Question

    The United States has about 475,000 school buses ---all painted yellow. Each day they carry more than 25,000,000 children, half of all schoolchildren in the country. But these buses, on average, use four liters of diesel （柴油） fuel to travel less than sixteen kilometers. When the school year began last fall, diesel averaged 55 cents a liter nationally. The price nearly doubled, to a dollar and 8 cents, by the end of school in June.

Bob Riley speaks for the American School Bus Council. He says fuel prices for schools are not much lower than others have to pay. As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Bus routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled. Some areas are buying buses that use natural gas or other alternative fuels. Other steps include fewer field trips and less travel by sports teams. And some school districts may end any bus service not required by law.

Studies show that school buses are the safest form of transportation to and from school. The American School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment. It says removing buses from the road will mean an increase in other vehicles transporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley says another concern is that reducing bus services might reduce attendance.

But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school. And that would surely make people happy at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. More kids walking or biking safely to school is the aim of a three-year-old federal program, part of an international movement. The goal is to increase physical activity and reduce air pollution. The United States will celebrate Walk to School Day on October eighth this year. But for some students, high fuel prices could make every day a walk-to-school day.

1.What does this passage mainly tell us?

A.High fuel prices’ influences on school buses.

B.New measures to transport school students.

C.The safest form of student transportation.

D.The origin of Walk to School Day.

2.What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A.Cuts in bus service will have negative results.

B.The US government is encouraging cuts in bus services.

C.The US schools are searching for the safest transportation means.

D.Reducing bus service will do a lot of good to the environment.

3.In order to cut down transportation cost, many schools take the following measures EXCEPT__.

A.changing some bus routes

B.stopping some bus routes

C.asking parents to drive children to and from school

D.using other types of fuels

4.The National Center for Safe Routes to School encourages more children to walk or bike to school in order to ____.

A.save more fuels and diesel for the country

B.keep the children safe on their way to school

C.make the children live a simple life

D.keep the children healthy and the environment clean

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述校车由于柴油价格的增长被做调整甚至取消，这将可能对学生不利，但是也可能让跟多的学生选择走路或者骑车上学。

1.

主旨大意题。由全文内容可知，第二段的第二句“He says fuel prices for schools are not much lower than others have to pay.”和第三句“As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs.”表示的是他说学校燃油价格比起其他人需要支付的并不更少。这导致，学校正在寻找可以减少交通成本的方法。第三段的第二句“The American School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment.”表示的是这个美国校车委员会表示校车服务的减少对儿童以及环境都是有坏处的。第四段的第一句“But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school.”表示的是但是它也可能让更多的儿童走路或者骑车去上学。由此可见，全文主要是在讲燃油价格对校车产生影响，从而对学生上学也造成了影响。结合选项可知，选项A正确。

2.

推理判断题。由第三段的第二句“The American School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment.”可知，这个美国校车委员会表示校车服务的减少对儿童以及环境都是有坏处的。由此可见，校车服务的减少会带来消极的结果。结合选项可知，选项A正确。

3.

细节理解题。由第二段的第四句“Bus routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled.”和第五句“Some areas are buying buses that use natural gas or other alternative fuels.”可知，校车路线被再次规划，或者在某些情况下，被取消。一些地区将购买使用天然气或者其他替代燃料的公交车。由此可见，为了减少交通成本，很多学校采取了改变一些校车路线，取消一些校车路线，或者使用其他燃料。结合选项可知，选项C表达的是“要求父母开车送孩子上下学”，这并未提及。故选C。

4.

细节理解题。由最后一段的第四句“The goal is to increase physical activity and reduce air pollution.”可知，这个目的是为了提高体能活动并且减少空气污染。由此可见，国家安全上学路线中心鼓励更多的孩子走路或者骑车去上学是为了保持孩子们的健康和干净的环境。结合选项可知，选项D正确。