Rush hour traffic is a problem in many big cities around the world. Commuters(上下

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Rush hour traffic is a problem in many big cities around the world. Commuters(上下班者)rush to and from their jobs in cars, buses, subways, trains, and even on bicycles. Large cities in the United States have two rush hours—one in the morning and one in the evening. But in cities in other parts of the world, there are four rush hours. In Athens and Rome, for example, many workers go home for lunch and a nap. After this midday break, they rush back to their jobs and work for a few more hours.
In Tokyo, there"s a big rush hour underground. Most of the people in Tokyo take the subways. The trains are very crowded. Subway employees called packers wear white gloves and help pack the commuters into the trains when the doors close. They make sure that all purses, briefcases, clothes, and hands are inside the trains.
In Seoul, many commuters prefer to take taxis to get to work.. To hail a cab，many people stand at crossroads and raise two fingers. This means they"ll pay the cab driver double the usual fare. Some people even raise three fingers! They"ll pay three times the normal rate。
Streets in Rome are very crowded with automobiles and mopeds(摩托自行车)during rush hours. The city can"t make its streets wider, and it can"t build new highways, because it doesn"t want to disturb the many historic sites in the city, such as the Forum and the Coliseum. It took the city fifteen years to construct a new subway system. Construction had to stop every time workers found old artifacts and discovered places of interest to archaeologists(考古学家).
In many big cities, there are special lanes on highways for carpools. These are groups of three or more people who drive to and from work together. They share the costs of gas and parking and take turns driving into the city.
Getting to work and getting home can be difficult in many places around the world. Rush hour traffic seems to be a universal problem.
小题1:Big cities have traffic problems during rush hours because there are _______

A．special lanes on highways	B．many commuters
C．four rush hours	D．many cars on the street

小题2:Most of the commuters in Tokyo _______

A．take subway trains to work	B．are packers
C．take taxis to work	D．carry briefcases to work

小题3:To “hail a cab” means to _______

A．pay double the normal fare	B．try to get a cab
C．prefer to take taxis	D．to stand at crossroads

小题4:Commuters in carpools probably_______

A．live in the city	B．take the subway to work
C．save money on gas and parking fees	D．have special license plates(牌照)

答案

小题1:B
小题2:A
小题3:B
小题4:C

解析

试题分析：
小题1:细节题。第一段第二句Commuters(上下班者)rush to and from their jobs in cars, buses, subways, trains, and even on bicycles.上下班者急于去工作或回家，他们乘坐小汽车，公共汽车，地铁，火车，甚至是骑自行车。因此导致交通拥挤。故选B
小题2:细节题。第二段第二句Most of the people in Tokyo take the subways.在东京大多数人们乘坐地铁。故选A
小题3:推断题。第三段In Seoul, many commuters prefer to take taxis to get to work. To hail a cab，many people stand at crossroads and raise two fingers.在首尔，许多上班族更喜欢乘坐出租车。可知，人们站在十字路口，举起两根手指是为了拦出租车,而并非是为了付双倍的钱。故选B
小题4:细节题。第五段They share the costs of gas and parking and take turns driving into the city.他们分担汽油和停车的费用。故选C
点评：本文不难，文脉清晰，主要讲述了交通拥堵是全球性的问题，并举出了以东京、首尔、罗马等城市的交通状况和人们出行的方式。对于诸如此类的说明文，细节题绝对占多数，只需将题目带到文章中，寻找答案即可。同时为了节省时间可以先看题目，再根据题目来找答案。

举一反三

A few years ago it was popular to speak of a generation gap, a disagreement between young people and their elders．Parents said that children did not show them proper respect and obedience(服从), while children complained(抱怨)that their parents did not understand them at all．What had gone wrong? Why had the generation gap suddenly appeared? Actually the generation gap has been around for a long time．Many people argue that a gap is built into the fabric(结构)of our society．
One important cause of the generation gap is the chance that young people have to choose their own ways of life．In more traditional societies, when children grow up, they are expected to live in the same area as their parents, to marry people that their parents know and agree to, and to continue the family occupation(职业)．In our society, young people often travel great distances for their education, move out of the family home at an early age, marry or live with people whom their parents have never met, and choose occupations different from those of their parents．
In our easily changing society, parents often expect their children to do better than they did: to find better jobs, to make more money, and to do all the things that they were unable to do．Often, however, the strong desire that parents have for their children are another cause of the disagreement between them．Often, they discover that they have very little in common with each other．
Finally, the speed at which changes take place in our society is another cause of the gap between the generations．In a traditional culture, elderly people are valued for their wisdom, but in our society the knowledge of a lifetime may become out of date overnight．The young and the old seem to live in two very different worlds, separated by different skills and abilities．
No doubt, the generation gap will continue to be a feature(特点)of American life for some time to come．Its causes are rooted in the freedom and changes of our society, and in the rapid speed at which society changes．
小题1:The main idea of the first paragraph is that _______．

A．the generation gap suddenly appeared

B．the generation gap is a feature of modern social life

C．people can reduce the generation gap

D．many critics argue over the nature of the generation gap

小题2:The word “around” in Paragraph 1 means _______．

A．on all sides	B．near
C．in every direction	D．in existence（存在）

小题3:Which cause of the generation gap is not mentioned in the passage?

A．Young people like to choose their own life styles．

B．American society is changing very fast．

C．Parents place high hopes on their children．

D．Modern education makes them think differently．

小题4:In American society, young people often _______．

A．depend on their parents to make a life

B．stay with their parents in order to get a chance for higher education

C．seek the best advice from their parents

D．have very little in common with their parents

小题5:Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．Parents should be strict with their children．

B．The younger generation should value the older generation for their wisdom．

C．The generation gap is partly caused by the older generation．

D．The generation gap does not exist in American society．

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Everyone knows that the Frenchmen are romantic, the Italians are fashionable and the Germans are serious. Are these just stereotypes or is there really such a thing as national character? And if there is, can it affect how a nation succeed or fail?
At least one group of people is certain that it can. A recent survey of the top 500 entrepreneurs in the UK found that 70% felt that their efforts were not appreciated by the British public. Britain is hostile to success, they said. It has a culture of jealousy. As a result, the survey said, entrepreneurs were “unloved, unwanted and misunderstood.” Jealousy is sometimes known as the “green – eyed monster” and the UK is its home.
Scientists at Warwich University in the UK recently tested this idea. They gathered a group of people together and gave each an imaginary amount of money. Some were given a little, others a great deal. Those given a little were given the chance to destroy the large amount of money given to others – but at the cost of losing their own. Two thirds of the people tested agreed to do this.
This seems to prove that the entrepreneurs were right to complain. But there is also conflicting evidence. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently reported that the UK is now the world’s fourth largest economy. That is not bad for people who are supposed to hate success. People in the UK also work longer hours than anyone else in Europe. So the British people are not lazy, either.
“It is not really success that the British dislike,” says Carey Cooper, a professor of management at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology. “It’s people using their success in a way that seems proud or unfair or which separates them from their roots.”
Perhaps it is the entrepreneurs who are the problem. They set out to do things in their way. They work long hours. By their own efforts they become millionaires. But instead of being happy they complain that nobody loves them. It hardly seems worth following their example. If they were more friendly, people would like them more. And more people want to be like them.
小题1:Most entrepreneurs surveyed believe that .

A．the British people hate success

B．the British people are hardworking

C．love of success is Britain’s national character

D．they are considered as “green – eyed monsters”

小题2:What does the result of the Warwich University’s test show.

A．Two thirds of the people tested didn’t love money.

B．Most people would rather fail than see others succeed.

C．An imaginary amount of money does not attract people.

D．Most people are willing to enjoy success with others.

小题3:The writer of the passage seems to suggest that .

A．jealousy is Britain’s national character

B．British entrepreneurs are not fairly treated

C．the scientists at Warwich University did a successful test

D．the entrepreneurs in the UK do not behave properly

小题4:The best title for this article can be .

A．Be More Modest and We Will Love You More

B．Proud Entrepreneurs

C．The Frenchmen are Romantic While The British are Hostile

D．Only Pains but No Gains

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Some Chinese new-rich like eating shark fin soup because they think it shows their class. However, for the Chinese NBA idol Yao Ming, doing so is unacceptable as the practice has led to the overfishing of sharks.
When Yao and his wife Ye Li got married in 2007, they publicly announced that they would not allow shark fin soup to be served at their wedding banquet.
Actually, Yao had been saying no to shark fins since 2006, when he was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for wild life protection.
Now, the 226-cm big guy is resorting to his personal influence to encourage more to say no to eating the soup and to raise awareness of animal protection. "Sharks are friends of human beings. They are not our food," Yao said.
Other celebrity athletes like Olympic champions Li Ning and Kong Linghui are following on the heels of Yao, throwing themselves into serving the public as Goodwill Ambassadors for wild animal rescue. Recent reports about Yao"s retirement have saddened tens of thousands of basketball fans both at home and abroad. Yet Yao"s influence goes far beyond the basketball courts.
Yao has engaged himself in charity and public welfare services for quite a while. When the devastating 8.0-magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan in southwest China in 2008, Yao donated 2 million yuan . "When I was a little boy, my parents and teachers told me to help others and to be a good man," Yao recalled. "But I could not donate then because I had not much pocket money. After I moved to Houston, I got involved in quite a number of community service activities and I felt a strong sense of achievement when I got people together," Yao said.
Like Yao, newly crowned French Open champion Li Na has showed her willingness to donate. Li gave 480,000 yuan of her prize money from the open, plus 20,000 yuan from her own pocket, to a local nursing home in her hometown. Another Chinese sports icon, hurdler Liu Xiang, has also been actively involved in charity for years.
小题1:The reason why some Chinese new-rich like eating shark fin soup is that they think _______ .

A．it is very delicious	B．it is very cheap and healthy
C．it is very popular in society	D．it can show their status

小题2:Yao Ming is against eating shark fin soup because ________ .

A．too many sharks are killed	B．he dislikes eating sharp fin
C．it is too expensive	D．sharks are dangerous animals

小题3: Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?

A．Li Na donated 500,000 yuan to a local nursing home in her hometown.

B．Yao Ming donated 2 million yuan after the earthquake of Wenchuan.

C．Yao Ming has encouraged more people to stop eating shark fin soup and protect animals.

D．Yao Ming was appointed as the Goodwill Ambassador for protecting wild life in 2007.

小题4:What words can be used to describe Yao Ming according to the passage?

A．Rich and generous.	B．Influential and warmhearted.
C．Energetic and optimistic.	D．Popular and confident.

小题5:From the passage , we can learn that________.

A．most athletes don"t like eating shark fin soup

B．Yao Ming has been donating money to charity since he was a child

C．Yao Ming has an influence on not only the basketball courts but also charity and public welfare services

D．Yao Ming has taken part in many community service activities when he was in China

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Imagine an eco-conscious city where rooftops have been transformed into fertile, green gardens. It"s a place where every home is equipped with a system that recycles valuable water resources. In this town, protecting the planet is a way of life. That"s how Abby Sharp, 14, Wyatt Peery, 13, and Tom Krajnak, 14, saw their city of tomorrow. The vision won the eighth-graders from Bexley, Ohio, first prize at the 2009 National Engineers Week Future City Competition.
The annual design competition challenges middle school students to use engineering to deal with issues that affect the earth. This year the competition focused on water conservation. Participants had to come up with ways to improve water use in the home. Kids from 38 middle schools across the country competed in the finals. The event took place from February 17-18 in Washington, D.C. More than 30,000 students entered the competition.
Abby, Wyatt and Tom call their winning city Novo Mondum. The name means "new world" in Latin. Novo Mondum sits on the coast of Iceland. The group chose the spot for its wealth of clean energy resources, such as geothermal（地热的） energy and hydropower. Both sources use the power of nature to generate electricity. Geothermal energy draws heat from deep inside the Earth. Hydropower gets energy from flowing water. "Our city is very globally aware," Abby told TFK.
Students team up with a teacher and a volunteer engineer mentor（顾问）to develop their cities. Each group creates a fictional city on SimCity 4 Deluxe, a computer game that allows players to build virtual towns. Then they construct tabletop models of the cities and write essays describing their project. The models must be made using recycled materials and cost no more than $100 to build.
小题1: What’s the main feature of the city designed by the three winners?

A．Making full use of water resources.

B．Turning rooftops into green gardens.

C．Protecting our home — the earth.

D．Costing no money to build

小题2:It can be inferred that water conversation is __________.

A．one of the problems that influence the Earth.

B．the main theme of 2009 Future City Competition.

C．one of the issues for the participants to deal with abroad.

D．an easy topic for all the students to design.

小题3:According to the passage, Abby, Wyatt and Tom are _____.
A. ninth-graders from Bexley, Ohio.
B. second prize winners at the 2009 Future City Competition.
C. lucky to get the first prize at the 2009 Future City Competition.
D. eighth-graders from Washington, D.C.
小题4:The underlined word “hydropower” means ______________.

A．electric power from burning oil.

B．electric power from burning coals.

C．electric power from deep inside the earth.

D．electric power from moving water.

小题5: What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．The process of developing a Future City.

B．How teachers instruct the students in the competition.

C．The process of building virtual towns.

D．What materials should be used in the competition.

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You’re out to dinner. The food is delicious and the service is fine. You decide to leave a big fat tip. Why? The answer may not be as simple as you think.
Tipping, psychologists have found, is not just about service. Instead, studies have shown that tipping can be affected by psychological reactions to a series of different factors from the waiter’s choice of words to how they carry themselves while taking orders to the bill’s total.
“Studies before have shown that mimicry (模仿) brings into positive feelings for the mimicker,” wrote Rick van Baaren, a social psychology professor. “These studies show that people who are being mimicked become more generous toward the person who mimics them.”
So Rick van Baren divided 59 waiters into two groups. He requested that half serve with a phrase such as, “Coming up!” Those in the other half were instructed to repeat the orders and preferences back to the customers. Rick van Baaren then compared their take-home(实得收入). The results were clear---it pays to mimic your customer. The copycat waiters earned almost double the amount of tips to the other group.
Leonard Green and Joel Myerson, psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis, found the generosity of a tipper may be limited by his bill. After research on the 1,000 tips left for waiters, cab drivers, hair stylists, they found tip percentages in these three areas dropped as customers’ bills went up.
“That’s also a point of tipping,” Green says. “You have to give a little extra to the cab driver for being there to pick you up and something to the waiter for being there to serve you. If they weren’t there you’d never get any service. So part of the idea of a tip is for just being there.”
小题1:According to the passage, a customer gives the cab driver a tip for ____.

A．driver’s politeness

B．being there

C．driver’s attitudes

D．driver’s mimicry

小题2:According to the passage, which of the following will be likely to show the right change of the tip percentages for the three areas researched?

小题3:According to the passage, we know the writer seems to _________.

A．oppose Mr. Green’s idea about tipping

B．support the opinions of Mr. Green and Rick van Baaren about tipping

C．give his generous tip to the waiters very often

D．think part of Mr. Green’s explanation is reasonable

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