When you are travelling in Thailand, which means of transport is the best choice?

You can rent a variety of motorbikes or bikes in Thailand. It seems to be very popular in most of the beaches and islands along the places in the north. The most popular bikes are the little 125 cc Honda Dream which you can get for about 150 baht (铢) a day or as little as 3，000 baht per month, making it the cheapest way to tour Thailand for the people from other countries.

Sometimes you will have to go somewhere by taxi. When you are in cities in Thailand, especially in Bangkok, always remember to get a taxi that is traveling on the roads. Some drivers outside hotels refuse to use the meter(计程表). They will ask a price which is several times the price when they use the meter!

The quality of the roads in Thailand is generally pretty good, so renting cars is another way to get around. The big car rental companies may offer you slightly older cars at a very reasonable(合理的) price. It is a little surprising considering that the cost of buying a car in Thailand is more than that in the West. Petrol is also reasonably priced in Thailand, more expensive than American prices, but much cheaper than what is paid in Europe. In the past, Bangkok could be a difficult place to drive in—signs were generally in Thai only, making it a hard job to find exactly where you were by looking around. But now, the situation is improved. In a lot of places, even the farthest corners of the country, street signs are in both Thai and English.

21．To a foreigner, the most economical way to get around Thailand is renting a________．

A. motorbike  B. car  C. taxi  D. bike

22．What is the writer's advice about taking a taxi in Thailand?

A. To make sure there is a meter in it.

B. To take a taxi parked outside hotels.

C. To take a taxi going on the road.

D. To bargain with the driver over the price.

23．It was difficult to drive in Bangkok in the past because ________．

A. there were too many traffic jams on the roads

B. the signs were written only in their own language

C. there were no signs at the farthest corners

D. the quality of the roads was not good

It was in the Victorian Era(维多利亚时期) that the novel became the leading form of literature in English. Most writers were more concerned to meet the tastes of the middle class. The best known works of the period included the works of Charles Dickens and the Bronté sisters and others.

Charles Dickens came on the literary scene in the 1830s. Dickens wrote vividly about London life and the struggles of the poor. Most of his works were written in a very humorous style, which was popular with readers of all classes.

The Bronté sisters were English writers of the 1840s and 1850s. They began to write from early childhood. In 1846 they published the first book at their own expense as poets; however, their book attracted little attention, selling only two copies. Then the sisters turned to writing novels, each producing a novel in the following year.

An interest in rural matters and the changing social and economic situation of the countryside may be seen in the novels of Thomas Hardy and a number of others.

Literature for children developed as a single style. Some works became well－known, such as those of Lewis Carroll and Edward Lear. Adventure novels were written for adults but are now generally grouped in the list for children. Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author at the end of the Victorian Era, best known for her children's books, which featured animal characters. In her thirties, Potter published the highly successful children's book The Tale of Peter Rabbit in 1902.

24．What can we know about Charles Dickens from the text?

A. He described the struggles of the poor in London.

B. He showed an interest in rural matters in his writing.

C. He focused on changing social and economic situation of the countryside.

D. He published the highly successful children's book.

25．Which is TRUE about the Bronté sisters?

A. They were English writers of the 1830s.

B. They paid to have their first book published.

C. They began their writing from adulthood.

D. Their first book was successful.

26．The author states in the last paragraph that________．

A. society changed rapidly in the Victorian Era

B. Thomas Hardy was not as famous as Lewis Carroll

C. Edward Lear was famous for writing about animals

D. adventure novels were not written for children at first

27．This text is mainly about ________.

A. literature in the Victorian Era

B. writing styles in the Victorian Era

C. famous works in the Victorian Era

D. the importance of literature in the Victorian Era

Music is magic! Music speaks louder than words and it is a “language” that the whole world can understand. A piece of music can produce a response in the heart and mind. Like feeling an electrical current or receiving a personal radio signal, music has a spiritual effect on a person. Different kinds of music influence people in different ways.

I have listened to music all my life. When I was twelve years old, the Beatles came to America and my whole world opened up. Maybe young people today cannot understand the influence of the Beatles when they exploded across America. Their influence changed the way we dressed, looked, acted and spoke... even our culture. The Beatles arrived in America from the UK just under three months after the assassination(暗杀) of President John Kennedy, which had put America into a great depression. And the freshness and lively spirit of the Beatles was exactly what the country needed to refresh itself.

Music links the heart of the hearer with that of the composer. This means that it mixes the spirit of the composer with your spirit when you listen to it. And the music can take your spirit out of your body and transport you into another world. Music has a great way of touching people. Music can make you laugh, cry or shout. It's also a great source of inspiration.

Try this one day and notice what happens: make yourself a cup of tea, sit on your sofa and play one of your favorite songs. Close your eyes, and soon you'll find yourself creating vivid mental images—matching the music that you are listening to.

28．Music has magical power because it ________.

A. is a kind of language

B. can be played much louder than words

C. receives a personal radio signal

D. can influence a person's spirit

29．One can learn from the second paragraph that the Beatles ________．

A. were the biggest band in American history

B. are not accepted by modern American people

C. appeared at a special time in American politics

D. represented the roots of American culture

30．One will do all of the following while listening to music EXCEPT ________．

A. feeling very refreshed   B. having emotional changes

C. painting some vivid pictures   D. feeling inspired by the composer

31．It can be inferred from the passage that the author ________．

A. has been influenced by the Beatles

B. enjoys drinking tea in his spare time

C. admires President John Kennedy very much

D. likes to match his own feeling with that of the composer

People are being lured(引诱) onto Facebook with the promise of a fun, free service without realizing they're paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.

Most Facebook users don't realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they're paying for Facebook because people don't really know what their personal data is worth.

The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you keep everything private. That was the great thing about Facebook—you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things—your city, your photo, your friends' names—were set, by default(默认) to be shared with everyone on the Internet.

According to Facebook's vice－president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don't share information, they have a “less satisfying experience”．

Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they're online connecting with their friends?

The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator(议员) Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Federal Trade Commission to set principles for social－networking sites. “I think the senator rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them，” Schrage admits.

I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy is only the beginning, which is why I'm considering deactivating(撤销) my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I'm upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don't know. That's too high a price to pay.

32．What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?

A. It is a website that sends messages to targeted users.

B. It makes money by putting on advertisements.

C. It profits by selling its users' personal data.

D. It provides loads of information to its users.

33．Why does Facebook make changes to its rules according to Elliot Schrage?

A. To improve its users' connectivity.

B. To follow the Federal guidelines.

C. To offer better service to its users.

D. To expand its scope of business.

34．What does Senator Charles Schumer advocate?

A. Working out regulations for social－networking sites.

B. Banning the sharing of users' personal information.

C. Removing ads from all social－networking sites.

D. Setting guidelines for advertising on websites.

35．Why does the author plan to cancel his Facebook account?

A. He is dissatisfied with its current service.

B. He doesn't want his personal data abused.

C. He finds many of its senior executives untrustworthy.

D. He is annoyed with its frequent rule changes.

How to Build Healthy Interpersonal Relationship

Human beings are social creatures and thrive(茁壮成长) in relationships with others. A healthy part to be a well－rounded, happy individual is engaging in healthy relationships with others.These friendships can provide safe environments in which individuals can thrive and help promote general well－being. __36__

1．Know your worth.

One of the first steps in building healthy interpersonal relationships is understanding one's value. When an individual is aware of and treasures what he or she has, the building of relationships can be founded on that knowledge. __37__ Everyone has talents. When this worth is discovered, a person can then make use of these skills in approaching interpersonal relationships. If someone is a good listener, showing how to develop this skill can attract relationships with individuals who have a need for this talent.

2．Recognize the value of others.

__38__ In a healthy interpersonal relationships, both parties should be respected and feel as if they are valued in the friendship. When contributions to the relationship become one－sided, the relationship will move from healthy to unhealthy.

3．__39__

Another way to build healthy relationships is to make friends with someone who shares the same value systems and lifestyles.Knowing that a friend will not request something from an individual will help to foster trust in the relationship. __40__The relationship can grow on this familiarity. Trust can also develop from these similarities and go a long way in fostering a healthy friendship.

A. Everyone has worth.

B. Be true to yourself.

C. Seek out individuals with similar value systems.

D. A healthy interpersonal relationship cannot be built on dishonesty.

E. Also, having the same lifestyle can provide a link of familiarity.

F. Here are some tips to build healthy interpersonal relationships.

G. Along with understanding one's worth is recognizing and understanding the worth of others.