Drunken driving - sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder -

Drunkendriving — sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder — hasbecome a national epidemic (流行病). Every hour of every day about three Americans on average arekilled by drunken drivers, adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past tenyears. A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with 0.10-blood alcoholcontent or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk withintwo hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manlyimage and judges were lenient in most courts, but the drunken killinghas recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially concerningyoung children, that public opinion is no longer so tolerant.

    Twenty states have raisedthe legal drinking age to 21, reversing a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18-20years old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped it back to 21.

    Reformers, however, fearraising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied byeducational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes”about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.

    Though new laws have ledto increased arrests and tests in many areas already, to a marked decline inaccidents, some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too manydrinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more doublebrandies to a customer who was “obviously drunk” and later drove off the road,killing a 9-year-old boy.

    As the accidents continueto occur daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak wellof the 13 years national prohibition of alcohol that began in 1919, whichPresident Hoover called the “noble experiment”. They forgot that legal prohibitiondidn’t stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption（腐败) and organized crime. As with thebooming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution.

1.What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?

A. many driverswere not of legal age.

B. youngdrivers were often bad drivers.

C. Driversshould not be allowed to drink.

D. the legaldrinking age should be raised.

2. The underlined word “lenient” in the first paragraph means “_________”.

A. serious         B. cruel          C. merciful        D. determined

3. InAmerica, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because __________.

A. judges aregiving more severe sentences

B. new lawsare introduced in some states

C. the newsmedia have highlighted the problem

D. drivers aremore conscious of their image

4. Why is the problem of drinking and driving difficult to solve？

A. Becausealcohol is easily obtained.

B. Becausedrinking is linked to organized crime.

C. Becauselegal prohibition has already failed.

D. Because making laws alone is not sufficient.

试题答案

【答案】

1.D2.C3.C4.D

【解析】略