On a Monday morning in Amsterdam, the work day began as usual for Jim. When finishing his coffee, Jim checked text messages on his phone. Then, he got his bag and went to the nearest railway station. He wasn’t there to take the train, though. Instead, Jim chose one of the public bicycles lined up outside the station. After unlocking a bike with a smart card, he set out for his job on the other side of the city. He joined other cyclists in the bike lanes (道), safely separated from car traffic.

Amsterdam wasn’t always bicycle friendly. In fact, cycling used to be dangerous, especially during the second half of the twentieth century. This was a time of rapid growth in Amsterdam. As people got richer, they were able to afford expensive goods such as cars. For the first time, driving became popular. Highways were built for cars. This meant there was less space for cyclists. Having had a long tradition of cycling, this was a big change for the city. As car traffic increased, so did the number of biking accidents. Many of the cyclists were children.

People in Amsterdam were angry. They organized protests (抗议) in the city streets. Government officers listened. Hoping to solve the problem quickly, they started to think of ways to make the city safe for cyclists again. Soon there were separate bike lanes, and some areas were closed to cars forever. The changes were so effective (有效的) that today Amsterdam is a model of biking safety for other cities around the world.

1.1.How does the writer start the passage?

A By comparing two places.

B By describing a scene.

C By answering a question.

D By listing a number.

解析：选B。推理判断题。题干问 “作者如何开篇”。文章首段详细描述了吉姆周一早上的出行场景（喝咖啡、查短信、取公共自行车骑行），属于 “描述场景”。A（对比两地）、C（回答问题）、D（列数字）均未体现，故选 B。

2.2.Why did Jim go to the nearest railway station on work day morning?

A To work there.

B To take the train.

C To see a friend.

D To ride a bike.

解析：选D。细节理解题。题干问 “吉姆工作日早上去火车站的原因”。根据第一段 “He wasn’t there to take the train... chose one of the public bicycles” 可知，他是去骑公共自行车，而非上班、赶火车或见朋友，故选 D。

3.3.What does the passage tell about Amsterdam?

A It has no highways for cars.

B It is always bicycle friendly.

C It seldom sees changes.

D It is famous for biking safety.

解析：选D。推理判断题。逐一分析选项：A（没有汽车高速公路）与原文 “Highways were built for cars” 矛盾；B（一直对自行车友好）与第二段首句 “wasn’t always bicycle friendly” 矛盾；C（很少有变化）与文中 “巨大变化”“整改措施” 不符；D（以骑行安全闻名）与末句 “a model of biking safety for other cities” 一致，故选 D。

4.4.What type of book is the passage probably taken from?

A Science fiction.

B Romantic novel.

C City culture.

D Detective story.

解析：选C。文章出处题。题干问 “文章可能来自哪类书籍”。A（科幻小说）、B（浪漫小说）、D（侦探故事）均与文章 “城市交通与文化” 的主题无关；C（城市文化）符合文章对阿姆斯特丹骑行文化发展的介绍，故选 C。