From the health point of view we are living in a marvelous age. But though the possibility of living a long and happy life is greater than ever before, every day we witness the incredible slaughter(屠杀) of men, women and children on the roads. Man versus the motor-car! It is a never-ending battle which man is losing. Thousands of people the world over are killed or horribly killed each year and we are quietly sitting back and letting it happen.
It has been rightly said that when a man is sitting behind a steering wheel, his car becomes the extension of his personality. There is no doubt that the motor-car often brings out a man's very worst qualities. People who are normally quiet and pleasant may become unrecognizable when they are behind a steering-wheel. They swear, they are ill-mannered and aggressive, willful as two-years-olds and completely selfish. All their hidden frustrations, disappointments and jealousies seem to be brought to the surface by the act of driving.
The surprising thing is that society smiles so kindly on the motorist and seems to tolerate his behaviour. Everything is done for his convenience. Cities are allowed to become almost uninhabitable(不宜居住的) because of heavy traffic; towns are made ugly by huge car parks; the countryside is cut into pieces by road networks; and the mass annual slaughter becomes nothing more than a statistic, to be conveniently forgotten.
It is high time a world code(法规) were created to reduce this senseless waste of human life. With regard to driving, the laws of some countries are frustratingly lax(宽松) and even the strictest are not strict enough. A code which was universally accepted could only have a beneficial effect on the accident rate. Here are a few examples of some the things that might be done. The driving test should be standardized and made harder than it is; all the drivers should be made to take a test every three years or so; the age at which young people are allowed to drive any vehicle should be raised to at least 21; all vehicles should be put through strictest annual tests for safety. Even the smallest amount of alcohol in the blood can impair a person's driving ability. Present drinking and driving laws (where they exist) should be made much stricter. Maximum and minimum speed limits should be imposed on all roads. Governments should lay down safety specifications for manufacturers, as has been done in the USA. All advertising stressing power and performance should be banned. These measures may sound extraordinarily strict. But surely nothing should be considered as too severe if it results in reducing the annual toll of human life. After all, the world is for human beings, not motor-cars.
66. The main idea of this passage is _____.
A. Traffic accidents are mainly caused by motorists
B. Thousands of people in the world are killed each year.
C. The laws of some countries about driving are too lax
D. Only stricter traffic laws can prevent accidents
67. What does the author think of society toward motorists?
A. Society smiles on the motorists.
B. Huge car parks are built in the cities and towns.
C. Victims of accidents are nothing.
D. Society tolerates their rude driving.
68. What does the sentence “his car becomes the extension of his personality” in paragraph 2 probably mean?
A. Driving can show his real self.
B. His car can show the other part of his personality.
C. Driving can bring out his character.
D. His car embodies his temper.
69. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the word “toll” in the last paragraph?
A. sum B. the sound of a bell C. a tax paid for the use of roads D. the cost of life
70. The writer has suggested the following except ________________.
A. raising the age at which young people are allowed to drive
B. prohibiting the driver from the smallest amount of drinking
C. advertising driving performance
D. giving safety specifications to car makers