The Netherlands on Monday introduced its first-ever intelligent bicycle, fitted with electronic devices to help bring down the high accident rate among elderly cyclists in the bicycle-mad country.
Developed for the government by the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the intelligent bicycle, runs on electricity. A commercial-available bicycle is expected to be on the market in the next two years and should sell for between 1, 700 to 3, 200 euros per bicycle.
The devices on the bike are linked through an onboard computer with a vibrating (震动的) warning system fitted in the bicycle's saddle and handlebars to warn cyclists of the coming danger.
The saddle vibrates when other cyclists approach from behind, while, the handlebars do the same when barriers appear ahead.
"Accidents often happen when cyclists look behind them or get a fright when they are passed at high speed," said Maurice Kwakkernaat, one of TNO's research scientists involved in the project. "The onboard system technology has already been at work in the car industry," he said.
''More and more elderly people are using a bicycle, not only for short distances, but also for longer distances," Dutch Environment and Infrastructure Minister Melanie Schultz van Haegen told AFP. "This type of bicycle is truly needed in the Netherlands because it will help us bring down the number of elderly people who are injured every year and allow them to continue to enjoy cycling," she said.
In the Netherlands, bicycles outnumber the population of 17 million by at least one million and there are some 25,000 km of bicycle path in the country. Those statistics are set to grow as more and more people take to two-wheeled transport, leading to an increased risk of injury.
Last year, 184 cyclists died in the country, of which 124, or 67%, were older than 65, according to the Central Statistics Office. The year before, 200 cyclists died, the majority of victims also being elderly.
The current model weighs 25 kilograms but researchers are working on making the onboard systems smaller.
The intelligent bicycle is aimed to ________.
| A．protect the environment |
| B．help reduce traffic pressure |
| C．popularize the use of bicycles |
| D．improve safety for elderly cyclists |
Which part of the intelligent bicycle will vibrate when another cyclist was suddendly
found ahead ?
| A．The handlebars. | B．The wheels. |
| C．The saddle. | D．The onboard computer. |
We can learn from the passage that ________.
| A．the elderly ride bicycles wherever they go |
| B．the accident rate among elderly cyclists is high |
| C．the number of elderly cyclists is decreasing |
| D．the elderly are planning to give up cycling |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．A Test Bicycle | B．Elderly Cyclists |
| C．A Smart Bicycle | D．A Bicycle-mad Country |
THEATRE
City Varieties
The Headrow, Leeds.Tel.430808
Oct10-11only A Night at the Varieties. All the fun of an old music hall with Barry Cryer, Duggle Brown, 6 dancers, Mystina, Jon Barker, Anne Duval and the Tony Harrison Tri- o. Laugh again at the old jokes and listen to your favourite songs.
Performances：8pm nightly.
Admission：￡5；under 16or over 60：￡4.
York Theatre Royal
St Leonard's Place, York.Tel.223568
Sept23-Oct17 Groping for Words - a comedy by Sue Townsend. Best known for her Adrian Mole Diaries, Townsend now writes about an evening class which two men and a woman attend. A gentle comedy.
Admission: First night, Mon：￡2：Tues-Fri：￡3.25-5.50；Sat：￡3.50-5.75.
Halifax Playhouse
King's Cross Street, Halifax.Tel.365998
Oct 10-17 On Golden Pond by Ernest Thompson. This is a magical comedy about real people. A beautifully produced,well-acted play for everyone. Don't miss it.
Performances：7：30pm.
Admission：￡2.Mon：2 seats for the price of one.
Grand Theatre
Oxford Street, Leeds.Tel.502116
Restaurant and Café.
Oct 1-17 The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13. Sue Townsend's musical play, based on her best-selling book.
Performances: Evenings 7：45October 10-17, at 2： 30pm. No Monday performances.
Admission: Tues-Thurs：￡2-5；Fri＆Sat：￡2-6.
64.Which theatre offers the cheapest seat？
A. Halifax Playhouse. B. City Varieties.
C. Grand Theatre. D. York Theatre Royal.
65. If you want to see a play with old jokes and songs, which phone number will you ring to book a seat？
A.502116 B.223568 C.365998 D.430808
66. We may learn from the text that Sue Townsend is ____.
A. a writer B. an actress C. a musician D. a director
Shanghai: Car rentals（出租） are becoming more and more popular as an inexpensive way of taking to the roads. Business people, foreigners and families alike are making good use of the growing industry.
The first car rental firm opened in Shanghai in 1992 and now 12 car rental players are in the game, with more than 11,500 cars in their books.
The largest player - Shanghai Bashi Tourism Car Rental Center offers a wide variety of choices - deluxe sedans, minivans, station wagons, coaches. Santana sedans are the big favorite.
Firms can attract enough customers for 70 percent of their cars every month. This figure shoots up during holiday seasons like National Day, Labor Day and New Year's Day, with some recording 100 percent rental.
The major market force rests in the growing population of white-collar employees （白领雇员）, who can afford the new service, said Zhuang Yu, marketing manager of Shanghai Angel Car Rental Co.
56. The words "deluxe sedans, minivans" and "station wagons" used in the text refer to ______.
A. cars in the making B. car rental firms C. cars for rent D. car makers
57. Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
A.70% of the cars can be rented out on holiday.
B. 70% of the customers are white-collar employees.
C. More firms are open for service during holiday seasons.
D. Some firms rent out all their cars during holiday seasons.
58. Shanghai's car rental industry is growing so fast mainly due to ______.
A. better cars supplied by producer
B. fast service offered by car rental firms
C. the increasing number of white-collar employees
D. People's growing interest in travelling during holidays
Geneva is situated between the Jura Range and the Alps on the western end of Lake Geneva. Capital of Peace is one of its names— the European headquarters of the United Nations lies here in Palais des Nations. Another worthy name for this city with a humanitarian tradition（人道主义传统）and international character is the World’s Smallest Metropolis. Parks, splendid stores and lively streets in the old part of town and its 2000-year history wait to be discovered.
The Jet d’Eau together with the Flower Watch are the main attractions every year for the tourists visiting Geneva. The Jet d’Eau has become the symbol（象征）of Geneva for a long time. This is a 140 meters high water monument with a rich history. Eight 13,500-watt projectors light the grand column（圆柱）of the fountain in the evening, from early March until the second Sunday of October. The Flower Watch, which was created at the edge of the English Garden in 1955, reminds us about that Geneva is the birthplace of the Swiss clock and watch making, and that this industry has become internationally famous, as well through the quality of the watches as through their beautiful appearance.
Sails on Lake Geneva are also enjoyable. The Lake of Geneva, lying among the Alps, is a true inland sea, making possible a wide range of pleasant boat trips, you can relax and watch the beautiful scenes pass by.
56. Which of the following is NOT suitable for describing Geneva?
A. Capital of Peace. B. Palais des Nations.
C. The World’s Smallest Metropolis.
D. The birthplace of the Swiss clock and watch making.
57. The Jet d’Eau in the second paragraph refers to .
A. the water fountain B. the English Garden
C. a new scene with electric lighting D. the name of a famous watchmaker
58. What do we learn about the Lake of Geneva from the text?
A. It is the symbol of Geneva.
B. It lies among the Jura Range.
C. It has a direct passage to the ocean.
D. It is a large body of water of tourist interest.
All people, ____they are old or young,black or white,all hold the same dream to have a peaceful world.
| A．whether | B．however | C．no matter | D．even though |
To face the music
Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases that come from the day-to-day life of the people and develop in their own way. Our expression today is “to face the music”.
When someone says, “well, I guess I’ll have to face the music,” it does not mean he’s planning to go to the concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you didn’t do this or that. Sour music indeed, but it has to be faced. At sometime or another, every one of us has had to face the music, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry voice, “I want to talk to you.” and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. And where did this expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist, James Fenimore Looper. He said, in 1851, that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on the stage. When they got their cue to go on, they often said, “Well, it’s time to face the music.” And that was exactly what they did — facing the orchestra which was just below them. And an actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of an audience that might be friendly or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So the expression “to face the music” come to mean “having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.”
Other explanations about the expression go back to the army. When the men faced an inspection by their leader, the soldiers would be worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean, shinny enough to pass the inspection? Still the men had to go out and face the music of the band as well as the inspection. What else could they do?
Another army explanation is more closely related to the idea of facing the results and accepting the responsibility for something that should not have been done. As, for example when a man is forced out of the army because he did something terrible, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums tap a sad, slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave, facing such music as it is and facing the back of his horse.
1. How many ways does the phrase “to face the music” comes from?
A. 1B. 2 C. 3 D. 4
2. What’s the meaning of “to face the music?”
A. To face something far less pleasant.
B. To face the stage.
C. To face the back of one’s horse.
D. To face one’s leader.
3. Which of the following is a situation of facing the music?
A. When we are playing basketball.
B. When we are making a speech.
C. When we are having a party.
D. When we are talking with somebody.
4. The underlined word “hostile” means _______.
A. unfriendly B. dislike C. unkind D. unnecessary