Maybe ten-year-old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father,“But,Dad,you can’t be healthy if you’re dead?”
Dad,in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run,had forgotten to wear his safety belt——a mistake 75% of the US population make every day.The big question is why.
There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago.The following are three of the most common.
Myth Number One:It’s best to be“thrown clear”of a serious accident.
Truth:Sorry,but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear”is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing.And chances are you’ll have traveled through a windshield(挡风玻璃)or door to do it.Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty-five times greater in cases where people are“thrown clear.”
Myth Number Two:Safety belts“trap”people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.
Truth:Sorry again,but studies show that people knocked unconscious(昏迷)due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents,People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situations,not to be trapped in them.
Myth Number Three:Safety belts aren’t needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour(mph).
Truth:When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other,an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving headfirst into the ground from a height of 10 meters.
小题1:Why did Elizabeth say to her father,“But Dad,you can’t be healthy if you’re dead”?
A．He didn’t have his safety belt on.
B．He was running across the street.
C．He was driving at great speed
D．He didn’t take his medicine on time.小题2:The reason Father was in a hurry to get home was that he____.
A．wasn’t feeling very well
B．wanted to take some exereise
C．hated to drive in the dark
D．didn’t want to be caught by the police小题3:According to the text,to be “thrown clear”of a serious accident is very dangerous
because you_____.
A．may be knocked down by other cars
B．may get caught in the car door
C．may find it impossible to get away from the seat
D．may get seriously hurt being thrown out of the car小题4:Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe__.
A．they will be unable to think clearly in an accident
B．the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident
C．they will be caught when help comes
D．cars catch fire easily小题5:What is the advice given in the text?
A．Never drive faster than 30 miles an hour.
B．Never forget to wear the safety belt while driving.
C．Try your best to save yourself in a car accident.
D．Drive slowly while you’re not wearing a safety belt.
