Eco-friendly Vauban,Germany,located in the southwest part of the country,is a city where less than 20 percent of the residents own automobiles.Most of the people get around the town by using bicycles and their feet,according to an article (with video) by ABCNews.com.Can an eco-friendly city like Vauban be a model for Americans to stop their over-reliance (过度依赖) on the automobile?
Anytime I watch a news report,what’s often in the back of my mind is what isn’t reported or stressed.While this eco-friendly city is inspiring in that it shows residents getting their exercise and more fresh air through the majority use of bicycles,rollerblades (轮滑鞋),as well as good old-fashioned walking,common sense would tell you that even for a place like Vauban it owes its existence to the automobile.
Do you think that bicycles were able to transport all the construction materials that were needed to build the eco-friendly homes and businesses in Vauban?Were rollerbladers able to move all the materials needed for the sidewalk and bicycle path construction?It took automobiles to help build this place.
I myself haven’t owned a car for more than 14 years.I mostly get around town via running,walking,and use of public transportation.Although I’m glad lots of walking and running has helped to keep me fit and healthier,there are times I wish I had an automobile because it would make things really easier.
In order for America to get even close to being like eco-friendly Vauban,we need to change the way we live,starting with huge investment (投资) in public transportation,etc.Yet ending Americans’ dependence on the automobile will be virtually impossible during my lifetime.At best,one will see more Vauban-like areas in the USA.
It can be hoped that Americans will consider using their feet more to get around when possible,which would cut down on some pollution and provide some health benefits via exercise.The first paragraph serves as a(n) .
| A．explanation |
| B．introduction |
| C．comment |
| D．background |
According to Para.2,the author believes that .
| A．Vauban is not so eco-friendly as the media says |
| B．automobiles will disappear in Vauban soon |
| C．residents in Vauban still need automobiles |
| D．life in Vauban is not comfortable and convenient |
From Para.4 we learn the author seems to stress .
| A．the great value of walking and running |
| B．the disadvantages of owning a private car |
| C．the benefits of using public transportation |
| D．the need of allowing automobiles to exist |
Which of the following opinions would the author accept?( )
| A．American cities can become as eco-friendly as Vauban soon. |
| B．It is unnecessary for Americans to depend on bicycles. |
| C．Americans are still heavily dependent on automobiles. |
| D．The model of Vauban suits American cities very well. |
阅读下面短文，按照句子结构的语法性和上下文连贯的要求,在空格处填入一个适当的词或使用括号中词语的正确形式填空。
Nowadays, people are talking about the expansion of college enrollment. This new policy___16___(adopt) by the government benefits a lot of high school graduates and therefore the country as well. There ___17___ (use) to be such a fierce competition among high school graduates to enter college___18__many of them studied too hard only to spoil their health. Even some of them killed___19___only because they failed in the entrance exams. Now they will have more chances to attend college and the country is also going to benefit 20it. There will be more well-educated and highly qualified citizens and professionals, ___21___ is essential to the development of the country.
22, now some students who otherwise can’t enter a college are not studying hard enough. They think now since colleges enroll more students, they are more 23(like) to be admitted into one of them even without a high score.
24 (doubt), although there is still room for improvement to this policy, I think it is still a good one which brings more good 25harm to the students and the nation. It should be still carried out.
A farmer had a cow. He took very good care of this cow and one day when it was ill, he was very worried. He telephoned the vet.
“What’s the problem?” The vet asked him when he arrived.
“My cow’s ill,” the farmer said. “I don’t know what's the matter with her. She’s lying down and won’t eat. She’s making a strange noise.”
The vet looked over the cow. "She’s certainly ill," he said, "and she needs to take some very strong medicine."
He took a bottle out of his box, put two pills into his hand and said, "Give her these. The pills should make her better."
“How should I give them to her?” the farmer asked.
The vet gave him a tube (管子)and said, "Put this tube in her mouth, then put the pills in the tube and blow. That’ll make it."
The next day the vet came to the farm again. The farmer was sitting outside his house and looked more worried.
“How’s your cow?” the vet asked.
“No change,” the farmer said, “and I’m feeling very strange myself.”
“Oh?” the vet said, "Why?"
“I did what you said,” the farmer answered. “I put the tube in the cow’s mouth and then put two pills down it.”
“And?” the vet asked.
“The cow blew first,” the farmer said.In the story, the vet must be _________.
| A．the farmer's friend | B．a milk factory |
| C．a hospital for cows | D．a doctor for animals |
The farmer asked the vet for help when his cow _______
| A．couldn't lie down | B．didn't eat the pills |
| C．couldn't make any noise | D．was ill |
What medicine did the vet give the farmer?
| A．Bottle of pills. | B．A long tube. | C．Two pills. | D．A small box. |
The vet taught the farmer how _________.
| A．to blow the tube |
| B．to make the cow take the pills |
| C．to take the medicine |
| D．to put the tube in his mouth |
Which of the following is true?
| A．The farmer ate the pills himself. |
| B．The cow got better after taking the medicine. |
| C．The vet came to help the farmer change the cow the next day. |
| D．The farmer waited for the vet outside his house the next day. |
Hobbs was an orphan（孤儿）. He worked in a factory and every day he got a little money. Hard work made him thin and weak. He wanted to borrow a lot of money to learn to paint pictures, but he did not think he could pay off the debts.
One day a lawyer said to him, “One thousand dollars, and here is the money.” As Hobbs took the package of notes, he was very dumbfounded. He didn’t know where the money came from and how to spend it. He said to himself, “I could go to find a hotel and live like a rich man for a few days; or I give up my work in the factory and do what I’d like to do: painting pictures. I could do that for a few weeks, but what would I do after that? I should have lost my place in the factory and have no money to live on. If it were a little less money, I would buy a new coat, or a radio, or give a dinner to my friends. If it were more, I could give up the work and pay for painting pictures. But it’s too much for one and too little for the other.”
“Here is the reading of your uncle’s will（遗嘱）,” said the lawyer, “telling what is to be done with this money after his death. I must ask you to remember one point. Your uncle has said you must bring me a paper showing exactly what you did with his money, as soon as you have spent it.”
“Yes, I see. I’ll do that,” said the young man.Hobbs wanted to borrow money to _______.
| A．study abroad | B．work abroad |
| C．pay off the debts | D．learn to paint pictures |
What does the underlined word “dumbfounded” （in Paragraph 2） probably mean?
| A．Surprised. | B．Frightened. | C．Satisfied. | D．Excited. |
With the money he got, at first Hobbs _______.
| A．planned to have a happy life for a few days |
| B．decided to give up his work in the factory |
| C．was to give a dinner to his friends |
| D．had no idea what to do |
Hobbs was asked to _______.
| A．tell the lawyer what he did with the money after spending it |
| B．read his uncle’s will |
| C．tell his uncle what was to be done with the money |
| D．buy some pictures |
How much money did Hobbs get?
| A． one hundred dollars | B． one thousand dollars |
| C． one thousand pounds | D． one thousand dollar |
Henry Ford was the first person to build cars which were cheap，strong and fast．He was able to se11 millions of models because he could produce them in large numbers at a time；that is，he made a great many cars of exactly the same kind． Ford’s father hoped that his son would become a farmer，but the young man did not like the idea and he went to Detroit（底特律）where he worked as a mechanic（机械师）．By the age of 29，in 1892，he had built his first car．However，the car made in this way，the famous “Model T” did not appear until 1908-----five years after Ford had started his great motor car factory．This car showed to be so well-known that it remained unchanged for twenty years．Since Ford’s time，this way of producing cars in large numbers has become common in industry and has reduced the price of many goods which would otherwise be very expensive．Henry Ford was the man to built _____ cars．
| A．cheap and strong | B．cheap and long |
| C．fast and expensive | D．strong and slow |
Ford was able to sell millions of cars，because_____．
| A．he made many great cars |
| B．his cars are many |
| C．he made lots of cars of the same kind |
| D．both A and B |
The young man became a mechanic，_______．
| A．which was his father’s will |
| B．which was against his own will |
| C．which was against his father’s will |
| D．which was the will of both |
The “Model T” was very famous_____．
| A．before 1908 | B．between 1982 and 1908 |
| C．before 1892 | D．after 1908 |
Ford built his own car factory_____?
| A．in 1903 | B．in 1908 | C．in 1913 | D．in 1897 |
One day a student went to see his teacher. He had been given an important position and now was coming to say goodbye to his teacher. The old man asked him how he would live among high officials. The student answered, “ I will be all right. I have prepared a hundred high hats, one for each official I will meet. I am sure I will succeed.” The teacher got angry on hearing this. “What?” he cried. “Is this what ten years of my teaching has made of you? Nothing but flatterer(拍马屁的人)?” “Excuse me, honored(尊敬的) master,” the student rose to his feet and apologized hurriedly. “But you have always been absorbed in(沉浸于) your studies and don’t know how vulgar(庸俗的) the world has come to be. There are few men in the world who are above flatterers like you.” “There is something true in what you said,” the teacher nodded, smiling with one of the student’s “high hats” on.The student came to say goodbye to his teacher because_____________.
| A．he had got hundred hats to sell |
| B．he had got a fairly high position in society |
| C．he wanted to see his parents in his home town |
| D．he moved away to another city |
The student would live among high officials by___________.
| A．selling hats to them |
| B．making a hundred hats for them |
| C．flattering them |
| D．serving them |
The teacher was angry with__________.
| A．himself | B．the society | C．his student | D．high officials |
The phrase “rose to his feet” means________.
| A．stood up | B．kicked with his feet |
| C．became quite excited | D．raised his feet |
The teacher____________.
| A．liked to be flattered as well |
| B．really knew nothing about the vulgar world |
| C．was in need of a high hat |
| D．was satisfied with the new hat |