When she was twelve, Maria made her first important decision about the course of her life. She decided that she wanted to continue her education. Most girls from middle-class families chose to stay home after primary school, though some attended private Catholic "'finishing" schools. There they learned a little about music, art, needlework, and how to make polite conversation. This was not the sort of education that interested Maria- or her mother. By this time, she had begun to take her studies more seriously. She read constantly and brought her books everywhere. One time she even brought her math book to the theater and tried to study in the dark.
　　Maria knew that she wanted to go on learning in a serious way. That meant attending the public high school, something that very few girls did. In Italy at the time, there were two types of high schools: the "classical" schools and the "technical" schools. In the classical schools, the students followed a very traditional program of studies, with courses in Latin and Greek language and literature,and Italian literature and history. The few girls who continued studying after primary school usually chose these schools.
　　Maria, however, wanted to attend a technical school. The technical schools were more modern than the classical schools and they offered courses in modern languages, mathematics, science, and accounting. Most people-including Maria's father-believed that girls would never be able to understand these subjects. Furthermore, they did not think it was proper for girls to study them.
　　Maria did not care if it was proper or not. Math and science were the subjects that interested her most. But before she could sign up for the technical school, she had to win her father's approval. She finally did, with her mother's help, though for many years after, there was tension in the family.Maria's father continued to oppose her plans, while her mother helped her.
　　In 1883, at age thirteen, Maria entered the "Regia Scuola Tecnica Michelangelo Buonarroti" in Rome. Her experience at this school is difficult for us to imagine. Though the courses included modern subjects, the teaching methods were very traditional. Learning consisted of memorizing long lists of facts and repeating them back to the teacher. Students were not supposed to ask questions or think for themselves in any way. Teachers were very demanding, discipline in the classroom was strict, and punishment was severe for those who failed to achieve or were disobedient.
　　36. Maria wanted to attend a________.
　　A. private "finishing" school
　　B. school with Latin and Greek
　　C. technical high school
　　D. school for art and music
　　37. In those days, most Italian girls________.
　　A. went to classical schools
　　B. went to "finishing" schools
　　C. did not go to high school
　　D. went to technical schools
　　38. Maria's father probably________.
　　A. had very modern views about women
　　B. had very traditional views about women
　　C. had no opinion about women
　　D. thought women could not learn Latin
　　39. High school teachers in Italy in those days were________.
　　A. very modern
　　B. very intelligent
　　C. quite scientific
　　D. quite strict
　　40. We can infer from this passage that________.
　　A. girls usually attended private primary schools
　　B. only girls attended classical schools
　　C. girls did not like going to school
　　D. Maria was a girl of strong will
第三篇Gross National Happiness

　　In the last century, new technology improved the lives of many people in many countries. However, one country resisted these changes. High in the Himalayan mountains of Asia, the kingdom of Bhutan remained separate. Its people and Buddhist (佛教) culture had not been affected for almost a thousand years. Bhutan, however, was a poor country. People died at a young age. Most of its people could not read, and they did not know much about the outside world. Then, in 1972, a new ruler named King Jigme Singye Wangchuck decided to help Bhutan to become modern, but without losing its traditions.
　　King Wangchuck looked at other countries for ideas. He saw that most countries measured their progress by their Gross National Product (GNP). The GNP measures products and money. When the number of products sold increases, people say the country is making progress. King Wangchuck had a different idea for Bhutan. He wanted to measure his country's progress by people's happiness. If the people's happiness increased, the king could say that Bhutan was making progress. To decide if people were happier, he created a measure called Gross National Happiness (GNH).
　　GNH is based on certain principles that create happiness. People are happier it" they have health care, education, and jobs. They are happier when they live in a healthy, protected environment. They are happier when they can keep their traditional culture and customs. Finally, people are happier when they have a good, stable government.
　　Now this is some evidence of increased GNH in Bhutan. People are healthier and are living longer.
　　More people are educated and employed. Twenty-five percent of the land has become national pa