1)  First 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.
2)  Americans 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 travellers 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.
3) Last 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 airport 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.
4) Part 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.
5) There 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 travellers who are higher risk, saving time for everyone involved. TSA wants to enroll 25 million people in PreCheck.
6)  It 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.
7) The 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.
21. 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.
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选项[A]正确。
由题干中的The crash of EgyptAir Flignt804定位到第二段。定位段第一句指出，为使航程更加安全，美国人愿意忍受耗时的安检程序。第二句提到了埃及航空804航班在地中海上空坠毁,并说这一悲剧再次说明了美国人为什么会愿意容忍耗时的安检。由此可确定本题答案为[A]。
22. 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.
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选项[C]正确。
由题干中的关键词contributes to和long waits at major airports定位到文章第三段第二句。文中讲到由于强化了安检措施和乘坐飞机出行人数的增加，主要机场内的排队时间很长。各选项中能够与这两个原因对应的为[C],故该选项为本题答案。
23. The word “expedited” (Para. 5) is closest in meaning to___.
[A] quieter.
[B] cheaper.
[C] wider.
[D] faster.
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选项[D]正确。
由题干定位到第五段第三句。本段第三、四句说明预检计划的预期效果:为所有相关人员节省时间。由“节省时间”反观"特殊"通道，可知预检计划分担了一部分安检压力，简化了通过预检的乘客的安检程序，从而为这类乘客节省时间，故faster最接近expedited词义，可确定本题答案为[D]。
24. 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.
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选项[D]正确。 
由题干中的problem和PreCheck program定位到第六段。定位段第一句提到，价格过高是预检计划的一个大问题 ，乘客必须每五年支付85美元的背景调查费用。紧接着第二句提到，标价从开始就是预检计划的致命缺陷，由此可确定本题答案为[D]。
25. 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
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选项[C]正确。
文章首段提出问题"机场安检越来越费时”,第二段分析问题影响“对经济生活和个人生活都是拖累" ,第三、四段分析问题产生的原因，第五至七段针对问题提出建议。因此全文围绕“安检等候时间长， 旅客不堪其苦"这以问题展开论述，由此可确定本题答案为[C]。
战时如平时，平时如战时