VOA标准英语2013--Traffic Safety at the Heart of Walks, Rallies Around the World

Traffic Safety at the Heart of Walks, Rallies¹ Around the World

Cars and people -- trying to get along on one of the world's busiest roads. Biking and walking and crossing --  in Cambodia. India, and Tanzania.  Competing with driving, sometimes risky², sometimes, losing.

Traffic crashes worldwide claim 1.2 million lives every year.  South Africa has one of the world's worst road safety records, seeing about 40 deaths each day.  Zanani Mandela -- great-granddaughter of Nelson Mandela -- died in a crash three years ago on the eve of the World Cup.  

The Long Short Walk for safe roads is in her honor -- like this one in Vietnam and many more all over the world.  Zanani's uncle, Kweku Mandela, joined the walk in Washington. "If could create something that would save lives in the future and could educate people we should bring light to it," he said. "So we did this in Zanani's name."

Walker Kristen Thomen is learning how to drive but is still haunted³ by a crash several years ago.  She wants people to know the consequences of unsafe driving.  

"People do get hurt and traumatized.  Right now, I’m scared to back out of my driveway and when I learn how to drive, I have to learn how to back out of my driveway.   It’s really traumatizing me for me because everytime, I see this accident happening,” Thomen stated.

Outgoing U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says distracted⁴ driving is the new killer⁵.

"Eighty-six percent of us buckle⁶ up but the whole notion⁷ of texting and driving," he said. "Cellphone use and driving, people don't get it yet."

The number of traffic deaths in the United States inched up last year, after dropping steadily⁸ for the past six years.

But globally the number continues to rise, expected to reach nearly 2 million deaths every year in the next decade.  That's why the effort is so strong to reach this age group.

And even younger.  Four-year-old Kai Zarr knows all about safety. "Hold hands when crossing the street with an adult," Zarr added.

“The younger you get to them and teach them about the culture of safety, the more likely they are to practice safe habits the rest of their life,” Zarr's father said.

A crucial lesson, passing safety habits onto their children

1 rallies   

集会( rally的名词复数 )； [网球、羽毛球]连续对打； 公路汽车赛； （精神等方面）振作

参考例句：

• He attended two rallies last year. 去年他参加了两场汽车拉力赛。
• If the whole family rallies round, we can get Jim out of debt. 如果全家都来帮助吉姆，就能帮他把债还清。

2 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

3 haunted   

adj.闹鬼的；受到折磨的；令人烦恼的v.“haunt”的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• There was a haunted look in his eyes. 他眼中透露出忧虑的神色。
• The country is haunted by the spectre of civil war. 内战仿佛一触即发，举国上下一片恐慌。

4 distracted   

a.注意力分散的，思想不集中的

参考例句：

• When working, one should concentrate and not allow oneself to be distracted. 工作时要集中精力，不要分心。
• Noise outside distracted her mind from her studies. 门外的噪音使她心神不宁，无法集中注意力学习。

5 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

6 buckle   

n.扣子，带扣；v.把...扣住，由于压力而弯曲

参考例句：

• The two ends buckle at the back.带子两端在背后扣起来。
• She found it hard to buckle down.她很难专心做一件事情。

7 notion   

n.概念，意念，看法

参考例句：

• One common Chinese notion is that the elders ought to be respected.中国人共有的一种观念是长者应受到尊敬。
• He had a sudden notion to visit all his relatives.他心血来潮，突然想去拜访他所有的亲戚。

8 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。