China may be the world’s largest market for e-bikes, but Europe is fast catching up. The EU’s official statistics agency says the figure reached the one million mark two years ago, and sales have sharply increased since then.

When running errands（差事）around Berlin, Lutz, who usually works by horse, uses the company’s new e-bike that is charged easily and has a range of 140 kilometers. “We found there was no parking spot problem or other worries. And on top of all these, we don’t pollute the environment. Petrol is also saved,” said Lutz Baddack, owner of Reitsport Baddack.

Unlike many other parts of the world, the EU does not require registration（登记）of e-bikes. Nearly half a million are expected to be sold in Germany this year, in all shapes and sizes. “It’s not just bike fans buying them. People who usually drive cars also use them occasionally,” said Stefan Gelbhaar.

Businessmen say the elderly are also big customers. The sales of ordinary bicycles fell in Germany last year, but the sales of e-bikes rose by 8 percent. Sales figures are expected to keep going up. “In five years we will have the market share of 20 percent, or maybe more,” said Marcus Kendler, owner of E-Motion. In the hillier parts, that figure has already been beyond it.

The sales of e-bikes in Germany have been much larger than those in any other country in Europe. But other countries are fast catching up. In Europe, with the various brands at the market and falling prices, e-bikes are here to stay and not just a repeated trend.

【小题1】From the passage we know that e-bikes are preferred by those ______.

A．who work by horse

B．who usually drive cars

C．who are out on business

D．who live in the flat areas

【小题2】Which of the following is NOT the benefit of using e-bikes?

A．The users needn’t worry about parking spots.

B．It’s environmentally friendly and saves petrol.

C．The users are not required to register worldwide.

D．It is charged easily and runs a long distance.

【小题3】In Germany the sales of e-bikes ______.

A．have been the biggest in Europe

B．have been larger than those in China

C．reached one million two years ago

D．have taken up 20% of the market

【小题4】It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．the popularity of e-bikes in Europe will be lasting

B．in Europe there are various brands of e-bikes on sale

C．e-bikes will replace ordinary bicycles in only five years

D．Europe will become the world’s largest market of e-bikes

   Sometimes you have to visit your friends or relatives without much time for making preparations. Your only problem seems to be what to do with your pet. You can either leave it at your home or bring it with you. Traveling with your pet is easier than you think.

You can bring your pet with you by using air travel services. These services fall into two groups, in a cabin（客舱）and cargo. In-cabin pets must be small enough to fit into a carrier that will be placed under the seat in front of you. Pets too large to fit comfortably into a carrier must travel in a cargo. Cargo holds are heated or cooled, just like the passenger area.

Pet passengers require a reservation（预约）, whether traveling in a cabin or cargo. Airlines have rules about the number of pets they will carry in order to ensure travel safety for all. So making your pet's reservation as you buy your ticket is a good idea. Of course, you should pay extra charges for both in-cabin and in-cargo pets.

Buy a health certificate from your vet（兽医）. A health certificate is only good for ten days, so if your visit is longer than that, you will have to buy another health certificate for the return trip.

As mentioned, your in-cabin pet will need a carrier. These soft-sided carriers come in several sizes, so buy or borrow one that allows your pet plenty of room. Some of these can be bought with wheels to make transport through the airport easier; these also reduce "pet space" under the airplane seat. But pets traveling in a cargo need hard-sided carriers.

【小题1】According to the passage, you travel with your pets most probably because ________.

A．travel time is limited

B．it's quite easy to do so

C．you don't have a careful plan before the journey

D．pets can bring you a lot of pleasure during the journey

【小题2】Why should you make a reservation for your pet?

A．It is difficult to find a place for pets.

B．Pets are forbidden on planes sometimes.

C．It's not easy to get in-cabin services for big pets.

D．There's a limit to the number of pets on planes.

【小题3】What can we learn from the last paragraph？

A．We should try to reduce "pet space".

B．We'd better buy large carriers for pets.

C．Pets in a cargo also need soft-sided carriers.

D．We should choose proper carriers for our pets.

【小题4】What's the passage mainly about？

A．Airline services for pets.

B．Different carriers for pets on planes.

C．How to travel with your pets by plane.

D．What to do with your pet when you're away.

语法填空

What will cars be like in the future? Maybe we can sit in a car that can drive all by 【小题1】（it） in a few years’ time. In fact, with the rapid development of modern science and technology, the self-driving car is becoming a 【小题2】（real） on busy streets.

According to a report by Google, the world-famous search engine, its self-driving cars 【小题3】（travel） more than 700,000 miles on roads in California so far. The first self-driving car 【小题4】（make） by Google came out in 2009. There are cameras on the top of the car, 【小题5】 allow the computer in the car to draw a 3-D map of the surroundings. In addition, Google says that its self-driving cars can discover hundreds of separate 【小题6】（object）at the same time, which might be an improvement on the human driver experience. As 【小题7】 result, there will be far 【小题8】（few） traffic accidents caused by careless driving.

However, self-driving cars are much too 【小题9】（expense） right now. Scientists across the world are doing their best to bring down the costs, 【小题10】 hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost that most people can afford.

   After years of research and tests, the hybrid car was developed and put on the market. It's an interesting and exciting new improvement in today's world as we look for better ways to protect the quality of the air we breathe and protect our natural resources.

The quality of our air is affected by many different things. But one of the largest sources of air pollution is the burning of fossil fuel such as coal and gasoline which is used to power a car's engine. The Environmental Protection Agency（EPA）has set national standards to help control the level of harmful pollutants sent off into the air, and the automobile industry has acted by producing the hybrid car that uses less gas and therefore causes less pollution.

A hybrid car is a combination of a regular car that runs on gasoline and an electric car that is battery-powered. Some people tend to think that since the hybrid car is partially electric, you have to plug it in to charge it. But that's not how it works. The 144 volt battery pack（电池组）is actually recharged through the energy that is produced when the car's brakes are used. This is referred to as "regenerative braking", because it generates electricity.

Although the hybrid car still runs on gasoline most of the time, this helps it use less gas than a regular car. When the driver stops at a traffic light, the engine automatically shuts off to save fuel. Then, as soon as the driver puts the car in gear and touches the gas pedal（踏板）, the engine starts backing up.

Have you ever ridden in a car with someone which ran out of gas？That probably wouldn't happen if you were riding in a hybrid car. It flashes a warning on its computer screen that says, "I am low on gas. "When it completely runs out, the warning reads, "YOU ARENOW OUT OF GAS！"Then the electric power supply starts to work to let the driver travel a few more miles to a gas station.

【小题1】Which of the following is true according to the passage？

A．The hybrid car will be put on the market.

B．Hybrid cars run faster than regular cars.

C．When the hybrid car stops at a traffic light, the driver will get a warning.

D．The burning of fossil fuel is one of the largest sources of air pollution.

【小题2】According to the passage, the word "hybrid" refers to_________.

A．a high-tech discovery	B．energy saving
C．a new invention	D．a combination of two things

【小题3】"Regenerative braking" is an important process of the hybrid car because _________.

A．it allows the car to come to a quick stop

B．it gives the driver a smoother ride

C．it produces energy to charge the battery

D．it can control the speed of the car

【小题4】Which of the following is the reason for developing hybrid cars?

A．They use less gas than regular cars.

B．They' re safer to drive than most cars.

C．They' re more modern than other cars.

D．They cost less than regular cars.

   Driving to the airport in the early morning, I felt excited. Although I was heading abroad for my first time alone, I felt cheerful and enthusiastic. I was spending the summer in Paris.

While looking for more interesting things to do besides sleeping and eating, I found programs for learning languages abroad, and jumped at the chance to study French in this city known for its art, fashion, food, and culture. As I arrived at the airport where I would leave my family, I still felt only great happiness. I excitedly made my way through security, leaving my loved ones behind.

My connecting flight was in Frankfurt, Germany, 14 hours from Denver. Sitting in a crowded plane watching bad movies couldn’t dampen my excitement. When the woman next to me asked me where I was going, I happily answered and was pleased to note a tone of jealousy in her response.

But when I arrived in Frankfurt, fear and anxiety began to set in. Being in an enormous, busy building in a country where I couldn’t speak the language was frightening, but as I found my way, I gained confidence. When I boarded the second plane and discovered that the flight was less than an hour, I was filled with excitement as I thought of how I would manage in a country with a new language.

When I stepped on the ground of Pairs for the first time, I was extremely happy and excited. I gathered my bags and joined the crowd of people waiting for friends and family. I quickly had my first experience trying to communicate in a language that I had only practiced in school. As I left the airport, I looked for familiar monuments I had read about, but the landscape looked very- ordinary. Then, with one sharp turn, the Eiffel Tower came into view, and I was finally in Pairs.

【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．It was the first time that the writer had traveled abroad.

B．In the new term the writer was to study French in Paris.

C．The crowded plane made the writer less excited.

D．The writer flew to Paris via another country.

【小题2】What can we learn from the passage?

A．The writer was travelling with a woman friend of her parents’.

B．Arriving in Paris, the writer saw some family friends waiting for her.

C．The writer was not alone when travelling to the airport in Denver.

D．The writer had great difficulty communicating with people in French.

【小题3】What is the passage mainly about?

A．The writer’s excitement and happiness on her journey to Paris.

B．The writer’s exciting experiences of studying French in Paris.

C．The writer’s expectation for French art, fashion, food and culture.

D．The writer’s excitement resulting from her first ride on a plane