①First two hours, now three hours—this is how far in advance authorities are recommending people show up to catch a domestic flight, at least at some major U.S. airports with increasingly massive security lines.

②Americans are willing to tolerate time-consuming security procedures in return for increased safety. The crash of Egypt Air Flight 804, which terrorists may have downed over the Mediterranean Sea, provides another tragic reminder of why. But demanding too much of air travelers or providing too little security in return undermines public support for the process. And it should: Wasted time is a drag on Americans’ economic and private lives, not to mention infuriating.

③Last year, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) found in a secret check that undercover investigators were able to sneak weapons—both fake and real—past airport security nearly every time they tried. Enhanced security measures since then, combined with a rise in airline travel due to the improving economy and low oil prices, have resulted in long waits at major airports such as Chicago’s O’Hare International. It is not yet clear how much more effective airline security has become—but the lines are obvious.

④Part of the issue is that the government did not anticipate the steep increase in airline travel, so the TSA is now rushing to get new screeners on the line. Part of the issue is that airports have only so much room for screening lanes. Another factor may be that more people are trying to overpack their carry-on bags to avoid checked baggage fees, though the airlines strongly dispute this.

⑤There is one step the TSA could take that would not require remodeling airports or rushing to hire: Enroll more people in the PreCheck program. PreCheck is supposed to be a win-win for travelers and the TSA. Passengers who pass a background check are eligible to use expedited screening lanes. This allows the TSA to focus on travelers who are higher risk, saving time for everyone involved. The TSA wants to enroll 25 million people in PreCheck.

⑥It has not gotten anywhere close to that, and one big reason is sticker shock: Passengers must pay $85 every five years to process their background checks. Since the beginning, this price tag has been PreCheck’s fatal flaw. Upcoming reforms might bring the price to a more reasonable level. But Congress should look into doing so directly, by helping to finance PreCheck enrollment or to cut costs in other ways.

⑦The TSA cannot continue diverting resources into underused PreCheck lanes while most of the traveling public suffers in unnecessary lines. It is long past time to make the program work. 

1.The crash of EgyptAir Flight 804 is mentioned to _________

A explain American’s tolerance of current security checks.

B stress the urgency to strengthen security worldwide.

C highlight the necessity of upgrading major U.S. airports.

D emphasize the importance of privacy protection.

解析：选A。A目的意图题。根据EgyptAir Flight 804定位到第二段，根据第一、二句，美国人愿意忍受耗时的安全程序来换取更高的安全性，EgyptAir Flight 804的坠毁是一个悲剧的原因，可知第一句是结果，第二句是原因，故选A。

2.Which of the following contributes to long waits at major airports?

A New restrictions on carry-on bags.

B The declining efficiency of the TSA.

C An increase in the number of travelers.

D Frequent unexpected secret checks.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据long waits at major airports定位到第三段，可知安全措施的加强，加上经济好转和低油价导致的航空旅行的增加，导致了主要机场的长时间等待，故选C。

3.The word “expedited” (Para. 5) is closest in meaning to _________

A quieter.

B cheaper.

C wider.

D faster.

解析：选D。D词义猜测题。根据题目定位到第五段，根据第一句可知，TSA为解决长时间等待的问题采取的是让更多人加入“预检查”计划，而不是重建机场或招聘员工，expedited所在句具体解释了该操作具体做法：通过背景调查的乘客有资格使用expedited安检通道，可推断expedited应该为“快速”的意思，故选D。

4.One problem with the PreCheck program is _________

A a dramatic reduction of its scale.

B its wrongly-directed implementation.

C the government’s reluctance to back it.

D an unreasonable price for enrollment.

解析：选D。D细节理解题。根据problem和PreCheck program定位到第六段，可知从一开始，价格标签是PreCheck的致命缺陷，可知问题在于价格，故选D。

5.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A Less Screening for More Safety

B PreCheck—a Belated Solution

C Getting Stuck in Security Lines

D Underused PreCheck Lanes

解析：选C。C主旨大意题。根据全文可知，文章围绕机场长时间等待的问题展开，分析原因及提出建议，可知侧重点在排长队，故选C。