Until late in the 20th century，most Americans spent time with people of different generations．Now middle-aged Americans may not keep in touch with old people until they are old themselves．

　　That's because we group people by age．We put our three-year-olds together in day-care centers，our 13-year-olds in schools and sports activities，and our 80-year-olds in senior-citizen homes．Why？

　　We live away from the old for many reasons．Young people sometimes keep away from the old to free themselves from fears of aging and dying．It is much harder to watch someone we love disappear before our eyes．Sometimes it's so hard that we stay away from the people who need us the most．

Fortunately，some of us have found our way to the old．And we have discovered that they often save the young．

　　A reporter moved her family into a block filled with old people．At first her children were disappointed．But the reporter baked banana bread for the neighbours and had her children deliver it and visit them．Soon the children had many new friends，with whom they shared food，stories and projects．“My children have never been less lonely，”the reporter said．

　　The young，in turn，save the old．Once I was in a rest home（养老院）when a visitor showed up with a baby，who was immediately surrounded．People who hadn't gotten out of bed in a week suddenly were ringing for a wheelchair．Even those who had seemed asleep woke up to watch the child．Babies have all astonishing power to comfort and cure．

　　Grandparents are a special case．They give their grandchildren a feeling of security and continuity．As my husband put it，“My grandparents gave me a deep sense that things would turn out right in the end．”Grandchildren speak of attention they don't get from worried parents．“My parents were always telling me to hurry up，and my grandparents told me to slow down，”one friend said．A teacher told me she can tell which children have relationships with grandparents：they are quieter，calmer and more trusting．

1．Now in an American family，people can find that________．

A．children never live with their parents

B．not all working people live with their parents

C．aged people are supported by their grandchildren

D．grandchildren are supported by their grandparents

2．The reason that old people are left alone may be that________．

A．the old don't like to live in a big family

B．the young can't get enough money to support the old

C．different generations have different ways of living

D．the old are too weak to live with the young

3．The fact the reporter told us shows that________．

A．old people in America lead a hard life

B．old people in America enjoy banana bread

C．she had no time to take care of her children

D．old people are easy to get along with

4．Why are some children quieter，calmer and more trusting？

A．Because they have relationships with their grandparents．

B．Because their worried parents ask them to act like that．

C．Because they have nothing to worry about．

D．Because their teachers ask them to act like that．

　　The world's first subway was built in London in 1863．At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London．The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages（the taxis of those days） to get through．The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day．If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work，they would move their homes outside of the city．This would help ease the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London．From these problems，the idea of the London Underground，the first subway system，was born．

　　The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays，but the first track was finally opened in January 1863．A steam train pulled the cars along the first underground track which was six kilometers（3．7 miles）long．About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day．Riders were treated to comfortable seats（standing up while the train was moving was not allowed），and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars．However，the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the man-made underground passages with ash and soot，as well as chemical gases．Fans had to be put in the underground passages later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe．Even with its problems，riding the Underground did catch on．It carried nine million riders in its first year．

　　Modern subways have come a long way since the early days of the London Underground．Today there are 94 large underground rapid transit（运输）systems around the world．The busiest of these subway systems is the Tokyo Metro which opened in 1927．This efficient subway has two billion riders per year，and“pushers”work on the platforms during busy traffic hours to help push riders onto trains．At times，subway cars have been packed with up to 300 people！Large shopping centres built in high traffic stations where riders move from one train to another have also helped the popularity of subways in Tokyo．Stations like the famous Ginza Sugo Eki（Ginza Consolidated Station）include underground department stores，supermarkets and restaurants．Shoppers never have to go above ground！

1．What problems led the British government to build the London Underground？

A．Overcrowding and traffic jams．

B．Pollution and overcrowding．

C．Traffic jams and pollution．

D．The subway problems．

2．What was one major problem with the first subway？

A．The subway cars were too small．

B．Ticket prices were too high．

C．The subway was too slow．

D．Riding the subway was unhealthy．

3．The last paragraph is mainly about ________．

A．the London Underground today

B．subways around the world

C．problems with subways

D．the Tokyo subway

4．The underlined phrase“catch on”most probably means ________．

A．exist

B．become popular

C．keep up with

D．seize

　　There is an English saying：“Laughter is the best medicine．”Until recently，few people took the saying seriously．Now，however，doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body．They have found that laughter really can improve people's health．

　　Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body．People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart，blood pressure，breathing and muscles．It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise．It increases blood pressure，the heart beating and breathing．It also works several groups of muscles in the face，the stomach，and even the feet．If laughter exercises the body，it must be beneficial．

　　Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body．In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes．The group that tolerated the pain for the longest time was the one which listened to a funny programme．The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both pressure and pain．

　　As a result of these discoveries，some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics，in which they help to improve their patients' condition by encouraging them to laugh．They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing，making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter．

1．Doctors have proved the following EXCEPT that ________．

A．smiling does good to health

B．laughter can be tolerated

C．there is a way to reduce pain

D．langhter can work the muscles in the feet

2．The students who tolerated the pain for the longest time________．

A．listened to different radio programmes

B．could produce a kind of chemical

C．don't have pressure or pain

D．listened to a funny programme

3．The underlined word“diminish”is similar to ________ in meaning．

A．test

B．stop

C．reduce

D．increase

4．Doctors hold laughter clinics to ________．

A．give better condition to their patients

B．improve patients' health

C．make patients smile

D．prove smile and laughter have the same effect

　　On Christmas Eve a few years ago an English couple received a very special telephone call．It was only a 20-second call but it was very important．The Haydens' 15-year-old daughter had disappeared six months before．On Christmas Eve she rang them．“I'm phoning to wish a happy Christmas，”she said，“I love you．”

　　Ronals and Edwine Hayden were so happy that they started a special telephone service called“Alive and Well”．The service helps parents to get in touch with children who have run away from home．

　　Young people can phone “Alive and Well” and leave a message for their parents．The telephones are answered by answering machines．So no one can speak to the child or make him return home．Parents of runaway children who are under eighteen can ask the police to bring their children home．So children do not want to tell their parents where they are．Through“Alive and Well” they can telephone their parents without worrying about this or giving out their addresses．

　　The Haydens and their helpers write down the tape recorded telephone messages and connect the addresses given．Many of the 30，000 British teenagers who have left home are probably in London．

　　For only two pence they can go into a telephone coin box and call their parents．They can dial 5675339 and stop a parent's worry：is he dead or alive？

1．The Haydens' daughter rang her parents________．

A．because she knew she had done something wrong

B．in order to give them her address

C．to say she was coming home soon

D．in order to comfort her worried parents

2．At“Alive and Well”the messages are received by________．

A．a telephone service

B．a group of helpers

C．policemen

D．a tape recorder

3．If you ring“Alive and Well”，________．

A．you will get the information you want

B．your message will be passed over to your parents

C．your information will be kept a secret

D．your parents will know where you are

4．Through“Alive and Well”，parents of runaway children________．

A．often fail to persuade their children to return home

B．know nothing from their children except their addresses

C．can say nothing to their children

D．can ask the police to help them to find lost children