Passage1TownandCountryLifeinEnglandThereisabigdifferencebetweentownlifeandcountrylifeinEngland.Inthecountry,everybodyknowseverybodyelse.Theyknowwhattimeyougetup,whattimeyougotobedandwhatyouhavefordinner.Ifyouwanthelp,youwillalwaysgetitandyouwillbegladtohelpothers.InalargetownlikeLondon,however,itcansometimeshappenthatyouhaveneverseenyournextdoorneighborandyoudonotknowhisnameoranythingabouthim.PeopleinLondonareoftenverylonely.Thisisbecausepeoplegotodifferentplacesintheeveningsandatweekends.IfyouwalkthroughthestreetsinthecentreofLondononSunday,itislikeatownwithoutpeople.Oneissorryforoldpeoplelivingontheirown.Theycoulddieintheirhomesandwouldnotbediscoveredforweeksorevenmonths.(154words)Passage2AChangeinWomen'sLifeTheimportantchangeinwomen'slife-patternhasonlyrecentlybeguntohaveitsfulleffectonwomen'seconomicposition.Evenafewyearsagomostgirlsleftschoolatthefirstopportunity,andmostofthemtookafull-timejob.However,whentheymarried,theyusuallyleftworkatonceandneverreturnedtoit.Todaytheschool-leavingageissixteen,manygirlsstayatschoolafterthatage,andthoughwomentendtomarryyounger,moremarriedwomenstayatworkatleastuntilshortlybeforetheirfirstchildisborn.Verymanymoreafterwardsreturntofull-timeorpart-timework.Suchchangeshaveledtoanewrelation-shipinmarriagewiththehusbandacceptingagreatshareofthedutiesandsatisfactionsoffamilylifeandwithbothhusbandandwifesharingmoreequallyinprovidingthemoney,andrunningthehome,accordingtotheabilitiesandin~ofeachofthem.(154words)Passage3APopularPastimeoftheEnglishPeopleOneofthebestmeansofunderstandingthepeopleofanynationiswatchingwhattheydowiththeirnon-workingtime.MostEnglishmen,womenandchildrenlovegrowingthings,especiallyflowers.VisitorstoEnglandinspring,summer,orautumnarelikelytoseegardensallthewayalongtherailwaylines.Thereareflowersattheairportsandflowersinfactorygrounds,aswellasingardensalongtheroads.EachEnglishtownhasatleastoneparkwithbeautifullykeptflowerbeds.Publicbuildingsofeverykindhavebrilliantwindowboxesandsometimesbasketsofflowersarehangingonthem.ButwhattheEnglishenjoymostisgrowingthingsthemselves.Ifitisimpossibletohaveagarden,thenawindowboxorsomethinggrowinginapotwilldo.Lookingateachother'sgardensisapopularpastimewiththeEnglish.(144words)Passage4BritishandAmericanPoliceOfficersRealpolicemen,bothinBritainandtheU.S.,hardlyrecognizeanycommonpointsbetweentheirlivesandwhattheyseeonTV—iftheyevergethomeintime.Somethingsareaboutthesame,ofcourse,butthepolicemendonotthinkmuchofthem.Thefirstdifferenceisthatapoliceman’sreallifedealswiththelaw.Mostofwhathelearnsisthelaw.Hehastoknowactuallywhatactionsareagainstthelawandwhatfactscanbeusedtoprovethemincourt.Hehastoknownearlyasmuchlawasalawyer,andwhat’smore,hehastoputitintopracticeonhisfeet,inthedarkand,runningdownanarrowstreetaftersomeonehewantstotalkto.Littleofhistimeisspentintalkingwithbeautifulgirlsorinbravelyfacingcruelcriminals.Hewillspendmostofhisworkinglifearrangingmillionsofwordsonthousandsofformsabouthundredsofsad,ordinarypeoplewhoareguilty—ornotofstupid,unimportantcrimes.(177words)Passage5LivingSpaceHowmuchlivingspacedoesapersonneed?Whathappenswhenhisspaceneedsarenotmet?Scientistsaredoingexperimentsonratstotrytodeterminetheeffectsofovercrowdedconditionsonman.Recentstudieshaveshownthatthebehaviorofratsisgreatlyaffectedbyspace.Ifratshaveenoughlivingspace,theyeatwell,sleepwellandproducetheiryoungwell...
