Question

After visiting a Harlingen tower block, the Metropolitan Police commissioner Ian Blair claimed that people now feel as safe as they did 25 years ago.

Do you agree with Sir Ian’s rosy view of society?

Do you feel safe enough to leave your doors unlocked where you live?

（Posted by David Llewellyn on August 21,2006 12:17 P.M.）

I lived in Devon for three years, and can honestly say that in the village where I lived it was safe to leave the front door unlocked. But a London district? What planet is Ian Blair on? What decade is he in?

I’m not one of these people who think that Britain is slipping into a deep hole, but I am realistic enough to understand that wherever you find a large population you will find crime.

The idea that we can measure society’s downfall by how safe it is to leave the door unlocked is misleading, anyhow. It’s a little like the recent announcement that street crime has increased in recent years. Yes, it has, but the majority of people now walk around with half a branch of Dixon’s in their pockets-mobile phones, i-Pods. Of course, street crime is going to increase.

Funnily enough, there was hardly any car theft in the 19th century!!!

The same goes for houses. A hundred years ago your house may have contained a little jewelry, some furniture, and some small cash in a biscuit tin. Now even working class households are equipped with computers, DVD players, wide-screen televisions-all of which can be carried out in a matter of minutes.

I’m not speaking for the scum（渣滓）who choose to break into people’s houses and rob them of their hard-earned belongings, but it does put things into context.

Yes, we have to lock our front doors, and yes, it is a shame that we can’t trust everyone, but if we’re honest with ourselves, those of us living in cities never could trust absolutely everyone.

1．There was hardly any car theft in the 19th century because_______.

    A．there were hardly any thieves in the 19th century

    B．there were hardly any cars in the 19th century

    C．street crime was rarely seen in the 19th century

    D．proper security measures were taken in the 19th century

2．What is David Llewellyn’s opinion about the topic?

    A．Lock the back door．                  B．Never trust everyone.

    C．Leave the door unlocked．               D．Be realistic.

3．The underlined word “it” refers to_________.

    A．street crime                           B．the recent announcement

    C．leaving the door unlocked                D．society’s downfall

4．According to David Llewellyn, _________.

    A．to lock the door or not is related to the times and places

    B．to lock the door or not is a measure to the level of safety of the society

    C．to leave the door unlocked will lead you nowhere

    D．to lock the door means trusting nobody

Answer 1

BDAA