1 . To drive or not to drive? That is the question for many foreigners living in China.     1     If you don’t want to give up the convenience of driving by yourself in the mainland of China, the information below will be quite helpful.

If you have a driving license issued by your home country, you can apply for a temporary driving license and drive in China without having to take related tests. The temporary license can be valid for three months at most.     2     Carry the two driving licenses together in case traffic police ask you to show them.

    3     As long as you have a residency permit and a driver’s license from another country, you can get a Chinese driver’s license (valid for 6 years) just by passing a written exam in Chinese, English, Spanish, French, German or Arabic, which consists of answering 100 multiple choice questions, and lasts 45 minutes. The process and the exam take place in the traffic police department in the city you live in and you may need a prior appointment. You pass by getting more than 90% of answers right.     4    

If over 18 with a temporary or permanent residency permit but without driver’s license from another country, you also have the chance to get a driver’s license in China. To do this, you’ll have to pass four exams. Each exam can be taken twice.     5     There are some driving schools which specialize in foreigners or accept foreigners. Some even allow you to bring along a translator. It normally takes 2 to 3 months and 3,000 to 8,000 yuan depending on the driving school and the city.

A．The valid period cannot be extended.

B．In case you fail, you can try a second time.

C．Applying for an official license is rather complicated.

D．But It’s up to you to decide whether to apply for it or not.

E．It’s strongly recommended that you sign up for a driving school.

F．Most find it hard to survive Chinese traffic without actually taking the wheel.

G．Once you plan to stay long in China, better obtain an official driving license.

4 . William Vickrey was the pioneer to propose congestion pricing in 1952 for NYC’s (New York City) subways and later for roads. It has been rejected for decades, but the idea finally has the green light in NYC officially. Earlier this month the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the agency tasked with enforcing congestion pricing, gave the policy the go-ahead. From May, decades after London made the identical move, drivers of cars into NYC’s central business districts will have to pay.

The hope is that the fees will ease the traffic burden.Commercial zones where cars crawl are listed to be charging zones. The MTA expects much fewer vehicles on the city’s streets, which should decrease air pollution and promote the economy. But what made the plan successful was what it should bring in — $1bn annually — needed for MTA capital projects, which should improve reliability as well as access to the transport system.

Nevertheless, the plan has not been met with universal delight. Take New Jersey,some of whose regions are within NYC, as an example.Since New Jersey drivers have paid to cross into the city before, the state has filed suit (上诉). Phil Murphy,New Jersey’s governor, who supports pricing in principle,but not seemingly in actuality, has said that “We can’t fix a broken MTA in NYC on the back of New Jersey commuters (通勤者).” Fort Lee, a town on the New Jersey side of the Washington Bridge, has raised air-quality concerns. It expects increased traffic as lorry drivers try to avoid paying fees.

“Past years have witnessed the decline of fuel taxes as a revenue source in transport while congestion pricing could be the possible alternative. If NYC is really committed to doing it, they will come to some kind of settlement.” says Nicole Celina of the Manhattan Institute.

1. What can we learn about congestion pricing?

A．It applies to American drivers.

B．It was designed for roads initially.

C．It gained approval in London before.

D．It is rejected by the American authorities.

2. What is the main reason for the MTA’s support for congestion pricing?

A．To develop the economy.

B．To relieve the traffic load.

C．To obtain financial benefits.

D．To improve the environment.

3. What is New Jersey’s attitude to congestion pricing?

A．Favorable.

B．Hesitant.

C．Objective.

D．Disapproving.

4. Which of the following is the best title for the text?

A．Fewer Vehicles Are Expected in NYC

B．NYC Charges Drivers to Boost Economy

C．NYC’s Congestion Fee Faces Controversy

D．Congestion Pricing Dissatisfies New Jersey

9 . Recently it has dawned on the government that closing more than 1,000 of England’s railway station ticket offices would not be very smart politics.The transport secretary, Mark Harper,announced that train operators had been asked to withdraw the cost-cutting strategy, which the government itself had originally pushed on them.The writing was already on the wall in the summer,when public anger led to an extension of the consultation period on the proposed closures.By the time it ended,750,000 responses had been recorded,99%of them negative.

The public’s concerns were over future access to travel advice and information,assistance for disabled people,safety at understaffed stations,and consequences for the digitally excluded. But the passionate opposition also underlined a widespread sense that railway stations must be more than transit(交通)zones.Combined with a reformed ticketing system,that insight should now inform a positive approach to breathing life into England’s railways and attracting more people back on to trains.

As a report published this autumn by the Campaign for Better Transport sets out,there is an urgent case for fairer ticketing reform across the network.For over a decade,the relative cost of taking the train rather than the car has skyrocketed,as fares have risen while fuel duty has been frozen.Over a third of the public are confused by the numerous types of ticket available,and the complex regulations that apply to them.Why should an anytime return from Chelmsford to London cost &32.60,when to cover the same distance from Grays to London costs E 13.40?

The failed attempt to shut down ticket offices had its roots in a short-term ministerial response to falling revenues(收入).But as the country strives to achieve a challenging green transition,the government should work to establish a simpler,fairer ticketing system that offers imaginative rewards to take the train;and to develop an ambitious plan for our stations —one that reflects their important role in the lives of the travelling public.

1. What does the underlined words in the first paragraph probably mean?

A．The public expressed their anger.

B．The proposal was put up on a wall.

C．Unfavorable outcome was expected.

D．The government adopted the policy.

2. What can be inferred about England’s railways?

A．They have expanded their services.

B．They have undergone ticketing reform.

C．They have included more transit zones.

D．They have seen a decline in public favor.

3. What does paragraph 3 mainly focus on?

A．The popularity of car ownership.

B．The development of ticketing reform.

C．The problems of the ticketing system.

D．The application of complex regulations.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Rising Prices of Train Travel

B．Urgent Calls for Rail Revival

C．Failed Closure of Railway Stations

D．Tough Route to Green Transit Initiatives

10 . Every evening, my journey begins with a one-stop hop from Victoria Station to Clapham Junction, where I catch the main ___________ home. One evening, I was standing in the crowd when I noticed the rows of ___________ seats in First Class, and a ___________ thought occurred to me. In all my time commuting, I had never seen the ___________ come around. Why didn’t I just ___________ it? I slipped into First Class.

The atmosphere was nice and the seats were ___________. The doors opened and a woman entered the carriage on crutches (拐杖). She settled herself in one of the seats. I should have known what would happen next. “Tickets, please.”

There was ___________ to run. In my haste I had taken a seat by the door, and I was the _________ passenger the inspector turned to. I had no choice but to ___________ my rail pass.

“That’s not a first class ticket,” he said.

My ____________ went blank. Before I could answer, the woman with the bad leg cut in.

“I was told I could sit in First Class,” she said ____________.

The man ____________ and gazed at her.

“Then whoever the person was, he gave you the bad advice,” said the inspector.

While their ____________ went on, I grabbed my bag and slipped out of the carriage into the Standard Class. I pushed into the crowd, then, using a ____________ I had picked up from a spy film, removed my coat to disguise my appearance. When I ____________ at Clapham Junction, the poor woman with the bad leg was on the edge of tears.

1.

A．bus

B．line

C．station

D．road

2.

A．empty

B．new

C．hard

D．full

3.

A．simple

B．strange

C．bad

D．strong

4.

A．waiter

B．driver

C．inspector

D．passenger

5.

A．go through

B．go for

C．go across

D．go after

6.

A．comfortable

B．narrow

C．smooth

D．straight

7.

A．somewhere

B．nowhere

C．everywhere

D．anywhere

8.

A．second

B．first

C．next

D．last

9.

A．hide

B．take

C．lend

D．produce

10.

A．ears

B．eyes

C．heart

D．mind

11.

A．anxiously

B．coldly

C．sadly

D．excitedly

12.

A．worried

B．turned

C．passed

D．smiled

13.

A．argument

B．translation

C．discussion

D．business

14.

A．technique

B．magic

C．method

D．trick

15.

A．got off

B．got on

C．pulled up

D．pulled down