Tourists heading to Venice will need to spend extra money on new baggage thanks to an odd new rule. According to the rule, visitors using wheelie suitcases will be fined up to 500 euros. It will come into effect in May 2015.
What’s the reason for the ban? It’s noise pollution on the historic canal bridges. Authorities say that the noise of large tour groups dragging the bags over the bridges keeps local residents awake at night, and in the end, amounts to noise pollution. Only wheelie suitcases with silent inflated tires, rather than rubber ones, will be permitted in the water city, under the strict new regulations brought in by the council.
The odd rule has been brought in by Vittorio Zappalorto, who was appointed after the city’s mayor was arrested in a corruption scandal. Venetians themselves will be exempt from the regulations which are to come into operation in May next year, Il Gazzettino reported.
The news follows a series of attempts to limit the impact of the 20 million tourists that visit Venice every year. Earlier this year the city launched a campaign discouraging couples from attaching padlocks to the city’s bridges as a symbol of love, claiming the old structures are too fragile to cope with the weight. Workmen this summer removed some 20,000 “love locks” from the Rialto and Accademia bridges.
And last year authorities started a strict crackdown on water traffic. After a series of complaints about drunkenness, boatmen are now subject to alcohol and drug tests and must use GPS devices and number plates.
“There are also numerous worrying signs of deterioration and wear to paving stones and bridges previously unharmed for hundreds of years.” the City Council said in a statement.
City official Maurizio Dorigo admitted the rules were currently a little impractical as suitcases with inflatable wheels did not yet exist, as far as he knew. He said: “Hopefully a company will start producing suitcases with inflatable tires. We’ve got till next May. Someone will be able to design and sell them by then.”
本时文内容由奇速英语国际教育研究院原创编写,禁止复制和任何商业用途,版权所有,侵权必究!
1.Why does Venice City introduce the ban from wheelie suitcases?
A The noise of tour groups keep residents awake at night.
B Rubber tyres of suitcases produce a lot of noise.
C The dragging of wheelie suitcases amounts to noise pollution.
D Tyres of suitcases do harm to paving stones and bridges.
解析:选C。C 细节理解题。根据文章第二段…the noise of large tour groups dragging the bags over the bridges… amounts to noise pollution可知,成群的游客在桥上拖动行李箱的声音引起噪音污染,这是新规出台的原因。
2.What else measures have been taken to reduce the impact of tourists in the city?
A Limiting number of tourists and removing “love locks”.
B Discouraging couples and crackdown on water traffic.
C Launching a campaign and using GPS devices and number plates.
D Removing “love locks” and crackdown on water traffic.
解析:选D。D 细节理解题。根据文章第四、五段可知,威尼斯市在减少游客对水城造成的影响方面还做了阻止游客在桥上挂连心锁,整顿游船服务等方面的工作。
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A Local residents can use wheelie suitcases without being fined.
B People are banned from attaching padlocks to bridges.
C GPS devices and number plates are used in water traffic.
D Suitcases with inflatable wheels are sold in many shops.
解析:选A。A 推理判断题。根据文章第三段Venetians themselves will be exempt from the regulations可知,威尼斯城当地人不受新规则的约束,由此判断,当地人使用滑轮行李箱不会被罚款的。
4.Why does Maurizio Dorigo think the new rule impractical?
A The regulation does not apply to the local residents.
B Suitcases with inflatable wheels haven’t been largely produced.
C Tourists are usually dragging their wheelie suitcases at night.
D Suitcases with inflated silent tires can’t be designed by then.
解析:选B。B 细节理解题。根据文章最后一段…were currently a little impractical as suitcases with inflatable wheels did not yet exist可知,使用充气轮的行李箱还没有生产出来,因此实施新规有些不切实际。
5.What can be the best title of the passage?
A Wheelie Suitcases Produce Noise Pollution.
B Attempts to Limit Impact of Tourists to the Water City
C Venice Bans Tourists from Using Wheelie Suitcases.
D Attaching Padlocks to Bridges as A Symbol of Love.
解析:选C。C 主旨大意题。通读全文可知,本文介绍了即将于2015年(5月)实施的一项新规定,即禁止在威尼斯的游客使用滑轮行李箱。