Passage 3
Ask motorcyclists why they love to ride two-wheelers, and they often wax poetic.One 63-year-old rhapsodized after a first ride: “It was a life-altering experience. For the first time in my life, I felt connected to the Universe, the wind, the trees, the mountains,even the rocks... I felt consumed with and happily lost in this place of wild, wild winds and peace, and I will do anything to get there again.” But there is also a practical side to these vehicles. Versatile and highly maneuverable, motorcycles have been reliable workhorses for police departments and the military, and they continue to provide an inexpensive alternative to cars. Still, for many of the owners of the eight million motorcycles in the United States, two-wheelers represent recreation and a way of life rather than basic transportation. There is a motorcycle to suit any rider’s interest, whether it be racing, exploring off-road terrain, or simply cruising on back roads. Through hundreds of clubs and organizations, motorcycles bring together riders of like-minded interests, professions, religions, and ethnicities. Many ride not just for fun, but also to support charities that benefit groups ranging from autistic children to wounded veterans.
The history of motorcycles is more than 100 years. At the 19 th century drew to a close, numerous inventors were trying to design new gasoline-powered vehicles, both four-wheeled and two-wheeled. One of the most successful was Charles Metz, who founded a company in Waltham, Massachusetts, to manufacture racing bicycles.According to some accounts, Metz attached an internal combustion engine to a bicycle to create a pace bike with which to train his racing team. His innovation led to the first mass-production motorcycle, known as the Orient-Aster. Metz introduced the motorbike in Boston in 1900 at the first recorded motorcycle race in the United States. The Orient completed a five-mile course in only seven minutes.
The next few years saw the establishment of two brands that would dominate the U.S. motorcycle market for half a century. The Indian Motorcycle Company, created in1901, was for several decades the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world. Indians’rival, Harley-Davidson, founded in 1903, has experienced far greater success and now ranks as the iconic name in American-made motorcycles.
Despite their popularity with the military and police, motorcycles have traditionally had a “bad boy” image. After World War Ⅱ, restless young men, including some veterans seeking the camaraderie they had known in the military, took to the road with fellow motorcyclists who liked to tide and party hard. With scary insignias and names such as Pagans, Outlaws, and Warlocks, they cultivated a rebellious image. Some gangs had highly publicized run-ins with the law. A 1953 movie, The Wild One, based on an actual biker street party and riot in California, did much to fuel the outlaw stereotype.
During the 1960s, a much more wholesome image of motorcyclists emerged, thanks to one of the most successful advertising campaigns of all time. In 1962, Japanese manufacturer Honda launched an ad with the slogan “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” that featured scenes of housewives, young couples, and a parent and child riding Honda motorcycles. That ad made motorcycles a respectable means of around-town transportation and boasted Honda’s sales in the United States by a whopping 500 percent.
At the same time, once-rebellious motorcyclists were settling down to marriages, families and careers. However, many never lost their love of motorcycles. Now middle-aged or older, in some case retired, they have the time and money to pursue their hobby again. In fact, the average age of Harley-Davidson owners is approaching 50. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, the percentage of owners aged 50 and older tripled between 1985 and 2002.
The demographics have changed in other ways as well. Bikers today are just as likely to be well-established doctors, lawyers, and bankers as they are to be blue-collar workers.Within the motorcycling community, this new breed of riders is known as RUBs (Rich Urban Bikers), or Rubbies. Women, including grandmas and great-grandmas, also are getting in on the fun. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council, almost a quarter of all riders are women, as are one in ten of all motorcycle owners.
Which of the following statements explains why motorcyclists enjoy tiding two-wheelers?
原文第一段中提到“It was a life-altering experience.(这是一次改变一生的经历)”、 “...two-wheelers represent recreation and a way of life rather than basic transportation.(摩托车比公共交通更能代表娱乐和一种生活方式)”。 由此可知， C项为正确答案。
The “bad boy” image of motorcyclists results from the fact that ________.
由题干中的bad boy可定位至原文第四段。 由第四段中的“took to the road with fellow motorcyclists who liked to tide and party hard.”、 “With scary insignias and names”以及“they cultivated a rebellious image. Some gangs had highly publicized run-ins with the law.”可知， 摩托车手的“坏男孩”形象是由于他们喜欢在马路上飙车， 有着可怕的标识和名字， 桀骜不驯、 拉帮结派， 宣扬触犯法律。 因此本题应选D项。
Which of the following statements is true about the once-rebellious motorcyclists, according to this passage?
由题干中的once-rebellious motorcyclists可定位至原文第六段。 由第六段中的“once-rebellious motorcyclists were settling down to marriages, families and careers...many never lost their love of motorcycles... they have the time and money to pursue their hobby again”可知， 曾经桀骜不驯的摩托车手在婚姻、 家庭和事业上逐步稳定下来， 但是大多数人并没有放弃对摩托车的热爱。 他们退休之后仍有时间和金钱再次追求自己的爱好。 由此可知， C项正确。 A、 B项错误。 D项偷换了主语，是日本本田汽车公司的广告(而不是摩托车手)让摩托车成为城里值得尊敬的交通方式之一。 因此A、 B、 D均应排除。
In Paragraph 5, the word “wholesome” means ________.
第四段讲的是传统上摩托车手有着“坏男孩”的负面形象。 第五段讲的是， 由于最成功的广告活动——日本本田汽车公司推出的以骑着本田摩托车的家庭主妇、 年轻夫妇、 父母亲或孩子为典型场景， 以“你会在本田摩托车上遇见最好的人”为标语的广告， 让摩托车成为城里值得尊敬的交通方式之一。 由此可知， 这里讲的是摩托车手的正面形象。 因此wholesome在这里表示“积极的， 正面的”。 因此本题应选C项。
Which of the following statements is true about the U.S. motorcycling community today?
由题干中U.S. motorcycling community可定位至原文最后一段。 由最后一段中的“Within the motorcycling community, this new breed of riders is known as RUBs (Rich Urban Bikers), or Rubbies.”以及“Women... also are getting in on the fun....almost a quarter of all riders are women”可知， 在摩托车社区， 这种类型的摩托车手被誉为富有的城市摩托车手， 而不是城市富有的男人(A项不准确)； 女性也开始加入骑摩托车行列来获得乐趣(B项“女性被排除在外”错误)； 文中最后一段开头部分提到现在的车手有可能是医生、 律师、 银行家等专业人士， 也有可能是蓝领工人，故C项也错误。 D项中“one in four”是原文a quarter的同义替换， 因此D项正确。