To be sure, only children experienced some things differently from those with sisters and brothers. Many feel more pressure to succeed. In the absence of brothers and sisters, only children also tend to look more exclusively to their parents as role models.

In India, 10-year-old Saviraj Sankpal founded a support group for the tiny minority of only children. Among other things, the group does volunteer work to counter the myth that they are not responsible. “People think we’re treated too kindly and ruined,” says Sankpal, a computer engineering student. “But I’d like to remind them how lonely it can get.”

Most only children, however, say they wish for sisters or brothers only when it comes to caring for aging, unhealthy parents. Britain’s David Emerson, coauthor of the book The Only Child, says that such a person bears a terrible burden in having to make all the decisions alone. Emerson knows from experience: After his father died, he chose to move his elderly mother from their family home, where she was vulnerable(易受攻击的) to house breakers, to a new one with more security. “The move was quite hard on her, and she might feel that I pushed her into it,” he says. “After all, I am left with that responsibility.”

In the future, more and more only children will likely face similar choices. With working mothers increasingly the rule, many families are finding they simply don’t have the time, money or energy to have more than one child. As only children become common, perhaps the world will realize that the charge made against them is unjust.

1.It can be inferred from the passage that the author’s attitude towards only children is 　　　. 

A. critical          B. objective       C. hostile     D. unjust

2.It can be inferred from the passage that only children’s parents should 　　　.

A. find a support group for their only children

B. do volunteer work to help their only children

C. let their only children make all the decision alone

D. set good examples for their only children

3.Emerson decided to move his elderly mother to a new house because he 　　　.

A. is the only one who cares about her

B. doesn’t want to leave her alone

C. wants to share the responsibility with her

D. is worried about her safety

4.It is quite usual now for a working mother to 　　　.

A. spend all her time and money on her only child

B. be responsible for bringing up her only child

C. have and bring up only one child

D. devote all her energy to her job

　　Escaping a fire is a serious matter, knowing what to do during a fire can save a life. It is important to know the way you can use and show them to everyone in the family, such as stairs and lire escapes, but not lifts. From the lower floors of building, escape through windows is possible. Learn tile best way of leaving by window with the least chance of serious injury.

　　The second floor window is usually not very high from the ground. A person of average height, hanging by the fingertips will have a drop of about 6 feet to the ground. It is about the height of an average man. Of course, it is safer to jump a short way than to stay in a burning building.

　　Windows are also very useful when you are waiting for help. Be sure to keep the door closed before opening the window. Otherwise, smoke and fire may be drawn into the room. Keep your head low at the window to be sure you get enough fresh air rather than smoke that may have leaked into the room.

　　On a second or third floor, the best windows for escape are those which open onto a roof. From the roof a person can drop to the ground more safely. Dropping onto the cement might end in injury. Bushes and grass can help to break a fall.

(1) Which of the following people seldom use when trying to escape a fire?

[　　]

(2) How far from the ground is the second floor window?

[　　]

A．About 12 feet.

B．About 3 feet.

C．Nearly 10 feet.

D．About theheight of an average man.

(3) According to the passage, windows are_______ of escaping a fire.

[　　]

A．the only way

B．the best way

C．safer than any other ways

D．one of the many possible ways

(4) The writer tells us that________.

[　　]

A．breathing in smoke might be harmful

B．smoke will enter the room by an open window

C．fresh air can't reach the second floor

D．to keep your head low will help you escape a fire

(5) If you are on the ground floor when a fire break out, you'd better drop________.

[　　]

A．directly onto the ground

B．first onto a roof and then onto the cement

C．first onto a roof and then onto bushes or grass

D．onto the cement rather than bushes or grass

BRITAIN is a popular tourist place, but tours of the country have pros and cons.

GOOD NEWS

Free museums. No charge for outstanding collections of art and antiquities.

Pop music. Britain is the only country to compete with the US on this score.

Black cabs. London taxi drivers know where they are going even if there are never enough of them at weekends or night.

Choice of food. Visitors can find everything from Japanese to Swedish restaurants.

Fashion. Not only do fashion junkies love deeply and respect highly brand names such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen; street styles are justly loved, too.

　　BAD NEWS

　　Poor service. “It’s part of the image of the place. People can dine out on the rudeness they have experienced,” says Professor Tony Seaton, of Luton University’s International Tourism Research Center.

　　Poor public transport. Trains and buses are promised to disappoint the keenest tourists, although the over crowded London tube is unbelievably popular.

　　Rain. Still in the number one complaint.

　　No air-conditioning. So that even splendidly hot summers become as unbearable as the downpours.

　　Overpriced hotels. The only European country with a higher rate of tax on hotel rooms is Denmark.

Licensing hours. Alcohol(酒) is in short supply after 11 pm even in “24-hour cities”.

What do tourists complain most?

A. Poor service.        　　                B. Poor public transport.

C. Rain.            　　                    D. Overpriced hotels.

What do we learn about pop music in Britain and the US through this passage?

A. Pop music in Britain is better than that in the US.

B. Pop music in Britain is as good as that in the US.

C. Pop music in Britain is worse than that in the US.

D. Pop music in Britain is quite different from that in the US.

When is alcohol unlikely to be available in quantities?

　 A. At 8: 30 pm.     B. At 9: 30 pm.         C. At 10: 30 pm.        D. At 11: 30 pm.

Which of the following is true according to the passage?

　 A. The public transport is poor there.

　 B. It’s very cheap to travel by taxi there.

　 C. You cannot find Chinese food there.

D. You have to pay to visit the museums.