Question

I was desperately nervous about becoming car-free. But eight months ago our car was hit by a passing vehicle and it was destroyed. No problem, I thought: we’ll buy another. But the insurance payout didn’t even begin to cover the costs of buying a new car—I worked out that, with the loan (贷款) we’d need plus petrol, insurance, parking permits and tax, we would make a payment as much as £600 a month.

And that’s when I had my fancy idea. Why not just give up having a car at all? I live in London. We have a railway station behind our house, a tube station 10 minutes’ walk away, and a bus stop at the end of the street. A new car club had just opened in our area, and one of its shiny little red Peugeots was parked nearby. If any family in Britain could live without a car, I reasoned, then surely we were that family.

But my new car-free idea, sadly, wasn’t shared by my family. My teenage daughters were horrified. What would their friends think about our family being “too poor to afford a car”? (I wasn’t that bothered what they thought, and I suggested the girls should take the same approach.)

My friends, too, were astonished at our plan. What would happen if someone got seriously ill overnight and needed to go to hospital? (an ambulance) How would the children get to and from their many events? (buses and trains) People smiled as though this was another of my mad ideas, before saying they were sure I’d soon realize that a car was a necessity.

Eight months on, I wonder whether we’ll ever own a car again. The idea that you “have to” own a car, especially if you live in a city, is all in the mind. I live—and many other citizens do too—in a place that has never been better served by public transport, and yet car ownership has never been higher. We worry about rising car costs, but we’d be better off asking something much more basic: do I really need a car? Certainly the answer is no, and I’m a lot richer because I dared to ask the question.

1.The author decided to live a car-free life partly because ______.

A. most families chose to go car-free

B. he was hurt in a terrible car accident

C. the cost of a new car was too much

D. the traffic jam was unbearable for him

2.What is the attitude of the author’s family toward his plan?

A. Supportive.      B. Disapproving.

C.Optimistic.       D. Unconcerned.

3.What did the author suggest his daughters do about their friends’ opinion?

A.Argue against it.    B. Take their advice.

C. Think it over.      D. Leave it alone.

4.What conclusion did the author draw after the eight-month car-free life?

A. Life cannot go without a car.

B. Life without a car is a little bit hard.

C. His life gets improved without a car.

D. A car-free life does not suit everyone.

Answer

1.C

2.B

3.D

4.C

【解析】

试题分析: 文章讲述了使用一辆车的费用太高，作者决定利用城市里便捷的交通资源，这一想法遭到了子女和朋友的强烈反对，他们认为即使生活在城市里也需要拥有一辆车。

1.C考察细节理解题。根据文意But the insurance payout didn’t even begin to cover the costs of buying a new car—I worked out that, with the loan (贷款) we’d need plus petrol, insurance, parking permits and tax, we would make a payment as much as £600 a month可知买一辆新车的费用太高，所以答案是C。

2.B考察细节理解题。根据文意But my new car-free idea, sadly, wasn’t shared by my family可知作者的家人并不支持的观点，所以答案是B。

3.D考察细节理解题。根据文意I wasn’t that bothered what they thought, and I suggested the girls should take the same approach可知她的想法并没有影响到哦我，我反而认为她应该采取跟我一样的想法，所以答案是D。

4.

考点：生活类阅读