单选题
The events of Sept. 11 have ratcheted up security at American airports to the highest level ever, according to a spokesman for Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta. But to say there is plenty of room for improvement puts it mildly:
Hundreds of employees with access to high-security areas at 15 U. S. airports have been arrested or indicted by federal law enforcement officials for using phony social security numbers, lying about criminal convictions or being in the United States illegally. None of those arrested had terrorist links, but some aviation experts said the workers were in a position to help smuggle weapons or bombs aboard aircraft if they had wanted.
Tests ordered by President Bush and conducted by federal agents at 32 airports between November and February, when airports were on highest alert, showed that Security screeners failed to detect knives 70% of the time, guns 300//00 of the time and simulated explosives 60% of the time.
Two members of the House Transportation Committee are pushing to reverse the administration"s opposition to arming pilots because groups representing pilots are insisting that their members need to be armed as a last line of defense.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said the arrests of hundreds of airport employees showed that the system of background checks--done piecemeal by airlines, private contractors and others—needs tightening. That much is painfully obvious. What isn"t clear is why the system was so porous (有洞的) to begin with and why it wasn"t immediately tightened after that infamous Tuesday in September.
Some people in the industry wisely have suggested that all airport workers be required to pass through the same metal detectors and other security checks as flight crews do. Congress has ordered the new Transpiration Security Administration to find ways to enact just such a requirement. Unfortunately, no deadline has been set, in part because federal officials are preoccupied with getting thousands of new baggage screeners in place by Nov. 19—when the reds take over airport security—and installing bomb-detection equipment in all airports by the end of the year.
Plainly, those two goals are critical. But it would be a mistake to give low priority to fixing other gaping holes in the nation"s airport security net. If the federal crackdown is going to be effective, it needs to be comprehensive.
单选题
The possible reason for hundreds of airport employees being arrested might be one of the following except______.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文中第二段的“Hundreds of employees with access to high-security areas at 15 U．S．airports have been arrested or indicted by federal law enforcement officials for using phony social security numbers，lying about criminal convictions or being in the United States illegally．”可知，A、C、D三项都是雇员被逮捕的原因，只有B项在文中未曾提及，因此B项为正确答案。
单选题
Figures showed that security screeners were______dangerous items.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 本题中，A、B两项与文章的意思不符；D项与文章的意思相反。本题实际是在问在危险物品方面，数据显示安检仪的检测效果。根据文中的“security screeners failed to detect knives 70% of the time，guns 30% of the time and simulated explosives 60% of the time．”可知，C项为正确答案。
单选题
Who is/are against the point that pilots need to be armed?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文中的“Two members of the House Transportation Committee are pushing to reverse the administration"s opposition to arming pilots because groups representing pilots are insisting that their members need to be armed as a last line of defense．”可知，反对武装pilot的是administration。pilot的代表群体坚持认为他们的成员需要被武装，作为他们最后一道安全线。因此C项为正确答案。
单选题
Which one is NOT true according to the passage?
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 根据文章第六段的“Some people in the industry wisely have suggested that all airport workers be required to pass through the same metal detectors and other security checks as flight crews do．”可知，all airport workers没有经过安全检查，因此人们建议应当对他们进行检查。B项为正确答案。
单选题
In the first sentence, the phrase "ratchet up" can be best replaced by______.