Buses are celebrating their 100th anniversary. About 80 percent of all public-transport passengers worldwide are carried by buses.
The bus is a very efficient mode of transport, being cheap, flexible, comfortable and, in many cases, tailored to the needs of users both in terms of capacity and speed. Buses operate in mixed traffic, and are easy to put in service.
From an economic, environmental and social point of view, the bus remains the best solution to the problem of achieving balanced and environmentally-friendly urban development. Indeed, the bus is the only mode of public transport in many of the world’s cities, and plays a key supporting role in cities with rail transport.
Over the past decades, increased use of roads by private cars has contributed to terrible traffic problems, affecting the speed of buses as well, and hence their service quality, reliability, energy consumption, and economy. In such circumstances, the efficiency and performance of buses depends heavily on special lanes. Various forms are possible----from a mere painted mark on the road to more expensive variants such as elevated lanes, movable barriers, and “bus locks”.
A related trend is to look beyond vehicle technology alone and to consider the wider system, of which buses are a part, such as the infrastructure(基础设施)and other operational aspects of city. This is commonly known and promoted as the “bus-system approach”. Other key innovations(革新) include clean engines, alternative fuels, and guidance devices. In terms of the designs of buses, much of what has happened to light rail can be transferred to them, including the shapes of the vehicles themselves.
The energy consumption of a bus per passenger is one-sixth that of a car, and buses are only responsible for about 5% of the CO2 emissions generated by vehicles at present.
1.From this passage we learn that .
A. buses are the most environmentally-friendly of all motorized vehicles
B. buses were first used more than a century ago
C. most passengers prefer trains to buses
D. a bus has a much larger capacity than any other vehicle
2.What has affected the service quality of buses?
A. Unsuitable infrastructure. B. Private cars.
C. The increasing population of cities.
D. Very rapid urban development.
3.Which of the following is an approach to improving bus service?
A. Improving the speed of buses.
B. Reducing the number of private cars.
C. Setting up special lanes for buses.
D. Increasing the number of buses.
4.From the passage we can infer that in the future .
A. there will be more buses than today
B. bus engines will need no power
C. buses will be replaced by other means of transport
D. the appearance of buses will change
Camp memories last forever! We make sure they are unforgettable!
Shadow Ridge Summer Camps offer so many exciting things for campers to do. Unlike other camp programs that include horses as a small part of their program, at Shadow Ridge horses ARE, the program! We are 100% horse from stable(马厩)management, nature walks, and track rides to bedroom furnishings.
Horses help us achieve many of our aims. Girls can learn to develop responsibility, self-confidence and personal connections in their lives while having fun. Using horses as a wonderful tool for education, our camps offer an interesting place for growth and learning.
Imagine each girl having her very own horse to spend time with and a best friend to love and take care of. Each camper is responsible for a horse for the week. Our riding program provides a lot of riding and lesson time. Campers will learn how to take care of the horse and the tack(马具), as well as how to ride. Days are filled with horse-related activities to strengthen the connection between each girl and horse, as the girls learn to work safely around the horses.
At Shadow Ridge we try to create a loving, caring family atmosphere for our campers. We have “The Bunkhouse”(4 girls), the“ Wranglers Roost”(4 girls), and “The Hideout”(2 girls)in our comfortable 177-year-old farm house. All meals are home cooked, offering delicious and healthy food for the hungry rider.
Our excellent activities create personalized memories of your child's vacation, Each child will receive a camp T-shirt and a photo album (usually 300-500 pictures) of their stay at camp.
Our camps are offered during June, July and August 2007, for small groups of girls aged 13-16 years, not only from Canada but also other parts of the world.
We will send you full program descriptions at your request.
1.What is the main purpose of the passage?
A. To attract people to the camps.
B. To talk about camping experiences.
C. To describe the programs of the camps.
D. To explain the aims of the camps.
2.What do we know about the camp programs at Shadow Ridge?
A. Campers are required to wear camp T-shirts.
B. Horses play a central role in the activities.
C. Campers learn to cook food for themselves.
D. Horse lessons are offered all the year round.
3.The programs at Shadow Ridge mainly aim to help people ________.
A. understand horses better B. enjoy a family atmosphere
C. have fun above other things D. achieve an educational purpose
4.The passage is written mainly for ________.
A. horse riders B. teenage girls
C. Canadian parents D. international travelers
One of the most wonderful things about having a positive attitude is that it can touch many people in the course of everyday life.
Recently I stopped by a store to get a newspaper and a bottle of juice. The young woman at the check-out counter said, “That’ll be three dollars in all please.”She then glanced down at the paper I was buying and said, “I’m sick and tired of all the negative material on the front pages. I want to read some good news for a change.”She then said, “In fact, I think someone should publish a Good News newspaper——a paper with wonderful, inspirational stories about people overcoming difficulties and doing good things for others. I’d buy one every day!”She then thanked me for coming in and said, “Maybe we’ll get lucky tomorrow; maybe we’ll get some good news!”We both laughed, and I thought: she just made my day.
The following day after work I dropped by the same store again to pick up bottled water and a newspaper; but a different young lady was behind the counter. As I checked out I said, “Good afternoon”, and handed her my money . she said nothing, and didn’t smile or make a gesture. She just handed me my change and said in a bored voice, “Next!”
It hit me right between the eyes. Two people, the same age; one had made me feel great , while the other had made me feel that I had inconvenienced her by showing up.
The choices we make and attitudes we show influence lives every day in positive or negative ways. So every morning you should ask yourself:“Who do I want to be today—‘The Grouch(不高兴的人)’or ‘The Good News Girl’?”Your answer will go a long way toward determining the quality of your life and that of those around you.
1.From the first salesgirl’s words we know that .
A. she was sick and tired of people with bad manners
B. she didn’t like the bad news in the newspaper
C. she liked reading all kinds of stories
D. she thought it was boring to sell newspapers
2.After the author bought the newspaper the first day, he .
A. had a sad day B. kept thinking about what the girl had said
C. read the newspaper carefully
D. was in a pleasant mood all day
3.The other salesgirl’s attitude towards the author the next day was .
A. humorous B. enthusiastic C. cold D. positive
4.The author learned from his experience that .
A. a Good News newspaper would be very popular
B. a positive attitude creates warmth and happiness
C. good relationships matter a lot
D. he needed to change the quality of his life
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
As a child, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoons on my grandfather’s farm in western Pennsylvania. The house and barn provided endless hours of 1for a city kid like me.
I still 2one afternoon when I was eight years old. Since my first 3to the farm, I’d wanted more than anything to be 4to climb the stone walls surrounding the property. My parents never 5. The walls were old. Some stones were 6,and others were loose and crumbling. Still, my desire to climb those walls 7so strong that finally, one spring afternoon, I gathered all my
8and entered the living room, where the adults had 9after Sunday dinner.
“I, uh, I want to climb the stone walls,” I said hesitantly. 10looked up. “Can I ?”
11a chorus went up from the women in the room. “Heavens, no!” they cried in dismay. “You’ll hurt yourself!”
I wasn’t too 12. It was the response I’d expected. Yet, 13I could leave the room, I was stopped by my grandfather’s booming 14. “Now hold on just a minute, ” he cried. “15the boy climb them. He has to learn to do things 16himself.”
“Run quickly,” he said to me. “And come see me 17you get back.”
For the next two and a half hours I climbed those old walls—and had the time of my life. Later I went to my grandfather to tell him about my 18. I’ll never forget what he said.
“Fred,” he smiled, “you made this day a(n) 19one just by being yourself. Always remember, there’s only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly 20you are.” Many years have passed since then, but I still cherish his words in my heart.
1.A. trouble B. challenge C. interest D. fun
2.A. imagine B. remember C. regret D. cherish
3.A. sight B. visit C. access D. entrance
4.A. expected B. suggested C. allowed D. refused
5.A. approved B. admitted C. chose D. decided
6.A. broken B. lost C. empty D. missing
7.A. grew B. spread C. turned D. appeared
8.A. strength B. courage C. belief D. hope
9.A. arranged B. gathered C. discussed D. organized
10.A. Someone B. Nobody C. Everyone D. Anybody
11.A. Carefully B. Immediately C. Usually D. Fortunately
12.A. disappointed B. angry C. delighted D. worried
13.A. after B. once C. unless D. before
14.A. sound B. noise C. voice D. praise
15.A. Permit B. Consider C. Let D. Stop
16.A. by B. to C. on D. for
17.A. until B. when C. since D. while
18.A. dream B. burden C. adventure D. attempt
19.A. ordinary B. special C. curious D. typical
20.A. why B. what C. how D. as
Mr. White will come to the party on Sunday, _______ he promised to every one of us.
A. when B. that C. what D. which
_______ that caused him to serve dinner an hour later than usual.
A. It was we being late B. It was our being late
C. It was we were too late D. It was because we were late
