In every society it is necessary to have a general system of laws to ensure justice. Laws are designed to make certain that people.s rights are protected and that people respect each other.s rights. Sometimes, however, laws are passed which are specific to a time or situation. For example, a town in Indiana once passed a law making it illegal to shoot open a can of food. Apparently, some gun-carrying citizens forgot their can openers and naturally enough, used their guns to do the job. This disturbed other citizens, and endangered their lives, so a law was passed to prevent it.
Specific laws sometimes remain in existence long after the problem has disappeared. The laws then seem strange. For example, the Indiana law was no longer necessary when citizens stopped carrying guns and using them as can openers. Since the law was no longer needed, what once made sense now seems like nonsense.
Sometimes laws designed to serve a good purpose were passed but somehow these became mixed up in their wording. As a result, the laws don.t make sense. In one state there is a law which says that it is "illegal to move or to attempt to move a motor vehicle." Obviously, a massive traffic jam would occur if everyone suddenly obeyed that law. But no one does, of course, because the intention of the law was not to prevent owners from moving their own cars. It was to prevent people from moving (stealing) other people.s cars.
It is often harder to repeal (废止)a law than to pass one, so many of these old laws remain in existence. Because they no longer fit the way people live or because the problem no longer exists, these laws are ignored. Everyone understands that and life goes on. Thus, laws that once made very good sense now seem like nonsense.
1. According to the passage, laws are designed for the purpose of ____________.
A. protecting people.s rights
B. making people respect each other
C. preventing gun-carrying
D. punishing criminals
2. The word "job " in paragraph 1 refers to ___________.
A. working
B. shooting
C. preventing gun-carrying
D. disturbing others
3. The author used the Indiana law as an example to explain _________.
A. how some laws are passed and changed
B. how people in Indiana open cans
C. why some laws may seem strange
D. why people in Indiana no longer use their guns
4. What.s the problem with the law concerning motor vehicles?
A. It leads to traffic jams.
B. It is not clearly written.
C. It is not designed to serve a good purpose.
D. It has been out of date.
5. We can conclude from the passage that ___________.
A. a law system is necessary for every society
B. some laws that don.t make sense may also get passed
C. it is more difficult to change the old law than pass a new one
D. some laws may seem strange as time passes
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