Every culture has a recognized (公認(rèn)的) point when a child becomes an adult, when rules must
be followed and tests passed.
In China, although teenagers can
get their ID cards at 16, many only see themselves as an adult when they are
18. In the US, where everyone drives, the main step to the freedom of adult
life is learning to drive. At 16, American teens take their
driving test. When they have their license(證),
they drive into the grown-up world.
"Nobody wants to ride the
cheese bus to school," said Eleanor Fulham, 17. "It's like you're not
cool if you don't have a car," she said.
According to a recent research, 41%
of 16 to 19 year olds in the US own cars, up from 23% in 1985. Although, most
of these cars are bought by parents, some teens get part-time jobs to help pay.
Not all families can afford cars
for their children. In cities with undergrounds and limited(有限的) parking, some teenagers don't want them. But in rich
areas outside the city, if there are no undergrounds, and bicycles are more for
fun than cars, it is strange for a teenager not to have a car.
But police say 16-year-olds have
almost three times more accidents than 18 and 19-year-olds. This has made many
parents stop before letting their kids drive. They need to wait until they are
more experienced.
Julie Susiana, of Virginia, decided
that her son Chad, 15, will wait until he is 17 to apply for his learner's
permit (許可)
Chad said he has accepted his
parents' decision, although it has caused some laughing from his friends.
"They say that I am unlucky," he said. "But I'd rather be alive
than driving, and I don't really trust my friends on the road either."
In China as more families get cars,
more 18-year-olds learn to drive. Will this become a big step to becoming an
adult?
1.16-year-old drivers have more accidents possibly
because _______.
A. they want to show themselves off
B. they are not experienced drivers
C. older people always drive better
D. they never drive carefully on the road
2.Which may NOT be taken into consideration when
deciding whether to buy a car?
A. How rich the family is.
B. Whether the kid is old enough.
C. What traffic condition there is around.
D. Whether it's practically needed.
3.The passage mainly gives information about _______.
A. an American culture about teenagers' driving
B. a change in the Chinese culture
C. a cultural difference between America and China
D. the relationship between driving and a person's
development
4.Which may serve as the best title of the article?
A. Cars Helping You to Grow Up B.
Driving into the Grown-up World
C. Teenagers' Driving in America D.
Recognized Point of Becoming an Adult