Iwasdesperatelynervousaboutbecomingcar-free．Buteightmonthsagoourcarwashitbyapassingvehicleanditwasdestroyed．Noproblem，Ithought：we'llbuyanother．Buttheinsurancepayoutdidn'tevenbegintocoverthecostsofbuying

Question

I was desperately nervous about becoming car-free．But eight months ago our car was hit by a passing vehicle and it was destroyed．No problem，I thought：we'll buy another．But the insurance payout didn't even begin to cover the costs of buying a new car-I worked out that，with the loan （贷款） we'd need plus petrol，insurance，parking permits and tax，we would make a payment as much as£600 a month．
  And that's when I had my fancy idea．Why not just give up having a car at all？I live in London．We have a railway station behind our house，a tube station 10 minutes'walk away，and a bus stop at the end of the street．A new car club had just opened in our area，and one of its shiny little red Peugeots was parked nearby．If any family in Britain could live without a car，I reasoned，then surely we were that family．
  But my new car-free idea，sadly，wasn't shared by my family．My teenage daughters were horrified．What would their friends think about our family being"too poor to afford a car"？（I wasn't that bothered what they thought，and I suggested the girls should take the same approach．）
  My friends，too，were ast onished at our plan．What would happen if someone got seriously ill overnight and needed to go to hospital？（an ambulance） How would the children get to and from their many events？（buses and trains） People smiled as though this was another of my mad ideas，before saying they were sure I'd soon realize that a car was a necessity．
  Eight months on，I wonder whether we'll ever own a car again．The idea that you"have to"own a car，especially if you live in a city，is all in the mind．I live-and many other citizens do too-in a place that has never been better served by public transport，and yet car ownership has never been higher．We worry about rising car costs，but we'd be better off asking something much more basic：do I really need a car？Certainly the answer is no，and I'm a lot richer because I dared to ask the question．
24．The author decided to live a car-free life partly because___．
A．most families chose to go car-free        
B．he was hurt in a terrible car accident
C．the cost of a new car was too much    
D．the traffic jam was unbearable for him
25．What is the attitude of t he author's family toward his plan？___
A．Supportive．
B．Disapproving．
C．Optimistic．
D．Unconcerned．
26．What did the au thor suggest his daughters do about their friends'opinion？___
A．Argue against it．
B．Take their advice．
C．Think it over．
D．Leave it alone．
27．What conclusion did the author draw after the eight-month car-free life？___
A．Life cannot go without a car．
B．Life without a car is a little bit hard．
C．His life gets improved without a car．
D．A car-free life does not suit everyone．

Answer 1

24．C．细节理解题．根据文章第一段"But eight months ago our car was hit by a passing vehicle and it was destroyed…with the loan （贷款） we'd need plus petrol，insurance，parking permits and tax，we would make a payment as much as£600a month"可知，作者在计划买新车时，发现他们不仅需要付买车费用，还需要加上汽油、保险、停车许可证和税的花费，开销比较大．因此作者才会想到要放弃买新车的想法．故选C．
25．B．细节理解题．根据文章第三段"wasn't shared by my family．My teenage daughters were horrified"，可知，作者的女儿听到他的想法后都吓坏了．可见作者的家庭并不赞成他的想法．故选B．
26．D．细节理解题．根据文章第三段"I wasn't that bothered what they thought，and I suggested the girls should take the same approach．"可知，作者不在乎他的朋友的看法，也希望他女儿也要以这样的方法看待各自的朋友的看法．故选D．
27．C．细节理解题．根据文章最后一段"I live-and many other citizens do too-in a place that has never been better served by public transport，and yet car ownership has never been higher"可知，作者在经历无车生活八个月后，在车主们花费越来越高的情况下，作者的生活质量反而提高了．可见他的生活没有了汽车就得到了改善．故选C．