A
London—A morning's train ride away，across the Channel，English kids talk about Liverpool's soccer team in a Paris pub.
Some Parisians have even started to go to work in London.
In the 19th century，Charles Dickens compared the two great rival cities，London and Paris，in A Tale of Two Cities.These days，it might be A Tale of One City.
Parisians are these days likely to smile in sympathy at a visitor's broken French and respond in polite English.
As jobs grew lacking at home over recent years，perhaps 250，000 Frenchmen moved across the Channel.With an undersea tunnel，they could travel between cities in three hours.The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.
Paris，rich in beauty，is more attractive，but London feels more full of life，and more fun until the pubs shut down.
“For me，the difference is that London is real，alive，”said Trevor Wheeler，a banker.
Chantal Jaouen，a professional designer，agrees，“I am French，but I'll stay in London，”she said.
There is，of course，the other view，Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago.“I think people laugh more in Paris，”she said.
In fact，London and Paris，with their obvious new similarities，are beyond the old descriptions.As the European Union gradually loosened controls，Londoners flocked into Paris to shop，eat and buy property.
“Both cities have changed beyond recognition，”said Larry Collins，a writer and sometimes a Londoner.
Like most people who know both well，he finds the two now fit together comfortably.
“I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s，and it is still a wonderful place，”Collins said.
“But if I had to choose，it would be London.Things are so much more ordered，and life is better，but certainly not cheaper.”
In fancy parts of London，rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris.
Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice.
Like Daphne Benoit，a French journalism student with perfect English，many young people are happy to be close enough so they don't have to choose.
“I love Paris，my little neighborhood，the way I can walk around a center，but life is so structured，”she said.“In London，you can be who you want.No one cares.”
【语篇解读】 文章对伦敦和巴黎进行了各方面的比较让人们对这两个城市有了更深入的了解。
1．The best title for this passage is ．
A．Londoners and Parisians
B．A Modern Tale of Two Cities
C．The Similarity of Two Cities
D．Fancy London and Fashionable Paris
B [标题归纳题。文章用大量的篇幅对伦敦和巴黎进行对比。对照19世纪狄更斯的小说《双城记》，本文可以被形象地称作“现代的双城记”。]
2．Living in Paris，you may find ．
A．life is better
B．things are cheaper
C．a job easily
D．more attractive people
B [细节理解题。根据第十段中的“...Londoners flocked into Paris to shop，eat and buy property.”以及倒数第五段中的“But if I had to choose，it...but certainly not cheaper.” 可知在巴黎物价更低些。]
3．We can infer from the text that ．
A．Paris and London have become perfect partners
B．London feels more full of life
C．life in Paris is structured
D．Paris and London have become fierce competitors
A [推理判断题。两个城市之间的人互相往来，可以自由选择自己的生活方式，也有利于这两个城市的发展，所以说它们是很好的合作伙伴。]
