7 . Think of a city you know, and try to picture it five years from now. Will its streets be full of electric cars. some of them self-driving? If so, then the current problem facing electric vehicles (EVs) will be a minor problem. However, US sales have slowed well below the government’s target, EVs’ share of the British market has stopped growing and only 1. 2 percent of European passenger cars in 2022 were battery-powered. My bet is that, in cities at least, the c-car won’t gain the upper hand in the years to come.

EVs emit more carbon over their life cycle than any form of urban transport except petrol cars. They are still worthwhile for people in suburbs, who drive long distances every day and who will earn back the emissions and the financial expenses by never buying gas again.

EVs face many other obstacles. Cities are claiming back space from cars. Paris, where I live, is having a vote on February 4 on a special parking tax for heavier SUVs. In a few years, mayors might start handling self-driving cars. These are so convenient that if they ever became affordable for the mass market. almost everyone would buy one, and they would clog up (阻塞) cities.

Then there’s the problem of charging EVs. Suburbanites with home garages can install chargers, but the lack of public chargers on city streets hasn’t become a major issue yet only because so few people own EVs. Even if you find an urban charger that works, charging can take hours.

Crucially, most of the world’s EVs with high quality are made in China, so there won’t be an aggressive western lobby (游说团) casing their way. On the contrary, governments may well raise taxes to block them rather than let China outperform yet another western industry.

For a city-resident getting rid of a petrol car, the calculation then becomes: instead of an EV, can I buy a much cheaper, health-giving e-bike that I can charge in my flat, and supplement that with the odd taxi ride? That is the trend. Looking back in five years, we may conclude that electric cars were made for American suburbia and for almost nowhere else.

1. Paris is having a vote on a special parking tax. in order to ________.

A．increase taxes	B．spare some space
C．expand urban areas	D．reduce traffic jams

2. Why did western governments raise taxes on EVs made in China?

A．Because the governments needed to protect their domestic industries. A. Because the governments needed to protect their domestic industries.

B．Because EVs made in China didn’t reach the standard required.

C．Because the western lobby promoted EVs made in China.

D．Because China was desperate to export its goods.

3. Which opinion might the author agree with?

A．EVs are eco-friendly.	B．EVs are costly for average people.
C．EVs will be in huge demand.	D．EV chargers are readily available.

4. What is the main idea of the text?

A．EVs are not the future.	B．EVs are being replaced.
C．EVs affect the environment.	D．EVs have alarming problems.

9 . 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。

Delivery drones, as the name suggests,     1     (use) to deliver goods. At the moment, delivery drones are mainly used for military action and disaster     2     (relieve), like the distribution of medicines during emergencies, especially to places that are hard     3     (reach) by other means of transport.     4     can be predicted that before long many people will be using drones to deliver daily supplies     5     food and drink. Some companies are also developing passenger drones,     6     carry people in crowded cities. Just enter a destination,     7     the drones will fly the passengers where they want to go. This could not only save time, but also     8     (great) decrease road traffic. We can assume that with     9     (improve) technology in passenger drones, we will be entering the age of personal flying vehicles. There are also many other exciting new ways to use this technology. Whatever     10     (happen), we’ll all be interacting with drones on a daily basis. There can be no denying that the technology will have a huge impact on everyday life.