Question

【题目】Foreign drivers will have a pay on-the-spot fines of up to ￡900 for breaking the traffic law to be carried out next month.

If they do not have enough cash or a working credit card, their vehicles will clamped(扣留) until they pay—and they will face an additional fee of ￡80 for getting back their vehicles.

The law will also apply to British citizens. The fines will be described officially as “deposits” when the traffic law takes effect, because the money would be returned if the driver went to court and was found not guilty. In practice, very few foreign drivers are likely to return to Britain to deal with their cases.

Foreign drivers are rarely charged because police cannot take action against them if they fail to appear in court. Instead, officers often merely give warnings.

Three million foreign-registered vehicles enter Britain each year. Polish vehicles make up 36 percent, French vehicles 10 percent and German vehicles 9 percent.

Foreign vehicles are 30 percent more likely to be in a crash than British-registered vehicles. The number of crashes caused by foreign vehicles rose by 47 percent between 2003 and 2008. There were almost 400 deaths and serious injuries and 3,000 slight injuries from accidents caused by foreign vehicles in 2008.

The new law is partly intended to settle the problem of foreign lorry drivers ignoring limits on weight and hours at the wheel. Foreign lorries are three times more likely to be in a crash than British lorries. Recent spot checks found that three quarters of lorries that failed safety tests were registered overseas.

The standard deposit for a careless driving offence —such as driving too close to the vehicle in front or reading a map at the wheel—will be ￡300. Deposits for speeding offences and using mobile phones will be ￡60. Foreign drivers will not get points as punishment added to their licenses, while British drivers will.

【1】The first paragraph serves as a(n) ________.

A. explanation B. introduction

C. comment D. background

【2】The foreign drivers who break the traffic law and do not pay on the spot are likely to be fined up to ________.

A. ￡60 B. ￡300

C. ￡900 D. ￡980

【3】We can learn from the passage that ________.

A. many foreign drivers have been fined by Britain police

B. 300,000 German vehicles enter Britain every year

C. 25 percent of foreign vehicles entering Britain have failed safety tests

D. British drivers will be punished with points and fines for breaking the traffic law

【4】The new traffic law is mainly intended to ________.

A. limit the number of foreign vehicles entering Britain

B. increase the Britain government’s additional income

C. reduce the rate of traffic accidents and injuries

D. get foreign drivers to appear in court

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】D

【3】D

【4】C

【解析】本篇文章为说明文，介绍了从下个月起，英国将实行一种新的交通法规：当外国司机在英国违反了交通法，将被处以900英镑的罚款。如果被罚款的外国司机向法院申诉获胜，这笔罚款将被退还。

【1】主旨大意题。本文第一自然段是简单介绍英国的新交通法规。A选项为“解释”，C选项为“评论”，D为“背景”，故选B项“介绍”。

【2】计算题。由第一和第二自然段的叙述可知，违反交通法规缴纳900英镑罚款和当场不能交罚款的外国司机罚款80英镑，故总共缴纳900+80=980英镑。故选D。

【3】推理判断题。根据文章最后一句Foreign drivers will not get points as punishment added to their licenses, while British drivers will.可知，故选D。

【4】推理判断题。第六段第一句Foreign vehicles are 30 percent more likely to be in a crash than British-registered vehicles.(外来车辆比英国本地车辆多了百分之三十的事故率)；第七段第一句The new law is partly intended to settle the problem of foreign lorry drivers ignoring limits on weight and hours at the wheel.（这套新法规主要是想解决外国重型车驾驶者忽略车重限制和停车时间），所以新的交通法的主要目的是减少交通事故和伤亡，故选C。