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阅读理解

　　There are more than 100 million cars in the United States．An ordinary car gets less than 15 miles from each gallon(加仑)of gas．It travels about 10 000 miles each year．In that time, it uses about 650 gallons of gas．In all, automobiles use up some 70 billion gallons of gas a year．That comes out to be four-and-a-half million barrels a day．

　　The importance of saving gas, then, cannot be stressed too much．Let’s say, the fuel used by each car could be cut back just 15 percent．This could be done by making fewer trips each day．It could be done by keeping the automobiles in good shape．It could be done through better driving habits．If these were done, the nation’s use of fuel would fall by close to two-thirds of a million barrels per day．

　　Everyone can help to save gas．One way is to ride buses．Some could walk to work．Others could ride their bikes．Another way is to share a ride．People could share cars．About one-third of all cars are used for going to and from work．You can go shopping with a friend from time to time．If two people use a car instead of two, they all save．Driving stress(紧张)would be less, too, with fewer cars on the road．The savings on gas around the nation would come to more than one-half million barrels a day．Still another way to save is by cutting out trips one does not need to take．Can you find one car trip per week that could be done by telephone? Can you combine trips? If each car travelled 10 miles less each week, they could save three-and-a-half billion gallons of gas a year．This comes to nearly 5 percent of the total passenger cars demand for gas．

　　The way people drive decides how much fuel they save．Careful drivers may get 20 percent more miles per gallon than ordinary drivers．They obey the 55-mile-per-hour speed limit．If just one gallon of gas were saved each week for each car in the country, a total of five-and-a-half billion gallons could be saved a year．

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阅读理解

In the past, American families tended to be quite large．Parents raising five or more children were common．Over the years, the size of the family has decreased．One reason for this is an increase in the cost of living．On the average, children attend schools for more years than they used to, making them financially dependent on their families longer．Moreover, children nowadays are better dressed and have more money to spend on entertainment．The parents usually take the responsibility for all the expenses．Meanwhile, families are less close than they used to be．More and more American mothers work away from home．The breakup of the family occurs when the parents divorce(离婚)．A lot of children in the U．S．live part of their young lives with only one parent．Broken families usually result in problems for children and parents alike．Children blame themselves when their parents separate．They grow up feeling unsettled as they are moved back and forth between parents．Usually one parent is responsible for raising the children．These single parents must care for the children’s emotional and psychological needs while also supporting them financially．This is very demanding and leaves very little time for the parent’s own personal interests．Single parents often marry other single parents．In this type of family, unrelated children are forced to develop brother or sister relationship．The situations of many American families today are not good．However, recent signs indicate that things are getting better．The divorce rate is declining．The rate of childbirth is rising．Perhaps Americans have learned how important families are．

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阅读理解

Say no to Western fast food

　　With the appearance of fast food chains from the West such as McDonald’s, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Pizza Hut, the Chinese are being introduced to a diet that markedly increases the death rate from certain diseases in any population．

　　The main killers in North America, the degenerative diseases such as heart attack and stroke as well as colon cancer, will become a way of death, not death, not life, in this country if the Chinese do not act quickly and compete with these health destroying food chains．

　　Scientific studies from all over the world show that a diet high in animal foods such as pork, beef, including sugar, white flour, white noodles and even white rice, undermines one’s health．Deposits of animal fat cling to the walls of arteries, blocking the blood supply to various organs．

　　This causes diseases in almost every organ, but in particular it damages two of the most vital ones, the heart and brain．

　　Compare these problems with the excellent health one may enjoy if one consumes good Chinese food．The cook goes out every day, procures great-tasting, fresh vegetables, then cooks them for just a few minutes so that their nutritional value is preserved and afterwards serves them in a most artistic and elegant fashion．Please cling to your traditional ways of eating．They are far superior to those of the West．

　　Certainly the fast food chains make lots of money, but who wants to fill the pockets of a foreign food chain that proceeds to ruin the health of the Chinese people?

　　Another reason Western fast food restaurants make money is that the food they serve, which comes from assembly lines, will not attract bugs or spoil easily．

　　How the Chinese could patronize these fast food places when Chinese cook such pleasant food, not just in this country but over the entire world, is beyond my comprehension．

　　Western restaurants are clean and tastefully decorated．Moreover, these restaurants also do indeed have “good service and an inviting dining atmosphere”．However, Chinese food chains could do likewise if they would organize themselves as the Western chains do．

　　These lessons in management and decoration are the only ones worth learning from the invasion of this country by the Western fast food chains．In other words only imitate the style of the restaurants, not the content of the food or the menus in any way, shape or form．

　　Do not let the desire for money destroy the wonderful tradition that China has established in producing absolutely fantastically tasty as well as healthful food．

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阅读理解

Dream for a car

　　At the onset of a new year, I always ask my Chinese friends what their expectations to realize that, even than last year, they all dream of owning a car．Most of them hope that sooner or later every Chinese family can acquire a car．

　　I don’t by any means contest the rights of Chinese people to enjoy the same housing conditions, household appliances and other goods that are available in developed countries．But it seems obvious that many of them have related to the mass ownership of private autos．

　　I know that it’s not easy to sacrifice our personal comfort and open our minds to consider what is good for an entire society, rather than just for ourselves．But I for one would not contribute to the further pollution of Beijing by owning a car．And if I were to return to Montreal, I would not buy a car there either．

　　In today’s China owning a car is seen as a symbol of wealth and success．I wish Chinese people would acquire the maturity to reject that idea, and turn their efforts towards developing a good public transportation system．The country needs more trains(light urban commuter lines as well as long-distance trains), more buses and more subways．That is the only way to get out of the traffic jam．

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