1 . With new advances in AI and autonomous driverless cars and trains, it makes sense that this mode of transportation could be expanded to buses, too. Now a full-sized autonomous bus service is up and running in Scotland. The buses began running in May, 2023, and are carrying passengers between Ferrytoll Park and the Edinburgh Park train and tram exchange. This 14-mile route is the first of its kind in the UK.
The autonomous buses are being operated by Stagecoach, the largest coach operator in the UK. While the buses are autonomous, fully self-driving vehicles are not currently permitted in the UK so a driver has to be onboard at all times.
The vehicles are required to have a safety driver to monitor the technology and a bus captain that will help passengers board and purchase tickets. The driver can take control in case of an emergency situation. And the vehicles use sensors to travel on specific routes and can reach the top speed of 50 miles per hour.
It took almost 10 years of research and development to reach this milestone, which is considered the first full-size use of autonomous buses in Europe. Scottish transport minister, Kevin Stewart, said in a press release, “It’s really exciting to see the innovative and ambitious CAVForth project take to the roads after all the hard work of the partner organizations involved in bringing this world first to Scotland.” This project was one of six to receive funding from a joint UK government and industries undertaking to speed up the commercialization of self-driving technology, reported The Guardian. The government hopes the autonomous buses will be faster and more reliable to use than conventional buses since 88% of road accidents are caused by drivers’ errors.
Other countries in Europe are exploring using driverless buses. There have already been short trials in several cities in Italy, Finland and France and there’re plans for driverless electric minibuses to be introduced in Switzerland, Germany and Norway. An autonomous bus may be just around the corner in a city near you.
1. A driver is needed in an autonomous bus to ________.| A．monitor the route | B．deal with emergencies |
| C．direct the bus | D．help passengers buy tickets |
| A．It is very easy to develop the driverless buses. | B．The autonomous buses won’t cause accidents. |
| C．Scotland becomes popular for the driverless buses. | D．The UK government values the autonomous buses. |
| A．Promising. | B．Hopeless. | C．Worrying. | D．Uncertain. |
| A．Autonomous Buses Are Widely Used in the UK | B．Self-driving Technology Has Been a Hit |
| C．Autonomous Buses Hit the Road in the UK | D．Conventional Buses Are Much Safer |
Cars are the most important part of life in the United States. Without a car most people feel that they are poor. And even if a person is poor he doesn’t feel really poor when he has a car.
Henry Ford was the man who first started making cars in large numbers. He probably doesn’t know how much the car was going to affect American culture. The car made the United States a nation on wheels. And it helped to make the United States what it is today.
There are many reasons that the car became so popular in the United States. First of all, the country was a large one and Americans like to move around in it. The car provides the most comfortable and cheapest form of transportation. With a car people can go to any place without spending a lot of money.
The second reason that cars are popular is the fact that the United States never really developed an efficient and inexpensive form of public transportation. Long distance trains have never been as common in the United States as they are in the other parts of the world. Nowadays there is good system of air service provided by planes. But it is too expensive to be used frequently.
The third reason is the most important one. The American spirit of independence is what really made cars popular. Americans don’t like to wait for a bus, or a train or even a plane. They don’t like to have to follow an exact schedule. A car gives them the freedom to plan their own time. And this is the freedom that Americans want most to have.
The gas shortage has caused a big problem for Americans. But the answer will not be a bigger system of public transportation. The real solution will have to be a new kind of car, one that does not use so much gas.
1. What do you think is the main idea of this article? (no more than 10 words)2. Why is the air service not well received by Americans? (no more than 10 words)
3. What is the most important reason for American people’s preference for cars? (no more than 10 words)
4. Can you explain the underlined word “shortage” in English? (no more than 5 words)
5. What is the real solution of gas shortage according to the author? (no more than 15 words)
3 . Are you traveling to an English-speaking country? If you are, one of the most important things you need to know is
Remember to be
“How do I get to ...” — This is the simplest
“Where exactly am I?” — Sometimes in order to understand the directions well, you have to
“What is the quickest way to get to ...” — Let us say that you have to go somewhere
“Where is ...” — This phrase is also useful
Now you are ready to travel to an English-speaking country and to ask for directions. Enjoy your
| A．who | B．where | C．how | D．why |
| A．polite | B．quiet | C．honest | D．fair |
| A．reason | B．skill | C．talk | D．way |
| A．study | B．change | C．follow | D．explain |
| A．work out | B．find out | C．bring out | D．take out |
| A．by | B．on | C．with | D．from |
| A．often | B．suddenly | C．fast | D．secretly |
| A．since | B．before | C．though | D．when |
| A．use | B．miss | C．invent | D．expect |
| A．meals | B．shows | C．travels | D．questions |
1. What time is it probably now?
| A．4:30 pm. | B．4:00 pm. | C．3:30 pm. |
| A．To visit her family. |
| B．To go sightseeing. |
| C．To go on business trips. |
| A．Once a week. | B．Twice a week. | C．Once a month. |
| A．By subway. | B．By car. | C．By taxi. |
| A．A bookshop. | B．A shop. | C．A park. |
6 . European Union member states gave final approval Tuesday to a plan that would require all new cars sold in the EU to be zero-emission (零排放) vehicles starting in the year 2035. It’s part of the EU’s plan to address climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and more ambitious than similar efforts in America. A quarter of the group’s emissions come from the transportation sector, and 70% of that is road traffic.
“The direction of travel is clear: in 2035, new cars and vans must have zero emissions,” European Commission Executive Vice President Timmermans said in a statement. “The new rules on CO2-emissions from cars and vans are a key part of the European Green Deal and will be a big contribution to our target of being climate neutral by 2050,” Timmermans added.
The plan also requires that, by the year 2030, the average emissions of new cars drop by 55% and the average emissions of new vans drop by 50%, compared with vehicle emissions in 2021.
There’s one major warning to the plan. The European Commission said it would carve out a favorable policy for the continued sale of cars that run on e-fuels past 2035 at Germany’s request, according to Reuters. E-fuels are made using captured CO2 emissions. Poland opposed (反对) the new law, the BBC reported, and Italy, Bulgaria and Romania didn’t vote.
But there is no deny that the plan has an extremely good future. President Biden has said he supports the rise of electric vehicles, and in 2021 he signed an official order setting a goal that half of all new passenger cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. in 2030 be zero-emission vehicles, including plug-in hybrids. Several states have announced future bans on gas-powered cars, though.
However, the shift from petrol engines to electric vehicles won’t be as easy as turning a key. Some of the challenges of switching to zero-emission vehicles include the relatively high cost of electric cars and a lack of charging infrastructure (基础设施).
1. What is the purpose of the new vehicle plan?| A．To promote car sales in the EU. |
| B．To decrease the greenhouse gas emission. |
| C．To show the advantages of gas-powered cars. |
| D．To introduce new electric vehicles to be sold in the EU. |
| A．It wins the support from all the EU citizens. |
| B．It can be carried out effortlessly and smoothly. |
| C．It calls for improvement of electric vehicles’ charging access. |
| D．It may receive strong opposition from electric vehicles makers. |
| A．Cautious. | B．Unclear. | C．Positive. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．New cars in the EU will be zero-emission from 2035. |
| B．The EU reaches an agreement to improve vehicle quality. |
| C．The law on zero-emission vehicle causes heated discussion. |
| D．The new zero-emission U. S vehicles will win the EU market. |
7 . Traveling by train may seem like a pain when there are faster ways to get around, but unless you’ve taken a long journey by train, there is no way you can begin to understand how amazing an experience it can be. Trains offer a certain romance (浪漫) which planes and cars never could.
Trains offer you a view like no other. When you fly in a plane, yes, the view is breathtaking for the first part of the flight and the final part, but the flight itself means pretty much clouds or darkness—both of which get real boring and real fast. And by car, the actual act of driving and navigating (导航) means that you don’t really get to fully take things in. The train offers a comfy (轻松的) spot that gives you the chance to relax and enjoy the beauty around you. Many have said that they’d never known how beautiful their own country is until having the chance to see it from the train. There is something magical about travelling around the country using one of the oldest known methods of transportation. It’s so...Orient Express...without the murder of course!
If you’re inspired by this article enough to want to consider a trip enjoying the train, then my first suggestion would be a trip in and around Europe. You’ve likely heard of Eurail which is the best way to get all around Europe, but before we get into that,know that many European countries still use the old fashioned locomotives (火车头) for regional trips. Imagine travelling along the beautiful countryside of Portugal or Austria in a compartment. The quiet setting, the history and the magic is enough to take your breath away. That really is the ultimate in travel.
1. What does the author of the passage think of traveling by train?| A．It is an amazing experience. |
| B．It is a painful experience. |
| C．It is uncomfortable. |
| D．It is slow but comfortable. |
| A．Description. | B．Explanation. |
| C．Persuasion. | D．Comparison. |
| A．When the plane is taking off. |
| B．When the plane is about to take off. |
| C．When the plane is flying into clouds. |
| D．When the plane is landing. |
| A．Make breathing difficult. |
| B．Make you surprised. |
| C．Make you satisfied. |
| D．Make you scared. |
1. What does the man want to do?
| A．Buy something. | B．See an exhibition. | C．Get a free ticket. |
| A．By taxi. | B．By bus. | C．On foot. |
9 . Fifty-five years ago, I got into my father’s lime-green 1960 Rambler American-a car to take my driver’s exam in Lindenhurst. I crossed my fingers to pray that the start button would work. It did, and my father and I got to the test site on time. The streets seemed quite narrow to me. Although nervous, I was determined to do my best. Parallel-parking was my flaw, and I hoped that my tires would not hit the curb(路边线).
When I was practicing for the test, my father, far from being the best teacher, was rather unpleased with my parallel-parking. His fearful cries could be heard along the streets of Woodward Parkway in South Farmingdale, my hometown, or in the large empty parking lots where I first put my foot to the gas pedal. I felt embarrassed when he said, “Step on the gas! Check your rear-view mirror! Step on the brake!” I was convinced that no one could do all those things at the same time. I had seen the driver’s education films showing bodies were cut off in accidents and came away fairly frighteningly.
During my test, I drove cautiously, probably a little too slow, without the benefit of power steering or electronic helpmates. I kept my hands at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel( 方向盘), checked my mirrors, stopped at stop signs and signaled for turns. I was satisfied with my performance up to that point, but then it was time to parallel-park.
Fortunately, the parking area had no curb, just something like a mound of dirt at the edge. I pulled up next to a car, checked my rear-view mirror and began to back inward. Somehow, I nailed it on my first try, lining up right behind the car in front of me. Minutes later, the tester announced I had passed. I knew that my life had changed. I had earned freedom of movement and felt a sense of maturity.
1. Which can best replace the underlined word “flaw” in paragraph 1?| A．Favourite | B．Habit | C．Advantage | D．Weakness |
| A．A terrible accident happened during the practice. |
| B．A quarrel between the author and his father broke out. |
| C．The author was doubtful about his father’s direction. |
| D．The author was touched by his father’s consideration. |
| A．Behind a car in line | B．On a mound of dirt |
| C．Over a curb. | D．In the street of Woodward Parkway. |
| A．To show off his achievement with good luck. |
| B．To share his experience of taking his driving test. |
| C．To thank his beloved father for his help. |
| D．To accept the constant changes in his life. |
| A．By train. | B．By bus. | C．By car. |
