Every culture has a recognized (公認的) 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?
小題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 |
小題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. |
小題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 |
小題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 |
閱讀快車系列答案