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。

　　It was Molly's job to hand her father his brown paper lunch bag each morning before he headed off to work．

　　One morning, in addition to his usual lunch bag, Molly handed him a second paper bag．This one was worn and held together with staples(书钉)．

　　“Why two bags?”Her father asked．“The other is something else,”Molly answered．“What's in it?”“Just some stuff(东西)．Take it with you．”

　　Not wanting to discuss the matter, he put both sacks into his briefcase, kissed

Molly and rushed off．At midday he opened Molly's bag and took out the contents：two hair ribbons, three small stones, a plastic dinosaur, a tiny sea shell, a small doll, and 13 pennies…The busy father smiled, finished eating, and swept the desk clean into the wastebasket, Molly's stuff included．

　　That evening, Molly ran up behind him as he read the paper．“Where's my bag?”“What bag?”“The one I gave you this morning．”“I left it at the office．Why?”“I forgot to put this note in it,”she said．“And, besides, Daddy, the things in the sack are the things I really like．I thought you might like to play with them．You didn't lose the bag, did you, Daddy?”“Oh, no,”he said, lying．“I just forgot to bring it home．I'll bring it tomorrow．”While Molly hugged her father's neck, he unfolded the note that read：“I love you, Daddy．”Molly had given him her treasures－all that a 7-year-old held dear．

　　Love in a paper bag, and he missed it－not only missed it, but had thrown it in the wastebasket．So back he went to the office．Just ahead of the night Janitor(看门人), he picked up the bag from the wastebasket．He put the treasure inside and carried it home carefully．The bag didn't look so good, but the stuff was all there and that's what counted．

　　After dinner, he asked Molly to tell him about the stuff in the sack．It took a long time to tell．Everything had a story or a memory．

　　“Sometimes I think of all the great times in this sweet life,”he thought．

　　We should all remember that it's not the destination that counts in life, but the journey．That journey with the people we love is all that really matters．It is such a simple truth but it is so easily forgotten．

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。

　　America is a country on the move．In unheard of number, people of all ages are exercising their way to better health．According to the latest figures, 59 percent of American adults exercise regularly－up 12 percent from just two years ago and more than double the figure of 25 years ago．Even non-exercisers believe they would be more attractive and confident if they were more attractive．

　　It is hard not to get the message．The advantage of physical fitness are shown on magazine covers, postage stamps, and television ads for everything from beauty soaps to travel books．Exercise as a part of daily life did not catch on until the 1960s when research by military doctors began to show the health benefits of doing regular physical exercises．Growing publicity for races held in American cities helped increase a strong interest in the ancient sport of running．Although running has leveled off in recent years as Americans have discovered equally rewarding－and something safer－forms of exercise, such as walking and swimming, running remains the most popular form of exercise．

　　As the popularity of exercise continues to increase, so does scientific evidence of its health benefits．The key to fitness is exercising the major muscle group strongly enough to double the heart rate and keep it doubled for 20 to 30 minutes at a time．Doing such physical exercises three times or more a week will produce considerable improvements in physical health in about three months．

请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　In general, people talk about two groups of colors： warm colors and cool colors．Researchers in psychology think that there are also two groups of people： people who prefer warm colors and people who prefer cool colors．

　　The warm colors are red, orange and yellow．Where there are warm colors and a lot of light, people usually want to be active．People think that red, for example, is exciting．Sociable people, those who like to be with others, like red．The cool colors are green, blue and violet．These colors, unlike warm colors, are relaxing．Where there are cool colors, people are usually quiet．People who like to spend time alone often prefer blue．

　　Red may be exciting, but one researcher says that time seems to pass more slowly in a room with warm colors than in a room with cool colors．He suggests that a warm color, such as red or orange is a good color for a living room or restaurant．People who are relaxing or eating do not want time to pass quickly．Cool colors are better for offices or factories if the people who are working there want time to pass quickly．

　　Researchers do not know why people think some colors are warm and other colors are cool．However, almost everyone agrees that red, orange, and yellow are warm and that green, blue, and violet are cool．Perhaps warm colors remind people of warm days and the cool colors remind them of cool days．Because in the north the sun is higher during summer, the hot summer sunlight appears yellow．

请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Alzheimer's disease is a major national health problem．Nearly 2 million Americans over the age of 65 have Alzheimer's disease．It is a leading cause of death among the elderly．But Alzheimer's disease is not confined(限于)to the aged．There may be a million or more people under the age of 65 suffering from the disease．

　　At one time, people suffering from the disease were said to be“getting old”．The disease was thought to be a natural part of growing old, but it is now known that Alzheimer's disease strikes young and old alike．It is an organic(器官的)disease that destroys brain cells．

　　Alzheimer's disease affects the patient's memory, speech, and movement．In the beginning stages of the disease, the patient may seem slightly confused．He may have trouble speaking．Then the patient's memory begins to fail．He may forget dates, telephone numbers, names and plans．

As the disease progresses, the patient may not recognize family and friends．These symptoms(症状)often cause terrible anxiety in the patient．He may feel lost and frightened．Sometimes the patient reacts with wild and bad behavior．

　　In the last stages of the disease, the patient may not be able to take care of himself．He may have lost the ability to speak and walk．

　　Scientists don't know exactly what causes Alzheimer's disease．It may caused by a virus．It may be caused by a poisonous substance in the environment．At present, there is no cure for the disease．But there are ways to slow its progress．Exercise and physical treatment can help the patients of this disease．

请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Edgar felt quite excited at the thought of his first swim of the summer．With the sun shining down so strongly, the sea was certain to be warm enough．He walked quickly along the sea-front towards the steps that led on to the sands．He smiled carefully at the passers．He had just smiled and raised his hat to an elderly lady when a man with a camera caught his arm and stopped him．Edgar heard a little buzzing noise from the camera．

　　“Your photograph, sir, in glorious color in just one moment if you please,”said the man in one breath．

　　Then the buzzing stopped, and he held the photograph in his hand and was waving it to and fro．In a moment he handed it over, and Edgar saw the bright blue splash(色斑)of his shirt half filling the picture．

　　“Seventy pence, sir,”the man said．“It's the bargain of your holiday．”

　　“Seventy pence,”Edgar repeated, mildly,“for this?”he stared at the photograph．

　　“They're normally eighty-five, sir, but for a single subject I make a cut-price offer．It's the best value you'll get in Chadwell．”“You'll have to make a better offer,”Edgar said．It was a good photo though, he thought, so bright and clear．His hat was held high, and he was smiling broadly to the old lady, whose arm and handbag came into a lower corner．He had had no idea that he was being snapped(快照)．He thought he was really quite a good-looking chap(小伙子)．

　　“That's as good as any studio job that would cost you pounds,”said the cameraman,“it's better in a way because it's so natural．Only seventy pence, sir．”

　　“I've never paid so much for a snap in my life．It simply isn't worth that kind of money．It's not as if I need the thing．Look, I'll give you twenty-five．”

　　“No, I can't do that．Each of these instant colour shot costs me 50P－that's the blank frame(结构), so you see…”

　　“Criminal, criminal,”Edgar broken in．“You want a profit(利润)of forty percent．Well, not at my expense, I'm afraid I'll give you your 50P and that's that．”

　　“Let me see, then．”The man suddenly took the photograph out of Edgar's hand．“I can't waste any more time with you．It's 70P or I keep it．”

　　“Keep it,”Edgar said．He turned, looked out to sea, then walked quickly away．

请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　The conflict over what or how much homework should be comes partly from the fact that people can't seem to agree on the purpose of homework．

　　What teachers think?

　　Some teachers think that homework is necessary to reinforce what is learned in school．And so they ask their students to memorize what was discussed in class through homework．

　　Some teachers think the point of homework is to cover the material that the class didn't have time to get to, so their homework is to let students learn additional things．

　　Other teachers like homework simply because they want students to form work habits and still others believe homework is necessary because it is the best way for parents to learn what their children do in school．

　　Parents' ideas．

　　But many parents seem to have different ideas．Elissa Cohen, who has twins at Lafayette Elementary School, doesn't like the fact that third-grade students in DC elementary schools are asked to write about 25 book summaries a year．“They do the same thing over and over without really getting into alternate(交替的)ways of thinking about books and thinking about reading and writing．”

　　Experts' opinions．

　　Some education reformers(改革者), such as Howard Gardner, a Harvard University professor well-known for his theory on multiple intelligence(智力), think that Cohen is on the right track．

But it is often hard to persuade overworked teachers to give much thought to homework tasks．

请阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

　　Football－called soccer in the United States－is probably the most popular sport in the world today．It has been popular for a long time．But many years ago each country had different rules for its own football game．

　　In 1863, a group of people met in England to change this．They wrote a set of rules for all countries to follow．They also planned for soccer teams from different countries to play against each other．The idea worked．These rules are the same today, more than 100 years later．

　　Now teams from many countries play to see which is the best．Soccer is so popular today that it is not unusual for 600 million people to watch a World Cup match on television．

　　How did the World Cup start?The soccer team from Uruguay won the Olympic championship in soccer in 1924 and 1928．That country decided to have the first World Cup games in Montevideo in 1930．These first games were not very successful．Only thirteen teams arrived to play and eight of them were from South America．It didn't seem like a world championship．The team from Uruguay won the Cup that first year．

　　“Dad!He took a book without paying!”I yelled(大叫)．My father looked surprised．Before the boy could say anything, his mother grabbed his arm and shook it．“Is it true?You stole?Tell me!”Everyone was quiet．The boy began to cry, and he nodded(点头)his head．He pulled out the comic book(漫画书)from under his shirt．“Oh, Mr Kim．I am sorry!My Ted made a big mistake!”Mrs Diaz told my father．She tried to take the comic book, but Ted wouldn't let go．“It's OK．He can keep it,”my father said with a smile．“Oh, no,”Mrs Diaz said．“Let me pay right now…”She dug in her purse．“How much?”“Three seventy-five．”

　　Mrs Diaz's eyes widened, and she dug deeper．I saw her mouth make a small line．“Three seventy-five?”she asked．

　　“It's OK．You can pay later,”my father said．“No,”Mrs Diaz said．She kept looking in her purse．“I have money here．”I felt bad for yelling, for I realized that Ted had tried to steal the comic book because he didn't have the money．Maybe the boy could have a job, I thought．I had an idea．“What if he worked with me?”I asked．They turned to me．I said,“He can work with me to pay for the comic book．”“Good,”my father said smiling at me．Mrs Diaz nodded．She turned to her son,“You hear?You will work and buy the comic book!”“Yes, Mama,”Ted said, hanging his head．

　　As they left, Ted looked back, and though he still seemed sad, he stuck out(伸出)tongue at me．

　　Ted has been working here for two weeks．He has paid for the comic book, but my father says he is such a good worker that he can work with me as long as he wants．We are friends now．

　　A youth lay in a bath of tomato juice during the“Tomatina”Tomato Fight in the town of Bunol, near Valencia, eastern Spain．

　　Tens of thousands of people took off their shorts and threw tons of juicy tomatoes at each other in the Tomatina food fight, creating knee-deep rivers of tomato sauce(酱)on the streets of this Spanish town．

　　Five trucks carried 130 tons of the fruit for the hour-long fight which attracted foreign tourists．Among them are British, French, Argentineans and Japanese, as well as locals．

　　On the bell of noon the signal was given and for the next 60 minutes participants(参加人)hurled tomatoes at each other until a gunshot signalled the end of the festival．

　　The clean-up followed, with fighters washing the signs of battle away in the local river or under hundreds of temporary(临时的)showers．While the front of buildings were watered, they seemed brighter than ever after their bath．

　　The Tomatina, held on the last Wednesday in August, is said to be the world's largest tomato fight．In the past people have been hurt during the tomato fight but no one was killed or injured this year．

　　The origin(起源)of the festival is unknown, but everyone in Bunol seems to have a favorite story．However, most agree it started around 1940．

　　Pingyao, in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage site(世界文化遗址)．It's 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River．

　　People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age．Its long period as a country government seat has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history．Ninety-nine of them are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City．

　　During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial(商业的)groups that did business nationwide．Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center．In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang(Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks rather than in silver or gold coins．It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking．Branch banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao．Its Lacquer ware(漆器)became well known．

　　In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition．Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi's history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, and ancient buildings and art．Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people．

　　In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as“World Culture Heritage Site”．