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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 stripes, called chevrons (人字形), 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 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 speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth 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 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 appear to be narrower. The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway sped 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 highways C) a new approach to training drivers D) a new type of optical illusion 【外语教育&网】
2.On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . A) they should avoid speed-related hazardsB) they are driving in the wrong laneC) they should slow down their speedD) they are approaching the speed limit3.The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) can keep drivers awakeB) can cut road accidents in halfC) will have a longer effect on driversD) will look more attractive4.The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) try out the Japanese method in certain areasB) change the road signs across the countryC) replace straight, horizontal bars with chevronsD) repeat the Japanese road patterns5.What does the author say about straight, horizontal bars painted across roads?A) They are falling out of use in the United States.B) They tend to be ignored by drivers in a short period of time.C) They are applicable only on broad roads.D) They cannot be applied successfully to traffic circles.
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Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing (裁判)decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees. The researcher organized an experimental tournament (锦标赛)involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge. Observers noted down the referees‘errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number. The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum (最佳的)distance is about 20 meters. There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second. If FIFA, football‘s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues. He also says that FIFA‘s insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical.
1.The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) review the decisions of referees at the 1998 World CupB) analyse the causes of errors made by football refereesC) set a standard for football refereeing D) reexamine the rules for football refereeing2.The number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) slightly above averageB) higher than in the 1998 World CupC) quite unexpectedD) as high as in a standard match 3.The findings of the experiment show that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ballB) the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errorsC) the more slowly the referee runs, the more likely will errors occurD) errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot4.The word “officials”(Line 2, Para. 4)most probably refers to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ .A) the researchers involved in the experimentB) the inspectors of the football tournamentC) the referees of the football tournamentD) the observers at the site of the experiment5.What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?A) The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45.B) Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee.C) A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible.D) An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition.
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