2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In 1863, the first underground passenger railway in the world opened in London. It     1    (run) for just under seven kilometers and allowed people     2    (avoid) terrible crowds on the roads above as they travelled to and from work. It     3    (build) using an interesting method. This included digging up the road, laying the track and then building a strong roof over the top. When all those had been done, the road surface was replaced.

3 . We are fortunate to live in a city that encourages bicycling as a means of transportation.Our local government has promoted bicycling by improving bike lanes and increasing the number of them. The growing number of cyclists, however, brings this question to mind: should bicyclists be required to share the responsibilities of the road? Automobile drivers have to take competency tests, follow established regulations, and accept punishment for breaking rules. The city requests drivers to register and license their vehicles to ensure accountability (责任）. Bicyclists who use public roadways should be held accountable, too.

Let's look at what sharing the road means. For one thing, it should involve cost sharing.Auto registration and license fees are used, in part, for building and maintaining roadways. It seems only reasonable to ask bicyclists to contribute to transportation funding as well.

More importantly,sharing the road includes accountability. When drivers ignore the rules of the road, the police and other motorists have the opportunity to identify them by their license plate number and report their offenses (违法行为）。 This isn't true for bicyclists. I've seen bicyclists moving quickly between lanes.Because they show no identification, they feel protected by anonymity(匿名）。What good would it do to report to the police “I saw a guy on a red bike blow through the stoplight"? The simple act of making bicyclists identifiable would encourage safer, more responsible riding.

Of course,I've heard arguments against asking cyclists to register and license their bikes. Some people might say, “Little kids ride bikes. Would you require a six-year-old rider to take a test and pay a fee?" Obviously, the city could determine an age when cycling would be considered a "means of transportation on public roads." Other people argue that bicycle fees are unfair because bikes don't damage the roadways as cars do. Bicycle registration fees could be comparatively modest, and the method for displaying a license number could be simple.

Many U.S. cities and towns now implement bike registration and licensing. A statute(法规）from one. California town states that the laws regulating bicycles have a dual purpose, antitheft and safety. I'm eager to see more bicyclists on the road, and I'm hoping for riders who take their responsibilities seriously.

1. To advocate responsible cycling, the author suggests

A．increasing the number of bike lanes

B．giving competency tests to all cyclists

C．identifying cyclists through registration

D．reporting cycling offenses more frequently

2. What is the author's purpose in writing Paragraph 4?

A．To explain how bicycle registration and licensing work.

B．To provide solutions to reduce irresponsible cycling of kids.

C．To respond to people's doubts about holding cyclists accountable.

D．To argue against requiring cyclists to register and license their bicycles.

3. What argumentative methods are used in this article?
① Using examples
② Quoting professionals
③ Comparing and contrasting
④ Appealing to readers' emotions

A．①②

B．②④

C．③④

D．①③

4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Should we encourage more cycling in the city?

B．Should cyclists register and license their bikes?

C．What does "sharing the road" mean to cyclists?

D．How can road safety be guaranteed for cyclists?

4 . 阅读下列短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写 1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

Ten years ago, people bought electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce their carbon footprint.     1     the limited range and high price made EVs something of a rare sight on roads. A lot can change in a decade. Advances in battery technology     2     (mean) electric cars now travel much further on a single charge. Government grants (补贴) serve to draw buyers away from gasoline-powered cars. The change will have a huge impact     3     life. Roads will become far     4     (quiet) and pollution levels will be reduced quickly, potentially leading to improved quality of life.

5 . Bicycles,     1     used to be a major means of transportation, are becoming popular again. New York City, together with London, Paris, Hangzhou and many other     2     (city) throughout the world, gets bike-sharing systems of their very own. More and more people are considering using bikes     3     a replacement for cars, and how to improve bike-friendly crossroads is also under discussion.

6 . If you’re a cycling lover, you will have to pay a lot of attention to your bicycle and maintain it well, for bicycle parts are exposed to wear and tear (磨损) over time and you have to examine the bicycle to see if there are any signs of wearing such as scratches, dents (凹陷) etc. Sometimes, a part may not work because it has exceeded its life expectancy. Sometimes, you will need to find replacement parts for it to keep up the performance of the bicycle.

Different parts of a bicycle will wear at different rates so it is very important that you have a basic understanding about the role played by each part. One of the most important parts of the bicycle is the frame. You will need to choose a frame that lasts for a very long time. Of course, you will see some paint scratches after some time. When you’re selecting a frame, you have to think about the material. Aluminium (铝) frames will not rust easily, but they have a higher chance to dent. Steel frames will be hard to dent, but you will need to make sure they get a good paint job so that they won’t rust.

Wheels also experience a lot of wear and tear and you should go for a professional seller when you want to buy wheels. There are different types of wheels that you can buy, like Zipp wheels that provide more aerodynamic efficiency (空气动力学效能). Investing in new tyres instead of going for used is a good idea because you will be able to get more use out of it. The same goes for chain as there’s a higher chance of a used chain breaking. You may also experience shifting problems. However, some parts of bicycles such as pedals can be used for a long time and you can find different styles.

Other parts that you can buy used are seats, handlebars and the stem. When you are buying handlebars, you have to see if there are any dents or if they have been bent out of shape. There shouldn’t be any cracks in the seat post or the handlebars. There are many shops where you can buy parts, so you will have to check the references to see how customers respond to them before you buy anything.

1. According to the passage, cycling lovers should ________.

A．buy a new bicycle to keep up the performance

B．replace the bicycle parts with signs of wearing

C．choose Aluminum frames rather than steel ones

D．learn how each part of the bicycle basically works

2. Which parts may be replaced by the used ones?

A．Wheels and chains.	B．Tyres and seats.
C．Handlebars and stems.	D．Frames and pedals.

3. The underlined word “references” in the last paragraph probably means “________”.

A．materials	B．prices
C．introductions	D．comments

4. This passage is most likely to be found in ________.

A．a research report	B．a popular magazine
C．a tourist guide book	D．a product advertisement

7 . The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway may be the slowest train in the world. Every day the train     1     (climb) over 2250 meters. Although the entire trip is 80 kilometers, it takes up to ten hours. The railway     2     (build) in 1881 and has been carefully protected for its cultural importance. Today the train is attractive to the passengers who come from other places     3     (see) the railway and the surrounding mountains. They seem to get a lot of pleasure     4     its slow speed. For     5     (fan) of this train, being slow is actually a good thing. As these people say, “slow” has four letters, so has life; “speed” has five letters, so has death.

8 . Electric Cars

Where do cars get their energy from? For most cars, the answer is petrol. But some cars use electricity. These cars have special motors that get their power from large batteries.

Most people tend to think of electric cars as a new invention, but they have been around for a long time. They were popular when the technology for petrol engines was not very advanced. Recently, electric cars have again become popular because people want cars that pollute less.

Electric cars are better than petrol cars in several ways. The biggest benefit is reduced pollution. In areas where there is a high percentage of electric cars, there is less pollution. But it is important to understand that electric cars still cause pollution. Remember that the electricity to power electric cars has to come from somewhere, which is most likely a power station. Unless these power stations run on solar or wind energy, they are most likely burning coal and oil to make electricity. The second benefit of electric cars is a reduction in the dependence on foreign oil.

There are several countries, including the United States, which don't want to rely on oil coming from other countries to power their transportation systems. They want the power to come from within their country, and since electric cars can run on electricity from coal or nuclear power stations, there is less of a need to import oil.

Despite the benefits of electric cars, there are some problems with them as well. One disadvantage is that electric cars are more expensive than petrol cars. This is mostly due to the high cost of the batteries these cars need. Electric cars run on batteries, just like a mobile phone does. But unlike a mobile phone, you cannot charge your electric car's battery by plugging it into a wall. They need to be charged in special places. Now, there is a lack of places where people can charge the batteries. Another problem is that electric cars cannot travel as far as petrol cars. Some people are afraid that the battery will run out of electricity (and the car will stop) before they reach their destination.

Despite these problems, many people, including automobile industry experts, believe that the percentage of electric cars will increase in the future.

1. What's the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．Electric cars make some countries independent.

B．Electric cars cause no pollution to the environment.

C．Electric cars have some advantages over petrol cars.

D．Electric cars need electricity from solar or wind energy.

2. Which of the following is not mentioned as the shortcomings of electric cars?

A．Electric cars need special motors to get power.

B．Petrol cars are cheaper than electric cars.

C．Petrol cars can travel farther than electric cars.

D．Electric cars need special places to get charged.

3. We can infer from the passage that       .

A．electric cars will take the place of petrol cars

B．no one holds hope for electric cars at present

C．electric cars waste more energy than before

D．more and more people will use electric cars

4. The main purpose of the passage is to       .

A．argue and prove	B．inform and explain
C．attract and discuss	D．advertise and conclude

9 . Singapore's public transport system is one of the best in the world, so you should have no problem finding your way around like a local. 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 6:00 am 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 as 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 start at 80 cents. Be sure to always ask the driver the cost of your ticket as he cannot give change. 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 Tibs (6552 8888). Booking can also be easy by calling the numbers listed above.

RENTAL 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 rental, call Avis on +65 6737 1668.
1. By an EZ-Link card, you can take ______.

A．both buses and trains	B．only trains
C．both buses and taxis	D．only rental cars

2. What does the word "hassle" mean in Chinese?·

A．麻烦	B．乐趣
C．景点	D．费用

3. What do you know about traveling in Singapore from the passage?

A．A local has no trouble finding his way around.

B．It's much cheaper to go around by bus than by train.

C．You can see a lot more in Singapore only by renting a car.

D．It's very convenient for visitors to travel in Singapore.

10 . The Netherlands on Monday introduced its first-ever intelligent bicycle, fitted with electronic devices to help bring down the high accident rate among elderly cyclists in the bicycle-mad country．

Developed for the government by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the intelligent bicycle, runs on electricity．A commercial-available bicycle is expected to be on the market in the next two years and should sell for between 1, 700 to 3, 200 euros per bicycle．
The devices on the bike are linked through an onboard computer with a vibrating (震动的) warning system fitted in the bicycle's saddle and handlebars to warn cyclists of the coming danger.
The saddle vibrates when other cyclists approach from behind, while, the handlebars do the same when barriers appear ahead．
“Accidents often happen when cyclists look behind them or get a fright when they are passed at high speed,” said Maurice Kwakkernaat, one of TNO's research scientists involved in the project. “The onboard system technology has already been at work in the car industry,” he said.
“More and more elderly people are using a bicycle, not only for short distances, but also for longer distances, ”Dutch Environment and Infrastructure Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told AFP. “This type of bicycle is truly needed in the Netherlands because it will help us bring down the number of elderly people who are injured every year and allow them to continue to enjoy cycling, ”she said．
In the Netherlands, bicycles outnumber the population of 17 million by at least one million and there are some 25,000 km of bicycle path in the country. Those statistics are set to grow as more and more people take to two-wheeled transport, leading to an increased risk of injury.
Last year, 184 cyclists died in the country, of which 124, or 67%, were older than 65, according to the Central Statistics Office. The year before, 200 cyclists died, the majority of victims also being elderly.
The current model weighs 25 kilograms but researchers are working on making the onboard systems smaller.
1. The intelligent bicycle is aimed to ________．

A．protect the environment

B．help reduce traffic pressure

C．popularize the use of bicycles

D．improve safety for elderly cyclists

2. Which part of the intelligent bicycle will vibrate when another cyclist was suddenly found ahead ?

A．The handlebars.

B．The wheels.

C．The saddle.

D．The onboard computer.

3. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．the elderly ride bicycles wherever they go

B．the accident rate among elderly cyclists is high

C．the number of elderly cyclists is decreasing

D．the elderly are planning to give up cycling

4. Which is the best title for the passage?

A．A Test Bicycle

B．Elderly Cyclists

C．A Smart Bicycle

D．A Bicycle-mad Country