Motoring Technology
1.2 million road deaths worldwide occur each year, plus a further 50 million injuries. To reduce car crash rate, much research now is focused on safety and new fuels – though some electric vehicle and biofuel research aims at going faster.
Traveling at speed has always been risky. One cutting edge area of research in motoring safety is the use of digital in-car assistants. They can ensure you don’t miss crucial road signs or fall asleep. The use of artificial intelligence software allows these assistants to monitor your driving and makes sure your phone or radio doesn’t distract you at a vital moment. Most crashes result from human and not mechanical faults.
Some safety developments aim to improve your vision. Radar can spot obstacles in fog, while other technology “sees through” high-sided vehicles blocking your view.
And improvements to seat belts, pedal controls and tyres are making driving smoother and safer. The color of a car has been found to be linked with safety, as have, less surprisingly, size and shape.
And alternatives to fossil-fuel based petrol, such as plant oils, are a hot area of research. Fuel cells based on hydrogen burn cleanly, and are the subject of a serious research effort.
But whatever is in the fuel tank, you don’t want a thief in the driving seat and there have been many innovations, some using satellite tracking and remote communications, to fight against car theft. These communication systems can also come into play if you crash, automatically calling for help.
Accidents cause many traffic jams, but there are more subtle interplays between vehicles that can cause jams even on a clear but busy road, such jams can be analyzed using statistical tools. Robotic drivers could be programmed to make traffic flow smoothly and will perhaps one day be everyone’s personal chauffeur, but their latest efforts suggest that won’t be soon. (311 words)
1. What are researchers interested in doing as the road accidents worldwide increase to a shocking rate?
A. they are developing faster electric vehicles
B. they are analyzing road deaths occurring worldwide every year.
C. they focus their research on safety and new fuels
D. they are designing fully automatic cars
2. According to the second paragraph, most road accidents happen
A. because drivers fall asleep
B. because drivers make mistakes
C. because of engine failure
D. because of speeding
3. Which of the safety developments is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. radars that can help drivers to see obstacles in fog
B. devices that help drivers to see through big vehicles
C. improvements in seat belts, pedal controls and tyres
D. windscreens that can help drivers to improve their vision
4. What is NOT the purpose of innovations that use satellite tracking and remote communications?
A. to prevent car thieves from getting into your car
B. to call for help when one’s car crashes
C. to call for help when the car gets jammed in the traffic
D. to track the car down when it is being stolen
5 What is true of robotic drivers?
A. it will take some time before robotic drivers can be put to practical use
B. robotic drivers are not allowed to drive on busy roads
C. robotic drivers can never replace human drivers
D. robotic drivers are too expensive to use
Motoring Technology参考答案
1． C． 解析： 问题问“当世界范围内的道路事故发生率增加到了一个令人震惊的数量时, 研究者们对做什么产生了兴趣?”被选项C直接与文章主题呼应(第1段第2句是答案相关句), 所以C是答案。
解题思路2： 问题句中出现了修饰词语（worldwide， shocking）， 利用这些修饰结构作为答案线索， 这样在文章中找到答案相关句：
1.2 million road deaths（死亡） worldwide（世界范围地） occur（发生） each year（每年）, plus（加上） a further（更多的） 50 million injuries（伤害）. To reduce（减少） car crash（撞车） rate, much research now is focused on（关注...） safety（安全） and new fuels（燃料） – though some electric vehicle（电动汽车） and biofuel（生物燃料） research aims at（致力于） going（驾驶） faster.
第1段第1句是答案相关句（worldwide直接出现，该句隐含shocking （rate）），但是该句并没有说“研究者们在做什么”， 因此关注后面的句子。 接下来的一句说“为了减少车祸发生率， 现在许多研究关注汽车的安全性和新型燃料的使用”，该句内容与C呼应， 因此C是答案。
2. B．解析：问题问“根据第2段， 大多数车祸发生是因为...” 利用问题句中的修饰词most作为答案线索， 这样在文章中找到答案相关句（该段最后一句句子）
Most crashes（与most road accidents呼应） result from（由...而产生） human and not mechanical(机械的) faults(错误, 故障).
该句说“大多数的撞车事故造成的原因是由于人为的错误而不是由机械故障”， 因此B是答案。
3. D． 解析： 问题问“下列哪项安全技术在段落中没有被提到？”问题句中没有词语或结构可作为答案线索， 因此关注被选项， 被选项中均涉及到细节信息， 因此分别利用被选项中的细节信息词作为答案线索（A： radar， B： devices to see through big vechles； C： seat belt， pedal controls， tyres； D： windscreens）， 在文章中查找与被选项分别形成呼应的句子， 这样在文章中找到答案相关句：
提示： 当问题句及被选项中出现了反映细节信息的词语或结构时， 往往可以利用这些细节信息词语/结构作为答案相关句， 在文章中找到对应的答案相关句。
Some safety developments aim to improve your vision. Radar(雷达) can spot(发现, 认出) obstacles(障碍物) in fog(雾)（与A一致）, while other technology “sees through(透视, 看穿)” high-sided(有边的) vehicles blocking(阻碍) your view(视线, 观点, 景色, 观察)（与B一致）.
And improvements（改善） to seat belts（安全带）, pedal（脚踏板） controls（控制装置） and tyres （轮胎）are making driving smoother（平稳的） and safer（安全的）（与C一致）. The color of a car has been found to be linked with safety, as have, less surprisingly, size and shape.
选项A， B和C在文章中都有呼应的信息， 只有D没有呼应的信息（D中的windscreens）， 因此D是答案。
4. C． 解析： 问题问“下列那项不是使用人造卫星跟踪和远程通讯这些革新技术的目的？”问题句中出现了细节信息结构（satellite tracking和 remote communications）作为答案线索， 这样在文章中找到答案相关句：
But whatever（无论什么） is in the fuel tank（油箱）, you don’t want a thief（小偷） in the driving seat（驾驶座位） and there have been many innovations, some using satellite tracking and remote communications, to fight against（同...作斗争） car theft. These communication systems（系统） can also come into play (起作用)if you crash(撞车), automatically(自动地) calling for（要求） help.
答案相关句说“一些革新技术使用卫星和远程通讯来防御汽车盗贼（与A和D呼应）， 如果你撞了车，这些通讯系统也能起作用： 它能自动寻求帮助（与B呼应）”， 因此C是答案。
5 A． 解析: 问题问“下列哪个说法与文章中关于机器人驾驶员的说法一致?” 结合文章主题(安全驾车技术)排除C 和D(与文章主题偏离较远), 借助常识排除B(机器人驾车应该更精确, 所以更能处理如在繁忙路段驾车这样的复杂问题), 因此推测A可能是答案.
解题思路2: 利用问题句中的细节信息结构(robotic drivers)作为答案线索, 在文章中找到答案相关句:
Accidents cause many traffic jams, but there are more subtle interplays between vehicles that can cause jams even on a clear but busy road, such jams can be analyzed using statistical tools. Robotic (机器人的)drivers could be programmed(编程) to make traffic( 车流) flow(流动) smoothly and will perhaps(可能) one day be everyone’s personal chauffeur(司机), but（但是） their latest(最新) efforts (成就, 努力)suggest(暗示) that won’t be soon(立刻, 不久).
答案相关句说“可以对机器人驾驶员编程， 从而使车流顺畅， 将来可能有一天机器人将成为人们的专门司机， 但是最新的成就显示这不会很快实现”。该句内容与A一致。
考点： 考察代词（that）的指代内容
