2003.9
　　Passage One
　　Questions 21 to 25 are based on the following passage.
　　A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver, Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone, By contrast, the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
　　The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased dramatically after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight, with passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
　　Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue.” Be says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is.”
　　Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使…緩解) the problem is to have states institute so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night of passenger restrictions, before graduating to full driving privileges.
　　Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have restrictions on passengers, California is the strictest, with a novice (新手) driver prohibited from carrying any passenger under 20 (without the presence of an adult over 25) for the first six months.
　　21. Which of the following situations is most dangerous according to the passage?
　　A) Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m.
　　B) A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car.
　　C) Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night.
　　D) A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight.（B）
　　22. According to Robert Foss. The high death rate of teenage drivers is mainly due to ________.
　　A) their frequent driving at night
　　B) their improper way of driving
　　C) their lack of driving experience
　　D) their driving with passengers（C）
　　23. According to Paragraph 3. which of the following statements is TRUE?
　　A) Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive.
　　B) Driving is a skill too complicated for teenagers to learn.
　　C) Restrictions should be imposed on teenagers applying to take driving lessons.
　　D) The licensing authorities are partly responsible for teenagers’ driving accidents.（D）
　　24. A suggested measure to be taken to reduce teenagers’ driving accidents is that ________.
　　A) driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule
　　B) they should be prohibited from taking on passengers
　　C) they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m.
　　D) the licensing system should be improved（D）
　　25. The present situation in about half of the states is that the graduated licensing system ________.
　　A) is under discussion
　　B) is about to be set up
　　C) has been put into effect
　　D) has been perfected（C）
　　這篇文章講的是青少年駕車車禍死亡率過高的問題。文章總共五個(gè)段落，基本呈現(xiàn)了一個(gè)“提出問題”、“分析原因”、“解決辦法”三步格局。這也是論說文常用的結(jié)構(gòu)，了解這種結(jié)構(gòu)對(duì)于理解文章的意義是有好處的。
　　前兩段提出問題，問題通常是具體的問題，作者只需以例舉的方式向讀者呈現(xiàn)問題就可以了。開頭先是交代了獲知問題的來源：美國(guó)醫(yī)學(xué)協(xié)會(huì)雜志上的一篇研究（Journal of the American Medical Association）。這條信息可以說一箭雙雕，既能表明這一問題的嚴(yán)重性（否則一個(gè)醫(yī)學(xué)協(xié)會(huì)不會(huì)進(jìn)行研究），又不必多費(fèi)篇幅去證明這一問題的真實(shí)性、普遍性（美國(guó)醫(yī)學(xué)協(xié)會(huì)當(dāng)然具有權(quán)威性）。
　　How risky it is to get a lift from a teenage driver，這是一個(gè)總領(lǐng)句，意思是搭一個(gè)青少年駕駛者的車是多么的危險(xiǎn)。隨后是一個(gè)例子，一個(gè)16歲的司機(jī)搭載三四名乘客時(shí)，其發(fā)生致命事故的可能性是他單獨(dú)駕車時(shí)的3倍（a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a fatal accident as a teenager driving alone）。而與此對(duì)應(yīng)，30到59歲的司機(jī)搭載乘客時(shí)其發(fā)生致死車禍的可能性卻在降低（the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases）。
　　下一段繼續(xù)舉例。青少年在晚上10點(diǎn)以后駕車的死亡率大幅上升。車內(nèi)同時(shí)又有乘客的話，則發(fā)生致死事故的可能性會(huì)更高。
　　問題呈現(xiàn)完畢，接下來就是分析原因了。作者以權(quán)威人士Robert Foss之口說出了問題背后的實(shí)質(zhì)：higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience，這個(gè)句子較難理解，關(guān)鍵在于吃透have less to do with……than這個(gè)句型。這個(gè)句型的原型是have something to do with，意思是與……有關(guān)，那么have less to do with ……than就是“與……的關(guān)系不如與……的關(guān)系大”的意思。這句話想要表達(dá)的意思就是：與將其歸因于“愚蠢行為”相比，用缺少駕駛經(jīng)驗(yàn)來解釋如此高的死亡率更為合理。他繼續(xù)分析道，問題的根本在于負(fù)責(zé)發(fā)放駕照的大人們沒有意識(shí)到駕車的復(fù)雜性和技術(shù)難度（fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is）。
　　問題的解決方案在于使各州發(fā)布“駕照分步發(fā)放系統(tǒng)”（graduated licensing systems），這一系統(tǒng)要求青少年首先要具備在成人監(jiān)護(hù)下駕車的能力，隨后是乘客人數(shù)限制，后是完全不受限制地駕駛權(quán)限。
　　這一系統(tǒng)的實(shí)施情況和效果如何呢？后一段寫到，它減少了青少年司機(jī)所發(fā)生的車禍數(shù)量（reduced teenage driver crashes）。有大約一半的州實(shí)施了類似的系統(tǒng)，不過只有10個(gè)州對(duì)乘客進(jìn)行了限制（only 10 of those states have restrictions on passengers），加利福尼亞在這方面限制嚴(yán)。
　　21. B
　　根據(jù)文章內(nèi)容，下列哪種情況為危險(xiǎn)。
　　關(guān)于駕車危險(xiǎn)性問題，在文章開頭舉的幾個(gè)例子中有充分的說明。個(gè)例子說一個(gè)16歲的司機(jī)搭載三四名乘客時(shí)，其發(fā)生致命事故的可能性是他單獨(dú)駕車時(shí)的3倍，第二個(gè)例子說青少年在晚上10點(diǎn)以后駕車的死亡率大幅上升；車內(nèi)同時(shí)又有乘客的話，則發(fā)生致死事故的可能性會(huì)更高。把這道題的幾個(gè)選項(xiàng)和上面的例子進(jìn)行對(duì)比就可以找到正確答案。
　　A，夜里10點(diǎn)以后，成年人在高速公路上駕車搭載未成年人。例子的說法是夜里10點(diǎn)以后青少年駕車同時(shí)搭載別人的危險(xiǎn)性高，而不是成年人駕車。A把主體搞錯(cuò)了。
　　B，一個(gè)未成年人在午夜后駕車，車中坐有乘客。第二段的例子提到了個(gè)這個(gè)說法。
　　C，成年人在深夜駕車搭載三個(gè)或三個(gè)以上未成年乘客。文章例子中提到的危險(xiǎn)情況都為駕車人是未成年人。
　　D，未成年人在午夜高速公路上搭載陌生人的車。這個(gè)選項(xiàng)體現(xiàn)了出題人的想象力，在現(xiàn)實(shí)中，未成年人夜間搭載陌生人的車的確非常危險(xiǎn)，但這不在文章的討論范圍。
　　22. C
　　題目的意思是根據(jù)Robert Foss的說法，青少年駕車者的高死亡率主要是因?yàn)槭裁础?
　　A，他們經(jīng)常在夜間駕車。
　　B，他們駕駛的方式不恰當(dāng)。
　　C，他們?nèi)狈︸{駛經(jīng)驗(yàn)。
　　D，他們駕車搭載了乘客。
　　文章提到Robert Foss是在第三段，（Robert Foss, a scientist at the University），那么答案也只能在第三段尋找，至多參考一下第四段。正確理解這句話的意思：higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience——高死亡率與駕駛經(jīng)驗(yàn)缺失的關(guān)系比“做傻事”更大。由此可見C所說的缺少駕駛經(jīng)驗(yàn)是正確的。
　　23. D
　　根據(jù)第三段的內(nèi)容，下列哪項(xiàng)敘述是正確的。
　　觀察第三段，是一個(gè)不是很長(zhǎng)的段落。在小段上出題，同時(shí)又指明把考查范圍限定在該段，則很有可能這個(gè)小段出現(xiàn)了難句。
　　第三段一共只有兩句話，上一題已經(jīng)考查過了句，兩句話同時(shí)考查一句話的可能性很小，所以要把注意力集中在第二句話的理解上，而徹底了解這句話的意思應(yīng)該結(jié)合后文。第二句引用了Robert的原話：The basic issue is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is——從字面上看，這句話意思是：根本問題是，負(fù)責(zé)發(fā)放駕照的成年人（adults who are responsible for issuing licenses）沒能 (fail to)認(rèn)識(shí)到駕駛汽車非常復(fù)雜且技術(shù)性很強(qiáng)（recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is）。
　　A，青少年應(yīng)該花更多的時(shí)間來學(xué)習(xí)駕駛。句子后提到駕駛汽車非常復(fù)雜且技術(shù)性很強(qiáng)，不過解決方案必定是花費(fèi)更多時(shí)間嗎？不見得。改變發(fā)放駕照程序就是一例。
　　B，學(xué)習(xí)駕駛技術(shù)對(duì)于青少年來說是過于復(fù)雜了。句子后提到駕駛汽車非常復(fù)雜且技術(shù)性很強(qiáng)，不過這就意味著青少年不能學(xué)習(xí)駕駛技術(shù)了嗎？不是，解決方案是下文提到的調(diào)整發(fā)放駕照的程序。
　　C，對(duì)青少年的駕駛學(xué)習(xí)申請(qǐng)應(yīng)該加以限制。限制學(xué)習(xí)人數(shù)不是解決辦法，文章也沒有提到這一點(diǎn)。
　　D，發(fā)放駕照部門應(yīng)對(duì)青少年駕車事故負(fù)部分責(zé)任。從第二句字面意思可以直接推出D的結(jié)論。另外，后文提出的解決方案是改變管理當(dāng)局的現(xiàn)有政策，從這一點(diǎn)也可看出管理當(dāng)局應(yīng)該負(fù)有一定責(zé)任。
　　24.D
　　題目問文中提到了關(guān)于減少青少年駕車事故的措施的建議，這條建議是什么。
　　A，應(yīng)該把在大人監(jiān)護(hù)下才能駕車制定成規(guī)則。
　　B，青少年應(yīng)被禁止搭載乘客。
　　C，他們不應(yīng)被允許在夜里10點(diǎn)以后駕車。
　　D，應(yīng)當(dāng)改進(jìn)駕照發(fā)放系統(tǒng)。
　　這道題比較簡(jiǎn)單，文章的第四五兩段講的都是駕照發(fā)放系統(tǒng)的改進(jìn)問題，應(yīng)當(dāng)選擇D。對(duì)于A、B、C所說的幾條建議，在后兩段介紹的建議中都只字未提，所以不應(yīng)選擇。
　　25.C
　　目前大約一半左右的州的情況是駕照分步發(fā)放系統(tǒng)如何如何。
　　A，正處討論中。
　　B，將要得到確立。
　　C，已經(jīng)起到了效果。
　　D，已經(jīng)得到完善。
　　這道題考查后一段的內(nèi)容。句Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes的意思很明了，分步發(fā)放系統(tǒng)已經(jīng)減少青少年駕車事故，這說明這一系統(tǒng)已經(jīng)起到了效果，與C的說法一致。后面的一句話是個(gè)長(zhǎng)句，大體意思是說一半的州雖然實(shí)施了分步發(fā)放系統(tǒng)，但在乘客限制上不是很嚴(yán)格，只有加利福尼亞較為嚴(yán)格。這說明這一系統(tǒng)還需要進(jìn)行完善，D就不對(duì)了。文章沒有提到這一系統(tǒng)是否正處討論中，從已經(jīng)實(shí)施這一情況來看，應(yīng)該是討論過并得到確立了。這樣A和B的說法就都是錯(cuò)誤的。

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