Question

Paris

Passengers carried per day: 4.4m

Cost of ticket: 80p flat fare

Length: 131 miles    Lines: 14   Stations: 297

In Paris there are pleasures for those who use the Metro(地铁) — many of them artistic. The graceful Art Nouveau dragon-fly entrances are just the most noticeable on a Metro system which celebrated its 100^th anniversary by spending 30 million francs (£2.9million) on making its stations works of art. On my way home I pass Bonne Nouvelle station in the heart of Paris’s cinema district. There, during the cinema festival this summer, special lighting effects dot the platforms and films are projected onto the large advertising boards.

More than anything the metro is efficient. “When I worked on line 4”, says a retired driver, “we had exactly 30 minutes and 15 seconds to complete the journey. If it took any longer, they cut our pay.” But there are problems. Many Metro stations have too many stairs, and changing lines at big interchanges(交换) can be tiresome.

Moscow

Passengers carried per day: 9m

Cost of ticket: 12p

Length: 164 miles    Lines: 11   Stations: 162

The first underground passage for the Moscow Metropolitan started in 1932. Three years later the trains started running. They haven’t stopped since— every 90 seconds or two minutes during rush hour, every five minutes the rest of the time, from 6 a.m. till 1 a. m. There may be a crowd of people but there is seldom a wait.

The trains take you through spacious and spotless stations. For tourists it’s a major sightseeing attraction: from Russian Art Deco to neo-classical, the Metro stations are not to be missed.

Tokyo

Passengers carried per day: 7m

Cost of ticket: 90p ~ £1.68

Length: 177 miles    Lines: 12   Stations: 209

Trains do not just arrive on time in Tokyo. They stop right on the platform mark so that passengers can line up knowing exactly where the doors will open. Train driving is a respectful job for life, for which the applicants must pass a strict screening of health checks, interviews and written exams before they can put on the enviable uniform, cap and white gloves.

However, overcrowding means it is far from perfect. At rush hours, some stations employ part-time platform staff to push in passengers. Carriages can be filled to 184% of capacity(容量). The main reason for such conditions is that the Tokyo subway station system has only 15 miles of track for every 1 million people, compared to 36 on the London Underground. New lines are under construction, but at a cost of £500,000 per meter of rail. Progress has been slow.

Mexico City

Passengers carried per day: 4.2m

Cost of ticket: 11p flat fare

Length: 99 miles    Lines: 11   Stations: 175

Fast, relatively safe, and very cheap, Mexico City’s underground is an ideal place of order and efficiency compared to the disorders above. The Mexican capital’s underground system is the biggest in the continent and one of the most subsidized (获得补助的) networks in the world.

The first trains leave the station at 5 a.m. and the last after midnight as the crowd move from the outskirts of the 20 million-strong megacity (大城市). Mexico City’s Metro also attracts a sizeable group of passengers who are unwilling to spend hours in traffic jams. There is a master plan to build new lines and extend existing one, but financial constraints (约束) complicated by the fact that the system runs through different jurisdicitons (管辖权) mean progress is slow.

1.Metro rail drivers in Paris must____.

A. keep to the train schedule strictly

B. complete the journey gracefully

C. stop right on the platform mark

D. understand the special lighting

2.In which two cities can travelling by underground be a sightseeing experience?

A. Moscow and Tokyo         B. Paris and Moscow

C. Paris and Mexico City    D. Tokyo and Mexico City

3.Which word may best describe the Tokyo underground trains?

A. Cheap     B. Efficient   C. Crowded    D. Slow

4.Why is the expansion of the underground system in Mexico City slow?

A. The plan to extend existing lines is impractical.

B. The government offers little financial support.

C. People are unwilling to help build new lines.

D. The lines involve several authorities.

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.C

4.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文介绍了几个大城市地铁。主要讲的是Paris、Moscow、Tokyo和Mexico City几个城市的地铁的不同特点。

1.A细节理解题。根据题干定位到本文的第一节，即介绍巴黎地铁的那一部分。根据"we had exactly 30 minutes and 15 seconds to complete the journey. If it took any longer, they cut our pay."可知巴黎的地铁司机必须按照时间表来行车，否则会被扣工资。故选A。

2.2】B细节理解题。题干是问在哪两个城市坐地铁可以成为一个观光之旅。根据对于巴黎地铁的介绍"spending 30 million francs (£2.9million) on making its stations works of art"可知巴黎地铁里有很多的艺术品。再根据对莫斯科地铁的介绍的最后一句话"For tourists it’s a major sightseeing attraction"可知莫斯科地铁的风景也非常好。故选B。

3.C判断推理题。根据题干定位到第三节，也就是对东京地铁的描述。这一节中的第二段讲的是东京地铁非常挤，例如184%的容量，push in passengers，overcrowding等。因此对东京地铁描述最贴切的是拥挤。故选C。

4.4】D细节理解题。根据全文最后一句话"There is a master plan to build new lines and extend existing one, but financial constraints complicated by the fact that the system runs through different jurisdicitons mean progress is slow."可知墨西哥城地铁新线路建设慢的原因是财政约束以及这些线路跨过了多个辖区。故选D。

【名师点睛】

社会生活类阅读理解题备考方略

【题型说明】社会生活类阅读文章在高考中的出现频率较高。它涉及人们衣、食、住、行等方面的社会万象、生活经历、饮食、饮食与健康、休闲与娱乐、旅游、生态旅游、服装、住房等等内容。这类文章同学们读起来感觉轻松，试题做起来也比较得心应手。在高考阅读理解题中，这类文章属搭配类材料，所以，它的命题多数属于中低等难度的送分题，如事实细节题、计算题、识图题等。遇到这类文章时，我们一定要抓住得分机遇，尽量不要失分。

【答题方法】读这类文章要特别注意做好事实细节题。对于细节试题，同学们要先从题干中找到关键性词语，然后采用略读或跳读，快速在文章中寻找相关细节，找到后再把这一部分内容仔细阅读一遍，细心比较所给选项与文中细节的区别，在准确理解了细节的前提下，最终确定最佳答案。具体解题步骤如下：

1. 读题干：阅读题干，发现关键词和起主导作用的内容。一般情况下，问题出现的前后顺序与文章中细节和事实出现的先后顺序是一致的。

2. 找细节：阅读文章内容，寻找与题干相符合的具体细节。要注意的是，对作者使用的同义词或与之相关的词语和句子千万不能忽略。

3. 巧答题：根据前两步所得到的信息回答问题。阅读问题所给的四个选项，检查文中的细节与哪一项相符。当题干中有诸如“NOT”或“except”时，同学们一定要特别小心，力求在文章中找到相关的有力证据。如：5.2】B细节理解题。题干是问在哪两个城市坐地铁可以成为一个观光之旅。根据对于巴黎地铁的介绍"spending 30 million francs (£2.9million) on making its stations works of art"可知巴黎地铁里有很多的艺术品。再根据对莫斯科地铁的介绍的最后一句话"For tourists it’s a major sightseeing attraction"可知莫斯科地铁的风景也非常好。故选B。

考点：社会生活类阅读理解