In Washington D.C., 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a very special address. It is the address of the White House, the home of the president of the United States. Originally the White House was gray and was called the presidential Palace. It was built from 1792 to 1800. At this time, the city of Washington itself was being built. It was to be the nation's new capital city. George Washington, the first president, and Pierre Charles L'Enfant, a French engineer, chose the place for the new city. L'Enfant then planned the city. The president's home was an important part of the plan. A contest was held to pick a design for the president's home. An architect named James Hoban won. He designed a large three-story house of gray stone. President Washington never lived in the Presidential Palace. The first president to live there was John Adams, the second president of the United States, and his wife Mrs.Adams did not really like her new house. In her letters, she often complained about the cold. Fifty fireplaces were not enough to keep the house warm. In 1812 the United States and Britain went to war. In 1814 the British invaded Washington. They burned many buildings, including the Presidential Palace. After the war James Hoban, the original architect, partially rebuilt the president's home. To cover the marks of the fire, the building was painted white. Before long it became known as the White House. The White House is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the United States. Every year more than 1.5 million visitors go through the five rooms that are open to the public. The president's home and the city of Washington were  _  . A) built by the American army B) built by the British troops C) planed by George Washington D) planned by the French
D

My bookshelves are full of dust--and with good reason.When iIt comes to cleaning that part of my home,I suffer from the most serious case of avoidance .  The thing is this:when I do set out to clean and re-organize my books,which seldom happens,I place myself into a really bad situation.No sooner do I take a title from the shelf, blow off the dust,and wipe down the cover thanI find myself sitting on the floor with legs crossed and my back against the wall.Pretty soon books get piled up on my legs as I am reunited with old friends.   It is as if these boobs have voices,and each  wants to say its piece."Remember me?I was given to you when you went into the Navy , so that you would never lack for companionshlp,"one whispers.Another says,"I  was your first book of poems,given to you before you learned  to love poetry."And a third,"I was the book that made history so attrctive to you."   Perhaps thegreatest pleasuret of  re-organizing my books are the surprise--or better said,reunions--that occur. During my latest book cleaning adventure,I found one that had fallen behind the shelf:"Tales of Edgar Allan Poe."Not an unusual title,but the words written on the first page made it very special"With Love from Mom and Dad,Christma 1965." What's this? A book on the physics of lasers .It is filled with mathematical statements,and I had bought it at a library sale when I was 12,not long after the laser had been invented.I couldn't  understand a bit of it,bul  I did  learn what "laser"meant.   What I end up with when I empty my bookshelves is a cross-section of my personal history. It's like a road cut whre one sees all the layers of rock going back through time to the beginning of the simplest life forms.The books I've read--and kept--are not just old fiends.They' re my  _ . By saying that his book have voices,the author means  _  . A) they bring back happy memories B) they are recorded in human voice C) they say a lot about human history D) they offer good topic for discussion
A

It's believed that a bad job is worse than no job at all. I'm not convinced, but here's the argument anyway. Researchers at the Australian National University in Canberra compared the mental health of more than 7,000 working age Australians. They found that those with jobs had an average score of 75 in a test of mental well-being. Jobless people averaged 68.5. If you remained unemployed a long term it lowered your mental health score by 1.1 points. But getting a poor quality job lowered your score ever further - by 5.6 points.          The results suggest that having a bad job may be worse for your mental health than having no job at all.          So what is a bad job? According to the study it's one where you have little control over decision-making; the job makes heavy demands on you; there's no job security; and you feel underpaid.          My advice would be that if a reasonable offer of employment comes along, seize it. If you discover that you don't like the work, that's OK. You've given it your best shot and discovered that this type of work isn't for you.          In my own case my first job was as a trainee social worker. I very quickly learned that I was too young, too inexperienced and innocent to become a social worker. I cut my losses and tried something else. I worked as an economic researcher - and was miserable.          These experiences taught me that I was a person. But from my short time as a trainee social worker I had discovered an ability for interviewing people and writing reports. That led finally to journalism. So take up that first job offer and find out about the world of work. If you realize the job isn't what you expected, that's OK. Look around for something else.          So I disagree that a bad job is worse than no work at all. Remember, it's always easier to find a job if you are already in work. What could be the best title of the text? A) Hang on to that bad job for now B) A bad job lowers mental score C) A miserable economic researcher D) Good jobs make heavy demands
