Question

Today is National Bike-to-Work Day. And on New York City’s jammed streets, people are cycling on hundreds of miles of new bike lanes. But New York’s widespread efforts to make streets safer for bikes have also left some locals complaining about the loss of parking spots and lanes for cars.

When the weather is good, Aaron Naparstek likes to pedal（用踏板踩）his two young kids to school on a special Dutch-made bicycle. Naparstek supports the new lane.

Aaron: The bike lane on Prospect Park West is really introducing a lot of new people to the idea that it’s possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around. This is what 21^st century New York City looks like.

Prospect Park West is still a one-way road, but where it used to have three lanes of car traffic, now it has two, plus a protected bike lane. Supporters say that makes the road safer for everyone, including pedestrians, by slowing down cars and taking bikes off the sidewalk. But some longtime residents disagree. Lois Carswell is president of a group called Seniors for Safety. She says the two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents who are used to one-way traffic.

Lois: We wanted a lane — the right kind of lane that would keep everybody safe, that would keep the bikers safe. But we want it to be done the right way. And it has not been done the right way.

Craig Palmer builds bars and restaurants in Manhattan. I was interviewing him for a different story when he brought up the bike lanes all on his own.

Craig: I think the biggest problem is that Bloomberg put all these bike lanes in. You took what used to be a full street and you’re shrinking it.

Then there are the Hasidic Jews in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, who forced the city to remove a bike lane through their neighborhood. But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%. Bicycle advocate Caroline Samponaro of Transportation Alternatives calls that a mandate.

Caroline: If this was an election, we would have already had our victory. The public has spoken and they keep speaking. And I think, more importantly, the public is starting to vote with their pedals.

1.What does Aaron mean by saying “This is what 21^st century New York City looks like.”?

A. There are hundreds of miles of new bike lanes in 21 ^st century New York City.

B. Drivers slow down their cars and bikes are taken off the sidewalk in New York.

C. Bikes are used as a means of transport in 21 ^st century New York City.

D. It’s possible to make the streets safe for pedestrians in New York.

2.According to the passage, which of the following CANNOT support the opponents of these new bike lanes?

A. Drivers lose parking spots and lanes for cars.

B. The two-way bike lane is dangerous to older residents.

C. We took what used to be a full street so the road is broader than before.

D. The removal of one bike lane through a neighbourhood in Brooklyn was not supported.

3.“A mandate” in Paragraph 8 was referred to a demand or command from ___________.

A. the authority                B. the public

C. the supporters             D. the government

4.What of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. Ride on National Bike-to-Work Day

B. A New Bike Lane Appears in New York

C. A Bike Lane Divides New Yorkers

D. Who Wins an Election

Answer

1.C

2.C

3.B

4.C

【解析】

试题分析：本文叙述了在踏车上班日纽约人骑着自行车在自行车道上。由此引出纽约人对于自行车道的不同看法。

1.细节理解题。根据前一句中“it’s possible to use a bike in New York City for transportation or to travel around.”可知选C。

2.推理判断题。根据“You took what used to be a full street and you’re shrinking it.”可知Ｃ项的说法“我们以前走的是整条街所以现在的路比以前宽了”是不支持反对者的观点的。故选C。

3.词义猜测题。根据“But polls show that the majority of New Yorkers support bike lanes by a margin of 56% to 39%.”可知这是公众的要求。故选B。

4.标题归纳题。因为本文讲了不同的纽约人对于自行车道的不同观点，所以最好的题目是C。

考点：社会现象类短文阅读。