For the first time in more than 60 years, firearms and motor vehicles are killing Americans at an identical rate, according to new death data. The death rate for both firearms and motor vehicles stands at 10.3 deaths per 100,000 people. The result was produced primarily by a sharp drop in the rate of motor vehicle deaths since 1950, while over the same period, gun deaths rose.

The steady decline in motor vehicle deaths can be attributed to (归因于) a combination of improved technology and smarter regulation. The federal government commanded the presence of seat belts in the 1960s. The 1970s brought anti-lock brakes. The 1980s brought an increased focus on drunk driving and seat belt use. Airbags came along in the 1990s. More recent years have seen demands on electronic stability systems, increased penalties (惩罚) for careless driving and other improved technology used to meet safety requirements.

However, the history of American gun control regulation has been more erratic (不稳定的). Restrictions past in earlier times have been undone recently. Technological advances, like smart-gun technology that prevents people other than the owner from firing a gun, have been blocked by opposition from the National Rifle Association of America and many gun owners.

The result? The gun death rate is slightly higher than before. Particularly annoying is that there may be ways to improve gun safety and reduce firearm deaths. But innovations (创新) in gun safety are hard to come by, in large part because of Congress’s longstanding ban on many types of federal government research. The ban badly affects academic researchers. One well-known researcher, Garen Wintemute of the University of California at Davis, had to donate $1 million of his own money to keep his research going. He clearly tells his students not to join the field because of the severe difficulties that researchers face in obtaining funding and publishing their results.

Gun deaths and vehicle deaths are in many ways two different problems. Gun deaths are typically on purpose, but motor vehicle deaths are usually accidental. And cars are much more complicated machines than guns. Still, we’ve been able to make driving much safer. We could potentially do the same with guns.

【小题1】What does the new death data reveal?

A．Gun deaths once experienced a sharp drop in 1950.

B．About 10 out of 10,000 people died of gun accidents.

C．Motor vehicle deaths have slightly declined since 1950.

D．Guns are now killing as many people as cars in the U.S.

【小题2】How does the author develop the second paragraph?

A．By stating facts.

B．By using figures.

C．By giving instructions.

D．By making comparisons.

【小题3】What might Garen Wintemute be willing to do?

A．Give up his gun research.	B．Donate $1 million to his university.
C．Support Congress’s ban on gun research.	D．Discourage students from following his research.

【小题4】What conclusion does the author draw in the last paragraph?

A．Gun safety could be guaranteed.	B．Guns are as complicated as cars.
C．Car driving is much easier than before.	D．Car accidents tend to be caused deliberately.