1.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 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.
12.The author decided to live a car-free life partly becauseB.
A.most families chose to go car-free
B.the cost of a new car was too much
C.he was hurt in a terrible car accident
D.the traffic jam was unbearable for him
13.What is the attitude of the author's family toward his plan?A
A.Disapproving.
B.Supportive.
C.Optimistic.
D.Unconcerned.
14.What did the author suggest his daughters do about their friends'opinion?C
A.Argue against it.
B.Take their advice.
C.Leave it alone.
D.Think it over.
15.What conclusion did the author draw after the eight-month car-free life?C
A.Life cannot go without a car.
B.Life without a car is a little bit hard.
C.His life gets improved without a car.
D.A car-free life does not suit everyone.
分析 文章讲述了使用一辆车的费用太高,于是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是需要拥有一辆车的.但是作者仍然坚持自己的无车计划,最终他的生活质量得到了提高.
解答 12.B 细节理解题.根据文意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,所以答案是B.
13.A 细节理解题.根据文意But my new car-free idea,sadly,wasn't shared by my family可知作者的家人并不支持的观点,所以答案是A.
14.C 细节理解题.根据文意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哦我,我反而认为她应该采取跟我一样的想法,所以答案是C.
15.C 细节理解题.根据文意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,所以答案是C.
点评 本文考查细节题为主,细节题可以在文章中直接找到与答案有关的信息?或是其变体.搜查信息在阅读中非常重要它包括理解作者在叙述某事时使用的具体事实、数据、图表等细节信息.在一篇短文里大部分篇幅都属于这类围绕主体展开的细节.做这类题一般采用寻读法?即先读题,然后带着问题快速阅读短文,找出与问题有关的词语或句子,再对相关部分进行分析对比,找出答案.