阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

     The idea of inventing an international language is not a new one. Over the past 180 years, linguists (语言学家) have created over ten different languages that are based on German, Spanish, and English. One of these was Basic English.

     By 1923 the First World War had been over for five years, but Europe was still recovering from its effects. Charles Kay Ogden, a linguist and writer, was running several bookshops in Cambridge. He published The Meaning of Meaning (1923), a book describing how we use language. The book received high praise, which drove Ogden to design an international language — something that was much simpler than English. In 1930 Ogden's book Basic English: A General Introduction with Rules and Grammar was published.

     Perhaps it takes about seven years for one to become a good English speaker. Ogden believed that Basic English could be learned in seven weeks. There were only 850 words and the grammar was very simple.

     The language attracted the attention of educators all over the world, but its development was stopped by the Second World War. After the war, both the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the President of the United States Franklin D. Roosevelt looked for ideas that might bring world peace. They both gave speeches that encouraged the use of Ogden's international language. In the past 60 years, the language has had some success. In some parts of East Asia, teachers are still using Ogden's word lists.

     However, in the main, the language has disappeared. Because there are many more non-native than native speakers of English, recently some linguists have asked whether we should give careful consideration to Ogden's ideas again. And the Wikipedia website (www.wikipedia.org) has started a version (版本) written in Basic English for non-native learners of the language. Search for it on the Internet now!  

    Bike Share Toronto is the city's official bike share program, designed to give locals and visitors a fun, affordable and convenient alternative to walking, taxis, buses and the subway. There are 200 Bike Share Toronto stations and 2,000 bikes across the city, making Bike Share the most accessible way to get around and explore.

    How it works

    Become an Annual Member or buy a day Pass to access the system.

    Find an available bike nearby, and get a ride code or use your member key to unlock it.

    Take as many short rides as you want while your pass or membership is active.

    Return your bike to any station, and wait for the green light on the dock (停靠点) to make sure it's locked.

    Choose a plan

    For visitors

    Day Pass: $ 7. Unlimited 30-minute rides in a 24-hour period. 3-Day Pass: $ 15. Unlimited 30-minute rides in a 72-hour period.

    For locals

    Monthly Pass: $ 25. Unlimited 30-minute rides for a month.

    Annual Membership: $ 90. Unlimited 30-minute rides for a whole year. The Annual Membership is the best deal for locals of Toronto and other frequent riders.

    The first 30 minutes of each ride is included with the membership or pass price. Avoid extra fees by dropping off your bike every 30 minutes at any other station. If you keep a bike out for longer than 30 minutes at a time, you will be charged all extra $ 1.50 for the first 30 minutes, $ 4 for the next 30 minutes, and $ 7 for each additional 30 minutes after that.

    Contact us

    Customer Service: (855)898—2388

    Repair Service: (855)—2378

    Corporation Partners: (855)898—2398

    Employment Opportunities: (855)898—2498

    Why do you go to the library? For books, yes—but you like books because they tell stories You hope to get lost in a story or be transported into someone else's life. At one type of library you can do just that—even though there's not a single book.

    At a Human Library, instead of books, you can "borrow" people. People with unique life stories volunteer to be the "books." For a certain amount of time, you can ask them questions and listen to their stories, which are as fascinating as any you can find in a book. (If you attend, make sure to review the habits that make you a good listener.) Many of the stories have to do with some kind of depressing topic. You can speak with a refugee, a soldier suffering from PTSD (创伤后遗症), a homeless person and a woman living with HIV. The Human Library encourages people to take time to truly get to know and learn from someone they might otherwise make a snap judgement about. According to its website, the Human Library is "a place where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and answered."

    The Human Library Organization came to be in Copenhagen, Denmark in 2000. Romni Abergel and his colleagues hosted a four-day event during a major Northern European festival. After the success of this event, Abergel founded the Human Library Organization, hoping to raise awareness among youth about depression, which has been growing ever since.

    Though there a few permanent human libraries, most aren't place at all, but events. Though many do take place at physical libraries, you don't need a library card—anyone can come and be part of the experience. There have been human library events all over the globe, in universities and in pubs, from Chicago to Tunis to Edinburgh to San Antonio. Check out the organization's Facebook page to see when the Human Library might be arriving near you.

HEARST CASTLE, CA

    Hearst Castle is open for tours daily, except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Tour A — The Grand Rooms

    View the ground floor rooms of La Casa Grande where Mr. Hearst's guests met their host and were entertained during their stay. See the Assembly Room, where guests met for cocktails, the Refectory, where meals were served, the Morning Room, Billiard Theater. Your knowledgeable guide will bring this big house to life sharing stories about Mr. Hearst, his many guests, and the art collection it contains.

Prices: Adults: $25.00; Children: $12.00.

Tour B—The Upstairs Suites (套房)

    This tour features rooms on the upper floors of Casa Grande. Travel through guest suites on your way to the Library where Mr. Hearst housed a collection of 2,000-year-old Greek pots. Visit Mr. Hearst's private third floor suite including his bedroom and private study where he held business meetings. Learn about the genius of architect Julia Morgan and the way she put Mr. Hearst's art collection into the design.

Prices: Adults: $20.00; Children: $10.00.

Tour C—Evening Tour

    This tour allows visitors to experience the Castle at night as a visitor to the Castle in the 1930s might have. It features highlights from the experience, Upper Floors of Casa Grande, and Garden tours.

Evening tours are offered on most Fridays and Saturdays during March—May & October — December.

Prices: Adults: $36.00; Children: $18.00.

Tour D—Accessible Holiday Twilight

    This tour is wheelchair accessible. Visitors who have difficulty climbing stairs, or who cannot stand or walk for extended period, may also benefit from this tour. Accessible transportation is provided from the Visitor Center to all areas of the Holiday at Hearst Castle tour. Call 866-712-2286 for additional information.

Prices: Adults: $30.00; Children: $15.00.

    Chinese people are, quite rightly, proud of their food. However, when foreigners like Britons and Americans think of Chinese food, their impression of it is different to what you might think.

    Growing up in the UK, the Chinese food I was used to eating was food I now recognize as being from Guangdong. For example, a typical dish I would order would be pork in sweet and sour sauce, probably with some rice and spring rolls on the side. This is the type of food we generally eat because most Chinese immigrants(移民) to the UK have come from Guangdong. You can tell, because when most British people try to copy the sound of Chinese, they actually copy the sound of Guangdong people—hearing the real Putonghua is sometimes a shock to British people who have grown up thinking it sounds completely different!

    British attitudes to Chinese food may be changing, though. Chinese-American chef Ken Hom has been on British TV for 30 years, and he told BBC Food: "Chinese food at the beginning of the 80s (in the UK) was sweet and sour pork, mainly. Most Brits had the unchangeable view of Chinese food… Now you are seeing more local Chinese food from Sichuan, Hunan and other areas of China. It is no longer just Guangdong food." Similarly, to most Americans, Chinese food doesn't go too far past orange chicken and fortune cookies, but more Chinese local dishes are becoming successful, especially in big cities like New York.

    Attitudes have not quite changed completely, though. Many foreigners who live in China will be familiar with this question from a relative back at home: "Have they given you dog yet?" Yes, perhaps because people still know too little about Chinese culture, many people believe that Chinese people love to eat dog meat. And of course, some people do eat dogs, which to Americans is like "eating a member of one's family" according to Vision Times. Also, Chinese people eat many other things people in the West do not—chicken claws, duck heads and some animals' organs.

    But what do foreigners think when they come to China and taste real Chinese food? You'll be glad to know that in my experience, the impressions have been very good.

    February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.

    On the 14th day, it is customary for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals!

    This is the scene that greets you on Valentine's Day, named after Valentine who was a priest in third century Rome. When the emperor decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives, he banned marriage.

    But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor had him put to death.

    While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed "From your Valentine", an expression that is still in use today.

    Valentine died for what he believed in and so was made a Saint, as well as becoming one of history's most romantic figures.

    Nowadays, Valentine's Day wins the same popularity among Chinese young people. It is a time when students "don't want to be alone" according to Gao Shunjie, a student reporter for 21st Century Teens in Jinling High School, Nanjing. Some of her classmates are planning to make Valentine's cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St Valentine.