The bicycle is one of the simplest and most useful inventions in the world. What is the most surprising is that it was not invented earlier, although the great inventor Leonardo da Vinci had drawn pictures for bicycles and also for flying machines and some other things. Those things were not produced until long after he died.

A person riding a bicycle uses very little energy to make the bicycle move, and there is no pollution at all when you are riding. In Chengdu, a lot of people rode bicycles to work twenty years ago. But cars instead of them now. Even so in developed countries, most people do not travel to work by bicycle. It is not because the bicycles are expensive or people feel tired if they ride to work. It is because the number of cars on the roads is becoming larger. It certainly becomes more dangerous to ride a bicycle. As a result, more people put their bicycles away and go to work in their cars. And in this way, the traffic is very crowded when people go to work by car in the morning and go home after work, the situation is becoming worse and worse.

Perhaps the best way to make riding safer and more popular is to create paths only for bicycles, and to make it so difficult and expensive for drivers to take their cars into the city that they will go back to use their bicycles. There has been a special way for bicycles on the road in Chengdu now. I think more and more people will return to ride bicycles to go to work. The air of cities will be much fresher. The sky will be a lot bluer. The people will live much happier lives.

54. Who invented the bicycle?

A. Gergy Bush.      B. Mark.      C. Leonardo da Vinci.    D. Harry Borty.

55. The traffic is very crowded ,it is because  ____________________.

A. the roads are becoming larger         B. a number of cars are on the roads 

C. there are many bicycles on the roads    D. lots of people are walking on the roads

56. Why don’t people today go to work by bicycle?

A. Because the bicycle is too expensive.   B. Because it’s very tiring to ride a bicycle.

C. Because the people dislike bicycles.    D. Because it’s very dangerous to ride a bicycle.

57. According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

① The bicycles were not produced until long before he died.

② A lot of people in Chengdu rode bicycles to work 20 years ago.

③ It’s not polluted for people to ride bicycles.

④ The people in Chengdu can’t go to work with a special way by bicycle now. 

A. ① ②           B. ② ③          C. ①② ③         D. ② ③ ④

In one way, it may be thought that failure is a part of life. In another, failure may be regarded as a step towards success.
The “spider story” is often told as an example of this. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a hole on a hill from the English. He watched a spider(蜘蛛) making a web（网）. Bruce is said to have got confidence from this and to have gone on to beat the English. Edison, too, the inventor of the light bulb(电灯泡), made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.
So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were you in high spirit then? What can you change so that things will go right the next time?
Second, is the goal you are trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goal may be. Think about this question: If I am successful in this, where will it get me?” This may help to prevent failure in the things you shouldn’t be doing anyway.
The third thing to remember about failure is that it’s a part of life. Learn to “live with yourself!” even though you may have failed. Remember, “You can’t live with them all.”
【小题1】Robert Bruce was mentioned in the passage to show that ___________.

In one way, it may be thought that failure is a part of life. In another, failure may be regarded as a step towards success.

The “spider story” is often told as an example of this. Robert Bruce, leader of the Scots in the 13th century, was hiding in a hole on a hill from the English. He watched a spider(蜘蛛) making a web（网）. Bruce is said to have got confidence from this and to have gone on to beat the English. Edison, too, the inventor of the light bulb(电灯泡), made hundreds of models that failed before he found the right way to make one.

So what? First, always think about your failure. What caused it? Were you in high spirit then? What can you change so that things will go right the next time?

Second, is the goal you are trying to reach the right one? Try to do some thinking about what your real goal may be. Think about this question: If I am successful in this, where will it get me?” This may help to prevent failure in the things you shouldn’t be doing anyway.

The third thing to remember about failure is that it’s a part of life. Learn to “live with yourself!” even though you may have failed. Remember, “You can’t live with them all.”

1.Robert Bruce was mentioned in the passage to show that ___________.

2.Edison’s example shows us that __________.

3.If you are not sure about what success will get you, you’d better ______.

4.It can be learned from the passage that __________.

5.This passage is mainly about _________.