Question

People aren’t walking any more—if they can figure out a way to avoid it.

I felt superior about this matter until the other day I took my car to mail a small parcel. The journey is a matter of 281 steps. But I used the car. And I wasn’t in a hurry, either, I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness: motorosis.

It is an illness to which I had thought myself immune(免疫的), for I was bred in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs. At that time, we regarded 25 miles as good day’s walk and the ability to cover such a distance in ten hours as sign of strength and skill. It did not occur to us that walking was a hardship. And the effect was lasting. When I was 45 years old I raced— and beat—a teenage football player the 168 steps up the Stature of Liberty.

Such enterprises today are regarded by many middle-aged persons as bad for the heart. But a well-known British physician, Sir Adolphe Abrhams, pointed out recently that hearts and bodies need proper…… is more likely to have illnesses than one who exercises regularly. And walking is an ideal form of exercise — the most familiar and natural of all.

It was Henry Thoreau who showed mankind the richness of going on foot. The man walking can learn the  trees, flower, insects, birds and animals, the significance of seasons, the very feel of himself as a living creature in a living world, He cannot learn in a car.

The car is a convenient means of transport, but we have made it our way of life. Many people don’t dare to approach Nature any more; to them the world they were born to enjoy is all threat. To them security is a steel river thundering on a concrete road. And much of their thinking takes place while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

I say that the green of forests is the mind’s best light. And none but the man on foot can evaluate what is basic and everlasting.

1.What is the national sickness?

A. Walking too much.

B. Traveling too much.

C. Driving cars too much.

D. Climbing stairs too much.

2.What was life like when the author was young?

A. People usually went around on foot.

B. people often walked 25 miles a day

C. People used to climb the Statue of Liberty.

D. people considered a ten-hour walk as a hardship.

3.The author mentions Henry Thoreau to prove that ________.

A. middle-aged people like getting back to nature

B. walking in nature helps enrich one’s mind

C. people need regular exercise to keep fit

D. going on foot prevents heart disease

4.What is compared to “a steel river” in Paragraph 6?

A. A queue of cars.

B. A ray of traffic light.

C. A flash of lightning.

D. A stream of people.

5.What is the author’s intention of writing this passage?

A. To tell people to reflect more on life.

B. To recommend people to give up driving.

C. To advise people to do outdoor activities.

D. To encourage people to return to walking.

Answer

1.C

2.A

3.B

4.A

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：本文是一篇记叙文。讲述了现在的人们都愿意出门乘坐汽车，而不愿意步行，即使很近的路，也要自己开车去，其实有时路上堵车不一定比走着快。并且步行可以看到沿途的树木、花草等，享受一下大自然的风光，作者提倡大家要用以前的交通方式——步行。

1. 细节理解题。国家的病是什么？根据第一段最后一句I had merely become one more victim of a national sickness：motorosis.可知，故选C。

2. 细节理解题。当作者年轻的时候生活是什么样子？根据for I was bored in the tradition of going to places on my own two legs.可知，作者年轻时人们通常步行，故选A。

3. 细节理解题。作者提到Henry Thoreau 来证明什么？根据第四自然段可知，作者提到Henry Thoreau是说明步行能够丰富人们的知识，故选B。

4. 词义猜测题。在第5段中把什么比作“a steel river”？根据The car is a convenient means of transport.Many people don’t dare to approach Nature any more.可知，这里指的是人们出门坐车，街上的车流量很大，就像河流一样，连续不断，故选A。

5. 推理判断题。作者写这篇文章的意图是什么？根据短文的最后一段可知，作者提倡大家要用以前的交通方式——步行。故选D。选项B是干扰最大的选项，推荐人们放弃驾驶。这个短文里没有提到要人们放弃驾驶自己的汽车，而是尽可能做到采用步行的交通方式。

【名师点睛】

猜测词义题解。阅读材料中的每个词与它前后的词语或句子甚至段落都有联系。我们可以利用语境（各种已知信息）推测、判断某些生词的词义。做这种类型的题，要根据词、词组、句子所在的语境来判断其意义。因此熟练掌握一些猜词技巧是做好这类题的关键。命题者在出这类题时惯用常规词义来麻痹考生，我们要特别注意熟词生义，切不可脱离语境想当然。在句子或段落中，我们可以利用熟悉的词语，根据语言环境所表示的关系推断生词词义。34小题A考查词义猜测。在第6段中把什么比作“a steel river”？根据The car is a convenient means of transport.Many people don’t dare to approach Nature any more.可知，这里指的是人们出门坐车，街上的车流量很大，就像河流一样，连续不断，故选A。

考点：考查环保类阅读