If you think that life in a city is faster than you can imagine，you are not far wrong．

A British research study found that，globally，people's walking speeds have increased by 10 percent over the last decade，with the biggest increases in the Far East．The research ranked Singapore，Copenhagen and Madrid as the world's most frenetic（发狂的）cities．

While in Singapore，the walking pace has risen by 30 percent，in Guangzhou，China，the figure was 20 percent．

However，some cities usually noted for their intensity，were relatively low on the scale．New York was rated eighth，while London twelfth and Tokyo came in at position 16．The most laid-back places are Blantyre in Malawi and Manama，in Bahrain．The research was carried out by Professor Richard Wiseman，of the University of Hertfordshire，in Hatfield，north of London，who measured the average time it took 35 adults in each city to walk 60 feet．

“By 2040，we’ll be arriving before we set off，” said Wiseman．“The psychology is basically that peoples’ walking pace is determined by how much they think they’re in a hurry and how quickly they think they should be doing things．”

Wiseman adds，“I believe a lot of it is technology-driven．What’s amazing is that these days，you send an email and if someone hasn't responded in lo minutes，you think，‘Where are they?’”

Wiseman compared his results with statistics collected by Professor Robert Levine from California State University in the USA，10 years ago，to see how much we have speeded up．

“People who worry about whether their lives are too frantic（狂乱的）should ask themselves questions like whether they are often first to finish meals，if they feel frustrated when stuck behind others walking down the street，and whether they walk out of shops if they have to wait behind a small queue，” Wiseman said．

1．How did Professor Richard Wiseman arrive at the ranking?

A．By making on-site inspections．                B．Through lab research．

C．From an news report．                               D．By carrying out a questionnaire．

2．From the passage we learn _________．

A．the more developed area people live in，the faster pace of their walking

B．the walking pace in New York has relatively slowed down

C．how quickly they believe they should do things decides on their thinking

D．how quickly people do their things is determined by technology

3．Wiseman gives the example in Paragraph 6 to support the opinion “_________”．

A．by 2040，we'll be arriving before we set off

B．our fast walking pace is technology-driven

C．life in a city is faster than imagination

D．the biggest increases are in the Far East

4．The underlined word in Paragraph 4 “laid back” most probably means _________．

A．leisurely                                                  B．backward

C．fast-paced                                                 D．underdeveloped

5．The last paragraph intends to tell the reader that people should _________．

A．try to adapt to the fast-paced life of cities

B．try to be the first at any occasion

C．obey public orders  

D．ask themselves about their need to rush around

LONDON, England（CNN）--- The youngest person to sail solo around the world returned home Thursday from his 30,000-mile, 282-day ocean journey.
Mike Perham, 17, sailed into Lizard Point in Cornwall, the southernmost point in Britain, at 9:47 a.m., his race team said.
“It feels absolutely brilliant,” Mike told CNN by phone hours before crossing the finish line. “I'm really, really excited to be going across the line at last. It doesn't feel like long since I crossed it first.”
Mike set off on his round-the-world trip on November 18, 2008. He has been sailing his yacht single-handedly, though a support team has been sailing next to him along the way.
The teen has now achieved the title of Youngest Sailor to Circumnavigate the Globe Solo, according to the Guinness World Records.
Mike learned how to sail when he was seven years old from his father, Peter and at age 14, he sailed across the Atlantic alone.
The teenager's school --- which Mike describes as “highly supportive” of his trip --- has redesigned his coursework to fit in with his trip. It also gave him some coursework to do during “quiet moments,” according to Mike's Web site.
There haven't been many of those quiet moments. Repeated autopilot failures forced him to stop for repairs in Portugal, the Canary Islands, South Africa, and twice in Australia, according to his Web site.
Bad weather in the Southern Ocean --- between Australia and Antarctica --- forced Mike to battle 50ft waves and 57 mph winds. He said at one point, a “freak wave” picked up the boat and turned it on its side.
“My feet were on the ceiling at the time,” he told CNN. “That was a really hairy moment, and I was certainly thinking, ‘Why am I here?’ But we took the sails off and the day after I thought, ‘This is brilliant!’”
Mike describes his father as his biggest hero, always supportive of what he wanted to achieve. Peter Perham said he wasn't too worried about his son facing dangerous situations at sea, as long as he knew what to do and stayed safe.
49. Mike Perham returned to Britain in ________.
A. August      B. November      C. October          D. September 
50. Mike Perham is ________ that went on the round-the-world trip in the world up till now.
A. the first       B. the bravest     C. the luckiest     D. the youngest
51. We can infer from the passage that ________.
A. the English school is the same as ours
B. the English school gives students a lot of course work
C. the English school has a humane management
D. the English school doesn’t care for students
52. The passage mainly tells us ________.
A. Mike’s exciting sail trip around the globe
B. how Mike’s father taught him to sail a boat
C. why CNN wanted to report the news to the public
D. the introduction of the Guinness World Records

  LONDON, England（CNN）--- The youngest person to sail solo around the world returned home Thursday from his 30,000-mile, 282-day ocean journey.

Mike Perham, 17, sailed into Lizard Point in Cornwall, the southernmost point in Britain, at 9:47 a.m., his race team said.

 “It feels absolutely brilliant,” Mike told CNN by phone hours before crossing the finish line. “I'm really, really excited to be going across the line at last. It doesn't feel like long since I crossed it first.”

Mike set off on his round-the-world trip on November 18, 2008. He has been sailing his yacht single-handedly, though a support team has been sailing next to him along the way.

The teen has now achieved the title of Youngest Sailor to Circumnavigate the Globe Solo, according to the Guinness World Records.

Mike learned how to sail when he was seven years old from his father, Peter and at age 14, he sailed across the Atlantic alone.

The teenager's school --- which Mike describes as “highly supportive” of his trip --- has redesigned his coursework to fit in with his trip. It also gave him some coursework to do during “quiet moments,” according to Mike's Web site.

There haven't been many of those quiet moments. Repeated autopilot failures forced him to stop for repairs in Portugal, the Canary Islands, South Africa, and twice in Australia, according to his Web site.

Bad weather in the Southern Ocean --- between Australia and Antarctica --- forced Mike to battle 50ft waves and 57 mph winds. He said at one point, a “freak wave” picked up the boat and turned it on its side.

 “My feet were on the ceiling at the time,” he told CNN. “That was a really hairy moment, and I was certainly thinking, ‘Why am I here?’ But we took the sails off and the day after I thought, ‘This is brilliant!’”

Mike describes his father as his biggest hero, always supportive of what he wanted to achieve. Peter Perham said he wasn't too worried about his son facing dangerous situations at sea, as long as he knew what to do and stayed safe.

49. Mike Perham returned to Britain in ________.

  A. August      B. November       C. October           D. September 

50. Mike Perham is ________ that went on the round-the-world trip in the world up till now.

A. the first       B. the bravest     C. the luckiest     D. the youngest

51. We can infer from the passage that ________.

  A. the English school is the same as ours

B. the English school gives students a lot of course work

C. the English school has a humane management

D. the English school doesn’t care for students

52. The passage mainly tells us ________.

  A. Mike’s exciting sail trip around the globe

B. how Mike’s father taught him to sail a boat

  C. why CNN wanted to report the news to the public

  D. the introduction of the Guinness World Records

LONDON, England（CNN）--- The youngest person to sail solo around the world returned home Thursday from his 30,000-mile, 282-day ocean journey.
Mike Perham, 17, sailed into Lizard Point in Cornwall, the southernmost point in Britain, at 9:47 a.m., his race team said.
“It feels absolutely brilliant,” Mike told CNN by phone hours before crossing the finish line. “I'm really, really excited to be going across the line at last. It doesn't feel like long since I crossed it first.”
Mike set off on his round-the-world trip on November 18, 2008. He has been sailing his yacht single-handedly, though a support team has been sailing next to him along the way.
The teen has now achieved the title of Youngest Sailor to Circumnavigate the Globe Solo, according to the Guinness World Records.
Mike learned how to sail when he was seven years old from his father, Peter and at age 14, he sailed across the Atlantic alone.
The teenager's school --- which Mike describes as “highly supportive” of his trip --- has redesigned his coursework to fit in with his trip. It also gave him some coursework to do during “quiet moments,” according to Mike's Web site.
There haven't been many of those quiet moments. Repeated autopilot failures forced him to stop for repairs in Portugal, the Canary Islands, South Africa, and twice in Australia, according to his Web site.
Bad weather in the Southern Ocean --- between Australia and Antarctica --- forced Mike to battle 50ft waves and 57 mph winds. He said at one point, a “freak wave” picked up the boat and turned it on its side.
“My feet were on the ceiling at the time,” he told CNN. “That was a really hairy moment, and I was certainly thinking, ‘Why am I here?’ But we took the sails off and the day after I thought, ‘This is brilliant!’”
Mike describes his father as his biggest hero, always supportive of what he wanted to achieve. Peter Perham said he wasn't too worried about his son facing dangerous situations at sea, as long as he knew what to do and stayed safe.
49. Mike Perham returned to Britain in ________.
A. August      B. September         C. October             D. November
50. Mike Perham is ________ that went on the round-the-world trip in the world up till now.
A. the first      B. the bravest    C. the luckiest    D. the youngest
51. We can infer from the passage that ________.
A. the English school is the same as ours
B. the English school doesn’t care for students
C. the English school has a humane management
D. the English school gives students a lot of course work
52. The passage mainly tells us ________.
A. Mike’s exciting sail trip around the globe
B. how Mike’s father taught him to sail a boat
C. why CNN wanted to report the news to the public
D. the introduction of the Guinness World Records