Question

    As the summer travel season rolls in, prices at the gas pump are usually going in the wrong direction for our wallets. That’s when drivers become more concerned about how to squeeze the most miles from their fuel dollars and keep their cars running their best. To help you stay in the know, here are some common questions that our auto-experts often get asked about gas mileage and related topics:

What if I need to carry stuff on my car’s roof?

Carrying things on the roof hurts fuel economy. When tested a 2013 Honda Accord at a steady 65 mph①, it got 42 mpg② with nothing on the roof. Adding even an empty bike rack（架子）dropped the mileage by 5 mpg. And with two bikes on the roof, gas mileage dropped to 27mpg.

Does running the A/C① hurt fuel economy compared with opening the windows?

It depends on-how hard the air-conditioning system has to work. When we measured the fuel-economy difference, we found that fuel use with the A/C running went up with higher outside temperatures. At 55℃ F, there were unnoticeable differences. But when we measured again on days when the temperature was in the low 70s and high 80s, we got fewer miles per gallon with the A/C on.

How far can I go when my low-fuel warning light comes on?

There is no set rule, but most cars have a reserve of between 1 and 2 gallons of gas when the light goes on, or enough to travel about 40 miles or so at a moderate speed. To maximize those last couple of gallons, we suggest slowing down and maintaining a steady pace.

Can I improve gas mileage by installing a special air filter（过滤器）?

With modern cars, changing your air filter probably won’t improve your fuel economy. When we tested a car to see whether a dirty air filter hurt its gas mileage because of reduced air intake, we found that the car’s fuel economy wasn’t hurt. The engine’s computer automatically made up for the restricted airflow by reducing fuel use to maintain the right air/fuel proportion. We expect similar results from any air-filter change.

①mph: mile per hour

②mpg: mile per gallon

③A/C: air-conditioning

1.The passage is intended to give answers to questions related to _____.

A.how to save fuel

B.what fuel drivers can use

C.how to keep cars working well

D.what mileage is most suitable for a car

2.It is suggested in the passage that ______.

A.a special air filter be installed to improve air intake

B.the engine’s computer be updated as often as possible

C.drivers carry an empty bike rack on the roof just in case

D.cars move at a fixed low speed with a warning of low fuel

3.At which temperature is there a most noticeable difference in fuel economy between running A/C and opening the window?

A.40° F B.51° F

C.55° F D.73° F

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.D

【解析】

本文是一篇说明文。主要解答了几个司机们比较关心的油耗以及相关问题的常见问题。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段的drivers become more concerned about how to squeeze the most miles from their fuel dollars…here are some common questions that our auto-experts often get asked about gas mileage and related topics:（司机们会更加关心如何从他们的油钱中挤出最多的里程，……我们的汽车专家经常会被问到一些关于油耗和相关话题的常见问题。）可知，这篇文章旨在回答有关如何节约燃料的问题，故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据第四段的How far can I go when my low-fuel warning light comes on?…we suggest slowing down and maintaining a steady pace.（当我的低油警告灯亮起时，我能走多远?……我们建议放慢速度，保持稳定的速度。）由此可知，文章中建议在警告燃油不足情况下，汽车以固定的低速行驶，故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据第三段的But when we measured again on days when the temperature was in the low 70s and high 80s, we got fewer miles per gallon with the A/C on.（但是当我们再次测量温度在70多度和80多度的时候，开着空调的情况下，每加仑汽油行驶的英里数减少了。）由此可知，温度在70多度和80多度，在开空调和开车窗在燃油经济性上有最明显的区别，D选项73° F在这个温度区间，故选D。