As humans, we go through most of life understanding we would die one day. But animals don't. We are the keeper of the secret. Of course, living a life unencumbered(不受妨碍) by thoughts of death means that our pets, in general, lead very simple, happy lives. It's one of the reasons why they are such a joy to be round. You are, of course, correct when you say that many people don't understand your grief, so don't talk to them. Share your feelings with like-minded souls. I'm sure a simple search online will reveal many practical advice for moving on.

　　　And when you are ready, you can welcome another animal into your life and then you will enjoy happiness again.

　　　GRAHAM, VIA EMAIL

　　　4．What can we learn about Anon?

　　　A．She feels bored with her normal life. B．Her pet's sudden death hits her greatly.

　　　C．Her partner won't understand her feeling. D．She can't get along well with her relatives.

　　　5．Graham thinks that our time with pets is precious because ____.

　　　A．they have no secrets B．they are very simple

　　　C．their life is very short D．they are always happy

　　　6．In Graham's opinion, Anon should ____.

　　　A．tell her pet from family members B．avoid telling others her own secrets

　　　C．adopt another animal as her new pet D．try her best to understand other's grief

　　　7．Who would Graham probably be?

　　　A．One of Anon's family members. B．One of Anon's like-minded friends.

　　　C．A pet lover who provides advice online. D．An expert on dealing with relationship.

　　　The printing press has a long history. It was invented in Germany by Joannes Gutenberg around 1440, and brought to England by William Caxton in the 1470s.Yet the basic technology of printing remained the same up to the end of the 18th century, requiring two men to operate a wooden screw press by hand, producing about 200 impressions an hour. The 19th century was the period in which this process was mechanised, automated, and made many times faster.

　　　A key moment in the development of mass newspapers was the development of the steam-powered printing press, adopted by the times in 1814. The new presses were able to print per hour around five times the number produced by the machines. The editor, John Walter, had the machines fixed secretly at night, so that when his printers reported for duty the next morning the majority of them found that they were out of work. The Times went from a circulation of 5,000 a day in 1815 to around 50,000 in the middle of the century. This was not caused by the steam press, but neither could it have happened without it.

　　　Later developments improved this effect: the Applegath machine achieved 5,000 impressions per hour, and the Hoe press, an import from the United States, reached to 20,000 impressions per hour. Increase in the speed of papermaking in this period brought down the cost of printed materials both for the producer and the customer. In 1896, the Daily Mail was sold at the cost of only half a penny, and by 1900 it was selling nearly 1,000,000 copies a day.

　　　If print production was completely changed in those years, then so was its distribution. The appearance of the steam railway meant that for the first time newspapers could be distributed across the country on a daily basis.

　　　8．What can we learn about the basic technology of printing?

　　　A．It was invented first in the middle of the 15th century.

　　　B．It was brought into England by Joannes Gutenberg.

　　　C．It took over 400 years to change after invention.

　　　D．It took two hours to produce about 200 impressions.

　　　9．How many impressions did the new press produce an hour in 1814?

　　　A．About 20,000. B．About 1,000.

　　　C．About 2,000. D．About 5,000.

　　　10．Increase in the speed of papermaking led to ____.

　　　A．the invention of steam printing press B．the development of the steam railway

　　　C．the appearance of the Daily Mail D．the decline of printing expenses

　　　11．The passage is developed mainly by ____.

　　　A．providing examples B．making comparisons

　　　C．following the order of time D．following the order of space

　　　Being a parent is tough. Prejudice against parents in the workplace only makes it harder.

Asking for flexible schedule is not unique to working parents only. I've worked with people in their twenties that requested to work a four-day schedule so they could go back to school part time. I've seen older adults in the workplace change their schedules so that they can spend more time at home. Almost everyone has to cut out of the office every now and again for a doctor's appointment or other personal matters. Flexible schedules seem to be synonymous(代名词) with working parents, but in reality, they are not.