I guess she meant that if you’re middle aged and don’t have a car then you are a loser. How arrogant (傲慢) and ignorant！

Unfortunately, there are still people who think that way: that somehow public transport is only for the poor. And the rest have a right to their cars. Some wealthy folk in the West look down on buses and boast (吹嘘) about how many years it has been since they last traveled by one.

How sad is that? Our roads are packed with cars and the air is full of the pollution they emit (排放). But still, many car users are unwillingly to get on a bus or a bike or a train to take themselves to work.

It’s convenient to drive, they’ll say. Buses are so unreliable, they’ll claim. And trains are expensive ---- at least in the UK.

It’s an attitude which may have to change. It doesn’t make sense to drive a car in a city where there’s a public transport system. Also, these rush hour commuters (往返上班者) usually travel alone.

As a result, transport authorities in the UK are looking at solutions to city center congestion (拥堵).

One is to increase the number of parking spaces at out-of-town railway stations. More motorists (乘汽车的人) can then leave their cars and travel into the city by train.

Light rail or tramways are another environmentally friendly solution. Many cities across Europe have installed light rail or tramway systems.

The subway in London is used by everyone, rich and poor. It’s the quickest way of getting around the city, whatever your bank balance.

And then there are the cycle hire schemes you find in many modern cities. In London and Paris, you can hire a bike by the hour to get you where you need to go.

While commuters in Beijing abandon their bicycles for cars, cycling to work grows in popularity in the West.

Many cyclists are willing to pay more than 10,000 yuan for their bicycles. Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is often pictured cycling to work. David Cameron, the British prime minister, cycled to the House of Commons before he became leader. These days he takes the prime ministerial limousine (豪华轿车).

1.. According to the article, some British people, like the upper class woman, think that        .

A. buses are inconvenient                B. bus services are unnecessary

C. having a car is a sign of success         D. only the upper class should have cars

2. Which of the following measures is taken by transport authorities in the UK to solve city center congestion?

A. The development of cycle hire schemes.

B. Increasing the number of parking spaces in the city center.

C. Installing light rail or tramway systems in out-of-town areas.

D. Banning commuters from traveling alone during rush hour.

3.The author mentions the example of Boris Johnson in the last paragraph to        .

A. express his respect for the mayor of London

B. point to the growing popularity of cycling to work in the West

C. criticize Beijing commuters for abandoning their bicycles for cars

D. show that cars are still the most common means of transportation for famous people in Britain

4. Which of the following might the writer agree with?

A. The British prime minister should give up his limousine.

B. Beijing commuters should learn from British commuters.

C. British solutions to public transport problems are inadequate.

D. Many car owners need to change their attitudes if the traffic problem is to

In America, drivers’ education is part of the regular high school curriculum. Every student in his or her second year of high school is required to take a class in driver’s education. However, unlike other courses, it is not given during the regular school year. Instead it is a summer course.
The course is divided up into two parts: class time for learning laws and regulations and driving time to practice driving. Class time is not unlike any other class. The students have a text from which they study the basic laws they must know to pass the written driving test that is given to anyone wanting to get a driver’s license.
Driving time is a chance for the students to get behind the wheel (steering wheel) and practice starting steering, backing up, parking, switching lanes, turning corners, and all the other maneuvers (操作) required to drive a car. Each student is required to drive a total of six hours. The students are divided up into groups of four. The students and the instructor go out driving for two hour blocks of time. Thus, each student gets half an hour driving time per outing. The instructor and “driver” sit in the front seats and the other three students sit in the back.
Drivers Ed cars are unlike other cars in which they have two sets of brakes, one on the driver’s side and one on the other side where the instructor sits. Thus, if the student driver should run into difficulties the instructor can take over. The car also has another special feature. On the top of the car is a sign that reads: STUDENT DRIVER. That lets nearby drivers know that they should use extra caution because the student driver is a beginning driver, not very experienced and prone to driving slowly.
After the student has passed the driver’s education course and reached the appropriate age to drive (this age differs in every state but in most cases the person must be 16 years old), they can go to a designated state office to take their driver’s test, which is made up of an eye examination, a written test, and a road test. The person must pass all three tests in order to be given a driver’s license. If the person did well in his or her driver’s education class, he or she will pass the test with flying colors and get a driver’s license.
【小题1】 Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

 It is fashionable to drive a car, but to drive a car is not nearly as difficult as it is imagined on condition that you ________ the specialized rules.

   A. give up                  B．stick to                C．insist on              D．connect to

 —Ouch! You hurt me!

—I am sorry. But I   any harm. I      to drive a rat out.

Around twenty years ago I was going through hard times. I could not find a satisfying job. To my shame, I had to drive a school bus to make ends meet and lived in a friend’s house.

One afternoon, while driving through a quiet suburban (郊外的) neighborhood I was so sad that I kept asking myself “Why has my life become so hard?” “What’s wrong with the world?” Then I pulled over the bus to drop off a little girl and as she passed she handed me a pretty earring, saying she found it on the floor of the bus and I should keep it in case the owner came to look for it.

In the evening, the owner did come to look for her earring. When I handed it to her, she got very excited and continued saying “Thanks, you’re a real gentleman.” I told her that she should thank the little girl who had found it. She said, “Yes, and you are a good driver, too. What a lovely world it is!” Then she left with satisfaction. I was touched by her last words. I had thought something was wrong with the world just because of my poor condition. In fact, nothing was wrong with the world. I should change my attitude towards life. I should be positive about life.   

At first it was hard, and then it got easier. Every day I could find things to make me happy. Then one night there was a phone call for me at my friend’s house from a lady who was a manager in a large hospital. She said she had read my application form and asked me if I would like to work in the hospital. I said yes and got the job. Looking back at the experience I know the most important is to have a positive attitude towards life.

1.We know from the second paragraph that ________.

A．the author cried while driving that afternoon

B．a girl picked up an earring before getting off

C．there was only one passenger on the bus

D．the girl gave the author an earning as a gift

2.The author decided to have a change in life because ________.

A．what the earring owner said moved him

B．he didn’t want to be a driver any more

C．his friends helped him become positive

D．he was offered a better job in a hospital

3.When the author got a call from the manager of the hospital, he felt ________.

A．annoyed          B．delighted          C．shocked          D．disappointed

4.Who was the owner of the earring lost on the bus according go the passage?

A．One of the author’s friends.              B．A real gentleman

C．A manager in a hospital                   D．Not mentioned

5.What does the author want to show in this passage?

A．Lost things should be returned to the owner.

B．Life is usually hard for the young at the beginning.

C．One should hold a positive attitude towards life.

D．It is not easy to find a good job nowadays.