1. How long has the man lived in this area?
| A．For 5 years. | B．For 10 years. | C．For 15 years. |
| A．About half a mile. | B．About two miles. | C．About two and a half miles. |
| A．It is very large. | B．It has a red roof. | C．It is very small. |
| A．It’s faster than driving. | B．It’s more comfortable. | C．It’s more convenient. |
3 . London and Paris are two of Europe’s biggest tourist destinations, just a few hours away from each other by road or rail and an hour’s distance by air. What about the train-ferry combination that many recall fondly from their childhoods? Well, though it’s budget-saving, this option is too time-consuming today, so better leave it to your memories. Since the UK is not part the Schengen Area, passengers need to go through passport control prior to boarding.
Air trips
Though flying between London and Paris is by no means recommended, there are still a few people traveling between the two dynamic cities by air. A very low one-way fare is possible through advanced booking, but of course it’s rare, and that doesn’t include the taxi and rail fares traveling to and from the airports.
* One-way fares from Paris can be as low as 49;
* From London, Air France flies with fares as low as £39(46), and British Airways as low as £48 (56).
Rail trips
The only direct train between London and Paris is the Eurostar, which travels 15 -17 times per weekday. Eurostar’s 2015 edition trains can make the journey in two hours at speeds of up to 320 km/h. Besides, they offer good seating space.
* Fares begin at a reasonable £58(68), round trip;
* The earlier you book, the more you save.
Bus trips
The bus is by far the least expensive and longest way to travel between Paris and London. Eurolines and OUIBUS are two major bus lines traveling between the two capitals. The journey takes between seven and nine hours. Both lines advertise free Wi-Fi.
* One-way Eurolines fares begin at 15;
* One-way OUIBUS fares begin at 15 too, but early bird sales can even lower the fare.
1. Which way is probably the cheapest for a round trip?| A．By train-ferry. | B．By air. | C．By rail. | D．By bus. |
| A．Free booking. | B．Taxi pickup. |
| C．Good seating space. | D．Free Wi-Fi. |
| A．There are different competing companies. |
| B．They are cheaper if booked ahead of time. |
| C．They are more expensive from the Paris end. |
| D．There are still additional fees to be included. |
| A．By car. | B．By train. | C．By bus. |
| A．Push the car. | B．Replace the batteries. | C．Sit in the driving seat. |
6 . Two car manufacturing companies in the US have been developing self-driving taxis, sometimes called “robotaxis”. Before August, their cars have had a human in the driver’s seat, ready to take over if there was a problem, and they could only drive in specific areas, at certain times. In early August, they weren’t required to have safety drivers in their cars. They are programmed to do everything on their own, including obeying the rules of the road, following speed limits, and avoiding people and other cars.
The move was a big step for self-driving cars, and many people were excited about the change. But almost immediately, there were problems coming along. A self-driving car crashed into a fire truck, causing a person seriously injured. Later, another one failed to work in the middle of a crossroad, causing a traffic jam. As a result, the two companies were told to take half of its robotaxis off the roads.
In one recent example, a self-driving car got stuck in wet concrete (混凝土) because it didn’t know that wet concrete was different from a road. In another case, a robotaxi killed a dog. The self-driving system knew the dog was there, but didn’t know how to avoid it. Most people believe that self-driving cars aren’t ready for the real world. Those who are upset about self-driving cars have found an unusual way to be against them: putting traffic cones (路锥) on the hoods (引擎盖) of robotaxis, which can confuse the cars’driving system and leave them unable to move.
In spite of the problems, both companies are planning to expand their self-driving car service to other cities. One of them says its driverless system will soon be able to work in any city, on any kind of vehicle. Though the quality of self-driving cars is improving, it’s likely to be a while before most people view them as safe.
1. What was the biggest change to the robotaxis recently?| A．They are limited in their speed. |
| B．They must obey the traffic rules. |
| C．They can work at certain times of a day. |
| D．They can drive without a human driver. |
| A．They killed a person in an accident. |
| B．They couldn’t avoid the traffic cones. |
| C．They sometimes broke down on the roads. |
| D．They often failed to recognize the directions. |
| A．Concerned. | B．Supportive. | C．Curious. | D．Uncaring. |
| A．Robotaxis struggled to survive, but failed finally |
| B．Robotaxis move forward, but far from satisfaction |
| C．Robotaxis driven by a perfect self-driving system |
| D．Robotaxis expanding to more cities in America |
| A．By bus. | B．On foot. | C．By car. |
1. When was the man’s flight scheduled to take off?
| A．At 7 a.m. | B．At 9 a.m. | C．At 11:30 p.m. |
| A．He got to the airport by taxi. |
| B．He stayed in a cafe for the night. |
| C．He went back to the city by subway. |
| A．The man missed his flight. |
| B．The man changed his flight. |
| C．The man was too early for his flight. |
| A．Exciting. | B．Tiring. | C．Adventurous. |
| A．In the subway. | B．In the downtown area. | C．On the main highway. |
| A．The plane will leave at 9:14. |
| B．The woman has just missed her flight. |
| C．The plane’s leaving time is still unknown. |
