Train-spotting

Many people around the world have seen Danny Boyle’s movie Train spotting starring Ewan McGregor, but how many of us really know what train-spotting is all about? Now this is not considered cool in town and the word “train-spotter” in Britain is related to “geek” or “nerd” (someone who seems very ridiculous). But is this reputation really deserved?

First of all, let’s see what train-spotting is. It is said that there are some 100,000 train spotters in the UK. Exactly as the title suggests, they spot trains, that is, they stand in train stations, look at the number of each train that leaves and arrives and write it down. The eventual aim is to have seen every train in the country.

    Being crazy about railways and trains is not modern and it dates back to 1804. As the number of trains grew and they got faster and faster, so did the interest in them grow? Is this any stranger than people who love cars?

    So, what do you need to be a train-spotter? Well, all you really need is a pen or pencil and a notebook to write down the train numbers. Other equipment(装备) includes hot tea in a thermos, a camera and some sandwiches for those long afternoons spent on train platforms when you don’t want to risk the delights of railway station food.

    It’s interesting to note that despite the “bad name” of train-spotting, there have been famous railway lovers in history, such as Alfred Hitchcock, who filmed them regularly, especially The 39 Steps. There is evidence, too, that being a train-spotter is not necessarily a strange phenomenon（现象）in Britain.

    One glance at the US train stations should be enough to convince you that train-spotters there are alive and well. In America, they try to call rail lovers “train-fans” and talk of “train-fanning”. Don’t let this fool you—these people are train spotters and there are a lot of them. Each month, two million pages are visited on the website TrainWeb.org.                      

340words

1.What is train-spotting according to the passage?

A. A kind of hobby.             B. A type of sport.

C. A strange phenomenon.        D. A special job.

2.Which of the following about train-spotters is true according to the passage?

A. They number each train they see.

B. They keep a careful path of every train.

C. They count the trains passing in front of them.

D. They produce films about trains with video cameras.

3.The writer writes the passage to        .

A. introduce some famous train-spotters

B. encourage readers to do more train-spotting

C. try to present a true picture of train-spotting

D. describe the necessary equipment in train-spotting

4. What do we learn from the passage?

A. Train-spotters in the UK want to fool people.

B. Train-spotting is more acceptable in America.

C. Train-spotters are much stranger than car lovers.

D. Train-spotting relates to（与…有关）a dangerous lifestyle.

 

Tom and Fred are talking about the year 2020．"What will our world be like in the year 2020?""I don't know."says Fred．"What do you think?""Well, no one knows, but It's interesting to guess.""In the year 2020 everyone will carry a pocket computer. The computer will give people the answers to all their problems. We shall all have telephones in our pockets, too, and we'll be able to talk to our friends all over the world. Perhaps we'll be able to see them at the same time.""A lot of people will live and work under the sea. Perhaps there will be big towns, factories and farms under the sea, too.""Machines will do most of the work, and so people will have more holidays, perhaps they'll work only two or three days a week. They'll be able to fly to the moon by spaceship and spend their holidays there.""I'm looking forward(期待) to the year 2020. I hope to go to the moon!""And I hope I'll be able to live under the sea."says Fred."Won't that be very interesting? Just like a fish!"
【小题1】Tom and Fred talked about          ．

A．their school life

B．some interesting news

C．their life in the past

D．their life in the future

【小题2】Machines will          ．

A．do most of the work instead of people

B．do some of the work instead of people

C．do as much work as people

D．do as 1ittle work as people

【小题3】From their talk, we know that          ．

A．only Fred hopes to fly to the moon

B．both of them hope to fly to the moon

C．one of them hopes to fly to the moon

D．neither of them hopes to fly to the moon

【小题4】Fred said          ．

A．he liked fish very much

B．he would like to live under the sea like a fish

C．he would go fishing under the sea

D．he would spend a few days on the moon

【小题5】Which of the following statements is Not mentioned?

A．People will be able to fly to the moon in a spaceship．

B．People will have more holidays．

C．Many people will live and work under the sea．

D．All the factories and farms will be built under the sea．

Tom and Fred are talking about the year 2020. “What will our world be like in the year 2020?” “I don't know,” says Fred. “What do you think?” “Well, no one knows, but it’s interesting to guess.” “In the year 2020 everyone will carry a pocket computer. The computer will give people the answers to all their problems. We shall all have telephones in our pockets, too, and we’ll be able to talk to our friends all over the world. Perhaps we’ll be able to see them at the same time. ” “A lot of people will live and work under the sea. Perhaps there will be big towns, factories and farms under the sea, too. ” “Machines will do most of the work, and so people will have more holidays, perhaps they’ll work only two or three days a week. They’ll be able to fly to the moon by spaceship and spend their holidays there. ” “I’m looking forward（期待）to the year 2020. I hope to go to the moon! ” “And 1 hope I’ll be able to live under the sea.” says Fred. “Won’t that be very interesting? Just like a fish! ”
【小题1】Tom and Fred talked about ____ .

A．their school life

B．some interesting news

C．their life in the past

D．their life in the future

【小题2】Machines will ____ .
A. do most of the work instead of people
B. B. do some of the work instead of people  
C. do as much work as people
D. do as little work as people
【小题3】From their talk, we know that ____ .

A．only Fred hopes to fly to the moon

B．both of them hope to fly to the moon

C．one of them hopes to fly to the moon

D．neither of them hopes to fly to the moon

【小题4】Fred said ____ .

A．he liked fish very much

B．he would like to live under the sea like a fish

C．he would go fishing under the sea

D．he would spend a few days on the moon

【小题5】Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned?

A．People will be able to fly to the moon in a spaceship.

B．People will have more holidays.

C．Many people will live and work under the sea.

D．All the factories and farms will be built under the sea

Tom and Fred are talking about the year 2020．"What will our world be like in the year 2020?""I don’t know."says Fred．"What do you think?""Well, no one knows, but It’s interesting to guess.""In the year 2020 everyone will carry a pocket computer. The computer will give people the answers to all their problems. We shall all have telephones in our pockets, too, and we’ll be able to talk to our friends all over the world. Perhaps we’ll be able to see them at the same time.""A lot of people will live and work under the sea. Perhaps there will be big towns, factories and farms under the sea, too.""Machines will do most of the work, and so people will have more holidays, perhaps they’ll work only two or three days a week. They’ll be able to fly to the moon by spaceship and spend their holidays there.""I’m looking forward(期待) to the year 2020. I hope to go to the moon!""And I hope I’ll be able to live under the sea."says Fred."Won’t that be very interesting? Just like a fish!"
【小题1】根据Tom and Fred are talking about the year 2020．及下文描述,可知他们谈论的是将来的生活,故选D
【小题2】根据"Machines will do most of the work,可知选A
【小题3】根据""I’m looking forward(期待) to the year 2020. I hope to go to the moon!"描述,可知选C
【小题4】根据"And I hope I’ll be able to live under the sea."says Fred."Won’t that be very interesting? Just like a fish!"可知选B
【小题5】D
【小题6】Tom and Fred talked about          ．

A．their school life

B．some interesting news

C．their life in the past

D．their life in the future

【小题7】Machines will          ．

A．do most of the work instead of people

B．do some of the work instead of people

C．do as much work as people

D．do as 1ittle work as people

【小题8】From their talk, we know that          ．

A．only Fred hopes to fly to the moon

B．both of them hope to fly to the moon

C．one of them hopes to fly to the moon

D．neither of them hopes to fly to the moon

【小题9】Fred said          ．

A．he liked fish very much

B．he would like to live under the sea like a fish

C．he would go fishing under the sea

D．he would spend a few days on the moon

【小题10】Which of the following statements is Not mentioned?

A．People will be able to fly to the moon in a spaceship．

B．People will have more holidays．

C．Many people will live and work under the sea．

D．All the factories and farms will be built under the sea．

Tom and Fred are talking about the year 2020. “What will our world be like in the year 2020?” “I don't know,” says Fred. “What do you think?” “Well, no one knows, but it’s interesting to guess.” “In the year 2020 everyone will carry a pocket computer. The computer will give people the answers to all their problems. We shall all have telephones in our pockets, too, and we’ll be able to talk to our friends all over the world. Perhaps we’ll be able to see them at the same time. ” “A lot of people will live and work under the sea. Perhaps there will be big towns, factories and farms under the sea, too. ” “Machines will do most of the work, and so people will have more holidays, perhaps they’ll work only two or three days a week. They’ll be able to fly to the moon by spaceship and spend their holidays there. ” “I’m looking forward（期待）to the year 2020. I hope to go to the moon! ” “And 1 hope I’ll be able to live under the sea.” says Fred. “Won’t that be very interesting? Just like a fish! ”
【小题1】Tom and Fred talked about ____ .

A．their school life

B．some interesting news

C．their life in the past

D．their life in the future

【小题2】Machines will ____ .
A. do most of the work instead of people
B. B. do some of the work instead of people  
C. do as much work as people
D. do as little work as people
【小题3】From their talk, we know that ____ .

A．only Fred hopes to fly to the moon

B．both of them hope to fly to the moon

C．one of them hopes to fly to the moon

D．neither of them hopes to fly to the moon

【小题4】Fred said ____ .

A．he liked fish very much

B．he would like to live under the sea like a fish

C．he would go fishing under the sea

D．he would spend a few days on the moon

【小题5】Which of the following statements is NOT mentioned?

A．People will be able to fly to the moon in a spaceship.

B．People will have more holidays.

C．Many people will live and work under the sea.

D．All the factories and farms will be built under the sea