Question

【题目】【原创】Today, the bicycle is the primary method of transportation for the human race. About 1.6 billion bicycles are in use around the world --- in big cities, along remote country lanes, and in the smallest villages ---and hundreds of millions of bikes are produced every year to meet the continuing demand for cheap wheeled transport.

Yet the bicycle is hardly a new vision of how humans move around. Historians speculate(猜测) about Leonardo da Vinci’s 1940s drawings and a 1580s stained glass window in England that appear to describe a two-wheeler. The first widely recognized two-wheeler in actual use, however, was the pedal-less Celerifere, a toy of the French upper class in the 1970s. The more famous Draisienne followed that toy in 1816, still without pedals. The front wheel could be steered, and this two-wheeler was eventually mass-produced in Europe, particularly in England. Ernest Michaux added cranks(曲轴) to the two-wheeler in 1855, which started a revolution in human transportation --- the Velocipede.

By 1870, complicated metal Velocipede were in production in Europe and the United States. Over time, they gave way to the “Ordinary” or high-wheeler. The Ordinary was the beginning of the heyday(全盛期) of bicycling. It was speedy and capable of long trips on poor roads, so it was soon in widespread use. At that time a skilled person might earn 25 cents an hour in wages, but a good Ordinary sold for $75 to $125, making it more expensive than building a house. Nevertheless, they sold at a furious pace.

Ordinaries had a big problem, however. When the front wheel came up against any obstacle that it could not roll over, the bike simply threw the rider headfirst onto the ground. Called a “header”, this characteristic problem inspired the “safety bicycle” in the 1980s. With two wheels of equal size, plus a roller chain(齿轮) transmission, the safety bicycle was with a slight adaptation, they attracted thousands of women to cycling. Many historians point to the safety bicycle as the beginning of women’s rights.

In England, in 1909, the Raleigh bicycle, equipped with a 3-speed hub, started to be produced. In the 1930s, British-built “lightweight” bicycles, suitable for the packed earth of country roads, were being imported into the United States. The early 1980s saw the creation of the “Freestyle” or trick bicycle. And in the late 1990s, the road bike and the mountain bike proved to be the dominant machines of the decade.

Today, the bicycle continues to be the most energy and cost-efficient transportation device in the world.

【1】What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. The places suited to the use of bicycles.

B. The way bicycles are used in the world.

C. The importance and popularity of bicycles.

D. The number of bikes produced every year.

【2】We can learn from the second paragraph that____________.

A. the Celerifere was actually the first bicycle in history.

B. the Draisienne had two pedals and its wheels could be steered.

C. Ernest Michaux created the Velocipede in 1885.

D. the bicycle idea might have come from one of da Vinci’s drawings.

【3】What does the underlined word “furious” in the third paragraph mean?

A. Rapid B. Gentle C. Steady D. Smooth

【4】How has the author developed the text?

A. In order of space B. In order of time

C. In order of importance D. In order of frequency

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】D

【3】A

【4】B

【解析】

试题分析：自行车在我们日常生活中很普遍，有着悠久的历史也是世界上最经济、最环保的交通工具，但是你了解自行车吗？

【1】C 主旨大意题。根据第一段可知，自行车是现今人类最重要的交通工具，全世界大约有16亿人在使用自行车，每年有几千万辆自行车生产出来。因此，这段主要讲述的是自行车的重要性和普及性，故选择C。

【2】D 细节理解题。根据第二段第二句话Historians speculate(猜测) about Leonardo da Vinci’s 1940s drawings and a 1580s stained glass window in England that appear to describe a two-wheeler.可知，历史学家推测，15世纪90年代达芬奇的画和16世纪80年代英国一个有污迹的玻璃窗户似乎描述了自行车最初的模型，故选择D。

【3】A 词义猜测题。根据第三段的At that time a skilled person might earn 25 cents an hour in wages, but a good Ordinary sold for $75 to $125, making it more expensive than building a house.可知，那时候自行车非常昂贵，按道理应该买的人不多。但是出现单词nevertheless，这是一个转折词，故推测尽管昂贵，Ordinary的销量还是很好，故选择A，意为卖得快。

【4】B 文章结构题。全文对自行车的发展是按照时间先后顺序来写的，故选择B。