What's the furthest you have ever cycled? Perhaps you cycle to school or to work, or maybe at most a short cycling trip with friends? How would you feel about spending months on the road travelling on your own from the UK to China, by bike?
For the British cyclist Pete Jones, camping in the wild and cycling long distances through inhospitable terrain are his second nature. An experienced explorer through places such as the Tianshan Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau, Mr. Jones is currently taking a great journey across the Eurasian continent from Britain to China.
Having lived on and off(断断续续地) in Xinjiang for three years, and having visited the country many times since 1992, Pete Jones is no stranger to China. But he says many people there are puzzled by his strong love for cycling, asking why he would choose to cycle when he can afford a car. Indeed, while there are about 400 million bicycles in China, where it has long been the preferred means of transport, rapid economic growth has caused an rapid development in car ownership.
Edward Genochio, another British cyclist who completed a 41,000km trip to China and back, said one of his goals was to "tell people cycling is a safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly means of getting about."
In the UK, the last few years have seen a rise in the number of people choosing two wheels over four, with some estimates(估计) saying the number of people cycling to work has almost doubled in the last five years.
Politicians also see cycling as a way to prove that they are concerned about the environment, with people such as London mayor Boris Johnson often riding to work by himself. But we may have to wait some time before we see him emulating(效仿) Pete Jones in attempting to cycle all the way to China.
68. From this passage we can know the following EXCEPT that _____.
A. Pete Jones has travelled through the Tianshan Mountains and the Tibetan Plateau
B. in the past few years more UK people have changed their means of transport to work
C. most Chinese people can understand why Pete Jones is so crazy about cycling
D. Edward Genochio is a cyclist from Britain who has been to China by riding a bike
69. We can infer from the passage that _____.
A. Pete Jones’s desire for cycling led to his staying in China for three years
B. now the number of Chinese people owning cars is larger than those owning bikes
C. London mayor Boris Johnson will emulate Pete Jones to cycle to China in the future
D. Both British common people and politicians see riding bikes as a good means of transport
70. The underlined phrase “inhospitable terrain” in the second paragraph most probably means
______.
A. places where you can find modern cities     B. places that are unsuitable for people to live in
C. places where there are many people            D. places that are far away from modern cities
71. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Pete Jones has come to China many times by riding the bicycle.
B. More Chinese people own private cars as a result of economic growth.
C. More British people prefer bicycles as they can’t afford to drive now.
D. Before long, more people will ride bicycles to China following Pete and Edward.   

A federal agency on Tuesday called for a ban on all cellphone use by drivers -- the most far-reaching recommendation up to now — saying its decision was based on a decade of investigations into distraction-related (与分散注意力有关的) accidents, as well as growing concerns that powerful mobile devices are giving drivers even more reasons to look away from the road.
As part of its recommendation, the National Transportation Safety Board is urging states to ban drivers from using hands-free devices, including wireless headsets. No state now has made laws to ban such activity, but the Board said that drivers faced serious risks from talking on wireless headsets, just as they do by taking a hand off the wheel to hold a phone to their ears.
However, the concern was heightened by increasingly powerful phones that people can use to send e-mails, watch movies and play games.
“Every year, new devices are being on sale.” she said. “People are attracted to update their Facebook page, to play music with cellphone, as if sitting at a desk. But they are driving a car.”
The agency based its recommendation on evidence from its investigation of numerous crashes in which electronic distraction was a major contributing factor.
Ms. Hersman said she understood that this recommendation would be unwelcome in some circles, given the number of drivers who talk and text. But she compared distracted driving to drunken driving and even smoking, which required wholesale cultural shifts to change behavior.
“It’s going to be very unpopular with some people.” she said. “We’re not here to win a popularity contest. We’re here to do the right thing. This is a difficult recommendation, but it’s the right recommendation and it is time.”
The agency’s recommendation is not required for states to adopt such a ban. And it won’t likely be agreed upon by state lawmakers who are unwillingly to anger those who have grown accustomed to using their device behind the wheel.
The ban also deserves attention because it is the first call by a federal agency to end the practice completely, rather than the partial ban that some lawmakers have put in place by allowing hands-free talking.
【小题1】The ban on all cellphone use by drivers was put forward ______.

Long bus rides are like television shows. They have a beginning, a middle, and an end with commercials (商业广告) thrown in every three or four minutes. The commercials are unavoidable. They happen whether you want them or not. Every couple of minutes a billboard glides by outside the bus window. “Buy Super Clean Toothpaste.” “Drink Good Wet Root Beer.” “Fill up with Pacific Gas.” Only if you sleep, which is equal to turning the television set off, are you spared the unending cry of “You Need It! Buy It Now!”
The beginning of the ride is comfortable and somewhat exciting, even if you’ve traveled that way before. Usually some things have changed, new houses, new buildings, sometimes even a new road. The bus driver has a style of driving and it’s fun to try to figure it out the first hour or so. If the driver is particularly reckless (鲁莽的) or daring, the ride can be as thrilling (惊心动魄的) as a suspense story. Will the driver pass the truck in time? Will the driver move into the right or the left hand lane? After a while, of course, the excitement dies down. Sleeping for a while helps pass the middle hours of the ride. Food always makes bus rides more interesting. But you’ve got to be careful of what kind of food you eat. Too much salty food can make you very thirsty between stops.
The end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning. You know it will soon be over and there’s a kind of expectation and excitement in that. The seat of course, has become harder as the hours have passed. By now you’ve sat with your legs crossed, with your hands in your lap, with your hands on the armrests, even with your hands crossed behind your head. The end comes just at no more ways to sit.
68.   The writer feels long bus rides are like TV shows because _____.
A. the commercials both on TV shows and on billboards along the road are fun
B. they both have a beginning, a middle, and an end, with commercials in between
C. the drivers are always reckless on TV shows just as they are on buses
D. both traveling and watching TV are not exciting.
69.   According to the passage, what do the passengers usually see when they are on a long bus trip?
A. Buses on the road.     B. Films on television.
C. Advertisements on the billboards.     D. Gas stations.
70.   The writer of this passage would probably favor _____.
A. bus drivers who aren’t reckless B. driving alone
C. a television set on the bus  D. no billboards along the road
71.   What is the purpose of this passage?
A. To give the writer’s opinion about long bus trips.
B. To persuade you to take a long bus trip.
C. To explain how bus trips and television shows differ.
D. To describe the billboards along the road.
72.   The writer thinks that the end of the ride is somewhat like the beginning because both are _____.
A. exciting     B. comfortable       C. tiring  D. boring

(1) Mr. Brown (the motorist)
　　At about 9:20 p.m. on October 14th, I was driving along Market Road in the direction of Midwick. I wanted to go to Sturham to collect my wife, who had been visiting some friends. I prepared to turn into Sturham Road, which was on my right. In the distance, I saw the lights of a car moving towards me but it was a long way from me. I put out my hand to show that I was going to turn right. Then I started to turn slowly towards Sturham Road. Suddenly there was a loud noise on the passenger's (near) side of the car. I stopped the car and got out. A motorcycle had hit my car. The motorcyclist had been thrown over the car. He was injured, so I ran to a shop to phone for help.
　　(2) Mr. Smith (the injured motorcyclist)
　　On the evening of October 14th, I was going home along Market Road towards Newtown. I was riding my motorcycle. I was going slowly because some of the streetlights were out and the road was wet and slippery. Just before Sturham Road, a car suddenly drove right across my path. The driver did not flash his lights to give a warning. I could not turn in time, so I hit the side of the car. When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital in Market Road.
　　(3) Mr. Lee (another motorcyclist)
　　At about 9:10 p.m. on October 14th, I left my home in Midwick. Ten minutes later I was riding my motorcycle along Market Road. I was going to Newtown. There was a motorcycle about 40 metres in front of me. It was not going very quickly. The man on it was riding near the curb (路边) but I was near the center of the road. The motorcyclist in front of me tried to turn to his right but there was no time. He hit the car and was injured. There was no car going along in front of us or put by the road.
48．Which of these statements about the accident is probably correct?
　　A．Mr. Brown wrongly supposed that the lights of the two motorcycles were those of a car.
　　B．The lights of the car moving towards Mr. Brown made him unable to see.
　　C．Mr. Brown knocked down a motorcyclist on purpose.
　　D．The accident was caused by the carelessness of the first motorcyclist.
49．It seems probable from the statements that Mr. Brown__________.
　　A．gave no signal to show that he was turning right
　　B．did not give any signal until he was actually turning
　　C．failed to give a proper signal at that time
　　D．flashed his light to show that he was going to turn
50．We would expect to find that Mr. Brown's car was damaged on its________ side.
　　A．front    B．left    C．right    D．driver's

One day, Wilson was walking quietly along the road when someone hit him hard on the back of his neck. He looked behind him, and saw a young man whom he had never seen before.
“How dare you hit me like that?” shouted Wilson.
The young man said he had mistaken Wilson for a friend of his and that he thought Wilson was making a lot of noise about nothing.
This insult(侮辱) made Wilson even angrier, of course, and he at once decided to bring the young man before a judge.
Now , the judge who heard the case was a friend of the young man’s father’s, and, although he pretended to be quite fair, he was thinking about what he could do to protect the young man from being punished while at the same time not to be appearing unfair.
Finally he said to Wilson, “I understand your feelings in this matter very well. Would you be satisfied if I let you hit the young man as he hit you?”
Wilson said he would not be. The young man had insulted him and should be properly punished.
“Well, then,” said the judge to the young man, “I order you to pay ten coins to Wilson.”
Ten coins was very little for such a crime, but the young man did not have it with him, so the judge allowed him to go and get it.
Wilson waited for him to return with the money. He waited an hour, and then two hours, while the judge took care of other business.
When it was nearly time for the court to close, Wilson chose a moment when the judge was especially busy, came up quietly and hit him hard on the back of the neck. Then he said to him, “I am sorry, but I can’t wait any longer. When the young man comes back, tell him that I have passed my right to the ten coins on to you.”
【小题1】Why did the young man hit Wilson from behind?