The first World Friendship Day was proposed for July 30, 1958 by the World Friendship Crusade, an international civil organization to foster a culture of peace through friendship. 1. Just as in the US and several other countries, the festival has been greatly commercialized（商业化）.

Days before the festival, card and gift companies launch a large campaign(活动) to attract people into buying cards and gifts for their friends. Streets and stores are filled with advertising programs aimed at young people. 2. This marketing strategy(策略) has been severely criticized(批判) by many people. Many feel that such crazy commercialization has damaged the meaning of Friendship Day.

3. especially the pink and yellow ones. The day is observed with great pleasure and merry. A highly popular thing connected with the day is the well-known friendship band—the modern day symbol of friendship that friends give to one another to form an everlasting bond. Friendship bands are the favorite items for youngsters and available in stores all over the country. Friendship poems and Friendship Day gifts are exchanged between best friends to renew the bond of friendship and express gratitude and love for each other. 4.

Since its beginning in 1935, Friendship Day celebrations have come a long way. 5. Friendship Day remains the time when you acknowledge your friends’ contribution in your life, express love for them, cherish their presence in your life and pay them a salute. Today, Friendship Day is being celebrated around the globe, across diverse cultures and social periods.

A. The popular customs of Friendship Day include handing over roses,

B. The idea of honoring friendship was adopted by a few countries in Asia.

C. Restaurants offer special discounts to make the most of the time as well.

D. These days, however, it is celebrated with a lot of showing off and expenses.

E. These are new ways of celebration of this day that have grown in popularity.

F. The original idea for a day of friendship came from Hallmark cards in the 1930s.

G. But however much the ways of celebration have changed, the basic idea behind the occasion remains the same.

    Christmas Island, which is barely a tiny spot on the world map, sits about 250 miles south off the coast of Central Java, and 1,650 miles from Perth, the nearest western Australian city. Technically, it’s part of Australia, but you’d never know from its location.

Christmas Island got its name from Captain William Mynors, an English sailor who accidentally landed on this unknown land on Christmas Day in 1643, though it wasn’t until the late 1800s that the island was properly surveyed.

With its warm temperatures and high rainfall, Christmas Island is home to all sorts of wildlife. Nearly two-thirds of the island is national park land, which is highly popular with bird-watchers.

No matter where you end up in the forest, you won’t be short on sightseeing spots. Hugh’s Dale Waterfall is eye-catching, and can only be reached by hiking through the rainforest. Once you arrive at the falls, go ahead and take a shower under the crashing water — not only is it clean enough to drink, it’s held sacred(神圣的) by local Buddhists, who believe it’s the center of the island’s "water universe."

Most people come for the beaches. Since the island is so small and has remained in its natural state for so long, all kinds of colorful fish can be found swimming around the island’s tropical reef. You might find yourself swimming with the world’s largest fish, the whale shark, which visits Christmas Island from November to April.

To get to Christmas Island, you’ll need to fly in from Perth or Fiji. Click here for more information.

1.Which of the following can NOT be done on Christmas Island?

A.Watch wild birds. B.Drink fresh water.

C.Cycle to Hugh’s Dale Waterfall. D.Swim with a whale shark.

2.What can we infer from the passage?

A.Central Java is a city in Australia.

B.Christmas Island is cold and wet all year round.

C.It is very dangerous to travel on Christmas Island.

D.There are many wonderful sights in the forest on the island.

3.Where is the passage most probably taken from?

A.A sport magazine. B.A website.

C.A TV show. D.A movie review.

    The words “England” and “English” are perhaps the two most misused words in the English language. The British themselves often say England and English when they really mean Britain and British.

What’s the difference, you may ask. To understand the question we have to know something about the history of the country and its people.

We all know that Britain is an island country separated from the European continent by the English Channel. Actually there are two main islands. The larger one is called Britain, or Great Britain, and the smaller one is called Ireland, and these two, together with many small islands make up what is called the British Isles.

The British Isles is a geographical term. It is not the name of any country. At present it is made up of two countries, the larger of which is the one we very often inaccurately call England. The full official name is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but people call it Britain or Great Britain for that. It consists of England, Scotland, Wales and a small part of Ireland－the northeastern part.

People still tend to call Britain England not only because England is the largest in area and the most populous but mostly because England is the strongest and also the most influential country in every respect before it absorbed the other three countries(The whole of Ireland was a part of the United Kingdom at one time). Call it national chauvinism（沙文主义） if you like, but people in England call Britain England out of habit rather than conscious sense of superiority, though it annoys the Welsh and especially the Scots who are proud of their separate national tradition.

1.The British Isles is made up of_______.

A.one country B.two countries

C.two and a half countries D.three countries

2.The full official name of Britain is_______.

A.Great Britain

B.England

C.United Kingdom

D.the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

3.People call Britain England because of all of the following EXCEPT_______.

A.England is the largest in area and has the largest population.

B.people in England do so out of habit.

C.England is the nearest to the European continent.

D.England is the strongest and also the most influential in every respect.

4.What’s the main idea of the passage?

A.The formation of the UK.

B.The chauvinism of the English.

C.The location of the British Isles.

D.The difference between “English” and “British”.

    In ancient Greece, Socrates was a widely-recognized wise man. One day one fellow met the great philosopher and said, “Do you know what I just heard about your friend?”

“Hold on a minute,” Socrates replied. “Before telling me anything I’d like you to pass a little test. It’s called the Triple Filter Test.”. “Triple filter?”. “That’s right,” Socrates continued. “Before you talk to me about my friend, it might be a good idea to take a moment and filter what you’re going to say. That’s why I call it the triple filter test.

The first filter is Truth. Have you made absolutely sure that what you are about to tell me is true?” “No,” the man said, “actually I just heard about it and…”. “All right,” said Socrates. “So you don’t know if it’s true or not.

Now let’s try the second filter, the filter of Goodness. Is what you are about to tell me about my friend something good?” . “No, on the contrary…”. “So,” Socrates continued, “you want to tell me something bad about him, but you’re not certain it’s true.

You may still pass the test though, because there’s one filter left: the filter of Usefulness. Is what you want to tell me about my friend going to be useful to me?” “No, not really.”

“Well,” concluded Socrates, “if what you want to tell me is neither true nor good nor even useful, why tell it to me at all?”

Well we can always participate in loose talks to curb our boredom. But when it comes to your friends its not worth it. Always avoid talking behind the back about your near and dear friends.

1.Why did Socrates stop the fellow when he wanted to tell him about his friend?

A.Because he didn’t know the fellow.

B.Because he wanted to tell the fellow something first.

C.Because he knew the fellow wouldn’t tell him something useful.

D.Because he wanted the fellow to think twice before speaking.

2.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A.Socrates was a great philosopher in Ancient Greece.

B.The fellow wanted to tell Socrates something bad about his friend.

C.Socrates was curious to hear what the fellow wanted to tell him.

D.It’s not a good idea to gossip about our friends behind the back.

3.What does the underlined “curb” mean in the last paragraph?

A.increase B.describe

C.reduce D.hide

假定你是李华，最近你就“高中生是否应利用课余时间打工”这一话题在全校范围内进行了调查。请根据表格内容，用英语写一篇调查报告并发表在校英语报上。

注意：1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    下面一篇文章中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：1. 每处错误及修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

A big storm destroyed two villages in South Africa on last Friday, causing 4 death. Over 200 people became homeless as a result of the storm. A farmer said the storm began early in the morning and last one hour. He said, “I was in the kitchen with my wife and children while we heard a loud noise. A few minutes late, our house fell down. I managed to climb out, but much to my shocking, one of my boys were missing. I quickly went back inside and found them safe but frightened.” Soldiers came to rescue those burying under the ruins, and the government provided food, clothes, and shelters for homeless.

    Each of us struggles for self-respect and self-worth to some degree. I spent much time trying to achieve perfection in every aspect of my life.

I was a happy kid with a lot of friends and a Supportive family. But growing up was really _______ and even scary sometimes.

During my childhood, I was constantly involved in something that included people’s viewing my achievements or my _______. I wanted everyone’s praise and acceptance, but I was my own toughest critic (挑剔的人).

After I graduated from high school, my _______ to be “thin” began to trouble me. I began trying to diet by _______ my food.

In the beginning, I felt great—attractive and successful, almost superhuman. I even thought that I was better than everyone else. What I didn’t see was that I was slowly _______ myself.

People around me began to _______ my weight loss. They said with concern. “You’re losing too much weight.” “Elisa, you’re so thin.” All their words only suggested that I was getting closer to “_______”.

Sadly, I took my physical _______ the first important in my life, _______ that it was the way to become successful and accepted.

Then I cut down my ________ more and more, until a ________ day consisted of half a teaspoon of nonfat yoghurt and coffee in the morning, and a cup of grapes at night.

But my poor ________ began to cause me to lose ________. Then one night, like many nights before, I couldn’t sleep, and my heart felt as though it might beat out of my chest. I tried to  ________, but I couldn’t. The beating became so rapid and so strong that I could no longer ________. What I had done to diet nearly caused me to have a heart attack. I stood up, and immediately fell down. I was really ________, and I knew I needed help. My roommate rushed me to the ________, beginning the long road to my ________. It took a lot—doctors, nurses, nutritionists, food supplements...

And most important, a sense of what was true about myself got back on track with reality. I realized that, with my ________ of trying to be “perfect” on the ________, I had sacrificed who I was on the inside. What I know now is, we are—each and every one of us—already perfect.

1.A.natural B.easy C.hard D.possible

2.A.natures B.backgrounds C.scores D.failures

3.A.problem B.desire C.way D.promise

4.A.controlling B.checking C.collecting D.balancing

5.A.killing B.forgetting C.asking D.questioning

6.A.help B.accept C.reject D.notice

7.A.perfection B.devotion C.destination D.attention

8.A.strength B.exercise C.appearance D.examination

9.A.believing B.realizing C.pretending D.declaring

10.A.expense B.movement C.food D.travel

11.A.pleasant B.difficult C.typical D.different

12.A.memory B.nutrition C.knowledge D.taste

13.A.weight B.hope C.sleep D.job

14.A.relax B.walk C.cry D.talk

15.A.breathe B.resist C.wake D.remember

16.A.scared B.annoyed C.discouraged D.disappointed

17.A.bed B.hospital C.school D.office

18.A.glory B.discovery C.recovery D.victory

19.A.skill B.decision C.experience D.deal

20.A.whole B.face C.mind D.outside

    This past week, I took a huge step in my adult life. I flew on a plane and got to a new city that I had never been to all by myself.1..So it took a lot for me to be able to overcome my fear of flying on a plane alone.

In the months leading up to the trip, I was very nervous. I rarely travel long distances, and often avoid airplanes. However, I knew that I desperately wanted to go on this trip.2.  My fears almost kept me from getting on the plane, but I knew I had to prove to myself that I was able to figure out things for myself and take my first huge step in becoming an adult.

On my drive to the airport, I did my best to keep calm and instill（逐步培养）enough confidence in myself to allow me to do this all by myself. 3.I went through security and made it to my gate, without getting lost. Then I got on my flight. I took my seat on the plane and tightly held my armrests (扶手)until we made it into the air. The whole flight, I just sat back and took some deep breaths until we finally landed. Now all I had to do was find my luggage and catch my ride. 4.

All in all, this trip has helped me to realize that I should be more confident about my abilities. I now know that I’m able to do whatever I set my mind to. 5.

A. Now I had to sit and wait to get on my flight.

B. I was wondering if everything would be fine.

C. I just need to have a little confidence in myself.

D. So I decided that I would just have to get through it.

E. At this point, I realized that I made it all on my own.

F. I am someone who is always nervous and living in fear.

G. I walked into the airport alone, leaving my family outside at the checking desk.

Never Talk to Strangers?

“Never talk to strangers.” Many children are taught this simple rule as a precaution against abduction (诱拐). In June, 2005, an 11-year-old boy was lost in the Utah wilderness for four days. During that time, he stayed on the path. He saw people searching for him but deliberately hid from them, afraid someone might “steal” him. Eventually, the unfortunate game of hide-and-seek ended and he was found. According to the Canada Safety Council, this alarming incident shows how unwise it is to instill (灌输) a fear of strangers in children. The “stranger danger” message can prevent children from developing the social skills and judgment needed to deal effectively with real-life situations. In a difficult situation, a stranger could be their lifeline to safety.

To have a child go missing is a parent’s worst nightmare. The threat of abduction by a stranger is minimal when compared with other possible reasons for a disappearance. In 2004, there were 67,266 missing-children cases in Canada. Only 31 involved abduction; in most of those cases the abductor was a relative, friend, or person known to the family. There were 671 cases of children wandering off, and 332 cases of abductions by a parent. Almost 80 percent of all cases were runaways. These statistics cast doubt on the idea that children should never talk to strangers. Wandering off is more common—but a lost child may have to call upon a stranger for help, and must develop the ability to judge what kind of people to approach. The “never talk to strangers” rule does not protect children in the situations they are most likely to face. On top of this, it can be confusing. Adults do not model the behavior; they often talk to strangers. A child may not know how to tell who is a stranger, and who is not.

For young children, nothing replaces close supervision (监管). Pre-schoolers do not understand risk and tend to act without thinking. Children need to develop habits and attitudes that will protect them from the real threats and dangers they may face. The Canada Safety Council encourages parents to give their children age-appropriate positive messages about safety, bearing in mind how youngsters may understand their world.

1.Which of the following statements is NOT true about the 11-year-old boy?

A.He practiced the “never talk to strangers” rule.

B.He hid from the rescuers to avoid possible abduction.

C.He eventually showed up when his hide-and seek game ended.

D.He stayed where he was, expecting the coming of familiar people.

2.Among the possible reasons for the missing-children cases in Canada, which one is the most frequent?

A.Being abducted by a parent. B.Running away.

C.Being abducted by strangers. D.Wandering off.

3.The “never talk to strangers” rule is confusing to children because ___________.

A.a friendly and attractive person may be dangerous

B.adults do not act upon the rule and strangers are hard to tell

C.the rule does not protect children in the situation of abducting

D.a lost child may have difficulty in communicating with a stranger

4.Which would the author agree with about the “never talk to strangers” rule?

A.It is not well recognized by parents.

B.It is practical as a safety tip in daily life.

C.It is easy enough for children to follow.

D.It is not effective in keeping kids safe.

The year was 1932. Amelia Earhart was flying alone from North America to England in a small single—engined aeroplane. At midnight, several hours after she had left Newfoundland, she ran into bad weather. To make things worse, her altimeter (高度表) failed and she didn’t know how high she was flying. At night, and in a storm, a pilot is in great difficulty without an altimeter. At times, her plane nearly plunged (冲) into the sea.

Just before dawn, there was further trouble. Amelia noticed flames (火焰) coming from the engine. Would she be able to reach land? There was nothing to do except to keep going and to hope.

In the end, Amelia Earhart did reach Ireland, and for the courage she had shown, she was warmly welcomed in England and Europe. When she returned to the United States, she was honored by President Hoover at a special dinner in the White House. From that time on, Amelia Earhart was famous.

What was so important about her flight? Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly the Atlantic Ocean alone, and she had set a record of fourteen hours and fifty—six minutes.

In the years that followed, Amelia Earhart made several flights across the United States, and on each occasion (时刻) she set a new record for flying time. Amelia Earhart made these flights to show that women had a place in aviation (航空) and that air travel was useful.

1.Which of the following statements is NOT the difficulty which Amelia Earhart met in her flight from north America to England?

A.She was caught in a storm. B.The altimeter went out of order.

C.Her engine went wrong. D.She lost her direction.

2.When Amelia Earhart saw flames coming from the engine, what did she do?

A.She did nothing but pray for herself.

B.She changed her direction and landed in Ireland.

C.She continued flying.

D.She lost hope of reaching land.

3.Which of the following statements was NOT mentioned?

A.She was the first woman who succeeded in flying across the Atlantic Ocean alone.

B.She showed great courage in overcoming the difficulties during the flight.

C.She was warmly welcomed in England, Europe and the United States.

D.She made plans to fly around the world.

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A.Amelia Earhart—First Across the Atlantic.

B.Amelia Earhart—Pioneer in Women’s Aviation.

C.A New Record for Flying Time.

D.A Dangerous Flight from North America to England.

    I grew up in San Pedro. My dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his mom and dad and the other kids that were still at home.

Dad was a big man, and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the sea for his catch. When you got close to him, you smelled the ocean.

When the weather was bad, he would drive me to school. He would pull right up in front, and it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It was so embarrassing for me. Here I was twelve years old, and my dad would lean over and kiss me goodbye!

I remembered the day I thought I was too old for a goodbye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, “No, Dad.” It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this surprised look on his face.

I said, “Dad, I’m too old for a goodbye kiss. I’m too old for any kind of kiss.” My dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had never seen him cry. He turned and looked at the windshield(挡风玻璃).“You’re right,” he said.“You are a big boy...a man. I won’t kiss you any more.”

It wasn’t long after that when my dad went to sea and never came back.

Guys, you don’t know what I would give to have my dad give me just one more kiss on the cheek...to feel his rough old face...to smell the ocean on him...to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I had been a man, I would be a man. I would never have told my dad I was too old for a goodbye kiss.

1.What does the first paragraph mainly talk about?

A.The writer’s father was a tall man.

B.Making a living on the sea was hard.

C.The writer’s father liked being a fisherman.

D.The writer’s father had a big family to support.

2.From the passage, we know that the writer’s father　　　.

A.was a successful businessman

B.had an accident and died at sea

C.was good at driving cars

D.drove the writer to school every day

3.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the writer　　　.

A.wished his father to come back home soon

B.would give up what he had to look for his father

C.regretted having refused his father’s kiss

D.hoped to see his father and asked for another kiss

4.The writer wrote the passage in order to　　　.

A.tell readers about his father’s love for him

B.attract readers to visit his father

C.give a brief introduction to himself

D.ask readers to love their fathers before it is too late.

Let’s Go and Fly a Kite

—at Piedmont Middle School’s celebration of kites!

Come and learn how to build all sorts of kites, from the simplest diamond-shaped kites to the most complex box kites. Stay as long as you like and build as many kites as you want. Once you have finished a kite, get advice on flying techniques from kite expert Lorena Hallsberg. The celebration will be at Piedmont Middle School,151 Piedmont School Drive.

The Piedmont Middle School Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)has organized a refreshment(茶点)tent. All profits will benefit future PTO activities. Take a break from kite flying and drink some lemonade! While you are doing so, why not join the PTO? Membership is free; you just donate your time. Show your support for Piedmont Middle School by joining the PTO this Saturday!

When: Saturday,April 11,from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Where: Piedmont Middle School

Why: For fun!

Cost: Free, thanks to a generous gift from Bizarco Kite Company!

Schedule

9:00 a.m.—Kite-building booths open. All materials are supplied for kites.

10:00 a.m.—Kite-building shows by Lorena Hallsberg in the courtyard. Come by and learn how to build box kites and kites that look and fly like butterflies.

11:00 a.m.—Kite-flying shows on the school track. Learn all the most important skills.

12:00 p.m.—Kite-flying competitions on the school track.

1:00 p.m.—Presentation by Dr.Brian Lehrman in the show tent:“The History of Kites”.

2:00 p.m.—Best Kite competitions and judging in the show tent. Come and see the most artistic kites and the most interesting theme kites.

3:00 p.m.—Presentation by Dr.Lehrman in the show tent:“Kites and Science”.

3:30 p.m.—Awards ceremony conducted by Headmaster Seward on the football field. The results of the day’s judging will be announced, with awards such as Best of Show, Most Artistic, Highest Flyer, and others. Winners will receive gifts from the Bizarco Kite Company!

4:00—5:00 p.m.—Let’s all go and fly a kite! Everyone flies kites at the same time, creating a wonderful sight for all to enjoy.

Come to the kite celebration. Enjoy yourself and learn more.

1.Which times are most important for people who want to join in kite competitions?

A.10:00 am and 11:00 a.m.. B.12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m..

C.1:00 pm and 3:00 p.m.. D.2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m..

2.From the passage, we know that the kite celebration 　　　.

A.is enjoyable and educational

B.is strict about the shapes of kites

C.gets money from PTO of Piedmont Middle School

D.gives people a chance to see kites from around the world

3.The passage is intended for 　　　　.

A.school staff B.kite experts

C.students and parents D.kite companies

If you don’t know how to ______yourself at table in a foreign country, you should copy the host.

A.dress B.tell C.show D.behave

You can never imagine what difficulty I had _____ your house . It took me nearly four hours.

A.found B.finding C.to find D.for finding

I often think of my old friend Henry, most of _____ letters I still keep.

A.his B.who C.whom D.whose

Most museums in the world keep things from the past _____ people should know about.

A.what B.as C.that D.when

In my dream, I had a very vivid picture of ____ we used to live.

A.where B.that C.in which D.which

I go to the sports club and _____ once a week.

A.work out B.point out C.turn out D.come out

——How about eight o’clock meeting outside the cinema?

——That _____ me fine.

A.matches B.meets C.satisfies D.suits

She tried to stay calm on the stage, but her trembling voice _______ her nervousness.

A.gave away B.gave up; C.gave off D.gave out

When _______ different cultures, we often pay attention only to the differences without noticing the many similarities.

A.comparing B.compare C.compared D.being compared

——Where is Peter ? I can't find him anywhere.

——He went to the library after breakfast and _____ his essay there ever since.

A.has written B.has been writing C.had written D.were writing

（2015·福建）        the students came from different countries, they got along quite well in the summer camp.

A. While B. Unless

C. Since D. Until

The trips usually start on Friday night and end on Saturday night, ____ them practical for students and workers.

A.make B.made C.making D.to make

（2015·四川）Little Tom sat ________watching the monkey dancing in front of him.

A.amaze B.amazing

C.amazed D.to amaze

（2015·重庆）Last year was the warmest year on record, with global temperature 0.68 ℃ ________ the average.

A.below B.on

C.at D.above

I'm sure David will be able to find the library —— he has a pretty good ______ of direction.

A.idea B.feeling C.mind D.sense

Translation

1.仅凭你提供的证据无法证明他是有罪的。 (alone)

2.纵然观点不一，我们仍旧可以齐心协力。 (divide)

3.你要十分小心，这个路口十分容易发生车祸。 (occur)

4.有人声称引入野生鳄鱼不会对当地其他物种造成威胁，但这一决定遭到许多动物保护专家的强烈反对。 (claim)

Summary Writing

When you hear the final whistle

One of the hardest things for any sportsperson to do is to know when to retire. But even harder is finding the answer to the question “What am I going to do with the rest of my life?”

Some sportspeople go on playing too long. Perhaps they just can’t stand life without the “high” of playing professional sport. Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time retired three times. He retired once from the Chicago Bulls, made a successful comeback with the Bulls, then retired again. His second comeback with an inferior team ended in failure and he retired forever at the age of 38. Jordan said, “There will never be anything I do that will fulfill me as much as competing did.”

Others can’t resist the chance of one last “pay day”. Muhammad Ali needed the money, but his comeback fight, at the age of 39, against Trevor Berbick, was one of the saddest spectacles in modern sport. After losing to Berbick, Ali retired permanently. Three years later he developed Parkinson’s disease.

For some people, the pain of retirement never leaves them. As Jimmy Greaves, an ex-England international footballer said, “I think that a lot of players would prefer to be shot once their career is over.” Many of them spend their retirement in a continual battle against depression, alcohol, or drugs.

But for the lucky few, retirement can mean a successful new career. Franz Beckenbauer is a classical example of a footballer who won everything with his club, Bayern Muaich. After retiring he became a successful coach with Bayern and finally president of the club. John McEnroe, the infamous “bad boy” of tennis, is now a highly respected and highly paid TV commentator. But sadly, for most sportspeople these cases are the exceptions.

    People travelling long distances frequently have to decide whether they would prefer to go by land, sea, or air. Hardly can anyone positively enjoy sitting in a train for more than a few hours. Train compartments soon get cramped and stuffy, with the monotonous rhythm of the wheels clicking on the rails soon leads you to sleep. During the day, sleep comes in snatches. At night, when you really wish to go to sleep you rarely manage to do so. 1. Long car journey are even less pleasant, for it is quite impossible even to read. On motorways you can, at least, travel fairly safely at high speeds, but more often than not, the greater part of the journey is spent on narrow, bumpy roads which are crowded with traffic.

2. You can stretch your legs on the spacious decks, play games, swim, meet interesting people and enjoy good food—always assuming, of course, that the sea is calm. If it is not, and you are likely to get seasick; no form of transport could be worse. Even if you travel in ideal weather, sea journeys take a long time. Relatively few people are prepared to sacrifice up to a third of their holidays for the pleasure of traveling on a ship.

Airplanes have the reputation of being dangerous and expensive. 3. Traveling at a height of 30,000 feet, far above the clouds, and at over 500 miles an hour is an unusual experience. For a few hours, you settle back in a deep armchair to enjoy the flight. The real escapist can watch a free film show and sip champagne on some services. But even when such refinements are not available, there is plenty to keep you occupied. An airplane offers you an unusual and breathtaking view of the world. You soar effortlessly over high mountains and deep valleys. You really see the shape of the land. If the landscape is hidden from the view, you can enjoy the extraordinary, sight of unbroken cloud plains that stretch out for miles before you, while the sun shines brilliantly in a clear sky. The journey is so smooth that there is nothing to prevent you from reading or sleeping. However you decide to spend your time, one thing is certain: 4.

A. By comparison, trips by sea offer a great variety of civilized comforts.

B. You will never have to spend the next few days recovering from a long and tiring journey.

C. Inevitably you arrive at your destination almost exhausted.

D. Besides you will hesitate over the choice od the day flight or night flight.

E. But nothing can match them for speed and comfort.

F. You are faced with various forms of transportation when you travel.