READ THE FOLLOWING PASSAGE AND CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS
A pioneering study by Donald Appleyard made the astounding discovery that a sudden increase in the volume of traffic through an area affects people in the way that a sudden increase in crime does. Appleyard observed this by finding three blocks of houses in San Francisco that looked much alike and had the same kind of middle-class and working-class residents, with approximately the same ethnic mix. The difference was that only 2,000 cars a day ran down Octavia Street (LIGHT street, in Appleyard’s terminology) while Gough Street (MEDIUM street) was used by 8,000 cars daily, and Franklin Street (HEAVY street) had around 16,000 cars a day. Franklin Street often had as many cars in an hour as Octavia had in a day.
Heavy traffic brought with it danger, noise, fumes and soot, directly, and trash secondarily. That is, the cars didn’t bring in much trash, but when trash accumulated, residents seldom picked it up. The cars, Appleyard determined, reduced the amount of territory residents felt responsible for. Noise was a constant intrusion into their homes. Many Franklin Street residents covered their doors and windows and spent most of their time in the rear of their houses. Most families with children had already left. Conditions on Octavia Street were much different. Residents picked up trash. They sat on their front steps and chatted with neighbors. They had three times as many friends and twice as many acquaintances as the people on Franklin.
On Gough Street, residents said that the old feeling of community was disappearing as traffic increased. People were becoming more and more preoccupied with their own lives. A number of families had recently moved and more were considering. Those who were staying expressed deep regret at the destruction of their community.
1. The word “astounding” in line 1 is closest in meaning to __________.
A. startling B. disappointing C. dubious D. alternative
2. The three streets mentioned in this passage are different in that __________.
A. they are in different cities.
B. the residents are of different ethnic backgrounds.
C. they have varying amounts of traffic.
D. the income levels of the residents vary considerably.
3. Approximately how many cars used Franklin Street daily?
A. 2,000 B. 8,000 C. 16,000 D. 20,000
4. All of the following are direct results of heavy traffic EXCEPT __________.
A. increased amount of trash B. greater danger to residents
C. more pollution D. more vibrations
5. The author’s main purpose in the second paragraph is to __________.
A. discuss the problem of trash disposal
B. point out the disadvantage of heavy traffic
C. propose an alternate system of transportation
D. suggest ways to cope with traffic problems
6. On which street was there the most social interaction?
A. Octavia Street
B. Gough Street
C. Franklin Street
D. There was no significance social interaction on any of the three streets
7. The word “chatted” in line 16 is closest in meaning to __________.
A. joked B. talked C. argued D. walked
8. Which of the following is NOT a statement you would expect from a resident of Gough Street?
A. People on this street are unhappy because the neighborhood is deteriorating.
B. People on this street think mostly of themselves.
C. People on this street have more and more space for which they feel responsible.
D. A number of people are preparing to leave this street.
9. In what order does the author present detailed discussions of the three streets?
A. LIGHT, MEDIUM, HEAVY B. HEAVY, MEDIUM, LIGHT
C. HEAVY, LIGHT, MEDIUM D. LIGHT, HEAVY, MEDIUM
10. What is the writer’s attitude toward heavy traffic when he mentions the Appleyard’s study?
A. neutral B. favorable C. critical D. doubtful
