23 Imagine life as a game in which you are playing with some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit, and you’re keeping all these balls in the air.

　　You understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls are made of glass. If you drop one of these, it will be surely marked, broken, damaged or even shattered(粉碎). They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

　　Don’t undermine (低估) your worth by comparing yourself to others . It is because we are different that each of us is special. Don’t set your goals by what other people consider important. Only you know what is best for you. Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Stick to them as you would to life, for without them, it’s meaningless. Don’t let life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life. Don’t run through life so fast that your forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you’re going. Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be regained. Life is not a race, but a journey to be enjoyed each step of the way. Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift. That is why we call it---The Present.

　　Which of the following best states the main idea of the passage?

　　A We should strive for balance in our life.

　　B We should not undermine our worth by comparing ourselves to others

　　C We should not set our goals by what other people consider important.

　　D Words and time will never return once they are gone.

　　24 Some people think they have an answer to the problems of automobile crowding and pollution in large cities. Their answer is the bicycle, or “bike”.

　　In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bicycles to work everyday. In New York City, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike fie a Better City. They claim that if more people rode bicycles to work there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown section of the city and therefore less dirty air from car engines.

　　For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bicycle riders. For example, they want the city to paint special lanes –for bicycles only—on some of the main streets, because when bicycle riders must use the same lanes as cars, there may be accidents. Bike foe a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes.

　　But no bicycle lanes have been painted yet. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea. Taxi drivers don’t like the idea—they say it will slow traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea—they say if there is less traffic, they will have less business. And most people live too far from downtown to travel by bike.

　　The government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park---the largest open space in New York –is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bicycles only. But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown. Until that happens, the safest place to bicycles may be in the park.

　　The main idea of the passage is to show_________.

　　A the problems of automobile crowding and pollution in large city,

　　B bike for a Better City’s answer to the problems of automobiles

　　C a great many bike riders in New York City.

　　D the city government’s decision about bicycle lanes.