Brent Seales think of Dambrogio’s work?
A. Impossible. B. Impressive. C. Ordinary. D. Questionable .
35. What may be the best title for the text?
A. Reading a Letter Without Opening It. B. Inventing a New Writing Technique.
C. Designing a New Medical Scanner. D. Discovering Unopened Letter Packets.

第二节 （共 5 小题，每小题 2 分，满分 10 分）
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，选项中有两项为多余选项。
Build True Self-Confidence from Within
For many, the teen years are filled with self-doubt, a questionable body image, and insecurities. If you are among them, I’m sure that you wish to be self-assured, filled with confidence. 36 . Here are some strategies that may help to develop life-long self-confidence in you.
Balance Self-Acceptance with Self-Improvement
Teens who struggle to master a skill may conclude that they’re complete failures. 37 . Or a teen who fails to make the volleyball team may decide she’ll never be good at sports. It is possible to accept your disadvantages while also striving to become better rather than label yourself as “failure”.
38
Join a new club, play a musical instrument, or find a part-time job. Mastering new skills will not only help you to feel better about yourself, it will make you better.
Make Good choices
Staying up late scrolling through social media on your phone, spreading a unpleasant rumor about a classmate, or skipping class to fit in with friends—these poor choices might be attractive in the moment but in the long run there will be consequences to face. 39 , it ruins your self-confidence. Making better choices will increase your confidence in your ability to make healthy decisions.
Develop Positive Self-Talk
If you’re always thinking things like, “I’m so ugly,” or “No one likes me,” you’ll be bound to feel bad about yourself. 40 . Reframe unreasonable thoughts like, “I’m going to fail because I’m dumb,” with something more realistic like, “I can pass math class if I work hard and put in some extra effort.”

A. Seek Positive Role Model
B. So develop healthy self-talk
C. Explore New Opportunities
D. If you do not have the ability to make decisions
E. The good news is that you can build your self-confidence
F. When you make bad choices against your own better judgment
G. A teen who has difficulty with math may decide she’s not smart

第三部分 英语知识运用 （共两节，满分 45）
第一节 完形填空（共 20 小题；每小题 1.5 分，满分 30 分）
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。

When I decided to leave my home country of Iran to pursue a Ph.D. in Canada, I hadn’t expected that communication would be an issue. In Farsi, I was a(n) 41 speaker. I had taken English lessons in my 20s and 42 well on the English test for university admission.
But soon after my 43 in the English-speaking world, I realized how wrong I was. Expressing myself in Farsi had been effortless, but now I had to be careful and deliberate. I needed to 44 and simultaneously (同时地) follow the conversation. I needed to 45 it into my native language, reflect and generate thoughts and ideas in 46 , and find the right English words and put them in the right order to 47 that response. I had a hard time remaining present and focused in 48 , because I was constantly thinking about what I would say next. I gradually turned inward and 49 , particularly when surrounded by native English speakers. And I worried about my future. 50 , effective communication in English is critical to being included and recognized in many academic and professional 51 .
Later, I 52 to say exactly what I meant in discussions over and over again. Suddenly, a simple idea 53 to me: why not 54 the discussion in writing, in an email to my colleagues? That small adjustment was a game changer, because writing gave me 55 to reflect and comfortably 56 my points in English. I made a 57 of sitting at my computer and putting my Farsi thoughts into English words, taking my time to 58 clear sentences with accurate vocabulary and 59 . Over time, this practice helped me simultaneously think and speak in English, as I do in my first language. I grew more 60 with oral communication, which revived my spirits.
With some efforts and a willing heart, my language obstacles have been overcome.
41. A. concrete B. effective C. detailed D. considerate
42. A. committed B. got C. scored D. explored
43. A. goal B. sight C. appearance D. arrival
44. A. eventually B. fluently C. randomly D. consciously
45. A. translate B. become C. transform D. speak
46. A. relief B. order C. response D. case
47. A. communicate B. answer C. receive D. doubt
48. A. texts B. conversations C. conducts D. actions
49. A. delighted B. passive C. thrilled D. passionate
50. A. Worse still B. In all C. In time D. After all
51. A. methods B. environments C. habitats D. operations
52. A. decided B. tended C. failed D. tried
53. A. referred B. objected C. occurred D. adapted
54. A. put on B. set down C. get through D. contribute to
55. A. time B. hope C. thought D. passion
56. A. convey B. accept C. seek D. persuade
57. A. training B. copy C. note D. practice
58. A. account B. discover C. make D. expose
59. A. pronunciation B. grammar C. idiom D. character
60. A. comfortable B. curious C. disappointed D. concerned



第二节 (共10小题; 每小题1. 5分，满分15分)
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。
After the Lantern Festival, the following joyous celebration in China’s traditional festival calendar is the Huazhao Festival, a traditional flower festival.
With a history of over 2,000 years, the Huazhao Festival 61 (hold) in celebration of the flower goddesses' birthday. Since the climate 62 (vary) in different parts of China, people hold 63 (celebrate) on the second,12th, or 15th day of February in the Chinese lunar calendar.
According 64 ancient beliefs, the flower goddesses controlled the reproduction of mankind. Due to the primitive lifestyle and agriculture-dominated economy, people held that the more members a family has, the 65 (merry). Thus, it later became a custom to celebrate the birthday of the flower goddesses for prosperity.
Once as significant 66 the Lantern Festival and Mid-autumn Festival, the Huazhao Festival has undergone stages of thriving, declining and restoring. Nowadays an increasing number of people in various parts of China have begun to celebrate this flower festival again, some of 67 , dressed in Hanfu, a type of traditional Chinese clothing, perform a series of ceremonies.
68 (offer) sacrifices, including incense, flowers, wine or fruits, to flower goddesses for good luck was a great event for people in many places. Flower growers dedicated sacrifices to the flower goddesses to beg 69 (them) protection. Spring outings during the Huazhao Festival were popular in ancient China. Since the festival is in early spring, it is exactly the time 70 （have)an outing to enjoy springtime’s floral finery.
第四部分 写作 （共两节 满分35分）
第一节 短文改错（10分）
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：在错的词下划一横线，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。
Dear Peter,
I came to see you but you were out. I’d like to invite you to seeing Beijing Opera with me next week, because you have always want to know more about Chinese culture since the first day to China. As matter of fact, Beijing Opera with a history of nearly 200 years are a form of traditional Chinese theatre play. The performer in colorful costumes perform various stories what happened in history to audience by singing and dancing. I can tell you more about them when we meet. Please let me to know when you will be free and I will buy the tickets on advance. I sincere hope that you can accept my invitation.
Yours,
Li Hua
第二节 书面表达 (满分25分)
有人说成功靠的是努力;有的人说成功靠的是机会; 你觉得呢？请以“Hard Work Or Opportunity”为题，写一篇短文。
注意：1.词数100左右；2.短文题目已为你写好。
Hard Work Or Opportunity


江西省重点中学协作体2021届高三第二次联考
英语答案
一、 听力
1-5 BCCAB 6-10 BBCAC 11-15 AABCA 16-20 ABBCA
二、阅读理解
21-23 CDB 24-27 DBCA 28-31 DCAB 32-35 DABA
36-40 EGCFB
三、完形
41-45 BCDDA 46-50 CABBD 51-55 BCCDA 56-60 ADCBA
四、语法填空
61. is held 62. varies 63. celebration(s) 64. to 65. merrier
66. as 67. whom 68. Offering 69. their 70. to have
五、短文改错
I came to see you but you were out. I’d like to invite you to seeing Beijing Opera with me next
see
week, because you have always want to know more about Chinese culture since the first day
wanted
to China. As ∧ matter of fact, Beijing Opera with a history of nearly 200 years are a form
a is
of traditional Chinese theatre play. The performer in colorful costumes perform various stories
performers
what happened in history to audience by singing and dancing. I can tell you more about them
that/which it
when we meet. Please let me to know when you will be free and I will buy the tickets on advance.
in
I sincere hope that you can accept my invitation.
sincerely


六、作文
Hard Work Or Opportunity
Sometimes, a lucky person may achieve great success without corresponding efforts because of a good opportunity, while other people may have to work very hard before accomplishing a tiny achievement. However, I firmly believe opportunity favors those who are well prepared by working hard.
As we all know, it is hard work that is fundamental to any achievement. If we do not have proper opportunity in a certain period of time, we may nourish one by working hard sooner or later. However, if you do have an opportunity out of luck, you maybe not well prepared to grasp that opportunity to achieve anything and facing the opportunity, you may simply be at a loss what to do.
To sum up, working hard is more essential than opportunity to success.


听力录音
Text 1
M: When did you begin to write in your spare time?
W: About four years ago, ever since I finished middle school.
Text 2
W: I feel horrible. Daisy was angry with me because I lost her notes. Do you think I should apologize again?
M: If I were you, I’d let her calm down for a few days before approaching her.
W: Maybe you’re right.
Text 3
M: Good afternoon, Lucy. Long time no see.
W: Yes, Peter. How are you?
M: Fine. Are you still teaching at the school?
W: Not since last May. My husband and I went into business together as soon as he left politics.
Text 4
W: Do you walk to work every day?
M: No, it’s too far to walk. There is a bus going right by my house. But when it rains or when the bus is crowded, I do wish I had a car.
Text 5
M: Maria, do you think it’s useful to study English abroad?
W: Certainly. But it costs too much. In fact, if we do our best, we can also become great English speakers in our country.
Text 6
W: Welcome to Wembley!
M: Pleased to meet you, Mrs Frost!
W: Please call me Diana. Now let me show you your room and then we can have a nice cup of tea. Or would you prefer coffee?
M: Thanks. Either is OK.
W: This is your bedroom. There’s a nice view of the football stadium and here’s a little desk where you can study. The bathroom is just opposite the door.
M: This looks nice and comfortable. Do you have any rules here?
W: Yes. Pets are not allowed here and loud noises are forbidden after 10 p.m.
Text 7
W: Hi, Richard. How handsome you are in the overcoat!
M: Thank you. I am very glad to hear that.
W: I like your new overcoat. It looks really expensive. Where did you get it? In that brand coat shop in the mall?
M: Well, no, I didn’t. I got it in the market, where there are many clothes, from shin to shirt, from jacket to coat. I can’t afford a brand coat. After all, I am just an office clerk.
W: You are too modesty. Everyone knows your family has had a lot of money.
M: I don’t want to get money from them. I must depend on myself.
Text 8
M: Martha, did you hear about the storm that is happening in the south of the country ?
W: Yes, how could I not hear about it? It’s all over the news.
M: But have you heard about Martin Harris?
W: No. Who is that?
M: Well, his story is in today’s paper. Listen: “Trouble in the south as rain continues to fall and the water continues to rise. One man fights not only for his life but for others as well. Martin Harris is a local man who owns a small boat. With water levels rising above the tops of most houses in the area, people are in great danger. Harris has been using his boat to go around and help people in need. He picks them up in his boat and takes them to safety. His actions are winning praise from people all over the country. If any of you readers find yourselves stuck in flood, the best advice is to try to get to a high, dry place before the water gets too high. If you cannot swim, find something that floats and hold on until you are found.”
W: Wow, Martin Harris is an amazing man.
M: We can all learn a lesson from him.
W: I think I will write him a letter to thank him for his service.
M: That is a great idea. I am sure he will appreciate that.
Text 9
W: Welcome to the Self-study Language Lab.
M: What can we do in the language lab?
W: Some students like to listen to recordings, but I think it’s better to use the lab for speaking practice.
M: Yes, I need to practice my pronunciation.
W: Then try this recording. It has all the English sounds that are difficult for Spanish speakers.
M: Can I take a copy of the recording home?
W: No, I’m sorry! We like all the material to stay in the language lab. The machines here are special. They play the teachers’ voice and record the students’ voice in another file at the same time. You can’t do that with most MP5 players.
M: What other types of speaking practice can we do?
W: Well, the grammar practice is very useful at your level.
M: Do we have books? How many exercises should I do?
W: Yes. The books are over there. It’s best to repeat just one or two exercises every day. Record and play back your answers several times. Try to do better each time.
Text 10
There are several ways you can find out the countries and places you wish to visit. You can talk to friends who have traveled to the places. Or you can go and see a color film about them. Or you can read travel books.
It would seem that there are three kinds of travel books. The first are those that give a personal, subjective account of travels, which the author has actually made himself. If they are informative and have a good index, then they can be useful to you when you are planning your travels. The second kind is those books whose purpose is to give a purely objective description of things to be done and seen. If a well-read, cultured person has written such a book, then it is even more useful. It can be classified as a selective guidebook. The third kind is those books which are called “a guide” to some place or other. If they are good, they will, in addition to their factual information, give an analysis or an interpretation. Like the first kind they can be inspiring and entertaining. But their primary function is to assist the reader who wishes to plan in the most practical way.
Whatever kind of travel book you choose, you must make sure that it does not describe everything as “marvelous ”, “fabulous” or “magical”. You must also note its date of publication because travel is a very practical affair and many things change quickly in the 21st century. Finally, you should make sure that the contents are well presented and easy to find.