题目内容
“Taxi drivers” ,said BOGC (Beijing 2008 Olympic Games Committee) staff, “are learning English to support the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.”
Albert Selmer, a German businessman who speaks good English, was pleasantly surprised during his latest trip to Beijing. When he got into a taxi on Chang’an Avenue（街）, the driver greeted him and asked where he would like to go—in English! “This couldn’t be imagined eight years ago when I first visited Beijing,” said Selmer. Selmer wouldn’t have been so surprised if he had known many people are learning English in this Olympic city.
Fourteen years ago Beijing failed in its bid（申办）for the 2000 Games. One of the reasons was that foreigners found it hard to communicate with Beijing residents （市民）, most of whom speak only Chinese. This time, the city is working to improve communication.
“One great change has happened during Beijing’s preparation,” BOGO officials are speaking directly in English instead of using interpreters as they did 14 years ago.
In addition to BOGO officials, Beijing residents are looking forward to the 2008 Games by actively learning the foreign language. Free classes offered in a number of Beijing communities are enjoying high attendance. Residents are taught useful expressions, greetings, how to give directions and how to introduce themselves.
Shop assistants, bus and taxi drivers and even policemen are learning English. The young taxi driver who surprised the German visitor is probably one of those learners.
The first-stage aim of the “ Beijing citizens’ English Speaking Plan” started by the city government in August, is to popularize English among government staff, taxi drivers, hotel staff and shop assistants. In five years the percentage of Beijing residents who can speak English will be raised to around 30 percent from the present15 percent.
1．Albert Selmer was surprised when he got into the taxi, because ______.
A．he found the driver served him better.
B．the car didn’t look the same as it did eight years ago.
C．the driver was very polite to him
D．the driver could speak English
2．From the passage we know that ______.
A．the main reason why Beijing failed in its bid for the 2000 Games was that very few people could speak English.
B．Albert Selmer often came to China in recent years.
C．Beijing residents are taking an active part in learning English
D．spoken-English is of great importance in our daily life
3．More and more Beijingers are learning English in order to ______.
A．make themselves understood easily while talking to foreigners
B．make English the official language in China.
C．support the 2008 Olympics
D．match the modern development
4．If more and more Beijingers can communicate with foreigners in English, ______.
A．they will learn more about the Olympic Games
B．they will be treated strangely
C．they will be given a hand while in trouble
D．it will help to hold Beijing’s 2008 Olympics successfully
DCCD
What will city life be like in the future? Some people think that life in the cities is going to be horrible. They say that cities will become more and more crowded. As the number of people increases, there will be less space for each person. This overcrowding will cause other problems — more crime, dirtier streets , and worse problems with traffic than we have now. How will people find enough drinking water, energy (such as gas and electricity ), and housing? Because life will be hard, people who live in cities will worry more, and they may become sick. For these reasons, some say that nobody will want to live in city areas.
How can we deal with such problems as overcrowding, crime, and traffic? In some cities, thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets because there is little suitable housing — and because houses are too expensive. The crime rate isn’t going down. Instead, it is increasing so fast that many people are afraid to go out at night. Traffic is also getting worse. More and more often, traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several streets. These problems have been getting worse, not better, so many people see no hope for the future of the city.
Los Angeles, California, for example, has no subway system and buses are slow. Instead, many commuters (乘、开车上班族) drive many miles from their homes to work. Many of these drivers spend several hours each day on busy freeways. New York, however, has a big transit system — buses, commuter trains, and subways. Because the public transportation is crowded and dirty, many people drive private cars, and the traffic jams are worse than that in Los Angeles. A taxi driver complains, “I was driving home, but in forty-five minutes I moved only two miles! Finally, I turned off the engine and just sat there. A lot of people left their cars where they were in the middle of the street and went into a bar for a few beers!”
On the other hand, some cities have clean, fast and pleasant public transportation systems. In Paris, France, and Toronto, Canada, for example, anyone can use buses or subways to move quickly from one part of the city to another.
【小题1】What do some people think is the main problem of the future city like?
| A．Poor housing. | B．Overcrowding. |
| C．Environmental pollution. | D．Traffic jams. |
| A．cutting down the number of private cars |
| B．providing more buses in the freeway |
| C．building a subway system |
| D．persuading people to live nearer to their workplaces |
| A．Thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets. |
| B．The crime rate isn’t going down. |
| C．The traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several streets. |
| D．Many people have a positive attitude towards the future of the city. |