题目内容
No single word ________ over the talk.He was too shy, I think.
A.said he
B.he said
C.did he say
D.he did say
We all remember seeing hitchhikers, standing by the side of the road, thumb, sticking out, waiting for a lift. But it is getting rare nowadays. What killed hitchhiking? Safety is often mentioned as a reason. Movies about murderous hitchhikers and real-life crime have put many drivers off picking up hitchhikers. That no single women picked me up on my journey to Manchester no doubt reflects the safety fear: a large, strangely dressed man is seen as dangerous.
But the reason may be more complex: hitchhiking happens where people don’t have cars and transport services are poor. Plenty of people still hitchhike in Poland and Romania. Perhaps the rising level of car ownership in the UK means the few people lift hitchhiking are usually considered strange. Why can’t they afford cars? Why can’t they take the coach or the train?
Three-quarters of the UK population have access to a car; many of the remainder will be quite old. The potential hitchhiking population is therefore small. Yet my trip proves it’s still possible to hitchhike. The people who picks me up were very interesting-lawyer, retired surgeon, tank commander, carpenter, man who live in an isolated farmhouse and a couple living up in the mountains. My conclusion is that only really interesting people are mad enough to pick up fat blokes in red, spotted scarves. Most just wanted to do someone a good turn; a few said they were so surprised to see a hitchhiker that they couldn’t help stopping.
The future of hitchhiking most likely lies with car-sharing organized over the Internet, via sites such as hitchhikers. org. But for now, you can still stick your thumb out (actually, I didn’t do much of that, preferring just to hold up my destination sign) and people—wonderful, caring, sharing, unafraid people—will stop.
In the UK, with its cheap coaches and reasonable rail service, I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it. But having enjoyed it so much, I’m ready now to do a big trip across Europe and beyond. In the 1970s a female friend of my wife’s hitchhiked to India. How wonderful it would be to have another go, though Afghanistan might be a challenge. I wish I’d got that tank commander’s mobile number.
【小题1】The author tried to hitchhike but was rejected by single women drivers because .
| A.they were not heading towards Manchester |
| B.they thought most hitchhikers were dangerous |
| C.hitchhiking had been banned and they didn’t want to break the law |
| D.he was a strong man in strange clothes who seemed dangerous |
| A.Movies have discouraged people from hitchhiking |
| B.Car ownership levels are lower in Romania than in the UK. |
| C.25% of UK people don’t have access to cars. |
| D.Increased car ownership has reduced the need for hitchhiking. |
| A.murderous hitchhikers | B.friendly and talkative hitchhikers |
| C.typical hitchhikers | D.strange hitchhikers like the author |
| A.visit websites and find people to share cars with |
| B.stand by roads with their thumbs sticking out |
| C.stick out signs with their destinations written on |
| D.wait for some kind people to pick them up |
| A.frequently hitchhikes in Britain |
| B.plans to hitchhike across Europe |
| C.thinks public transport is safer for travel |
| D.is going to contact the tank commander |
School violence is in the headlines again after recent shootings at schools in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Colorado. After hearing the news, it’s natural for students — no matter how old they are or where they go to school — to worry about whether this type of incident may someday happen to them.
So how safe are schools? It’s actually safer to be in a school than in a car. Twice as many 15-to-19-year-olds die in car accidents than in shootings (and that’s all shootings, not just the ones that happen in schools). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, less than 1% of all homicides (杀人罪) among school-age children happen on school grounds or on the way to and from school. So the vast majority of students will never experience violence at school.
However, some schools have re-evaluated their safety needs in response to the concerns of families and communities. Some now require that guests check in at the office or have more guards on duty. Some schools have fixed metal detectors. Another thing that helps make schools safer is greater awareness of problems like bullying and discrimination. Many schools have practiced programs to fight these problems and to help teachers and administrators know more about protecting students from this type of violence.
The cause of school violence isn’t easy to understand. There is no single reason why students become violent. Some are just copying behavior they’ve seen at home, in the streets, or in video games, movies, or television. There’s one thing experts do agree on, though: Having access to guns or other weapons makes it easier for some people to lash out against the things or people they don’t like.
【小题1】Which of the following statements can prove that schools are safe?
| A.About 99% of 15- to-19-year-olds are safe at school. |
| B.Fewer students have died in car accidents than in shootings. |
| C.Students shot to death at school are half of all students. |
| D.Fatal shootings of students are less than 1% of all homicides. |
| A.families will be more concerned about schools |
| B.communities will be responsible for schools |
| C.teachers will pay more attention to shootings |
| D.administrators will arrange to have more guards on duty |
| A.experts have found no reason for school violence |
| B.students with weapons are easily upset about things |
| C.school violence could be copied from violence in society |
| D.no single reason makes students violent |
| A.an analysis report | B.a realistic novel |
| C.a case investigation | D.a news journal |