第五十篇 Cell Phones Increase Traffic, Pedestrian Fatalities (A级)
Cell phones are a danger on the road in more ways than one. Two new studies show that talking on the phone while traveling, whether you’re driving or on foot, is increasing both pedestrian deaths and those of drivers and passengers, and recommend crackdowns on cell1 use by both pedestrians and drivers.
The new studies, lead-authored by Rutgers University, Newark, Economics Professor Peter D. Loeb, relate the impact of cell phones on accident fatalities to the number of cell phones in use, showing that the current increase in deaths resulting from cell phone use follows a period when cell phones actually helped to reduce pedestrian and traffic fatalities. However, this reduction in fatalities disappeared once the numbers of phones in use reached a “critical mass” of 100 million, the study found.
These studies looked at cell phone use and motor vehicle accidents from 1975 through 2002, and factored in a number of variables, including vehicle speed, alcohol consumption, seat belt use, and miles driven. The studies found the cell phone-fatality correlation to be true even when including factors such as speed, alcohol consumption, and seat belt use.
Loeb and his co-author determined that, at the current time, cell phone use has a “significant adverse effect on pedestrian safety” and that “cell phones and their usage above a critical threshold adds to motor vehicle fatalities. “ In the late 1980s and part of the 1990s, before the numbers of phones exploded, cell phone use actually had a “life-saving effect” in pedestrian and traffic accidents, Loeb notes. “Cell-phone users’ were able to quickly call for medical assistance when involved in an accident. This quick medical response actually reduced the number of traffic deaths for a time,” Loeb hypothesizes.
However, this was not the case when cells were first used in the mid-1980s, when they caused a “life-taking effect” among pedestrians, drivers and passengers in vehicles. In those early days, when there were fewer than a million phones, fatalities increased, says Loeb, because drivers and pedestrians probably were still adjusting to the novelty of using them, and there weren’t enough cell phones in use to make a difference in summoning help following an accident, he explains.
The “life-saving effect” occurred as the volume of phones grew into the early 1990s, and in-creasing numbers of cells were used to call 911 following accidents; leading to a drop in fatalities, explains Loeb. But this life-saving effect was canceled out once the numbers of phones reached a “critical mass” of about 100 million and the “life-taking effect” — increased accidents and fatalities —outweighed the benefits of quick access to 911 services, according to Loeb.
Loeb and his co-authors used econometric models to analyze data from a number of government and private studies. He and his co-authors recommend that governments consider more aggressive policies to reduce cell phone use by both drivers and pedestrians, to reduce the number of fatalities.
练习：
1. The two new studies, lead-authored by Professor Peter D. Loeb
A show that talking on the phone while driving or walking in the street increases deaths of drivers and pedestrians.
B show that talking on the phone while driving increases pedestrian deaths.
C recommend that strict measures be taken to restrain cell phone use.
D both A and C.
2. According to the second paragraph, when did cell phones actually help to reduce pedestrian and traffic fatalities?
A Right after cell phones were invented.
B Before the number of cell phone users reached a critical mass
C When cell phone users totaled to a certain number.
D When the number of cell phones decreased to a certain number.
3. What is said about cell phone use in paragraph 4 ?
A The number of cell phones in use exploded in the late 1980s and part of the 1990s.
B The number of traffic deaths was reduced in the late 1980s and part of the 1990s due to cell phone use.
C Cell phone users are likely to be involved in traffic accidents.
D The use of cell phones has a life-saving effect for pedestrians and drivers.
4. What is said about cell phone use in the mid-1980s in paragraph 5?
A It had a life-taking effect because there weren’t enough cell phones in use then.
B The increased use of cell phones then caused a “life-taking effect. “
C Traffic fatalities increased then because the number of cell phones in use decreased.
D Traffic fatalities decreased then because the number of cell phones in use increased.
5. Which of the following statements DOES NOT answer the question “What caused the “life-saving effect” to occur in the early 1990s?”
A There were more cell phone users during that period.
B The number of cell phone users reached about 100 million.
C More cell phones were used to call 911 when accidents occurred.
D Cell phones enabled people to have quick access to 911 services.
参考答案
D B B A B
参考译文
第五十篇 手机增加交通行人死亡
手机在路上有多种多样的危险。两个新的研究表明，不管开车还是步行时打手机，都会增加行人、司机和乘客死亡的危险，所以该研究建议严厉限制行人和司机使用手机。
这是一项第一作者为罗格斯大学纽瓦克分校的经济学教授Peter D．Loeb的新研究成果，它把手机的意外致命的影响和大量手机使用数量联系起来，表明目前由于手机所引起的死亡数目有所增加，而在此之间的一段时间里，手机事实上能够帮助降低行人和交通致命率。但研究发现，当手机使用人数达到1亿这个临界数量时，手机降低交通致命率的作用就消失了。
这些研究涉及到从1975年到2002年间的手机使用和机动车辆事故之间的关系，也涉及包括车速、酒精消耗、安全带的使用和行驶的里数等其它方面。这些研究表明甚至当考虑比如速度、酒精消耗和安全带的使用这些因素时，二者之间的关联也是真实存在的。
在目前，Loeb和他的合著者决定手机的使用”在行人安全上有严重的反作用”并且”手机的使用数量已经超过了临界数量也增加了机动车辆的致命性。”在20世纪80年代末和90年代的一段时间，在手机使用数量达到大爆炸之前，手机的使用确实在交通事故中起到过”保护生命的作用”。”当发生交通意外时，手机使用者能够快速地打电话寻求医疗帮助，这种快速的医学求救反应确实能在一定时间内减少一定数量的事故死亡”，Loeb假设。
但是，在20世纪80年代当手机开始被使用时并不是这样，在那时手机在行人、司机和乘客间造成了”致命的效果。”在早些日子里，那时有不到一百万部手机，致命率增加了，Loeb说，因为司机和行人或许在那时还在适应怎样使用它们，还没有足够的手机能够在事故中呼叫帮助，他解释说。
这”保护生命的效果”是在20世纪90年代当大数量的手机被使用的时候出现的，越来越多的手机在事故之后拨打911求助，这就降低了致命率，Loeb解释说。但是一旦手机的使用量超过大约一亿的临界数量”时，这种保护生命的效果就被抵消了，而且这种”致命的效果”——增加了事故和死亡——超过了能快速呼叫911服务的好处，根据Loeb所说。
Loeb和他的合著者们使用计量经济模式来分析从许多政府和私人研究中得来的数据。他和他的合著者们都推荐政府采取强制性措施来减少司机和行人的手机使用数量，来减少死亡事件的发生。
2010年 职称英语考试教材 现货已到，先到先得，欲购从速！
