A
It is a common sight on Japanese public transportation: Children troop through train cars, alone or in small groups, looking for seats.
They wear knee socks, polished leather shoes, and school uniforms, with train passes pinned to their backpacks. The kids are as young as six or seven on their way to and from school, and there is no parent in sight. They may chat happily, listening to music or just reading books quietly.
Kakaito, a 12-year-old boy in Tokyo, has been riding the train by himself between the homes of his parents, since he was nine. “At first, I was a little worried,” he admitted, “whether I could ride the train alone, but only a little worried.” Now, he says, “It’s easy.” His parents were worried at first, too. But they went ahead because they felt he was old enough, and lots of other kids were doing it safely.
“Honestly, what I remember thinking at this time is, the trains are safe and on time, and he is a smart boy,” Kakaito’s stepmother says. “I took the train on my own when I was younger than him in Tokyo,” she recalls. “We didn’t have cellphones back in my day, but I still managed to go from point A to point B on the train, If he gets lost, he can call us.”
Kakaito’s stepmother says she wouldn’t let a nine-year-old boy ride the subway alone in London or New York-just in Tokyo. Japan has a very low crime rate, which is surely a key reason parents feel confident about sending their kids out alone. But small-sized urban spaces and a culture of walking and public transportation use also bring people safety.
21. The writer describes the scene at the beginning in order to__________.
A. encourage the readers B. introduce the topic
C. make a sharp comparison D. show us the beauty of riding the train
22. What might be Kakaito’s reaction if he gets lost?
A. Ask his classmates for help. B. Get off the train and take another.
C. Contact his family members. D. Wait for his parents to pick him up.
23. What’s the last paragraph about?
A. The reasons why Japanese kids take trains alone.
B. The reasons why London or New York has a high crime rate.
C. Japanese people like walking and take public transportation.
D. The reason why Kakito’s stepmother is worried about his safety.
【答案】21. B 22. C 23. A
【解析】这是一篇说明文。在日本，随处可以见到甚至小到六七岁的孩子，没有父母的陪伴独自乘坐公共交通工具往返于上学或放学的途中，他们或者愉快地聊天，或者听音乐，或者静静地看书。日本犯罪率低、城市范围小、以及走路和乘公交车是一种文化，这些都是父母放心自己的孩子独自坐火车的原因。
21. 推理判断题。根据第一、二段“It is a common sight on Japanese public transportation: Children troop through train cars, alone or in small groups, looking for seats….(在日本的公共交通工具上，这样的景象随处可见:孩子们在火车车厢里寻找座位，有的独自一人，有的成群结队。)”和“…The kids are as young as six or seven on their way to and from school, and there is no parent in sight.(只有六、七岁的孩子，此时并没有父母在眼前，独自在往返学校的路上。)”等等场景的描述可知，文章开头介绍该场景是为了引出“在日本，孩子们独自坐火车是习以为常的事”这一话题，故选B。
22. 细节理解题。根据第四段“she recalls. “… If he gets lost, he can call us.”(她回忆道，“…如果他迷路了，他会打电话给我们。”)”可知，这里说话的人“she”指代的是前文提到的Kakaito's stepmother，“us”指代“他的家人”，所以，如果Kakaito走丢了，他的反应可能是联系家人，故选C。
23. 主旨大意题。根据最后一段“Japan has a very low crime rate, which is surely a key reason parents feel confident about sending their kids out alone. But small-sized urban spaces and a culture of walking and public transportation use also bring people safety.( 日本的犯罪率非常低，这肯定是父母有信心让孩子独自外出的一个关键原因。但是小规模的城市空间、步行文化和公共交通的使用也给人们带来了安全。)”可知，最后一段提到了日本犯罪率低、城市范围小、以及走路和乘公交车是一种文化，这些都是关于日本孩子独自坐火车的原因，故选A。
