1 .     1     People traveled in search of food and shelter or in order to flee from their enemies. Sometimes they were looking for gold or silver in order to become rich. On other occasions they were searching for rich farmland.

This is not to say that no one ever traveled just for fun. Even in ancient times, some pleasure travel occurred. During a typical season, 700,000 tourists. would crowd into the ancient city of Rome, where animals performed and magicians entertained them.     2    

    3       International tourist arrivals alone reached as many as 546 million in 1994 and are forecast to rise to 937 million in 2010, according to the World Trade Organization.    4     Probably the most common reason for traveling is related to our physical well-being. Actually, traveling to sports events is one of the fastest growing types of travel. In our fast developing, modern society where stress has become part of people’s life, people can rest and relax by having a change of environment and activities.

    5     No one seems to doubt that travel broadens the mind. In 18th century Europe, young men would go on a Grand Tour to various countries in order to complete their education. Today the desire to travel to different countries is encouraged by modem mass media. People who travel to other countries can at the same time learn more about their own country and culture.

A．But why do people like traveling so much

B．Throughout history, most travel was not for pleasure

C．So they travel to a lake for a swim or to a park for a hike

D．The improvement in transportation has also encouraged people to travel

E．Wealthy Romans made trips to Greece to take part in the Olympic Games

F．The growth of tourism has become a modern phenomenon experienced by all countries in the world

G．Another important reason for traveling is to satisfy our curiosity about different places and cultures

2 . I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention. Finally, the driver, a man about 60, looked up from behind the wheel and apologized, “I'm sorry, but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.

Since I was in no hurry, I told him to finish his letter. He shook his head, explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart. Curious, I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild.“This isn't family，” he replied, “though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family. Old Ed and I grew up together.”

They were always friends. But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago, it'd generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them. A couple of weeks ago, Ed died. “I should have kept in touch.” He repeated this, more to himself than to me. To comfort him, I said sometimes we just didn't seem to find the time. “But we used to find the time，” he said. “Take a look.” He handed the letter over to me.

The first sentence “I've been meaning to write for some time, but I've always delayed it.” reminded me of myself. It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together. When I read the part where it said“Your friendship really means a lot to me, more than I can say because I'm not good at saying things like that”， I found myself nodding in agreement.

We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph：“So I thought you'd like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”

“I thought your friend's name was Ed，” I said.

“I'm Tom，” he explained. “It's a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he'd died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.

When I got to my hotel room I didn't unpack right away, I had to write a letter and post it.

1. Who wrote the letter?

A．Tom.

B．Old Ed.

C．The author.

D．The driver's grandchild.

2. It can be inferred from the passage that the driver regretted ________.

A．missing Ed's funeral

B．moving away from his neighborhood

C．forgetting to send Ed Christmas cards

D．not being able to keep in touch with Ed

3. From Paragraph 4, we can learn that the author of the passage ________.

A．often failed to write to his friends

B．had no intention to write to his friends

C．had many great moments with his friends

D．was good at expressing feelings to his friends

4. What message does the passage probably try to convey?

A．Comfort your friends when they are feeling down.

B．Life is unpredictable, so live each day as if it were your last.

C．Remember to always mail your letters after expressing your words.

D．Always make time to value and experience your lasting friendships.