Put your car keys away and forget about your travel pass — it's time to do a bit of walking.

National Walking Month is organized every May by Living Streets, an organization that campaigns for the rights and the needs of pedestrians — indeed, the organization was previously known as the Pedestrians' Association. The association's aim is to make streets safe, attractive and enjoyable spaces for people to live, work, shop and play. By putting people (rather than vehicles) first, Living Streets wants to create streets and spaces where people feel happier, healthier and more sociable.

The annual campaign gives participants a great opportunity to experience the many virtues(优点)of walking. These include the physical health benefits of becoming fitter; the environmental advantages of not using vehicles(车辆); the joy of local discoveries seeing more of your local area on foot; the enjoyment of walking with other people, whether family, friends or work colleagues and finally the stress relief that comes from walking—walking can clear your head.

Walk to School Week, 19 to 24 May, is part of the month's activities and its aim is to encourage parents to send children to school on foot, rather than take them in the car or let them use public transport. The movement was started in 1995 with only five participating schools and now two decades later, more than one million children take part.

Similarly, there is Walk to Work Week, 12 to 16 May, where grown-ups are encouraged to walk. In the morning, getting off the bus a stop early or parking a few streets away is a good way to add more steps to the daily total. And during the working day, rather than having lunch at the desks or in the canteen, take a walk and get some fresh air. Walk home with your workmates and chat away about everything under the sun but work!

1.Living Streets is working to ________.

A. help people living in the street

B. build safer walkways for pedestrians

C. help people walk in the street and enjoy life

D. make people aware of environmental pollution

2.Paragraph 3 is intended to show that walking is ________.

A. so interestingB. very relaxing

C. perfectly safeD. highly beneficial

3.Walk to School Week ________.

A. is organized by the government

B. is held before Walk to Work Week

C. has developed rapidly over the last 20 years

D. encourages students to walk to school alone

4.What's the text mainly about?

A. The Pedestrians' Association.

B. A nationwide health movement.

C. The influence of walking on life.

D. National Walking Month’s history.

Editor: Today our topic is part-time job. Are they good for school children or not?

Headmaster: Certainly not. Children have got two full-time jobs already: growing up and going to school. Part-time jobs make them so tired that they fall asleep in class.

Mrs. White: I agree. I know school hours are short, but there’s homework as well, and children need a lot of sleep.

Mr. White: Young children, perhaps some boys, stay at school until they’re eighteen or nineteen. A part-time job can’t harm them. In fact, it’s good for them. They earn their pocket money instead of asking their parents for it. And they see something of the world outside school.

Businessman: You’re quite right. Boys learn a lot from a part-time job. And we mustn’t forget that some families need the extra money. If the pupils didn’t take part-time jobs, they couldn’t stay at school.

Editor: Well, we have got two for, and two against. What do our readers think?

1.Who have the same opinion?

A. Headmaster and Mrs. White.

B. Editor and Mr. White .

C. Mr. and Mrs. White.

D. Businessman and Headmaster.

2.Mrs. White thinks the young children maybe ________.

A. need to stay at school until they are eighteen or nineteen

B. need to have some pocket money

C. should see something of the world outside school

D. need to have a lot of sleep

3. What does the editor think of part-time jobs?

A. They can help students from poor families.

B. They are good for school children.

C. They cannot harm school children.

D. We are not told.

The best UK cottages for Christmas and New Year

Victorian gatehouse, County Antrim

It’s a solid little Victorian gatehouse outside Ballycastle. It has an association with Irish nationalist Roger Casement. Close to the Causeway Coast, the closest beach is five minutes’ drive away. It is a good choice for those who want to avoid stairs, since all the main rooms are on the ground floor.

Sleeps 2 adults + 2 children, £730 a week at Christmas or New Year (three nights from £389), 353 1 670 4733, irishlandmark.com

Lindisfarne retreat, Northumberland

It is located in a peaceful island, where a priory (修道院) was built 1,400 years ago. Guests at Coastguard’s Cottage, the latest addition to English Heritage’s portfolio (代表作品集)of holiday houses, can explore the priory ruins. The attractive whitewashed house is decorated with calming tones and contemporary furnishings and has views of Lindisfarne Castle.

Sleeps 6, £1,600 a week from 19 Dec, 0370 333 1187, english-heritage.org.uk

Wildlife sanctuary, East Sussex

It sits on a 350-acre private nature reserve. Surrounded by woodlands, wetlands and wild meadows, it’s a heaven for wildlife. You might meet a few animals on a walk around the reserve. Built by local craftsmen using natural materials, it is a light-filled living space with huge windows, a woodburner (燃炉) and other essential for winter evenings — a home cinema system.

Sleeps 6, £1,430 a week from 29 Dec, 01580 720770 kentandSussexcottages.co.uk

Farmhouse kitchen, Suffolk

In snowy winter, the quiet 16th-century cottage near Stowmarket is like a perfect picture on Christmas cards. The inside is also appealing, with a big farmhouse kitchen, antique furniture, comfortable carpets and an impressive fireplace. A good selection of films, music and books are provided. Approached via a single track lane, the cottage sits in three acres of wild meadow, surrounded by plenty of farmland.

Sleeps 5, £1,003 a week from 30 Dec (three nights £725), 01787 211115, grove-cottages.co.uk

1.How much will be charged if a couple with two children stay in Victorian gatehouse for a week at Christmas?

A. £389.B. £730.C. £1,430.D. £1,600.

2.Who will probably book the cottage in Northumberland?

A. Disabled people in a wheelchair.

B. Those who want to explore some ruins.

C. Those who are interested in wildlife.

D. Those who enjoy the scenery of farmland.

3.Which cottage will you be advised to book if you are a zoologist?

A. Victorian gatehouse, County Antrim.

B. Lindisfarne retreat, Northumberland.

C. Wildlife sanctuary, East Sussex.

D. Farmhouse kitchen, Suffolk.

4.If you want to book Farmhouse kitchen in Suffolk, you can go to the website _______.

A. irishlandmark.com

B. english-heritage.org.uk

C. kentandsussexcottages.co.uk

D. grove-cottages.co.uk

A great French writer says that we should help everyone as much as possible because we often need help ourselves. The small even can help the great. Then he tells a simple story. An ant is drinking at a small stream and falls in. She tries to reach the side but makes no progress at all. The poor ant, almost exhausted, is still doing her best when a bird sees her. Moved with pity the bird throws a blade of grass into the water. It supports(支撑) the ant like a boat, and the ant reaches the bank. When she is having a rest in the grass, she sees a man walking along barefooted and carrying a gun in his hand. He wants to kill the bird nearby. When he raises his gun to fire, the ant bites him in the foot. So he stops to look down and the bird flies away quickly. It is an animal much weaker and smaller than herself that has saved her life.

1.According to the French writer, we often need help from others, so we should ________.

A. not help others

B. help those who may be helpful to us

C. get as much help as we can

D. help others as much as possible

2.The ant finally got on the bank ________.

A. when the water pushed her

B. with the help of a piece of wood

C. with the help of a piece of grass

D. when the bird reached out a leg for it

3.The French writer tells the story in order to show ________.

A. how an ant saved a bird

B. how brave the ant was

C. how clever the ant was

D. even the small can help the great

4.Though the poor ant was too tired, she ________.

A. lost hopeB. stopped trying

C. stopped to restD. didn’t give up

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