judgemental

PassageAComprehension

DirtySecrets

EMISSIONSofnitrogenoxides(NOx)andothernastiesfromcars’and

lorries’exhaustscaulargenumbersofearlydeaths—perhaps58000a

yearinAmericaalone,candalthathas

engulfedVolkswagen1(VW)thisweekisnominormisdemeanoror

mancarmakerhasadmittedthatitinstalled

softwareon11millionofitsdielcarsworldwide,whichallowedthemto

passAmerica’ethecarswereout

ofthelaboratorythesoftwaredeactivatedtheiremissioncontrols,and

eventsofthisweekwillaffect

othercarmakers,othercountriesandthefutureofdielitlf.

efexecutive,MartinWinterkorn,hasresigned,andthe

companyisttingaside€6.5billion($7.3billion)tocoverthecoming

estorsfearwor:inthefirstfourtradingdayssince

thescandalbrokeonSeptember18th,VW’ssharesfellbyone-third,

cuttingitsvalueby€lthefines,compensationclaims,

lawsuitsandrecallcostshavebeenaddedup,thisdebaclecouldbetothe

t

BP’soil-drillingdisasterwasanaccident;a’s

DepartmentofJusticeisquiterighttoopenacriminalinvestigationintothe

ountriesshouldfollowKoreaandprobewhatVWhas

fewChinemotoristsbuydielcars,

thescandalmaypromptitsgovernmenttotacklethefirmforoverstating

fuel-economyfiguresforpetrolengines.

WhetherornotMWinterkornboreanypersonalresponsibilityforthe

scandal,

engineerwhoisfamousforhisattentiontodetail;ifhedidn’tknowabout

thedeceptivesoftware,glargenumbersof“Clean

Diels”wascentraltoVW’sschemeforcrackingtheAmericanmarket,a

weakspot,whichinturnwasavitalpartoftheplantoovertakeToyotaof

Japanastheworld’ndstrategythatM

Winterkornhadoverennowliesinruins.

Achangeatthetop,andaheftyfine,mustnotbetheendofthematter.

America’sprocutorsoughttohonortheirpromitogoaftertheindividuals

responsibleforcorporatecrimes,insteadofjustpunishingcompanies’

therecentbankingscandalshaveended

notinthecourtroom,rthismonth

theDepartmentofJusticeannounceda$900millionttlementwithGM4,

America’slargestcarmaker,forfailingtorecallcarswithanignition-switchdefect

utors

said(unnamed)managersatGMhadknowinglyignoredthepotentiallydeadly

effectsofthefault,yannouncednocharges.

Thathastochange—echthismonth,

America’sdeputyattorney-general,SallyYates,saidthatfromnowon,fining

businesswouldtakecondplacetopursuingcriminalandcivilchargesagainst

dfirmwillnolongergetcreditforco-operatingwith

investigations(asVWsaysitwill)unlessitgivestheledsthenamesofevery

manageroremployeeinvolvedinwrongdoing,andekstogatherandsubmit

avoidsuspicionsofbeingtougheronforeignfirms—aswereraidintheBP

Deepwatercaandinrecentbankingttlements—theAmericanauthorities

shouldalsoprocuteculpableGMmanagers.

YetthebiggesteffectsofthescandalwillbefeltacrosstheAtlantic.

VW’sskulduggeryraisthequestionofwhetherothercarmakershave

beenuptosimilartricks,eithertomeetEurope’slaxerstandardsonNOx

emissionsoritscomparableonesonfueleconomy—andhenceon

Mercedes,VW’stwomainGerman

peers,r,inEurope,emissions-

makerscommissiontheirowntests,and

regulatorsletthemindulgeinallsortsofshenanigans,suchasremoving

wingmirrorsduringtesting,andtapingupthecracksarounddoorsand

windows,tors

alsotoleratesoftwareabitlikeVW’s,whichspotswhenacarisbeing

testedandswitchestheengineinto“economy”whythefuel

efficiencyEuropeanmotoristsachieveontheroadisaround40%shortof

carmakers’promis.

AtleastAmerica'sregulators,unlikeEurope’s,

sometimesstagetheirownteststoverifythe

manufacturers’stimethiswholesystem

wassweptawayandreplaced,everywhere,withfully

independenttestingofcarsinrealisticdrivingconditions.

Now,withoutrageatVW’sbehavioratitsheight,isthe

uldmeanovercomingthe

lsorequiresEuropean

regulatorstochangetheirattitudestodiel,which

vehiclescanbeveryeconomicalonfuel(andthumit

relativelylittlecarbondioxide)butoftenatthecostof

ade-offhasbeen

decidedindiel’sfavorbyEurope'slousytestingregime

andmorelenientNOx-emissionsstandards.

Evenifothermakersofdielvehicleshavenotresortedtothesame

levelofdeceptionasVW,thescandalcouldmeanthatthecarsstruggle

fearthatthismaybethe“deathofdiel”.’sbehaviorhastens

diel’sdeath,itmayleadatlast,aftersomanyfalstarts,tothe

beginningoftheelectric-carage.

Notes

(976words)

agen:shortenedtoVW,isaGermanautomakerfoundedonMay28,1937

eflagship

marqueoftheVolkswagenGroup,thelargestautomakerbyworldwidesalesin

2016

terHorizon:ReferstoBPoildisasterortheGulfofMexicooilspill,an

industrialdisasterthatbeganonApril20,2010,intheGulfofMexicoontheBP-

g11people,itisconsideredthelargestmarineoil

spillinthehistoryofthepetroleumindustry

:BritishPetroleum,isaBritishmultinationaloilandgascompany

eofworld’svenoilandgas“supermajors”

:GeneralMotorsCompany,commonlyknownasGM,isanAmerican

multinationalcorporationheadquarteredinDetroit,Michigan,thatdesigns,

manufactures,markets,anddistributesvehiclesandvehicleparts,andllsfinancial

rvices.

1.【单选题】WhatexactlydidVWdoaccordingtotheemissionscandal?

A、EmissionsofnitrogenoxidesfromVWcaulargenumberofearlydeaths.

B、ThescandalthathangulfedVWisamisdemeanororvictimlesscrime.

C、VWinstalledasoftwaredeviceonitsdielcarstopasstheAmerica’sstrict

nitrogenoxidestests.

D、VWmadeimmendamageonlytoitlf.

答案：C

2.【多选题】Whatistheimpactofthescandalonthecompanysofar?

A、VW’sCEhasresigned.

B、Thecustomer’strustinitsbrandswasshaken.

C、Thecompanyissufferingbothreputationaldamageandahugefinancialhit.

D、Itwillhavealong-timeinfluenceonVW’smarket.

答案：ABCD

3.【多选题】Howwouldyoudescribetheauthor’stoneinpara.3andPara.4?

A、critical

B、ironic

C、judgemental

D、disappointing

答案：ABCD