away to show that he is no longer a child.

　"Before my jump, I felt very nervous," remembers fourteen-year-old David. "As a child, I always used to watch the land divers at Naghol. Every year someone would get an injury. For a second, I panicked. I thought about changing my mind ... but you can't become a proper man without being a land diver."

　David jumped. While the people down below were playing drums and singing, he fell head-first to the ground. Luckily, he landed safely and walked away with just a few bruises. And does he feel like a man now? "Well, I certainly feel more mature (成熟的)," he smiles. "And the girls in my village are much more interested in me than they were before."

24. What do we learn about land diving from the text?

A. It is a show to entertain the tourists. B. It is a newer sport than bungee jumping.

C. It is seen as a way to ensure a good harvest. D. It is done to choose the bravest man in the village.

25. Why was David's mother holding a toy car?

A. She wanted to give it to him as a gift. B. It helped him to find enough courage.

C. It was the prize given to the best diver. D. She planned to throw it away after his jump.

26. Why did David finally decide to jump?

A. He would be rewarded if he made it. B. He didn't want to let his mother down.

C. He knew he wouldn't be seriously injured. D. He wanted to prove he had become a man.

27. How was life changed for David after his jump?

A. He was more attractive to the opposite sex. B. He was treated as an adult by everyone.

C. He became interested in land diving. D. He took a more optimistic attitude.

Calls to "stamp out bullying (霸凌)" are an unrealistic reaction to the threat of litigation (诉讼)that hangs over all schools. Bullying is partly a consequence of human nature and partly to do with the environment.

From a teacher's viewpoint, it's not always easy to tell bullying from harmless fun where one of the involvers has gone a little too far. Naturally, we keep an eye on those students who are likely to be bullied and those who tend to be the causes of trouble. However, with so much interaction between students outside the formal lesson structure, even the most experienced teacher can fail to read the undercurrents (暗流) correctly.

Doing what is right in relation to bullying is not an exact science. Issues relating to gender, race, dress, physical appearance, peer pressure, and so on, all stand to make the matter complex. Many schools have a "bullying policy (政 策)". Such policies are useful in that they serve to concentrate teacher and administration attention on the issues, and on the rights and responsibilities of all concerned. However, the policies are born more out of a fear of litigation than a genuine desire to deal with some of the harder issues.

The best defence against bullying in schools is for teachers to know their students well. Small class sizes allow teachers to better know the characters of their students and develop stronger staff-student relationships. If so, students are more likely to trust in their teachers when trouble is about. Teachers are more likely to make the right decisions and, more often than not, ward off occasions of bullying before they happen.