Baidu has uncovered plans for an electric self-driving car with a removable steering wheel (方向盘), marking another step forward in the fast-moving robotaxi race in China.
The Chinese tech giant, the country’s answer to Google, showed the Apollo RT6, its sixth-generation self-driving car, at its yearly flagship meeting on Thursday. Baidu’s ride-hailing (叫车) service, Apollo Go, currently operates in 10 Chinese cities. The new vehicle will be introduced through that program sometime next year. Once regulators give the green light, the Apollo RT6’s removable steering wheel will legally be able to come off, a company executive said Thursday.
Baidu is selling its new design as a way to free up space for things like “extra seating, vending machines, desktops, or gaming consoles”. The company said its new self-driving car has dramatically lowered the production costs from previous versions, by about half. Those cost savings will be passed on to passengers as the company prepares to introduce the cars to its existing robotaxis around the country, according to CEO Robin Li.
“We are moving towards a future where taking a robotaxi will be half the cost of taking a taxi today,” he said in a statement. “This massive cost reduction will make tens of thousands of self-driving cars available across China.”
Baidu made its name as a massive search engine provider, but it has also long spent money on self-driving technology in the world’s largest car market. In April, the company announced — along with another Chinese self-driving startup — that it would start letting people in certain areas book taxi rides without anyone behind the wheel. Other companies have showed off vehicles without steering wheels before, including GM and Honda, Google, and Mercedes-Benz.
In April, Tesla CEO Elon Musk told analysts that the automaker was aiming to start mass production of its own robotaxi without steering wheels or pedals in 2024. Baidu said Thursday that its new model was ready for production, but did not disclose a manufacturing partner.
1. What can we learn about Apollo RT6?| A．It needs a driver behind the wheel. |
| B．It is serving in 10 cities at present. |
| C．It will serve through a ride-hailing app. |
| D．It has no steering wheel when it is made. |
| A．Taking a robotaxi will cost people less money. |
| B．Baidu will give up designing things like extra seating. |
| C．Half of the production costs will be paid by passengers. |
| D．The company will introduce the cars in small numbers. |
| A．To warn Baidu of its competitors. |
| B．To prove that the robotaxi is the best. |
| C．To uncover Baidu’s possible partners. |
| D．To indicate the future trend of self-driving. |
| A．The Self-driving Car Frees up Space |
| B．The Cost of Robotaxi Has Been Reduced |
| C．Baidu Spends Money on Self-driving Technology |
| D．Baidu Introduces New Self-driving Taxi to China |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Have you ever been on an airplane, minding your own business, and found yourself crying for no apparent reason? Or maybe you encountered no actual tears but noticed that the airline played an “emotional health warning” before certain inflight films.
Actually it has to do with the altitude. When you’re inside a flying airplane, you’re miles off the ground.
But it’s not just because of the effects being up so high has on your body.
| A．There is an emotional component, too. |
| B．Are you really more likely to cry while on a plane? |
| C．There are several ways to avoid crying while flying. |
| D．It’s not exactly a place where humans usually find themselves. |
| E．The primary reason is the lower amount of oxygen in the blood. |
| F．It’s not because you’re flying away from a beautiful destination. |
| G．You might have to say goodbye to someone in the place you’re leaving. |
【推荐2】Traveling by train may seem like a pain when there are faster ways to get around, but unless you’ve taken a long journey by train, there is no way you can begin to understand how amazing an experience it can be. Trains offer a certain romance (浪漫) which planes and cars never could.
Trains offer you a view like no other. When you fly in a plane, yes, the view is breathtaking for the first part of the flight and the final part, but the flight itself means pretty much clouds or darkness—both of which get real boring and real fast. And by car, the actual act of driving and navigating (导航) means that you don’t really get to fully take things in. The train offers a comfy (轻松的) spot that gives you the chance to relax and enjoy the beauty around you. Many have said that they’d never known how beautiful their own country is until having the chance to see it from the train. There is something magical about travelling around the country using one of the oldest known methods of transportation. It’s so...Orient Express...without the murder of course!
If you’re inspired by this article enough to want to consider a trip enjoying the train, then my first suggestion would be a trip in and around Europe. You’ve likely heard of Eurail which is the best way to get all around Europe, but before we get into that,know that many European countries still use the old fashioned locomotives (火车头) for regional trips. Imagine travelling along the beautiful countryside of Portugal or Austria in a compartment. The quiet setting, the history and the magic is enough to take your breath away. That really is the ultimate in travel.
1. What does the author of the passage think of traveling by train?| A．It is an amazing experience. |
| B．It is a painful experience. |
| C．It is uncomfortable. |
| D．It is slow but comfortable. |
| A．Description. | B．Explanation. |
| C．Persuasion. | D．Comparison. |
| A．When the plane is taking off. |
| B．When the plane is about to take off. |
| C．When the plane is flying into clouds. |
| D．When the plane is landing. |
| A．Make breathing difficult. |
| B．Make you surprised. |
| C．Make you satisfied. |
| D．Make you scared. |
【推荐3】The world’s first hydrogen-powered trains have been unveiled in Germany. They began carrying passengers Monday in Germany’s northern Lower Saxony state. The new train will run 100-kilometer trips and can travel up to 140 kilometers an hour.
A French railroad company called Alstom rolled out the two trains. Teams in Germany and France worked in collaboration on the project which was approved by the German government. The new train model, called the Coradia ilint, signifies the beginning of efforts in Germany and other nations to seek an alternative to pollution-producing diesel (柴油) trains, the number of which in circulation is still high.
The Coradia iLint is designed to run on non-electrified train lines with low levels of noise. It uses a process that combines hydrogen and oxygen to produce electrical power. If the system produces more energy than the train needs at that time, it can store the extra energy in batteries. The train is powered by a hydrogen fuel cell, its only emission being steam and condensed water.
A single tank of hydrogen can run a Coradia iLint train for about 1,000 kilometers. This is very similar to the distance a diesel-powered train can run on with a single tank.
Hydrogen-fueled trains cost more than diesel trains to build. But Alstom officials say the operating costs are much lower. The company confirms another 14 Coradia iLint trains will make their first appearance in Lower Saxony by 2023.
The head of railroad operations in the area, Carmen Schwabl, paid replacing diesel trains with hydrogen a compliment. She said the move was a significant milestone in the field of clean transportation.
Hydrogen it uses as fuel is the by-product of an industrial process. In future, Alstom intends to produce hydrogen from wind energy. The area’s many wind turbines (涡轮机) will also produce part of the energy to create the hydrogen.
Alstom says several other European countries have also expressed interest in embracing a new journey of clean-burning technologies. France has already said it wants its first hydrogen train to be operating by 2024.
1. Why did Germany build the new trains?| A．To substitute for diesel trains. | B．To transport more passengers. |
| C．To make traveling much easier. | D．To strengthen friendship with France. |
| A．It runs without making any noise. | B．It doesn’t use electrical power. |
| C．It is less costly to run. | D．It is cheaper to manufacture. |
| A．are in wide circulation | B．can contribute to green mobility |
| C．can wipe out air pollution | D．can discharge water and oxygen |
| A．A Pioneer in Natural Resource Conservation | B．Efforts to Reduce Emissions |
| C．The First-ever Hydrogen Trains | D．A New Way to Make Electricity |
【推荐1】There have been numerous attempts to create an all-plastic bike. But most have never passed through the prototype stage(原始阶段). Igus, a Germany-based manufacturer of high-performance plastics, and Dutch start-up MTRL aim to change that with the igus: bike — the world’s first urban bike crafted almost entirely from recycled plastic.
Igus CEO Frank Blasé first got the idea while vacationing on a Florida beach in 2009. A conversation with some employees from a rental company made him aware of the challenges of maintaining beach bicycles. The continuous exposure to sand, wind and salt water caused the bikes to rust rapidly. Many had to be replaced in only three months.
The igus: bike, unveiled at a German trade show, is maintainable and rust-free. It can be left outdoors in all weathers and does not require lubricant oil to reduce friction between parts. Since it does not attract sand, dust or dirt, the bike can be cleaned with a garden hose(水管) in seconds.
“As all components are made of plastic, no part of the bike rusts, even the gears —bicycle gears made of plastic were unthinkable for a long time,” Blasé says.
The igus: bike will also help combat the world’s plastic pollution. The company says a single adult bike gives new life to about 16 kilograms of single-use plastic that would otherwise choke our landfills or waterways.
Currently,90 percent of the igus: bike is made using recycled plastic. This includes the bicycle’s frame, bearings, pedals and wheel rims. Igus and MTRL believe future versions will be made entirely from recycled plastic.
“From ocean plastics to motion plastics — the igus: bike concept has what it takes to become ahigh-tech ecological product,” says MTRL co-founder Benjamin Alderse Baas.
The plastic bikes are expected to come onto the market in early 2023. An adult model, made entirely from recycled plastic, will cost about E1400. A slightly cheaper version made using new plastic and an electric bike are also in the works. Igus also plans on sharing its technology with other bicycle manufacturers.
1. What makes Igus CEO Frank Blase seek to create the igus: bike?| A．His holidaying in Florida last year. |
| B．The trouble of keeping beach bicycles in good condition. |
| C．The conversation between him and some bicyclers. |
| D．The prolonged exposure of bikes on the beach. |
| A．Revealed. | B．Concealed. | C．Opposed. | D．Prohibited. |
| A．It will certainly sell well. | B．It needs to be more portable. |
| C．It can be used everywhere and freely. | D．It is rust less and cleans easily. |
| A．They will be cheaper and lighter. | B．They will be more high-tech ecological. |
| C．They will be crafted from only recycled plastics. | D．They will be used widely all over the world. |
【推荐2】Singapore is trying a new way to get its residents(居民)to stay away from each other. On Friday, the government announced it would start using Spot--a four-legged robot “dog” at one local park. The robot “dog” will patrol(巡逻)the area starting this weekend and broadcast a pre-recorded message to remind visitors of the importance of social distancing.
Spot will also be equipped with cameras that will scan the surroundings and help officials tell the number of people gathering in parks. “These cameras will not be able to track or recognize specific individuals, and no personal data will be collected,” the government said in a statement.
The government says it’s also using Spot in another place-at a local isolation facility(隔离设施)where the robot helps bring medicine to patients. Spot is generally used for inspections on construction sites or similar situations. It also has been used for public safety reasons.
Singapore’s government said Friday that it had picked the model for its flexibility. “Unlike wheeled robots, Spot, although not cheap, is very flexible, making it ideal for operation in public parks and gardens,” it noted. For now, at least one park guard will be patrolling the area along with the robot, according to the government. The new measure is an experiment to improve enforcement of social distancing throughout Singapore.
1. What’s the main function of the robot “dog”？| A．Punishing visitors who step on the grass. |
| B．Reminding people to have a safe social distance. |
| C．Collecting personal data for the government. |
| D．Broadcasting a pre-recorded message on safety. |
| A．To find potential patients. | B．To offer help to patients. |
| C．To avoid some dangerous places. | D．To help tell the number of people in parks. |
| A．It’s very cheap. | B．It can work alone. |
| C．It’s very flexible. | D．It’s like wheeled robots. |
| A．Robot “dog” encourages social distancing. | B．Robot “dog” is used for inspections. |
| C．Wheeled robots are popular with the officials. | D．Robot “dog” helps bring medicine to patients. |
【推荐3】Researchers have created a device that uses brain waves to translate what paralyzed (瘫痪的) people who can’t speak intend to say into sentences. The device, created by a team at the University of California, San Francisco, analyzes brain waves to decode what a patient is trying to say and then displays the text on a computer screen.
Volunteering to test the device was a man in his late 30s who 15 years ago suffered a brain-stem stroke that caused widespread paralysis and robbed him of speech.
The researchers implanted electrodes (电极) on the surface of the man’s brain, over the area that controls speech. A computer analyzed the patters when he attempted to say common words such as “water” or “good”, eventually becoming able to differentiate between 50 words that could generate more than 1,000 sentences.
Prompted (提示) with questions such as “How are you today?” or “Are you thirsty?”, the device eventually enabled the man to answer “I am very good” or “No, I am not thirsty”—not voicing the words but translating them into text, the team said.
It takes about three to four seconds for the words to appear on the screen after the man tries to say them. That’s not nearly as fast as speaking, but quicker than tapping out a response.
Harvard neurologists Leigh Hochberg and Sydney Cash called the work a “pioneering demonstration”. They said, “If the technology pans out, it eventually could help people with injuries, strokes or illnesses like Lou Gehrig’s disease whose brains prepare messages for delivery but those messages are trapped.”
The team has spent years mapping the brain activity that leads to speech. How did they know the device interpreted the man’s words correctly? They started by having him try to say specific sentences such as, “Please bring my glasses,” rather than answering open-ended questions until the machine translated accurately most of the time.
Next steps include ways to improve the device’s speed, accuracy and vocabulary size — and maybe one day allow a computer-generated voice rather than text on a screen — while testing a small number of additional volunteers.
1. What do we know about the device in the text?| A．It can make paralyzed people speak again. |
| B．It was implanted into a man’s heart. |
| C．It can produce words on a screen. |
| D．It can help restore patients’ lost memory. |
| A．learn | B．distinguish | C．organize | D．speak |
| A．The device may have a promising future. |
| B．The device can do anything for paralyzed people. |
| C．In the future the device can produce pictures on a computer. |
| D．In the future the device can be affordable to more people. |
| A．Researchers Found Good Methods to Help Paralyzed Patients. |
| B．Device Uses Brain Waves of Paralyzed Man to Help Him Communicate. |
| C．Paralyzed Man Communicates Normally with a Speech-aided Device. |
| D．Repeated Questions Given to Paralyzed Man Make Device More Intelligent. |
【推荐1】A draft of a new bill aimed at fighting food waste was approved by a country’s Council of Ministers in Spain, and will now proceed to Parliament. Once approved, the law could take effect in early 2023.
The goal is to reduce the amount of food that goes to waste, which is currently estimated to be around 1,300 tonnes (公吨) annually. That works out to roughly 68 pounds per Spaniard, valued around €250. While more than half of that waste (54%) takes place at home, the bill is aimed more at the retail and hospitality sectors.
The law is the first of its kind in the country, modeled on similar laws in Italy and France. It would allow the government to deal with inefficiencies in the food chain.
Medium-scale and large-scale retailers and restaurants will be required to present plans for food waste prevention and disposal, outlining what happens to surplus (过剩) food. Donating to food banks is encouraged, as long as the food is still safe for consumption. If it’s starting to go bad, the bill suggests changing it slightly in safe ways, such as making juice or jam. If it’s not good for human consumption, then the item can be used for animal feed or in the production of biofuel or fertilizers.
Bars and restaurants must provide free packaging for guests to take food home if they have not finished it. While it is a standard practice in North America, this is not common in Spain for cultural reasons.
When supermarkets have food nearing expiry (到期), they must sell it at discount or donate it before it goes bad. All companies in the food chain are required to encourage sales and use of in-season, local and organic produce as much as possible.
There will be serious financial fines for businesses that fail to obey, ranging from €6,000 to €150,000. Second offenses cost even more, as much as half a million Euros.
It is impossible to outline a perfect approach, but any measures to inform and encourage to action are an improvement. Reducing the waste could go a long way toward checking emissions and fighting the climate crisis.
1. The draft of a new bill was approved ________.| A．to prevent food from going bad |
| B．to make full use of food that may go to waste |
| C．to mainly stop food from being wasted at home |
| D．to follow Italian and French examples to save resources |
| A．Food going bad is encouraged to be donated to food banks. |
| B．All leftovers should be used to produce biofuel or fertilizers. |
| C．Retailers and restaurants must make plans about surplus food. |
| D．Consumers have to pay for plastic packaging in bars and restaurants. |
| A．violations | B．attacks | C．attachments | D．trials |
| A．How to deal with our surplus food | B．A plan to handle food waste in Spain |
| C．Serious food problems we are still facing | D．The importance of conserving food resources |
【推荐2】WASHINGTON, D.C. --- The FBI on Monday released new data about hate crimes. It showed that more hate crimes were carried out in the United States last year. There was an increase in incidents motivated by intolerance against Jews, Muslims and LGBT people, among others. The term LGBT includes lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.
There were more than 6,100 reported incidents of hate crimes in 2016, up from more than 5,800 the year before. The FBI made this report based on data submitted by law enforcement(执行) agencies across the country. The new data follows a trend from 2015. The trend shows that the largest share of victims last year, nearly six in 10, were targeted(为目标) due to intolerance against the victim's race or ethnicity.
The number of hate crimes caused by intolerance against a person's race or ethnic background rose to 3,489 from 3,310 a year earlier, the FBI report said. Half of those hate crimes were caused by racism against African-American people. One in five victims were targeted because of their religion. One in six were due to sexual orientation, the report said.
The FBI data gains a general look at hate crime in the nation. But this report is considered incomplete because not all areas report their hate crimes. According to the FBI, 88 percent of agencies choosing to participate in the hate crime statistics program “reported that no hate crimes occurred” in their areas last year.
Speaking earlier this year after a series of threats targeting Jewish schools and community centers, former FBI director James B. Comey admitted this. He said that the bureau needs "to do a better job of tracking and reporting hate crime." Only then can we understand what is happening and how to stop it.
“Hate crime is different from other crime,” Comey said in prepared remarks delivered in May. “They damage at our sense of self, our sense of belonging. The end result is loss: loss of trust, loss of dignity, and in the worst case, loss of life.”
The FBI report, which collects information on the offenders in the hate crimes tallied(总计) last year, found that the largest share, nearly half were white. About a quarter of the people who carried out hate crimes were African-American.
Four in 10 of the people identified as “known hate crime offenders” committed simple assault. This could mean a threat of violence or causing a minor injury. Nearly a quarter committed aggravated(=serious) assault, which is more serious and often involves the use of a deadly weapon. The report also identified more than 1,600 people who committed hate crimes by damaging, vandalizing or trying to destroy property.
1. The author emphasizes the situation of hate crimes mainly by using ________.| A．examples | B．statistics |
| C．comparison | D．quotation |
| A．The article highlights that hate crimes are more likely to end with injuries. |
| B．The article emphasizes that hate crimes target people’s sense of belonging. |
| C．The article explains that hate crimes are tracked more often than other crimes. |
| D．The article shows that hate crimes occur more often in minority communities. |
①violence or injuries ②loss of dignity or life ③damage to property ④ use of deadly weapons
| A．①②③④ | B．②③④ |
| C．①③④ | D．①②③ |
| A．News report. | B．Argumentation. |
| C．Description. | D．Research report. |
【推荐3】The artwork — known as an NFT — is to be sold during an online auction on Tuesday. NFT is a piece of art that only exists on a computer technology known as blockchain. A blockchain is an online database containing information that can be used and shared within a large network open to the public. The technology permits blocks of information to be checked and stored safely. NFTs can exist in the form of images, video, music and text. They are usually bought with electronic money. While anyone can view NFTs, the buyer has official ownership rights over the objects.
Earlier this month, an artwork in the form of an NFT sold for nearly $ 70 million. The piece to be sold this week was a cooperative effort between a human-like robot, known as Sophia, and Italian artist Andrea Bonaceto. The company behind Sophia, Hanson Robotics, says the auction will be the first sale of a piece jointly created by a human artist, a robot and artificial intelligence(AI). In a video from the company's Hong Kong headquarters, Sophia said: “I hope that people like my work, and that humans and I can collaborate in new and exciting ways going forward.”
The artwork, called Sophia Instantiation, is a 12-second video file. It combines online and physical paintings from Sophia with elements from Bonaceto’s work. The artwork also includes influences from art history. Sophia described the process as a mix of algorithms and AI methods, and “other kinds of computational creativity.” “The result was an unusual creation that never existed in the world before,” the robot added.
The online auction is to be held by a company called Nifty Gateway. After the sale, Sophia will meet with the buyer to study his or her face, before adding a final element to the artwork. Sophia's creator, David Hanson, told Reuters news agency this part of the project will permit the new owner to have an unusual “personal connection” to the artwork.
1. Which of the following is TRUE about the NFT artwork?| A．The public can share and use it for free. | B．Most NFTs exist in the form of pictures. |
| C．NFT artworks only exist in blockchain. | D．NFTs can only be bought with electronic money. |
| A．will be sold for more than $ 70 million. |
| B．will be existing forever in the virtual world. |
| C．is a combination of video, music and text |
| D．is the first unusual creation of painting, art history and AI. |
| A．Adding the buyer's facial recognition to the artwork. |
| B．Connecting the artwork to the owner's computer. |
| C．Combining the artwork with AI methods. |
| D．Selling the artwork in the owner's name. |
| A．An NFT IS to Be Sold Online. | B．Robot and Human Cooperate in Artwork. |
| C．A Special Online Auction. | D．An Unusual Creation. |
