12．Electric Cars
Where do cars get their energy from？For most cars，the answer is petrol．But some cars use electricity．These cars have special motors that get their power from large batteries．
Most people tend to think of electric cars as a new invention，but they have been around for a long time．They were popular when the technology for petrol engines was not very advanced．Recently，
electric cars have again become popular because people want cars that pollute less．
Electric cars are better than petrol cars in several ways．The biggest benefit is reduced
pollution．In areas where there is a high percentage of electric cars，there is less pollution．But it
is important to understand that electric cars still cause pollution．Remember that the electricity to
power electric cars has to come from somewhere，which is most likely a power station．Unless
these power stations run on solar or wind energy，they are most likely burning coal and oil to make
electricity．The second benefit of electric cars is a reduction in the dependence on foreign oil．
There are several countries，including the United States，which don't want to rely on oil coming
from other countries to power their transportation systems．They want the power to come from
within their country，and since electric cars can run on electricity from coal or nuclear power
stations，there is less of a need to import oil．
Despite the benefits of electric cars，there are some problems with them as well．One
disadvantage is that electric cars are more expensive than petrol cars．This is mostly due to the
high cost of the batteries these cars need．Electric cars run on batteries，just like a mobile phone
does．But unlike a mobile phone，you cannot charge your electric car's battery by plugging it into
a wall．They need to be charged in special places．Now，there is a lack of places where people
can charge the batteries．Another problem is that electric cars cannot travel as far as petrol cars．
Some people are afraid that the battery will run out of electricity （and the car will stop） before
they reach their destination．
Despite these problems，many people，including automobile industry experts，believe that
the percentage of electric cars will increase in the future．
33．What's the main idea of Paragraph 3？C
A．Electric cars make some countries independent．
B．Electric cars cause no pollution to the environment．
C．Electric cars have some advantages over petrol cars．
D．Electric cars need electricity from solar or wind energy．
34．Which of the following is not mentioned as the shortcomings of electric cars？B
A．Petrol cars are cheaper than electric cars．
B．Electric cars need special motors to get power．
C．Petrol cars can travel farther than electric cars．
D．Electric cars need special places to get charged．
35．We can infer from the passage that．D
A．electric cars will take the place of petrol cars
B．no one holds hope for electric cars at present
C．electric cars waste more energy than before
D．more and more people will use electric cars
36．The main purpose of the passage is to．C
A．a(chǎn)rgue and prove B．a(chǎn)ttract and discuss
C．inform and explain D．a(chǎn)dvertise and conclude．
