Like many people, I have no clear idea about heroes. At some point, we all wonder if we need a hero and what a hero really is.
Although there are a lot of differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics (特点) which give us courage and make us want to learn from them. 
A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a special story to tell and people think highly of it. But a hero is not just the person with great fame (声誉) .
A hero has powers (力量) larger than himself. Some people want to live like a hero, and they have to experience life with new and further meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom they serve. What do they want to live and die for? If the answer suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes.
A hero has a vision from the mountaintop. He has the power to move people. He creates new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of Britain. Without Martin Luther King, Jr., Americans might take different buses, eat in different restaurants, go for walks in different parks, and shop in different stores because of the different colors of their skin.
There might be changes in society without a hero, but the speed of change would be rather slow. Thanks to heroes in history, they make the society develop so rapidly.
【小题1】According to this passage, a hero is a person who always __________.

Sam: I've no idea, Lily! What do you think?

Lily: __2______

Sam: Good idea! When shall we meet?

Lily: ____3____

Sam: _____4___ There is a zoo in the park. We can go and have a look at the animals.

Lily: Great. Let's make it half past one.

Sam: OK. __5______

Lily: Outside the park gate.

A. Where shall we meet?

B. What about a quarter past two?

C. Shall we go to the park?

D. What are you going to do tomorrow?

E. Let's make it a little earlier.

Americans love cars．They go everywhere in them．8 5％of people in the US go to and from work by car。And most adults have driving licenses．Why does this car culture exist?

How it started

America’s love of ears started after the war（战争）when soldiers returned home from World War II to rebuild their lives．They borrowed money from the government to buy houses and cars which became the symbols of status（地位）．The more money they had，the bigger their ears were．

Making of roads

During the war，President Eisenhower noticed what good roads Germany had．He decided to build new four-lane（四车道）roads in America．He said if something happened suddenly，the two-lane roads wouldn’t be able to carry all the cars that would suddenly leave the cities．Car and oil companies liked his idea and building started．

Car lovers

Not just teenagers are crazy about cars．Some Americans love their cars so much that they paint their cars beautifully I These are called Art Cars．Every April there is an activity in Houston，Texas，where they show their cars．

Pollution

Cars have polluted the environment．American President Bush refused a worldwide law that is against pollution．Many countries were angry about it．Bush said he had to think of the American economy（经济）and all the American people that make money from cars．Factories say they want to make cars that pollute less．But others say making cars that pollute less will never be as good as having fewer cars．

1．When did Americans begin to love cars?

    A．Before the new two-lane roads were built．

    B．After World War II．

    C．During World War II．

    D．Before World War II．

2．New four-1ane roads were built    ．     

    A．in Germany                        B．by car and oil companies

    C．in America                         D．when something suddenly happened

3．The underlined word “building” here means “the building of      ”．

    A．companies                  B．soldiers’ lives        C．houses          D．roads

4．What were other countries‘feelings about Bush’s decision?   

    A．They agreed with him．      B．They showed anger to it．

    C．They paid no attention to it.  D．The passage doesn’t tell us．

5．The meaning of the last sentence is：“    ”    

    A．It’s better to have fewer cars．

    B．It’s better to make cars that pollute less．

    C．It’s easier to make cars that pollute less．

    D．It’s easier to make people have fewer cars．