Question

London taxi drivers know the capital like the back of their hands. Just jump into one of the city's 22,000 distinctive black cars and tell the driver your ______.However small the street is, the driver will be able to get you there without any trouble.

The reason why London taxi drivers are so ______ is that they have all ______ a very tough training period  to get the special license to drive taxis.  During this period, taking two to four  years in general,  the would­be taxi driver has to learn the most direct  ______ to every single road and to every important  building in London. ______this, most learners go around the city on small motorbikes, ______ how to move to  and from different points of the city.

Learner taxi drivers are tested several times during the period by government officers. Most drivers think the exams are a terrible ______.

Learner drivers  are  not  allowed  to work—and earn money—as drivers, either. Therefore, many of them keep their ______ jobs until they obtain  their taxi­driving license.  The training period can cost quite a lot because learners have to pay for their own expenses—getting around London using ______ transport, the tests and a medical exam.

Once a new taxi driver has a license, the ______ thing to deal with is the public. Drivers agree that most passengers are very nice, although ______ they can be annoying. ______ , if they're unpleasant to their passenger, they won't get a tip.

But sometimes it's not only the tip that is ______， a taxi driver's job can also be dangerous. To avoid this, more and more drivers are joining radio taxi companies, which only deal with customers who have phoned for a taxi and who often have an account with them. The big ______ of this system is that drivers then know the names and the destinations of their passengers______， which is very useful if anything ______ happens.

London taxi drivers love to talk to people and most of them start a ______ as soon as the passenger steps into their vehicle. Talking and driving at the same time is the art that London taxi drivers have brought to ______. They and their taxis are a ______ of the capital and are ______ throughout the world, along with the Queen, Tower  Bridge and Big Ben.

1.A. office    B. purpose    C. destination    D. home

2.A. friendly    B. clever    C. effective    D. efficient

3.A. gone through    B. taken on    C. taken up    D. carried out

4.A. way    B. street    C. road    D. route

5.A. Achieving    B. So as to achieve    C. To achieve    D. Only to achieve

6.A. testing    B. practicing    C. exercising    D. watching

7.A. moment    B. time    C. experience    D. life

8.A. temporary    B. full­time    C. part­time    D. previous

9.A. public    B. private    C. alternative    D. personal

10.A. only    B. next    C. another    D. remaining

11.A. often    B. never    C. occasionally    D. rarely

12.A. However    B. But    C. Therefore    D. Moreover

13.A. at fault    B. at risk    C. under threat    D. in doubt

14.A. priority    B. problem    C. advantage    D. profit

15.A. in advance    B. in turn    C. as a result    D. later on

16.A. upsetting    B. amazing    C. interesting    D. boring

17.A. speech    B. communication    C. conversation    D. interview

18.A. satisfaction    B. memorization    C. recognition    D. perfection

19.A. milestone    B. symbol    C. landscape    D. signal

20.A. understood    B. considered    C. recognized    D. popularized

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.A

4.D

5.C

6.B

7.C

8.D

9.B

10.B

11.C

12.A

13.B

14.C

15.A

16.A

17.C

18.D

19.B

20.C

【解析】

伦敦的出租车司机是伦敦首都的标志，是被世界公认的代表伦敦的形象。他们对伦敦了如指掌。你只要跳上其中的任何一辆出租车，并告诉司机目的地，他们就会毫不费力地载你到达那里。而要达到这种程度，要做出租车司机的人要经过几年艰苦的练习。

1.考查名词辨析以及对语境的理解。根据语境：如果你乘坐出租车，只要告诉司机你所去的地方。再结合下一句话“However small the street is, the driver will be able to get you there without any trouble.”可知答案。destination“目的地”，故C符合语境。

2.考查形容词辨析以及对语境的理解。friendly“友好的”；clever“聪明的”；effective“有效的，起作用的”；efficient“有效率的，高效的”。根据第一段的“你只要跳上其中的任何一辆出租车，并告诉司机你的目的地，不管你要去的街道有多小，司机都能顺利把你送到。”可知，伦敦的出租车司机的工作是非常高效的。故选D。

3.考查动词短语辨析以及对语境的理解。句意：在得到特别执照之前，伦敦的出租车司机必须经过一个相当艰难的训练阶段。go through“经受，经历”；take on“呈现，承担”；take up“从事，拿起”；carry out“执行”。根据语境可知选A。

4.考查名词辨析以及对语境的理解。句意：这个训练阶段通常会持续2年到4年。在此期间，想成为出租车司机的人员必须弄清通往伦敦的每条道路，每个重要建筑的最近路线。way“方法，道路”；street“街道”；road“道路”；route“路线”。故选D。

5.考查不定式用法以及对语境的理解。句意：为了做到这一点，他们中的大多数人会开着小型摩托车在城市里转来转去。to achieve是不定式作目的状语，so as to也是作目的状语，但是不能放在句首。故选C。

6.考查动词辨析以及对语境的理解。根据上题“为了做到这一点，他们中的大多数人会开着小型摩托车在城市里转来转去”这样做是练习如何在伦敦的各点之间穿梭。practice“练习”，符合语境。选B。

7.考查名词辨析以及对语境的理解。句意：大部分的司机认为这样的考试是令人讨厌的经历。moment“时刻”；time“时间”；experience“经历”；life“生命，生活”。C项符合语境。

8.考查形容词辨析以及对语境的理解。 句意：在司机拿到驾照前，大部分的司机都要坚持原来的工作，从“The training period can cost quite a lot because learners have to pay for their own expenses”可知，培训期会花费很多，因为学习者必须自己支付费用。temporary“暂时的”；full­time“全职的”；part­time“兼职的”；previous“以前的”。故选D。

9.考查形容词辨析以及对语境的理解。根据前面的“because learners have to pay for their own expenses”可知，句中的破折号是进一步的解释，他们是用自己的交通工具进行练习的。public“公共的”；private“私人的”；alternative“交替的”；personal“亲自的”。故选B。

10.考查形容词辨析以及对语境的理解。从本句中的“Once a new taxi driver has a license”可知，一旦新的出租车司机拿到驾照，下一个要处理的事情是公众。 B项next（下一个的）符合语境。

11.考查副词辨析以及对语境的理解。从上一句的“most passengers are very nice”和although可知，乘客偶尔也有发怒的时候。occasionally“偶尔”，符合语境。选C。

12.考查副词辨析以及对语境的理解。根据下面的“if they’re unpleasant to their passenger, they won’t get a tip”可知，这里表示转折。however“然而”，表示转折；but也表示转折，但其后面不能用逗号；therefore“因此”，表示结果；moreover“并且”，表示并列。故选A。

13.考查短语辨析以及对语境的理解。从句中的“not only...(but)also”和“dangerous”可知，此处表达的与dangerous的意思是一样的。at risk“冒险”，符合语境。at fault“出毛病；感到困惑”；under threat“受到威胁”；in doubt“怀疑”。故选B。

14.考查名词辨析以及对语境的理解。根据空前的句子及空后的解释可知此处是指好的方面。advantage“优势，有利条件”，符合语境。priority“特权”；profit“利益”。故选C。

15.考查短语辨析以及对语境的理解。根据前面的“customers who have phoned for a taxi and who often have an account with them”可知，提前知道了乘客的姓名和目的地。in advance“提前”；in turn“依次”；as a result“结果”；later on“后来”。故选A。

16.考查形容词辨析以及对语境的理解。句意：如果有任何令人不愉快的事情发生这是很有用的。upsetting“令人烦恼的”，符合语境。选A。

17.考查名词辨析以及对语境的理解。从本句中的“London taxi drivers love to talk to people”可知，是“出租车司机与乘客交谈”。speech“演讲”；communication“通讯”；conversation“谈话，交谈”；interview“采访”。根据语境可知选C。

18.考查名词辨析以及对语境的理解。从本句的“Talking and driving at the same time is the art...”可知，一边交谈，一边开车这是伦敦的出租车司机做的很完美的事情。satisfaction“满意”；memorization“记住”；recognition“识别”；perfection“完美”。故选D。

19.考查名词辨析以及对语境的理解。前面提到对伦敦出租车司机的培训以及怎样对待乘客等，这些都是伦敦首都的标志，代表伦敦的形象。milestone“里程碑”；symbol“标志，象征”；landscape“风景”；signal“信号”。故选B。

20.考查动词辨析以及对语境的理解。英国的女王、伦敦塔桥和大本钟都是世界公认的。根据句中的“along with”可知，伦敦的出租车司机和他们的出租车也是世界公认的。recognize“承认，认出”，符合语境。故选C。