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大学英语四级考试：四级真题解析
1997年1月
In Britain, the old Road Traffic Act restricted speeds to 2 m. p. h. (miles per hour) in towns and 4 m. p. h. in the country. Later parliament increased the speed limit to 14 m. p. h. But by 1903 the development of the car industry had made it necessary to raise the limit to 20 m. p. h. By 1930, however, the law was so widely ignored that speeding restrictions were done away with altogether. For five years motorists were free to drive at whatever speeds they liked. Then in 1935 the Road Traffic Act imposed a 30 m. p. h. speed limit in built-up areas, along with the introduction of driving tests and pedestrian crossings.
Speeding is now the most common motoring offence in Britain. Offences for speeding fall into three classes: exceeding the limit on restricted road, exceeding on any road the limit for the vehicle you are driving, and exceeding the 70 m. p. h. limit on any road. A restricted mad is one where the street lamps are 200 yards apart, or more.
The main controversy (争论) surrounding speeding laws is the extent of their safety value. The Ministry of Transport maintains that speed limits reduce accidents. It claims that when the 30 m. p. h. limit was introduced in 1935 there was a fall of 15 percent in fatal accidents. Likewise, when the 40 m. p. h. speed limit was imposed on a number of roads in London in the late fifties, there was a 28 percent reduction in serious accidents. There were also fewer casualties (伤亡)in the year after the 70 m. p. h. motorway limit was imposed in 1966.
In America, however, it is thought that the reduced accident figures are due rather to the increase in traffic density. This is why it has even been suggested that the present speed limits should be done away with completely, or that a guide should be given to inexperienced drivers and the speed limits made advisory, as is done in parts of the USA.
Questions:
1. During which period could British motorists drive without speed limits?
2. What measures were adopted in 1935 in addition to the speeding restrictions?
3. Speeding is a motoring offense a driver commits when he __________.
4. What is the opinion of British authorities concerning speeding laws?
5. What reason do Americans give for the reduction in traffic accidents?
文章导读
为什么会产生交通事故？是不是因为车辆的速度太快了？本文第一段借英国公路交通法有关速度限制方面的发展与变更来影射这个回答。第二段指出超速是现在英国最普遍的机动车违规，并列举了三种违规现象。那么在多大程度上限速能减少交通事故呢？第三段列举了不同历史时期的数字加以佐证。文章最后一段提出了另一种看法，即在美国， 事故数字的减少被归因于交通密度的增加。
第一题 During which period could British motorists drive without speed limits?
题解 这一题要求综合第一段的第3、4、5三句来解答。第三句说到1930“speeding restrictions were done away with altogether”，接下来又说，“For five years motorists were free to drive at whatever speeds they liked”，因此可知，无速度限制的时间是从1930年起（包括1930年），延续了5年，即是1930、1931、1932、1933、1934这五年。最后一句“Then in 1935 the Road Traffic Act imposed a 30 m. p. h. speed limit in built-up areas”，说明到了1935年，speed limit又实行了。
要点： 提问是“during which period”，答案中只要给出一个时间的表达式就可以了，没有必要以整句作答，以免言多有失。有一位考生这样回答：During 1930 and 1935 could British motorists drive without speed limits. 姑且字数多了一个不说，这个倒装也有点问题。松一点的评委给1.5分，严一点的给1分，你说亏不亏？
答案： From 1930 to 1935.
或between 1930 and 1935
或1930、1931、1932、1933、1934。
第二题 What measures were adopted in 1935 in addition to the speeding restrictions?
题解 题干中的1935是寻找答案的明确线索，明显应在第一段的最后一句话“Then in 1935 the Road Traffic Act imposed a 30m. p. h. speed limit in built-up areas, along with the introduction of driving tests and pedestrian crossings”。题干中的speed restrictions对应于这句话中的a 30 m. p. h. speed limit in built-up areas，剩下的自然就是the introduction of driving tests and pedestrian crossings。
要点 本题只要回答出what measures即可，没有必要再加上谓语部分。
答案 Driving tests and pedestrian crossings.
或 The introduction of driving tests and pedestrian crossings.
第三题 Speeding is a motoring offense a driver commits when he __________.
题解 从题干中的“motoring offense”出现在第二段的第一句话。这句话也就是第二段的主题句。它总领了后面对三种speeding的描述，在这三种情况中，speeding都是exceeding the … (speed) limit。
要点 空格中要求填的是谓语，用动词来解释speeding这个词，因此必须填动词的形式。同时要注意第三人称单数和时态。
答案 exceeds the speed limits. 或 drives over the speed limit 或 breaking the speeding laws.
第四题What is the opinion of British authorities concerning speeding laws?
题解 题干中的British authorities即是指第三段第二句话中的the Ministry of Transport，而这句话中的maintain一词则是引述中常用的一个词，常表示“……认为”的意思，那么它后面的内容就是本题的答案了。
要点 （1）本题较好回答，但要注意避免原文照抄，否则会被扣掉0.5分。其实只要将“The Ministry of Transport maintains”改成“They maintain”（注意单复数）就行了。
（2）简练作答的话，要注意把宾语从句的引导词“that”舍掉，否则显得有些多余，弄不好会丢分。
答案 Speed limits reduce accidents. 或Speed limits help reduce accidents.
第五题 What reason do Americans give for the reduction in traffic accidents?
题解 在四级考试中，也有很多送分的题。本题中的“Americans”告诉我们它的答案肯定在最后一段。其实，只要大体上读懂第四段的第一句话，看出其中的“due（rather）to”是表示原因的即能做出正确答案，即“the increase in traffic density”。
要点 注意与问题所问的方式一致， 否则要扣分。
