17．London has become a cycle-friendly zone after the launch of a new bike hire scheme．It has been designed to encourage more people to cycle in and around central London．
So how does it work？First you have to sign up to the scheme to be sent a key．The key will unlock one of the bikes，which are kept at docking stations in and around central London．You have to pay an access fee for the key and then you pay as you go，for the length of time you use the bike．
Transport for London，which runs the scheme，are hoping to have 6，000bikes and 400docking stations in place by the end of the year．The new hire system is hoping to ease traffic jams in London and is expected to create up to 40，000extra cycle trips a day into the city centre．London Mayor Boris Johnston launched the scheme and said London has been"filled with thousands of gleaming machines that will transform the look and feel of our street and become as commonplace on our roads as black cabs and red buses"．
However，there have been a few problems since the scheme was launched last Friday．On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered．
Transport for London did admit they had been expecting a few"teething problems"and have said they would not charge for the first day as a"gesture of goodwill"．Some other people have criticized the lack of docking stations and locks for the bikes as well as the price it costs to hire the bicycles．
Despite the comments，the green-thinking London Mayor still says with certainty，"My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a great pedal-powered push forwards．"
41．What is the aim of the new bike hire scheme in London？D
A．To promote the bicycle industry in London．
B．To make London seem more friendly．
C．To reduce the air pollution in London
D．To relieve the traffic problem in London．
42．What is Not the problem happening since the scheme was carried out？A
A．People couldn't find the registered bicycles．
B．Some people couldn't dock bikes properly．
C．Docking station is not enough at all．
D．The charges for hiring bikes are too high．
43．What does the underlined phrase probably mean？A
A．Difficulties in carrying out a plan．
B．Criticism from all the people．
C．Tooth decays or other tooth diseases．
D．Quarrels from both sides．
44．London Mayor's attitude towards the new bike hire scheme is probablyB．
A．doubtful B．optimistic C．indifferent D．critical
45．This passage probably comes fromB．
A．a government report B．a newspaper article
C．a scientific research D．a charter in a fiction．
分析 本文主要介绍了英国伦敦市准备实施一项自行车租赁新机制，用作缓解交通压力．还介绍了实施之后的问题，并对问题进行分析．
解答 41．D．细节理解题．根据文中第三段第二句话"The new hire system is hoping to ease traffic jams in London and is expected to create up to 40，000extra cycle trips a day into the city centre．"可知，主要目的是缓解交通压力．故选D．
42．A．细节理解题．仔细阅读完第四段"On the first day some people found they couldn't dock their bike properly and their usage of the bike had not registered．"易知，困难中没有A，A不是租赁自行车遇到的困难．故选A．
43．A．词义猜测题．根据后文讲的都是第一天实施所遇到的困难推断，此词词意应为困难．故选A．
44．B．推理判断题．根据最后一段中"My crusade for the capital to become the greatest big cycling city in the world has taken a great pedal-powered push forwards．"可知伦敦市长对此非常乐观．故选B．
45．B．推理判断题．仔细阅读全文知本文是一篇新闻．故选B．
点评 本文是新闻报道类阅读理解文章，阅读此类文章主要是要了解：
①新闻报道了什么事件；②事件是因为什么而发生的，相关背景如何；③文段中指出的事件发生过程中的突出细节是 什么；④事件造成的后果是什么；⑤事件的本质是什么，透过事件的表面现象，我们看到了什么社会问题．通过这样的梳理，我们就可以把新闻的脉络理清楚．这类材料命题点往往落在事实细节上．
