2011.12英语六级听力:禁止在车内吸烟

One of these days, drivers in the UK could be breaking the law if the government heeds advice from the British Medical Association, which suggests that the government ban people from smoking in their own vehicle.

But because cars are private spaces, these proposals are proving contentious. One non-smoker says:

"I have to ask her to open the window because I don't like it, as a non-smoker."

However, this woman does not believe the government should interfere.



"I don't think the government has any right to stop people smoking in their cars. It's not affecting anybody else outside, you've got diesel busses, diesel cars that are making more pollution than me smoking in my car."

It's a sentiment shared by this man:

"It's my body, it's my decision, that's about it. That's all it comes down to."

Children are believed to be at the highest risk in these circumstances.

In an experiment, a man is smoking in his car to test levels of harmful toxins in the smoke.

Dr James Cant, from the British Lung Foundation, explains the findings.

"What we started with before the cigarette was lit was a relatively normal level of about 12, when we get beyond 35 it starts to get dangerous to human health. What we saw when the cigarette was lit was within a few seconds was the meter readings actually shot up into the hundreds and stayed there for some time after the cigarette was extinguished."

The document also says the elderly are vulnerable to respiratory problems caused by passive smoking.

Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's director of professional activities, says smoking causes over 80,000 deaths every year in England.

Last week Northern Ireland's Health Minister Edwin Poots said he is considering a ban on smoking in cars. And a private member's bill in the UK is calling for a ban.

But any legislation will be bitterly opposed by the smokers' rights group Forest.

Simon Clark of Forest says:

"You might have a single lone adult behind the wheel choose to light a cigarette and suddenly he's committing an offence. The police will be expected to pull him over, fine him, if he doesn't pay the fine he could end up in jail for heaven's sake. It's utterly ridiculous. A car is a private space."

If the bill get passed, smokers in the UK could soon be puffing on their last cigarette in their own car, if doctors get their way.

词汇讲解：

1. heed vt.听某人的劝告, 听从
例句：I heeded my doctor’s advice and stopped smoking.
我听从医生的劝告, 把烟戒了。

2. proposal n.提议; 建议；求婚
例句：They presented concrete proposals for improvement.
他们提出了具体的改进建议。

3. interfere vi. 干预; 调停；妨碍
例句：As he is always interfering, I told him to mind his own business.
因为他常来指手画脚, 所以我让他少管闲事。

4. circumstance n.环境, 条件, 情况；境遇, 经济状况
例句：In normal circumstances I would have resigned immediately.
在正常情况下,我本会马上辞职的。

5. experiment n. 实验, 试验
例句：We should like to do another experiment.
我们倒是很想再做一个实验。

6. extinguish vt.使熄灭, 扑灭；使…不复存在
例句：Water extinguished the fire.
水把火浇灭了。

7. passive adj. 被动的; 消极的; 不抵抗的
例句：He has a passive disposition.
他个性消极。

8. oppose vt. 反对
例句：He had opposed Jim's entry right at the beginning.
从一开始他就反对吉姆参与。

9. commit vt.犯罪; 犯错；承诺; 使自己受约束；托付; 交付
例句：He has committed a serious fault.
他犯了严重错误。

10. fine vt. 处…以罚金
例句：They fined him ten dollars.
他们判他10美元罚金。

11. puff vi. 一口口抽烟(或喷烟)
例句：Pike was puffing away at a cigarette nervously.
派克紧张不安地一口接一口抽着烟卷。

短语讲解：

1. One of these days, drivers in the UK could be breaking the law if the government heeds advice from the British Medical Association, which suggests that the government ban people from smoking in their own vehicle.

ban from禁止
例句：Bicycles are banned from the new superhighway.
禁止在高速公路骑自行车。

2. "It's my body, it's my decision, that's about it. That's all it comes down to."

come down to归结起来(为…)
例句：Their quarrel comes down to money.
他们的吵架说到底是为钱。

3. What we saw when the cigarette was lit was within a few seconds was the meter readings actually shot up into the hundreds and stayed there for some time after the cigarette was extinguished.

shoot up迅速成长
例句：The plants are just shooting up.
作物迅速生长。

4. And a private member's bill in the UK is calling for a ban.

call for需要
例句：Your plan will call for a lot of money.
。

5. The police will be expected to pull him over, fine him, if he doesn't pay the fine he could end up in jail for heaven's sake.

pull over靠向路边
例句：The tourists pull over.
游客们招呼司机把车开到路边。
end up结束; 最终成为〔变得〕
例句：He finally ended up his speech.
最后他结束了自己的讲话。