Americans love cars. They go everywhere in them. 85% of people in the US go to and from work by car. And most adults have driving licenses. Why does this car culture exist?
How it started
America’s love of cars started after the war when soldiers returned home from World War Π to rebuild their lives. They borrowed money from the government to buy houses and cars which became the symbols of status（地位）. The more money they had, the bigger their cars were.
Making of roads
During the war, President Eisenhower noticed what good roads Germany had. He decided to build new four-lane（四车道）roads in America. He said if something happened suddenly, the two-lane roads wouldn’t be able to carry all the cars that would suddenly leave the cities. Car and oil companies liked his idea and building started.
Car lovers
Not just teenagers are crazy about cars. Some Americans love their cars so much that they paint their cars beautifully. These are called Art Cars. Every April there is an activity in Houston, Texas, where they show their cars.
Pollution
Cars have polluted the environment. American President Bush refused a worldwide law that is against pollution. Many countries were angry about it. Bush said he had to think of the American economy（经济）and all the American people that make money from cars. Factories say they want to make cars that pollute less. But others say making cars that pollute less will never be as good as having fewer cars.
1. When did Americans begin to love cars?| A．Before the new two-lane roads were built. | B．After World War Π. |
| C．During World War Π. | D．Before World War Π. |
| A．companies | B．soldiers’ lives | C．houses | D．roads |
| A．They agree with him. | B．They showed anger to it. |
| C．They paid no attention to it. | D．The passage doesn’t tell us. |
| A．It’s better to have fewer cars. | B．It’s better to make cars that pollute less. |
| C．It’s easier to make cars that pollute less. | D．It’s easier to make people have fewer cars. |
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【推荐1】In Spain, children and their families are riding bikes to school together in large groups. The program is called “bicibús” or bike bus.
In the autumn of 2021, children in the Eixample area of Barcelona(巴塞罗那) had a new way to get to school on Fridays—they rode their bikes. A group of five children began biking to school with their parents in September. Soon the group grew to150 or more.
The bike bus begins around 8:25 every Friday morning. The path it will follow is always posted(贴出) ahead of time, so everyone knows where to join. Instead of riding in bike lanes(车道) or on sidewalks, the bicibús takes over the street. With music playing and bike bells ringing, the bicibús feels like a party.
It was possible to bike to school in Eixample before, but it wasn’t really safe for kids. There are a few bike lanes, but there are also lots of cars. One of the main roads used by the Eixample bicibús as about 20,000 cars every day. Because these are busy streets, the local police are helping stop traffic by riding in front of the bicibús and behind it. Parents want the city to create wider, kid-friendly bike lanes that are separated from car traffic. They point out that the bicibús also helps shrink pollution.
Recently, pictures and videos of the Eixample bicibús got a lot of attention when they were posted on the Internet. Many people pointed out what a simple idea it is, and how easy it is to get started. Many people join in the activity, and more and more bikes appear in the street. Barcelona isn’t the first bicibús ever. Some bike buses have even been organized in many other areas.
1. What is “bicibús”?| A．It’s a program that makes kids and their families go to school by bike together. |
| B．It’s a program that only includes small children. |
| C．It’s a game that lets kids play on the way to school. |
| D．It’s a group that helps parents send kids to school. |
| A．On sidewalks. | B．In bike lanes. | C．In main streets. | D．On the playground. |
| A．Local police don’t support bicibús. |
| B．Almost every family in Eixample has a car. |
| C．It used to be very safe for kids to bike to school in Eixample. |
| D．Many parents aren’t satisfied with the present bike lanes. |
| A．Come out. | B．Cut down. | C．Put off. | D．Put on. |
| A．Riding to School with Teachers | B．Getting around in the Streets |
| C．A “Bike Bus” Race in Spain | D．Taking the “Bike Bus” to School |
【推荐2】Some people have to use public transport. Some dislike it and some love it. If everyone has a car and drives anywhere they want to go, there will be serious traffic problems on the road. Luckily, trains are a good form of public transport.
British people use trains a lot. This is especially for people who are traveling from London to Paris. Every day about 20 trains leave London. They travel at a high speed and people feel glad that the trains take only 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Paris. It’s much faster to travel by train than by bus or by car. This is because people have to drive cars or buses very carefully and slowly for many reasons, such as speed limits and traffic jams. However, when you are traveling by train, the speed is almost the same and there is no traffic jam.
Besides, Londoners think taking a train is one of the safest ways of traveling on the ground. Trains take quite a number of quality tests when they are made. More importantly, they have to take many safety checks before they are used on the rail track (轨道).
What’s more, trains in Britain are comfortable and provide fine services for their users. When you are on a London train, you will find that the train has comfortable tables and seats where people can sit. They also provide food services and power plugs (电源插头) for personal computers or mobile phones.
1. In a traffic jam on the road, ________.| A．drivers can drive fast | B．drivers can drive carelessly |
| C．cars are not moving fast | D．cars will stop working |
| A．speed | B．safety | C．services | D．problems |
| A．old and slow | B．large, clean and powerful |
| C．fine and important | D．fast, safe and comfortable |
| A．We can travel from London to Paris in less than 2 hours. |
| B．We can do our work with personal computers on the train. |
| C．We have to wait till we get off the train in order to have some food. |
| D．The trains are only checked for quality reasons before they are used. |
| A．British people enjoy public transport |
| B．it’s fast to travel from London to Paris |
| C．trains in Britain provide fine services for their users |
| D．trains are a good form of public transport for Londoners |
【推荐3】I am Miko and I am from Japan. I am twelve years old. My home is far from my school. It is about 25 kilometers. So I usually take a train to my school in the morning. My friend Sena goes to school with me. The journey (旅程) takes us 25 minutes. Our first lesson starts at 8: 15. I often leave my home at 7: 25.
I’m Aram. I have a big family. I live with my grandparents, parents, sister and brother in Canada. It’s a bout 10 kilometers from my home to school. It takes me about 20 minutes by bus. I go to school at 8:15 and my first class starts at 9:00. I like music and my dream is to buy a piano for myself. So I work at a supermarket every Sunday. The supermarket is about 6 kilometers away from my home. I usually go there by bike. The bike ride takes about 30 minutes.
1. How long does it take Miko from her home to school?| A．15 minutes. | B．25 minutes. | C．30 minutes. | D．45 minutes. |
| A．by bike | B．on foot | C．by train | D．by bus |
| A．Guitar | B．car | C．bike | D．piano |
| A．Miko goes to school with her sister. | B．Miko lives far from the school. |
| C．Aram’s first class starts at 8:15 a.m. | D．Aram works in a clothes store on Sunday. |
On March 4th, after 10 years of difficult talks, nearly 200 countries agreed to a new UN agreement—the High Seas Treaty (《公海保护协议》). It is the first of its kind in 40 years.
Oceans cover about 71% of the earth’s surface, and are home to all kinds of animals and plants. Healthy oceans play a very important role in a healthy planet.
In 1982, one UN sea agreement described the “high seas”—the parts of the oceans that aren’t controlled by any country.
During the past 10 years, the talks were held time and time again.
| A．But the oceans are in trouble. |
| B．And it’s a great achievement in protecting the world’s oceans. |
| C．The agreement was finally reached after difficult discussions. |
| D．So all countries have the right (权利) to fish and send ships there. |
| E．That is because different countries have their own different ideas. |
| F．The new agreement sets a goal to turn 30% of the high seas into protected areas. |
【推荐2】I love going to water parks for fun. However, many people think that water parks are bad for the environment, because the parks waste water. There is not too much drinking water in many parts of the world, so people think water shouldn't be used just to have fun. It's true that thousands of liters (公升) of water are used every day at a single water park. And there are nearly 2,000 water parks around the world, so that's a lot of water!
Water park operators understand that they need to save water, especially in places with dry climates (气候). One solution (解决方案) that has been developed is to recycle (再循环) water. Using special filters (过滤器), water parks are able to clean and reuse most of the water in their facilities (设施). Some indoor water parks are able to recycle as much as 97 percent of the water they use. Outdoor water parks lose water because of the sun. Building attractions in the shade (树荫) will help stop water from being lost. So new designs are being created in order to keep water in the pools and prevent it from being wasted.
Water parks attract (吸引) millions of people each year, so they aren't going away soon. If you think water is wasted at water parks, think about how much more water you have wasted so far! In that case, you could argue that water parks actually help save water.
1. Many people think water parks are bad for the environment because ________.| A．the parks waste much water | B．people throw rubbish away everywhere |
| C．the parks pour polluted water into the river | D．people drive cars in the park |
| A．close the water parks | B．stop people from visiting water parks |
| C．recycle water | D．only open the water parks to children |
| A．by building the pools under the sun | B．by building the pools in the shade |
| C．by pouring less water into the pools | D．by moving the pools to an indoor place |
| A．waste too much water | B．give people much joy |
| C．should do nothing | D．actually help save water |
Every year there are endless talks and suggestions on how to protect the environment. As for students, what should we do?
Plant Trees
The most important method to protect the environment is to plant trees.
Save Water
We can choose biking, walking or public transport instead of a personal car. It may not be as comfortable as the car, but we will make a contribution to protecting the environment.
Reduce Food Waste
Research shows that food that goes to waste in the world every year is enough to feed almost a billion hungry people.
We depend on the environment for living, and the environment depends on us for living as well. As long as we keep on doing the simple things, we can protect the environment better.
| A．Water is life. |
| B．Limit Car Use. |
| C．Turn off computers and lights which are not in use. |
| D．Luckily, there are measures we can take to reduce food waste. |
| E．Here are four amazing ways about protecting the environment. |
| F．Using shopping baskets instead of plastic bags when we go shopping. |
| G．Trees may take longer to grow, but they serve the next generation (一代). |
【推荐1】When the air is polluted we wear masks to protect ourselves. What about bees and butterflies? They can’t wear masks (口罩）.
New Scientist magazine recently reported findings from James Ryalls and his team at the University of Reading, UK. Their study found that air pollution is harmful to pollinators (传花粉) —insects like bees and butterflies. They can’t smell flowers because of the pollution.
Pollinators are important.They spread pollen (花粉) among plants with flowers. This helps the flower produce seed and fruit. Without pollinators, farms cannot make food. We all need pollinators.
To do their study, Ryalls’ team built eight areas. Then, they piped (吹送) nitrogen oxide (氧化氮) and ozone (臭氧) into six of these areas. The other two areas had normal air. They were the control group.
“The results were much more serious than we thought,” said Ryalls. The levels of pollution in their tests were similar to “normal road traffic”. In such conditions, 70% fewer insects entered the area. Once they were there, they didn’t hang around. Visits to flowers decreased by up to 90%.
Scientists explained that gases like nitrogen oxide and ozone can break down the smell of flowers. This makes it hard for insects to find their food.
Maybe the most frightening thing is that the researchers created pollution levels that were legal (合法的) in the UK. Shannon Olsson, a scientist in India, called the results “important” because they show that “safe” levels of pollution keep pollinators away.
“Air pollution is another stress on insects,” said Ryalls. “That adds to all the other stresses ...causing their numbers to decline (减少).”
1. What problem may air pollution cause to pollinators-insects?| A．They may have less food to eat. | B．They may eat more fruit and vegetables. |
| C．They can't smell flowers, so they spread less pollen. | D．They may stop flowers giving out smell. |
| A．They recorded insects’ activities on farms next to busy roads. |
| B．They brought clean air to places with serious air pollution. |
| C．They piped nitrogen oxide and ozone into eight areas. |
| D．They compared insect behavior in areas with polluted air and normal air. |
| A．They found food more easily. | B．They could not find each other. |
| C．They hung out more often. | D．They visited flowers less. |
| A．Pollinators will only work in a “safe” environment. |
| B．Even “safe” levels of pollution affect pollinators badly. |
| C．The law will have less control over air pollution. |
| D．An environment that is safe for insects is not safe for humans. |
| A．Stresses that insects are facing. | B．Different levels of air pollution in the UK. |
| C．The effects of air pollution on pollinating insects. | D．Causes of air pollution in big cities. |
【推荐2】
Plastic is everywhere. According to the United Nations, about 2,000 garbage trucks of plastic waste go into waterways such as oceans, rivers, and lakes each day. Now plastic was found on the backs of hermit crabs (寄居蟹). According to a recent study, hermit crabs are using plastic garbage as shells (壳).
Zuzanna Jagiello is a biologist at the University of Warsaw, in Poland. She thinks that the hermit crabs don’t have homes, so they use rubbish. Human activity has had a great influence on the environment. One example of that influence is hermit crabs using plastic waste as shells.
But according to a recent study, at least 386 hermit crabs have been recorded wearing garbage. Of the world’s 16 kinds of hermit crabs that live on land, 10 have been seen wearing garbage. Nearly 9 out of every 10 of those crabs were wearing plastic waste, such as bottle caps. The others wore glass, such as broken light bulbs (灯泡).
Jagiello says that she and her team first learned about hermit crabs wearing garbage when they noticed photos of them online. They decided to learn more by doing research. For their study, the researchers searched the Internet for photos of hermit crabs wearing garbage. They found photos from all over the world. Scientists agree that plastic pollution harms wildlife and habitats (栖息地) in many ways. But so far, it isn’t clear that the crabs are in great danger.
1. Where was plastic garbage found now?| A．In hermit crabs’ mouths. | B．On hermit crabs’ backs. | C．Under hermit crabs’ feet. |
| A．A biologist. | B．A writer. | C．A reporter. |
| A．Hermit crabs are in great danger. |
| B．Most hermit crabs are wearing garbage. |
| C．Hermit crabs like to wear different kinds of garbage. |
| A．Plastic pollution is harmful to them. |
| B．Human activities are helping them find homes. |
| C．Scientists learned more about their wearing garbage by taking photos. |
【推荐3】Have you ever heard of e-waste（电子垃圾）? How do you deal with your Mp4 players, mobile phones and your computers when they’re broken or you want a new one?
Most people just throw them away.
It’s important to pay attention to e-waste.
Now, Apple recycles people’s used products in China when they’re buying new ones.
| A．China came second, with 6 million tons. |
| B．With the development of electronic industry, e-waste pollution has become a serious problem. |
| C．And the metals can be reused. |
| D．It can be either valuable or harmful, depending on what we do with it. |
| E．The company will test and repair the used ones and then sell them at lower prices. |
| F．E-waste pollutes not only soil, water but also air. |
Manu was lying on the bed，when suddenly he felt a shadow（影子）across the window. He went near the window to see who it was，but he did not find anyone there. He thought that it was his brother who was trying to scare（吓唬）him. So he went outside the house to look for him but all he found was an empty garden！Just as he was about to go inside the house，suddenly he saw the shadow again. He looked up and saw something similar to a big balloon. It was moving towards the forest which was near his house. Manu thought that it would be very exciting to find out what the thing exactly was. So he went into the house，took out his cycle and rushed towards the forest.
When he reached the forest he could not see anything clearly because it was very dark. Luckily he had a torch（手电筒）. He turned on the torch and went further deep inside the forest. After some time，he saw a light coming from behind a tree. He quickly hid behind the bushes nearby.
Manu saw that the balloon was actually a spaceship. He was not able to see much as it had very powerful lights on all the sides. Few minutes later，the door opened and something came out of it. Manu got scared.
Without looking behind，he took his cycle and rode towards his house. When Manu reached home he went to his parents' room to tell them what was going on but they were not there. He wondered where they had gone. Then he went to his brother's room but unfortunately he was also not there！Now Manu was worried.
1. When he felt a shadow across the window，Manu was ________.| A．in his bedroom | B．in the garden | C．near the window | D．outside the house |
| A．a spaceship | B．his brother | C．nobody | D．a shadow |
| A．Scary. | B．Boring. | C．Beautiful. | D．Interesting. |
| A．Because his eyesight was poor. | B．Because it was too dark. |
| C．Because the shadow was too far away. | D．Because the shadow was very small. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
【推荐2】Everyone gets angry. Many things may make you angry. Maybe your teacher gives you too much homework. Or maybe a friend borrows your favorite video game and then breaks it. You may get angry when something doesn’t go your way. Maybe you get mad at yourself when your team loses an important game. Or maybe you become a road rager (路怒族) when a driver accidentally cuts in front of you. That makes you angry!
You need to know what to do with (应对) your anger. Here are some things you can do when you feel angry:
Count (数) to 10.
Get or give a hug (拥抱)
Talk to your best friend.
Draw a picture of your anger.
Sing along with the music player.
Take some exercise, such as taking a bike ride, going skating and playing basketball.
Never getting angry is impossible. But when you’re angry, you can do something and it can make things better. Don’t let anger be the boss of you. Be in control of (控制) it.
1. According to the passage, which of the following things can make you angry?| A．Your friend asks you to help him. | B．You have too much homework to do. |
| C．Your parents give you a gift on your birthday. | D．You get the first prize (奖) in the sports meet. |
| A．when you get lost | B．when you finish work very well |
| C．when things don’t go as you imagine (想象) | D．when you get on well with your friends |
| A．five | B．six | C．seven | D．eight |
| A．Talk to your best friend. | B．Get a hug. |
| C．Always think about your anger. | D．Graw a picture of your anger. |
| A．what to do with your anger | B．never getting angry |
| C．drawing a picture of your anger | D．how to get angry |
【推荐3】What do we do when we go camping? First, we work out a plan. We take food, clothing, a knife, and things for cooking and catting. We take things to keep us away from insects and the sun.
Then we put everything into the car and we drive to the woods（树林）. We look for a place for campers（露营者）and we look for a good place for our tent. The place should have a lot of moving air. This will keep some insects away. High land with water on both sides of it is good. Then we put up our tent. We put everything into the tent, and we are ready for fun. We can swim in the lake, walk in the woods, climb a mountain, row（划）a boat, or go fishing.
In the evening we come back to the tent, we build a big fire because it can keep the insects away.
We sit around the fire and talk. We may tell interesting stories or we may sing songs.
At night we lie down（躺下）on the grass. We can look up at the stars. It is a busy day, so we try to go to sleep early.
Everything is dark. Everything is quiet. We hope we won’t hear music from the radio in the next tent. We hope it won’t rain.
根据文章内容，给下列的问题选择最佳答案。
1. What should we do first before going camping?
| A．Work out a plan. | B．Take some food. |
| C．Take things to keep us warm. | D．Take something for cooking and eating. |
| A．蛇 | B．蚊子 | C．昆虫 | D．苍蝇 |
| A．Near the fire. | B．Near the lake. |
| C．In the woods. | D．Somewhere with enough moving air and water. |
| A．Because it can keep the insects away. |
| B．Because it can keep us warm. |
| C．Because it is dark and quiet. |
| D．Because it is cold at night. |
| A．sit around the fire and talk | B．tell interesting stories |
| C．look up at the stars | D．walk in the woods |
