Although Los Angeles has organized itself around the car since the Second World War，it has tried harder than many other American cities to change this. However，public-transport users are dwindling(逐渐减少 的）. In the past five years the number of trips taken in metropolitan Los Angeles has dropped by 19%.
The American Public Transportation Association's figures show that the number of journeys in the country as a whole has fallen in each of the past three years. In 2016-2017 every kind of mass public transport became less busy. New Yorkers took 2. 8% fewer weekday trips on public transport. In 2018 the number of Tube journeys fell by 1. 4%. That was despite annual population growth in London of about 1% and a 3. 3% rise in employment in the past year. The Paris Metro carried only as many passengers in 2017 as it did in 2012. In Berlin，public transport journeys are growing about half as quickly as employment. Exceptions are that more and more people are taking public transport in Sydney and Tokyo.
Demand for mass public transport has weakened in so many rich-world cities at the same time. Something seems to be driving people off the public transport. But what is it?
One explanation, which is convincing in some cities. is that public transport has become worse. London and Paris have suffered terrorist attacks. New York's subway is creaking (嘎吱作响的）一a consequence of prolonged underinvestment in repairs. Elsewhere, bad weather or road works are said to prevent people from taking buses. 1. Los Angeles is a city . A. whose government would like citizens to take public transport B. where many immigrants like Juana have achieved their dreams C. where everyone like Juana prefers to drive private cars D. where more and more people turn to public transport
2. In Paragraph 3 the data show us public transport . A. has declined in all the mentioned cities
B. has declined in most cities in America from 2016 to 2018 C. became busier in each city D. has attracted more and more users
3. What is the main reason for people not taking public transport? A. Public transport is unsafe.
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B. Taking public transport is a waste of time. C. Public transport disappoints people in many ways. D. Public transport is noisy, making people uncomfortable 4. Why does the author mention Juana in Paragraph 1? A. To tell us she has achieved her dreams. B. To show us she's a hard-working woman, C. To introduce the topic of the passage. D. To tell us what she does in America.
5、The Australian beach town Byron Bay has a traffic problem, especially during holidays, when local streets are full of cars. But now it's changed. The world's first fully solar-powered train runs on a repaired train line that was out of use for more than a decade.
The solar systems on the roof of the train send power to a set of batteries that replace one engine； the other engine is still in place and can provide backup power in an emergency. As the train brakes(刹车），it generates more electricity, like a hybrid car. At a train station, the train can be plugged in to pull more power from solar systems on the platform roof. If there's a long period without sun—somewhat unlikely in this part of the world—the train can also be plugged in to get renewable energy from the local electricity supply.
“The large solar systems on the platform roof coupled with the solar systems on the train roof produce more solar energy per day than is required to operate an hourly return service，” says Holmes， Development Director of the nonprofit Byron Bay Railroad Company，which runs the train. With one full charge，the train can make 12 to 15 trips.
Volunteers fully restored the train to its old condition to attract more passengers, which should take more cars off city streets of the beach town. The train can hold 100 seated passengers, with room for more to stand, and also has a luggage room for bikes and surfboards. A ride costs a little more than S 2.
The nonprofits think it's a model that could be replicated (复制）elsewhere. \has no government support or funding at all, but for this to be replicated or improved upon, the key is for government to work with enterprises on the program, \provides an example of how the sun's energy can be used for sustainable transport solutions. \
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1. Why is the solar train brought into use in Byron Bay? A. To reduce traffic jams. B. To attract visitors. C. To fight pollution. D. To use solar energy.
2. Where does the train get energy on sunless days? A. From its engines. B. From a hybrid car. C. From the platform roof. D. From the local electricity supply.
3. How does Holmes feel about solar energy equipment? A. It is labor-saving. B. It is easily operated. C. It is time-consuming. D. It is power guaranteed.
4. What can be inferred about the solar-powered train from the last paragraph? A. It could be of little use in solving energy problems. B. More scientific research should be done about it. C. It may be popularized in the future.
D. Financial support from the government is badly needed.
6、Imagining a clean，green future
Fifteen years ago，the tiny Indian state of Sikkim carried out an experiment to phase out pesticides on every farm in the states a move without precedent in India — and probably the world.
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The change was especially significant for India, where progress in agriculture was defined by the introduction of fertilizers and pesticides. But with the use of pesticides at will came an increase in cancer rates in industrial farming areas. Rivers became polluted and soil infertile. Sikkim's leaders say they were driven to go all-organic by those concerns and because pesticide residue(残余) including from some chemicals banned in other countries 一 was polluting fish，vegetables and rice.
In the years since the shift to organic. Sikkim has outlawed pesticides and chemical fertilizers，aided farmers in certifying about 190,000 acres of farmland as organic and on April 1 banned the import of many nonorganic vegetables from other states. The transition has not always been easy： some farmers have complained that their crop yields have decreased and that they haven’t gotten enough support from the government.
Demand for organic food is high in India and growing fast. Concern about pesticides and desire for chemical-free food are fueling a market that is growing 25 percent a year，more than 16 percent globally，according to a recent study by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India, The country's market for packaged organic products is nearly $ 8 million now and is expected to top $ 12 million by 2020, the study said.
So far Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has accepted Sikkim and organic farming throughout India, pouring about $ 119 million into supporting organic farmers nationwide. \minister, Pawan Kumar Chamling said, “This is our vision!”
1. Why did the Indian state of Sikkim stop using pesticides gradually? A. Pesticides can damage soil, crops and other living things. B. People there made no progress by using pesticides. C. Pesticides were banned in other countries. D. It was supported by India government. 2. How is it going with organic farming in Sikkim?
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