Many people think New York is a noisy city. In fact,scientists who study noise
say that the average noise level in New York is 72. 5 decibels. This is a little
louder than normal conversation,which is 65 decibels. The noise level is the result
of so many people and cars in the same area.
Now even the insides of taxis are noisy. When you get into a taxi,you hear the voice
of a wellknown singer,sports reporter,or Broadway actress giving instructions.
That’t right. The voice of a famous person tells you what to do. One popular singer
gives this message:“Cats have nine lives,but you have only one,so fasten your seat
belt!”Other voices say things such as“Don’t forget to collect all your
belongings. ”（People often leave hats,umbrellas,and bags in taxis. ）
There is a good reason for the messages. There are more than 12,000 cabs in New
York,and every year taxis get into more than 15,000 accidents. In an accident,people
who don’t wear seat belts hit the partition,the glass wall separating the driver
and passengers in the taxi. They can hurt their foreheads or break their noses or
chins. Every year,about 11,000 people are injured in this way.
Many people are annoyed by the voices. Cabdrivers in particular dislike the
messages. “I play the messages 12 hours a day. I hear the same voices 60 times a
day. It makes me crazy,”says Amir,a 45yearold cabdriver. “But if I don’t play the
messages,I get fined ＄100. ”A lot of passengers complain,too. “It’s too much
noise,”says a passenger. “I asked the driver to turn off the message,but he said
he can’t. ”
Other people think the voices are a great idea. One taxi driver says,“People like
to hear the famous voices,and they put on their seat belts more often. ”And
passengers from out of town really like the idea. “Most of the time,taxi drivers
are in a bad mood,”says Melanie Benton,who visits New York often on
business,“It’s nice to hear a cheerful voice when you get into a cab. ”
【題組】23). It can be inferred from the passage that a taxi driver hears the same
voices______every day.
(A). about 5 times an hour
(B). about 6 times an hour
(C). about 50 times an hour
(D). about 60 times an hour
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