In January commuters voted Birmingham New Street one of Britain’s worst railway stations. Each day nearly 150,000 people move th

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问题     In January commuters voted Birmingham New Street one of Britain’s worst railway stations. Each day nearly 150,000 people move through a structure built for half as many. But by next year it will be transformed, with 400 tonnes of undulating steel cladding and a vaguely eyeball appearance. The station will have "the wow factor" , boasts Sir Albert Bore, the leader of Birmingham city council. It will also show how much attitudes to railway stations have changed.
    Railway stations are the chief exception to the rule that Britain invests too little in infrastructure. Of the 17 big termini managed by Network Rail, the owner of Britain’s tracks, 11 are being redeveloped or have recently been completed. Five other stations, including Reading and Northampton, are being spruced up by local councils and Network Rail.
    Some simply need to be expanded: the number of train journeys has risen by 35% since 2005. But the design of New Street suggests aspirations well beyond more easeful travel. The building would not look out of place in Dubai and is striking, if slightly incongruous, in the grey West Midlands. City planners wanted something monumental, like Grand Central station in New York, says Sir Bernard Zissman, chairman of the independent design panel.
    " Twenty or thirty years ago business people were more likely to arrive in a city by car," explains Jon Neale of Jones Lang LaSalle, a property specialist. Town planners duly carved out motorways and roundabouts to entice them. In 1962 a local politician claimed that a new design for Birmingham, involving an inner ring road, would make it "one of the finest city centres in Europe".
    Cities now measure their appeal by their stations. Businesses cluster around them: at King’s Cross, a once-nasty part of north London, a postcode has been created for all the new buildings around the station, which was redeveloped in 2013. John Lewis, an upmarket department store, will open in the mall above New Street along with 60 other shops. The council hopes it will pull in visitors to the city.
    Such ambition recalls the stations of the 19th century. Those structures "spoke to the corporate sensibility of a city," says Tristram Hunt, an MP and historian, by combining commerce with the sheen of civic pride. The first New Street station, built in 1851, had the largest single-span roof in the country at the time. It was torn down by enthusiastic town planners in the 1960s. Now some of its original lustre may return.
According to the text, which one of the following is NOT true?

选项 A、New Street station was and will be rebuilt.
B、There will be a host of stores above New Street station.
C、King’s Cross has been prosperous for several centuries.
D、The government hopes the new station will draw visitors to the city.

答案C

解析 根据出题顺序和选项中的New Street,King’s Cross等词定位到最后两段。选项[A]对应最后一段倒数第二、三两句:The first New Street station,built in 1851,had the largestsingle—span roof in the country at the time.It was torn down by enthusiastic town planners in the1960s.由此可见20世纪60年代该车站被重建,而文章首段第三句提到by next year it(New Street station)will be transformed,由此可见New Street station将在明年重建,说明该项“重建过和将要重建”的表达是正确的。选项[B]对应第五段倒数第二句:John Lewis,an upmarket department store,will open in the mall above New Street along with 60 other shops.该项正确。选项[C]对应第五段第一、二行:at King’s Cross,a once—nasty part of north Lon—don,其中once—nasty part“曾经污秽的地方”与该项has been prosperous“一直很繁荣”表述不一致,该项错误。选项[D]对应第五段最后一句:The council hopes it will pull in visitors tothe city.其中the government=the council;draw visitors to the city=pull in visitors to the city;故该项正确。综上,该题答案为[C]。
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