The first motorcars in this country went into operation in 1905.

A．We can do without railways.

B．Trains have much in common with motorcars and planes.

C．Motorcars and planes are not as good as trains.

D．Trains are as good as motorcars and planes.

According to the writer, it seems that .

A．we can do without railways

B．trains have much in common with motorcars and planes

C．motorcars and planes are not as good as trains

D．trains are as good as motorcars and planes

The best title for this passage may be .

A．Not the End But the Beginning

B．Which Is the Best: Train, Motorcar or Plane？

C．Trains Are More Competitive than Motorcars or Plane

D．Oh, Super fast Trains

The writer's idea seems to be that ______ .

A．we can do without railways

B．trains have much in common with motorcars and planes

C．motorcars and planes are not as good as trains

D．trains are as good as motorcars and planes

The writer thinks that the railways are very much alive because .

A．we can have a troubled journey

B．we have enough money to fly in planes

C．we can now travel by super fast trains

D．we can travel by motorcars as well

It was______ that "village life" began to take a sharp turn.

A．about a century ago

B．during the two world wars

C．with electricity and motorcars introduced into the village

D．only recently

Task 2

Directions: This task is the same as Task 1. The 5 questions or unfinished statements are numbered 41 through 45.

For years and years people have been saying that the railways arc dead. "We can do without railways," people say, as if motorcars and planes have made the railways unnecessary. We all keep hearing that trains are slow, that they lose money, and that they are dying. But this is far from the truth. In those days of expensive oil, the railways have become highly competitive with motorcars and planes. If you want to carry people or goods from place to place, they are cheaper than planes. And they have much in common with planes. A plane goes in a straight line and so does a railway. What is more, it takes from the heart of a city into the heart of another. It doesn't leave you as a plane does, miles and miles from the city center. It doesn't hold you up as a car does, in endless traffic jams. And a single train can carry goods which a plane or motorcar could never do.

Far from being dead, the railways are very much alive. Modern railway lines give you a smooth, untroubled journey. Where else can you eat well, sleep in comfort, feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at speed at the same time？ And we are only at the beginning. For we have just entered the age of super fast trains, trains traveling at 150 miles an hour and more. Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on motorcars we can't use because we have not enough money to buy the oil and planes we can't fly for the same reason.

Some people think the railways are unnecessary because .

A．planes and motorcars have taken the place of trains

B．oil is expensive today

C．trains are super fast

D．railways earn a large amount of money

Some people think the railways are dead for many reasons except that ______ .

A．planes and motorcars have taken the place of trains

B．oil is expensive today

C．trains are slow

D．railways lose money

trains are slow, that they lose money, that they’re dying. But this is far from the true. In these days of expensive oil, the railways have become highly competitive with motorcars and planes. If you want to carry people or goods from place to place, they’re cheaper than planes. And they have much in common with planes. A plane goes in a straight line and so does a railway. What is more, a railway takes you from the heart of a city center. It doesn’t hold you up as a car does, in endless traffic jams. And a single train can carry goods which no plane or motorcar could ever do.

Far from being dead, the railways are very much alive. Modern railway lines give you a smooth, untroubled journey. Where else can you eat well, sleep in comfort, feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at speed at the same time？ And we are only at the beginning. For we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, trains traveling at 150 miles an hour and more. Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on motorways we can’t use because we have not enough money to buy the oil and planes we can’t fly in for the same reason.

1. Some people think the railways are dead for many reasons EXCEPT that ____.

A. planes and motorcars have taken the place of trains

B. oil is expensive today

C. trains are slow

D. railways lose money

2. The writers idea seems to be that ______.

A. we can do without railways

B. trains have much in common with motorcars and planes

C. motorcars and planes are not as good as trains

D. trains are as good as motorcars and planes

3. According to the writer, which of the following is NOT the advantage of railways？

A. It is cheaper to travel by train than by plane.

B. Super-fast trains travel even faster than planes.

C. The railway station is usually at the center of a city.

D. A train carries more goods than a motorcar or plane does.

4. The writer thinks that the railways, far from being dead, are very much alive because ___________.

A. we can have a smooth and untroubled journey

B. we’ll not have enough money to fly everywhere

C. we can now travel in super-fast trains

D. all of the above

5. The best title for this passage may be ________.

A. The Best Choice: Train, Motorcar or Plane

B. The Dying Railways

C. Super-fast Trains in the Future

D. Not the End, But the Beginning