We have learned to expect that trains will be punctual. After years of conditioning (习惯), most of us have developed an unshakable faith in railway timetables. Ships may be delayed by storms; flights may be cancelled because of bad weather; but trains must be on time. Only an exceptionally heavy snowfall might temporarily dislocate railway services. It is all too easy to blame the railway authorities when something does go wrong. The truth is that when mistakes occur, they are more likely to be ours than theirs.
After consulting my railway timetable, I noted with satisfaction that there was an express train to Westhaven. It went direct from my local station and the journey lasted a mere hour and seventeen minutes. When I boarded the train, I could not help noticing that a great many local people got on as well. At the time, this didn’t strike me as odd. I reflected that there must be a great many people besides myself who wished to take advantage of this excellent service. Neither was I surprised when the train stopped at Widley, a tiny station a few miles along the line. Even a mighty express train can be held up by signals. But when the train dawdled (慢吞吞地动) at station after station, I began to wonder. It suddenly dawned on me that this express was not roaring down the line at ninety miles an hour, but barely chugging (咔嚓咔嚓地响) along at thirty. One hour and seventeen minutes passed and we had not even covered half the distance. I asked a passenger if this was the Westhaven Express, but he had not even heard of it. I determined to lodge a complaint as soon as we arrived. Two hours later, I was talking angrily to the station master at Westhaven. When he denied the train’s existence, I borrowed his copy of the timetable. There was a note of triumph (胜利) in my voice when I told him that it was there in black and white. Glancing at it briefly, he told me to look again. A tiny asterisk (星号) conducted me to a footnote at the bottom of the page. It said: “This service has been suspended.”
1. What is most people’s faith in trains?| A．They rarely fail us in their punctuality . |
| B．They trick passengers for various reasons. |
| C．They are just as reliable as ships and flights. |
| D．They never come up to our expectations. |
| A．I wasn’t interested. | B．I wasn’t surprised. |
| C．I was quite annoyed. | D．I was deeply impressed. |
| A．Pleasant. | B．Rewarding. |
| C．Thrilling. | D．Disappointing. |
| A．The railway authorities. | B．The author himself. |
| C．The railway timetable. | D．The station master. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Rush hour traffic is a problem in many big cities around the world. Commuters (上下班者) rush to and from their jobs in cars, buses, subways, trains, and even on bicycles. Large cities in the United States have two rush hours –– one in the morning and one in the evening. But in cities in other parts of the world, there are four rush hours. In Athens and Rome, for example, many workers go home for lunch and a nap. After this midday break, they rush back to their jobs and work for a few more hours.
In Tokyo, there’s a big rush hour underground. Most of the people in Tokyo take the subways. The trains are very crowded. Subway employees called packers wear white gloves and help pack the commuters into the trains when the doors close. They make sure that all purses, briefcases, clothes, and hands are inside the trains.
In Seoul, many commuters prefer to take taxis to get to work. To hail a cab, many people stand at crossroads and raise two fingers. This means they’ll pay the cab driver double the usual fare. Some people even raise three fingers! They’ll pay three times the normal rate.
Streets in Rome are very crowded with automobiles and mopeds (摩托自行车) during rush hours. The city can’t make its streets wider, and it can’t build new highways, because it doesn’t want to disturb the many historic sites in the city, such as the Forum and the Coliseum. It took the city fifteen years to construct a new subway system. Construction had to stop every time workers found old artifacts and discovered places of interest to archaeologists (考古学家).
In many big cities, there are special lanes on highways for carpools. These are groups of three or more people who drive to and from work together. They share the costs of gas and parking and take turns driving into the city.
1. Big cities have traffic problems during rush hours because there are_______.| A．special lanes on highways | B．many commuters |
| C．four rush hours | D．many cars on the street |
| A．take subway trains to work | B．are packers |
| C．take taxis to work | D．carry briefcases to work |
| A．pay double the normal fare | B．try to get a cab |
| C．prefer to take taxis | D．to stand at crossroads |
| A．live in the city | B．take the subway to work |
| C．save money on gas and parking fee | D．have special license plates (牌照) |
【推荐2】More and more people like bicycling and it is no surprise. It is fun, healthy and good for the environment. Maybe that’s why there are 1.4 billion bicycles and only 400 million cars on roads worldwide today. Bikes can take you almost anywhere, and there is no oil cost!
Get on a bicycle and ride around your neighborhood. You may discover something new all around you. Stopping and getting off a bike is easier than stopping and getting out of your car. You can bike to work and benefit from the enjoyable exercise without polluting the environment. You don’t even have to ride all the way.
Folding bikes work well for people who ride the train. Just fold the bike and take it with you. You can do the same on an airplane. A folding bike can be packed in a suitcase. You can also take a common bike with you when you fly. But be sure to look for information by getting on airline websites. Not all airlines are bicycle-friendly to travelers.
Health Benefits of Bicycling:
It helps to prevent heart diseases.
Bicycling helps to control your weight.
A15-minute bike ride to and from work three times a week burns off five kilos of fat in a year.
Bicycling can improve your mood (心情).
Exercise like bicycling has been shown to make people feel better, more relaxed and self-confident.
Bicycling is healthier than driving.
1. From the passage, we know that bicycling is becoming very .| A．surprising | B．exciting |
| C．expensive | D．popular |
| A．pollute the environment around | B．find something you didn’t notice |
| C．go everywhere and use a little oil | D．get off your bike and begin to work |
| A．take it onto a train | B．get out of the car |
| C．put it in your purse | D．go on airline websites |
| A．you can fold the bicycle | B．you will be friendly to others |
| C．you will be more relaxed | D．you may get fatter and fatter |
| A．Bicycling is enjoyable exercise for people. |
| B．Driving cars is healthier than riding bikes. |
| C．Riding a bike pollutes your neighborhood. |
| D．Common bikes are welcomed by all airlines. |
So how does it work? First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key. The key will unlock one of the bikes, which are kept at docking stations in and around central London. You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go, for the length of time you use the bike.
Transport for London, which runs the scheme, is hoping to have 6,000 bikes and 400 docking stations in place by the end of the year. The new hire system is hoping to ease congestion (拥挤) in London and is expected to create up to 40 ,000 extra cycle trips a day into the city centre. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London had been 6ifilled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our streets and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses".
However, there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday. On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered. Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few "teething problems" and have said they wouldn't charge for the first day as a "gesture of goodwill". Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles.
Despite the comments, the green-thinking London Mayor still seems very positive about things, saying, "My campaign for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a big pedal-powered push forwards. "
1. London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the new bike scheme in order to______.
| A．reduce the air pollution of the city |
| B．deal with the city's traffic problems |
| C．increase employment opportunities |
| D．encourage the citizens to take exercises |
a. pay for the key to a bike
b. sign up as a member to get a key
c. cycle in and around central London
d. pay for the bike according to the time you use it
| A．b→a→c→d | B．b→d→c→a |
| C．d→c→b→a | D．d→b→c→a |
| A．the high cost to hire a bike |
| B．docking the bikes properly |
| C．not registering their usage of the bikes |
| D．not charging for the first day of the scheme |
| A．the cycling revolution is not successful |
| B．all the citizens in London support the scheme |
| C．the London Mayor is confident in the scheme |
| D．the scheme will be cancelled because of the problems |
【推荐1】I’m a seventeen-year-old boy preparing for my A Level exams at the end of the year. In the society where my peers and I live, we tend to accept the rat race values. As students, we want to get good grades so that we can get good jobs. I enjoy studying and have consistently received A’s in my classes. There was a year when I finished first in my class in the final exams. It was a great accomplishment.
Another one I am pleased with is that I managed to improve the relationship between Mum and Dad. Dad was a successful businessman who was rarely at home. Mum was a housewife who always felt bored and constantly nagged (唠叨) him to let her go to work. Their constant arguing bothered me, so I advised Dad that Mum would be better off with a part-time job. He agreed, and their relationship has improved since then.
My most proud achievement, however, is my successful work in the local old folks’ home. My grandparents had raised me since I was a child. I wept (哭泣) bitterly when they died. Unlike many of my classmates, I do not take part in my school’s community service to earn points. I enjoy my voluntary work and believe I’m contributing to a worthwhile cause. This is where I can help. I talk to the elderly, assist them with their daily life, and listen to their problems, glory days and the hardships they experienced.
Last year, I hosted a successful New Year party for the elderly and they enjoyed a great time. Many expressed a desire to attend another party the following year. When I reflect on my accomplishments, I’m especially proud of my service at the old folks’ home, so I hope to study social work at university and work as a social worker in the future. I wish to be more skilled in attending to the less fortunate as well as find great satisfaction in it.
1. What can be inferred about the author from the first paragraph?| A．His good grades got him a good job. | B．He refuses to compete with his peers fiercely. |
| C．His views on social values are well known. | D．He is content with his academic achievements. |
| A．A helper. | B．A judge. | C．A monitor. | D．A supporter. |
| A．The contribution to volunteering. | B．The success in exams. |
| C．The recovery of confidence in life. | D．The work in community service. |
| A．To depend on. | B．To think carefully and deeply about. |
| C．To pay attention to. | D．To have a check on. |
【推荐2】My grandmother could communicate to us only in Mandarin. A few phrase in Mandarin are particularly vivid to me. Mamahuhu is the most striking of all, which means “so-so” .
Mamahuhu became a family joke for me and my siblings. At first we found the concept funny and the sound of it, too. Sometimes my brother and I sang the string of vowels, hosting the “hu” like owls before bursting into laughter. But as we grew older, we realized mamahuhu also described our family.
My parents and my grandmother could be precise when it mattered. For example, my mother is a re i red plant physiologist. Her research led to multiple patents related to improving plant growth and food safety. But when she helped me on an elementary-school project, she used steamed rice instead of a glue stick. My paper crown fell apart in class. The mamahuhu attitude sometimes embarrassed me, But it also taught me not to get hung up on mainstream ideals of perfection.
Out of a sense of pride, my siblings and I transformed mamahuhu from an ordinary adjective into an ethos(精神特质). It’s the philosophy behind my brother’s repairs around the house or on vehicle: “So-so, good enough,” he told me. “Because most of the time, that’s all that’s needed.” Growing up, I talked about mamahuhu only at home. But lately, as elements of Chinese culture have spread throughout the world, I realize my family isn’t alone in our affection for the term. Various accounts on TikTok, Twitter and Instagram use the word in their names; it’s also an entry in the Urban Dictionary.
It’s our family practice to make do, and as the pandemic set in, the philosophy helped us survive. With this clear-eyed worldview, my 10-year-olds don’t rely on tradition or precedence (优先权)as their only guide. Last summer our family considered visiting Hawaii, and again for spring break earlier this year, but we’ve repeatedly postponed the vacation because of the pandemic. In the end, we settled for a road trip to Southern California to see their grandparents and baby cousin. I asked the boys if they were excited. “This trip is mamahuhu,” one joked. Everyone laughed.
1. How did the author find Mamahuhu at the beginning?| A．Embarrassing. | B．Funny. | C．Understandable. | D．unusual. |
| A．To show that his family can be precise. | B．To tell funny stories of both his parents, |
| C．To note how mamahuhu described his family. | D．To clarify the differences between family members. |
| A．To accept imperfection. | B．To rely on tradition. |
| C．To take pride in their Asian origin. | D．To avoid being affected by other cultures. |
| A．The author’s family were always easily satisfied. |
| B．The author’s children didn’t depend on precedence. |
| C．The term of mamahuhu has been spread worldwide. |
| D．The mamahuhu philosophy helped the author survive. |
【推荐3】Kong Zhenlan, a 71-year-old woman from China’s Shanxi Province, has devoted the last four decades of her life to adopting orphans(孤儿), making sure that they had food on the table and got access to education.
Even though she could only afford to support herself on a modest income, Kong Zhenlan couldn’t bear to walk by the orphanage in Jixian County every day and see so many children struggling in poverty. One day, she stopped by and picked one of the orphans in her arms. That’s when she knew she had to do something to make their life better. The modest woman started adopting these abandoned children and nurturing them as her own. Over the last 47 years, she has adopted 45 orphans, some of whom grew up to become doctors and lawyers.
Kong’s oldest adopted child is 45-years-old, while her youngest is 9-months-old. Today, her adult children donate some of their monthly salaries to help bring up their younger siblings(兄弟姐妹), but in the beginning, the woman had to make due with what she had. And it wasn’t much. She would spend all her money making sure the children had milk to drink, and if there was none left for her, she would look for leftovers in local garbage cans.
The modest woman recently told Pear Video that over the last 40 years she has only been getting 2 hours of sleep per night. She goes to sleep at around midnight, after putting the children to sleep and finishing up her chores(家务), and gets up around 2 am to check if they’re all still covered with blankets. She has gotten used to it and said that a short sleep was a small price to pay for making sure the children grow up healthy and happy.
1. How do Kong Zhenlan’s adult children help her?| A．Support her financially. | B．Raise money every month. |
| C．Sell milk in the midnight. | D．Pick up leftovers when free. |
| A．Raising . | B．Observing. |
| C．Examining. | D．Preferring. |
| A．Her desire to get rid of loneliness. |
| B．Her eagerness to get fame and wealth. |
| C．Her wish to find a better job in this way. |
| D．Her hope for the children to have a happy life. |
| A．Easy-going. | B．Kind. |
| C．Creative. | D．Reasonable. |
