Thailand is more than that in the West.Petrol is also reasonably priced in Thailand，more expensive than American prices，but much cheaper than what is paid in Europe.In the past，Bangkok could be a difficult place to drive in-signs were generally in Thai only，making it a hard job to find exactly where you were by looking around.But now，the situation is improved.In a lot of places，even the farthest corners of the country，street signs are in both Thai and English.

　　24．To a foreigner，the cheapest way to get around Thailand is renting a .

　　　A．car B．taxi C．bike D．motorbike

　　25．What is the writer's advice about taking a taxi in Thailand?

　　　A．To take a taxi driving on the road.

　　　B．To take a taxi parked outside hotels.

　　　C．To make sure there is a meter in it.

　　　D．To bargain with the driver over the price.

　　26．It was difficult to drive in Bangkok in the past because .

　　　A．there were too many traffic jams on the roads

　　　B．there were no signs showing directions

　　　C．the signs were written only in their own language

　　　D．the quality of the roads was not good

　　27．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

　　　A．Renting a car to get around Thailand is very expensive.

　　　B．Tourists can only rent a motorbike in the beaches and islands.

　　　C．The price of petrol in Thailand is lower than that in Europe.

　　　D．Cars in Thailand are cheaper than those in the West.

　　　　　　　　　　　　　C

　　In the United States，most children begin attending school when they are five years old. Public education is free and most children go to school near their homes.School in these early years is fun.Children learn to read and write.And they also play games and go on trips.There is no reason at such an early age for them to hit the books.

　　The situation changes as children become older.The subjects become more difficult.Students must learn about world history，algebra(代数)，and the life sciences.Tests become more common.Pressure is growing to hit the books，study hard，and advance.However，most serious students only really begin hitting the books for long hours when they reach high school.

　　High school students who hope to continue their education at a college or university must take a special national test called the S­A­T.The test has two parts.The first part tests the students' ability with numbers and mathematical skills.The second part tests the students' ability in the English language.

　　The S­A­T test is very important.A high school student who gets a high score on the two parts of the test has a good chance to enter a top American college.For this reason，many students hit the books for months to prepare for the S­A­T.

　　28．From the test，we can see "hitting the books" means ________.

A．working hard for the future

B．studying a subject carefully

C．reading books in a hurry

D．reading books with great effort