1. Why did the speaker go on the tour?
| A．It was the prize of a competition. |
| B．John asked her to go with him. |
| C．It was her travel plan. |
| A．The drinks. | B．The food. | C．The waiters. |
| A．Disappointing. | B．Amazing. | C．Terrible. |
| A．She rode an elephant. |
| B．She went to the mountains. |
| C．She relaxed in the hotel. |
2 . There are two distinctive types of electric buses making their way along Nanjing Xi Lu, one of Shanghai’s busiest roads. The first is a fleet of blue trolleybuses that serve bus route number 20, a line set up by a British-run transport company in 1928. They use poles to receive electricity from wires overhead and have kept the route running in this way for nearly a century. But while the historic electric buses are a reminder of Europe’s past technological innovation, the new buses traveling alongside them are symbols of China’s contemporary net-zero ambition. These modern electric buses powered by lithium batteries (锂电池) , were introduced in Shanghai in 2014. They offer a smoother ride, especially during starts and stops. Widely used across China, these buses are key to the country’s EV transition and are influencing the global shift towards green transportation.
The most recent data available shows that China in 2018 was still the second largest source of carbon dioxide emissions in the global transport sector, responsible for 11%, and behind only the United States, which accounted for 21%. After around two decades of government support, China now boasts the world’s largest market for e-buses, making up more than 95% of global stock. At the end of 2022, China’s Ministry of Transport announced that more than three-quarters (77% or 542, 600) of all urban buses in the country were new energy vehicles. The speed of this transition was remarkable.
So far, however, the Chinese cities with the most successful e-bus introduction — such as Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai — all have moderate weather and are relatively flat. To take its e-bus campaign to the next level, China faces challenges. For one thing, it is difficult to bring fleets to cities such as Hong Kong, which — like London — have double-deckers. These two-storeyed vehicles are “very hard” to electrify, because they are heavier, use more energy, and so need bigger batteries, reducing the number of passengers they can carry. Cold weather is a problem, too, as it can make a battery’s charging time longer and its range shorter. The reason China has not achieved 100% electrification for its buses is its northern regions, which have cold winters, says Xue Lulu, a transportation expert at the World Resources Institute China.
1. How does the author describe the two types of electric buses in the first paragraph?| A．By contrasting their historical significance and technological advancements. |
| B．By highlighting their roles in protecting the environment and lasting use. |
| C．By focusing merely on their technical details and performance. |
| D．By explaining their operational challenges and requirements. |
| A．The global impact of carbon dioxide emissions. |
| B．The progress of China in reducing CO2 emissions. |
| C．The different emission levels of China and the USA. |
| D．The need for more government support in e-bus market. |
| A．Poor winter weather conditions. | B．Lack of transportation experts. |
| C．Short charging time of the battery. | D．Heavier and bigger bus bodies. |
| A．Worklife. | B．Culture. | C．Travel. | D．Earth. |
1. Who is Rick Steves probably?
| A．A tour guide. | B．A tourist. | C．An artist. |
| A．Germany. | B．Austria. | C．Italy. |
| A．Line 63. |
| B．The top of the Eiffel Tower. |
| C．The top of the Montparnasse Tower. |
| A．It offers free coffee. | B．It is economical. | C．It is easy to get lost. |
4 . Trapped in a sea of cars on an endless highway, have you ever daydreamed about your car taking off and flying over the road? Imagine if you could just turn a switch and free yourself from the traffic jams!
Actually, just a decade and a half after the Wright Brothers took off in their airplane in 1903, other people began chasing the dream of a flying car. The pioneers never managed to develop a reliable flying car, and some even died testing their inventions. However, they proved that a car could be built to fly, and inspired a new group of roadable aircraft enthusiasts. With advances in lightweight material, computer modeling and computer-controlled aircraft, things are changing.
After a century of unfulfilled promises, flying cars are just around the corner. Moller’s latest design, the Skycar M400, is designed to take off and land vertically (垂直地) in small spaces. It can reach speeds of 400 mph, and has a range of 900 miles. The fuel mileage will be similar to that of a medium-sized car, getting 20 miles to the gallon. The initial cost of a Skycar will be about $1 million, but once it begins to be mass produced that price could come down to as low as $60,000.
The four-seat Skycar is powered by eight engines on the side of the vehicle. If one fails, the other engines can sustain flight. To make the Skycar safe and available to the general public, it is completely controlled by computers using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites. In case of an accident, the vehicle will release a parachute and airbags to reduce the impact of the crash.
The mass availability of flying cars could be very exciting or very scary, depending on how you look at it. If proper safeguards are put in place, they could be the answer to our ever-worsening traffic jams. Flying cars allow us to live hundreds of miles farther from work but make it to the office within a few minutes.
1. Why did the pioneers failed to make a reliable flying car in the past?| A．The government wasn’t in favour of the invention. | B．They didn’t have modern technology. |
| C．There was no financial aid coming to them. | D．Difficulties drove them to give up their dreams. |
| A．Its power. | B．Its safety. | C．Its size. | D．Its usage. |
| A．To reduce traffic accidents. | B．To get people amused. |
| C．To avoid traffic jams. | D．To promote driving skills. |
| A．The Future of Cars | B．Flying to Work in Your Car |
| C．The Way to Avoid Traffic Jams | D．Moller’s Great Invention |
5 . Vehicles on our roads are now mostly petrol and diesel (柴油) cars, but their days cannot continue for much longer. A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87 percent of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98 percent by 2020.
One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been “range anxiety” — drivers’ concerns about running out of electricity on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. That said, charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA.
Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed greatly over the last few years. Not that long ago, electric cars were met with distrust, and their high prices drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity, recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars are starting to persuade picky consumers. Plug-in cars will soon give internal combustion engine (内燃机) models a run for their money.
As well as development on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies. Electric boats are among the oldest methods of electric travel, having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric air travel are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery-powered planes. The experiments could soon make commercial electric flight a reality.
Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions (排放). If the US could replace 87 percent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 percent. However, because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim to be completely emission-free. That said, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.
1. What does the underlined word “hurdle” probably mean in Paragraph 2?| A．Obstacle. | B．Intention. | C．Worry. | D．Stage. |
| A．They will suffer disbelief because of battery capacity. |
| B．The high price will put the future of electric cars at risk. |
| C．They will not be widely promoted because of picky customers. |
| D．They will compete with petrol and diesel cars fiercely for markets. |
| A．The history of electric travel. |
| B．Different ways electric vehicles can be used. |
| C．Reasons why the world needs more electric cars. |
| D．The trend that more people have interest in electric cars. |
| A．Potentials of Petrol and Diesel Cars | B．Challenges Facing Electric Cars |
| C．A Cleaner Future on the Road | D．Best Means of Transportation |
1. How is the woman probably feeling?
| A．Upset. | B．Confident. | C．Satisfied. |
| A．Its window. | B．Its engine. | C．Its door. |
| A．Do some research online. |
| B．Find cheaper service. |
| C．Buy a Ford car. |
| A．At home. | B．On the street. | C．In the car. |
8 . Vehicles on our roads are now mostly petrol and diesel (柴油) cars, but their days cannot continue for much longer. A recent university study found that current electric cars could be used for 87 percent of daily car journeys in the US. That figure could rise to 98 percent by 2020.
One hurdle to the widespread adoption of electric cars has been “range anxiety” — drivers concerns about running out of electricity on a journey. While petrol stations are conveniently located across national road systems, the necessary network of electric charging stations is still being developed. That said, charging points are becoming increasingly common throughout the USA.
Attitudes towards electric vehicles have changed greatly over the last few years. Not that long ago, electric cars were met with distrust, and their high prices drove customers away. Thanks to improvements in battery capacity, recharging times, performance and price, the current generation of electric cars are starting to persuade picky consumers. Plug-in cars will soon give internal combustion engine (内燃机) models a run for their money.
As well as development on the road, electric vehicles are taking to the seas and skies. Electric boats are among the oldest methods of electric travel, having enjoyed several decades of popularity from the late 19th to the early 20th century before petrol-powered outboard motors took over. Now, the global drive for renewable energy sources is bringing electric boats back. Steps towards electric air travel are also being made, with Airbus and NASA among the organizations developing and testing battery-powered planes. The experiments could soon make commercial electric flight a reality.
Electric vehicles do not produce any emissions (排放). If the US could replace 87 percent of its cars with electric vehicles, it would reduce the national demand for petrol by 61 percent. However, because of the production processes and the generation of electricity required to charge these vehicles, they cannot claim (声称) to be completely emission-free. That said, as many countries continue to increase their use of renewable energy sources, electric vehicles will become even cleaner.
1. The underlined word “hurdle” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.| A．aim | B．difficulty | C．result | D．step |
| A．They were very poorly made. | B．They were not widely promoted. |
| C．They were expensive. | D．They couldn’t travel at a high speed. |
| A．To introduce the history of electric travel. |
| B．To explain why the world needs more electric cars. |
| C．To show why more people have interest in electric cars. |
| D．To describe different ways electric vehicles can be used. |
| A．Driving into a Cleaner Future | B．History of Electric Cars |
| C．Problems with Petrol and Diesel Cars | D．Best Means of Transportation |
| A．At the station. | B．In front of the cinema. | C．At the church. |
| A．In 5 minutes. | B．In 10 minutes. | C．In 30 minutes. |
