If life seems more rushed than ever, you might be surprised to learn that we Americans don't have less leisure time than we did 40 years ago.We actually have more leisure time, and quite a bit more.What counts as leisure is up for argument, but under every definition the numbers have gone up.We get about 45 minutes a day of extra leisure.
Then why does it feel like we have so much less? It might be because we waste half of all our leisure time watching television.The average American adult devotes 2.5 hours a day to this hobby.And for every additional hour we get free, another 30 minutes goes into that boob tube(=TV).So if you want more free time, I recommend one thing:turn it off.This is easier said than done, especially during the world series.
When I was growing up, my mom had one piece of advice for me, and she said it every single morning.'Get out of the house!' It's good advice.Come join the 6.8 million who are in a book club, or the 196,000 who attend pro beach volleyball, or the 680,000 who go to tractor pulls every month.There are even 3 million people who enjoy a sport called ‘muzzle loading,’ which involves shooting a gun that looks 200 years old.
And at the end of the day, there's a thing in your kitchen called a stove.Turn it on and invite people over.Only 38% of Americans entertain friends or family at home at least once a year.What were the other 62% of us doing? Getting a free meal, I suppose.We can do better, America.If we're going to watch so much television, can't we at least invite friends over to watch?
(1)
The main idea of the passage is ________.
[ ]
A.
to teach readers how to increase leisure time
B.
to persuade readers to watch TV with others
C.
to introduce different social activities to readers
D.
to recommend various ways of spending leisure time
(2)
According to the passage, how many social activities does the author come up with?
[ ]
A.
3
B.
4
C.
5
D.
6
(3)
We can infer form the passage that ________.
[ ]
A.
Americans have less leisure time than they did 40 years ago
B.
Americans tend to spend part of their time watching TV
C.
American mothers dislike their children staying at home
D.
Americans treat their family or friends frequently
(4)
The writer’s attitude towards solving the problem is ________.
[ ]
A.
positive
B.
negative
C.
puzzled
D.
tough
阅读理解
Car-free neighborhoods exist all over Europe.A quarter of households in Britain live without cars.Vauban in Germany is one of the largest car-free neighborhoods in Europe.If you live in the district, you are required to confirm once a year that you do not own a car-or, if you do own one, you must buy a space in a multi-storey car park on the edge of the district.
Vehicles in most of the European car-free areas are physically stopped from entering the streets where people live.Exceptions are made for emergency vehicles and removal vans but not for normal deliveries.A few parking spaces nearby are available to buy(usually around one space for every five homes)and a few are reserved for car club vehicles.Cycling is a vital means of transport.
Car-free areas of this kind exist in Amsterdam, Vienna, Hamburg and so on.There is even a small one in Edinburgh.
There is another form of car-free development.Recently we have overlooked its potential.Most pedestrianzed(步行)city or neighborhood centers in Britain are almost entirely commercial.But a few farsighted councils have brought back housing and residents, without cars or parking, into city centers that would otherwise be deserted after 6 pm.
Car-free UK was set up to improve European-style car-free development in this country.We are not anti-car, but pro-choice.We have recently run public meetings in London to set up a new car-free association for London, which is beginning to look at areas of the city from which traffic could be removed.We know considerable potential demand exists for traffic-free housing in London, and probably in a number of other major cities.
(1)
Vehicles can only enter the car-free areas if ________.
[ ]
A.
they come for special reasons
B.
they are proved to be up to standard
C.
they own a parking space nearby
D.
they are permitted by the residents
(2)
If you live in the district, you have to ________.
[ ]
A.
leave your car at the edge of the district
B.
avoid driving a car except in emergency
C.
let people know every year that you do not own a car
D.
confirm that you haven't driven a car for a whole year
(3)
We learn from the last paragraph that ________.
[ ]
A.
car-free areas have not been set up in London
B.
it's still difficult to promote car-free development in London
C.
traffic-free housing in London is in great demand
D.
traffic is a big problem in car-free areas
(4)
The author of the passage is probably ________.
[ ]
A.
a resident of a car-free area
B.
a promoter of car-free area
C.
a resident who wants to move into a car-free area
D.
a reporter covering news about car-free development