阅读理解。
In the United States,train transportation is unpopular compared with cars and airplanes. Most
people like traveling by car or by air.
Officials of the United States Department of Transportation made a study in 2001. The study is
about how many miles Americans traveled by different means of transportation. They only studied
trips longer than 50 miles. The study showed that fifty-six percent of all miles were traveled in
personal vehicle. Forty-one percent were traveled in an airplane. Two percent were traveled in a
bus. And less than one percent of miles were traveled in a train.
Amtrak is the national provider of train transportation in the United States. In the past ten years,
the number of its passengers has increased by eighteen percent. Although the number of passengers
has increased,it is still very small now. In countries such as France,Germany,or Japan,more people
use trains.
There are several reasons why many people __________________________.
Firstly,Americans love to drive their own cars. On highways,cars can travel as fast as trains.
These highways connect all major cities in America. Secondly,many travelers like to be independent.
When they use their own cars they can decide when to travel. Thirdly,many buses travel between
major cities. Bus travel is less costly than train travel.
In a huge country like the United States,cities are far away from each other. In some cases,trave
l from one city to another by train may take more than a day. Airplanes can carry passengers over
long distances much faster. People who do not want to spend long time traveling by train decide to
fly. For these people saving time is the most important thing.
1. What is the best title of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words.)
2. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?
It's convenient for people to decide the start-off time when they travel in their own cars.
3. Please fill in the blank in the fourth paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence.( Please answer within 10 words.)
4. What means of transportation do you like best when traveling,trains,cars,or planes? Why? (Please
answer within 30 words)
5. Translate the underlined sentences in the last paragraph into Chinese.
