People aren't walking any more---if they can figure out a way to avoid it.. I felt superior about this matter until the other day I took my car to mail a small parcel. The journey is a matter of 281 steps. But I used the car. And I wasn't in any hurry, either. I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness: motorosis. It is an illness to which I had thought myself immune, for I was bred in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs. At that time, we regarded 25 miles as good day's walk and the ability to cover such a distance in ten hours as sign of strength and skill. It did not occur to us that walking was a hardship. And the effect was lasting. When I was 45 years old I raced -and beat--a teenage football player the 168 steps up the Stature of Liberty. Such enterprises today are regarded by many middle-aged persons as bad for the heart. But a well-known British physician, Sir Adolphe Abrahams, pointed out recently that hearts and bodies need proper exercise. A person who avoids exercise is more likely to have illnesses than one who exercises regularly. And walking is an ideal form of exercise--- the most familiar and natural of all. It was Henry Thoreau who showed mankind the richness of going on foot. The man walking can learn the trees, flower, insects, birds and animals, the significance of seasons, the very feel of himself as a living creature in a living world. He cannot learn in a car. The car is a convenient means of transport, but we have made it our way of life. Many people don't dare to approach Nature any more; to them the world they were born to enjoy is all threat. To them security is _ r thundering on a concrete road. And much of their thinking takes place while waiting for the traffic light to turn green. I say that the green of forests is the mind's best light. And none but the man on foot can evaluate what is basic and everlasting. What is the author's intention of writing this passage? A) To tell people to reflect more on life. B) To recommend people to give up driving C) To advise people to do outdoor activities D) To encourage people to return to walking
D
I was walking along the deserted main street of a small seaside town in the north of England looking somewhere to make a phone call. My car had broken down outside the town and I wanted to get in touch with the Automobile Association .Low gray clouds were drifting across the sky and there was a cold damp wind blowing off the sea. It had rained in the night and water was dripping from the bare trees that lined the street. I was glad that I was wearing a thick coat. I could see no call box, nor was there anyone at that early hour I could ask. I had thought I might find a shop selling the Sunday papers or a milkman doing his job, but the town was completely dead. Then suddenly I found what I was looking for. There was a small post office, and almost hidden from sight in a dark narrow street next to it was the town's only public call box, which badly needed a coat of paint, I hurried forward but stopped in astonishment when I saw through the dirty glass that there was a man inside. He was very fat, and was wearing a cheap blue plastic raincoat and rubber boots. I could not see his face - he was bending forward over the phone with his back pressed against the glass and didn't even raise his head at the sound of my coming nearer and nearer. Carefully and surprisedly, I remained standing a few feet away and lit a cigarette to wait my turn. It was when I threw the dead match on the ground that I noticed something bright red trickling from under the call box door. Why was the author astonished when he saw that there was a man in the call box? Because _ A) the man inside was still wearing a raincoat B) he didn't expect it to be taken up C) the man had his back with him D) the man did not seem to be moving
B
Q: Is it an extreme case of helicopter parenting or a smart move to keep kids safe? That's what parents are asking after hearing about a Long Island middle school's decision to ban most balls during break. No longer allowed at the Weber Middle School in Port Washington, New York: footballs, baseballs, soccer balls, lacrosse balls and any other hardballs that could injure a child. "We want to make sure our children have fun but are also protected," Dr. Kathleen Maloney, superintendent of Port Washington Schools, said in a local television interview, noting how playground injuries can "unintentionally" become very serious. The school district, in a press release, said that due to construction going on at the school, there is "limited space" for the children to play during their 20-minute break. "With children in close proximity to each other, it is not safe for them to be engaged in unstructured play with hardballs," said the district. It's not clear when the construction project will come to an end at the school and whether kids will be able to return to normal ball-playing after it wraps up. A call to the superintendent's office for confirmation has not yet been returned. "This isn't smart. It's actually counter-productive," said Donna Daniels in an email to CNN. "It saddens me to think that children no longer experience the joy of kickball, tag, dodgeball and simple outdoor games I remember so fondly when I reflect on my childhood. Our kids don't experience physical activity unless it involves downloading an app. " "Without opportunities to learn how to navigate space with their bodies, and to negotiate rules, risks, and experimentation of cooperative play, how are children going to ever be able to handle themselves in any society as adults ?" said Alex Martin, an associate director at a Manhattan nursery school. On the other side, there were some people who thought the school's actions were appropriate. "Freedom is great until the parents accuse the school district," said Tyler Parker on Facebook. "I don't... What Marilyn Decker said on Facebook means that _ . A) children should spend more time studying B) children should stop playing ballgames C) learning is more important than playing D) safety should be considered while playing
A: D
Q: As we all know, it was Thomas Jefferson who wrote the Declaration of Independence (<<>> ). He wrote it in two weeks, and after a few changes, it was accepted by the Congress . As a result, he became famous. Born in 1743 in Virginia, Thomas Jefferson, a wonderful student at school and almost talented( ) lawyer later, was much interested in politics. Jefferson was elected the Governor of Virginia in 1779, and he was sent to France as the representative of the American government in 1784. Sixteen years later, at the age of 57, he was elected president after Washington and Adams. Far from a handsome man, he was tall with long arms and big hands. Jefferson, who was an amusing talker in conversation but a poor speaker, was generally good-natured. Jefferson was regarded as a defender of freedom in America. As a president, he protected the right of free speech. Interestingly enough, in his eight years as president, Jefferson never vetoed a bill which the Congress had passed. He did a lot in organizing the new University of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson died on July the fourth, 1826, the fiftieth anniversary of American Independence. From the passage we can infer that America won its independence in _ . A) 1786 B) 1800 C) 1842 D) 1776
A: D