1 . Pity the poor traffic policeman. He’s the last guy you want to see when you’re speeding down the highway. But according to a major research by scientists in Canada and California, that policeman just might be saving your life or the life of someone else.
The researchers have found that a traffic ticket reduces a driver’s chance of being involved in a disastrous accident greatly. The effect doesn’t last long, however. Within months, the lead foot is back on the pedal and the risk of killing yourself or someone else is back up to where it was before that policeman stared you in the eye and wrote out that expensive ticket. It is back to business as usual for most motorists.
Traffic tickets save thousands of lives every year. Yet traffic laws are applied infrequently, almost as if by whim (心血来潮), partly because people just don’t like traffic policemen, and there are lots of other things for the government to spend money on than applying highway safety laws.
Researches looked at the month prior to a disastrous accident, and the number of traffic convictions (定罪), and then the same month in the year before. They found there were fewer tickets in the month before a disastrous accident than there were a year before, which suggests there’s a protective effect of having a ticket.
The scientists also turned up some surprising results. “Most of the crashes did not involve alcohol,” they reported. “The relative risk reduction associated with traffic convictions was remarkably consistent among women and men, regardless of age, prior driving record, and other personal data. Men, however, were involved in far more disastrous accidents than women and the most accident-prone (有倾向的) age was between 30 and 50.”
They also pointed out that most crashes could have been prevented by a small difference in driver behavior. So the next time you see that policeman in your rear-view mirror, give him or her a broad smile.
1. How will the drivers probably behave months after having traffic tickets?A.Drive more attentively than before. | B.Return to where accidents happened. |
C.Escape a spot check for alcohol. | D.Drive as fast as they did before. |
A.They have saved thousands of lives so far. |
B.They are not favored by traffic policemen. |
C.They are carried out consistently and sufficiently. |
D.They are not the priority of the government’s budget. |
A.Traffic tickets can guarantee safe driving. |
B.It is necessary to reduce traffic convictions. |
C.Disastrous accidents will decline with more traffic tickets given. |
D.Tickets’ protective effect can be found before disastrous accidents. |
A.Its results applied to both men and women. |
B.None of the traffic crashes involved alcohol. |
C.Women aged 30 to 50 caused more disastrous accidents. |
D.Drivers were used to looking at the mirrors while driving. |
1. What is the man going to do in Paris?
A.To play tennis. | B.To have an interview. | C.To go to university. |
A.By train. | B.By taxi. | C.By car. |
A.At 4:50. | B.At 5:05. | C.At 5:15. |
A.Traffic accidents. | B.Sci-fi movies. | C.Flying ambulances. |
1. Why does the man make the call?
A.To reschedule his plane tickets. |
B.To confirm his flight information. |
C.To inquire about discount tickets. |
A.His five-day meeting. | B.His departure time. | C.The rigid rules. |
A.Asking another airline. | B.Accepting a regular ticket. | C.Giving up the meeting. |
A.10 minutes. | B.15 minutes. | C.25 minutes. |
1. Where did the woman meet a foreigner?
A.In the street. | B.In a shop. | C.At a bus station. |
A.Happy and confident. | B.Excited and nervous. | C.Excited and calm. |
A.With a map she drew. | B.With a map she bought. | C.With a map she found. |
8 . Remember solar roadways, where solar panels were embedded (嵌入) in roads? The idea of the solar roadway seems attractive because the solar resource is everywhere, and someday there will be a lot of electric cars that will need charging. But for me, the idea has little to recommend it. There is another kind of road — the railway — that might be a much better place for solar panels. And that’s what is happening in Germany, where the British company Bankset Energy is installing solar panels between the rails.
As estimated, 100 kilowatts of electricity can be generated per kilometer of railway line. Since the rail network in Germany is over 60,000 kilometers long, the power that can be generated is comparable to the output of five nuclear power plants in total.
But, why is putting solar panels is a railway better than a roadway? Trains generally stay on the rails, so there is no need to have solar panels designed to take any serious load. Although there is a serious amount of vibration, the panels wouldn’t shake apart. Railways usually own their rights of way and restrict access, so they have much better control. They also own the electrical infrastructure, which is right overhead and can directly use the electricity. German railways have been trying to justify hydrogen-powered trains because it was too expensive to electrify many of their lines. Turning their rail beds into power sources might change the economics.
On the other hand, rail rights of way are generally a lot wider than the tracks; it might make more sense to fix the panels next to the tracks, pointing in the right direction instead of lying flat. German Rail is already a huge consumer of solar power from more conventional installations.
1. What does the author think of solar roadways?A.He thinks they are attractive. |
B.He shows disapproval of them. |
C.He believes they are underused. |
D.He figures they are energy-saving. |
A.The solar railway has won wide recognition. |
B.Germany is leading the world in rail transportation. |
C.Fixing solar panels on railways in better than on roadways. |
D.The solar railway has great potential for generating electricity. |
A.The length of the railway. |
B.The lower installation costs. |
C.The safety of the solar panels. |
D.The wider use of the electricity. |
A.German roadways start to go downhill. |
B.Solar railways are coming down the line. |
C.German railway are facing a great challenge. |
D.Solar energy becomes a cost-competitive alternative. |
1. What does the man want to do?
A.Make a reservation. | B.Change his flight. | C.Cancel his order. |
A.On January 13th. | B.On January 14th. | C.On January 15th. |
A.The shopkeeper can help. |
B.He is not interested in art. |
C.He knows the area very well. |