4．The bicycling craze came in when we were just about at the right age to enjoy it．At first even"safety"bicycles were too dangerous and improper for ladies to ride，and they had to have tricycles．My mother had（I believe）the first female tricycle in Cambridge；and l had a little one，and we used to go out for family rides，all together；my father in front on a bicycle． and my poor brather Charles standing miserable on the bar behind lny mother．I found it very hard work．pounding（轟隆隆行進）away on my hard tyres；a glorious，but not a pleasurable pastinle．
Then，one day at lunch，my father said he had just seen a new kind of tyre，filled up，with air，and he thought it might be a success．And soon after that everyone had bicycles，ladies and all； and bicycling became the smart thing，and the lords and ladies had their pictures in the papers，riding along in the park，in straw hats．
My mother must have fallen off her bicycle ptetty often，for I remember seeing the most appalling cuts and bruises（青腫）on her legs．But she never complained，and always kept these accidents to herself．However，the great Mrs．Phillips，our cook，always knew all about them；as indeed she knew practically everything that ever happened．She used to draw us into the servants'hall to tell us privately："Her Ladyship had a nasty fall yesterday；she cut both her knees and sprained her wrist．But don't Iet her know I told you．"So we never dared say anything．Similar little accidents used to occur when，at the age of nearly Seventy，she insisted on learning to drive a car．She never mastered the art of reversing（倒車），and was in every way an unconventional and terrifying driver． Mrs．Phillips used then to tell us："Her Ladyship ran into the back of a milk-cart yesterday；but it wasn't much hurt"；or"A policeman stopped her Ladyship because she was on the wrong side of the road；but she said she didn't know what the white Line on the road meant，so he explained arld Let her go on．"Mrs．Phillips must have had an excellent Intelligence Service at her command，for the stories were always true enough．
56．Women did not ride bicycles at first betauseB．
A．bicycling demanded too much hard work
B．bicycling was considered unsafe and unladylike
C．they preferred to ride tricycles
D．tricycles could carry young children as well
57．How did the writer feel about tricycles？A
A．They were very hard to ride．
B．Riding tricycles was an enjoyble arnusement．
C．They were not as fast as bicycles．
D．They were not proper for women to ride．
58．Cycling became popular whenB．
A．the writer's father popularized it B．air-filled tyres began to be used
C．noble people started enjoying it D．newspapers had pictures of cyclists
59．The writer admired Mrs．Phillips becauseD．
A．she was the best cook they had ever had
B．she was in command of all the setvants
C．she could keep secrets
D．she had an outstanding ability to gather information
60．The writer's mother often had car accidents becauseA．
A．she could not control the car well B．she was very old then
C．she ignored the traffic signs D．she behaved too proudly．
分析 本文作者通過自己的親身經歷講述了自行車發展史，從剛開始流行到現在的人們都能接受騎自行車的大潮流，連作者的母親也開始學騎自行車了．
解答 56．B．細節理解題．根據文章第一段"At first even"safety"bicycles were too dangerous and improper for ladies to ride"可知，起初人們認為自行車不安全．故選B．
57．A．細節理解題．根據文章第一段"I found it very hard work．pounding away on my hard tyres；a glorious，but not a pleasurable pastinle．"可知，作者認為三輪車很難騎，騎它很不愉快．故選A．
58．B．細節理解題．根據文章第二段"my father said he had just seen a new kind of tyre，filled up，with air，and he thought it might be a success．And soon after that everyone had bicycles，ladies and all；"可知，正是充氣的輪胎出現以后，自行車才真正受歡迎．故選B．
59．D．細節理解題．根據文章第三段"Mrs．Phillips，our cook，always knew all a hout them"可知，她知道很多小道消息，收集信息的能力很強．故選D．
60．A．細節理解題．根據文章最后一段"remember seeing the most appalling cuts and bruises（青腫）on her legs．"和"She never mastered the art of reversing"可知，她經常摔下來，說明她并不能好好的控制自行車，而且她不能好好的控制倒車等開車技能．故選A．
點評 本文是考察學生歷史文化類閱讀理解文章．這類文章常涉及歷史、文化、法制、宗教等方面的文學藝術、發明創造、文化遺產保護、宗教與文化、風俗與習慣、道德與法制、中外文學名著節選、等等．這類材料的命題點往往落在主旨大意題、事實細節題上．
