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Passage 1

In the next few decades, people are going to travel very differently from the way they do today. Everyone is going to drive electrically powered cars. So in a few years people won't worry about running out of gas.

Some of the large automobile companies are really moving ahead with this new technology. F ＆ C Motors, a major auto company, for example, is holding a press conference next week. At the press conference the company will present its new, electronically operated models.

Transportation in the future won't be limited to the ground. Many people predict that traffic will quickly move to the sky. In the coming years, instead of radio reports about road conditions and highway traffic, news reports will talk about traffic jams in the sky.

But the sky isn't the limit. In the future, you'll probably even be able to take a trip to the moon. Instead of listening to regular airplane announcements, you'll hear someone say, \And remember, no more than ten ounces of carry-on baggage are allowed.\

Passage 2

County fairs are a tradition in New England towns. They offer great entertainment. One popular event is the pie-eating contest. If you want to take part in the contest, it is a good idea to remember these guidelines: First, make sure your stomach is nearly empty of food. Eating a whole pie can be hard if you have just finished a meal. Next, it is helpful to like the pie you are going to eat. The cream types are a good choice. They slide down the throat more easily. Placing your hands in the right position adds to the chances of winning. There is a temptation to reach out and help the eating process. This will result in becoming disqualified. Don't just sit on your hands; if your hands are tied behind your back, you will not be tempted to make use of them.

Now you are ready to show your talent at eating pies. The object, of course, is to get to the bottom of the pie plate before the other people. It is usually better to start at the outside and work toward the middle. This method gives you a goal to focus on. Try not to notice what the other people near you are doing. Let the cheers from the crowd spur you on. But don't look up. All you should think about is eating that pie.

Passage 3

During a 1995 roof collapse, a firefighter named Donald Herbert was left brain damaged. For ten years, he was unable to speak. Then, one Saturday morning, he did something that shocked his family and doctors. He started speaking. \my wife.\Herbert said out of the blue. Staff members of the nursing home where he has lived for more than seven years, raced to get Linda Herbert on the telephone. \family and friends during the 14 hour stretch\Herbert' s uncle Simon Menka said. \I been away?\\ten years,%uncle said, \December 29,1995 when the roof collapsed, burying him underneath. After going

without air for several minutes, Herbert was unconscious for two and a half months and has undergone therapy ever since. News accounts in the days and years after his injury, described Herbert as blind and with little if any memory. A video shows him receiving physical therapy but apparently unable to communicate and with little awareness of his surroundings. Menkadeclined to discuss his nephew's current condition or whether the apparent progress is continuing. \family was seeking privacy while doctors evaluated Herbert\he said. As word of Herbert's progress spread, visitors streamed into the nursing home. \told them.

Passage 4

Almost all states in America have a state fair. They last for one, two or three weeks. The Indiana state fair is one of the largest and oldest state fairs in the United States. It is held every summer. It started in 1852. Its goals were to educate, share ideas, and present Indiana's best products. The cost of a single ticket to enter the fair was 20 cents. During the early 1930's, officials of the fair ruled that people could attend by paying with something other than money, For example, farmers brought a bag of grain in exchange for a ticket. With the passage of time, the fair has grown and changed a lot, but it's still one of Indiana's most celebrated events. People from all over Indiana and from many other states attend the fair. They can do many things at the fair. They can watch the judging of the prize cows, pigs, and other animals; they can see sheep getting their wool cut, and they can learn how that wool is made into clothing; they can watch cows giving birth. In fact, people can learn about the animals they would never see except at the fair. The fair provides a chance for the farming communities to show its skills and farm products. For example, visitors might see the world's largest apple, or the tallest sunflower plant. Today, children and adults at the fair can play new computer games, or attend more traditional games of skill. They can watch performances put on by famous entertainers. Experts say such fairs are important, because people need to remember that they're connected to the earth and its products, and they depend on animals for many things.

Passage 5

When couples get married，they usually plan to have children. Sometimes，however，a couple can not have a child of their own. In this case，they may decide to adopt a child. In fact，adoption is very common today. There are about 60,000 adoptions each year in the United States alone. Some people prefer to adopt infants. Others adopt older children. Some couples adopt children from their own countries; others adopt children from foreign countries. In any case, they all adopt childrenfor the same reason. They care about children and want to give their adopted child a happy life. Most adopted children know that they are adopted. Psychologists and childcare experts generally think this is a good idea. However，many adopted children or adoptees have very little information about their biological parents. As a matter of fact，it is often very difficult for adoptees to find out about their birth parents because the

birth records of most adoptees are usually sealed. The information is secret，so no one can see it.

Naturally，adopted children have different feelings about their birth parents. Many adoptees want to search for them，but others do not. The decision to search for birth parents is a difficult one to make.

Most adoptees have mixed feelings about finding their biological parents. Even though adoptees do not know about their natural parents，they do know that their adoptive parents want them，love them and will care for them.

Passage 6

Time. I think a lot about time and not just because it's the name of the news organization I work for. Like most working people, I find time, or the lack of it, a never-ending frustration and an unwinnable battle. My every day is a race against the clock that I never ever seem to win. This is hardly a lonesome complaint. According to the families and work institutes, national study of the changing workforce, 55 percent of employees say they don't have enough time for themselves, 63 percent don't have enough time for their spouses or partners, and 67 percent don't have enough time for their children. It's also not a new complaint. I bet our ancestors returned home from hunting wild animals and gathering nuts and complained about how little time they had to paint battle scenes on their cave walls. The difference is that the boss of animal hunting and the head of nut gathering probably told them to shut up or no survival for you. Today's workers are still demanding control over their time. The difference is today's bosses are listening. I've been reading a report issued today called \to find and warn the employers who employ the most creative and most effective ways to give their workers flexibility. I found this report worth reading and suggest every boss should read it for ideas.

Passage 7

Loving a child is a circular business.The more you give,the more you get,the more you want to give,P said.What she said proves to be true of my blended family.

I was born in 1931.As the youngest of six children,I learned to share my parents' love.Raising six children during the difficult times of the Great Depression took its toll on my parents 'relationship and resulted in their divorce when I was 18 years old. Daddy never had very close relationships with his children and drifted even farther away from us after the divorce.Several years later,a wonderful woman came into his life and they were married.She had two sons,one of them still at home.Under her influence,we became a blended family and a good relationship developed between the two families.She always treated us as if we were her own children.It was because of our other mother,Daddy's second wife,that he became closer to his own children.They shared over 25 years together before our father passed away.At the time of his death,the question came up of my mother,Daddy's first wife,attending his funeral. I will never forget the unconditional love shown by my step mother.When I asked her if she would object to mother attending Daddy's funeral.Without giving it a