Question

In many parts of the world cars play an essential role in daily life and many societies would stop to function without them. So the claim that in 20 years’ time no one will own cars may be hard to believe. But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously not only by governments but also by car manufacturers.

The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program. The team there believes that by 2020 all cars will be computerized, which will mean extremely large fuel savings, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car of the 21st century will drive itself and it will not be owned by on individual. Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.

According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture ,which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.

Davis says cars will be fitted with intelligent cruise control devices to regulate the distance between one car and another. Brakes and accelerators (加速器) will become redundant（多余的） because the car will automatically speed up or slow down to match the speed of the car in front. Computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.

By 2010 Dr. David Davis believes car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road whatever the weather conditions by projecting an image of the road ahead onto the car’s windscreen. And by 2020 cars will travel in convoy linked to each other electronically. Cars will be connected by an electronic tow(牵引) bar to the car in front to form “road-trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the ordinary fuel” says Davis. “But all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.

We know from the passage that governments and car manufactures ________.

   A. don’t believe the prediction that no one will own cars by 2020.

   B. are devoted to the technological innovation (创新) in car industry.

   C. consider the predictions made by the researchers seriously.

   D. have put the super-intelligent car into mass production.

Which of the following will NOT be the characteristics of the cars of 2020 ?

   A. There will be no brake and accelerator in cars.

   B. We will own as many cars as we want .

   C. All cars will be driven by computers.

   D. Car accident will no longer happen.

The expression closest in meaning to the underlined phrase “ in convoy”(Para 5) is ______.

   A. in line B. sidelong C. side by side D. next to one another

What will happen if cars are linked to each other electronically in 2020 ?

   A. Motorists will get a clear view of the road.

   B. The weather conditions won’t have effect on motorists.

   C. There will be a decrease in the pollution caused by car .

   D.All trains will burn less fuel than present.

Answer 1

【小题1】C【小题1】B【小题1】A【小题1】C

解析:

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