In Europe, small cars have always been more popular than large cars. In the United States, large cars and midsize cars are more popular than smaller cars. As a result, European automakers used to make different kinds of small cars while American automakers used to build bigger, heavier cars. However, these days, automakers in both America and Europe produce cars of different sizes. This is because most automakers sell their cars all over the world.
The price of gasoline (汽油) is one reason for differences in car choices. Since gasoline is more expensive in Europe, many Europeans want smaller, lighter cars that will travel a long way on a gallon (加仑) of gasoline.
Other reasons also enter into the big or little car decision. Many European cities have narrow, winding (弯曲的) streets. In these cities a small car is easier to control than a large one.
For a long time, few Americans bought small cars. Instead they chose large cars, because these roomy cars were more comfortable for large families and long trips. Some people also liked the powerful engines (发动机) that large cars had. Since gasoline was cheap, drivers did not mind that the large cars used a lot of gasoline.
But in the 1970s, there were gasoline shortages in the United States. The price of gasoline went up. Though large cars were still more popular than smaller cars, sales of small cars increased. Some people also bought small cars because these cars caused less air pollution than larger cars.
Today, Americans’ car choices are still changing. Though Americans are still buying many small cars, the fastest growing sales are for certain kinds of large cars. These types of cars are called minivans and sport utility vehicles (SUV). They are very popular today. But of course, that could change tomorrow.
1.Which of the following does the article lead you to believe?
A. Sport utility vehicles are small cars.
B. Minivans are becoming less popular.
C. European car companies sell many cars in America.
D. Cars with powerful engines caused less air pollution.
2.What does the word “roomy” in Paragraph 4 mean?
A. having much space B. having little space
C. having a large room D. having a small room
3.What can we infer (推断) from the article?
A. Small cars are better than large cars.
B. The price of gasoline is always rising.
C. Large cars will always be popular in the United States.
D. People like to have different kinds of cars to choose from.
After that, we went on down the river. It was very dark that night and it wasn’t easy to see where we were going. Suddenly, a big steamboat came at us very fast, and the next minute it was right over us. Jim and I jumped off the raft (木筏) into the water. The boat hit the raft and went on up the river.
When I came up out of the water, I couldn’t see Jim anywhere. I called out his name again and again, but there was no answer. “He’s dead!” I thought. Slowly, I swam to the side of the river and got out. I saw that I was near a big old wooden house. Suddenly a lot of very angry dogs jumped out at me. They made a terrible noise and someone called from the house, “Who’s there?”
“George Jackson,” I answered quickly. “I’ve fallen off a river boat.”
Well, the people who lived in that house were very kind, and they took me in and gave me some new clothes and a good meal. I told them that my family were all dead, so they said I could stay with them as long as I wanted. It was a beautiful house and the food was good there, so I stayed.
A few days later one of the slaves in the house came to me and said, “Come with me!” Together, we went down to some trees by the river. “In there!” he said and went away.
On the ground, I found a man, asleep. It was Jim! I was really pleased to see him. When the steamboat hit the raft, Jim told me, the raft didn’t break up. Jim swam after it and caught it. Then he began to look for me.
We decided to leave at once. It’s all right living in a house for a little while, but you feel more free and easy and comfortable on a raft.
1.What happened LAST in the story?
A. George saw a big house. B. George got some new clothes.
C. George found Jim on the ground. D. George jumped off the raft into the water.
2.Why did George Jackson answer “quickly” when someone called from the house?
A. George felt afraid and nervous. B. George felt happy and lucky.
C. George really wanted to stay there. D. George didn’t want to lie to him.
3.Which of these old sayings best fits this story?
A. It never rains but it pours. B. Every dog has its day.
C. Burn the candle at both ends. D. Many hands make light work.
Different families have different table manners. For example, some people don’t talk while they eat, some do. Some people talk with their mouths full, others don’t. Some people put their elbows (肘) on the table, but others consider it unacceptable. 1.. Here’s some good advice. If you’re new somewhere just watch what other people do and don’t do. If you follow the people you’re eating with, you’ll always have good table manners in their eyes.
I grew up in an old-fashioned family. The main time my family saw each other was at dinner. 2.. We talked about our day through the dinner whether we had good stories or not.A reason we talked so much was that our parents didn't allow us to get up until we finished all of our food. Being the daughter of a Greek cook and an Italian woman, my mom always put doubleportions (双份) of delicious meals on our plates. 3.. I still remember my father making us eat dinner for almost two hours just because we couldn't finish our food!
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。
A.When we sat down to eat it was our time to talk.
B.The problem was that sometimes we couldn't finish all the food.
C.Table manners vary (变化) with different people and different situations.
D.You may find Western table manners are different from Chinese manners.
完形填空
先通读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后在每小题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
One evening last summer, when I asked my 14- year- old son, Ray,for help with dinner, his response(回答)shocked me. "What's a colander(漏勺)?" he asked. I could only blame_____. In the family, nobody else went into the kitchen except me. But that night, as I_____to him that a colander is the thing with holes in it,I wondered what else I hadn't_____Ray for.
As parents,while we focus on our sons' confidence and character,we perhaps don't always consider that we are_____raising someone's future roommates,boyfriends,husbands,or fathers_____I came up with a plan: I would offer Ray a private home economics course. I was_____to find that he didn't say no. For two hours, three days a week, Ray was all mine.
I knew that he would rather have been playing basketball with friends than_____to mend socks with his mother,but in fact he was learning, and more than just housekeeping. "I appreciate(感激)what you do_____a mom," he told me one day. Ray now realizes there's_____masculine(男子气概的)about being helpless.
Now,not only can he make his own dinner, but also he can make a big meal for his family. That's_____I call a man. I'm glad that I prepared so great a present for my future daughter in-law.
1.A. themselves B. ourselves C. myself D. himself
2.A. explained B. continued C. thought D. advised
3.A. planned B. prepared C. produced D. punished
4.A. even B. also C. still D. either
5.A. But B. And C. Because D. So
6.A. cheerful B. nervous C. patient D. serious
7.A. learning B. checking C. asking D. affording
8.A. by B. for C. as D. with
9.A. something B. anything C. everything D. nothing
10.A. what B. how C. why D. who
--- My name is Harden. Shall I spell it for you?
---____________.
A. Not at all B. My pleasure C. If you don't mind D. Nice to meet you
At the science museum, the kids get to know _________.
A. what is the space robot like B. what the space robot looks like
C. how does the space robot like D. how the space robot looks like