The clock rules our lives. The more we try to save time, the less time we seem to have. In every area of our lives we are doing things faster. And many of us live in towns and cities which are getting noisier and more stressful as each day passes. But now a worldwide movement, whose aim is to slow life down, has started. Its supporters are people who believe that a happier and healthier way of life is possible.

The Slow Food movement was founded the day that an Italian journalist, Carlo Petrini, saw that McDonalds had opened a restaurant in a beautiful square in Rome. He thought it was sad that many people today live too quickly to sit down for a proper meal and only eat much fast food. He decided that he had to try to do something about it and so he started the Slow Food movement. Slow Food has become a global organization ever since and now has more than 80,000 members in 100 countries. Slow Food also encourages people to eat local and regional food, to use local shops and markets, to eat out in small family restaurants, and to cook with traditional recipes.

The idea of Slow Cities was inspired by the Slow Food movement. The aim of Slow Cities is to improve peoples quality of life. Towns which want to become a Slow City have to reduce traffic and noise, increase the number of green areas, plant trees, build pedestrian zones, and promote local businesses and traditions. Now it has spread to other countries all over the world, from the UK to Japan and Australia. There are now 135 Slow Cities in 24 countries across the world that have been named since founding of the organization in 1999. Gao Chun County, in east Chinas Jiangsu Province, is expected to be named the first “Slow City” in China next year.

“Slow Cities are about having a community life in the town,” said a local resident. “It is not ‘slow as in ‘stupid. It is ‘slow as in the opposite of ‘worried and ‘stressful.”

But not everybody is happy. For teenagers, who have to go 25km to Norwich, the nearest city, to buy CDs, living in a Slow City is not very attractive. “Its all right here,” says Lewis Cook, 16. “But if you want excitement, you have to go to Norwich. We need more things here for young people.”

1. Whats the aim of the Slow Food movement?

A. To call on people to eat out. B. To make people enjoy cooking.

C. To drive McDonalds out of Rome. D. To encourage people to slow down.

2. Which of the following are necessary to be a Slow City?

a. reducing traffic and noise b. increasing the number of green areas

c. building more department stores d. developing local businesses and traditions

A. a; b; c B. a; c; d C. a; b; d D. b; c; d

3. From Paragraph 3, we can learn that ＿＿＿ .

A. the Slow Food was founded in 1999 B. there is no Slow City in China now

C. Slow Cities are mainly in the UK D. there are about 24 Slow Cities in the world

4. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Slow Down and Improve Your Quality of Life B. Sit Down and Enjoy Your Life

C. Eat Slowly and Youll be Healthy D. Pay Attention to the Quality of Life