Whether I’m looking for a good chat with some old Mends or a quiet place to meet a colleague, the pub will be the place I always choose.
I could, of course, go to a bar. But a pub, I always find, is far more comfortable and has a more relaxed atmosphere.
Many people in the UK also have a favorite pub at the end of the road where they live or nearby to where they work. I can almost always guarantee that I’ll bump into someone I know at my “local”, as we British call our nearest pub.
In fact, many people from the UK say that the pub is a cornerstone (基础) of British life. Coming together over a drink, usually of beer, is generally con­sidered the best way to catch up with friends. For those who are a little reserved (内向的), as the British sometimes are, it’s the best way to open up and get chatting.
However, this habit is slowly changing among some British people. According to a survey completed in August by UK trade magazine The Publican, eating, rather than drinking, has become the main source of income for our 52,000 pubs.
The gastropub (美食酒吧), with its greater emphasis on food, is primarily responsible. All over the country, this more expensive type of pub has been springing up, providing a place for more formal meetings with business partners. Wine is often drunk instead of the traditional beer.
But not everyone’s happy. Many people hate the fact that some local pubs are closing because new gastropubs are proving more profitable. “Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive,” Rob Haward, of the British Beer and Pub Association, told UK newspaper The Daily Mail.
For my part, I’m going to do all I can to keep the local British pub alive. It will be the first place I visit when I go back home.
【小题1】.  The article is mainly about         .

A．the British pub losing popularity	B．the author’s love of pubs
C．how the British socialize	D．the local British pub

【小题2】. Many British people say that the pub is a cornerstone of British life because         .

A．it is nearby and convenient

B．it is a great place for meeting friends

C．it is far more comfortable than a bar to have a drink

D．it is easy to bump into people they know in a pub ,

【小题3】. From the text, we can conclude that gastropubs         .

A．will replace the local pubs

B．attach more importance to drinks

C．are somewhere between a restaurant and a bar

D．attract beer lovers as well as wine lovers

【小题4】.  Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?

A．The author is in favor of gastropubs.

B．Wine is thought to show one’s class and taste.

C．British people do not go to pubs as often as be­fore.

D．Local pubs are being seriously affected by gastropubs.

More parents are looking to cellphones to help keep their children safe.  But mom and dad should be careful: Kids who talk on a cellphone may be more likely to step into traffic. Children should learn to end phone conversations before they prepare to step into traffic.
While research shows that older kids and more experienced users also don’t navigate(穿行于) streets as well while on a cellphone, younger children tends to find the small tools more distracting(令人分心的).
“Kids of this age are just learning to cross the street on their own, ”says David-Schwebel, a co-author of the study. “They’re beginners. ”
Kids don’t need to be stopped from chatting on the phone when outside,
however. Instead, parents simply should instruct them to finish their conversations before crossing the street.        
“I don’t think this means parents should take phones away from their kids, ”says Schwebel. “I encourage families to get cellphones for their children.  They’re more helpful than harmful,  if they’re used in a safe way. ”
Other distractions, such as conversations with friends, listening to music,  and text messaging, may also cause problems for children in this age group.  The researchers expect to study the effect of those types of distractions in the future.
Experts in child safety approved the cellphone study. “If you’re talking on a cellphone,  you’re not paying much attention to the environment around you, ” says Susan Baker, a professor.
Brooke Carlson, a 44-year-old mom, has noticed how riveted her 9-year-old son is when he’s talking on the cellphone. Although she’d never thought of the dangers of crossing traffic while on the phone, Carlson says, “Now that I know about it, it makes total sense. ”She plans to have a chat with her child about cellphones and street safety.
For younger kids, parents might consider purchasing a phone with a plan that only allows the child to call up his or her parents. That way the cellphone can be used for emergencies, but not for chatting with friends for hours.
【小题1】In Schwebel’s opinion, _____ .

A．kids are still too young to walk on the street alone

B．kids don’t know how to use cellphones appropriately

C．kids have little experience in crossing the street alone

D．kids are not experienced cellphone users

【小题2】 Which of the following is Schwebel in favor of?

A．Children shouldn’t be allowed to have a cellphone.

B．Children should be forbidden to chat on the phone when outside.

C．Cellphones do more harm to children than other distractions.

D．Parents should teach kids about cellphones and street safety.

【小题3】 The underlined word “riveted” may mean“_____”.

A．confused	B．absorbed
C．dangerous	D．excited

【小题4】 According to the passage, what does Mrs Carlson know?

A．There are dangers of crossing streets while on the phone.

B．Her 9-year-old son is not interested in talking on the phone.

C．Cellphones are more helpful than harmful to children.

D．Kids don’t pay attention to the environment when talking on the phone.

【小题5】 The purpose of writing this passage is to _____.

A．advise parents not to buy cellphones for children

B．introduce a phone that only allows kids to call up parents

C．expect kids not to talk on cellphones while on the street

D．expect people to use cellphones less in daily life

In a few states where racial prejudice is serious, violence has so come to be taken for granted as a means of solving differences, that it is not even questioned. There are states where the white man imposes his rule by force; there are states where the black man protests by setting fire to cities and by looting and pillaging. Important people on both sides, who would in other respects appear to be reasonable men, get up and calmly argue in favor of violence – as if it were a legitimate solution, like any other. What is really frightening, what really fills you with despair, is the realization that when it comes to the crunch, we have made no actual progress at all. We may wear collars and ties instead of war-paint, but our instincts remain basically unchanged. The whole of the recorded history of the human race, that tedious documentation of violence, has taught us absolutely nothing. We have still not learnt that violence never solves a problem but makes it more serious. The sheer horror, the bloodshed, the suffering mean nothing. No solution ever comes to light the morning after when we dismally contemplate the smoking ruins and wonder what hit us.

The truly reasonable men who know where the solutions lie are finding it harder and harder to get a hearing. They are despised, mistrusted and even persecuted by their own kind because they advocate such apparently outrageous things as law enforcement. If half the energy that goes into violent acts were put to good use, if our efforts were directed at cleaning up the shabby houses at improving living-standards and providing education and employment for all, we would have gone a long way to arriving at a solution. Our strength is weakened by having to mop up the mess that violence leaves in its wake. In a well-directed effort, it would not be impossible to fulfill the ideals of a stable social programme. The benefits that can be derived from constructive solutions are everywhere apparent in the world around us. Genuine and lasting solutions are always possible, providing we work within the framework of the law.

Before we can even begin to reflect on peaceful co-existence between the races, we must appreciate each other's problems. And to do this, we must learn about them: it is a simple exercise in communication, in exchanging information. "Talk, talk, talk," the advocates of violence say, "all you ever do is talk, and we are none the wiser." It's rather like the story of the famous lawyer who carefully explained his case to the judge. After listening to a lengthy argument the judge complained that after all this talk, he was none the wiser. "Possible, my lord," the lawyer replied, "none the wiser, but surely far better informed." Knowledge is the necessary prerequisite to wisdom: the knowledge that violence creates the evils it pretends to solve.

1.  What is the best title for this passage?

A．Advocating Violence.

B．Violence Can Do Nothing to Reduce Race Prejudice.

C．Important People on Both Sides See Violence As a Legitimate Solution.

D．The Instincts of Human Race Are Thirsty for Violence.

2.  Recorded history has taught us

A．violence never solves anything.

B．nothing.

C．the bloodshed means nothing.

D．everything.

3. According the author the best way to solve race prejudice is

A．law enforcement.

B．knowledge.

C．nonviolence.

D．Mopping up the violent mess.