Question

Until last spring, Nia Parker and the other kids in her neighborhood went to school on Bus 59．But as fuel prices rose, the school district needed to find a way to cut its transportation costs. So the school’s busing company redrew its route map, canceling Nia’s bus. Now Nia and her neighbors travel the half mile to school via a “walking school bus”—a group of kids, supervised （监护） by an adult or two, who make the walk together.

Many parents are delighted to see their kids walking to school, partly because many did so themselves. According to a 1979 survey, nearly half of school kids walked or biked to school, compared with only 16 percent in 2011.Modern parents have been unwilling to let kids walk to school for fear of traffic, crime or simple bullying, but with organized adult supervision, those concerns have reduced.

Schools and busing companies are finding other ways to save．In rural areas where busing is a must, some schools have even chosen four-day school weeks. Busing companies instruct drivers to cancel extra stops from routes and to turn off the engine while idling（挂空挡）.They are also using computer software to determine the most fuel-efficient routes, which aren’t always the shortest ones.

There could be disadvantages, however, to the busing cutbacks. If every formerly bused student begins walking to school, it’s an environmental win—but if too many of their parents decide to drive them instead, the overall carbon footprint can grow. Replacing buses with many more parent-driven cars can also increase safety risks. A 2011 report concluded students are 13 times safer on a school bus than in a passenger car, since buses have fewer accidents and withstand(承受) them better due to their size. And some students complain about the long morning hikes, particularly when the route contains a really big hill.

56. In regards to walking to school, modern parents seem much concerned with the _____.

　 A. safety of their kids’　　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 B. kids’ physical strength

　 C. time spent on the way　　　　 　　　　　　　　　 D. changes in the route

57. To save money, some schools choose to _____.

A. shorten the school week B. take the shortest routes

　 C. stop using school buses　　　　　 　　D. use fuel-efficient buses

58. Busing cutbacks may lead to _____.

　 A. fewer complaints about long morning hikes

　 B. more students taking public transportation

　 C. an increase in carbon dioxide emissions

　 D. a decrease in the safety of school buses

Answer 1

AAC