Section B

Drunken driving——sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of41_——has become a national infectious disease．Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an42number of 250,000over the past decade．

A drunken driver is usually defined as one with a 0．10 blood alcohol content or      43three beers, glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours．Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American strong man image and judges were not44in most courts, but the drunken slaughter has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially45young children, that public opinion is no longer so      46      of it．

Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, altering a47in 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 unless48by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to49strong pressure to drink．

Tough new laws have led to increased arrests and tests and, in many areas already, to a marked decrease in fatalities（死亡事故）．Some states are also penalizing bars for serving customers too many drinks．

Say No to Noise

Too much noise lowers our quality of life. Is there anything that can be done about it?

Life in a city means putting up with all sorts of noise we don’t want. We hear loud traffic, construction work and barking dogs. If we go into a shop, music might be blaring(震耳的). No matter where we turn, it seems, we are e_____1___ to the noise. We can close our eyes, but u_____2_____, we can’t close our ears. And noise pollution is just as harmful as air or water pollution.

Exposure to loud noise leads to permanent damage to our h_____3____. And continued exposure does further damage.

Noise that isn’t loud can also be harmful. Too much exposure to noise i____4___ stress. It can also cause poor concentration and headaches.

Noise costs money, too. S_____5____ windows must be used to keep the noise out. Sometimes main roads must be built farther away from schools, hospitals and housing areas.

H_____6____, noise pollution level is still likely to be reduced. Individuals can do a few things to fight noise. For example, inside your home or office, heavy curtains and rugs can absorb some of the noise.

We can also deal with the stress c____7___ by noise. To do that, we need a healthy diet and enough exercise, rest and relaxation.

In many towns, citizens groups are forming. They are pressuring public officials to make tougher laws and e_____8_____ them. They are also educating the public about the effects of noise. If you are fed up with noise, you might think about j___9___ one of these groups. Or starting one y____10_____!

Section B

Drunken driving——sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of41_——has become a national infectious disease．Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an42number of 250,000over the past decade．

A drunken driver is usually defined as one with a 0．10 blood alcohol content or      43three beers, glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours．Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American strong man image and judges were not44in most courts, but the drunken slaughter has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially45young children, that public opinion is no longer so      46      of it．

Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, altering a47in 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 unless48by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to49strong pressure to drink．

Tough new laws have led to increased arrests and tests and, in many areas already, to a marked decrease in fatalities（死亡事故）．Some states are also penalizing bars for serving customers too many drinks．

A. accompanied     B. trend        C. resist      D. murder     E. incredible

F. severe           G. involving    H. tolerant     I. roughly     J. particular

Drunken driving——sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of  1_——has become a national infectious disease．Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an 2   number of 250,000over the past decade．

A drunken driver is usually defined as one with a 0．10 blood alcohol content or      3 three beers, glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours．Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American strong man image and judges were not4  in most courts, but the drunken slaughter has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially 5young children, that public opinion is no longer so 6   of it．

Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, altering a7  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 unless8   by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to9   strong pressure to drink．

Tough new laws have led to increased arrests and tests and, in many areas already, to a marked decrease in fatalities（死亡事故）．Some states are also penalizing bars for serving customers too many drinks．

Drunken driving — sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder — has become a national epidemic (流行病). 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 0.10-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 American 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 a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18-20 years 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 in many areas already, to a marked decline 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 off the road, killing a 9-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 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.

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

A. many drivers were not of legal age.

B. young drivers were often bad drivers.

C. Drivers should not be allowed to drink.

D. the legal drinking age should be raised.

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

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

In America, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because __________.

A. judges are giving more severe sentences

B. new laws are introduced in some states

C. the news media have highlighted the problem

D. drivers are more conscious of their image

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

A. Because alcohol is easily obtained.

B. Because drinking is linked to organized crime.

C. Because legal prohibition has already failed.

D. Because making laws alone is not sufficient.