1 . About three decades ago, China was known as the “Bicycle Kingdom”．But the twowheeled transport's popularity began to fade, with many bikes soon replaced by their fuelpowered competitors.
But recent months have seen a renaissance of the bike across China, with an increasing number of people choosing cycling instead of driving to schools, to workplaces or to do sightseeing.The introduction of bikesharing schemes, first developed by new companies like Ofo and Mobike, has brought the trend to a new level.According to data from iResearch Consulting Group, the first week of this year saw 5.85 million active users of Mobike while Ofo had 1.4 million active users.
People can unlock the shared bikes by simply using their smartphones.The bikes are equipped with GPS and can be left anywhere in public places for the next user.They're popular among many Chinese people as they provide an effective answer to the “last mile” problem, which refers to a person's final journey.“In places where the subway doesn't reach and where it's difficult to change from one kind of transport to another, it's so easy to get where you want to go with Mobike，” Hu Hong, 29, said.She rides a bike to work.
However, the schemes have also led to problems such as illegal parking, vandalism (故意破坏) and theft.“Bikesharing is a greener method of transportation and provides a userfriendly experience，” said Liu Xiaoming, ViceMinister of Transport.“But it's a combination of online and offline business.Operators are usually strong in online services, but lack offline business experience.”
In fact, these problems are also shared by bikesharing schemes abroad.Set up in 2007, Vélib is a largescale public bike sharing system in Paris.By October, 2009, a large number of Vélib's initial bikes had to be replaced due to vandalism or theft.Bikes were found hanging from lampposts (街灯柱) or thrown into the Seine River.
1. What can we learn about Ofo and Mobike from the text?| A．Their bikes are aimed at people who can't afford a car. |
| B．They are pioneers in the field of bike sharing in China. |
| C．There are 7.25 million people using their bikes this year. |
| D．No other bikesharing system in the world can match theirs. |
| A．They can be shared by a lot of different people. |
| B．They allow people to use various forms of transport. |
| C．They are a useful addition to other means of transport. |
| D．They are accessible as long as people have smartphones. |
| A．They are actually universal phenomena. |
| B．They are brought by bikesharing users. |
| C．They are mainly caused by the operators. |
| D．They are the results of illegal companies. |
| A．What problems does bike sharing face in China? |
| B．Bike sharing: a new battle begins in China |
| C．Why is bike sharing popular in China? |
| D．Bike sharing is booming in China. |
2 . If asked if space exploration should continue, most Americans would give an immediate response either in favor of continuing or in favor of ending space exploration. A common response would be that space exploration is a waste of money. An average American, uneducated on the subject, might believe that the government is wasting billions of dollars on the research that has no merit.
Someone strange to the subject might say that a space shuttle goes up once in a while and that is about all that happens. Research is ongoing and continues when there are no shuttles being launched. This also costs the government money. Does the extreme cost of space exploration make sense?
One argument is that the government is wasting money on the research not being used on Earth. Actually, the money goes to workers and scientists that support National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) missions ( 任务), and goes to major companies that play important roles in major sectors of the US economy. Boeing is a partner of NASA for aircraft, the same company that makes commercial aircraft for the airline industry.
Another benefit to continuing space exploration is the many spinoff ( 衍生的) technologies it provides. The artificial heart resulted from experiments on the space shuttle. The handheld Jaws of Life used to save victims from car accidents originated from the system used to separate the space shuttle from its booster rockets. Insulation in homes that keeps them warm and energy efficient is based on the technology used to insulate the space shuttle.
There are direct benefits to the economy provided by NASA missions as well as spinoff technologies. These advances are found in food, building materials, medical procedures and the vehicles we drive. While it can be proven that billions of dollars that could be used elsewhere is being spent on space exploration, the benefits it provides outweigh the terrible aspects. As a matter of fact, the money spent helps to improve the quality of our lives.
1. How is Paragraph 2 mainly developed?| A．By offering analyses. | B．By making comparisons. |
| C．By giving some examples. | D．By presenting research findings. |
| A．save people from traffic accidents |
| B．do experiments on the space shuttle |
| C．keep houses warm and energy efficient |
| D．separate the space shuttle from its booster rockets |
| A．has changed our life completely | B．costs too much of our time |
| C．benefits us in many ways | D．has nothing to do with us |
| A．Benefits of Space Exploration |
| B．Is Space Exploration Worth the Cost? |
| C．How to Make Space Exploration Affordable |
| D．Missions of the NASA Space Shuttle Program |
