浙江省天台县平桥第二中学2015届高三英语 上学期阅读理解备考复习8China is a land of bicycles. At least it was back in 1992 when I traveled the country. Back then everyone seemed to be riding a bicycle. Millions of them, all black. Cars were rare. Yet since my arrival in Beijing last year, Ive found the opposite is true. There are millions of cars. However, people still use their bicycles to get around. For many, its the easiest and cheapest way to travel today. Bicycles also come in different colors-silver, green, red, blue, yellow, whatever you want.Its fun watching people biking. They rush quickly through crossroads, move skillfully through traffic, and ride even on sidewalks(人行道). Bicycles allow people the freedom to move about that cars just cant provide.Eager to be part of this aspect of Chinese culture, I decided to buy a bicycle. Great weather accompanied my great buy. I immediately jumped up on my bicycle seat and started home.My first ride home was orderly (守秩序的). To be safe, I stayed with a “pack” of bikers while cars on the streets came running swiftly out of nowhere at times. I didnt want to get hit. So I took the ride carefully.Crossing the streets was the biggest problem. It was a lot like crossing a major highway back in the United States. The streets here were wide, so crossing took time, skill and a little bit of luck.I finally made it home. The feeling on the bicycle was amazing. The air hitting my face and going through my hair was wonderful. I was sitting on top of the world as I passed by places and people. Biking made me feel alive.56. According to the author, why are bicycles still popular in China today?A. Because they are traditional and safe.B. Because they are convenient and inexpensive.C. Because they are colorful and available.D. Because they are fast and environment friendly.57. The author decided to buy a bicycle because he intended _.A. to ride it for funB. to use it for transportC. to experience local cultureD. to improve his riding skills58. How did the author feel about his street crossing?A. It was boring.B. It was difficult.C. It was lively. D. It was wonderful.59. Which of the following best describes the authors biking experience?A. The author enjoyed showing off his biking skills.B. The author was annoyed by the air while riding.C. The author was praised by the other bikers.D. The author took great pleasure in biking.BGoing green seems to be fad(时尚)for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we cant really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.On April 22, 2011, we decided to go green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different green things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.With the idea of going green every single day for a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyle. We now shop at organic(有机的)stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we dont need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.60. What might be the best title for the passage?A. Going Green.B. Protecting the Planet.C. Keeping Open-MindedD. Celebrating Our Green Year.CHere is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone cant make us tired. It sounds absurd. But a few years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage of fatigue (疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we took a drop of blood from a day laborer, we would find it full of fatigue toxins(毒素) and fatigue products. But if we took blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatigue toxins at the end of the day.So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes f