1 . Your next car might drive itself. After years of trials on city streets, driverless vehicles are now nearing the production phase. Last month, a driverless bus began carrying passengers through Lyon, France. Most in the automobile industry think self-driving vehicles will be on the road by 2020 or before.

Driverless cars will at first be huddled with human-driven cars. But the first places where they will become dominant（占支配地位的）are dense urban areas-precisely the spots most damaged by the automobile age. Many advanced cities are already reducing the role of human-driven cars. Driverless cars will quicken that process and will bring us great benefits.

Driverless cars will reduce accidents by around 90 percent. That's big-the annual death toll on the world's roads is about 1.2 million a year. Pollution and carbon emissions will drop, because urban driverless cars will be electric. The old, otherwise they would stay at home most of the time and the disabled and teenagers will suddenly gain mobility.

On the other hand, driverless cars will bring catastrophe（灾难）.The best thing about the automobile age is that it employs tens of millions of people to make, market, insure and drive vehicles. Over the next 20 years, most men who now drive trucks, taxis and buses will see their jobs reduced. Carmakers are especially scared. A few cars in the future might be made by tech companies such as Apple, Baidu and Google. Imaging the impact on Germany, where the automotive sector is the largest industry.

Dramatic change is coming, and driverless cars could arrive by 2020. But governments have hardly begun thinking about it. Only 6 percent of the biggest US cities have factored them into their long-term planning.

A decade ago anyone hardly saw the smartphone coming. It has brought an epidemic of mass addiction. Let's hope we do a better job of handling the driverless car.

1. The underlined words "be huddled with "in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by "________".

A．show up with	B．exist together with
C．get rid of	D．take the place of

2. Why can driverless cars reduce pollution and carbon emissions?

A．Driverless cars reduce the number of human-driven cars.

B．Driverless cars will be powered by electricity.

C．Driverless cars save fuel by driving themselves.

D．Driverless cars will reduce too many accidents.

3. What can we know about driverless cars？

A．They will not hit the road until 2020.

B．They will only be used in urban areas.

C．They will not cause any road accident.

D．They aren't still seriously taken by governments.

4. What's the author's attitude toward driverless cars？

A．Doubtful.	B．Negative.
C．Objective.	D．Worried.

2 . I was coming back home late at night in a “Sharing” minivan. In Hyderabad, India, it is a cheap and quick means of transport. The van drivers ply (揽客) as many as 13 people at times in a vehicle which is designed for the transport of 8 people. Our van was ________ as well. People were getting off and on at many places.

On the journey, one girl signaled the driver to ________. While getting down, she tripped and

_____. None of us noticed it, as it was ________. The driver was waiting for her to pay. It was

_____ that we saw the girl was on her knees by the side of the road. Another passenger and I got

_____ and held her up.

Even in pain, the girl held up a note and asked us to ________ the driver. The other passenger took the note and paid the driver. My stop was a few hundred meters away. I decided to stay with her till she was ________. I paid the driver for myself and he took off with other passengers.

I neither knew ________ nor did I know what to do, ________ I was there, saying some comforting words to a stranger in ________. I asked her to stand still for a few minutes. We then looked for a place for her to sit. From out of nowhere, her friend joined us.

We made her sit in a nearby lawn and her friend rushed to get a(n) ________. In the meantime, she examined her leg and her ankle had swollen up (肿胀). It looked like a minor sprain (较小的扭伤). Once her friend came back, they took the taxi and rushed to a ________. Before they left, the girl thanked me and said they could ________ as it was only a minor sprain.

I do not know if I did enough. But I feel I gave some ________ to her in a small way.

1.

A．crowded

B．old

C．damaged

D．slow

2.

A．wait

B．leave

C．come

D．stop

3.

A．turned

B．fell

C．jumped

D．sat

4.

A．early

B．cold

C．dark

D．quiet

5.

A．then

B．now

C．here

D．there

6.

A．up

B．down

C．in

D．back

7.

A．thank

B．tell

C．pay

D．warn

8.

A．calm

B．happy

C．ready

D．fine

9.

A．him

B．her

C．them

D．it

10.

A．but

B．so

C．as

D．though

11.

A．danger

B．surprise

C．horror

D．pain

12.

A．policeman

B．doctor

C．taxi

D．ambulance

13.

A．shop

B．clinic

C．restaurant

D．school

14.

A．manage

B．struggle

C．recover

D．settle

15.

A．belief

B．advice

C．joy

D．comfort

3 . China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, I’ve found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, it’s the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors --- silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.

It’s fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks. Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just can’t provide.

Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.

My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didn’t want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.

Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.

I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.

1. According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?

A．Because they are traditional and safe.

B．Because they are convenient and inexpensive.

C．Because they are colorful and available.

D．Because they are fast and environment friendly.

2. The author decided to buy a bicycle because he intended __________.

A．to ride it for fun	B．to use it for transport
C．to experience local culture	D．to improve his riding skills

3. How did the author feel about his street crossing？

A．It was boring.	B．It was difficult.
C．It was lively.	D．It was wonderful.

4. Which of the following best describes the author’s biking experience

A．The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills.

B．The author was annoyed by the air while riding.

C．The author was praised by the other bikers.

D．The author took great pleasure in biking.