1 . One of the most important changes cities must make to improve life in them is to separate people from their cars. Even when you have a strong public transport system in moving people between population hubs, the last mile - that section between the railway station and someone’s home, for example - can lead to car use if it’s considered too far or too dangerous to walk.
The idea of a low-traffic neighbourhood (LTN) - where cars are banned from quieter ‘rat runs’ (偏僻小路) to keep them on the major routes - has taken off in parts of the UK. LTNs attempt to filter out cars from residential streets using bollards, camera-controlled gates or even planters full of flowers placed across the road, while pedestrians, cyclists and emergency vehicles can still pass.
Analysis for the active transport charity Sustrans found that “driving a mile on a minor urban road is twice as likely to kill or seriously injure a child pedestrian, and three times more likely to kill or seriously injure a child cyclist, compared to driving a mile on an urban A-road,” and that heavy car traffic in residential areas can lead to a rise in social isolation. LTNs reduce this danger, leading to a three-fold reduction in injuries, and have been shown to increase the number of visitors to local businesses.
Also popular are e-scooter hire trials, which are taking place in towns and cities including Middlesbrough, Bristol and Chelmsford. The trials see gaggles of electric scooters available to be picked up from street corners. The scooters are hired using an app and then, once they’re finished with, parked elsewhere inside the trial area, where they’re collected and recharged by the hiring company. A Department of Transport report on e-scooter use found they were “widely perceived to have environmental and convenience benefits,” but suffered from comparisons to children’s toys.
But that’s not all. The world’s first hub for demonstrating electric air taxis and drones opened in Coventry earlier this year. The taxis and drones based at the hub all take off and land vertically like helicopters and are being used to travel short journeys or deliver cargo.
Weaning us off our car addiction is one of the more difficult barriers standing between us and healthier cities. The first step that needs to be taken will be to tackle the dominance of the car.
1. What can we learn from Paragraph 1?A.People are considered reliant on cars to travel. |
B.Public transport system still needs improvement. |
C.Pollution from cars has an impact on people’s life quality. |
D.Residential areas are usually far away from the railway station. |
A.It’s a way to encourage social interaction and local business. |
B.It’s a series of measures to reserve the streets to walking residents. |
C.It’s a system that employs high technology to keep cars on the main roads. |
D.It’s a practice proved effective in keeping children safe from traffic accidents. |
P=Paragraph
A. | B. |
C. | D. |
A.To call on readers to construct a healthier city. |
B.To promote the latest developments in car alternatives. |
C.To introduce possible ways to get rid of dependence on cars. |
D.To inform citizens of technological advances to tackle social problems. |
Half a million Londoners travel to and from work by bike every day. Since the introduction of the Congestion Charge in 2003, the capital city
The growth in cycling can partly be attributed to the launch in 2010 by Transport for London of the Backlays Cycle Hire scheme throughout the city's center.
Of course, London isn't the only place
3 . Educational programs often use fear-based messaging and films of crash scenes to reduce risky driving behavior among young people. But does this “scary” approach work? A new study suggests that fear-based messaging fails to reduce risky driving behavior, while fear-based Virtual Reality (VR) films showing a violent collision may actually lead young drivers to take more chances behind the wheel.
A team of psychologists in Belgium conducted a study of 146 students who had been legally driving for less than five years. The researchers examined the impact of both content (fear vs. positive) and delivery mode (2D vs. VR) of driver safety intervention programs.
By showing a serious consequence such as death, fear-based driver education films attempt to arouse a sense of fear and persuade young people to drive more carefully. Positively framed films take the opposite approach, using humor and modeling safe driving behaviors that result in positive consequences.
Three tests were used to analyze the risk-taking behavior of the young drivers before and after participating in the intervention program. One was a questionnaire. Another was a test on traffic, which asks participants to watch video clips of driving situations and choose whether they view a situation as too risky, for example, choosing whether to pass another car in icy conditions. A third test was used to measure the level of emotional arousal (such as feeling afraid) after watching a film.
The results showed that participants who viewed the fear-based VR film reported riskier driving behaviors afterward, while those who viewed a positively framed VR film exhibited the greatest reduction in risky driving behavior. This finding supports other research that has shown that exposing participants to an extreme collision tends to activate defensive mechanisms, such as paying attention for a shorter time, disengaging, rejecting a message, and an increase in risky behaviors.
“Fear appeals have been used in many health and environmental campaigns, such as smoking and anti-drug,” says Dr. Cutello of the research team. “Further experimental research is needed to determine whether the use of fear is effective.”
1. What is the new study about?A.VR’s application on driving education. | B.Young drivers’ risky driving behaviors. |
C.The deadly consequence of violent crashes. | D.The effect of drivers’ educational programs. |
A.To assess driving emotions. | B.To judge driving behaviors. |
C.To gain driving competence. | D.To keep safe driving in mind. |
A.Drivers show fewer risky behaviors. | B.Drivers were less able to focus long. |
C.Drivers were unwilling to cooperate. | D.Drivers became more open to advice. |
A.More research should be conducted. | B.Fear-based education shouldn’t be used. |
C.The result of his research is unconvincing. | D.The use of fear education has been cut down. |
4 . Student-Led Public Walking Tour
The official Harvard tour is led by students and consists of an outdoor walk through Harvard Yard, providing a history of the university, general information, and a unique view on the student's individual experience. The tour is around one hour long, and completely free of charge. Currently we are only able to accommodate groups of up to 14 people. If you have a group of 15 or more, reservations are required.
A Self-Guided Walking Tour
If you are interested in touring the campus on your own, you may want a self-guided walking tour. Helpful tour brochures written in nine languages can be acquired from our office during working hours.
Western Ave. Arts Walk Tour
The Western Ave. Arts Walk Tour is led by students and consists of an outdoor walk along Western Avenue where visitors will learn about Allston's public art including both permanent and temporary works of art on view at the Harvard Ed Portal, the Harvard Business School as well as works related to Zone 3. The tour is approximately one hour long. Please wear comfortable shoes.
Harvard College Admissions Information Tour
The Harvard College Admissions & Financial Aid Office offers another guided tour of the undergraduate campus. This student-led tour of Harvard Yard is designed for students who have just been admitted into Harvard and those visitors wishing to learn more about student life.
1. What is special about A Self-Guided Walking Tour? ______A.It includes an outdoor walk. |
B.It offers useful written materials. |
C.It requires comfortable shoes. |
D.It is around one hour long. |
A.Western Ave. Arts Walk Tour |
B.Student-Led Public Walking Tour |
C.A Self-Guided Walking Tour |
D.Harvard College Admissions Information Tour |
A.To introduce the life of Harvard students. |
B.To introduce the history of Harvard. |
C.To introduce different tours of Harvard. |
D.To tell students to walk around Harvard. |
假定你是英国学生Peter,在北京一中学习,于5月1日给朋友Mary写信,谈论北京与伦敦的异同。内容如下:
伦敦 | 北京 |
汽车靠左行 | 汽车靠右行 |
交通方便 | 交通方便 |
阴天多 | 晴天多 |
懂汉语的人少 | 懂英语的人多 |
学生较放松 | 学生学习勤奋 |
【写作要求】
文章必须包括所有内容要点,但不要逐条翻译,可适当发挥使短文连贯;
字数:80-100词,信的开头、结尾已给出,不计入总词数;
参考词汇:convenient 方便的
Dear Mary,
I am writing to tell you something different between London and Beijing.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
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____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
That’s all for today. Please write to me.
Yours lovely,
Peter