Passage seven(Stricter Traffic Law can Prevent Accidents)

  From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. We are immunized from birth against many of the most dangerous diseases. A large number of once fatal illnesses can now be cured by modern drugs and surgery. It is almost certain that one day remedies will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases. The expectation of life has increased enormously. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter¹ of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus² the motor-car ! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.

  It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering³ wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man’s very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and utterly⁴ selfish. All their hidden frustrations⁵, disappointments and jealousies⁶ seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.

  The surprising thing is that society smiles so benignly⁷ on the motorist and seems to condone⁸ his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of heavy tragic⁹; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is desecrated¹⁰ by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic¹¹, to be conveniently forgotten.

  It is high time a world code were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are notoriously lax and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a dramatically beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized¹² and made far more difficult than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through stringent¹³ annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair¹⁴ 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 all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications¹⁵ for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising¹⁶ stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound inordinately¹⁷ harsh. But surely nothing should be considered as to severe if tit results in reducing the annual toll¹⁸ 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 condones¹⁹ their rude driving.

3.       Why does the author say:’ his car becomes the extension of his personality?’
[A] Driving can show his real self.
[B] Driving can show the other part of his personality.
[C] Driving can bring out his character.
[D] His car embodies²⁰ his temper.

4.       Which of the followings is NOT mentioned as a way against traffic accidents?
[A] Build more highways.
[B] Stricter driving tests.
[C] Test drivers every three years.
[D] raise age limit and lay down safety specifications.

5.       The attitude of the author is
[A] ironical²¹
[B] critical
[C] appealing
[D] militant²²

Vocabulary

1.       immunise                       使免疫，使免除   

2.       expectation of life = life expectancy                     平均寿命

3.       versus = against             对顶，反对

4.       mutilate                         伤害

5.       wilful                            任性的，固执的

6.       benign                           宽厚的，仁慈的

7.       condone                        宽容

8.       desecrate                       亵渎，玷污

9.       code                             法规，规定，惯例

10.   stringent                        严格的，紧急的，迫切的

11.   performance                  演出，成品，这里是指car’s behavior such as speed, function etc.可译成行为，汽车行为、功能等。

难句译注

1.       Man versus the motor-car ! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing.
【参考译文】人和汽车对抗！这是一场人类永远是输家的无休止的战斗。

2.       All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned.
【参考译文】应当禁止所有强调力量和表现行为的广告。

写作方法与文章大意

文章论述“交通事故”，采用因果、对比手法。从人的平均寿命增加和交通事故率成正比谈起，触及事故率上升的原因，要求制定更严格的法规予以制止种种造成事故的不良行为。

答案详解

1.       D 只有更严格的交通法规才能制止交通事故。这在最后一段的结论中体现的最清楚。前面几段只是讲造成事故的种种原因。其目的就是：“是制定世界交通法规以减少无谓的生命浪费的时候了。对于开车，有些国家的法规太松弛，甚至最严格的国家也不够严格。世界公认之法律只可能对交通事故率起大大降低的作用（有非常好的效果。）”这里列出几件要干的事：“驾驶测试应当标准化，比现在的要严格；所有死机每三年考核一次；年轻人驾车的允许年龄应提高到21岁；全部机动车每年都应经过严格的安全测试（测定其安全性）……这些步骤可能听起来异常严厉，可是，如果其结果事减少每年死伤人数的话，就不存在什么太严格的事了。”
A. 主要是机动车死机造成的交通事故。 B. 全世界每年有几千人丧生。 C. 有些国家的交通法规太松弛。这三道答案都是文中谈到某一点，不能作为中心目的。

2.       D 社会宽容这种野蛮开车行径。答案就在第三段：“令人惊讶的是社会对司机宽厚地笑笑，似乎宽容他们的行为。一切都为他们的方便而干。人们允许城市由于交通拥挤而几乎不能居住了，大型停车场把城镇“弄得”丑陋不堪，公路网玷污了乡村，每年大量的杀伤仅仅成为统计数字，被很容易地忘记。”
A. 社会对司机笑容可掬。B. 大型停车场建在市和镇上。C. 交通死难者等于零。这三项都只是第三段的一个个具体事实。社会正是通过这一件件事来宽容司机野蛮开车，而造成事故。

3.       A “他的车就是他个性的外延”这句话就体现了“开车表现他真正的自我，真实的个性”。第二段讲的很清楚：“这么说完全正确：当一个人坐在方向盘后，他的车就成为他个性的外延。毫无疑问，汽车常常表现了人之最坏的品质。平常很安详愉快的人一坐在方向盘后可能就变得难以认识。他们咒骂、行为差劲、好斗、固执、任性得就像两岁的孩子。他们所有隐藏的失落、失望和忌妒感，似乎都在开车中暴露出来”。
B. 表现他个性的另一面。 C. 表现了他的性格。 D. 他的车体现了他的脾气秉性。只是表现自我中的某个事实。

4.       A 只有建更多高速公路。没有提。
B. 更难的测试。C. 每三年对司机进行一次考察。 D. 提高年龄段和制定安全条例。都提到。见第一题译注。

5.       B 批评的态度。文章第一、二、三段指出了造成交通事故的原因，呼吁各国制定严格的交通法规，批评现有的交通法规松弛不严格，最后指出世界是人类的，不是摩托车的等等，都说明作者对上述种种都具批评的态度。
A. 讽刺的。 C. 哀求的、呼吁的。 D. 富有战斗性的。