The Ford motor companys abandonment of electric cars effectively signals the end of the road for the technology，analysts say.
General Motors。and Hondaceased production of battery.powered cars in 1 999, to focus on fuel cell and hybrid electric gasoline engines, which are more attractive to the consumer.Ford has now announced it will do the same.
Three years ago.the company introduced the Think City twoseater car and a golf cart called the THINK, or Think Neighbor.It hoped to sell 5，000 cars each year and 10，000 carts.But a lack of demand means only about l，000 of the cars have been produced，and less than 1。700 carts have been sold so far in 2002.
The bottom line is we dont believe that this is the future of environment transport for the mass market.Tim Holmes of Ford Europe said on Friday.We feel we have given electric our best shot
The Think City has a range of only about 53 miles and up to a six-hour battery recharge time.General MotorsEVI electric vehicle also had a limited range。of about 100 miles.
The very expensive batteries also mean electric cars cost much more than petrol-powered alternatives.An electric Toyot~RAV4 EV vehicle costs over$42，000 in the US, compared with just $17，000 for the petrol version.Toyota and Nissanare now the only major auto manufacturers to produce electric vehicles.
There is a feeling that battery electric has been given its chance.Ford now has to move on with its hybrid program，and that is what we will be judging them on，Roger Higman，a senior transport campaigner at UK Friends of the Earth，told the Environment News Service.
Hybrid cars introduced by Toyota and Honda in the past few years have sold well.Hybrid engines Offer Greater mileage than petrolonly engines , and the batteries recharge themselves. Ford says it thinks such vehicles will help it meet planned new guidelineson vehicle emissions in the U.S.
However,it is not yet clear exactly what those guidelines will permit.In June，General Motors and Daimler Chrysler won a court injunction，delaying by two years Californian legislation requiring carmakers to offer 100，000 zero-emission and other lowemission vehicles in the state by 2003.Car manufacturers hope the legislation will be rewritten to allow for more low--emission，rather than zeroemission，vehicles.
1. What have the Ford motor company.General Motors and Honda done concerning electric cars?
A)They have started to produce electric cars.
B)They have done extensive research on electric Cars
C)They have given up producing electric cars.
D)They have produced thousands of electric Cars
2. According to Tim Holmes of Ford Europe，battery-powered cars
A)will be the main transportation vehicles in the future
B)will not be the main transportation vehicles in the future.
C)will be good to the environment in the future
D)will replace petrolpowered vehicles in the future.
3. Which auto manufacturers are still producing electric vehicles?
A)Toyota and Nissan
B)General Motors and Honda
C)Ford and Toyota
D)Honda and Toyota
4. According to the eighth paragraph，hybrid cars
A)offer fewer mileage than petrol driven cars
B)run faster than petrol driven cars
C)run more miles than petrol driven cars
D)offer more batteries than petrol driven cars
5. Which of the following is true about the hope of car manufacturers according to the last paragraph?
A)Low-emission cars should be banned.
B)Only zero-emission cars are allowed to run on motorways.
C)The legislation will encourage car makers to produce more electric cars.
D)The legislation will allow more 10w.emission to be produced.
参考答案:
1.C 第一段第一个句子告诉我们福特汽车公司放弃了电动汽车，第二段说通用汽车公司和本田汽车公司停止生产电动汽车。
2.B 第四段第一个句子是Tim Holmes对电动汽车未来的评价，他认为未来的交通运输的大众市场不可能是电动汽车。
3.A 答案的依据是第六段最后一句。
4.C 答案的依据是倒数第二段第二句.
5.D 答案的依据是文章的最后一句：the legislation will be written to allow for low-emission, rather than zero-emission, vehicles.