2026年中考英语【时文阅读训练】特朗普访日后欲在美国推广微型“轻自动车”-Trump wants US to have tiny 'kei' cars

Trump wants US to have tiny 'kei' cars after Japan trip   (8th December 2025) A momentous change might be coming to American roads following a visit to Japan by U.S. President Donald Trump. America's ubiquitous, muscular SUVs may soon be usurped by a four-seater, 660 cc car that is hugely popular in Japan — the "kei car". President Trump seems to have developed a particular fondness for this miniature automobile. He wants to pave the way for kei cars to be manufactured in the USA. He wrote on his Truth Social website: "I have just approved tiny cars to be built in America. Manufacturers have long wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries." He added that the cars were "inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient, and quite simply, amazing". In Japan, kei cars account for around a third of all new vehicle sales. They are ideally suited to the narrow streets of Japan's bustling, densely populated cities. However, legislation needs to be passed to make the cars road-legal in the USA. The website Quartz reported that: "Most kei cars don't clear federal rules, and there are lingering concerns that the vehicles are too small and slow to be driven safely…on highways." Trump has directed his Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, to remove all barriers to their production. Mr Duffy said: "If Toyota or any other company wants to make smaller, more affordable and fuel-efficient cars, we have cleared the deck so they can…sell them in America." 1. Vocabulary Matching Paragraph 1 1. momentous a. People or companies that make products. 2. ubiquitous b. Became more common than something else. 3. usurped c. Very small; a tiny version of something. 4. fondness d. Very important. 5. miniature e. Help something happen later. 6. pave the way f. Found or seen everywhere; very common. 7. manufacturers g. A warm, happy feeling about someone or something. Paragraph 2 8. account for h. Related to a country’s main government. 9. bustling i. Staying (hanging around) for a long time; not going away. 10. densely j. Removed things/obstacles to get ready for action or for something new. 11. federal k. Full of activity and noise. 12. lingering l. Something used to carry people or things, like a car or bus. 13. vehicle m. With many people or things close together. 14. cleared the deck n. Make up part of something; constitute. 【答案】 2. TRUE / FALSE: Read the headline. Guess if “1-8” below are true (T) or false (F). 1. The article said the USA is going to make its roads narrower.     T / F 2. The maximum engine size of a Japanese kei car is 660 cc.     T / F 3. President Donald Trump wants more pavements in the USA.     T / F 4. Donald Trump said Japan's kei cars were "simply amazing".     T / F 5. Around half of all new cars in Japan are kei cars.     T / F 6. It is legal to drive kei cars on American highways.      T / F 7. Donald Trump said he wants barriers removed on American roads.     T / F 8. The US Transportation Secretary hopes the USA can sell kei cars.     T / F 【答案】 3. SYNONYM MATCH: (The words in bold are from the news article.) 1. 1. momentous 2. ubiquitous 3. usurped 4. pave the way 5. inexpensive 6. suited 7. legislation 8. lingering 9. concerns 10. fuel-efficient a. remaining b. low-priced c. very common d. laws e. prepare for f. worries g. important h. matched i. economical j. took over 【答案】 4. READING COMPREHENSION: MULTIPLE CHOICE 1)  Where did President Trump go that sparked his interest in kei cars? a) an F1 track b) Japan c) a factory d) Paris 2) What is the engine size of the kei cars? a) 999 cc b) 666 cc c) 1000 cc d) 660 cc 3) What has President Trump developed? a) a fondness for kei cars b) a new fuel c) a Trump kei car d) a new market 4) On what platform did President Trump write about the kei cars? a) X b) Substack c) Truth Social d) Reddit 5) What did President Trump say car makers have long wanted to do? a) reduce the size of their engines b) make kei cars c) sell cars in Japan d) make fuel-efficient cars 6) How many of Japan's new vehicle sales are kei cars? a) around two-thirds b) around a half c) around a third d) around three-quarters 7) What in Japan are kei cars suited to? a) mountains b) travelling long distances c) parking d) narrow streets 8) What kind of concerns are there about kei cars in the USA? a) lingering concerns b) serious concerns c) mild concerns d) legitimate concerns 9) What did President Trump ask the Transportation Secretary to remove? a) barriers b) road tolls c) car taxes d) fuel duties 10) What did the US Transportation Secretary say has been cleared? a) legislation b) the decks c) the roads d) traffic jams keys： 5. Comprehension questions 1. Where did President Trump go that sparked his interest in kei cars? 2. What is the engine size of the kei cars? 3. What has President Trump developed? 4. On what platform did President Trump write about the kei cars? 5. What did President Trump say car makers have long wanted to do? 6. How many of Japan's new vehicle sales are kei cars? 7. What in Japan are kei cars suited to? 8. What kind of concerns are there about kei cars in the USA? 9. What did President Trump ask the Transportation Secretary to remove? 10. What did the US Transportation Secretary say has been cleared? 【答案】 1. Japan 2. 660 cc 3. A particular fondness for kei cars 4. Truth Social 5. Make kei cars 6. Around a third 7. Narrow streets 8. Lingering concerns 9. Barriers 10. The decks 6. Put the words in the right order 1. change   Momentous   be   might   to   coming   roads   American   . 2. Developed  particular   a   for   fondness  miniature   this   automobile  . 3. wants   He   pave   to   way   the   keis   for   . 4. Approved   cars   tiny   America   be   to   in   built   . 5. that   added   cars   the   inexpensive   were   .   He 6. Around   third   a   all   of   vehicle   new   sales   . 7. are   They   suited   ideally   the   to   streets   narrow   . 8. Most   cars   kei   clear   don't   rules   federal   . 9. Lingering   that   concerns   vehicles   the   too   are   small   . 10. the   Cleared   so   deck   can   they   them   sell   . keys： 1. Momentous change might be coming to American roads 2. Developed a particular fondness for this miniature automobile. 3. He wants to pave the way for keis. 4. Approved tiny cars to be built in America. 5. He added that the cars were inexpensive. 6. Around a third of all new vehicle sales. 7. They are ideally suited to the narrow streets. 8. Most kei cars don't clear federal rules. 9. Lingering concerns that the vehicles are too small. 10. Cleared the deck so they can sell them. Gap fill【选做题】 Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below. usurped fondness simply coming long hugely approved pave A momentous change might be (1) _________________ to American roads following a visit to Japan by U.S. President Donald Trump. America's ubiquitous, muscular SUVs may soon be (2) ___________________ by a four-seater, 660 cc car that is (3) ______________ popular in Japan — the "kei car". President Trump seems to have developed a particular (4) __________________ for this miniature automobile. He wants to (5) _____________ the way for kei cars to be manufactured in the USA. He wrote on his Truth Social website: "I have just (6) ____________ tiny cars to be built in America. Manufacturers have (7) ________________ wanted to do this, just like they are so successfully built in other countries." He added that the cars were "inexpensive, safe, fuel efficient, and quite (8) __________, amazing". Put these words into the spaces in the paragraph below. barriers ideally federal deck account affordable lingering legal In Japan, kei cars (9) _________________ for around a third of all new vehicle sales. They are (10) _______________ suited to the narrow streets of Japan's bustling, densely populated cities. However, legislation needs to be passed to make the cars road-(11) ______________ in the USA. The website Quartz reported that: "Most kei cars don't clear (12) _______________ rules, and there are (13) ____________ concerns that the vehicles are too small and slow to be driven safely...on highways." Trump has directed his Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, to remove all (14) _______________ to their production. Mr Duffy said: "If Toyota or any other company wants to make smaller, more (15) ___________________ and fuel-efficient cars, we have cleared the (16) _______________ so they can...sell them in America." 学科网（北京）股份有限公司 $