Passage 1
Town and Country Life in England
There is a big difference between town life and country life in England. In the country, everybody knows everybody else. They know what time you get up, what time you go to bed and what you have for dinner. If you want help, you will always get it and you will be glad to help others.
In a large town like London, however, it can sometimes happen that you have never seen your next door neighbor and you do not know his name or anything about him. People in London are often very lonely. This is because people go to different places in the evenings and at weekends. If you walk through the streets in the centre of London on Sunday, it is like a town without people. One is sorry for old people living on their own .They could die in their homes and would not be discovered for weeks or even months. (154 words) Useful Words and Expressions: next door n. n．隔壁
the neighbors next他 door隔壁邻居
lonely adj ．孤独的，寂寞的，偏僻的，人迹罕至的 lonely life孤单的生活
a lonely old man一位孤独的老人
a lonely sand一个孤岛
the loneliest night最孤独的夜晚
on (one's) own独自；独立地；通过自己的努力 She lives on her own．她一个人过。
She go the job on her own．她自己找到了这份工作。 He Is now out of colleg6 and on his own．他现在离开了大学并且自己生活。
Passage 2
A Change in Women's Life
The important change in women's life-pattern has only recently begun to have its full effect on women's economic position. Even a few years ago most girls left school at the first opportunity, and most of them took a full-time job. However, when they married, they usually left work at once and never returned to it. Today the school-leaving age is sixteen, many girls stay at school after that age, and though women tend to marry younger, more married women stay at work at least until shortly before their first child is born. Very many more afterwards return to full-time or part-time work. Such changes have led to a new relationship in marriage, with the husband accepting a greater share of the duties and satisfactions of family life and with
both husband and wife sharing more equally in providing the money, and running the home, according to the abilities and interests of each of them. (154 words) Useful Words and Expressions: life-pattern 生活方式
effect [i'fekt] n. 结果，效果，作用，影响
The old system is still in effect. 旧制度仍然有效。 He is, in effect, my rival. 实际上他是我的竞争对手。 The medicine quickly took effect. 药物很快见效了。 share vt. 分享；共享，参与 n. 一份，部分，份额 share responsibility 共同负责 share a room with sb. 与某人共居一室 share the joys and hardships 同甘共苦 We shared the sweets. 我们分吃了糖果。
one's share of the cake分享的一份好处，应得的一份 Passage 3
A Popular Pastime of the English People
One of the best means of understanding the people of any nation is watching what they do with their non-working time. Most English men, women and children love growing things, especially flowers. Visitors to England in spring, summer, or autumn are likely to see gardens all the way along the railway
lines. There are flowers at the airports and flowers in factory grounds, as well as in gardens along the roads. Each English town has at least one park with beautifully kept flower beds. Public buildings of every kind have brilliant window boxes and sometimes baskets of flowers are hanging on them.
But what the English enjoy most is growing things themselves, If it is impossible to have a garden, then a window box or something growing in a pot will do.
Looking at each other's gardens is a popular pastime with the English. (144 words)
Useful Words and Expressions:
③means n．（用作sing．）方法；方式；手段 a means to an end达到目的的方法 by all means务必；无论如何；千方百计地 by any means ［口］用一切可能的方法或手段 by fair means or foul不择手段地 by means of 通过；用；借助于 by no means决不，一点也不
by some means or (other）想个办法；以某种方法 leave no means untried想尽一切办法 not by any means一点也不，绝对不
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