How often one hears children wishing they were grown-ups and old people wishing they were young again. Each age has its pleasures and its pains, and the happiest person is the one who enjoys what each age gives him without wasting his time in useless regrets.

     Childhood is a time when there are few responsibilities to make life difficult. If a child has good parents, he is fed, looked after and loved, whatever he may do. It is impossible that he will ever again in his life be given so much without having to do anything in return. In addition, life is always presenting new things to the child — things that have lost their interest for older people because they are too well-known. But a child has his parents. He is not so free to do what he wishes to do; he is continually being told not to do things or being punished for what he has done wrong.

When the young man starts to earn his own living, he can no longer expect others to pay for his food, his clothes, and his room, but has to work if he wants to live comfortably. If he spends most of his time playing about in the way that he used to as a child, he will go hungry. And if he breaks the laws of society as he used to break the laws of his parents, he may go to prison. If, however, he works hard, keeps out of trouble and has good health, he can have the great happiness of building up for himself his own position in society.

According to the second paragraph, the writer thinks that __.

    A. life for a child is comparatively easy

    B. a child is always loved whatever he does

    C. if much is given to a child, he must do something in return

    D. only children are interested in life

After a child grows up, he __.

    A. will have little time playing

    B. has to be successful in finding a job

    C. can still ask for help in time of trouble

    D. should be able to take care of himself

The underlined word "responsibilities" in the second paragraph means__________.

    A. duties      B. jobs       C. suggestions     D. desires

The main idea of the passage is _________ .

    A. life is not enjoyable since each age has some pains

    B. young men can have the greatest happiness if they work hard

C. childhood is the most enjoyable time in one's life

D. one is the happiest if he can make good use of each age in his life

Since 1984, Philadelphia has been cleaning up its act. One by one, graffiti(涂鸦)-covered walls are being changed into outdoor art. So far, more than 1,800 murals (壁画) have been painted. Philadelphia now has more murals than any other American city.
The walls that were once ugly with graffiti are now covered with beautiful pictures of historical heroes and modern art, thanks to the Mural Arts Program (MAP). Its work makes schools and public places attractive, and its citizens are very proud. The program began as part of Philadelphia's Anti-Graffiti Network. Jane Golden is the MAP's artistic director. "When people ask me what our program is about," she says, "I answer them with one word: hope." Each year, the MAP offers youth art programs and workshops. Some one-time graffiti writers even help paint MAP murals.
The MAP's work, says Golden, is all about developing a sense of community (社区). When a neighborhood requests a mural, the MAP works with the people there to develop a message. Some messages have been "Safe Streets," "Love and Care," and "Peace Walk."
The MAP receives up to 50 requests for murals each week. Last year, the workers painted 140 murals.
"The making of a mural enters people's collective memory as an extraordinary, pleasant moment in neighborhood history" says Golden, who began as a muralist in Los Angeles.
【小题1】What is the Mural Arts Program in Philadelphia aimed at?

A.Helping the young find jobs.B.Protecting the neighborhood.
C.Fighting against graffiti.D.Attracting more visitors.
【小题2】How does the MAP decide on the message for a mural?
A.By having discussions with people in the community.
B.By seeking advice from the city government.
C.By learning from the young graffiti writers.
D.By studying the history of the city.
【小题3】 Which of the following words best describes the work of the MAP?
A.Difficult.B.Dangerous.C.ExperimentalD.Successful.

Traffic TV
Avoid the jams — see where tailbacks are before you set off and while on the move. Traffic TV is free to use on your personal computer and only £4 per month (see below for other network charges) on your mobile.
How does it work?
Over 7,500 Trafficmaster cameras monitor traffic flow on over 8,000 miles of motorways and roads across the UK keeping you up to date 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Traffic TV on your mobile
This downloadable application lets you see where jams are building up, the speed of vehicles at hotspots, and live pictures from thousands of roadside cameras.
Traffic TV is £4 a month for Orange mobile customers, after a 30 day free trial. On other networks Traffic TV is £5 a month, after a 7 day free trial.
Listen to live traffic news
Don’t want the download? Then simply dial the numbers below from your mobile to hear the latest traffic updates.
*Orange mobile users call 177 (calls cost up to 55p a minute)
*Other mobile users call 1740 (calls cost up to 59p a minute)
Help friends avoid jams
Simply enter your friend’s email address to send them a link to this service.
【小题1】You may read this advertisement most probably ___________.

A.in a travel guideB.on a web page
C.on a road signD.in a newspaper
【小题2】How long may a customer use the service if his/her network is Orange and pays £20?
A.About 120 days.B.About 127 days.
C.Five months.D.Six months.
【小题3】What is the purpose of this advertisement?
A.To provide readers with live traffic information.
B.To help Orange customers to avoid traffic jam.
C.To attract mobile users to buy Traffic TV service.
D.To explain how Traffic TV and live traffic news work.
【小题4】How can users get live traffic information?
A.By telephone or through Internet.
B.By watching a TV programme.
C.By listening to the radio report.
D.By 7,500 Trafficmaster cameras.

You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better—or for the worse?

If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.

So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.

Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的). The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.

Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.

Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.

To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening—in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed—and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers.

But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got. 

1.After a short overseas holiday, people tend to _______.

A. notice small changes

B. expect small changes

C. welcome small changes

D. exaggerate small changes

2.How does Debi look at the foreign settlers?

A. Cautiously.

B. Positively.

C. Sceptically.

D. Critically.

3.When arriving at the airport in Britain, Christine was shocked by _______.

A. the relaxed policemen

B. the messy arrivals hall

C. the tight security

D. the bank robbers

4.Which might be the best title for the passage?

A. Life in Britain.

B. Back in Britain.

C. Britain in Future.

D. Britain in Memory.

 

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