Bicycles for rent could become as common as newspaper stands and mail boxes on Germany’s street corners if a scheme launched by Deutsche Bahn is successful.

The German rail operator has launched a bicycle-hire scheme designed for simple one-way trips.

“It’s a new concept,”said Andreas Knie, head of the project.

Users must first register with Call-A-Bike at a cost of 15 euros（US$14.7）. With a simple phone call, they can hire one of the many bikes parked outside stations, at a cost of 3 to 5 cents per minute. At the end of their journey, they ring a computer and tell it where the bike is parked.

The bikes are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

No one will be breaking speed records with Call-A-Bike bicycles. They weigh in at 25 kilograms, at least double the weight of a normal bicycle, though they do have eight gears（齿轮）.

“They are pretty heavy, but we don’t want people taking them on the train or into the subway,” Knie said.

They are also designed with parts that do not fit a normal bicycle. Even the screws are irregular and the bike looks so odd that thieves would stand out.

Vandalism and theft have led to the downfall of previous schemes which date back to Amsterdam’s 1966“White Bike”scheme.

In that short-lived experiment, anti-establishment groups painted bikes white and left them around the Dutch capital.

However, many were taken permanently and repainted, while the police took away others on the basis that ownerless bikes were street rubbish.

Copenhagen, Vienna and Helsinki also have free bike schemes, in which users deposit a coin in Copenhagen’s case 20 crowns（US$2.50）—to free a bike from a rack.

“The advantage these schemes have is ease of use. But because they’re so cheap, people tend to hold on to the bikes and then there are none on the streets,”the person in charge said.

Oslo is also planning a bike-hire system where users will pay a symbolic fee of 50 Norwegian crowns（US$6.50）for unlimited use in the city for a year.

Users will buy an electronic identity card as a key that will register when the bike is parked or taken from a rack.

59. How many European countries have already launched the free bike schemes?

A. Four.                                B. Five.                                C. Six.                                   D. Seven.

60.What can be learned about Amsterdam’s 1966“White Bike”scheme?

A. The bicycles were twice as heavy as a normal bicycle.

B. A heavy rain stopped the scheme from being carried out.

C. Some bicycles were damaged or stolen and the scheme failed.

D. The police ended the scheme for traffic safety

61.What can be inferred from the text?

A. Bicycles for rent have become as common as newspaper stands and mail boxes on Germany’s street corners.

B. The bikes in Germany are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

C. German bicycles for rent are designed specially so that they will draw people’s attention.

D. Germany has taken some measures to stop the bicycles for rent from being taken away.

62.Which do you think is the best title?

A. Free Bicycles for Europeans.                                  

B. Tough Transporters.

C. Customer is King.                                                      

D. Unpractical Scheme.

 

Seriously damaged, the bike is no longer           .

A. for use              B. on use           C. in use               D. out of use

 

Cities in Europe and around the world may be growing “bike trees” in the near future. Invented by Japan’s JFE Engineering Corp, the invention proved useful in the busiest parts of this nation’s crowded cities.

Local governments of Japan have struggled for ways to encourage people to park their bikes considerably, particularly close to big stations, but that may block some roads and entrances to homes and businesses. “Our cities do not have a lot of space for any kind of parking, including bicycles.” said Mitsuharu Oshima, a spokesman for JFE Engineering. The bike tree comes in two types: one in a tower that is above ground and on the contrary, the other in an underground structure.

A cyclist registers with the operator of the equipment, pays a monthly fee and pushes the wheels of his bicycle into restraints(管理处) at the base of the bike tree. Each bicycle is fitted with an electronic card with the owner’s details. A mechanical arm then pulls the bike into the base of the tower and moves it to a free location inside. To collect the bike later, the cyclist puts his card through a reader and his bike is automatically returned to him in seconds. “The science of the equipment has been difficult —— even though they may look quite simple —— because bikes come in many different shapes and sizes.” said Oshima.

 As well as clearing away the road, bicycles cannot be stolen from a bike tree. There are presently versions at seven sites in Japan and two others are under construction, while work is under way on an even larger version —— with room for 9400 bicycles —— in Thailand. And Oshima believes that the idea could catch on in Europe, particularly in countries such as France, Holland and Denmark , where cycling is so popular.

1. Cities build this kind of “bike trees” so that they can _______.

A. ask more people to ride bikes      B. provide more jobs for people

C. make more money than before     D. save more room for people

2.Which is the right order of the following things when you use the bike tree?

① the wheels of the bicycle are put into restraints at the base .

② the card is read and the bike is automatically returned .

③ an electronic card with the owner’s details is given

④ the bike is pulled and moved to a free location inside .

A. ③②①④     B. ③①④②       C. ②①④③        D. ②④③①

3. What made it difficult to design “bike trees”?

A. The location of “bike trees”.         B. The method of finding enough bikes.

C. The differences of the bikes.         D. The importance of traffic safety

4. From the passage, we can know that _______.

A. countries with many cyclists in Europe will like the idea of “bike trees”

B. there are seven “bike trees” used for holding bikes in Japan

C. local government of Japan encourage people to ride bikes

D. cyclists can use “bike trees” for free in Japan.

 

第二节阅读下面71-75题中几个人的相关信息，再根据A-F中对6种自行车的描述，为每个人选出符合他们要求的自行车。选项中有一项是多余选项。(共5分)

71. ______ Ruth will enter a key high school which is a few miles away from her home and she needs a bike. Since it’s not long before she has learned to ride a bike, she expects the bike to offer enough safety and to be easy to control. And being a pretty girl, she hopes the color of the bike is pleasant.

72. ______Gary has just got a job but he lives a bit far from his office. So he needs to get a portable bike to meet his situation. The bike must be easy to fold and carry.

73. ______ Felix is a young gentleman who is falling in love with a pretty girl recently. They plan to buy a fashionable bike which is fit for 2 persons to ride. On the bike both of them can enjoy wonderful feelings along the West Lake.

74. ______ Teddy’s growing up day by day. The grandparents want to give the young kid a special birthday gift—a child’s bike which is safe enough and light to carry.

75. ______Hugh lives in a mountain village but attends school in town. It’s necessary for him to buy a bike which is strong enough. Because his parents are not very well-off, what he really cares about is the price, not the look of the bike.

A．This bike is convenient to fold in different sizes. It’s fun and comfortable while you are riding. You can go to a park on a sunny weekend and rush to work on the bike.

B．You’ll burn up the streets on this boys’ bike. With a low price $69.99, it is a yellowy and fashionable bike with strong system. Even if you are a greenhand, it can ensure your safety.

C．The Angel（天使）is 12 inches. Many girls will love the colorful fairy girls(仙女). It has added safety and a specially-made seat. This bike is strong and safe for beginners because it offers extra training wheels to keep balance.

D．Being fit for lovers to ride at the same time, this kind of twin bike is

enjoying great popularity. It’s a new way to relax and a fashion to follow. Not only lovers, father and son, mother and daughter, brothers, sisters, classmates all can have a new experience.

E. This first-class kid bike has colorful cartoon pictures on it. Parents will like the bike’s low center of gravity. Three wheels can prevent the bike from tipping(翻到).

Security deposit (保证金): $3,000

Call (650) 892-9823 for an appointment.

F. The second-hand 26-inch, 21-speed bike is specially made to ride on the bad roads in the mountains, across the desert, and through the urban jungles (丛林). Though the bike is a little old and ugly, the quality is good enough.

 

Bicycle lights may not exactly be a problem that needs solving, but the following can be said about most of them ---- they’re easily stolen if left on an unattended bike. People riding at dusk can forget to turn them on, and those same people can forget to turn them off when they reach their destination. Well, the makers of the Blink/ Steady Bike Light have set out to address all of those shortcomings.

The waterproof(防水的) Blink/ Steady is so far only available as a tail light, although a head light is on the way. It’s fixed onto the bike’s seat post. A built- in photosensor(感光器) tells when it’s become dark enough for the light to be required, and allows it to come on once you begin the riding. According to the producers, it isn’t fooled by things such as headlights or streetlights. The light also contains an accelerometer, also known as a motion sensor, which can tell when the bike is in motion.

Between the two sensors, this means the light will come on only once it’s dark enough, and the bike is moving. Even when stopped at red lights, the small movements of the rider will reportedly be enough to keep the light activated---- it’ll go out after 30 seconds of complete inactivity. While this does mean that the two sensors are continuously powered up, they go into a very low---- power sleep pattern when the bike is sitting, unused.

Light is provided by two5- watt LEDs, seeable over a range of 180 degrees. And power comes from two AAA batteries, which provided up to 200 hours of continuous run time. The designers and engineers behind the Blink/ Steady are now raising money for its commercial production. About US $95 will get you one if they become available.

1.The first paragraph is mainly to mean that______.

A. bicycle lights are worth a research

B. bicycle lights are not a problem at all

C. bicycle lights are easy to deal with

D. bicycle lights are difficult to turn off

2.According to the text, the Blink/Steady Bike Light is sensitive to______.

A. the weather       B. streetlights      C. headlights      D. natural light

3.Why is there an accelerometer in the Blink/ Steady Bike Light?

A. To protect the bike against water.

B. To tell if the bike is moving.

C. To make the bike easy to ride.

D. To judge the speed of the bike.

4.What can be inferred about the Blink/ Steady Bike Light?

A. It will be turned off immediately if the bike stops.

B. The traffic lights have no effect on the light.

C. It won’t use any power if the bike is unused.

D. It must meet two requirements if it comes on.