Question

In a moment of personal crisis, how much help can you expect from a New York taxi driver? I began studying this question and answers are interesting.

One morning, I got into three different taxis and announced，“Well，it's my first day back in New York in seven years.I've been in prison.”Not a single driver replied，so I tried again.“Yeah，I shot a man in Reno.”I explained, hoping the driver would ask me why, but nobody asked.The only response came from a Ghanaian driver，“Reno? That is in Nevada？”

Taxi drivers were uniform sympathetic when I said I'd just been fired.“This is America，”a Haitian driver said.“One door is closed.Another is open.”He argued against my plan to burn down my boss' s house.A Pakistani driver even turned down a chance to profit from my loss of hope；he refused to take me to the middle of the George Washington Bridge—a $20 trip.“Why do you want to go there? Go home and relax.Don't worry.Take a new job.”

One very hot weekday in July, while wearing a red ski mask and holding a stuffed pillowcase with the word “BANK” on it, I tried calling a taxi five times outside different banks.The driver picked me up every time.My ride with a Haitian driver was typical of the superb assistance I received.

“Let's go across the park，” I said.“I just robbed the bank there.I got $25,000.”

“$25,000？” he asked.

“Yeah，you think it was wrong to take it？”

“No, man.I work 8 hours and I don't make almost $70.If I can do that，I will do it too.”

As we approached 86th and Lexington, I pointed to the Chemical Bank.

“Hey，there is another bank，”I said，“Could you wait here a minute while I go inside？”

“No，I can't wait.Pay me now.” His unwillingness may have had something to do with money—taxi drivers think the rate for waiting time is too low—but I think he wanted me to learn that even a bank robber can't expect unconditional support.

1.From the Ghanaian driver's response, we can infer that________.

A．he was afraid of the author

B．he thought the author was crazy

C．he looked down upon the author

D．he was indifferent to the killing

2.Why did the Pakistani driver refuse to take the author to the middle of the George Washington Bridge?

A. Because he was able to help the author to find a new job.

B．Because he wanted to go home and relax.

C．Because he thought that the author would commit suicide.

D．Because it was far away from his home.

3.In the author's opinion, the driver's unwillingness to wait outside the Chemical Bank indicates________.

A．the driver thought it wrong to support a taxi rider unconditionally

B．the driver was frightened and wanted to leave him as soon as possible

C．the driver did not want to help a suspect to escape from a bank robbery

D．the driver thought that the rate for waiting time was too low

4.Which of the following statements is TRUE about New York taxi drivers?

A．They are ready to help you do whatever you want to.

B．They are sympathetic with those who are out of work.

C．They refuse to pick up those who would kill themselves.

D．They work only for money.

5.The passage mainly discusses________.

A．the way to please taxi riders

B．the way to deal with taxi riders

C．taxi drivers' attitude to riders in personal trouble

D．taxi drivers' attitude to troublesome taxi riders

 

Answer 1

1.D

2.C

3.A

4.B

5.C

【解析】

1.

答案　D

2.2】解析　推理判断题。由第三段可知，当作者告诉司机自己失业，因此感到对生活失去了希望时，他们极力地劝说他不要失去信心。而当作者提出要到华盛顿大桥中央的时候，一位司机拒绝载他，当然是害怕他会自杀。即C项合理。

答案　C

3.3】解析　细节理解题。由文章最后一句中的“but I think he wanted me to learn that even a bank robber can't expect unconditional support”可知答案。

答案　A

4.4】解析　细节理解题。由第三段第一句以及该段提到的两位司机说的话可知，纽约的司机对失业的人是有同情心的。

答案　B

5.5】解析　主旨大意题。通读全文，尤其是根据第一段可知，本文主要介绍出租车司机对乘客的个人麻烦所持的态度。

答案　C