We all remember seeing hitchhikers, standing by the side of the road, thumb, sticking out, waiting for a lift. But it is getting rare nowadays. What killed hitchhiking? Safety is often mentioned as a reason. Movies about murderous hitchhikers and real-life crime have put many drivers off picking up hitchhikers. That no single women picked me up on my journey to Manchester no doubt reflects the safety fear: a large, strangely dressed man is seen as dangerous.
But the reason may be more complex: hitchhiking happens where people don’t have cars and transport services are poor. Plenty of people still hitchhike in Poland and Romania. Perhaps the rising level of car ownership in the UK means the few people lift hitchhiking are usually considered strange. Why can’t they afford cars? Why can’t they take the coach or the train?
Three-quarters of the UK population have access to a car; many of the remainder will be quite old. The potential hitchhiking population is therefore small. Yet my trip proves it’s still possible to hitchhike. The people who picks me up were very interesting-lawyer, retired surgeon, tank commander, carpenter, man who live in an isolated farmhouse and a couple living up in the mountains. My conclusion is that only really interesting people are mad enough to pick up fat blokes in red, spotted scarves. Most just wanted to do someone a good turn; a few said they were so surprised to see a hitchhiker that they couldn’t help stopping.
The future of hitchhiking most likely lies with car-sharing organized over the Internet, via sites such as hitchhikers. org. But for now, you can still stick your thumb out (actually, I didn’t do much of that, preferring just to hold up my destination sign) and people—wonderful, caring, sharing, unafraid people—will stop.
In the UK, with its cheap coaches and reasonable rail service, I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it. But having enjoyed it so much, I’m ready now to do a big trip across Europe and beyond. In the 1970s a female friend of my wife’s hitchhiked to India. How wonderful it would be to have another go, though Afghanistan might be a challenge. I wish I’d got that tank commander’s mobile number.
1.The author tried to hitchhike but was rejected by single women drivers because .
A. they were not heading towards Manchester
B. they thought most hitchhikers were dangerous
C. hitchhiking had been banned and they didn’t want to break the law
D. he was a strong man in strange clothes who seemed dangerous
2.Which of the following statements is not true according to the passage?
A. Movies have discouraged people from hitchhiking
B. Car ownership levels are lower in Romania than in the UK.
C. 25% of UK people don’t have access to cars.
D. Increased car ownership has reduced the need for hitchhiking.
3.The “fat blokes in red, spotted scarves” in Paragraph 3 most likely means .
A. murderous hitchhikers B. friendly and talkative hitchhikers
C. typical hitchhikers D. strange hitchhikers like the author
4.According to the author, future hitchhikers are more likely to .
A. visit websites and find people to share cars with
B. stand by roads with their thumbs sticking out
C. stick out signs with their destinations written on
D. wait for some kind people to pick them up
5.From the last paragraph, we know that the author .
A. frequently hitchhikes in Britain
B. plans to hitchhike across Europe
C. thinks public transport is safer for travel
D. is going to contact the tank commander
We each have a unique genetic (基因的，遗传的) make-up. Every cell of your body has the same set of about 100,000 separate genes made of DNA. These are the instructions for producing a person. Genes decide everything from the colour of your skin to the way your brain works. You have one of several billion combinations of DNA which come from the random mixing of your parents’ genes. Except for identical twins (同卵双胞胎), no one has the same combination as another person. You are unique! You are unique in another way too: in the way you are raised and all the experiences you have from before birth to adult life. These experiences influence you, your behaviour and attitudes, and the choices you make.
But are genes or life experiences more important in shaping your appearance and personality? Scientists are studying twins to find out. One set of twins occurs every 70 births---some are identical and others are non-identical twins. Identical twins are special because they share exactly the same genes and often the same environment. Non-identical twins are more like ordinary brothers and sisters.
Some identical twins have been adopted and brought up in different homes. With identical genes but a different home environment, scientists can study twins to see how much a particular feature depends on the genes we inherit. For example, we know that eye problems, like short-sightedness, are mostly genetic. But resistance to pain is largely dependent on experiences. Genes also influence our eating habits. Identical twins brought up apart often like to eat at the same time of day and feel full after eating the same amount. Non-identical twins in similar circumstances have more varied eating habits. Identical twins are also more likely to follow the same patterns for marriage and divorce than non-identical twins.
Scientists are trying to identify the different genes that influence our behaviour. Some people are thrill-seekers and get into risk-taking and adventurous activities. They take up extreme sports like bungee jumping and possibly take drugs. Scientists have discovered a gene which affects this.
We could ask, “Are our lives determined by our genes or our upbringing?” Scientists are learning more all the time, but it is certainly true that both are important in making us who we are.
1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A. We cannot easily change our physical appearance.
B. How we turn out depends on our parents’ genes.
C. Everyone has a physical double somewhere in the world.
D. Both our genes and our experiences make us who we are.
2.Why are scientists studying twins?
A. To find out how many twins are born every year.
B. To discover what shapes us as individuals.
C. To compare differences between twins.
D. To study brother-and-sister relationships.
3.According to the passage, __________.
A. one in 70 twins are genetically identical
B. non-identical twins are usually not of the same sex
C. twins separated at birth behave exactly the same
D. identical twins are genetically the same
4.Which of the following is most affected by experience according the passage?
A. Eating habits. B. Eye-sight. C. Pain resistance. D. Marriage patterns.
5.What does the underlined “this” in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Our love of sport. B. Our attitude to risk-taking.
C. Our skill at bungee jumping. D. Our ability to take drugs.
It is worthwhile considering what makes “convenience” foods so popular, and____ better ones of your own.
A. introduces B. to introduce C. introducing D. introduced
Mr. Green stood up in defence of the 16-year old boy，_________ that he was not the one ____________.
A. said; blamed B. saying; to blame C. to say; to be blamed D. saying; blaming
Eating too much fat can ________ heart disease and cause high blood pressure.
A. result from B. contribute to C. attend to D. devote to
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请根据下面表格所提供的信息，介绍大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国。
|
国别 |
大不列颠及北爱 尔兰联合王国 |
首都 |
伦敦 （别称：雾都） |
地理位置 |
欧洲西北部 面临大西洋 |
|
人口 |
约1.61亿 |
面积 |
24.482万 平方公里 |
气候 |
冬温夏凉， 整年雨量充足 |
|
国情 |
1．由英格兰、威尔士、苏格兰、北爱尔兰组成； 2．历史悠久，景点很多，如大本钟、伦敦塔和格林威治等； 3．世界工业化（industrialize）最早的国家之一，对人类工业化（human industrialization）做出了贡献。 |
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