Question

One of the newest pieces of public art in Rochester, N. Y., is right in the middle of Main Street. Or, more accurately, it's on the street.

Outside the Eastman School of Music, a group of volunteers repainted the crosswalk to look like three dimensional piano keys in advance of the international jazz festival that happens here each year. People walking by have been commenting on the artwork, but there's more here than meets the eye.

Intersections have had a pretty standard look in the United States for decades. The blank square of pavement, the white lines of crosswalks Increasingly, urban designers and transportation planners say colorful crosswalks and engaging sidewalks lead to safer intersections, stronger neighborhoods and better public health. But the growing push for intersection creativity is meeting

some resistance from the federal government,

And with pedestrian deaths in the U. S. at a 30-year high, those planners say, finding new ways to protect people from cars is becoming more urgent.

Just off Main Street, in Rochester's Beechwood neighborhood, there's another colorful intersection. The sidewalks here are green, the crosswalks are blue, and there's a big, red and yellow sun that covers the whole street. The art has been here a little over a year.

Hutchings says the intersection art makes a big difference for families. He says there are more children outside playing and more adults walking places or riding bikes.

When infrastructure encourages active transit, like walking or bicycling, the result is public health gains, says Ruth Steiner, who directs the Center for Health and the Built Environment at the University of Florida.

Indeed, cities across the country have embraced the idea. Despite the Federal Highway Administration's finding that aesthetically pleasing intersections bring a range of benefits, the agency has taken issue with several examples. Officials in St. Louis decided in 2016 to let the color in artistic intersections fade away after the highway administration said they could distract drivers.

A year later, the agency asked officials in Lexington, Ky.，to remove a rainbow crosswalk downtown because it created “potential confusion for motorists" and danger for pedestrians.

In general, the agency says, “crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians.”

1.Why did a group of volunteers pain the crosswalk to look like keys?

A.To show off their talent in art.

B.To attract more people to the streets.

C.To make it safer for pedestrians.

D.To create atmosphere for the jazz festival.

2.What does Hutchings think of the intersection art?

A.It distracts drivers.

B.It benefits the neighborhood.

C.It results in public health gains.

D.It causes confusion for motorists.

3.What can we infer about Ruth Steiner's opinion?

A.The art brings a range of benefits.

B.Infrastructure should favor traffic safety.

C.Artistic crosswalks are beneficial to people's health.

D.Cities across the country should embrace the art.

4.A proper title for this passage is_________

A.Creative crosswalks meet resistance

B.Colourful intersections and crosswalks

C.New ways to protect people from cars

D.Safety on the road

Answer

1.D

2.B

3.C

4.A

【解析】

这是一篇议论文。本文以一群志愿者在每年举行的国际爵士乐音乐节前将人行道重新粉刷成了3D钢琴键的事情为切入点，从当地市民的视角陈述了十字路口艺术的优点，以及某部门反对它的原因。

1.

推理判断题。根据第二段的Outside the Eastman School of Music, a group of volunteers repainted the crosswalk to look like three dimensional piano keys in advance of the international jazz festival that happens here each year. (在Eastman音乐学院的外面，一群志愿者在每年举行的国际爵士乐音节前，将人行道重新粉刷成了3D钢琴键的样子)可推测，志愿者把人行道刷成3D钢琴键的样子是为爵士音乐节创造一种氛围。D. To create atmosphere for the jazz festival.(为了给爵士音乐节创造氛围)符合以上说法，故选D项。

2.

细节理解题。根据第六段的Hutchings says the intersection art makes a big difference for families. He says there are more children outside playing and more adults walking places or riding bikes.( Hutchings说，十字路口艺术对小区的家庭有很大影响。他说，有更多的孩子在外面玩耍，更多的成年人在外面散步或骑车)可知，Hutchings认为十字路口艺术对小区有好处。B. It benefits the neighborhood.(它对小区有益)符合以上说法，故选B项。

3.

细节理解题。根据第七段的When infrastructure encourages active transit, like walking or bicycling, the result is public health gains, says Ruth Steiner (Ruth Steiner说，当基础设施鼓励步行或者骑自行车等积极的交通方式时，公众健康就会得到改善)可知，Ruth Steiner 认为艺术道路对人们的健康有益。C. Artistic crosswalks are beneficial to people's health.(艺术人行道对人们的健康有益)符合以上说法，故选C项。

4.

主旨大意题。根据文章的主要内容，尤其最后一段的In general, the agency says, crosswalk art is actually contrary to the goal of increased safety and most likely could be a contributing factor to a false sense of security for both motorists and pedestrians.(该机构表示，总体而言，人行道艺术实际上和增加安全性的目标是相反的，它最有可能给司机和乘客造成一种虚假的安全感)可知，本文主要讲述了虽然一些人认为艺术道路有一些优势，但也遭到了反对。A. Creative crosswalks meet resistance(有创意的人行道遭到了阻力)可以作为本文标题，故选A项。