Question

Why does most of the world travel on the right side today? Theories differ, but there's no doubt Napoleon was a major influence. The French have used the right since at least the late 18th century. Some say that before the French Revolution, noblemen drove their carriages on the left, forcing the peasants to the right. Regardless of the origin, Napoleon brought right-hand traffic to the nations he conquered, including Russia, Switzerland and Germany. Hitler, in turn, ordered right-hand traffic in Czechoslovakia and Austria in the 1930s. Nations that escaped right-hand control, like Great Britain, followed their left-hand tradition.

The U.S. has not always been a nation of right-hand drivers; earlier in its history, carriage and horse traffic travelled on the left, as it did in England. But by the late 1700s, people driving large wagons pulled by several pairs of horses began promoting a shift (改變) to the right. A driver would sit on the rear (后面的) left horse in order to wave his whip (鞭子) with his right hand; to see opposite traffic clearly, they travelled on the right.

One of the final moves to firmly standardize traffic directions in the U.S. occurred in the 20th century, when Henry Ford decided to mass-produce his cars with controls on the left ( the reason was stated in a 1908 catalog: the convenience for passengers exiting directly onto the edge, especially if there is a lady to be considered).Once these rules were set, many countries eventually adjusted to the right-hand standard, including Canada in the 1920s, Sweden in 1967 and Burma in 1970.The U.K. and former colonies such as Australia and India are among the Western world's few remaining holdouts(堅(jiān)持不變者).Several Asian nations, including Japan, use the left as well—though many places use both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive cars.

1.Why did people in Switzerland travel on the right?

A. They had used the right-hand traffic since the 18th century.

B. Rich people enjoyed driving their carriages on the right.

C. Napoleon introduced the right-hand traffic to this country.

D. Hitler ordered them to go against their left-hand tradition.

2.Of all the countries below, the one that travels on the right is ______.

A. Austria B. England C. Japan D. Australia

3.Henry Ford produced cars with controls on the left ______.

A. in order to change traffic directions in the U.S.

B. so that passengers could get off conveniently

C. because rules at that time weren't perfect

D. though many countries were strongly against that

4.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A. Before the French Revolution, all the French people used the right.

B. People in Britain and the U.S. travel on the same side nowadays.

C. The Burmese began to travel on the right in 1970.

D. All the Asian nations use the left at present.

Answer 1