—What about going to the beach for the weekend?

—        I can’t make a decision now.

A. What an idea!   B. How come?   C. Are you kidding?   D. It depends.

How Good Are US Drivers?
The CBS-TV“National Drivers’ Test”，showed that many US drivers have a lot to learn.Here’s why.
CBS picked 1799 sample drivers to take the test in TV studios in New York，Philadelphia，Chicago，and Los Angeles.More than two out of five of the drivers failed the test.And the average score was the lowest passing mark—51 points out of a possible 80.
Chicago drivers did best with an average of 53 points.Los Angeles drivers came next with 52 points.New York and Philadelphia drivers got 50 points—a failing score.Drivers with 50 points or less were rated“poorly informed”by the judges.
Here are some of the test results:
1.Are men drivers better informed than women ones?
Yes.Men averaged 52 points.Women got an average of 49.
2.Are older drivers better informed than younger drivers?
No.Drivers under 26 averaged 52 points.Drivers from 27 to 45 averaged 51.Drives over 45 failed with a 48-point average.
3.Does education make a difference?
Yes.College graduates averaged 52 points.High school graduates averaged 50.Those without high school diplomas(毕业证) got 48.And people who had taken driver education courses scored an average of 53 points—three more than those who hadn’t.
4.Does driving experience make a difference?
Yes.Drivers with three or more years of experience averaged 51 points.Drivers with less experience averaged 49.
Here are some surprising facts brought out by the test:
1.More than one out of three drivers did not know that a blinking red light means a full stop.
2.Three out of ten drivers did not know that an octagonal(eight-sided)sign means stop.
3.More than two out of three drivers did not know what to do when being“tailgated(追尾)”.
The answer:slow down，drive to the right，and let the driver behind pass.
The results of the test were turned over to the National Safety Council(委员会).They will help future safety planning.

1. 1.

   The author’s purpose is to_________.

   1. A.
      prove that men are better drivers than women
   2. B.
      give you safe driving directions
   3. C.
      tell you the results of a national drivers’ test
   4. D.
      require you to get an education
2. 2.

   From the information in this article，which of the following is TRUE?

   1. A.
      Older drivers are better informed than younger drivers.
   2. B.
      Experience makes a difference among drivers.
   3. C.
      Most drivers failed the test.
   4. D.
      Most people don’ t know what a blinking red light means.
3. 3.

   The test covered the following areas about drivers except_________.

   1. A.
      education
   2. B.
      years of driving experience
   3. C.
      sex
   4. D.
      health
4. 4.

   Which of the following as a group was rated“poorly informed”by the judges?

   1. A.
      Men.
   2. B.
      High school graduated drivers.
   3. C.
      Drivers from 27-45 years of age.
   4. D.
      Drivers with 3 or more years of experience.

About ten years ago when I was an undergraduate in college in New York, I was working as a practice student at my University's Museum of Natural History. One day while I was working at the cash register in the gift shop, I saw an elderly couple come in with a little girl in wheelchair.
As I looked closer at this girl, I saw that she was seated on her chair. I then realized she had no arms or legs, just a head, neck and the trunk of the human body. She was wearing a little white dress with the patterns of red roses and yellow dots.
As the couple wheeled her up to me I was looking down at the register. I turned my head toward the girl and gave her a wink(眨眼示意). As I took the money from her grandparents, I looked back at the girl, who was giving me the most beautiful, largest smile I have ever seen
All of a sudden her handicap was gone and all I saw was this beautiful girl, whose smile just melted me and almost instantly gave me a completely new sense of what life is all about. I immediately felt full of hope and confidence. She took me, a poor, unhappy college student, into her world, a world of smiles, love and warmth.               
That was ten years ago, but I still remember it clearly as if it happened just yesterday. I'm a successful business person now and whenever I get down and think about the troubles of the world, I think about that little girl and the remarkable lesson about life that she taught me.

1. 1.

   What was the writer a decade ago?

   1. A.
      A worker working in a university.
   2. B.
      A teacher teaching in a college.
   3. C.
      A clerk working in a museum.
   4. D.
      A university student who had not yet taken a degree.
2. 2.

   What does the underlined world “handicap” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

   1. A.
      Life difficulty.
   2. B.
      Troublesome problem.
   3. C.
      Failure in work.
   4. D.
      Physical disability.
3. 3.

   How did the writer probably feel before meeting the disabled girl?

   1. A.
      She felt full of hope.
   2. B.
      She was filled with confidence.
   3. C.
      She felt unhappy because of poverty.
   4. D.
      She felt life was beautiful.
4. 4.

   Which of the following title suits this passage best?

   1. A.
      A Disabled Girl.
   2. B.
      A Disabled Girl’s Smile.
   3. C.
      Full of Hope.
   4. D.
      Full of Confidence.

 --- How do you feel about taking the job in Los Angeles?

--- ____? It's the biggest company in the country.

A. How about you B. How should I feel C. How do you D. What