Cars are an important part of life in the United States. Without a car most people feel that they are poor. And even if a person is poor , he doesn’t feel really poor when he has a car.
Henry Ford was the man who first started making cars in large numbers. He probably didn’t know how much the car was going to change American culture. The car made the United States a nation on wheels. And it helped make the United States what it is today.
There are three main reasons why the car became so popular in the United States. First of all, the country is a big one and Americans like to move around it. The car makes the travel the most fortable and cheapest. With a car people can go to any place without spending a lot of money.
The second reason cars are popular is the fact that the United States never really developed a practical and cheap public travel system. Long distance trains have never been as mon in the United States as they are in other parts of the world. Now there is a good system of air-service provided by planes. But it is too expensive to be used often.
The third reason is the most important one, though. The American spirit of independence is what really made cars popular. Americans don’t like waiting for a bus, or a train or even a plane. They don’t like to have to follow an exact timetable. A car gives them the freedom to plan their own time. And this is the freedom that Americans want most to have.
Less oil has caused a big problem for Americans. But the answer will not be a bigger system of public transportation. The real answer will have to be a new kind of car, one that does not use so much oil.
【小题1】We can learn from this passage that Americans .A．spend a lot of money traveling by carB．travel a lot in their carsC．seldom travel by planeD．use public traffic often【小题2】Which of the following statements is TRUE?A．In the United States even the poor own cars.B．In the United States all the poor have no cars.C．When an American has a car, he will never be poor.D．An American will feel poor unless he has a car.【小题3】In the writer’s opinion, cars are popular in the United States mainly because .A．Americans like to plan their own timeB．The United States does not have enough public transportationC．Americans will not feel poor when they travel in their carsD．Americans cannot move around without their own cars【小题4】“A nation on wheels” in the second paragraph means that .A．everyone in the United States owns a carB．the United States produces most of the cars in the worldC．cars play an important part in American’ lifeD．the United States depend on car industry for its developmentB
网友回答
(答案→)B
解析：本文介绍了汽车在美国人生活中的重要作用，并分析了3个主要的原因。
【小题1】B 主旨大意题。通读全文可知在美国人的生活中，汽车占有很重要的地位，人们很依靠汽车，故B正确、
【小题2】D 推理题。根据第一段最后两句And even if a person is poor , he doesn’t feel really poor when he has a car说明D项正确。
【小题3】A 细节题。根据倒数第二段钱3行The third reason is the most important one, though. The American spirit of independence is what really made cars popular. Americans don’t like waiting for a bus, or a train or even a plane.说明美国人喜欢独立，不喜欢被别人影响，说明Ａ正确。
【小题4】B 推理题。根据文章第二段The car made the United States a nation on wheels. And it helped make the United States what it is today. 说明美国汽车保有量很大，故B正确。