题目内容
London congestion charging
The charge was introduced on Monday 17 February 2003 to encourage people to leave their cars behind and use public transport when travelling in central London. It was introduced due to the high pollution levels and traffic congestion(拥挤).
The Inner Ring Road forms the congestion zone boundary and includes roads such as Marylebone Road, Euston Road, Park Lane and Edgware Road. Drivers can travel along these roads without paying the charge. Maps of this zone are published in the national press and are available from a range of outlets as well as online.
People who travel regularly between work and home have to pay £5 for each day they wish to travel through or within the charge zone between the hours of 7.00 am and 6.30 pm, Monday to Friday. They have a choice about how they pay the £5. They can pay online, via the Internet, phoning, texting on their mobile phones and over the counter at petrol stations and convenience stores. They also have a choice about how often they pay. They can pay daily, weekly, monthly or annually.
Not everyone has to pay the £5. Among these are residents, emergency services, registered-disabled drivers, taxis and those using alternative energy vehicles. These people/organizations have to apply for exemption (免交), which can be done online.
The London Congestion Charge works by using around 900 cameras at the boundary and within the zone. The cameras read the registration plates and send the information to a computer, which checks whether the owner has paid the charge and, if not, whether the owner has claimed exemption. If drivers have not paid the charge by 10 pm that day (and are not exempt) a penalty notice is sent to his/her home address. The longer that the penalty is not paid, the larger the fine. Persistent offenders have their vehicles removed.
For more information, call 0845 900 1234 or visit Transport for London’s congestion charge website at http://www.cclondon.com/.
1. This text is aimed at _______.
A. businesses B. students C. London residents D. everyone
2. This text offers readers information about _______.
A. the weather forecasts of London
B. the days and times for people to pay the charge
C. the number of drivers who fail to pay the charge each day
D. the names of shops where you can get Congestion Charge maps
3. What can we learn from the text?
A. All people in London have to pay the charge.
B. London residents can pay the charge in different ways.
C. Registered-disabled drivers have to go to an agency to apply for exemption.
D. 900 cameras are used to judge whether the driver has gone through the red light.
【小题1】D
【小题2】B
【小题3】B
解析
Charlie Chaplin was the first international star of the modern times. He was especially beloved for his Little Tramp 36 . He was the first screen artist to write, 37 and perform in his own films; in fact, 38 , Charlie Chaplin even wrote the music for his movies. He was also the first artist to use his work to pass a 39 of equality and justice for all- 40 for the “little guy”. Charlie Chaplin’s career and life made 41 the first global icon (偶像); his too small hat, his too large shoes and his trademark moustache were instantly 42 by audiences from Chicago to China, from Iowa City to India. And they 43 are today. All of these make Charlie Chaplin the first citizen of our global village.
Chaplin, a native of London, was born in 44 on April 16, 1889 to music hall performers. Chaplin only saw his 45 twice until the age of seven. The man 46 him and his mother about a year after Chaplin was 47 . During Chaplin’s earliest years, his mother was a (n) 48 and performer. Then her voice gave out, her stage career 49 , and she began actively 50 Church of England services. At the age of 51 , Chaplin’s mother was considered insane and sent to Cane Hill lunatic asylum(疯人院), and the 52 sent Charlie and his brother to live with his father, 53 had by then stopped all payments of child support.
Charlie Chaplin lived with his father only a short time 54 his mother was released from the lunatic asylum and then 55 Charlie and his brother to live with her once again.
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Imagine, one day, getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours, and then, after a full day of work, going back home to Beijing and having dinner there.
Sounds unusual, doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic, with the development of China’s high-speed railway system. And that’s not all. China has an even greater high-speed railway plan— to connect the country with Southeast Asia, and eventually Eastern Europe.
China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years, eventually reaching London and Singapore.
China has proposed three such projects. The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia. Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, and possibly to Germany. The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe.
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward, people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days.
The new system would still follow China’s high-speed railway standard. And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour, almost as fast as some airplanes.
China’s bullet train (高速客车), the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou, already has the world’s fastest average speed. It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours.
Of course, there are some technical challenges to overcome. There are so many issues that need to be settled, such as safety, rail gauge (轨距), maintenance of railway tracks. So, it’s important to pay attention to every detail.
But the key issue is really money. China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion.
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment. Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development.
It’ll be a win-win project. For other countries, the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business, tourism and so on, not to mention the better communication among those countries.
For China, such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources, but would also help develop China’s far west. We foresee that in the coming decades, millions of people will migrate to the western regions, where the land is empty and resources unused. With high-speed trains, people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all. And they’ll trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries.
【小题1】China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because _______.
A.China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions |
B.China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways |
C.China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries |
D.the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation, business and tourism |
A.technical issues | B.safety of the system |
C.financial problems | D.maintenance of railway tracks |
A.Critical. | B.Reserved. | C.Doubtful | D.Positive. |