D

    Two years ago, a 9-year-old girl from Massachusetts, US, wrote a letter to American President Barack Obama. "Why aren't there any women on the dollars or coins of the United States?" Sofia asked. "There are many women that could be on the dollars or coins because of the important things they've done." To her surprise on April 20, also her 11th birthday, Sofia got a call from the White House telling her that her wish will come true.

    Harriet Tubman, an African-American woman, will be on the face of the $20 bill, and the final design will be released(发布) by 2020, said US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. This means that Tubman will become the first woman in more than a century and the first black person to appear on the country's currency (货币).

    Tubman was born a slave (奴隶) in 1822. When she was 27, she made her escape. But Tubman wanted to help other slaves become free, so she later returned to the South 19 times and saved more than 300 people. She fought against slavery all her life.

    However, while Tubman is going on the new currency, women still bring home far fewer $20 bills than their men colleagues (同事). According to the Institute for Women's Policy Research, women are paid only 79 percent of what men are paid in the US.

    "Women have long been undervalued (低估)," said Susan Ades Stone from the US. "To put a great woman on the currency can remind us every day of women's value, abilities and contributions. At least it's a step in the right direction.

根据短文内容，选择最佳选项。

    Jack Brown, an office worker, lives in Washington. He inherited（继承）a million dollars when he was 23, but he wasn't happy at all. When his college friends were looking for their jobs, he didn't have to. Jack decided to keep living a simple life like everyone else. He gave $ 10,000 of his money to a charity to help poor children live a happy life. Today he is 36. He still wears cheap shoes and clothes and drives a small car only, but he is very happy.

    Up to now Jack has helped some children from poor countries all over the world, by sending them each $200 a month. The money is used for the children's study, food, medicine and clothing. Jack receives a report each year on the children's progress(进步）They can write to each other, but usually the children do not speak English.

    When Jack first heard about these children, he wanted to help them. “It was nothing special,”he said.“Until I went to these countries and met the children I was helping, I didn't know anything about their life.” Once Jack went to meet a little girl in Africa, he said that the meeting was very exciting. “When I met her, I felt very, very happy,”he said.“And I saw that the money was used for a good cause. It brought me happiness. I want to do everything I can to go on helping these children.”

    My grandfather is seventy-five years old this year. But he looks very young. He looks like a sixty-year-old man. Now he can do everything all by himself. For example, he cooks, washes clothes, does the housework and so on.

    Every morning, my grandfather goes out with a radio. He listens to the music or the news and goes to the park to play taijiquan. In the park, he talks and laughs with other old people. After coming back from the park, he begins to have breakfast and then he goes to the university (大学) for the old. He learns drawing there. In the afternoon, he plays on the computer for about one or two hours. After supper he watches TV and learns about the world. He goes to bed at about eight o'clock. He never stays up. He likes to share his ways of keeping healthy with others.

    Are you healthy? If not, what do you learn from my grandfather's secret of keeping healthy?

B

    Maria Montessori is a famous Italian educationalist, whose method of teaching has influenced people all over the world.

    Born in Italy in 1870, Montessori became the first woman doctor in her country after she graduated from medical school in 1896. Later, working with poor children, she set up a “Children House” in Rome in 1907. The rooms were bright and colorful. This was the place where she developed the Montessori Method, which was formed during 1908-1913.

    Maria thought that children must be free to learn without being criticized(批评) or limited. She let the children make their own choice of what they wanted to do and work with their own speed, not the rest of the class or the teacher. As a result, children enjoy learning and this gives them confidence and makes them happy. The Montessori Method also teaches children skills to help them become independent. Very young children learn to dress themselves, to cook and to put their toys and clothes away. It's a way of teaching which encourages children to learn by doing and experimenting. Children are encouraged to repeat activities as often as they wish, and they develop their observation(观察) skills by doing different activities. In addition, the Montessori Method thinks that teacher is a guide, not a leader of the classroom, helping to open students' eyes to wonder around them.

    A typical room in a Montessori school has many things children can use. The furniture is light so they can arrange it as they wish. Because the environment offers many activities, children like to work together and they develop a social life based on cooperation(合作)rather than competition.

    Maria Montessori travelled around the world to train teachers to use her method. In 1950, she received the World Peace Education Badges.

    One day when some government officials were rebuilding a house, they found a mouse hole in a corner and used smoke to make the mice inside the hole come out. A while later they saw mice running out, one after another, but they saw two mice didn't run away immediately. It seemed that one was trying to bite the tail of the other.

    Everyone was puzzled, so they came nearer to take a look. They realized that one of the two mice was blind, and the other was trying to allow the blind mouse to bite his tail in order to pull the blind one with him to run away.

    During the meal time, they started to talk about the two mice. One serious American said, "I think the relationship between those two mice was that of king and guard."

    A smart Frenchman said, "I think the relationship between them was that of husband and wife."

    A Japanese said, "I think the relationship between them was that of mother and son."

    At that moment, one Chinese asked, "Why did those two mice have a certain relationship?"

    Suddenly, they looked back at the Chinese. The American, the Frenchman and the Japanese who had spoken earlier all lowered their heads in shame, and didn't answer.

    In fact, the great love is not built on friendship or blood relationship. Instead, it is based on no relationship.