If you think that life in a city is faster than you can imagine，you are not far wrong．

A British research study found that，globally，people's walking speeds have increased by 10 percent over the last decade，with the biggest increases in the Far East．The research ranked Singapore，Copenhagen and Madrid as the world's most frenetic（發(fā)狂的）cities．

While in Singapore，the walking pace has risen by 30 percent，in Guangzhou，China，the figure was 20 percent．

However，some cities usually noted for their intensity，were relatively low on the scale．New York was rated eighth，while London twelfth and Tokyo came in at position 16．The most laid-back places are Blantyre in Malawi and Manama，in Bahrain．The research was carried out by Professor Richard Wiseman，of the University of Hertfordshire，in Hatfield，north of London，who measured the average time it took 35 adults in each city to walk 60 feet．

“By 2040，we’ll be arriving before we set off，” said Wiseman．“The psychology is basically that peoples’ walking pace is determined by how much they think they’re in a hurry and how quickly they think they should be doing things．”

Wiseman adds，“I believe a lot of it is technology-driven．What’s amazing is that these days，you send an email and if someone hasn't responded in lo minutes，you think，‘Where are they?’”

Wiseman compared his results with statistics collected by Professor Robert Levine from California State University in the USA，10 years ago，to see how much we have speeded up．

“People who worry about whether their lives are too frantic（狂亂的）should ask themselves questions like whether they are often first to finish meals，if they feel frustrated when stuck behind others walking down the street，and whether they walk out of shops if they have to wait behind a small queue，” Wiseman said．

1．How did Professor Richard Wiseman arrive at the ranking?

A．By making on-site inspections．                B．Through lab research．

C．From an news report．                               D．By carrying out a questionnaire．

2．From the passage we learn _________．

A．the more developed area people live in，the faster pace of their walking

B．the walking pace in New York has relatively slowed down

C．how quickly they believe they should do things decides on their thinking

D．how quickly people do their things is determined by technology

3．Wiseman gives the example in Paragraph 6 to support the opinion “_________”．

A．by 2040，we'll be arriving before we set off

B．our fast walking pace is technology-driven

C．life in a city is faster than imagination

D．the biggest increases are in the Far East

4．The underlined word in Paragraph 4 “l(fā)aid back” most probably means _________．

A．leisurely                                                  B．backward

C．fast-paced                                                 D．underdeveloped

5．The last paragraph intends to tell the reader that people should _________．

A．try to adapt to the fast-paced life of cities

B．try to be the first at any occasion

C．obey public orders  

D．a(chǎn)sk themselves about their need to rush around