Drunken driving(sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder)has become a national epidemic．Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers,adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years．A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with O.1O -blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours．Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the America manly image and judges were lenient in most courts ,but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies ,especially concerning young children ,that public opinion is no longer so tolerant
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21，reversing trend(逆转潮流)in the 1960s to reduce It to 18.After New Jersey lowered it to 18，the number of people killed by 18-20-year-old drivers more than doubled ,so the state recently upped it back to 21．
Reformers，however ,fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests many areas already ,to a marked drop in accidents，some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks．A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was“obviously drunk” and later drove the road, killing a nine-year-old boy ．
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state , some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition(禁令)of alcohol that began in 1919，which President Hoover called the“noble experiment”。They forgot that legal prohibition didn't stop drinking ,but encouraged political corruption(腐败)and organized crime．As with the booming drug trade generally ,there is no easy solution．
73．What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
A．Young drivers were usually bad．
B．The legal drinking age should be raised．
C．Some drivers didn't surprise the legal drinking age．
D．Drivers should not be allowed to drink．
74．The underlined word“lenient”in the first paragraph means
A．merciful B．cruel C．serious D. determined
75. As regards drunken driving , public opinion has changed because
A. judges are no longer lenient
B．new laws are introduced in some states
C．drivers do not appreciate their manly image
D．the news media have raised public attention of the problem
| PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER WANTED A well-known printing company, now well established in the UK and in the Far East, wishes to set up a manufacturing base in Europe. An experienced manager, responsible to the Production Director, is required to assist in setting up the department and will then take charge of the day-to-day work. The successful applicant will have had experience of modern methods and machines especially in the printing, multicolour work and finishing processes, he / she will have had at least three years’ experience in cost-effective management. A good working knowledge of English is essential. We offer excellent pay and prospects, with 4 week’s holiday a year plus public holidays, a company car, and a company pension scheme(养老金制度). Interviews will be arranged in the nearest city to applicant’s home. Write, with CV, to the Personnel Manager, Box 32507, Daily News, Kemsworth Street, Comston. United Kingdom SG186 37AH. |
| ASSISTANT PRINT PRODUCTION MANAGER An internationally recognized printing company is seeking to set up a manufacturing plant in Europe. We are appointing an assistant (male or female) to our Print Production Manager. The job-holder will carry out duties involving the buying of paper and of finishing equipment, will liaise (联络) with the supervisors of the various production lines, and will assist the Production Manager. At least three years’ experience on one or more lines as well as supervisory experience is needed. A working knowledge of English is required to communicate with colleagues in the UK. We offer excellent pay, prospects, holidays, pension scheme, sick pay, etc. Write to the Manager, Box 3526. Broad Street, Northby, Millshire BK 57PX. |
Both the printing companies ______.
| A．are well-known all over the world | B．require at least three years’ experience |
| C．offer excellent pay and sick pay | D．prefer to hire a man manager |
According to the first advertisement, the applicant living in a small village will ______.
| A．get in touch with the Personal Manager by telephone | |
| B．get the result on TV | C．be interviewed in a city |
| D．write to Box 3526 to get more information |
We can infer from the two advertisements that ______.
| A．the companies want to do business in Europe and Far East. |
| B．cars are necessary for the successful applicants. |
| C．the companies haven’t got telephones to save money. |
| D．applicants should write to the company first. |
The British National Health Service (NHS) was set up in 1948 and was designed to provide equal basic health care, free of charge, for everybody in the country. Before this time health care had to be paid for by individuals.
Nowadays central government is directly responsible for the NHS although it is administered by local health authorities. About 83 percent of the cost of the health service is paid for by general taxation and the rest is met from the National Insurance contributions paid by those in work. There are charges for prescription and dental care but many people, such as children, pregnant women, pensioners, and those on Income Support, are exempt from payment.
Most people are registered with a local doctor (a GP, or General Practitioner) who is increasingly likely to be part of a health centre which serves the community.
As the population of Britain gets older, the hospital service now treats more patients than before, although patients spend less time in hospital. NHS hospitals—many of which were built in the nineteenth century—provide nearly half a million beds and have over 480, 000 medical staff. The NHS is the biggest employer in Europe although Britain actually spends less per person on health care than most of her European neighbours.
During the 1980s there was considerable restructuring of the Health Service with an increased emphasis on managerial efficiency and the privatization of some services (for example, cleaning). At the end of the 1980s the government introduced proposals for further reform of the NHS, including allowing some hospitals to be self-governing, and encouraging GPs to compete for patients. Patients would be able to choose and change their family doctor more easily and GPs would have more financial responsibility. The political questions continue of how much money should be provided to support the NHS and where it should come from. We can know from the first paragraph that ______.
| A．the original aim of the NHS was to provide equal basic health care for everybody |
| B．people didn’t have to pay for health care since the NHS was set up |
| C．patients were charged for receiving health care before 1948 |
| D．the NHS was an organization which gave free advice to villagers |
What do we know about the NHS?
| A．It’s managed by the central government. |
| B．Its cost is mainly paid for by the National Insurance contributions. |
| C．It hires more people than any other unit in Europe. |
| D．Fewer patients go to its hospitals than before because they spend less on health care. |
All the following statements about GPs are true except that they ______.
| A．take care of the local people’s health |
| B．often take part in competitions to see who is the best |
| C．work under high pressure nowadays |
| D．have more responsibilities than before |
What does the underlined word “exempt” probably mean?
| A．suffering | B．different | C．prevented | D．free |
The biggest problem for the NHS is ______.
| A．many hospitals are too old to be used |
| B．some services are in the charge of individuals |
| C．more and more patients go to GPs for treatment |
| D．there is not enough money for further reform |
NEWS BRIEF
●Prime Minister Tony Blair new allegations(指控) on Thursday that he misled Parliament and the public in making the case for the war in Iraq after he disclosed his chief legal adviser’s written opinion raising questions about the legality(合法) of the war.
●U.S. Forest Service officials are reminding people to stay off Forest Service roads that are closed. The fine for disobeying the rule of road closures is a maximum of ＄5,000 fine and/ or six months in prison. Those who enter the area and cause road damage may also be required to pay for repairs.
●In a second study presented at the meeting, scientists from the UK and Denmark showed that even a few days of high temperatures can severely reduce production of crops such as wheat, soybeans, rice and groundnuts, if it occurs when the plants are flowering.
●A bomb exploded in Thailand’s mainly Muslin south on Sunday, killing two policemen and wounding three others, a day after Thailand’s queen condemned those behind a 15-month wave of violence(暴力).
●Mechanicsburg 3, West York 1: Ken Stamper and Rusty Bowman had seven kills each, and Ryan Warfield had six to lead the Wildcats past the Bulldogs, 25-11, 25-15, 15-25, 25-23, in a non-league match.The news brief covers _____________.
| A．war, law, violence, culture and agriculture |
| B．sports, war, violence, politics and climate |
| C．politics, culture, violence, climate and sports |
| D．violence, sports, politics, law and agriculture |
From the news brief, we can learn that ____________.
| A．the Bulldogs defeated the Wildcats by 3-1 in a non-league match |
| B．Forest Service roads are closed for repairs before they are opened again |
| C．quite a few violent accidents happened in Tailand before the latest one |
| D．the British people think the decision made by Blair about the war is of legaliry |
According to the U.S. Forest Service officials, those who enter the area and damage the closed roads __________.
| A．shall have to pay a $ 5,000 fine for the repairs to them |
| B．shall be fined or put in prison, and may pay for the repairs |
| C．shall be fined $ 5,000 and kept in prison for six months |
| D．shall pay a fine and repair the roads as a punishment |
The study of the scientists from the UK and Denmark is about ____________.
| A．the importance of climate and the growth of crops |
| B．the damage caused by high temperatures to some crops |
| C．the relationship between crops flowering and high temperatures |
| D．the effect of high temperatures on the production of some crops |
Taiwan police cannot decide whether to treat it as an extremely eleven act of stealing or an even cleverer cheat . Either way , it could be the perfect crime (犯罪), because the criminals are birds—horning pigeons !
The crime begins with a telephone message to the owner of a stolen car : if you want the car back, pay up then, the car owner is directed to a park, told where to find a bird cage and how to attach money to the neck of the pigeon inside . Carrying the money in a tiny bag , the pigeon flies off .
There have been at least four such pigeon pick-ups in Changwa. What at first seemed like the work of a clever stay-at-home car thief, however , may in face be the work of an even lazier and more inventive criminal mind—one that avoid (避免)not only colleting money but going out to steal the car in the first place . Police officer Chen says that the criminal probably has pulled a double trick: he gets money for things he cannot possibly return . Instead of stealing cars , he lets someone else do it and then waits for the car-owner to place an ad (启事) in the newspaper asking for help .
The theory is supported by the fact that , so far , none of the stolen cars have been returned . Also, the amount of money demanded-under 3,000 Taiwanese dollars –seems too little for a car worth many times more .
Demands for pigeon-delivered money stopped as soon as the press reported the story. And even if they start again, Chen holds little hope of catching the criminal . “We have more important things to do, ” he said .
1．After the car owner received a phone call. He
A．went to a certain pigeon and put some money in the bag it carried
B．gave the money to the thief and had his car back in a park
C．sent some money to the thief by mail
D．told the press about it
2．The “lazier and more inventive” criminal refers to .
A．the car thief who stays at home
B．one of those who put the ads in the paper
C．one of the policemen in Changwa
D．the owner of the pigeons
3．The writer mentions the fact that “none of the stolen cars have been returned” to show .
A．how easily people get fooled by criminals
B．what Chen thinks might be correct
C．the thief is extremely clever
D．the money paid is too little
4．The underlined word “they” in the last paragraph refers to .
A．criminals B．pigeons
C．the stolen cars D．demands for money
5．We may infer from the text that the criminal knows how to reach the car owners because .
A．he reads the ads in the newspaper
B．he lives in the same neighborhood
C．he has seen the car owners in the park
D．he has trained the pigeons to follow them
Equipped only with a pair of binoculars (双筒望远镜) and ready to spend long hours waiting in all weathers for a precious glance of a rare bullfinch(红腹灰雀). Britain’s birdwatchers had long been supposed to be lovers of a minority sport. But new figures show birdwatching is fast becoming a popular pastime, with almost three million of us absorbed in our fluttering feathered friends.
Devoted birdwatchers, those prepared to travel thousands of miles for a sighting of a rare Siberian bird, are fast being joined by a new breed of follower whose interest is satiated by watching a few finches (雀科鸣鸟) on a Sunday walk or putting up a bird-box in the back garden.
“Almost three million UK birdwatchers is certainly possible if you include everyone with only a casual interest,” Stephen Moss said in his newly published book—A Bird in the Bush: a Social History of Birdwatching—which records the pursuit from the rich Victorian Englishman’s love of shooting rare birds to the less offensive observational tendencies of birdwatchers today.
Television wildlife programmes have helped to fuel the new trend. Last summer, BBC 2’s Britain Goes Wild was a surprise success. It pulled in three million viewers and led to bird-houses selling out across the UK as 45,000 people promised to put up a box.
Birdwatchers’ networking system first came to the attention of the nation in 1989, when a birdwatcher caught sight of the first Vermivora chrysoptera—a golden-winged songbird from North America—to be seen in Britain. He put a message out on the network service Birdline, and the next day 3,000 birdwatchers proved the full pull of a truly rare bird as they visited the Tesco car park in Kent, where it had settled. Today, birdwatchers can log on to www.birdline.co.uk or have news of the latest sightings texted to their phones.
“Multimillion-pound spending on binoculars, bird food and boxes point to the increasing numbers of birdwatchers,” said David Cromack, the editor of Bird Watching magazine, “The number of people involved is so big that they have great potential to influence government decisions affecting the environment.”The word “satiated” in paragraph 2 can best be replaced by “_______”.
| A．affected | B．shared | C．satisfied | D．narrowed |
What happened after the message of seeing a Vermivora chrysoptera was put on the network?
| A．Birdwatchers helped the rare bird settle in Kent. |
| B．Large numbers of birdwatchers went to view the bird. |
| C．Many birdwatchers logged on to the website for details. |
| D．Birdwatchers showed their determination to protect the rare bird. |
Which of the following CANNOT be true according to the passage?
| A．Television wildlife programmes started the popular pastime of birdwatching. |
| B．The network service has contributed to the rapid development of birdwatching. |
| C．Birdwatching in Britain was long considered a sport with a small group of followers. |
| D．The current situation of birdwatching may promote the protection of the environment. |
The passage mainly tells us about ________ in UK.
| A．the history of bird watching |
| B．a growing passion for bird watching |
| C．the impact of media on bird watching |
| D．bird watching as a popular expensive sport |