Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has
traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam's story is a tale of two cities - one during the day and a completely different one at night.
     When the sun is up, this largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River. You can rent a
bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi. But when the sun goes down,
the partying begins. In the big clubs and in the coffee shops, tourists gather to talk politics and smoke.
     Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam. And they're all within a
short cab ride of each other. For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open
markets, concerts and other events. Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there. And
there's the  Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall. But at night party-seekers come to the
square. Hip hop or funk music (瘋狂音樂) is heard there. So if you come, be ready to dance. The clubs
don't shut down until 4 am.
     And while you're there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city. Don't worry about
getting lost. Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are
happy to help you with directions. And you'll notice that half the people walking around in the streets are
on bicycles they rent. Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system. For about 10 dollars, you can
use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise (巡游) the "Venice of the North".
     The city has a historic past. One impressive (印象深刻的) place to visit is the Anne Frank House
on Nine Street. It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II.
Visitors can view Anne's original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her
family hid from the Nazis for two years.

1. What means of transport is not available to visitors in Amsterdam?

A. A carriage.
B. A bicycle.
C. A canal bus.
D. A water taxi.

2. What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?

A. The wonderful past of Amsterdam.
B. The experience of a beautiful girl survivor.
C. The life of Jewish during World War
D. The suffering of the Dutch in wars.

3. The passage is intended to _______.

A. call up people's memories of World War?
B. tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about
C. instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland
D. offer readers some information about Amsterdam

4. This passage is most likely taken from _______.

A. a private diary
B. a test paper
C. a travel journey
D. a history book

      Book 1Elixirwritten by Eric Walters
     Twelve-year-old Roth becomes a friend of Dr. Banting and his assistant, Mr. Best, who are doing
research on a cure for diabetes (糖尿病). She finds herself torn between her sympathy for the animals
being experimented on and her friendship with Banting and Best.
     Book 2George Washington Carverwritten by Elizabeth Macleod
     Meet the "Peanut(花生)Specialist", George Washington Carver, the inventor and professor who
made over 325 products out of peanuts. Through his agricultural research, he also greatly improved the
lives of countless black farmers in the southern United States. See also Macleod's Albert Einstein: A Life
of Genius.
    Book 3 The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations
     written by Alootook Ipellie & David MacDonald
     Explore more than 40 ideas necessary to Inuit survival. From ideas familiar to us today to inventive
concepts that shaped their lives, celebrate the creativity of a remarkably intelligent people. Also see other
books: The Chinese Thought of It by Tingxing Ye and A Native American Thought of It by Rocky
Landon and  David MacDonald.
     Book 4 Made in Canada: 101 Amazing Achievementswritten by Bev Spencer
      What things do we use daily that have a Canadian connection? Here are 101 common things that
were invented in Canada or by a Canadian, including the Blackberry, alkaline(堿性) batteries and the
Blue Box recycling program.
     Book 5Newton and the Time Machinewritten by Michael McGowan
     Ten-year-old boy Newton has invented a time machine to see dinosaurs up close. But it disappears
on a test run with his two huge friends, King Herbert and Queen Certrude, can he save them before time
runs out?

1. Which of the following best describes Roth's feeling in Book 1?
A. Painful.
B. Curious.
C. Frightened.
D. Disappointed.

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Animals are mentioned in Book 1 and Book 5.
B. Book 3 introduces 40 inventive concepts.
C. Alkaline batteries were invented by Dr. Banting.
D. George Washington Carver was a black farmer in the US.

3. In Book 5, King Herbert and Queen Gertrude are________.

A. Newton's human friends
B. the names of the time machine
C. two dinosaurs
D. the inventions of the time machine

4. If you are interested in native Americans, you may read the book by ________.

A. Elizabeth Macleod
B. Eric Walters
C. Rocky London & David MacDonald
D. Bev Spencer

     A serious problem for today's society is who should be responsible for our elderly and how to
improve their lives. It is not only a financial problem but also a question of the system we want for
our society. I would like to suggest several possible solutions to this problem.
     First, employers should take the responsibility for their retired employees. To make this possible,
a percentage of profits should be set aside for this purpose. But when a company must take life-long
responsibility for its employees, it may suffer from a commercial disadvantage due to higher employee
costs.
     Another way of solving the problem is to return the responsibility to the individual. This means each
person must save during his working years to pay for his years of retirement. This does not seem a very
fair model since some people have enough trouble paying for their daily life without trying to earn extra
to cover their retirement years. This means the government might have to step in to care for the poor.
     In addition, the government could take responsibility for the care of the elderly. This could be
financed through government taxes to increase the level of pensions(養(yǎng)老金). Furthermore, some
in-situations should be created for senior citizens, which can help provide a comfortable life for them.
Unfortunately, as the present situation in our country shows, this is not a truly viable answer. The
government can seldom afford to care for the elderly, particularly when it is busy trying to care for the
young.
     One further solution is that the government or social organizations establish some working places
especially for the elderly where they are independent.
      To sum up, all these options(選擇) have advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, it is reasonable
to expect that some combination of these options may be needed to provide the care we hope to give
to our elderly generations.

1. According to the passage, how can the government help to improve the lives of retired people?

A. Set aside some profits to help people with problems after they retire.
B. Increase savings levels of people during their working years.
C. Increase the discounts for food and transport for the old.
D. Increase the level of pensions.

2. The underlined word "viable" in the fourth paragraph most probably means "______".

A. impossible
B. practical
C. perfect
D. obvious

3. What is the writer's main purpose in writing this article?

A. To point out the need for government support for old people.
B. To make general readers aware of the problems of retired people.
C. To discuss some possible solutions to an important social problem.
D. To instruct retired people on how they can have a happier life.