Many people find it difficult to do any activity for pure pleasure.I'm here to tell you about one of my
favorite pleasures.It doesn't cost a thing and takes very little time.Best of all, you can do it for pure
enjoyment.It's walking.
     There's something about walking that's different from jogging.When I'm jogging, I'm constantly
challenging myself to go farther or faster, sweat more, and breathe harder.But when I'm walking, I'm
taking time to go outside and put one foot in front of the other while I look around, breathe, and feel the
sun and the wind.When I walk, I'm submerging(浸没) myself in life.
     On walks, I make friends with myself.That little voice in my head asks, "How are you going to finish
three major projects this week?" I answer, "Now, calm down.This is your time.No deadlines, no projects, no havetodos."
      Walks alone and walks with companions each have their own pleasures.On walks with companions
, acquaintances become friends and friendships deepen.There are always memories and thoughts to share on walks.
     I also enjoy walking anywhere with my children, who constantly open my eyes to new
discoveries－rolling down a hill, or finding a strange rock.Walking expands their minds and teaches them
about nature.
      Years ago, when I read "Pride and Prejudice", I noticed Elizabeth Bennet walked three miles to visit
her sister.Then I learned that the Romantic poets－William Wordsworth, John Keats, and Percy Bysshe
Shelley－frequently walked for hours for creative inspiration.I might not have been able to write like these poets but I could take walks as they did, I thought.Then I became interested in the activity.
     Because I walk so often, I now have a list of my favorite walking spots.One of my favorite spots is a
park near my house.The park lets me experience the cycle of the seasons at my convenience.
     Where else can you appreciate the beauty in the world except on a walk? Why not take a walk and
do it for pleasure?

1. Compared with jogging, walking ________.
A. is more boring  
B. is more relaxing
C. needs more energy  
D. takes less time

2. The author seems to believe that ________.
A. walks may help promote friendship
B. walks help build children's independence
C. one had better walk without companions
D. one can solve hard problems during walks

3. From Paragraph 6 we learn ________.
A. the benefits of reading
B. why the author loves poems
C. how the author started walking
D. the importance of creative inspiration

4. Why does the author write the passage?
A. To stress the importance of literature.
B. To give advice about daily exercise.
C. To show the benefits of doing sports.
D. To recommend walking to the readers.