Believe it or not, optical illusion(错觉) can cut highway crashes.

Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. Bent strips, called chevrons(人字形标志), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.

Now the American Automobile Association Foundations For Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan’s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.

Excessive(过分) speed plays a major role in as much as one fifty of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards(危险) are the greatest-curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges.

Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially cut the average speed of drivers in half. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.

Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane(车道) appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction of highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.

1.The passage mainly discusses________.

A.a new way of highway speed control

B.a new pattern for painting highway

C.a new way of training drivers

D.a new type of optical illusion

2.On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that________.

A.they should avoid speed-related hazards

B.they are driving in the wrong lane

C.they should slow down their speed

D.they are coming near to the speed limit

3.According to the foundation,____can cause serious traffic accident

A. the straight, horizontal bars

B.greatest curves

C.exit slops , traffic circles, bridges

D. Over-speed driving

4.The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former______.

A.can keep drivers awake

B.can cut road accidents in half

C.will look more attractive

D.will have a longer effect on drivers

5.The Americans automobile association foundation for traffic safety plans to____.

A.try out the Japanese method in certain areas

B.change the road signs across the country

C.replace straight, horizontal bars with chevrons

D.repeat the Japanese road patterns

 

 

Believe it or not, optical illusion(错觉) can cut highway crashes.

Japan is a case in point. It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion. But stripes, called chevrons(人字形), which are painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and thus drivers slow down.

Now the American Automobile Association Foundation(基金会) for Traffic Safety in Washington D.C. is planning to repeat Japan’s success. Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes.

Excessive (too great) speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all serious traffic accidents, according to the foundation. To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related danger are the greatest curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges.

Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can  cut the average speed of drivers in half at the beginning. However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars.

Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents.

1. On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that ______.

A. they should avoid speed-related hazards

B. they are driving in the wrong lane

C. they should slow down their speed

D. they are coming near to the speed limit

2. The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former ______.

A. can keep drivers awake    

B. can cut road accidents in half

C. will look more attractive  

D. will have a longer effect on drivers

3. The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to ________.

A. try out the Japanese method in certain areas

B. change the road signs across the country

C. replace straight, horizontal bars with chevrons

D. repeat the Japanese road patterns

4. The passage mainly discusses ________.

A. a new way of highway speed control

B. a new pattern for painting highways

C. a new way of training drivers

D. a new type of optical illusion

 

 

    A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure(闲暇). As part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted.

The figures support the western prejudice(偏见) that the Japanese are all work and no play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day week by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and stock markets will be closed on Saturdays, staff of civil service will be forced out of their offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice.

But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitors may not cut hours. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say that shorter hours are a disguised(隐性的) pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government’s plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off, either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching television, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves, too.

1.The purpose of getting the Japanese to have more spare time is that ______________.

         A.the government wants to show more concern for the health of the people

         B.the government needs to get more goods from abroad

         C.the Japanese have been working too hard

         D.the Japanese hope to change the western prejudice

2.The group of people who welcome the shorter-hour system in Japan is______________.

         A.the small companies B.the industrialists

         C.the unions          D.the younger generation

3.The unions think that______________.

         A.the shorter hours they work, the higher pay the can get

         B.the more they work, the less leisure they can enjoy

         C.the shorter hours they work, the less pay they can have

         D.the greater pressure the government is forcing on them, the less happy they can be

4.The best title for this passage can be ______________

         A.Oh no! Not Saturday Again!      B.Leisure: the Greatest Threat!

         C.Enjoy While You are Young!       D.Less Work and More Play!

 

A new enemy is threatening Japanese traditions: leisure(闲暇). As part of its attempt to increase imports, the government is trying to get people to work less and spend more. The workers are disgusted.

The figures support the western prejudice(偏见) that the Japanese are all work and no play. Trying to force workers away from their desks and machines, the government said last April that the country should cut down from its 2,100 hours average work year to 1,899 hours and a five-day week by 1992. Beginning in February, banks and stock markets will be closed on Saturdays, staff of civil service will be forced out of their offices two Saturdays a month. The government hopes that others will follow that practice.

But some persuasion will be needed. Small companies are very angry about it and they fear competitors may not cut hours. The unions are no happier: they have even advertised in newspapers arguing their case against the foreign pressure that is forcing leisure upon them. They say that shorter hours are a disguised(隐性的) pay cut. The industrialists, who have no objection to the government’s plans, admit that shorter hours will help them cut costs. Younger Japanese who are supposed to be acting against their hard-working parents, show no sign of wanting time off, either. But unlike older workers, they do spend money in their spare time. Not content with watching television, they dance, dress up, sit in cafes, go to pop concerts and generally drive the leisure-industry boom. Now that they know how to consume, maybe the West can teach them to relax and enjoy themselves, too.

1.The purpose of getting the Japanese to have more spare time is that           .

    A.the government wants to show more concern for the health of the people

    B.the government needs to get more goods from abroad

    C.the Japanese have been working too hard

    D.the Japanese hope to change the western prejudice

2.The group of people who welcome the shorter-hour system in Japan is           .

    A.the small companies          B.the industrialists

    C.the unions                   D.the younger generation

3.The unions think that           .

    A.the shorter hours they work, the higher pay the can get

    B.the more they work, the less leisure they can enjoy

    C.the shorter hours they work, the less pay they can have

    D.the greater pressure the government is forcing on them, the less happy they can be

4.The best title for this passage can be           .

    A.Oh no! Not Saturday Again!   B.Leisure: the Greatest Threat!

    C.Enjoy While You are Young!   D.Less Work and More Play!

 

 

It is the first report that home-grown food has been contaminated by radioactivity, largely Iodine(碘)-131, since the ministry ordered radiation( powerful and harmful rays that are sent out from radioactive substances) tests on food and water at the end of March in 14 mainland regions including Beijing, Tianjin, and some coastal provinces.

Sample inspections conducted on Tuesday found low levels of radioactive iodine in spinach( a kind of green vegetables) planted in Beijing, Tianjin and Henan province --- about 1-3 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg), the statement said.

"The contamination level detected is too low to be harmful to public health," it said.

According to health experts, radioactive iodine can accumulate in humans once ingested in high concentrations and increases the risk of thyroid cancer. But it decays naturally within weeks.

Leafy vegetables grown in the open like spinach, lettuce and leek are among the first foods to be tainted by radioactive deposits.

Raw milk is also susceptible to radioactive contamination as livestock feed on grass.

Tests carried out in March showed spinach and milk taken from farms near Japan's nuclear-stricken area had exceeded(go beyond) government-set safety limits for radiation.

No cases of tainted water or milk have been reported in China but the ministry vowed to further strengthen monitoring.

Wang Zhongwen, a researcher at the China Institute of Atomic Energy's radiation safety department, told China Daily on Wednesday that currently China only had the means to conduct food radiation tests in a few regions.

The statement also said that recent rain in Beijing and Tianjin meant radioactive substances could have fallen on vegetables.

Chen Jicang, a vegetable dealer in Beijing, said on Wednesday that concerns are growing among consumers, businesses and governments across the world.

"We have yet to see any impact on our business from the radiation, but we will keep a close eye on how the issue develops," he said.

He added that most vegetables consumed in Beijing are produced locally, and he might switch to other varieties if spinach sales suffer.

Yang Guoshan, a researcher of radiation medical science at the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, said people could safely eat products that contain low levels of Iodine-131.

"The radiation level is so low that residents don't need to spend any extra effort on cleaning them," he said.

Gao Jie, a 52-year-old resident in Tianjin said she is deeply worried because spinach is a staple part of her family's diet.

"If spinach is radioactive, is there any possibility that other types of vegetables are safe?"

Trace levels of radioactive isotope cesium-137 and -134 were detected in the air in 21 provinces and regions on Wednesday, up from 17 on Tuesday, according to China's National Nuclear Emergency Coordination Committee.

1. What does the underlined word mean in para 1?

A.protected

B.contained

C.polluted by dangerous substances

D.tested

2.Why are the spinach and milk taken from nuclear-stricken area not safe?

A.Because tests have been carried out there.

B.Raw milk is sensitive to radioactive contamination as livestock(家畜)feed on grass.

C.The amount of radioactive substances goes beyond the safe limits for radiation.

D.Japan is a nuclear-stricken area.

3. Where do you think this passage comes from?

A.a magazine

B.CCTV news

C.a journal

D.a novel

4. What is not mentioned in the passage?

A.Consumers became concerned about the safety of vegetables.

B.People need to clean vegetables completely before cooking because of radiation.

C.Food and water have to be tested since the end of March in 14 mainland regions

D.Low levels of radioactive iodine has been found in spinach in Tianjin

5. What do you think is mainly talked about in the passage?

A.How the radioactivity came into being

B.What we should do in face of radioactivity.

C.Radioactivity has no side effect on human being.

D.Home-grown food has been affected by radioactivity.

 

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