Unit 8
Cookery，Food and Culture

Reading Comprehention

Some people think they have an answer to the troubles of automobile crowding and dirty air in large cities. Their answer is the bicycle, or “bike”. In a great many cities, hundreds of people ride bicycles to work every day. In New York City, some bike riders have even formed a group called Bike for a Better City. They claim that if more people ride bicycles to work there would be fewer automobiles in the downtown section of the city and therefore less dirty air from car engines.
For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bicycle riders. For example, they want the city to draw special lanes---for bicycles only—on some of the main streets, because when bicycle riders must use the same lanes as cars, there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes more people would use bikes.
But no bicycle lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea, they say it will slow traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea---they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business. And most people live too far from downtown to travel by bike.
The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park---the largest piece of open ground in New York—is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bicycle only. But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown.

1. Bicycles make the _____
A. clean　　　 B. dirty　　　　　 C. noisy　　　　　　 D. fresh

2. Taxi drivers like______ traffic.
A. slow　　　　　 B. slower　　　　　 C. fast　　　　　 D. comfortable

3. Bike for a Better City members _____.
A. ride bicycles to play　　　　　　 B. drive all the cars away from the city
C. buy so many bikes　　　　　　　 D. ride bicycle to work

4. A special part of the street where only bikes can go _____.
A. is called a bus lane　　　　　　　 B. is called a bicycle lane
C. is called a none-bus lane　　　 D. is called a truck lane

5. A street with a lot of traffic and business_____.
A. is called a downtown street　　 B is called a uptown street
C. is called a bank street　　　　　　 D. is called a stock street

Many years ago there lived a very rich man who wanted to do something for the people of his town .But first he wanted to find out whether they deserved his help.
In the center of the main road into the town he placed a very large stone. Then he hid behind a tree and waited. Soon an old man came along with his cow.“Who put this stone in the center of the road　” said the old man, but he did not try to remove the stone. Instead, with some difficulty he passed around the stone and continued on his way. Another man came along and did the same thing; then another came, and another. All of them complained about the stone in the center of the road but none of them tried to remove it. Late in the afternoon a young man came along. He saw the stone and said: “The night will be very dark. Some people will come along and will fall over the stone.”The young man then began to move the stone. He pushed and pulled with all his strength to remove it. Imagine his surprise when, at last, under the stone, he found a bag of money and a piece of paper with these words: “The money is for the first honest man who removes this stone from the road.”

6.What did the rich man want to find out　
A. How many poor people there were in his town.
B. If the poor people really needed his help.
C. If the people of his town were worthy of his help.
D. If there were some stones on the road.

7.What did he put in the center of the road　
A. A very large stone.　　　　　 B. A cow.
C. A big tree.　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. A sack of rice.

8.Who found the stone first　
A. A young man with a cow.
B. A young man with a sack of rice.
C. An old man with a cow.
D. Not mentioned in the passage.

9.Which of the following statements is true　
A. Most people passed around without complaining.
B. Most people tried to move the stone away.
C. Most people did nothing but complaining.
D. Most people fell against the stone.

10.What did the young man find under the stone　
A．A bag of money.　　　　　　　 B．A piece of paper.
C．A cheque.　　　　　　　　　　　D．Both A and B.

Key

1-5　　 ACDBA　　　　　　　　　　　 6-10　　 CACCD