阅读理解。
From the health point of view we are living in an amazing age We are free from many of the most
dangerous diseases. A large number of once deadly illnesses can now be cured by modern medicine.
It is almost certain that one day medicines will be found for the most stubborn remaining diseases.
The expectation of life has increased greatly. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life
is greater than ever before, every day we witness the unbelievable killing of men, women and children
on the roads. Man vs 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 steering wheel (方向盘), 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 say, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-year-olds and
completely selfish. All their hidden angers and disappointments seem to be brought to the surface by the
act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so gently on the motorist and seems to forgive his behavior.
Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable because of
heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is ruined by road networks; and
the deaths become nothing more than a number every year, to be easily forgotten.
It is high time a world rule was created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to
driving, the laws of some countries are unbelievably lax (不严整) and even the strictest are not strict
enough. A rule which was universally accepted could only have an obviously beneficial effect on the
accident rate. Here are a few examples of some of the things that might be done. The driving test should
be standardized 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 strict tests for safety each year. Even the smallest amount of
alcohol in the blood can damage a person's driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they
exist) should be made much stricter. Speed limits should be required on all roads. Governments should
lay down safety specifications for car factories, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing
power and performance should be banned. These measures may not sound good enough. But surely
nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the number of deaths. After all, the
world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
1. What is the main idea of this passage?
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 laughs at the motorists.
B. Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns.
C. Victims of accidents are nothing.
D. Society forgives their rude driving.
3. What does the author mean by saying "his car becomes the extension of his personality" in paragraph 2?
A. Driving can show his hidden qualities.
B. Driving can show the other part of his personality.
C. Driving can bring out his character.
D. Driving can represent his manners.
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 author's attitude towards the traffic situation is _____.
A. positive
B. unsatisfied
C. appealing
D. unclear
