Cars are the most important part of life in the United States. Without a car most people feel that they are poor. And even if a person is poor he doesn’t feel really poor when he has a car.
Henry Ford was the man who first started making cars in large numbers. He probably doesn’t know how much the car was going to affect American culture. The car made the United States a nation on wheels. And it helped to make the United States what it is today.
There are many reasons that the car became so popular in the United States. First of all, the country was a large one and Americans like to move around in it. The car provides the most comfortable and cheapest form of transportation. With a car people can go to any place without spending a lot of money.
The second reason that cars are popular is the fact that the United States never really developed an efficient and inexpensive form of public transportation. Long distance trains have never been as common in the United States as they are in the other parts of the world. Nowadays there is good system of air service provided by planes. But it is too expensive to be used frequently.
The third reason is the most important one. The American spirit of independence is what really made cars popular. Americans don’t like to wait for a bus, or a train or even a plane. They don’t like to have to follow an exact schedule. A car gives them the freedom to plan their own time. And this is the freedom that Americans want most to have.
The gas shortage has caused a big problem for Americans. But the answer will not be a bigger system of public transportation. The real solution will have to be a new kind of car, one that does not use so much gas.
1. What do you think is the main idea of this article? (no more than 10 words)2. Why is the air service not well received by Americans? (no more than 10 words)
3. What is the most important reason for American people’s preference for cars? (no more than 10 words)
4. Can you explain the underlined word “shortage” in English? (no more than 5 words)
5. What is the real solution of gas shortage according to the author? (no more than 15 words)
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【推荐1】Despite the fact that it is used by 1.34 billion people each year, traveling on the tube (地铁) in London can actually be quite lonely. An unwritten rule encouraging silence, mixed with classic British coldness, means that even though you’re packed into an enclosed (封闭的) space with hundreds of other people, your morning trip to work can leave you feeling somewhat alone.
One London resident (居民), however, is trying to change this. “You get on the tube here and it’s completely silent. It’s strange.” said Jonathan Dunne, 42, an American living in London, who started a campaign (运动) by giving out badges (徽章) with the slogan “Tube chat?” last month, encouraging Londoners to get talking to one another.
“I handed out 500 badges during rush hour in a city of 8 million expecting most of them to be thrown away, but after about 24 hours it completely snowballed.” Although Dunne said he’d received mostly positive responses, not everyone agreed with his ideas. Michacl Robinson,24, a student from London, is among them. “Being on the tube is the only peace and quiet some people get on their journeys to and from work. It doesn’t need to be spoiled by people coming up and chatting to you.”
“People think I just walk up and talk to strangers, which I don’t, but it’s been a great way to meet people you would never have normally spoken to,” he said.
So if you ever end up using public transport in London, why not say hello to the person next to you? Just make sure to check for a badge first.
1. The campaign started by Jonathan Dunne aims to _______________.| A．change the “silent and cold” nature of Londoners |
| B．create a warm and friendly space on tube in London |
| C．make passengers change the unwritten rules of the tube in London |
| D．give passengers on the tube in London more chances to make friends |
| A．Supportive | B．Doubtful. |
| C．Mixed. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Please mind the silence on the Tube! |
| B．Time to change your way to take the subway! |
| C．What makes people feel lonely on the tube? |
| D．Why was the “Tube Chat?” campaign not a success? |
【推荐2】This week, Parisians have been treated to the sight of ecotaxis, transporting people up and down the river Seine. They are called SeaBubbles and are being tested ahead of the decision to introduce them into the Parisian transport network. The SeaBubble is still in its early testing period, using technological know-how from several industries. The boat sits in the water as the passengers get on and off but once the door is closed the boat starts moving at 12 kmh (7.5 mph) along the surface. It is 100% electric.
The foils(箔) they use are not new technology. They date back to 1898 and an Italian engineer called Enrico Forlanini. The Germans tested foil boats in the 1940s, the first hydrofoil ferry(水翼渡船) was used between Switzerland and Italy in the 1950s and by 1965, a hydrofoil boat was good enough for the James Bond baddie in Thunderball. What has changed, however, is the technology, which has improved to the point where it can now succeed in dealing with some of the shortcomings which prevented their widespread use.
The company has big goals; it wants to use the world’s waterways—and not roads—to transport people from A to B, and it wants to do so with “zero wave, zero emission(排放), zero noise.” The SeaBubbles would travel at the same speed as cars and the goal is to provide these at the same cost as a taxi, with customers ordering them through an app as they would an Uber.
Anders Bringdal, SeaBubbles CEO, told Associated Press that he hopes to change the way people move about cities. SeaBubbles are one more example of how shared public transport can change the mobility of large cities, much like shared bikes are now doing. People are increasingly looking to rivers as a means of moving around large cities to compete with the subway or buses—in London, travel cards are now accepted on river boats.
1. What do we know about the SeaBubble?| A．It has been used in Paris. | B．It moves as fast as a car. |
| C．It is under water when it moves. | D．It uses knowledge from other industries. |
| A．To give special importance to the breakthrough of foils. |
| B．To explain the reasons for creating the SeaBubble. |
| C．To point out the disadvantages of foils. |
| D．To show how the SeaBubble works. |
| A．To put traditional taxis out of business. |
| B．To work with Uber to transport more people. |
| C．To transport people on waterways worldwide. |
| D．To make environment-friendly inventions at low prices. |
| A．It may have an important place in public transport. |
| B．It has been widely accepted by many countries. |
| C．It will make the company world-famous. |
| D．It still needs more tests. |
TRAIN TRAVEL INFORMATION We offer several distinct options for you to choose the ticket that suits you best.
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| Only one discount may apply to each fare. CHANGES AND REFUNDS Tickets may be refunded not later 5 minutes before the departure of the train for a charge of 15% of the ticket price, or the journey may be changed to another day for a charge of 10% of the ticket price. (Not applicable to same day returns.) CHANGES FOR SAME DAY TRAVEL You may change your ticket once without charge for a journey on the same day as the original ticket. INFORMATION OF INTEREST TO TRAVELLERS When you buy your ticket, it is up to you to check that the dates and time of the journey on it are exactly as you requested.Ticket control and access to each train platform will be open until 2 minutes before departure of the train. Each traveller may take one suitcase and one item of hand luggage. You may also check in 15kgs of luggage not later than 30 minutes before departure, at no extra charge. If you would like to charter a train, or make reservations for over 25 passengers travelling together, call the Sales Department. OUR TIMETABLE IS GUARANTEED If the arrival of your train at you destination is delayed by more than 5 minutes according to the timetable, we will refund the full price of your ticket if the delay is caused by our company. |
1. How much will a passenger pay if he wants to alter his ticket to three days later?
| A．25% of the original price. | B．20% of the original price. |
| C．15% of the original price. | D．10% of the original price. |
| A．one suitcase, one handbag and one 15kgs check-in luggage |
| B．one handbag, two pieces of 15kgs check-in luggage |
| C．one handbag and two pieces of 15kgs check-in luggage |
| D．one suitcase, one handbag and one 30kgs check-in luggage |
| A．Students, children, senior citizens and groups can get 25% discount of the original price. |
| B．Passengers get the full price of the tickets back if the train is delayed over five minutes. |
| C．Same-day-returns can be fully refunded if they are cancelled two minutes before departure. |
| D．People with Globe-trotter tickets can take any kind of the discounts listed in the brochure. |
