LONDON―A morning’s train ride away, across the Channel, English kids talk about Liverpool’s soccer team in a Paris pub.

Some Parisians have even started to go to work in London.

In the 19^th century, Charles Dickens compared the two great rival(竞争的) cities, London and Paris, in “A Tale of Two Cities.” These days, it might be A Tale of One City.

Parisians are these days likely to smile in sympathy at a visitor’s broken French and respond in polite English.

As jobs grew lack at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the Channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.

Paris, rich in beauty, is more attractive. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down.

“For me, the difference is that London is real, alive,” said Trevor Wheeler, a banker.

Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. “I am French, but I’ll stay in London,” she said.

There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. “I think people laugh more in Paris,” she said.

In fact, London and Paris, with their obvious new similarities, are beyond the cold descriptions. As the European Union gradually loosened controls, Londoners flocked into Paris to shop, eat and buy property.

“Both cities have changed beyond recognition.” Said Larry Collins, a writer and sometimes a Londoner.

Like most people who know both well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably.

“I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s, and it is still a wonderful place,” Collins said.

“But if I had to choose, it would be London. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better.”

But certainly not cheaper.

In fancy parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris.

Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice.

Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don’t have to choose.

“I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is so structured,” she said. “In London, you can be who you want. No one cares.”

68．The best title for this passage is ____.

    A. Londoners and Parisians      

    B. A Modern Tale of Two Cities

    C. The Similarity of Two Cities   

    D. Fancy London and Fashionable Paris

69．We can infer from the text ____.

    A. Paris and London has become perfect partners.

    B. London feels more full of life.

    C. life in Paris is structured.

    D. Paris and London have become fierce competitors.

70．The underlined word “flocked” probably means ____.

    A. came in large numbers         

    B. flew a long way

    C. rushed hurriedly              

    D. drove long distances

71．From the passage we can know ____.

    A. the two cities have developed very fast

    B. London is better than Paris now

    C. Paris is a favorite place for all journalism students

    D. people in both London and Paris now lead a regular life

Light for the City
Edison and his assistants came to New York to set up an electric power system. They hoped it would provide enough electricity to light up a part of the great city.
They bought several machines with them. These were called generators(发电机), which produced electricity power for lamps in Edison’s building.
Soon there were lights for the building. Edison lived in a room facing the street and he often worked over night. The light burned brightly and steadily and he often worked over night. People often came and stopped their horse-drawn carriage to look. Everyone knew that Thomas Edison was in town.
First, the inventor and his assistants produced several large generators. A great deal of power would be needed to light up even a small part of the city. Then the workers were busy digging deep trenches in the hard earth below the city streets, and Edison had fourteen miles of wire laid into the trenches. The wire connected each building to a generator.
Setting up an electric power system was not an easy job. It took a year and a half. In September, 1882, the job was finished.
A small group of men stood around Edison inside the power house. The big moment came at last. The inventor, taking a deep breath, pulled a switch. The electric lights flashed up.
“Very good! Very good!” a man nearby shouted to praise Edison for what he had done.
“Sir,” said Edison, “this is only the beginning!” And Edison was right. Soon Edison’s lamp were lighting up cities all over the world.                
【小题1】The generators they brought with them could produce as much as electricity as ______ needed.

Light for the City
Edison and his assistants came to New York to set up an electric power system. They hoped it would provide enough electricity to light up a part of the great city.
They bought several machines with them. These were called generators, which produced electricity power for lamps in Edison’s building.
Soon there were lights for the building. Edison lived in a room facing the street and he often worked over night. The light burned brightly and steadily and he often worked over night. People often came and stopped their horse-drawn carriage to look. Everyone knew that Thomas Edison was in town.
First, the inventor and his assistants produced several large generators. A great deal of power would be needed to light up even a small part of the city.
Then the workers were busy digging deep trenches(沟) in the hard earth below the city streets, and Edison had fourteen miles of wire laid into the trenches. The wire connected each building to a generator.
Setting up an electric power system was not an easy job. It took a year and a half. In September, 1882, the job was finished.
A small group of men stood around Edison inside the power house. The big moment came at last. The inventor, taking a deep breath, pulled a switch. The electric lights flashed up.
“Very good! Very good!” a man nearby shouted to praise Edison for what he had done.
“Sir,” said Edison, “this is only the beginning!” And Edison was right. Soon Edison’s lamp were lighting up cities all over the world.                
【小题1】The generators they brought with them could produce as much as electricity as ______ needed.

Light for the City
Edison and his assistants came to New York to set up an electric power system. They hoped it would provide enough electricity to light up a part of the great city.
They bought several machines with them. These were called generators, which produced electricity power for lamps in Edison’s building.
Soon there were lights for the building. Edison lived in a room facing the street and he often worked over night. The light burned brightly and steadily and he often worked over night. People often came and stopped their horse-drawn carriage to look. Everyone knew that Thomas Edison was in town.
First, the inventor and his assistants produced several large generators. A great deal of power would be needed to light up even a small part of the city.
Then the workers were busy digging deep trenches(沟) in the hard earth below the city streets, and Edison had fourteen miles of wire laid into the trenches. The wire connected each building to a generator.
Setting up an electric power system was not an easy job. It took a year and a half. In September, 1882, the job was finished.
A small group of men stood around Edison inside the power house. The big moment came at last. The inventor, taking a deep breath, pulled a switch. The electric lights flashed up.
“Very good! Very good!” a man nearby shouted to praise Edison for what he had done.
“Sir,” said Edison, “this is only the beginning!” And Edison was right. Soon Edison’s lamp were lighting up cities all over the world.                

1. 1.

   The generators they brought with them could produce as much as electricity as ______ needed.

   1. A.
      Edison’s building
   2. B.
      a small part of the city
   3. C.
      the whole city
   4. D.
      the world
2. 2.

   At that time carriages ______ by horse could be seen in the street.

   1. A.
      draw
   2. B.
      drew
   3. C.
      drawn
   4. D.
      drawing
3. 3.

   Trenches were dug to ______.

   1. A.
      set up generators
   2. B.
      lay wires
   3. C.
      built city streets
   4. D.
      build a power house
4. 4.

   It took a year and a half to ______.

   1. A.
      set up the electric system
   2. B.
      produce several large generators
   3. C.
      dig the deep trenches
   4. D.
      lay fourteen miles of wire into the trench