When I was growing up, 16 was always a magical age, a symbol of maturity, responsibility and of course more independence and freedom. I sat through the hours of Driver’s Ed classes eager to get out on the road. I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license.
But it’s a different story for today’s teens. In January, the U.S. Department Transportation released 2012 data that showed only 30.7 percent of U.S. teens got their license at age 16, Twenty years before, that number was almost 45 percent.
There are numbers of reasons for the fall – off. The growing responsibilities like paying for insurance and high gas prices discourage teens from getting behind the wheel. Plus, many teens today are so busy with homework, endless hours of activities and part-time jobs, that finding the time for Driver’s Ed classes may be more difficult that ever.
In addition, many states have raised the driving age, or restricted when teens can drive and who they can have in the car. Parents may also be making their own personal restrictions until they feel their teens are responsible enough to drive safely.
Driving is part of the American culture, but it’s not the central focus like it was 25 years ago. They have so many other things to do now. One of the more interesting factors delaying teens driving might be the change of their social life. Today, teens need to look no further than Face book or other social networking sites to connect with their friends. There is simply less need, maybe less desire, to be able to grab the keys and go.
Michelle Wei got her license as a senior in high school because her digital social life made it easy not to drive. “If I couldn’t get a ride to see my friend who lives a town over,” the 19-year-old said, “I could talk on IM or Skype.”
Research has shown that these online relationships can lead to higher quality friendships, so it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s important to find a balance. If old face-to-face friendships are good, why not drive to find them?
小题1:We can infer from the first paragraph that _______ .| A．Driver’s Ed classes allowed teens to know what maturity was | | B．getting a driving license at 16 was a must for American teens | | C．16 was considered an age when one could get his driver’s license | | D．teens could drive on the road without taking Driver’s Ed classes |
小题2:What does the passage mainly talk about?| A．Desire to drive on the road declines among American teens. | | B．Getting a license costs much more than ever before. | | C．Social networking sites are changing the life of American teens. | | D．American teens are becoming more responsible than ever. |
小题3:Michelle’s Wei’s example is used to explain ________.| A．why American teens are crazy about digital social life | | B．what social networking websites are bringing to American teens | | C．to what degree the Internet is affecting the American car culture | | D．what the Internet does to help teens to get a driving license |
小题4: The last paragraph is reminding the readers that _______ .| A．the Internet has a bad effect on the teen’s social life | | B．teens should keep a balance in choosing their lifestyle | | C．actual contacts can be replaced by talking on line | | D．face-to-face friendship is always the best choice |
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小题1:C
小题2:A
小题3:C
小题4:B |
试题分析：本文叙述了美国年轻人考驾照比例的下降，文章分析了具体的原因。
小题1:细节题。根据文章第一段16 was always a magical age, a symbol of maturity, responsibility and of course more independence and freedom. I sat through the hours of Driver’s Ed classes eager to get out on the road. I couldn’t wait to get my driver’s license.可知16岁是可以考驾照的年龄。故C正确。
小题2:主旨大意题。根据文章第二段But it’s a different story for today’s teens. In January, the U.S. Department Transportation released 2012 data that showed only 30.7 percent of U.S. teens got their license at age 16, Twenty years before, that number was almost 45 percent.可知现在美国年轻人取得驾照的比例在下降，并分析了具体的原因。故A正确。
小题3:推理题。根据文章倒数第二段Michelle Wei got her license as a senior in high school because her digital social life made it easy no to drive. “If I couldn’t get a ride to see my friend who lives a town over,” the 19-year-old said, “I could talk on IM or Skype.”可知现在很多的年轻人都是通过网络进行交流的，这对考驾照也有一定影响，他们不必要开车去见朋友了，通过网络交流就可以了。故C正确。
小题4:细节题。根据Research has shown that these online relationships can lead to higher quality friendships, so it isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, it’s important to find a balance. If old face-to-face friendships are good, why not drive to find them?说明作者建议我们有平衡的生活，故B正确。 |
核心考点
试题【When I was growing up, 16 was always a magical age, a symbol of maturity, respon】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
Transportation and communication networks bring people together. Yet sometimes people themselves create barriers to transportation and communication. In some countries, laws stop people from moving freely from place to place.
Over the centuries, many groups of people have been denied the freedom to travel because of their race, religion, or nationality. In the Middle Ages, for example, Jews were often forbidden to move about freely within certain cities. South Africa"s government used to require black Africans to carry passes when they travel within the country. Some governments require all citizens to carry identification papers and to report to government officials whenever they move.
Countries set up Customs posts at their borders. Foreign travellers must go through a Customs inspection before they are allowed to travel in the country. Usually travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas(签证). Some countries even limit the number of visitors to their country each year. Others allow tourists to visit only certain areas of the country, or they may require that travellers be with an official guide at all times during their stay.
Many of those barriers to travel also act as barriers to communication. When two governments disagree with each other on important matters, they usually do not want their citizens to exchange news or ideas freely. Countries often try to keep military or industrial information secret.
Today, people have the ability to travel, to communicate, and to transport goods more quickly and easily than ever before. Natural barriers that were difficult or dangerous to cross a hundred years ago can now be crossed easily. The barriers that people themselves make are not so easy to overcome. But in spite of all the different kinds of barriers, people continue to enjoy travel and the exchange of goods and ideas.
小题1:The examples in paragraph 2 are used to tell the readers that _______ | A．Customs posts are necessary at the borders of the countries | | B．people have been allowed to travel freely within the country | | C．people have not been permitted to travel freely for various reasons | | D．travellers have to carry special papers such as passports and visas |
小题2:Some governments limit the freedom of communication because___ | A．they think such freedom will lead to wars | | B．they more often than not agree with each other on important matters | | C．they intend to keep their national secrets unknown to others | | D．they want to show their authority over communication |
小题3:We may learn from the passage that _______ | A．people do not care about the removal of barriers between countries. | | B．people can not remove the obstacles made by themselves | | C．barriers should be taken for granted as they always exist | | D．man-made barriers are sometimes harder to overcome than natural ones |
小题4:Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage?| A．Functions of Communication | B．Barriers Made by People | | C．Restrictions on Transportation | D．Progress of Human Society |
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Americans value competition. They believe that competition out the best in any individual. They claim that it challenges or even each person to produce the very best that is humanly possible. , the foreign visitor will see competition encouraged in the American home and in the American classroom, at the youngest age levels. You may find the placed on competition confusing, especially if you come from a society that promotes cooperation competition among individuals. But Americans teaching in the Third World countries find the lack of competition in a classroom situation equally . They soon learn that what they had thought to be one of the universal human qualities only a particularly American or Western value.
| 小题1: | | A．carries | B．brings | C．picks | D．comes |
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| 小题2: | | A．forces | B．causes | C．leads | D．teaches |
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| 小题3: | | A．Particularly | B．Occasionally | C．Consequently | D．Accidentally |
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| 小题4: | | A．even | B．still | C．only | D．already |
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| 小题5: | | A．thoughts | B．interest | C．attitude | D．value |
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| 小题6: | | A．together with | B．rather than | C．in spite of | D．along with |
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| 小题7: | | A．puzzling | B．unacceptable | C．unfortunate | D．discouraging |
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| 小题8: | | A．encouraged | B．respected | C．represented | D．Produced |
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The world would be a better place if we all had children’s eyes. This is not because children’s eyes are too sharp to allow any blot（污点，瑕疵）to pass without being , but because adults have too many conflicting concerns to keep their eyes open to all wrongdoing.
Not long before, an examination, intended to some police officers to higher positions, was held in Gansu province. Someone with a good idea that 18 primary pupils could be invited to act as invigilators (监考人). At that age, students would do as they are told and act fearlessly. , they caught 25 officers cheating on the spot, which has caused a stir (轰动，搅动) and the question of whether adult invigilators would their duties as well.
The implication of this event goes its impact on the work style of local police officers and the examinations. Most people said what these children have done points to the sad fact of being less trustworthy. If adults acted as invigilators, they would quite turn a blind eye to cheating.
We Chinese have been holding the that human nature was good at birth: as of blot as a sheet of blank paper, which can be with content (good or bad) in the process of growing up. Everything should be done on the basis of certain principles(原则). , nowadays the repeated reports of cheating in examinations, selling ranks and and embezzling (挪用) public funds paint a picture of common social morals. Adults have become too concerned with their own personal gains to basic sense of principles. When no one any principle and the only concern is personal interest, everyone will , not only those who first break the rules.
Besides, cheats are unfair to honest examinees, and when the success of cheats more people to cheat, the consequences will be disastrous.
In a word, we adults need to have our eyes as as children’s on matters of principle.
| 小题1: | | A．praised | B．dismissed | C．caught | D．thrown |
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| 小题2: | | A．develop | B．investigate | C．prevent | D．promote |
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| 小题3: | | A．caught up | B．came up | C．kept up | D．put up |
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| 小题4: | | A．Surprisingly | B．Usually | C．Safely | D．Slowly |
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| 小题5: | | A．hid | B．recommended | C．raised | D．affected |
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| 小题6: | | A．accept | B．ignore | C．refuse | D．perform |
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| 小题7: | | A．without | B．beyond | C．into | D．for |
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| 小题8: | | A．tutors | B．pupils | C．adults | D．teachers |
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| 小题9: | | A．probably | B．suddenly | C．luckily | D．gradually |
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| 小题10: | | A．opportunity | B．dream | C．belief | D．hope |
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| 小题11: | | A．free | B．busy | C．ugly | D．dirty |
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| 小题12: | | A．described | B．filled | C．purchased | D．charged |
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| 小题13: | | A．Unless | B．Therefore | C．However | D．Thus |
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| 小题14: | | A．names | B．titles | C．goods | D．products |
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| 小题15: | | A．bright | B．beautiful | C．pleasant | D．sad |
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| 小题16: | | A．care about | B．put aside | C．contribute to | D．come across |
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| 小题17: | | A．understands | B．observes | C．possesses | D．change |
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| 小题18: | | A．act | B．exist | C．suffer | D．survive |
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| 小题19: | | A．advises | B．encourages | C．warns | D．informs |
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| 小题20: | | A．beautiful | B．young | C．wide | D．clear |
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How can you build more word-of-mouth advertising (口碑广告)? In other words, why would your customers want to talk to their friends about their experience of doing business with you?
When you perform your service or deliver your product competently (出色地), you are just doing what the customer expects. In order to increase the number of the customers who want to share their good experience with their friends, you must make your service impressive, going beyond what is expected.
Recently my daughter Dawn and I had lunch with my team members at the Campbell House. The food and service were truly excellent. My daughter asked for her leftovers (剩菜) to be packed. They were returned to her in aluminum foil (铝箔) shaped like a swan(天鹅). Guess what she talked about when she got home? How much more do you think it cost the Campbell House to produce that “Wow!” experience? Answer —not a cent!
Disneyland should be an inspiration to us all in providing a “Wow!” experience. What do people talk to their friends about when they come home? “You should have seen how clean that park was! With all of the people there, it’s unbelievable! There’s not even a gum wrapper on the ground!” Walt Disney understood that cleanliness is marketing.
小题1:According to the passage, customers would like to share their good experience with their friends if ______. | A．what they need is provided on time | | B．the price of the service is low enough | | C．the service is better than they expected | | D．the after-sale service is good enough |
小题2:How did Dawn feel the moment she saw her packed leftovers? | A．Disappointed and angry. | B．Excited and crazy. | | C．Worried and unhappy. | D．Surprised and pleased. |
小题3:By saying “Answer — not a cent!” the author seems to believe that ______. | A．it is always possible to satisfy all of the customers | | B．sometimes it is easy to provide a good experience | | C．most customers are easy to do business with | | D．the service should be as cheap as possible |
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In the Netherlands，cycling isn"t seen as eccrfriendly exercise; it"s part of everyday life, as it"s people"s top choice to school and work. There are more bicycles than residents in the Netherlands. In cities like Amsterdam and The Hague, up to 70 percent of all journeys are made by bike.
So how did cycling become such a popular means of transportation in the European country?
In the 1970s, the Dutch government began to improve its cycling infrastructure（基础设施）due to both a social movement demanding safer cycling condition for children and the oil crisis in the Middle East, when oil producing countries stopped their exports to Western Europe.
To make cycling safer and more appealing, the Dutch have built the widest cycling net- work in the world. The country has over 40，000 kilometers of bicycle lanes and paths，which are clearly marked. They have smooth surfaces，separate signs and lights for those on two wheels. The lanes are wide enough to allow side-by-side cycling and passing.
In many cities the bike lanes are completely segregated（隔离的）from motorized traffic. And in many traffic situations cyclists are given priority（优先权）over drivers. Sometimes， where space is limited and both must share, you can see signs showing an image of a cyclist with a car behind accompanied by the words "Bike Street：Cars are guests".
As young people aren"t allowed to drive alone until they are 18，cycling offers Dutch teen- agers an alternative form of freedom. The government also makes cycling training lessons a compulsory part of the Dutch school curriculum（课程）．
Bike parking facilities are ubiquitous in the country. Cyclists are accommodated in the way motorists are elsewhere. Take Groningen, a city in the northeastern part of the Netherlands，for example. The city"s central train station has underground parking for 10，000 bikes.
小题1:We can conclude that in the Netherlands cycling is____．| A．regarded as eco-friendly exercise | | B．thought of as part of people"s life | | C．looked on as a way to lose weight | | D．considered as a way to entertain |
小题2:What can we learn about the Netherlands from the first paragraph?| A．Most vehicles the Dutch use are buses. | | B．The native people cycle the best in the world. | | C．Everyone has one bike on average in the Netherlands. | | D．The number of bikes is larger than the population there. |
小题3:Which of the following made the government improve the cycling infrastructure?| A．A large number of bikes. | | B．Hope for healthy life style. | | C．People"s preference to bikes. | | D．Children"s safety demand and lack of oil. |
小题4:The underlined word "ubiquitous" in the last paragraph means“＿，，．| A．high quality | B．unique | C．very common | D．special |
小题5:What does the Dutch government do about teenagers cycling?| A．It makes cycling covered by school education. | | B．It encourages teenagers to cycle alone. | | C．It will watch over teenagers who ride bikes. | | D．It suggests teenagers cycling before driving. |
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