There is extraordinary exposure in the United States to the risks of injury and death from motor vehicle accidents. More than 80 percent of all households own passenger cars or light trucks and each of these is driven an average of more than 11, 000 miles each year. Almost one-half of fatally injured drivers have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0. 1 percent or higher. For the average adult, over five ounces of 80 proof spirits would have to be consumed over a short period of time to attain these levels. A third of drivers who have been drinking, but fewer than 4 percent of all drivers, demonstrate these levels. Although less than 1 percent of drivers with BACs of 0. 1 percent or more are involved in fatal crashes, the probability of their involvement is 27 times higher than for those without alcohol in their blood.
There are a number of different approaches to reducing injuries in which intoxication plays a role. Based on the observation that excessive consumption correlates with the total alcohol consumption of a country’s population, it has been suggested that higher taxes on alcohol would reduce both. While the heavier drinkers would be taxed the most, anyone who drinks at all would be penalized by this approach.
To make drinking and driving a criminal offense is an approach directed only at intoxicated drivers. In some states, the law empowers police to request breath tests of drivers cited for any traffic offense and elevated BAC can be the basis for arrest. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates, however, that even with increased arrests, there are about 700 violations for every arrest. At this level there is little evidence that laws serve as deterrents to drinking while intoxicated. In Britain, motor vehicle fatalities fell 25 percent immediately following implementation of the Road Safety Act in 1967. As the British increasingly recognized that they could drink and not be stopped, the effectiveness declined, although in the ensuing three years the fatality rate seldom reached that observed in the seven years prior to the Act.
Whether penalties for driving with a high BAC or excessive taxation on consumption of alcoholic beverages will deter the excessive drinkers responsible for most fatalities is unclear. In part, the answer depends on the extent to which those with high BACs involved in crashes are capable of controlling their intake in response to economic or penal threat. Therapeutic programs which range from individual and group counseling and psychotherapy to chemotherapy constitute another approach, but they have not diminished the proportion of accidents in which alcohol was a factor. In the few controlled trials that have been reported, there is little evidence that rehabilitation programs for those repeatedly arrested for drunken behavior have reduced either the recidivism or crash rates. Thus far, there is no firm evidence that Alcohol Safety Action Project supported programs, in which rehabilitation measures are requested by the court, have decreased recidivism or crash involvement for clients exposed to them, although knowledge and attitudes have improved. One thing is clear, however, unless we deal with automobile and highway safety and reduce accidents in which alcoholic intoxication plays a role, many will continue to die.
1.The author is primarily concerned with( ) .
2.It can be inferred that the 1967 Road Safety Act in Britain( ) .
3.The author cites the British example in order to( ) .
4.The author’s closing remarks can best be described as( ) .
问题1选项
A.interpreting the results of surveys on traffic fatalities
B.reviewing the effectiveness of attempts to curb drunk driving
C.suggesting reasons for the prevalence of drank driving in the United States
D.analyzing the causes of the large number of annual traffic fatalities
问题2选项
A.changed an existing law to lower the BAC level which defined driving while intoxicated
B.made it illegal to drive while intoxicated
C.increased the number of drunk driving arrests
D.placed a tax on the sale of alcoholic drinks
问题3选项
A.prove that a slight increase in the number of arrests of intoxicated drivers will not deter drunk driving
B.prove that stricter enforcement of laws against intoxicated drivers would reduce traffic deaths
C.show that the problem of drunk driving is worse in Britain than in the U. S.
D.suggest that taxation of alcohol consumption may be more effective than criminal laws
问题4选项
A.ironic
B.indignant
C.indifferent
D.indecisive
第1题:
1.【选项释义】
1. The author is primarily concerned with ______. 1. 作者主要关注______。
A. interpreting the results of surveys on traffic fatalities A. 解释交通事故死亡调查结果
B. reviewing the effectiveness of attempts to curb drunk driving B. 评论管制酒后驾驶的成效
C. suggesting reasons for the prevalence of drank driving in the United States C. 提出酒驾在美国盛行的原因
D. analyzing the causes of the large number of annual traffic fatalities D. 分析每年交通事故死亡人数众多的原因
【考查点】主旨大意题。
【解题思路】通读全文可知,第一段先指出交通事故是由酒后开车的司机造成的,第二段提到有人建议采用两种办法来遏制这一问题,即征税和针对酒后驾驶的法律,最后两段阐明所采用的这些措施都没有明显的效果,综合理解可知,作者主要关注的是评论对管制酒后驾驶的措施的成效,B项正确。
【干扰项排除】
A项“解释交通事故死亡调查结果”和D项“分析每年交通事故死亡人数众多的原因”只是部分提及,属于以偏概全;
C项“提出酒驾在美国盛行的原因”在文中没有体现,属于无中生有。
第2题:
2.【选项释义】
2. It can be inferred that the 1967 Road Safety Act in Britain ______. 2. 可以推断,英国1967年《道路安全法》______。
A. changed an existing law to lower the BAC level which defined driving while intoxicated A. 修改了现行法律,降低了界定醉酒驾驶的血液酒精浓度水平
B. made it illegal to drive while intoxicated B. 规定醉酒驾车是违法的
C. increased the number of drunk driving arrests C. 增加了酒后驾驶被捕的人数
D. placed a tax on the sale of alcoholic drinks D. 对酒精饮料的销售征税
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】根据题干定位至第三段,由第一句“将酒后驾车定为刑事犯罪是针对醉酒司机的一种方法”,以及倒数第二句“在英国,1967年《道路安全法》实施后,机动车死亡人数立即下降了25%”,综合理解可推断,英国的《道路安全法》认为酒后驾车是违法的。选项B符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A项“修改了现行法律,降低了界定醉酒驾驶的血液酒精浓度水平”在该段没有提到,无中生有;
C项“增加了酒后驾驶被捕的人数”是美国一些州执行的措施的结果,属于张冠李戴;
D项“对酒精饮料的销售征税”在文中有提及,但不是英国1967年《道路安全法》中的规定,张冠李戴。
第3题:
3.【选项释义】
3. The author cites the British example in order to ______. 3. 作者为了______引用了英国的例子。
A. prove that a slight increase in the number of arrests of intoxicated drivers will not deter drunk driving A. 证明被逮捕的醉酒司机数量的轻微增加并不能阻止醉酒驾驶
B. prove that stricter enforcement of laws against intoxicated drivers would reduce traffic deaths B. 证明对醉酒司机实施更严格的执法将减少交通死亡人数
C. show that the problem of drunk driving is worse in Britain than in the U. S. C. 表明英国的醉驾问题比美国严重
D. suggest that taxation of alcohol consumption may be more effective than criminal laws D. 建议对酒精消费征税可能比刑法更有效
【考查点】推理判断题。
【解题思路】首先定位至第三段的内容:在一些州,法律授权警察要求对任何交通违规的司机进行呼气测试,血液酒精浓度升高可以作为逮捕的依据。然而,美国国家公路交通安全管理局估计,即使逮捕人数有所增加,每一次逮捕中仍有约700起违规行为。在这个层面上,几乎没有证据表明法律可以阻止醉酒驾车。在英国,1967年《道路安全法》实施后,机动车辆死亡人数立刻下降了25%。尽管在随后的三年里死亡率很少达到法案之前七年的水平,但随着英国人越来越认识到他们可以喝酒,而且不会被阻止,法律的制约效果下降了。从中可知,即使美国的一些州的法律授权警察对交通违规的司机进行酒精呼气检查,作为逮捕的依据,但酒驾被捕的人数上升了,所以法律对于阻止醉酒驾驶方面没有什么效果,接着作者以1967年英国颁布的《道路安全法》为例证明了法律对限制酒驾是没有多大作用的。因此,A项“证明被逮捕的醉酒司机数量的轻微增加并不能阻止醉酒驾驶”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
B项“证明对醉酒司机实施更严格的执法将减少交通死亡人数”和C项“表明英国的醉驾问题比美国严重”根据解题思路可知,该两项与原文表述不符,曲解原文;
D项“建议对酒精消费征税可能比刑法更有效”根据解题思路可知,与题干无关,属于张冠李戴。
第4题:
4.【选项释义】
4. The author’s closing remarks can best be described as ______. 4. 作者的结束语可以用______来描述。
A. ironic A. 讽刺的
B. indignant B. 愤愤不平的
C. indifferent C. 冷漠的
D. indecisive D. 犹豫不决的
【考查点】观点态度题。
【解题思路】首先定位至文章最后一句“然而,有一件事是明确的(One thing is clear),除非(unless)我们处理汽车和公路的安全问题,减少醉酒造成的事故,否则许多人将继续死亡”,从One thing is clear(有一件事是明确的)和unless可以看出,作者对于交通安全问题是愤愤不平的,B项正确。
【干扰项排除】A项“讽刺的”、C项“冷漠的”和D项“犹豫不决的”根据解题思路可知,表述与原文不符,曲解原文。