During the work week, the city of Bogotá, Colombia, has 1,600,000 cars, 50,000 taxis, 9,000 buses, and 500,000 motorcycles. But every Sunday, the city closes 75 miles of roads to motor vehicles, so the Bogotanos (citizens of Bogotá) have to leave their cars at home. Instead, they go on their bicycles, roller skates, scooters, wheelchairs, and skateboards. And they walk!
During “Ciclovía” (meaning “Bicycle Way” in English) every Sunday, people bike around the city streets, and, as they bike, there are “Fun Stops.” At one fun stop, you can listen to musicians playing salsa music. At another, there is an aerobics class with a fitness instructor. And there is always cheap, delicious food for sale—“I come for the food!” says one young woman.
This year, Ciclovía in Bogotá is 25 years old and it’s still very popular. Bibiana Sarmiento is the manager of Ciclovía and she explains why it’s a good idea: “The Ciclovía is the moment when motor vehicles make way for human beings … citizens take over the city’s public space.” Now other cities have days like Ciclovía all over the world—from New Zealand to Europe to China.
Maybe your town or city already has a special day when people—not cars—control the streets. If it doesn’t, maybe it’s time to start one.
1. How many cars does the city of Bogotá, Colombia have?| A．1.6 million | B．16 million | C．1.6 billion | D．16 billion |
| A．By cars and buses |
| B．By taxis and cars |
| C．By motor cars and taxis |
| D．On foot |
| A．You can listen to rock and roll music. |
| B．You can have an aerobics class. |
| C．You can have expensive, delicious food. |
| D．You can meet many interesting people there. |
| A．How local people have fun at Ciclovía |
| B．Transportation in Bogotá |
| C．A City that Bans Cars on Sundays |
| D．Why Ciclovía is popular |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Vacations are meant to be enjoyed and to explore new stuff and hobbies. Summer vacation offers everyone a lot of time and comfort to develop new skills.
We reached Srinagar Airport at 12 noon, after one hour, we finally reached our hotels. We were greeted with Kahawa（a famous Kashmir's (克什米尔) coffee）, Tired as we were, we got fresh and had lunch.
All the shops were decorated with wooden antiques and reproductions of famous paintings. We returned at 9 pm after having dinner in a famous restaurant. We went to attend the bonfire event which was organized by the hotel staff.
We then visited the botanical garden, apple farms, Nishat Gardens, and historical temples and castles, which were telling the Kashmir's beauty. We went to many other scenic spots and spent five days in Shikara in Dal Lake.
I want to revisit Kashmir. After returning from the Kashmir trip, I got engaged in my summer vacation homework and shared my travel experience with my friends. Also, I presented my friends with small gifts I have purchased for them from Kashmir.
| A．Then we went to the nearby market |
| B．Everything in Kashmir is new and exciting. |
| C．We also played cards before we went to bed. |
| D．Then the next morning we went to visit Gulmarg. |
| E．Last summer, I accompanied my parents on a 15-day trip. |
| F．Staying in the water for such a long duration was the best experience. |
| G．Last year, I visited Kashmir with my parents during my summer vacation. |
【推荐2】In Europe, there is no escape for those who do not appreciate art and architecture (建筑). It is a heaven for people who want to feel like they have been transported to famous historical time periods from America. For me, Europe was a complete contrast from America. London and France had a more royal feel than New York, and Rome felt more ancient. I wasn’t just on a different continent; it felt like I was in a different century.
My parents and I visited London, Paris and Rome this summer in celebration of the end of my high school experience. It was supposed to be a break from a life as busy as a bee in New York, the constant stress, the crowded subway rides, and the weary body that had accompanied me for the last four years. It was an opportunity to appreciate Europe the way I couldn’t do it just by reading history books.
My favorite parts of London were the Tower of London and the Churchill War Rooms. As a site of past executions (刑场), the Tower of London displayed punishing devices from the 16th and 17th century and told stories of various members of the royal family who had ever been imprisoned in the tower, some even imprisoned by their own family members when they were seen as a threat to the crown. Besides that, I also got to see the royal family’s crown jewels, amazingly beautiful.
The Churchchill War Rooms, though very different from the Tower of London, were also spellbinding from a historic perspective. I am not a history fan, but I enjoy museums, and I took fancy in the Churchchill Museum inside the War Rooms that detailed the events of Churchchill’s life and World War II. Everything I saw in it built up his life from his childhood to his last years, creating a three-dimensional Churchchill in my mind who was a person just like myself. He longed for more, he made mistakes, he experienced loneliness and sadness. But he had also done some remarkable things like uniting Britain during World War II.
Our rewarding trip ended in Rome a couple of days later.
1. What does the underlined word “contrast” in Paragraph1 mean?| A．Something different. | B．Something artistic. |
| C．Something similar. | D．Something faraway. |
| A．Relaxing and peaceful. | B．Stressful and tiring. |
| C．Joyful but busy. | D．Boring but successful. |
| A．The Tower of London is a symbol of peace. |
| B．The royal family members used to live in harmony. |
| C．The Tower of London witnessed changes of royal families. |
| D．Visitors could buy the crown jewels in Churchill War Rooms. |
| A．The unique architecture. | B．World War Two. |
| C．Churchill’s achievements. | D．Churchill’s real life. |
【推荐3】When you think about a Hawaiian holiday, you probably think about relaxing on the beach with a drink in your hand and the sun on your body. Although Hawaii is certainly a perfect place for a lazy holiday, there is much more than just sunshine and beaches.
These large islands of Hawaii that are open to visitors each offer something a little different, where you go will depend on what kind of holiday you prefer.
Molokai(莫洛凯岛）
If you go on holiday to experience local culture and history, then there is no place better than the island of Molokai. Take a tour of the Halawa Valley, where the earliest Hawaiians are thought to have built one of the island's first villages, and find out what Hawaii might have looked like hundreds of years ago.
Kauai（考艾岛)
Do you prefer your holiday to be more exciting? The island of Kauai is home to the Napali Coast State Wilderness Park ,a state park full of beautiful scenery and nature trails(小路). Why not try a hike along the ocean the 18-kilometer trail? Or book a place at the Hanakoa campsite so you can rest under the stars .
The Island of Hawaii
Hawaii's biggest cities are on the island of Oahu, but Oahu isn't the state's largest island. That would be the Island of Hawaii, also called the "Big Island". And if you dream about leaving the city behind and spending all of your time with the local wildlife, this may be the place for you! Here you can swim with manta rays(魔鬼鱼)and snorkel(用通气管潜泳)with green sea turtles, and maybe you'll see a dolphin or a humpback whale by the Kona Coast.
1. If you want to enjoy a long hike along the ocean, which island would you prefer?| A．Molokai. | B．Kauai. | C．The Island of Hawaii. | D．Oahu. |
| A．Hawaiian holiday is famous for its sunshine and beaches. |
| B．Visitors can meet the earliest Hawaiians in the Halawa Valley. |
| C．Kauai is a good place to see a dolphin or a humpback whale. |
| D．Hawaii's biggest cities are on the state's largest island. |
| A．The culture and history of Hawaii. |
| B．Geographical features of Hawaii. |
| C．Three large islands of Hawaii. |
| D．Big great cities of Hawaii. |
【推荐1】It is late afternoon in Manhattan and you have a flight to catch at Kennedy International Airport. Instead of sitting in rush-hour traffic for two hours, you take a short ride to a nearby parking garage where you board an electric plane that takes off vertically from the roof and you arrive at Kennedy 20 minutes later for roughly the same cost as a fancy ride-share. You make your flight in time.
While it might sound impractical, several companies say they are on the edge of being able to offer a safe, cheap, clean electric plane that can help passengers travel distances between two and 150 miles without the need for a conventional runway. Public and private experts believe the technology could grow into a massive market that helps mitigate over-crowding and changes the way people travel in major urban areas.
While urban air travel is currently out of reach for most customers, improvements in battery technology have driven down the cost of developing electric-powered planes that are practicable as urban passenger transportation. These companies are betting they can bring electric urban and regional air travel to the masses, and have developed the new plane to compete for a slice of this emerging market within the next few years.
The new electric plane uses one-fifth the energy of conventional helicopters. Unlike traditional fixed-wing plane, they won’t require runways to take off and land. Unlike helicopters, they will be largely unhearable from the ground and have multiple rotors (旋翼) and backup systems, making them much safer.
Adam Goldstein, the co-chief executive of Archer Aviation, said his company hopes to offer fares in the range of three to four dollars per mile traveled. That would make the trip from Manhattan to Kennedy, typically 17 miles, between $50 and $80. Several experts predicted the price of regional flights would be around the same cost as the luxury car service Uber Black.
“The biggest cost is the batteries,” said Mr. Goldstein, “which are high-priced, but get cheaper every day.”
1. What is the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To give advice on avoiding rush-hour traffic. |
| B．To introduce a new way of travelling. |
| C．To discuss how to cut down travel cost. |
| D．To explore how an electric plane works. |
| A．Increase. | B．Remove. | C．Ease. | D．Maintain. |
| A．Its size. | B．Its flight route. |
| C．Its way of taking off. | D．Its travel distance. |
| A．It has a promising future. | B．It is too expensive to build. |
| C．It will take the place of helicopters. | D．It will come on the market in a few months. |
【推荐2】Bike sharing have become popular words in cities from Cape Town to Shanghai to Melbourne. Planners, politicians and media keep showing off their benefits: reducing pollution, congestion, travel costs and oil dependence, while improving public health. Bike sharing also helps make cities appear modern, dynamic and world-wide—qualities much sought after by the creative class.
But what makes for a successful public bike-sharing program? This is an important question because installing one requires significant public and private investment and adjustment to the built environment.
While many programs have been launched among much praise, often their popularity has soon declined. Many end up operating at a financial loss and depend on other profitable enterprises to cross-subsidize(交叉补贴) them. Some have resulted in thrown-away bikes becoming an eyesore.
Understanding which factors enhance or stop public bike sharing is critical in helping cities decide whether such a program is workable, before considering what design and sitting will work best.
Drawing on current knowledge, we discuss the importance of the local landscape, climate, cycling infrastructure (基础设施) and land use. We also touch on other factors, such as the legal environment and the characteristics of the bike-sharing program itself.
Take natural environment for example. Two natural environment factors are known to affect participation: hilliness and weather. Hilliness discourages balanced bike-sharing use, as users avoid returning bicycles to stations on hilltops. Those stations end up being empty, while stations on flat areas are often full, so users cannot find a station to return their bikes.
As for weather, ideal temperature ranges vary by the climate zone. Case studies show warm and dry weather encourages public bike-sharing use. Rain and strong wind reduce the frequency of trips. However, some approaches, such as providing sheltered, shaded, or even heated or cooled cycling infrastructure, could prove useful.
1. What can we infer about bike sharing from Paragraph 1?| A．It has no disadvantage. | B．It is welcomed worldwide. |
| C．It can solve every problem. | D．It is the symbol of modern cities. |
| A．Many of them run at a loss. | B．Most of them make huge profits. |
| C．They are the most promising business. | D．Their development is determined by public investment. |
| A．To show user’s interest in various natural environment. |
| B．To show the decisive function of natural environment. |
| C．To show the necessity of bike-sharing programs. |
| D．To show the significance of some factors. |
| A．Hilliness. | B．Attractive bikes. |
| C．Rain and strong wind. | D．Perfect cycling infrastructure. |
If you’ve recently taken a flight from a major UK airport, then you may have noticed that more people are protesting air travel expansion and encouraging people to fly less. This is part of a larger environmental movement sweeping across Europe. Known as Flygskam or “flight-shaming”, the movement is encouraging people to stop taking flights as a means of transport and use more environmentally friendly transportation where they can.
The aviation (航空) currently accounts for about 2% of global emissions (排放) and is one of the fastest-growing polluters. Even worse, unlike most other sources of pollution, air travel results in pollutants released high up in the atmosphere.
Earlier this year, the UK government promised to reduce the UK’s emissions to “net zero” by 2050. However, according to projections from some researchers, emissions from the aviation could more than double by then even if planes become substantially more fuel-efficient. So, it’s unclear whether flying will be included in the UK’s target.
It’s hard to say exactly how big the movement is becoming, but Flygskam has become popular in social media. The number of Swedes taking the train for domestic journeys has risen by 8% this year as plane journeys inside the country have fallen. Clearly, Flygskam is having a measurable impact on people’s transport choices. Some people, however, have been critical of the movement because they say that it places blame or feelings of embarrassment onto the passengers when it is really the airlines and industries associated with it who should feel guilty for the impact that they are having on the planet.
1. What is Flygskam?2. How does flying influence the environment?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Flygskam has attracted social attention and some people have already participated in this campaign, so it is widely accepted.
4. Besides what is mentioned in the passage, what do you think of the movement of Flygskam? (In about 40 words)
Ten years ago, no one thought that using computers could become compulsive behavior that could affect the social and physical life of computer users. Such behavior has seriously affected teenagers and college students. They are likely to log(写日志) on computers and spend long hours at different websites.
They become hooked（着迷） on computers and gradually their social and school life is affected by this situation. They spend all free time surfing and don’t concentrate on homework, so this addiction influences their grades and success at school. Because they can find everything on the websites, they hang out there. Moreover, this addiction to websites influences their social life.
They spend more time in front of computers than with their friends. The relation with their friends changes. The virtual life becomes more important than their real life. They have a new language that they speak in the chat rooms and it causes cultural changes in society.
Because of the change in their behavior, they begin to isolate themselves from society and live with their virtual friends. They share their emotions and feelings with friends who they have never met in their life. Although they feel confident on the computer, they are not confident with real live friends they have known all their life. It is a problem for the future. This addictive behavior is beginning to affect all the world.
1. The main idea of the passage is about__________.
| A．the cause of weboholism |
| B．the advantage of weboholism |
| C．the popularity of weboholism |
| D．the effect of weboholism |
| A．weboholism has the greatest effect on teenagers |
| B．students can hardly balance real and virtual life |
| C．people are addicted to games on the Internet |
| D．virtual life is more vivid and attractive than real life. |
| A．It contributes to the development of the web. |
| B．The chat room language may change social culture. |
| C．The problem will be getting more and more serious later. |
| D．People addicted to the web often become inactive in real life. |
【推荐2】Horses have long drawn tourist carriages through Jordan’s ancient city of Petra, but animal rights concerns are driving a project to start replacing them with electric vehicles.
A small fleet of 10 rechargeable e-carts now take visitors through the rose-colored road leading to the famed capital of the Nabateans, which dates back to the first century BC. “There is no pollution or smoke and the change has reduced the cases of animal mistreatment,” said Suleiman Farajat, head of the Petra Development and Tourism Regional Authority. “The golf carriage-style vehicles have less impact because sometimes the carriage wheels hit the sides of the road…the horse waste caused a bad smell in the place, and cleaning it was not easy.”
Animal rights group PETA, which had criticized the use of the often overworked animals, has described the project as a “major first step to protect working animals”. They highly praised the “game-changing vehicles” and hope to work with officials toward the day when there will be only animal-free transportation at Petra. For now, the Petra authority says it will keep some of the horses to preserve the character of the place, as it is a world heritage site. The change has however also been praised for another reason — helping to make the UNESCO World Heritage Site far more accessible to elderly and disabled visitors. Austrian tourist Rudy, 43, who uses a wheelchair, said he had repeatedly postponed a visit because of the pandemic, and was now very happy to have made the trip. “Disabled people but also people who have difficulty walking for a long distance…now have a chance to see this amazing place,” he said.
The move to replace 12 horse-drawn carriages with 10 e-carts was agreed with the horse owners’ association.
Foreign tourists pay 25 dinars ($35) and Jordanians 15 dinars for the round trip from the visitor center to the archaeological site. The association receives 75 percent of the income, while 25 percent goes to the authority, said Farajat.
1. What is the shortcoming of horse-drawn carriages in Petra?| A．It is very hard to clean the horses and carriages. |
| B．The speed of horse-drawn carriages is too low. |
| C．The horses consume a lot of food to keep strong. |
| D．The carriage wheels damage the sides of the road. |
| A．Tourist Rudy prefers horse-drawn carriages to e-carriages. |
| B．Horse-drawn carriages will entirely be banned in the future. |
| C．PETA feels happy to see the progress of animal protection. |
| D．Disabled people have their wheel-chairs updated for traveling. |
| A．$3, 000. | B．$5, 000. | C．$15, 000. | D．$20, 000. |
| A．E-carriages Replace Horse-drawn Carriages in Petra |
| B．Animal Rights Group Sing High Praise for E-carriages |
| C．Updated Traffic Transportation Makes for Petra’s Tourism |
| D．Government of Petra Takes Steps to Protect Heritage Sites |
【推荐3】Look up over the white sand beaches of Mauritius and you may see a huge sail. It’s much like the kind used by kite surfers but the size of a three-bedroom apartment. The sail isn’t a tourist attraction — it’s creating electricity for this island off the east coast of Africa.
Launched in December 2021 by SkySails Power, the massive wing is the world’s first fully autonomous commercial “airborne wind energy”system. For the past two months, it has been delivering a little under its goal of 100 kilowatts — typically enough to power up to 50 homes.
To harvest wind energy from the heights where wind blows fastest, the key may be to fly a kite. These systems come in container and can be dropped off wherever there’s a road or dock (码头). They can also be tied to a fixed ship in deep waters.
Their height is adaptable, so they can be moved up or down to wherever the wind blows the hardest, which often changes with the seasons.
SkySails actually started back in 2001 with a different purpose: building soft kite wings to pull massive ships along at sea. In 2015 SkySails shifted focus to producing electricity with SkySails Power.
SkySails’ system relies on a roughly 150 square metre wing to ride on the wind. There are no turbines (涡轮机) up in the air, and the line isn’t an electric wire. Instead, the energy is generated on the ground, from the pull on the line. “The brake on the winch (绞车) is generating the electricity, “says Fagiano, the chief officer. Software flies the kite autonomously in a figure-of-eight pattern to get the strongest pull possible to produce energy. The system then changes the wing’s flight pattern so it can be pulled in with minimal resistance, expending a little energy to wind it back. This pattern repeats, creating far more energy than it consumes.
The sails have less impact on the skyline than traditional turbines and are quieter too, says Fagiano. And they make economic sense for anyone currently paying more than $0.30 per kilowatt hour from traditional generators.
1. What is the most effective way for the system to get energy?| A．It is placed as high as possible. |
| B．It is tied to ship in the deep sea. |
| C．It is adjusted to the hardest winds. |
| D．It is fixed on the white sand beaches. |
| A．To beat traditional turbines. |
| B．To power the homes in need. |
| C．To pull the huge ships at sea. |
| D．To compete with other companies. |
| A．Why turbines are abandoned. |
| B．How the SkySails’ system works. |
| C．How software controls the wing. |
| D．Why the wing changes its flight pattern. |
| A．SkySails: Pioneer in generating power |
| B．SkySails: Competitor to traditional power |
| C．The sails seeking the world’s surest winds |
| D．The sails generating the cheapest electricity |
