Questions 5 to 7 will be based on the followingnews item.

　　5

　　A.All taxis began to use meters.

　　B.All taxis got air conditioning.

　　C.Advertisements were allowed on taxis.

　　D.Old taxis were replaced with new cabs.

　　6

　　A.A low interest loan scheme.

　　B.Environmentalists' protests.

　　C.Taxi passengers' complaints.

　　D.Permission for car advertising.

　　7

　　A.There are no more irregular practices.

　　B.All new cabs provide air-conditioning.

　　C.New cabs are all equipped with meters.

　　D.New legislation protects consumer rights.

　　News Item Three

　　Cairo is known for its overcrowded roads, irregulardriving practices and shaky old vehicles, but also forits air pollution. (5) In recent months, though,environmental studies indicate there have beensigns of improvement. That's due in part to theremoval of many of the capital's old-fashioned black and white taxis. Most of these dated backto the 1960s and 70s and were in a poor state of repair.

　　After new legislation demanded their removal from the roads, (6) a low interest loan schemewas set up with three Egyptian banks so drivers could buy new cars. The government paysabout $900 for old ones to be discarded and advertising on the new vehicles helps coverrepayments.

　　The idea has proved popular with customers—they can now travel in air-conditioned comfortand (7) because the new cabs are metered, they don't have to argue over fares. Banks and carmanufacturers are glad for the extra business in tough economic times. As for the taxi drivers,most are: delighted to be behind the wheel of new cars, although there have been a fewcomplaints about switching from black and white to a plain white colour.

　　5.What change took place in Cairo recently?

　　6.What helped bring about the change?

　　7.Why do customers no longer argue with new cab drivers?

　　短篇新闻(三)

　　开罗以拥挤不堪的交通，违法驾驶、破旧汽车以及空气污染而闻名。但有研究表明，近几个月开罗的不良的环境得到改善。因为首都多数老式的黑白色出租车已被取缔。这些老式车辆可以追溯到1960年代和70年代，有的已经严重失修。

　　取缔旧出租车、禁止其上路的新法规实施之后，三家埃及银行开通了低息贷款计划，以便司机能够购买新车。政府为老旧汽车报废给予约900美元的财政补贴，新车的广告商帮助偿还应付款项。

　　这项政策让乘客大呼过瘾——现在他们可以乘坐舒适的空调车，而且新式出租车采用打卡机制，他们不用再为了车费讨价还价。处于经济困难时期的银行和汽车制造商们也为这笔额外业务欢喜不已。至于出租车司机，虽然对车辆颜色由黑白换为纯白有些许抱怨，但他们还是很高兴驾驶新车。

　　5.近期，开罗有什么重大的变化?

　　6.是什么导致了这一变化?

　　7.为什么乘客不用再为了车费讨价还价?

　　参考答案：

　　【小题5】D

　　【小题6】A

　　【小题7】C

　　习题解析：

　　【小题5】新闻开头提到，开罗不良的环境最近几个月得到改善，下文给出了原因， the removal of many of the capital's old-fashioned black and white taxis，即“首都许多老式的黑白色出租车已被取缔”，而后文中提到政府和银行支持购买新车，由此可知，新出租车取代旧出租车是开罗最近发生的变化，故本题选 D。

　　【小题6】新闻中提到，在新法规做出取缔这些旧出租车、禁止其上路的要求之后，三家埃及银行开通了低息贷款计划，以便司机能够购买新车，由此可知，政府实施的新法规直接导致了这种变化，而银行实行的低息贷款措施帮助司机得以购买新车，对这一变化起到了推动作用，故本题选 A。

　　【小题7】新闻中明确提到，因为新的出租车安装了计价器，乘客不必为票价而争论， 故本题选 C。