Imagine playing a board game with your mom as she drives you to school．Wait! Shouldn’t your mom keep her hands on the wheel and her eyes on the road? Not if she’s driving a computer-controlled car down a high-tech highway of the future．

　　Someday, moms may be able to do it．In 1997, scientists and engineers tested new computer-controlled cars that drove themselves along a special high-tech highway called a “smartway”．Computers in the cars used information from magnets(磁铁), light sensors, and radar detectors built into the smartway．

　　Scientists hope that drivers of the future will simply drive up to a smartway, then switch on the car’s automated(自动的)driver．The human driver will sit back and enjoy the ride．A computer system will do the rest．Satellites and magnets will help instruct the car along the highway．Sensors will make the car drivers know other cars nearby．The car’s central computer will process information and instruct the car what to do．For example, if a car is too close to the car in front of it, the computer will tell it to slow down or change lanes．When the car’s human driver decides to exit the smartway, he or she will take over the controls and return to the regular highway．

　　Engineers hope the smartways will save time for commuters and cut down the number of car accidents and traffic jams．Most accidents are caused by human error, according to the U．S．Department to Transportation．Computer-controlled cars should eliminate(消除)those kinds of accidents because a computer, not a human, will decide what the car will do next．

　　But some car makers aren’t sure the smartway will be the safest way to travel．What would happen if a deer jumped into the road? Or if the car’s computer broke down? Engineers are trying to answer these questions now．

　　Until they find the answers, your mom will have to keep her eyes on the road．

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

　　Humans have always dreamed of finding a way to leave traffic jams(交通堵塞)behind．Well, dream no longer．The flying car and pod car(豆荚车)can help cut down on traffic jams．

　　The world’s“first flying car”, called the Terrafugia Transition, has made its first flight in the skies of the US．It can fly 640 km through the air without adding more gas, the car maker, Terrafugia Inc, says．

　　As a light airplane, it is not easy for the Terrafugia Transition to fly in poor weather．However, it has the advantage of being able to continue the journey by road if conditions take a turn for the worse．

　　This is the first proven flying car with foldable wings．These allow it to perfectly transfer from air to road．

　　However, there are a few problems．The car/plane, which is expected to go on sale as early as 2011, will cost about ＄194, 000(1.33 million yuan)．Drivers will also need a driver’s and pilot’s license．

　　For those afraid of heights, or who don’t want to fly, the pod car is a great way to travel．Imagine using a button to stop the small pod-shape car．The doors open, you climb into the passenger seat, and enter your personal number．Minutes later, the doors slide open and you have reached the place where you’re going．

　　Cities around the world are looking into pod-car systems, as pod cars do not need human drivers．They are designed for one person or small groups traveling together．Passengers simply type their place into the pod car’s computer and the pod car takes them directly there．

　　Because pod cars do not make unnecessary stops and use electricity, they save a lot of energy and do not pollute the air．Pod cars also provide passengers with faster service and more privacy than a subway or bus．

　　While flying cars and pod cars may be a dream available to a few, many humans are still dreaming bigger dreams, such as teleportation(瞬间位移术)．It is most widely found in works of science fiction．

　Telep ortation is a method of transportation, in which, objects or information are dematerialized(使消失), and then recreated in another place．Maybe one day, teleportation could become a reality and people could avoid traffic jams for ever!

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)