新编六级听力练习 第334期

Passage Two
The private motor vehicle has given us a freedom our ancestors could not dream about. We can travel swiftly, and usually safely, over the roads which have been built to accommodate our cars. People can display their wealth by driving a car which may cost as much as another person's home.
[29]Sadly the car has become a disadvantage as well as a boon. The car pollutes the atmosphere, may be involved in serious accidents, and by its very numbers blocks roads. [29]How can we reduce its use? The car is only desirable if we can use it easily, so we might begin by reducing access to parking spaces in the cities and simultaneously increasing the quality and availability of public transport. Cars could be banned from certain parts of the city, thus forcing people to walk or to use public transport. The expense of buying and running a car can be raised. [30]If the motorist is faced with a high purchase price, high road tax, high insurance premiums and substantial fines he or she may reconsider the purchase. A corresponding reduction in the price of public transport would help this financial argument against car ownership.
Neither of these arguments will sway the super rich who can afford the status cars, but it would perhaps encourage them to look at other ways of demonstrating their wealth. [31]However we do it, reducing the number of cars on the road will reduce the problems of pollution and the congestion which can bring cities to a standstill.

Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard.
29. What does the speaker focus on?
正确答案：B
解析：主旨题。虽然开头提到了拥有私家车的好处，但是sadly之后就重点讲述其disadvantages以及如何控制其数量，故B正确。
30. What factor might hinder most people's consideration of purchasing private cars?
正确答案：A
解析：听到了很多种制约因素，最后一条与A相符。B和C与原文意思相反。D属无中生有，注意insurance coverage（保险责任范围）不同于文中的insurance premiums（保险金）。
31. What would be the result if the number of private cars is reduced?
正确答案：C
解析：录音最后总结的两大好处就是C。