Survey: Most Chinese think penalty(懲罰) for drunk driving too light
2009-08-18 13:33:53 GMT2009-08-18 21:33:53 (Beijing Time) Xinhua English
BEIJING, Aug.18 (Xinhua) -- Most Chinese people consider drunk driving impossible to stop in the country while the current law(法律) too light for drunk drivers, a survey has found.

According to the survey done by the China Youth Daily, more than 96% of the 1,792 respondents(被告) said people around them had driven after drinking, while more than 81% complained the current penalty was too light, the paper reported Tuesday. Now offenders(違規(guī)者) face a three-to-six month suspension(吊銷)of their driving licenses and detention(拘留) for up to 15 days in serious cases.
Drunk driving has attracted wide public attention in China after several serious accidents in recent months. On Aug. 4, a drunk driver in Hangzhou killed a 16-year-old girl. Two days later, another drunk driver in Shanghai killed a four-year-old boy and injured three others.
Drunk driving is regarded as just traffic violation if no accidents result, according to the Chinese law. But some people have called for regarding it as a crime no matter whether it results in serious accidents. “If it’s a crime and anyone caught will go to jail(監(jiān)獄), a lot more people will be afraid of risking it,” said Wang Mingliang, a professor at the Fudan University. However, other people disagreed.
In 2008, China’s alcohol（酒精）-related traffic accidents led to 18,371 deaths, 76,230 injuries, and a property(財(cái)產(chǎn)) loss of 250 million yuan ($36.7 million), according to official figures.
【小題1】Most Chinese think it’s hard to stop drunk driving because of the __________ penalty for it according to the current law.
A. light                    B. less                 C. heavy
【小題2】If a drunk driver is caught now, he or she will have to face __________.
A. a detention and an important report 
B. a suspension of driving license and a detention
C. a suspension of driving license and a serious survey
【小題3】How many people died of alcohol-related traffic accidents in China in 2008?
A. 1,792                    B. 18,371                   C. 76,230
【小題4】According to the passage, which of the following is true?
A. A drunk driver in Shanghai killed a 4-year-old boy On August 4.
B. Over 1700 respondents in the survey complained the current penalty was too light.
C. China’s alcohol-related traffic accidents caused a property loss of $36.7 million in 2008.
【小題5】This passage may come from a __________.
A. newspaper               B. science fiction          C. story book