The Town of Pressure and the Town of Pleasure were neighbors but had nothing in common. Residents built walls to 1 influence from the other town.
In Pressure, 2 struggled to be the very best. When women gave birth, they would 3 to have the baby with the loudest cry. There was violent competition in every aspect of life. Because 4 was the index (指数) of success, people were 5 busy making money, with 6 for relaxation. Some young people couldn’t bear the intensity and resorted to drink or drugs to escape.
7 , over in Pleasure, the motto was “As long as you like it, do it.” People grew up without 8 and 9 do anything they liked. Children played computer games day and night. At school, teachers didn’t 10 whether students showed up or not. Workers might sit around the office 11 sipping coffee and doing nothing. 12 the lack of regulations, nobody worried about losing their jobs. It was 13 that mattered. No one had the 14 thought of moving forward, either for themselves or for the town. The computers they used were 15 models from Pressure.
Some of the young were addicted to 16 because of the meaninglessness of their lives. Then, people in the two towns began asking themselves, “What is 17 for?” But, just before life in the two towns completely 18 , there came a saint – Mr. Reason. He went from door to door, talking with people and giving advice. People in Pressure learnt to be 19 with what they had, while people in Pleasure began to make plans. They 20 the walls between them and built a road to connect the two. The towns’ people came to realize the truth—there is no space between Pressure and Pleasure if they don’t go to extremes.
1. A. connect B. keep C. keep out D. prevent
2. A. everyone B. anyone C. nobody D. somebody
3. A. have B. like C. compete D. try
4. A. health B. joy C. children D. wealth
5. A. seldom B. always C. hardly D. sometimes
6. A. much time B. no reason C. many reasons D. no time
7. A. Meanwhile B. At the same time C. Therefore D. Virtually
8. A. pleasure B. pressure C. work D. happiness
9. A. must B. need C. could D. dared
10. A. know B. find C. recognize D. care
11. A. in the morning B. in the evening C. all day long D. in the afternoon
12. A. Thanks to B. Regardless of C. Owe to D. According to
13. A. money B. time C. pleasure D. pressure
14. A. strongest B. slightest C. most D. smallest
15. A. the old B. the new C. the best D. the same
16. A. books B. work C. money D. drugs
17. A. pressure B. life C. pleasure D. money
18. A. improved B. failed C. succeeded D. lived
19. A. content B. surprised C. patient D. angry
20. A. built B. put down C. pulled down D. set up
答案：
1~5 CDACDB 6~10 DABCD 11~15 CACBA 16~20 DBBAC
