Question

“White Bikes” on the Road

People in Amsterdam have been enjoying the benefits of cycling for years. The idea began about 50 years ago, and was first known as “white bikes”. Amsterdam is a good city for cycling because it’s _______ and therefore convenient for bikes. There are also plenty of places for bicycle parking and most streets in the city center have a bicycle path. Today some people call Amsterdam “the City of Bicycles” because of the _______ for bicycles there.

Where did the idea of “white bikes” come from? In the 1960s, a group of cycling fans came up with an idea. They believed that it would be better for everybody if cars weren’t _______ in the city center and only bicycles were. They were _______ that this would help to save energy,  reduce pollution and provide free public transport. The group painted hundreds of bicycles white and placed them in many areas around Amsterdam for people to use. Anyone was allowed to take them and use them for short journeys. Wherever someone _______ a journey, they would leave the bike there for someone else to use. Soon after, _______, problems came up and the “white bikes” all _______—thieves took all the bicycles within weeks!

In 1999, the “white bikes” returned to Amsterdam—this time with a computer tracking system to _______ their every move! To take a bicycle, you had to put in a special card. The   bikes were parked at special parking places. Thus people who wanted to use them had to take them to another special parking place near their destination and leave them there.

Thanks to the ideas and efforts of many people, like the cycling fans of the 1960s and those who enabled the return of “white bikes”, you can now enjoy clean air and _______ transport in central Amsterdam.

Nowadays, the idea of “white bikes” has pedalled its way around the world and there has been a global __________ in bike-sharing.

1.A.great B.beautiful C.flat

2.A.convenience B.activity C.cost

3.A.bought B.produced C.allowed

4.A.hopeful B.doubtful C.afraid

5.A.forgot B.finished C.missed

6.A.however B.therefore C.besides

7.A.developed B.grew C.disappeared

8.A.stop B.record C.plan

9.A.busy B.easy C.safe

10.A.increase B.study C.race

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.C

4.A

5.B

6.A

7.C

8.B

9.B

10.A

【解析】

本文是说明文。文章介绍了在“自行车之城”阿姆斯特丹，“白色自行车”概念的起源和发展。

1.

考查形容词词义辨析。句意：阿姆斯特丹是一个适于骑自行车的好城市，因为它很平坦，因此方便骑行。A. great极好的；B. beautiful美丽的；C. flat平坦的。按照生活常识，平坦的道路适合骑自行车，因为可以不那么费力。故选C项。

2.

考查名词词义辨析。句意：今天有些人称阿姆斯特丹为“自行车之城”，因为那里骑自行车很方便。A. convenience方便；B. activity活动；C. cost成本。根据上文“because it’s ___1___ and therefore convenient for bikes.”可知，阿姆斯特丹地势平坦，便于骑行。故选A项。

3.

考查动词词义辨析。句意：他们认为，如果市中心不允许开车，只允许骑自行车，那对每个人都更好。A. bought购买；B. produced生产；C. allowed允许。根据“it would be better for everybody”可知，应该是街道上不允许汽车行驶，只允许骑自行车。故选C项。

4.

考查形容词词义辨析。句意：他们希望这将有助于节省能源、减少污染，还可以提供免费的公共交通。 A. hopeful满怀希望的；B. doubtful怀疑的；C. afraid害怕的。根据 this would help to save energy, reduce pollution and provide free public transport. 可知，是希望骑自行车能够给这个城市带来好处。故选A项。

5.

考查动词词义辨析。句意：无论在哪里完成了旅程，他们都会把自行车留在那里让别人使用。A. forgot忘记；B. finished完成；C. missed错过。根据“they would leave the bike there for someone else to use.”可知，一个人骑行完了之后，把自行车就放在那里供别人使用。故选B项。

6.

考查副词词义辨析。句意：然而，不久之后，问题出现了。A. however然而；B. therefore因此；C. besides除此之外。上文提到骑自行车带来的便利，空后一句提到“problems came up”，上下文之间是语义上的转折，however表示转折关系。故选A项。

7.

考查动词义辨析。句意：“白色自行车”都不见了，小偷在几周内偷走了所有的自行车! A. developed发展；B. grew成长；C. disappeared消失。根据“thieves took all the bicycles within weeks!”可知，自行车都被偷走了，失踪了。故选C项。

8.

考查动词词义辨析。句意：1999年，“白色自行车”回到了阿姆斯特丹——这次用电脑跟踪系统记录它们的每一个动向! A. stop停止；B. record记录；C. plan计划。根据下文“To take a bicycle, you had to put in a special card.”，要使用自行车，你必须插入一张特殊的卡片，这样可以记录自行车的动向。故选B项。

9.

考查形容词词义辨析。句意：多亏了许多人的想法和努力，比如20世纪60年代的自行车迷和那些让“白色自行车”回归的人，你现在可以在阿姆斯特丹市中心享受清洁的空气和便利的交通。A. busy忙碌的；B. easy容易的；C. safe安全的。根据提到在阿姆斯特丹骑自行车给人们带来了方便。由此可知，“白色自行车” 让人们享受到清洁的环境和便利的交通。故选B项。

10.

考查名词词义辨析。句意：如今，“白色自行车”的概念已经传遍了全世界，并且全球共享自行车的数量已有所增加。A. increase增加；B. study学习，研究；C. race比赛。根据“the idea of “white bikes” has pedalled its way around the world”可知，“白色自行车”已在全球出现，人们越来越多地使用共享自行车。故选A项。