大学英语四级阅读理解练习 九

　　Questions 16 to 20 are based on the following passage:
　　For years children in the industrial areas of Europe and America seldom left their smoky cities to see the beauties of the countryside. Not that the woods and fields were always far away, but they were too far from the city to permit people to make a round trip between morning and nightfall. What's more, factory workers did not have enough money to send their children on country holidays away from home.
　　In 1907 a young German schoolmaster had an idea which changed this state of affairs. He decided to turn his little schoolhouse into a dormitory for the summer holidays. Anyone who brought his sleeping bag and cooking equipment along could stay there for a very small amount of money. The idea was a success. A few years later the schoolhouse was far too small to hold so many young people who wanted to stay there. So, a dormitory was set up in an old castle nearby. This was the first Youth Hostel.
　　Today young students and workers of every country can meet in the hostels and get to know each other. Some spend a week or more in the same hostel, seeing the surrounding sights and meeting the people of the area. Other youths go on foot or by bicycle from place to place, spending a night or two in one hostel, then going to the next.
　　Sometimes an informal program will be organized after the meal, with dances, songs, or short talks followed by a question period. One can learn a lot of things about other places, just by meeting people who come from these places. Hence, a few weeks spent "hostelling" can be just as useful a part of one's education as classes in school.
　　16.In the past, children in the cities seldom went on country holidays because ________.
　　 A) the countryside was too far away
　　 B) children were not permitted to go away from home
　　 C) some parents were too poor to send their children to the countryside
　　 D) there was no convenient transportation
　　17.The price of hostels can be lower because ________.
　　 A) people pay a membership fee
　　 B) the hostels are in old buildings
　　 C) a ruined castle does not cost anything
　　 D) hostels receive money from the government
　　18.The writer considers hostels important mainly because ________.
　　 A) they are convenient places to spend the night
　　 B) they do not cost much
　　 C) they allow people from different places to meet each other
　　 D) they offer many kinds of activities, such as dances, songs, short talks, etc.
　　19.The first Youth Hostel was located in ________.
　　 A) a little schoolhouse
　　 B) a dormitory
　　 C) an old castle
　　 D) a beautiful city
　　20.One may learn most about people of other countries by ________.
　　 A) reading books and magazines
　　 B) writing letters to them
　　 C) attending lectures
　　 D) meeting people personally