题文
Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there’s no doubt Napoleon was a major influence. The French have used the right since at least the late 18th century. Some say that before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasants to the right. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-hand control, like Great Britain, followed their left-hand tradition.The U.S. has not always been a nation of right-hand drivers; earlier in its history, carriage and horse traffic travelled on the left, as it did in England. But by the late 1700s, people driving large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses began promoting a shift（改变）to the right. A driver would sit on the rear（后面的）left horse in order to wave his whip（鞭子）with his right hand; to see opposite traffic clearly, they travelled on the right.
One of the final moves to firmly standardize traffic directions in the U.S. occurred in the 20th century, when Henry Ford decided to mass-produce his cars with controls on the left (one reason, stated in 1908: the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially… if there is a lady to be considered). once these rules were set, many countries eventually adjusted to the right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970. The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the Western world’s few remaining holdouts(坚持不变者). Several Asian nations, including Japan, use the left as well--- though many places use both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive cars.
小题1:Why did people in Switzerland travel on the right?A．They had used the right-hand traffic since the 18th century.B．Rich people enjoyed driving their carriages on the right.C．Napoleon introduced the right-hand traffic to this country.D．Hitler ordered them to go against their left-hand tradition.小题2:Of all the countries below, the one that travels on the right is_________. A．Austria B．EnglandC．JapanD．Australia小题3:Henry Ford produced cars with controls on the left __________.A．in order to change traffic directions in the U.S.B．so that passengers could get off convenientlyC．because rules at that time weren’t perfectD．though many countries were strongly against that小题4:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?A．Before the French Revolution, all the French people used the right.B．People in Britain and the U.S. travel on the same side nowadays.C．The Burmese began to travel on the right in 1970.D．All the Asian nations use the left at present.小题5:What would be the best title for this passage?A．Who made the great contribution to the shift of traffic directions?B．How cars have become a popular means of transportation?C．How Henry Ford produced his cars with controls on the left?D．Why don’t people all drive on the same side of road? 题型：未知 难度：其他题型
答案
小题1:C
小题2:A
小题3:B
小题4:C
小题5:D
解析
为什么世界上绝大多数国家的交通方向都是右行？文章陈述了拿破仑在改变交通方向中主要贡献，同时陈述了世界各国过去到现在的交通方向。
小题1:从第一段第四行Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany可得知正确答案为C。
小题2:从最后一段倒数第二句The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the Western world’s few remaining holdouts及倒数第一句 Several Asian nations, including Japan, use the left as well可知England，Japan及Australia都是车辆右行，只有Austria是车辆左行，故选A。
小题3:从最后一段第二行括号里面的内容one reason, stated in 1908: the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially… if there is a lady to be considered可知正确答案为B。
小题4:从第一段第三行 before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasants to the right可知A项错误。第二段首句得知美国车辆右行，最后一段提到英国车辆左行，故B项从最后一段Several Asian nations, including Japan, use the left as well可知D表达错误。从最后一段 倒数第三行... adjusted to the right-hand standard, ...Burma in 1970可知C项正确。
小题5:从文章第一段开头句总起句Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there’s no doubt Napoleon was a major influence可知正确答案为B。
考点
据考高分专家说，试题“Why does most of the.....”主要考查你对 [政治经济类阅读 ]考点的理解。政治经济类阅读
政治经济类文章的概念：
要做好这类阅读，平时就要注意了解国内外发生的政治经济大事，掌握一定背景知识，对这类文章的叙述特点及内容安排有一定了解，还要扩展这方面的词汇。阅读这类文章，要抓住文章的核心，即文章整体和各段主要在说什么，也要注意段落之间的逻辑关系。
如何备考政治经济类阅读理解题：
【题型说明】政治经济类阅读文章是高考常选材料之一。该类文章时代气息浓郁，语言鲜活，但熟字新义词、超纲词及专业词语多，长句、难句多。政治类文章大多数是同学们感性趣的内容，读起来倒有似曾相识的感觉，经济类文章读起来就像是雾里看花，文章看完，一头雾水。再加之这类文章的命题侧重于词义猜测、推理判断和文章主旨，同学们对这类题材是望而生畏。
【备考策略】建立心理优势。针对不同体裁的文章，我们要采取相应的阅读方法和技巧。政治类文章多采用记叙文形式，我们可采取“顺读法”，以便抓关键语句，领会文章主旨；而经济类文章则多采用说明文形式，我们则可以采取“逆读法”，先读试题，再从文章中查找有用信息。若遇到的确难读的材料。千万不用着急，因为你觉得难，其他人也一定是同感。在高考前，我们就要有这种心理准备，高考试卷肯定有一、两篇难以阅读的材料。不过，我们平时可以有意识地从报刊杂志上找一些较难的阅读材料来阅读，以培养自己迎难而上的心理素质。
【答题方法】
1、寻找主干：
根据英语中五种基本句型结构，把句子中的主语、谓语、宾语、表语等主要成分找出来，其他成分如定语、状语、补语等则易于理解。找到了句子主干，句子的意思至少明白了一半。
2、剔除从句：
在一个长句中可能会出现若干个从句，在理解时，如果把各个从句剔除出来单独理解，然后把大意拼凑起来，整个长句的意思就会明白六、七分。
3、辨别分句：
一个长句如果是由几个并列、转折、递进、对比关系的分句组成，句中往往有表示这些分句关系的连接词，只要能弄清楚分句和分句之间的逻辑关系，再把各层分句的意思加以连贯，整个长句的句意基本上能跃然脑中。
4、寻找关键词：
如果一个句子看完，一点句意的感觉也没有，下下策就是抓住句中的关键词，通过关键词大体弄懂这个长句的意思。
