Even kids know that we should wait for the traffic light to turn green before crossing a road, but not everybody follows this basic rule.
“Chinese style road crossing” has become a hot expression recently. Chinese people “cross roads without thinking about traffic lights, so long as(只要)they are part of a crowd”, said a post on Sina Weibo.
A CCTV news program showed that in only an hour, more than 600 people jumped red lights when crossing a road at a crossing in Shijiazhuang, Hebei.
Many people say that they jaywalk(乱闯马路)because the red light lasts too long. Such an opinion is supported by a research team at Tongji University. The team did research on people’s waiting times at different road crossings from 2008 to 2010. They found that Chinese people would wait for 70 to 90 seconds before they lost their patience. “People are likely to ignore(忽视) the light when the waiting time is longer than they can stand,” said Ni Ying, a member of the research team.
However, a survey on Sina Weibo suggested that half of the respondents(调查对象)believe that people jaywalk mainly because they disregard(忽视)rules.“I always obey traffic rules. Time is important but safety should come first,” wrote “Qixiaoe” on Weibo.
Many countries give out punishments to jaywalkers. In Singapore, the maximum(最大量) can be three months in prison. Some Chinese cities have started taking some actions, too. For example, the first three people in a jaywalking group will be fined 50 yuan in Shijiazhuang.
But calling on people to respect rules is more important. To completely solve the problem, everyone should realize the importance of obeying the traffic rules.
1. Which of the following is the “Chinese style road crossing”?
A. To wait for the traffic light to turn green. B. To cross a road slowly.
C. To cross roads without looking at traffic lights. D. To follow the basic traffic lights.
2. What does the phrase “the team” in Paragraph 4 refer to (指的是)?
A. A CCTV news program. B. A research group at Tongji University.
C. A post on Sina Weibo. D. A daily newspaper.
3. How long will Chinese people wait to cross the road before they lose patience?
A. Less than one minute. B. About five minutes.
C. Less than one and a half minutes. D. More than ten minutes.
4. Why do people jaywalk according to the survey on Sina Weibo?
A. Because there are too many people on the road.
B. Because the red light lasts too long.
C. Because people don’t pay much attention to rules.
D. Because people have less patience.
5. The writer suggests that we should________ to solve the problem of jaywalking.
A. punish the jaywalkers B. disregard the traffic rules
C. reduce the time of red lights D. call on people to obey the traffic lights
1C 2B 3C 4C 5D
‘USA? Britain? Which country is better to study in?’ We often hear such discussions. As China opens its door, it is a dream for many Chinese students to study abroad. They want to learn about the outside world.
It’s true that studying abroad can help students develop themselves. Their foreign language skills will be improved and it may be easier to find jobs.
But there are problems that should be considered. Language is the first. Students must spend a lot of time learning another language.
Students must also learn to live without parents’ care and deal with all kinds of things they haven’t had to do before, like looking after themselves. There are reports about Chinese students abroad running into an ocean of difficulties and giving up finally. When they have to take care of themselves, it is hard for students to study well.
Finally, studying abroad brings a heavy burden(负担)to the family. For most Chinese parents, the cost of studying abroad is very high. But is it worth it?
We know that there are many famous people who have achieved success through their hard work in China. Liu Xiang is a good example. Once an American teacher invited him there, but he refused. He kept training hard with his Chinese teacher. He surprised the world when he won a gold medal at the Athens Olympic Games. So when you wonder which country is better to study in, think again.
Title: Studying at 56 or abroad | |
Phenomenon(现象) | Studying abroad has become a 57 for Chinese students. |
Advantages | ◆ It is helpful to the future 58 of Chinese students. |
◆ It helps to 59 foreign language skills. | |
◆ It enables Chinese students to find jobs more 60 . | |
61 | ◆ It 62 Chinese students too much time to learn a foreign language. |
◆ It’s hard for Chinese students to get used to the life abroad 63 parents’ care. | |
◆ Parents may be under pressure(压力)because the cost of studying abroad is very 64 . | |
Purpose: To tell us studying abroad is not the only way to be 65 by describing Liu Xiang’s example. |