Question

    Public transport is declining in the rich world. To those who have to squeeze onto the number 25 bus in London, or the A train in New York, the change might not be noticeable. But public transport is becoming less busy in those places, and passenger numbers are flat or falling in almost every American city despite healthy growth in urban populations and employment.

Although transport agencies blame their unpopularity on things like roadworks and broken signals, it seems more likely that they are being outcompeted. App-based taxi services like Uber and Lyft are more comfortable and convenient than trains or buses. Cycling is nicer than it was, and rental bikes are more widely available. Cars are cheap to buy, thanks to cut-rate loans, and ever cheaper to run. Online shopping, home working and office-sharing mean more people can avoid travelling altogether.

The competition is only likely to grow. More than one laboratory is developing new transport technologies and applications. Silicon Valley invented Uber and, more recently, apps that let people rent electric scooters(滑板车) and then abandon them on the pavement. China created sharing-bicycles and battery-powered "e-bikes", both of which are spreading.

Transport agencies should accept the upstarts(新兴方式), and copy them. Cities tend either to ignore app-based services or to try to push them off the streets. That is understandable, given the rules-are-for-losers attitude of firms like Uber. But it is an error.

It is doubtful that most people make hard distinctions between public and private transport. They just want to get somewhere, and there is a cost in time, money and comfort. An ideal system would let them move across a city for a single payment, transferring from trains to taxis to bicycles as needed. Building a platform to allow that is hard, and requires much effort of traditional networks as well as technology firms. It is probably the secret to keeping cities moving.

1.What is the change in public transport in big cities?

A.It is becoming busier.

B.It is getting less popular.

C.There are fewer traffic delays.

D.There is more new transport.

2.In the author’s opinion, the reason for the decline of public transport is that ______.

A.there are roadworks and broken signals.

B.people are becoming healthier and employed.

C.cars and bikes are more and more available.

D.transport agencies are seemingly less competitive.

3.How does the author develop his idea in Paragraph 3?

A.By giving examples

B.By providing research results

C.By stating arguments

D.By comparing different approaches

4.According to the text, the key to keeping cities moving is ____________.

A.to develop an ideal system that satisfies everyone.

B.to provide people with more means of transportation.

C.to build a good platform that appeals to transport agencies.

D.to make traditional networks and technology firms cooperate.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。发达国家的公共交通正在下降，正在开发新的运输技术和应用使得交通方式更多样化。但是根据需要从火车到出租车再到自行车。建立这样一个平台是很困难的，需要传统网络和技术公司付出很大的努力，以此保持城市的交通畅通无阻。

1.

细节理解题。根据以下信息：Public transport is declining in the rich world.发达国家的公共交通正在下降。But public transport is becoming less busy in those places, and passenger numbers are flat or falling in almost every American city但是，在那些地方，公共交通变得不是那么忙碌，而几乎每一个美国城市里乘客数量保持平衡或者下降，可以知公共交通的变化是越来越不受欢迎。故B选项It is getting less popular.“变得更不受欢迎了。”切合文意。故选B。

2.

细节理解题。审题得知，在作者眼里，公共交通使用人数越来越少的理由是什么。可以定位于第二段开始：Although transport agencies blame their unpopularity on things like roadworks and broken signals, it seems more likely that they are being outcompeted.尽管交通机构责备他们的不受欢迎的原因是路网不畅或信号灯残缺，但更可能像是他们已经落伍于竞争了。故选项transport agencies are seemingly less competitive.交通机构看起来好像更缺乏竞争性了。切合文意。故选D。

3.

推理判断题。审题得知如何推进第三段内容。可以浏览第三段的结构，先是总说：The competition is only likely to grow.竞争只有可能在增长。然后举例说明：More than one laboratory is developing new transport technologies and applications.不止一家实验室在研发新的交通技术和应用。再根据 Silicon Valley invented Uber and, more recently, apps that let people rent electric scooters(滑板车) and then abandon them on the pavement. China created sharing-bicycles and battery-powered "e-bikes", both of which are spreading.举例说明硅谷研发的优伯租车公司滑板租赁，中国的共享单车和电动车租赁公司。说明整个这段都是以举例的方式推进的。故A选项By giving examples“给出实例”切合文意。故选A。

4.

推理判断题。审题得知：根据文章，让城市运作起来的关键在于什么。这是问文章的目的或者说是观点的题目。通过审题定位于最后一段： Building a platform to allow that is hard, and requires much effort of traditional networks as well as technology firms. It is probably the secret to keeping cities moving.建造这样一个平台会很难，要求传统交通网络，同科技公司一起付出很大的努力。这也许是使这座城市能够运作起来的秘密之所在了。由此判断出 “让传统交通网络和科技公司合作起来。是城市交通运行的关键。故选D。