Question

What will city life be like in the future? Some people think that life in the cities is going to be horrible. They say that cities will become more and more crowded. As the number of people increases, there will be less space for each person. This overcrowding will cause other problems — more crime, dirtier streets , and worse problems with traffic than we have now. How will people find enough drinking water, energy (such as gas and electricity ), and housing? Because life will be hard, people who live in cities will worry more, and they may become sick. For these reasons, some say that nobody will want to live in city areas.

How can we deal with such problems as overcrowding, crime, and traffic? In some cities, thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets because there is little suitable housing — and because houses are too expensive. The crime rate isn’t going down. Instead, it is increasing so fast that many people are afraid to go out at night. Traffic is also getting worse. More and more often, traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several streets. These problems have been getting worse, not better, so many people see no hope for the future of the city.

Los Angeles, California, for example, has no subway system and buses are slow. Instead, many commuters (乘、开车上班族) drive many miles from their homes to work. Many of these drivers spend several hours each day on busy freeways. New York, however, has a big transit system — buses, commuter trains, and subways. Because the public transportation is crowded and dirty, many people drive private cars, and the traffic jams are worse than that in Los Angeles. A taxi driver complains, “I was driving home, but in forty-five minutes I moved only two miles! Finally, I turned off the engine and just sat there. A lot of people left their cars where they were in the middle of the street and went into a bar for a few beers!”

On the other hand, some cities have clean, fast and pleasant public transportation systems. In Paris, France, and Toronto, Canada, for example, anyone can use buses or subways to move quickly from one part of the city to another.

1.What do some people think is the main problem of the future city like?

    A. Poor housing.                    B. Overcrowding.   

C. Environmental pollution.           D. Traffic jams.

2.The best way to work out the traffic problem in Los Angels might be _________________.

    A. cutting down the number of private cars

    B. providing more buses in the freeway

    C. building a subway system

    D. persuading people to live nearer to their workplaces

3.Which of the following sentences is NOT TRUE?

    A. Thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets.

    B. The crime rate isn’t going down.

    C. The traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several streets.

D. Many people have a positive attitude towards the future of the city.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

1.B

2.C

3.D

【解析】

试题分析：

1.B 细节题。根据第一段2,3,4行They say that cities will become more and more crowded. As the number of people increases, there will be less space for each person. This overcrowding will cause other problems说明人口太多是未来城市的主要问题，故B正确。

2.C 推理题。根据第三段第一行Los Angeles, California, for example, has no subway system and buses are slow.说明洛杉矶没有地铁，而公交车又很慢，说明要想解决洛杉矶的交通问题，地铁是一个解决方案，故C正确。

3.D 推理题。根据第二段最后一句so many people see no hope for the future of the city.说明很多人对于未来的城市都持消极的态度，故D正确。

考点：考查科普类短文阅读

点评：文章讲述了未来城市所面临的严重问题—过于拥挤。主要考查推理题和细节题，要求考生有较强的推理能力和把握上下文中心思想的能力。