The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people. So the officials decided to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a convenient way to get to and from work，they would live outside of the city and this would help reduce the pressure. From these problems，the idea of the London Underground was born.

The plans for building the Underground met with several problems，but the first track was finally opened in January，1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the first underground track which was six kilometers long. About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day. They were treated to comfortable seats and pleasant decorations inside the cars. However，the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels. Fans had to be put in the tunnel later to keep the air  clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems，riding the Underground did become popular. It carried nine million riders in its first year.

Modem subways have come a long way since the early days of the London Underground.

Today there are more than one hundred underground systems around the world. Shopping malls built in traffic stations have helped the popularity of subways. Nowadays many stations include underground department stores，supermarkets and restaurants. Shoppers never have to go above ground !

1. What is the best title for this passage?

2. Why did the British government decide to build the London Underground?

3. When was the first track opened?

4. What does the writer mean by saying “Shoppers never have to go above ground!”?

London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work， they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This  would  help ease(減輕) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems，the idea of the London Underground，the first subway system，was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays，but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed)， and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However， the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰)， as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems，riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.
【小題1】How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？

London Underground

    The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(減輕) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system was born.

    The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3. 7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day.  Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.

40. What led the British government to build the London Underground？

    A.  Traffic jams and pollution.

    B.  Population and pollution.

    C.  Overcrowding and traffic jams.

    D.  The poverty and subway problems. 

41. How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？

    A.  It made the tunnels larger.

    B.  It put fans in the tunnels.

    C.  It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels. 

D.  It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.

42. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.

    A.  be troublesome         

    B.  become popular and fashionable

    C.  keep up with           

    D.  seize

43. Which of the following is TRUE？

    A.  To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.

    B.  There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.

    C.  The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.

D.  There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.

London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(減輕) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3. 7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day.  Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.
40. What led the British government to build the London Underground？
A.  Traffic jams and pollution.
B.  Population and pollution.
C.  Overcrowding and traffic jams.
D.  The poverty and subway problems. 
41. How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？
A.  It made the tunnels larger.
B.  It put fans in the tunnels.
C.  It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels. 
D.  It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.
42. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.
A.  be troublesome         
B.  become popular and fashionable
C.  keep up with           
D.  seize
43. Which of the following is TRUE？
A.  To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.
B.  There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.
C.  The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.
D.  There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.

London Underground

The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(減輕) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system was born.

The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3. 7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day.  Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.

40. What led the British government to build the London Underground？

A.  Traffic jams and pollution.

B.  Population and pollution.

C.  Overcrowding and traffic jams.

D.  The poverty and subway problems. 

41. How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？

A.  It made the tunnels larger.

B.  It put fans in the tunnels.

C.  It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels. 

D.  It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.

42. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.

A.  be troublesome         

B.  become popular and fashionable

C.  keep up with           

D.  seize

43. Which of the following is TRUE？

A.  To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.

B.  There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.

C.  The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.

D.  There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.

B
London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(減輕) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3. 7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.
50. What led the British government to build the London Underground？
A. Traffic jams and pollution.         B. Population and pollution.
C. Overcrowding and traffic jams.     D. The poverty and subway problems. 
51. How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？
A. It made the tunnels larger.
B. It put fans in the tunnels.
C. It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels. 
D. It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.
52. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.
A. be troublesome              B. become popular and fashionable
C. keep up with                D. seize
53. Which of the following is TRUE？
A. To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.
B. There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.
C. The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.
D. There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.

B

                        London Underground

   The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time, the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(減輕) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system was born.

   The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays, but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3. 7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.

50. What led the British government to build the London Underground？

    A. Traffic jams and pollution.         B. Population and pollution.

    C. Overcrowding and traffic jams.     D. The poverty and subway problems. 

51. How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？

    A. It made the tunnels larger.

    B. It put fans in the tunnels.

    C. It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels. 

    D. It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.

52. The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.

    A. be troublesome              B. become popular and fashionable

    C. keep up with                D. seize

53. Which of the following is TRUE？

    A. To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.

    B. There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened.

    C. The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.

    D. There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.

London Underground

　 The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work, they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(減輕) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems, the idea of the London Underground, the first subway system, was born.

　 The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays (推遲), but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30,000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed), and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However, the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰), as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems, riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.

54. What led the British government to build the London Underground？　　　

　 A. Traffic jams and pollution.

　 B. Population and pollution.

　 C. Overcrowding and traffic jams.

　 D. The poverty and traffic jams.

55. How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？　　　　　

　 A. It made the tunnels larger.

　 B. It put fans in the tunnels.

　 C. It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels.

　　 D. It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train.

56. How many passengers did the world’s first subway carry in its first year?　

　 A. 9,000　　　 B. 90,000　　 C. 9,000,000　　　 D. 90,000,000

57. Which of the following is TRUE？　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

　 A. To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway.

　 B. There were not so many problems and delays when the first subway was built.

　 C. The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic.

　 D. There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened.

　　The world's first subway was built in London in 1863．At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London．The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages（the taxis of those days） to get through．The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day．If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work，they would move their homes outside of the city．This would help ease the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London．From these problems，the idea of the London Underground，the first subway system，was born．

　　The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays，but the first track was finally opened in January 1863．A steam train pulled the cars along the first underground track which was six kilometers（3．7 miles）long．About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day．Riders were treated to comfortable seats（standing up while the train was moving was not allowed），and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars．However，the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the man-made underground passages with ash and soot，as well as chemical gases．Fans had to be put in the underground passages later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe．Even with its problems，riding the Underground did catch on．It carried nine million riders in its first year．

　　Modern subways have come a long way since the early days of the London Underground．Today there are 94 large underground rapid transit（運(yùn)輸）systems around the world．The busiest of these subway systems is the Tokyo Metro which opened in 1927．This efficient subway has two billion riders per year，and“pushers”work on the platforms during busy traffic hours to help push riders onto trains．At times，subway cars have been packed with up to 300 people！Large shopping centres built in high traffic stations where riders move from one train to another have also helped the popularity of subways in Tokyo．Stations like the famous Ginza Sugo Eki（Ginza Consolidated Station）include underground department stores，supermarkets and restaurants．Shoppers never have to go above ground！

1．What problems led the British government to build the London Underground？

A．Overcrowding and traffic jams．

B．Pollution and overcrowding．

C．Traffic jams and pollution．

D．The subway problems．

2．What was one major problem with the first subway？

A．The subway cars were too small．

B．Ticket prices were too high．

C．The subway was too slow．

D．Riding the subway was unhealthy．

3．The last paragraph is mainly about ________．

A．the London Underground today

B．subways around the world

C．problems with subways

D．the Tokyo subway

4．The underlined phrase“catch on”most probably means ________．

A．exist

B．become popular

C．keep up with

D．seize