I’m so glad to read about the changes talking place in your city. It’s really good news that you can travel by subway in Xi’an, though there’s only one line there. Here in London we have twelve lines. By the way, we don’t use the word “subway” here. It’s American English. We call it “the Underground”, instead.
The London Underground is very famous. It’s famous for several reasons. First of all, part of the underground railway today is the oldest in the world, which opened in 1863. Secondly, the London Underground is also the first line to have electric trains, in 1890. Thirdly but not the last, the London Underground is the second largest metro system in the world, after the Shanghai Metro. There are 270 stations in the Underground and it has 402 kilometres of tracks (轨道). What’s more, the city of London itself helps make the transportation system famous! I’ve got a few photos to help you build a clear picture of the Underground in my city. They are together with this mail.
In your email, you also said workers were building more lines. I’m sure your city is developing fast. Maybe you can send me a few photos of your city today. I really want to see the changes taking place there. I’m happy for you to live there in an ancient city with such a new look!
So much for now. I’ll write soon again. Best wishes!
1. Where is the writer from?A.From Xi’an. | B.From Shanghai. | C.From London. | D.From New York. |
A.when the first subway was opened in the world |
B.when the London Underground first used electric trains |
C.why the London Underground is the oldest subway in the world |
D.why the London Underground is famous in the world |
A.almost the same thing | B.two different things |
C.three different things | D.nothing like each other |
A.To buy a good book about Xi’an for him. |
B.To post him some postcards of Xi’an. |
C.To tell him more about Xi’an subway. |
D.To send him a few photos of Xi’an. |
2 . There’s a continuing controversy over whether electric vehicles should produce sounds to let the blind and other pedestrians know they’re on the scene. Some think those sounds should be standardized—like the “beep, beep, beep” of heavy machinery backing up, so you’ll think “something heavy is coming this way” when you hear it — and some think any sound will do.
This is a serious subject. Plug-in hybrid cars (电混动力车) and battery electric vehicles are super-quiet, and a study at the University of California, Riverside concludes that people listening to recordings on headphones can hear a regular gas car coming from 28 feet away, but a hybrid in battery mode only when it’s 7 feet away.
In response, the European Union has put new rules into play: all new electric vehicle models must have a sound-producing device, which sounds like a traditional engine. Starting in 2021, all new electric vehicles of any model will need the Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System or AVAS. That sound will come into play when the car is traveling backwards or when it’s traveling at less than 12 miles an hour — speeds at which cars are more likely to be mixing with pedestrians.
That’s a nice start, say representatives for the blind, but more is needed. “We’re calling on the government to take this announcement further by requiring AVAS on all existing electric and hybrid vehicles and ensuring drivers have them switched on,” John Welsman, guide dog owner and Guide Dogs staff member, said in a statement.
Drivers in most cases have the ability to shut off the device when needed. My guess is that they will eventually be standardized so your mind will automatically register “electric car” when you hear it. And that’s probably a good thing to reduce the mayhem (混乱) on the roads.
1. How does the author show “electric cars are quiet” in Paragraph 2?A.By making a classification. |
B.By making a comparison. |
C.By analyzing cause and effect. |
D.By setting down general rules. |
A.It was developed by the European Union. |
B.It was designed for inexperienced drivers. |
C.It consists of a sound-producing device and an engine. |
D.It warns pedestrians of the coming of an electric car. |
A.They are too strict for drivers. |
B.They are too complex to follow. |
C.They need further improvement. |
D.They hardly allow for any flexibility. |
A.Electric cars with a standardized sound-producing device. |
B.A new type of electric car on sale. |
C.Problems with the electric cars. |
D.Quiet electric cars. |
1. What happened to the woman’s flight?
A.It failed to take off on time. |
B.It was called off without notice. |
C.It arrived about two hours earlier. |
A.In a restaurant. | B.On a plane. | C.At the airport. |
1.对他的到来表示欢迎;
2.简单介绍高铁在中国大城市的施建及其优势。
参考词汇:高铁 CRH 或 high-speed train
注意:1. 词数 80 左右;
2. 可适当增加细节,以使行文连贯。
Dear Tom,
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours faithfully,
Li Hua
A.A delivery man. | B.A police officer. | C.A gas station worker. |
6 . Like all big cities, Paris has a traffic problem: lots of cars, lots of traffic jams and lots of pollution from exhaust fumes (废气). So the city began a plan to improve the situation.
Under the Velib plan, people can take a bicycle, use it for as long as they want, and then leave it at the same or another bicycle station. The first half-hour on the bike is free, but if you don’t return it after 30 minutes, you have to pay. But it’s only €1 a day or €29 a year! The bicycles are heavy (25kg), and they are all grey and have baskets. There are about 20,000 of them in the city, and around 1,450 bicycle stations. So there are a lot more Velib stations than the 298 subway stations!
Paris is not the first city to have a plan like this. But not everybody thinks it’s a great idea. One Parisian said, “These bicycles are only for short journeys. If people want to travel across the city, they won’t use a bicycle—they’ll still use their cars.”
A city spokesman said, “The bicycle plan won’t solve all our traffic problems, of course. But it might help reduce air pollution. Traffic, together with factory fumes, is a big problem. There aren’t any simple answers to traffic problems and pollution in cities. But unless we do something now, there will be more traffic jams and temperatures will continue to rise, so the problems in our environment will get worse. The bikes might help people to lead a healthier life, too.”
1. What can we learn about the Velib plan?A.Its bikes have no baskets. |
B.Its bikes are light and colorful. |
C.It has more stations than the subway. |
D.It aims to make traveling easier. |
A.€1. | B.€29. | C.€30. | D.Free. |
A.The cost is rather high. |
B.It’s not suitable for a long journey. |
C.It’s hard to find a Velib station. |
D.The distance between two Velib stations is long. |
A.Worried. | B.Uncaring. | C.Doubtful. | D.Positive. |
7 . Backpacking Tour of China
Are you looking for an oriental adventure? Join our 9-day tour and explore China—a country famous for its delicious food, cute pandas and the longest wall in the world! Our China backpacking tour combines history and culture, exciting activities and popular sites.
Day 1—Hong Kong
•Start your adventure at the hotel
•Receive a full introduction from the tour leader
•Board a famous Chinese high-speed train to get to the mainland of China
Day 2 to 4—Chengdu
•Meet your new adventure leader
•Spend the afternoon learning some helpful Mandarin phrases at a free lesson
•Visit the lovable pandas at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding as they eat their bamboo shoots for breakfast
•Board the night train to Xi’an
Day 5 to 6—Xi’an
•Visit the unmissable Terracotta Warriors
•Cycle around the ancient city’s walls on a bike
•Explore the Bell and Drum Towers
•Experience a Chinese night out
Day 7 to 8—Hangzhou
•Head to the famous West Lake, a UNESCO Heritage Site
Take a boat to one of the islands
•Hike up to Jiuyao Mountain to see the impressive sunset
•Visit China National Tea Museum
Day 9—Macao
•Visit the historic center and spend time at the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel Travel across the sea on a high-speed ship back to Hong Kong, arriving at 20:30.
•Time to say goodbye at the hotel that you started at. Congratulations, you’ve completed your tour of China!
1. Where can you get a better idea of China’s tea culture?A.In Xi’an. | B.In Chengdu. | C.In Hangzhou. | D.In Hong Kong. |
A.Visit cultural heritage sites. | B.Learn to communicate in Chinese. |
C.Enjoy the beautiful sunset scenery. | D.Go on a bike tour on the city’s walls. |
A.By train. | B.By plane. | C.By subway. | D.By sea. |
A.By bike. | B.By car. | C.By bus. |
9 . The first time my parents watched me compete in a mountain bike race, they tried to get me to quit. While I was riding down a hill, I hit a huge rock, flew through the air and crashed to the ground. However, this kind of thing happens all the time. I just got up as fast as I could, got back on my bike and kept going. And I won that race, despite taking quite a spill!
My earliest bike memories are of my father taking me out for rides in the child seat on the back of his ten-speed. A couple years later, I got my first bike. But my parents wouldn’t let me ride more than a few blocks from the house until I was ten. The morning of my tenth birthday, I got my older sister to take me on a long ride. We ended up at my aunt’s house. I was totally exhausted and every muscle in my body ached. But I didn’t care. I knew that this was only the beginning, and all I could think about was where my next trip would take me.
When I was in the eighth grade, our gym teacher, Mr. Raines, sent out a flyer about starting a mountain bike club. I ran to his office between classes and signed up. Over the next few months, the ten of us who joined the club worked on our biking skills. Besides taking us out riding, Mr. Raines taught us about bike safety, and showed us how to properly maintain and repair our bikes. He also helped us form a mountain bike team. At first, we competed against each other. Later, we went up against other schools. We continued to train and compete all through high school.
Biking has been the major focus of my life. Those early trips on the back of my father’s bike got me started. The long rides with my sister increased my enthusiasm. Then, the training and competitions in the bike club guaranteed that I would turn into a lifelong bike fan. I think everyone should have a hobby like this-something that is good for them and makes them happy.
1. What happened to the author during his mountain bike race?A.He suffered a big fall. | B.He lost the competition. |
C.He ran out of energy halfway. | D.He hit his head on a huge rock. |
A.Worried and exhausted. | B.Surprised and curious. |
C.Excited but nervous. | D.Tired but happy. |
A.He repaired the used bikes. | B.He taught biking skills. |
C.He took part in races. | D.He gave out lots of flyers. |
A.Why I Love Biking | B.How I Formed a Bike Club |
C.Why I Compete in Bike Races | D.How I Improved My Biking Skills |
10 . Singapore’s public transport system (公共交通系统) is one of the best in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like a local (当地人). There are three main forms of public transport that you would find in any other major city-— trains, buses and taxis.
TRAINS
Trains run from 6 a. m. to midnight. Single trip tickets start at 80 cents. If you buy an EZ– Link card for $15, you can ride the trains and buses all you like.
If you need more information, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333.
BUSES
There are several bus services in Singapore and fares (车费) start at 80 cents. Be sure to always ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he cannot give changes.
If you need help, just call Transit Link on 1800 767 4333.
TAXIS
There are three main taxi companies — City Cab (6552 2222), Comfort (6552 1111) and tabs (6552 8888). Booking (预订) can also be made easily by calling the numbers listed above.
RENTAL(租) CARS
Driving in Singapore is a pleasure and if you like to travel at your own pace, renting a car is a good choice. Renting takes away the hassle of getting to places around Singapore. Just sit back and enjoy the city. It also means you’ll get to see a lot more that a train or a bus won’t let you see.
For car dental, call Avis on +65 6737 1668.
1. If you need to find the bus number, you may call _______A.+65 6737 1668 | B.6552 8888 |
C.1800 767 4333 | D.6552 2222 |
A.only trains | B.both buses and trains |
C.both buses and taxis | D.only dental cars |
A.Ask the driver how much your ticket is | B.Take your own license with you |
C.Buy the bus map of Singapore | D.Book your ticket ahead of time |
A.A science report. | B.A diary. |
C.A novel. | D.A travel guide. |