Question

【题目】I was desperately nervous about becoming car-free. But eight months ago our car was hit by a passing vehicle and it was destroyed. No problem, I thought: we’ll buy another. But the insurance payout didn’t even begin to cover the costs of buying a new car—I worked out that, with the loan (贷款) we’d need plus petrol, insurance, parking permits and tax, we would make a payment as much as 600 a month.

And that’s when I had my fancy idea. Why not just give up having a car at all? I live in London. We have a railway station behind our house, a tube station 10 minutes’ walk away, and a bus stop at the end of the street. A new car club had just opened in our area, and one of its shiny little red Peugeots was parked nearby. If any family in Britain could live without a car, I reasoned, then surely we were that family.

But my new car-free idea, sadly, wasn’t shared by my family. My teenage daughters were horrified. What would their friends think about our family being “too poor to afford a car”? (I wasn’t that bothered what they thought, and I suggested the girls should take the same approach.)

My friends, too, were astonished at our plan. What would happen if someone got seriously ill overnight and needed to go to hospital? (an ambulance) How would the children get to and from their many events? (buses and trains) People smiled as though this was another of my mad ideas, before saying they were sure I’d soon realize that a car was a necessity.

Eight months on, I wonder whether we’ll ever own a car again. The idea that you “have to” own a car, especially if you live in a city, is all in the mind. I live—and many other citizens do too—in a place that has never been better served by public transport, and yet car ownership has never been higher. We worry about rising car costs, but we’d be better off asking something much more basic: do I really need a car? Certainly the answer is no, and I’m a lot richer because I dared to ask the question.

【1】The author decided to live a car-free life partly because ______.

A. he was hurt in a terrible car accident

B. most families chose to go car-free

C. the traffic jam was unbearable for him

D. the cost of a new car was too much

【2】What is the attitude of the author’s family toward his plan?

A. Disapproving.B. Supportive.

C. Unconcerned.D. Optimistic.

【3】What did the author suggest his daughters do about their friends’ opinion?

A. Take their advice.B. Argue against it.

C. Leave it alone.D. Think it over.

【4】What conclusion did the author draw after the eight-month car-free life?

A. Life without a car is a little bit hard.

B. Life cannot go without a car.

C. A car-free life does not suit everyone.

D. His life gets improved without a car.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】A

【3】C

【4】D

【解析】

试题分析：文章讲述了因为车被撞坏，而保险金又不足以买辆车，作者决定利用城市里便捷的交通资源，这一想法遭到了子女和朋友的强烈反对，他们认为即使生活在城市里也需要拥有一辆车。但作者坚持自己的想法，作者发现没有车反而提高了他的生活质量。

【1】D 细节理解题。根据第一段中But the insurance payout didn’t even begin to cover the costs of buying a new car—I worked out that, with the loan (贷款) we’d need plus petrol, insurance, parking permits and tax, we would make a payment as much as 600 a month.可知，买一辆新车的费用太高，故答案选D。

【2】A 细节理解题。根据第三段第一句But my new car-free idea, sadly, wasn’t shared by my family.可知，作者的家人并不支持他，故答案选A。

【3】C 细节理解题。根据第三段中I wasn’t that bothered what they thought, and I suggested the girls should take the same approach.可知，她的想法并没有影响到我，我反而认为她应该采取跟我一样的想法，故答案选C。

【4】D 细节理解题。根据最后一段中I live—and many other citizens do too—in a place that has never been better served by public transport, and yet car ownership has never been higher.可知，在车主的花费越来越高的情况下，作者的无车计划反而提高了他的生活质量，故答案选D。