2024年专四阅读练习：交通法规

2024-04-24 16:50:03来源：网络

　　新东方在线专四专八频道给大家整理的相关内容，希望能够对大家的专四专八考试备考有所帮助，更多有关专四专八的备考内容，欢迎随时关注新东方在线专四专八频道。

　　交通法规

　　From the health point of view we are living in amarvelous age. We are immunized from birthagainst many of the most dangerous diseases. Alarge number of once fatal illnesses can now becured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almostcertain that one day remedies will be found for themost stubborn remaining diseases. Theexpectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long andhappy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle whichman is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and weare quietly sitting back and letting it happen.

　　It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomesthe extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man'svery worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizablewhen they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments andjealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.

　　The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly on the motorist and seems to condonehis behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almostuninhabitable because of heavy tragic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; thecountryside is desecrated by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothingmore than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.

　　It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. Withregard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest arenot strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramaticallybeneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some the things that mightbe done. The driving test should be standardized and made far more difficult than it is; all thedrivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young peopleare allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be putthrough stringent annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the bloodcan impair a person's driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be mad much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on allroads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers, as has been donein the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. Thesemeasures may sound inordinately harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as to severeif tit results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.

　　1. The main idea of this passage is

　　[A] Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists.

　　[B] Thousands of people the world over are killed each year.

　　[C] The laws of some countries about driving are too lax.

　　[D] Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents.

　　2. What does the author think of society toward motorists?

　　[A] Society smiles on the motorists.

　　[B] Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns.

　　[C] Victims of accidents are nothing.

　　[D] Society condones their rude driving.

　　3. Why does the author say: 'his car becomes the extension of his personality?'

　　[A] Driving can show his real self.