2022届江苏省盐城市高三上学期期中调研考试 英语 word版含答案（含听力）练习题

2021～2022学年高三第一学期期中试卷

英　　语

2021．11

本试卷分四个部分。满分150分，考试用时120分钟。

第一部分　听力(共两节，满分30分)

第一节(共5小题；每小题1.5分，满分7.5分)

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

(　　)1. What will the woman do later?

A. Eat out    B. Prepare a meal.    C. Reply to the man.

(　　)2. Why doesn't the man buy clothes online?

A. He can't try them on beforehand.

B. He thinks they are of poor quality.

C．He finds it inconvenient to do that.

(　　)3. How did the man celebrate his birthday last year?

A. He had a picnic.    B. He gave a party.    C. He took a ride.

(　　)4. Where does the conversation probably take place?

A. In a bookstore.    B. In a library.    C. In a classroom.

(　　)5. What are the speakers mainly talking about?

A. A competition.    B. A partner.    C. A club.

第二节(共15小题；每小题1.5分，满分22.5分)

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。

(　　)6. What is the season now?

A. Winter.    B. Spring.    C. Summer.

(　　)7. What does the woman advise the man to do?

A. Camp by the lake.    　　　B. Take some spare clothes.

C. Check the weather forecast

听第7段材料，回答第8、9题。

(　　)8. How does the woman feel about the exam this time?

A. Worried.    B. Confident.    C. Tired.

(　　)9. What do we know about the woman?

A. She took the man's advice.    　　　B. She did badly in the last exam.

C. She won't watch films of the books.

听第8段材料，回答第10至12题。

(　　)10. What is the possible relationship between the speakers?

A. Brother and sister.    B. Schoolmates.    C. Father and daughter.

(　　)11. What color coat will the woman buy?

A. Brown.    B. Blue.    C. Black.

(　　)12. What is the man dissatisfied with about the coat?

A. The color.    B. The size.    C. The style.

听第9段材料，回答第13至16题。

(　　)13. What does the man speaker do?

A. A photographer.    B. A journalist.    C. A host.

(　　)14. Where were Ryan's early pictures shown?

A. In the gallery.    B. On the Internet.    C. In magazines.

(　　)15. How long did Ryan take photos with the phone?

A. About 4 years.    B. About 8 years.    C. About 12 years.

(　　)16. What does Ryan suggest young photographers do?

A. Trust themselves.    B. Set achievable goals.

C. Catch only ordinary people.

听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。

(　　)17. What is the purpose of this talk?

A. To introduce a plan.    B. To encourage exercise.    C. To list benefits of cycling.

(　　)18. What is one of the benefits of cycling?

A. Getting safety equipment.    　　B. Paying lower taxes.    C. Saving some time.

(　　)19. How many bikes are allowed to be bought at most?

A. Four.    B. Three.    C. Two.

(　　)20. What can we learn from the conversation?

A. The company plans to help its employees buy bikes.

B. Cycling isn't suitable for those living far from work.

C. Employees can borrow at least $1，000 from the company.

第二部分　阅读(共两节，满分50分)

第一节(共15小题；每小题2.5分，满分37.5分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中选出最佳选项。

A

Graffiti

Have you ever written anything on a wall? It's nothing new, and for thousands of years humans have been writing messages on walls, bridges, and buildings as a means of expressing themselves.

(　　)21. Why did the Vikings leave messages at the prehistoric site?

A. To relieve their boredom.    B. To cause a sense of mystery.

C. To display their strength.    D. To show their disappointment.

(　　)22. As far as the author's concerned, it is believed that ________．

A. the Vikings created the very first graffiti

B. political graffiti resulted in more conflicts

C. there remain some arguments about tagging

D. rude comments are not allowed on walls

(　　)23. In which of the following types can you communicate in others' absence?

A. Ancient Graffiti.    B. Political Graffiti.

C. American Graffiti.    D. British Graffiti.

B

“Have you checked the oil in the car？” my father used to say to me, his version of “Hello, hope you are well.” Sometimes our phone calls would begin with an inquiry about the oil and end with one about the oil.

Fathers have a lot of love to give, but it's often supplied through the medium of practical advice. In my experience: It's mostly about your motor vehicle.

My student car—an old green Toyota bought for $500—was the vehicle for which my father carved his paternal affections(父爱). I bet it's always been so. Back in ancient Rome, the father would test the son on the state of his carriage.

Why can't fathers just say “I love you” or “It's great to see you”？ The point is: You just have to translate from the language that is Fatherlish. Listen closely enough and the phrase “I love you” can be heard in the slightly lengthier “I could come around Saturday and replace the seal(密封圈)around the base of your toilet because I assume that thing is getting really smelly.”

The affectionate phrase “You made my life better from the moment you were born” may be rarely heard, but there is the more common “I'll hold the ladder while you get the leaves off the roof.”

When I was 17, I went on my first road trip in that Toyota. My father stood on the corner. “Highways are dangerous，” he said, “so don't try overtaking anything faster than a horse and carriage. And take a break every two hours. And every time you stop for gas, you really should check the oil.” At the time we thought his speech was pretty funny and would repeat “horse­and­carriage” every time I sped up to overtake some other speeding vehicle.

Dad's long gone now. But after all these years, I realize that had I owned a copy of the Fatherlish­to­English dictionary, I'd have understood that the speech my friend and I so ignored was simply dad's attempt at affection.

(　　)24. According to the author, a typical father's greetings may start with “________”．

A. Look who it is!    B. Everything OK?

C. Hi, sweetheart!    D. How's the leak in the ceiling?

(　　)25. What did the author's old Toyota mean to his father?

A. A symbol of his son's admiration.    B. A medium for his paternal love.

C. A sign of a modernized lifestyle.    D. A turning point in the family life.

(　　)26. Why does the author mention certain daily phrases in Paragraphs 4 and 5?

A. To show the fatherlish's influence on kids.

B. To illustrate a dad's loving concern for kids.

C. To prove the usefulness of a dad's greetings.

D. To compare different versions of fatherlish.

(　　)27. What is probably the best title for the passage?

A. Speaking Fluent Fatherlish    B. Remembering Very Moments

C. Displaying Parental Love    D. Giving Practical Advice

C

What kind of people can become scientists? When a group of researchers posed that question to ninth­ and 10th­graders, almost every student gave such responses as “People who work hard” or “Anyone who seems interested in the field of science.”

Many of these same students struggled to imagine themselves as scientists, citing concerns such as “I'm not good at science” and “Even if I work hard, I will not do well.” It's easy for them to see a scientist's work as arising from an inborn talent.

But for high school students, learning more about some struggles of scientists can help students feel more motivated to learn science. Researchers at Teachers College, Columbia University and the University of Washington designed an intervention to change students' beliefs that scientific achievement reflects ability rather than effort by exposing students to stories of how accomplished scientists struggled and overcame challenges in their scientific efforts.

During the study, the students read one of three types of stories about Albert Einstein, Marie Curie and Michael Faraday. Intellectual struggle stories: stories about how scientists “struggled intellectually”， such as making mistakes while tackling a scientific problem and learning from them. Life struggle stories: stories about how scientists struggled in their personal lives, such as not giving up in the face of poverty or lack of family support. Achievement stories: stories about how scientists made great discoveries, without any discussion of coexisting challenges.

Researchers found that students who heard either type of “struggle stories” improved their science performance post­intervention, relative to students in the control group. The effect was especially pronounced for lower performing students, for whom exposure to struggling stories led to significantly better science­class performance than low­performing students who read achievement stories. In addition, students who read struggle stories reported feeling more personally connected to the scientists. By identifying a scientist's struggles and introducing the growth mindset he or she applied to accomplish great works, the students were able to empathize(共情) with the scientists during their own struggles.

(　　)28. Why do students fail to imagine themselves as scientists?

A. They lack interest in science.    B. They don't possess inborn talent.

C. They are short of confidence.    D. They have no ability to study science.

(　　)29. What's the purpose of the intervention?

A. To introduce some inspirational stories to students.

B. To expose students to scientists' great achievements.

C. To ensure students will become scientists in the future.

D. To clear students' misunderstandings of scientific work.

(　　)30. The underlined word “pronounced” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to ________．

A. delicate    B. permanent    C. doubtful    D. apparent

(　　)31. What can we learn from the research?

A. Science ability has nothing to do with efforts.

B. Students are more motivated by achievement stories.

C. Scientists' struggle stories can influence readers' beliefs.

D. Low­performing students tend to feel connected to scientists.

D

A terrible thing happened to me while I was watching TV recently: I realized that I had aged. Now of course I know that I am aging, it's just that I hadn't realized quite how old I was until I saw a participant who I recognized on a reality TV show. Well, I didn't recognize her but I recognized her name. I'd slightly known her in my 20s when she'd been the celebrity who had stolen my roommates' boyfriends.

However, here's the thing that shocked me—I hadn't recognized her because rather than the beauty I remembered, on my TV was a middle­aged mum cooking. And then it hit me: that's what I look like too.

It's a particularly cruel change of nature that we can't see ourselves as others do. We see our own face so often that the wrinkles that start to cut through it just go unnoticed. Occasionally we might get a rude awakening when suddenly our bodies stop working as expected but, for the most part, we're left to get on with growing old without too many reminders. But when you get a reminder...oof! Since that show aired, I have sat in front of the mirror analyzing my face and wondering how I came to look so like my mother without noticing. I've also realized that my waist no longer fits into baby fat but a middle­aged spread.

I also fear that I don't know what middle age looks like for my generation. Did my mother still feel 24 when in reality she was 15 years older? And why do I not feel like I'm where I should be as I approach 40? I definitely remember writing a list of things I will have achieved by the time I'm 40 at 19. Where is the house in the South of France or the Porsche 911 she so desperately wanted?

Since then, I've started to redefine myself. I don't want to put everything down to age but I can't quite stop myself. Tired again? Must be my age. Thank God then for social media. All around me I see amazing women at the other end of their 40s. They've accepted their age and seem to love it, so I'm hopeful that as I move into the next decade that will be me too. And maybe I'll get the Porsche before I'm 50.

(　　)32. What is implied in Paragraph 1?

A. The author has been friends with the TV celebrity.

B. The TV celebrity used to be popular among boys.

C. The TV celebrity now lives a life of extreme luxury.

D. The aging process doesn't affect the TV celebrity.

(　　)33. In most cases, how do we perceive the aging process?

A. We clearly know what happens.    B. It is very likely to slip our mind.

C. We can accept it quite peacefully.    D. It always brings about hopelessness.

(　　)34. The underlined word “that” in the last paragraph refers to ________．

A. a lady denying being old    B. the ambitious self aged 19

C. a woman accepting her age    D. the celebrity on the TV show

(　　)35. What is the theme of this article?

A. It matters not how long we live but how.

B. Wrinkles are just evidence of great wisdom.

C. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.

D. The best tunes are played on the oldest violins.

第二节(共5小题；每小题2.5分，满分12.5 分)

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

“We work four­day weeks because it makes our staff more motivated，” says Joe Munns, CEO and founder of Bakedin, which makes home baking kits and cake mixes.

Joe has put his 40 workers on a four­day week since he started the firm in 2013, when he was working for the computer giant IBM. __36__  When he was at IBM, he actually reduced his hours down to a four­day week and had Fridays free, when he could work on Bakedin, which became his second job and he was devoted to.

__37__  It means that he could do what he liked and took that opportunity to start the business with a four­day week. So they have the normal working week of Monday to Thursday—then everyone gets those three days off.

Because there is still some business to do on Fridays, such as dealing with customer enquiries, some of Bakedin's office workers volunteer to work on Fridays. __38__

Bakedin staff put in nine­and­a­half­hours on the four days they are at work. __39__“When we are together, we just find that we're more productive. We get more done this way, because we don't get that tired, Friday feeling.”

Many firms and countries have started experimenting with four­day, rather than five­day weeks. __40__  Bakedin is in the food industry, which has a very high turn­over rate for staff. “Every year, some 30% of employees in the food industry leave their jobs，” says Joe. “But at Bakedin, our staff turnover rate is under 5%. So a four­day week is an excellent way of keeping staff loyal.”

A. He figured it was his business.

B. He ran the company as a weekend passion.

C. There are other benefits of putting staff on a four­day week.

D. It is a big selling point when they first advertise for workers.

E. They take their third day off at some other point in the week.

F. They get more done this way than if they were at work five days a week

G. It reduces the risk of staff “burning out” and improves their work­life balance.

第三部分　语言运用(共两节，满分30分)

第一节(共15小题；每小题1分，满分15分)

阅读下面短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

Ginger the dog doesn't have a bad life at the animal shelter where she's lived for almost four years. She's __41__  by staff and volunteers, and she spends a(n) __42__  amount of time outside the shelter—including long walks through the woods and trips to McDonald's, where she enjoys a plain cheeseburger.

“She's our little princess，” Pat Ingersoll, director at Responsible Pet Care (RPC) told HuffPost. But after more than 1，456 days, Ginger needs a __43__  of her own.

Ginger has gone viral after a Facebook post detailing how long she's been __44__ a master. The post includes a photo of Ginger appearing to look at the camera with __45__ eyes, wearing a sign that says, “I have been in the shelter for 1，456 days. Please __46__  Me.”

“She was brought to us as a stray(流浪狗) in 2017，” the Facebook post reads. “She needs the perfect home, not just any home.” Ingersoll said that it's been difficult finding the right one for Ginger because she has some __47__ needs that should be satisfied by a __48__  family.

Ginger is outgoing and likes sticking by. However, she has __49__  with resource guarding—meaning she can become __50__  and possessive of objects like her food bowl and toys. For that reason, RPC doesn't consider her a good __51__ for families with small children, or any children who may not be __52__ enough to recognize when they need to leave Ginger alone.

Ingersoll __53__  noted that Ginger has never bitten anyone, and RPC wants to make sure it stays that way. “Because she is such a unique and loving dog, we don't want to put her in a situation where she can __54__，” she said.

While RPC is willing to consider non­locals, any potential adopter will have to agree to a home __55__ by the shelter. “We would love nothing more than for her to have her own family right now，” said Ingersoll.

(　　)41. A. ignored    B. deserted    C. adored    D. kept

(　　)42. A. fair    B. tiny    C. accurate    D. equal

(　　)43. A. shelter    B. bowl    C. toy    D. home

(　　)44. A. leaving for    B. looking for    C. staring at    D. wondering at

(　　)45. A. worried    B. tired    C. begging    D. disbelieving

(　　)46. A. Feed    B. Adopt    C. Hug    D. Entertain

(　　)47. A. great    B. desperate    C. specific    D. common

(　　)48. A. working    B. travelling    C. royal    D. potential

(　　)49. A. fun    B. issues    C. agreements    D. contact

(　　)50. A. defensive    B. creative    C. inactive    D. attentive

(　　)51. A. fit    B. deal    C. boost    D. service

(　　)52. A. patient    B. mature    C. confident    D. extraordinary

(　　)53. A. firmly    B. cheerfully    C. disappointedly    D. humbly

(　　)54. A. obey    B. survive    C. fail    D. explore

(　　)55. A. update    B. stay    C. loan    D. check

第二节(共10小题；每小题1.5分，满分15分)

阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

At the International Grand Bazaar in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Wang Ge, a paper­cutting artist, runs a market stand where impressive examples of her work are __56__  display in the popular tourist destination.

__57__(grow) up in the region and influenced by diverse ethnic(民族的) cultures, she is committed to telling Xinjiang stories through her paper cutting while protecting and promoting __58__  traditional folk art. “Paper cutting is a __59__(combine) of folk art and daily life，” said Wang, who graduated from the art department of Xinjiang Normal University.

During her decades of paper cutting she __60__(inspire) by real­life experiences, especially those relating to ethnic culture in the region. She often travels to Kashgar, Hotan and Aksu in southern Xinjiang __61__(explore) how local ethnic people live. One of her works features 20 people __62__(dress) in traditional costumes with musical instruments in hand, singing and dancing in a grape garden. Wang saw the lively scene __63__ she was traveling in Aksu.

After the COVID­19 outbreak, Wang gave online lectures on paper cutting, attracting 100，000 viewers and teaching students __64__(able) to attend school how to cut the images of medical workers from paper. Wang said she was pleased to see pupils __65__ lacked colored paper painting the white paper red and green as an exchange art form.

第四部分　写作(共两节，满分40分)

第一节(满分15分)

假定你是校英文报主编。为积极响应节能号召，共建绿色家园，请用英语写一封以“节约用电，珍惜能源”为主题的倡议书，内容包括：

1. 节约用电的意义；

2. 日常节电的措施。

注意：

1. 词数应为80左右；

2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

Dear friends，

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

School Newspaper

第二节(满分25分)

阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段， 使之构成一篇完整的短文。

Once upon a time when I was in school my best friend called me late night on Saturday to invite me to her birthday the next day. I was very happy and excited to go there but I needed to take permission from my parents. I went to their room and slowly asked them. They said, “OK, you can go but you should be back before 10.”

Then my preparations started. I made a card for my friend and started selecting clothes for the party. Finally everything completed and I went to sleep and only one thing was there in my mind all the time—THE PARTY. I was waiting for the night to end and the party to begin.

Next morning my Mom was surprised to see that I just woke up by myself, no alarm, no Mom's warning. The whole day had passed and now it was party time. My father dropped me to my friend's place and said that he would be back at 10.

I enjoyed a lot at the party. My friend loved the card that I made for her and everybody in the party loved my dress. I was on cloud nine. We had dinner, played so many games and it was 10 finally. I remembered my parents' advice that I should be back by 10. I came out and started searching for my dad, but I could not find him. I was so worried and scared; everybody was inside, but I was alone there. I waited there for 5 to 10 minutes but waiting alone seemed to be more than the time. I started walking, and I thought at least I could go home by walking as my home was 20 minutes away from my friend's place. As I was walking I was weeping as I had never walked alone on the road at night.

注意：

1. 续写词数应为150左右；

2. 请按如下格式在相应位置作答。

Suddenly I heard someone calling something. ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

After some time I relaxed and told everything to mom. ________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________(这是边文，请据需要手工删加)

2021～2022学年高三第一学期期中试卷(盐城)

英语参考答案及听力材料

第一部分

1～5　CABBA　6～10　CBBAB　11～15　ACCBA　16～20　AACCA

第二部分

第一节

21～23　ACD　24～27　DBBA　28～31　CDDC　32～35　BBCA

第二节

36～40　BAEFG

第三部分

第一节

41～45　CADBC　46～50　BCDBA　51～55　ABACD

第二节

56. on　57. Growing　58. the　59. combination　60. has been inspired　61. to explore　62. dressed

63. when/while/as　64. unable　65. who/that

第四部分　写作

第一节

Dear friends，

There is no denying that electricity plays a great role in our society. However, with the rapid development of our country, it is being consumed too much, which threatens the sustainable economic growth.

It is high time that we saved electricity. Switch off the household appliances in time. Use the stairs as often as possible. Set the air conditioner at a reasonable temperature. All in all, form a good habit of saving electricity.

Let's make joint efforts to save energy and live a green low­carbon life.

School Newspaper

第二节

Suddenly I heard someone calling something. I was scared and started walking fast. As I was walking I heard someone following me and I started running and crying. Then I saw some cars that parked there and I hid myself behind those cars. I saw one shadow searching for me. After some time that shadow disappeared and I ran towards my home.Finally I reached home. I hugged my mom and started crying. She started asking so many questions but I was unable to answer any of them.

After some time I relaxed and told everything to mom. She got scared and while we were discussing my father came and asked what happened. As soon as I started telling him my story, he said, “I saw you and I was screaming at you but you were running away from me and suddenly you disappeared. I came late there as my tyre got flat.” My mom burst out laughing and told my dad everything. I was shocked to hear that and felt relieved. That day I slept with my parents and really felt safe and secure.

听力材料

Text 1

M: A group of us are going out for a meal tonight after work. Would you like to come with us?

W: I'm not sure what I'm doing, but thank you, I'll text you later.

Text 2

M: Where did you get that shirt? It's great and seems to be of great quality.

W: Thanks! I bought it online. And it's only $15!

M: Really? I buy books and music online, but I've never bought clothes online. I like to try things on before I buy them.

Text 3

W: What were you doing for your birthday?

M: I invited my friends and had a party. I know it's the same as what we did last year but I don't think that matters. I was going to have a group bike ride and then a picnic in the park this year, but it was canceled because of bad weather.

Text 4

M: Where are the books on American art?

W: You'll find them on the fifth floor.

M: Oh, can I take one out?

W: Yes, just bring it back to the desk to check it out.

Text 5

W: You know there's a table tennis competition at the youth club. Do you want to be my partner?

M: I'm not sure. You're much better than me.

W: Oh, come on. We might have a chance to do well. Anyway, it's not about winning. We'll play a few games. Everyone from the club will be there.

Text 6

W: So what are you going to do this weekend?

M: I'm going camping in the mountains on Saturday.

W: That'll be great fun, especially with the hot weather we're having now, but the temperatures there can really drop at night. You'd better put a jacket and a thick sweater in your backpack. Where exactly will you be going?

M: Up by the lake.

W: It's beautiful there, isn't it? But perhaps it'd be best to put your tent up somewhere else. At this time of year the mosquitoes there are awful. They never stop biting!

Text 7

M: You've got that literature exam next week, haven't you?

W: Yeah. On the morning of next Monday.

M: So how's the revision going?

W: I thought I'd be getting tired of it by now, but your suggestion that I should watch films of the books we have to study has made it more interesting and I understand the stories better.

M: That's great to hear.

W: And usually just before an important exam just like this one I feel really worried about what could go wrong on the day. This time's quite different, though.

M: I'm sure you'll do really well on Monday morning. Good luck!

Text 8

W: I have to get my brother a graduation present. He loves clothes. What do you think about this coat? It's exactly his size.

M: Hmm, I would choose blue or black, but I guess brown is okay for him.

W: That's what I thought. It's the same color as our school uniform. And the price is right.

M: How much is it?

W: It's only $30.

M: Well, that's a great price, and the size is good, but what about the style?

W: Hmm, you don't like the style?

M: No, the sleeves are wrong. I don't like that style at all.

W: Yeah, I agree, but I'm going to get it anyway because the price is so good.

M: Okay, he's your brother!

Text 9

M: I'm talking to journalist Amy Ortega about the teenage photographer Ryan Parrilla. Welcome to our program. Why, Amy, did Ryan post his early pictures on the Internet?

W: He knew other photographers usually have theirs published in magazines or exhibited in the gallery, but he hoped that with the Internet he could receive comments from the world.

M: What does he most like to photograph?

W: He recently took an amazing photo of birds following a ferry he was on while in Mexico, but Ryan grew up in New York and what he really loves is getting pictures of his city, its sights and those who live there. He considers photography an art form because it lets him catch life and ordinary people through his own eyes.

M: What kind of camera did he begin with?

W: He began to take photos when he was eight with the camera on his sister's phone. By the age of twelve, though, he began with an old camera belonging to his dad. At that time, photography was changing his life. Nowadays he always chooses from the latest models.

M: What advice does Ryan have for other young photographers?

W: He believes that thinking you can't achieve what you want while you're young is a mistake. And Ryan's amazing career shows just how true that is.

M: Well, thank you for talking to us, Amy.

Text 10

M: Good morning, everyone. I've come here to talk to you about the company's new plan to encourage employees to come to work by bike instead of by car. First of all, let's look at the benefits to employees.

One of the obvious benefits is financial—obviously it costs a lot to buy and run a car, and bicycles are much cheaper. Cyclists don't have to pay road tax or insurance. And cycling will also reduce the amount of time it takes them to get to and from work. The health benefits of the plan are probably well known. Studies have shown that cycling four miles a day halves the risk of heart disease. Another health benefit is that cycling can reduce stress, so it helps you to arrive at work or at home feeling good.

Well, let me just tell you a bit more about the plan itself. The company will lend you up to a thousand dollars to buy a bike and all the necessary safety equipment and you won't have to pay any interest or any tax on that amount.

You'll just repay it over three years. You are allowed to buy two bikes—but no more—with your loan, and that's if you live a long way from work. This allows you to cycle to your nearest station, leave one bike there, get a train, pick up the second bicycle at your arrival station, and then cycle from there to work.