“Everybody in this city wants a car, and I’m no exception. A car brings with it the freedom to travel”, said a friend of mine while reading a car magazine. I might not agree with him, but no doubt he was speaking for a rapidly growing number of middle-class Chinese. While it is true that all the waiting, walking, being part of a crowd, and sweating, are somewhat unpleasant, there are many problems which can arise when our lives rely too much on this invention.
First of all, in terms of polluting the environment, driving a car is the worst act an average person can commit. Beijing now finds itself at the top of the list of the most polluted capital cities in the world with Mexico City in the second place. Research also shows that by 2010 around 90% of total pollutants in Shanghai have come from cars. These pollutions are extremely dangerous to our health. They can damage the lungs, cause cancer, and damage the brain.
Apart from environmental problems, relying too much on cars also creates social problems such as traffic jams, road accidents, and noise pollution. The jeeps that proudly drive through the Hutongs in Beijing as if they are in a race often annoy me, and to make it worse, these drivers seldom respect cyclists.
Of course, we cannot forget the convenience that cars bring us when we need to travel far, but I often find it faster to cycle from one place to another within the city of Beijing, especially with the growing traffic jams.
Since people travel further and more frequently than before, cars will certainly be important in the future. At the same time, however, let us work hard to make sure that this invention brings us a more convenient lifestyle rather than trouble and disease. Let us make good use of cars.
【小题1】What is this passage mainly about?

阅读下面的短文，从A、B、C、D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

　　My work keeps me in Hong Kong most of the year，but I do try to get　1　 for a month in 　2　，usually July．Now as you probably know that's the main 　3　 season in Europe，the favorite places for holiday and the famous cities are usually very 　4　．But I'm not seeking the sun－I get plenty of　5　 in Hong Kong and I'm certainly not seeking the 　6　！So when I go on holiday I buy a Train Pass（a sort of train ticket）that 　7　 me a first class travel on most of the 　8　 of Western Europe．First class compartments（车厢）are 　9　 crowded and they are very comfortable．If you're going on an overnight 　10　 you can take a sleeping-train for some extra money．There are usually dining cars in the train．

　　I find that 　11　 travel is restful and 　12　．There's always something to see． I particularly enjoy 　13　 through Switzerland and Italy．You can get a very good 　14　 of what a country is like from a train；you don't go too fast and you stop quite often．　15　 rail travel is very safe and I am never sick on a train 　16　 I am on a ship！Then there are always people to 　17　 if you feel like a chat．

　　The 　18　 that I seldom travel by plane is quite simple: as train stations are usually built in the city center，I don't have to 　19　 transport；transport can be a problem when arriving by 　20　．

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London taxis, with their friendly drivers who actually know where they are going, are ranked best in the world, according to an annual taxi survey.

The survey by travel website hotels.com found London taxis, despite being the most expensive, beat rivals（对手）across the globe to head the list for the third consecutive（连续的）years, scoring a total of 59 percent in votes on several categories by travelers.

London taxi drivers were voted both friendliest and most knowledgeable. Drivers in the English capital must pass a rigorous examination called The Knowledge to earn their taxi license.

New York's yellow taxis came second in the list, scoring 27 percent which was up 10 percentage points from last year even though Manhattan's cab drivers tied （打成平局）with Parisian taxi drivers as the rudest.

Travelers said New York had the most convenient taxis.

Taxi drivers in Rome were voted the worst drivers in the world with almost one in 10 travelers thinking the Italian capital had the world's worst taxi drivers when it came to the quality of driving.

"Traveling by taxi is one of the first experiences that many travelers have upon arrival in a new city. In fact, the research found that cabs are by far the most popular method of traveling from the airport to their hotel," a spokesman for hotels.com said in a statement.

The global survey scored city based taxis for their levels of cleanliness, value, quality of driving, knowledge of the area, friendliness, safety and convenience.

Rounding out the top five were Tokyo with a total score of 26 percent, Berlin with 17 percent, and Bangkok famed for its tuk-tuks scoring 14 percent.

The survey for hotels.com, part of the Expedia group, was conducted among over 1,900 travelers between May 11-28 this year.

1.Which of the following about London’s taxi drivers is wrong?     

A．They are the friendliest.                  B．They are the most knowledgeable.

C．They charge the most money.              D．They drive fastest.

2.What does the underlined word “rigorous” mean in the third paragraph?         .

A．strict             B．important         C．official            D．lawful

3.The writer introduced the result of the study by ___________.

A．interviewing city leaders                  B．interviewing the taxi drivers

C．listing the ranks of cities concerned         D．reading forms concerned

4.Rome’s taxi drivers are lack of __________.

A．good manners                          B．driving skills

C．the sense of cleanliness                  D．the sense of safety

A staycation is a vacation when you do not travel at all. Some people use a staycation to just stay at home, and others prefer to experience the attractions around them without traveling very far.
There are many choices for staycations. Any town or city has plenty of choices for things to do if you know where to look. If the weather is nice, you can visit the local gardens or forests for a hike. You can look online for several historic places and create your own history tours. Of course, you can also visit other attractions in the areas like museums, restaurants, bars, parks, beaches, and so on. Often, if you drive just a few hours, you can find a city that you can walk around and see. Then by driving home you can save the cost of a hotel and a plane ride.
Others take the term “staycation” word for word and do not leave their houses at all. Some choices for this can include taking time off to cook a great meal and enjoy it together or spending all day at a pool.
Just as a coin has two sides, staycation has its advantages as well as disadvantages.
Since you are not traveling or staying in a hotel, a staycation can be unbelievably costeffective（低成本的）. You don’t have to pay for a hotel, so that cost has been completely eliminated. You are also saving by not driving very far and by not taking an airplane anywhere. Travel costs have become really high, and the farther you go, the higher they are. By staying close to home, you cut that cost by quite a bit. You are also pushing money back into your local economy（经济）by spending your money at local businesses rather than in cities that are far away from home.  Finally, any stress that you feel with travel, whether that is from driving long distances or looking for an airport, will completely disappear.
【小题1】For what purpose is the text written?