单选题
London's First Light Rail System

The Docklands Light Railway (DLR) took just three years to build at a cost of £77 million. It is London's first Light Rail System, but its route follows that of a number of older lines, which carried the nineteenth century railways through the crowded districts of the East End.
The section of the line from the Tower Gateway Station to Poplar follows the line of one of London's earliest railways, the London&Blackwell (1840), a cable-drawn railway (later converted to steam) which carried passengers to steam ships at Blackwell Pier, and provided transport for the messengers and clerks who went backwards and forwards between the docks (码头) and the city every day.
From Poplar to Island Gardens, a new line crosses high above the dock waters, and then joins the old track of the Millwall Extension Railway, built to service the Millwall Docks (1868) and to provide transport for workers in the local factories. This line was horse- drawn for part of its route, until the 1880s.
The Poplar to Stratford section of the DLR route was first developed by the North London Railway, built in the 1850s to link the West and East India Docks with the manufacturing districts of the Midlands and North of England. There were major railway works and sidings (岔线) at Bow until recently.
The trains are automatically controlled from a central computer, which deals with all signaling and other safety factors, as well as adjusting speeds to keep within the timetable; on board each vehicle, Train Captains, who are also fully qualified drivers, are equipped with two-way radios to maintain contact with central control. There are passenger lifts, and self-service ticket machines, at every station.

单选题 The passage tells us that London's first Light Rail System
A.was constructed in the nineteenth century.
B.will be finished in three years' time.
C.follows some of the original lines.
D.took three years longer than expected to complete.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】本题属于概括性题目,问通过这篇短文,我们了解到伦敦第一条轻轨铁路哪方面的信息?文章第一段第二句说,这条轻轨是在过去一些老的铁路线上修建的。所以正确答案为C。
单选题 We learn from the passage that the London&Blackwell railway
A.now carries passengers to and from the docks.
B.was a busy line a few years ago.
C.used to employ many messengers and clerks.
D.was not originally a steam railway.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】需要到原文中查找信息。文章第二段说道,伦敦最早的铁路线——the London&Blackwell(1840)——是使用缆绳拖拉的(a cable-drawn railway),后来再改为蒸汽机(later converted to steam),故D为正确答案。
单选题 "This line" in Paragraph 3 refers to
A.the line from the Tower Gateway Station to Poplar.
B.the line from Poplar to Island Gardens.
C.the Millwall Extension Railway.
D.the line from Poplar to Stratford.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】此题问文中的“This line”指的是哪段线路?This在英语中作代词,一般用来指代它前面的事物,这里,“This line”显然指的是它前面的“the Millwall Extension Railway”,所以C为答案。
单选题 It appears that the Poplar to Stratford section of the DLR route was originally developed to
A.promote travel in the Midlands.
B.encourage trade with the North of England.
C.create employment.
D.make the transport of goods easier.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】该题问从DLR的Poplar到Stratford这一段最早是用来干什么的?文章讲到,这段线路与伦敦中部和北部生产、制造区的铁路线连接起来,文章虽然没说连起来干什么,但可以推断是用来运送货物的,故D为正确答案。
单选题 The trains on the DLR are controlled by
A.an on-board central computer.
B.a computer engineer on board.
C.two-way radios operated by the drivers.
D.a computer center based somewhere along the line.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】此题问DLR这条线路上的火车由什么控制?文章最后一段第一句讲到,这些火车是由计算机控制的,因此A为正确答案。