The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from coming into reality in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California Department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn't leading the way here. Companies have been testing their cars in cities across the country. It's hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology may change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is managed.
While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars, policymakers should be talking more about how self-driving cars can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions (排放) and offer more convenient and affordable choices to move around. The arrival of driverless cars is a chance to make sure that those cars are environmentally friendly and more shared.
Do we want to copy or even worsen the traffic of today with driverless cars? Imagine a future where most adults own their self-driving cars. They accept long, slow journeys to and from work on crowded highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride. They take their driverless car to a date and set the empty car to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. Instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport — an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing (网约车) services. Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless cars doesn't worsen the transportation system we have today. The coming technological development presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people, and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?A.Self-driving cars are not allowed in the real world. |
B.Driverless taxies will be seen everywhere on the road in a short term. |
C.California is not alone in testing driverless cars. |
D.Self-driving technology will definitely benefit transportation system. |
A.how driverless cars can help deal with transportation-related problems |
B.how driverless cars can travel safely |
C.how driverless cars can travel faster |
D.how driverless cars can move more people |
A.Journeys to and from work become longer. |
B.More and more people abandon public transportation. |
C.There is no place to park them. |
D.They may result in traffic jams. |
A.Preparing Cities for Robot Cars | B.Future Technology Underway |
C.Transportation System in the Future | D.Robot Cars on the Road |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn't have any other luggage(行李). Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in (办理乘机手续) for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package.
"Give this package to Jean Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily," Tony said, "You don't have any luggage, right?"
"Only this backpack," Brian answered. "You said I could bring one carry-on bag."
"That's right. One carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip."
"Thanks."
Is Brian a criminal (罪犯)? Not at all. He is an air-courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air-couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air-courier, but it is quick.
Every year about 80,000 people worldwide travel as air-couriers. The number of tickets for the air-courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn't for everyone. But if you have very little money, you can be flexible (灵活的) about your travel plans, and don't mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!
1. Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?_________A.Because his backpack had no room for his clothes. |
B.Because that made him easier to be recognized. |
C.Because they were the uniforms for air-couriers. |
D.Because he did not have any luggage with him. |
A.manages a business company in foreign countries |
B.delivers papers and packages to foreign countries |
C.travels around the world with cheap tickets |
D.organizes international flights for tourists |
A.it is fast | B.it is not flexible |
C.it is cheap | D.it is slow |
A.describes the activities of a law-breaker | B.tells us about a developing business |
C.argues against the air-courier travel | D.suggests an ideal way to free-travel |
【推荐2】Getting around in Bolivia How you choose to travel in Bolivia largely depends on how much time and money you have — the more money, the less time you need to spend travelling!
Air
Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB) has frequent flights between many large cities within the country. A LABPass allows you four flights between the main cities.
You can also fly AeroSur, which has a better service but higher prices. The main air terminal is La Paz El Alto airport. You can get a bus or taxi into the centre of La Paz. A taxi will cost about $6-10, but the bus is only about $0. 5.
Bus
Flotas, the long distance buses, are generally newer, in better condition, and travel the main roads. Reserve a ticket in advance, and plan to travel by night on the very long routes so that you can sleep.
Smaller buses are called buses and travel the secondary routes. The smallest buses are called micros, and they do the local routes.
If you want to travel very cheaply, you can catch a ride on a lorry (camión), but be prepared for a slow and uncomfortable trip. Some lorries have scheduled departures and will accept reservations, but you can also wait for one at police checkpoints outside some towns.
Tips! For smaller buses and lorries, dress warmly. The high altitude (海拔) means that the temperature can drop dramatically at night.
Train
The best train is the ferrobus. It is not always available, but it is fast, usually reliable, and comfortable. You can buy tickets up to a week in advance. Next, the express train, known as tren expreso. These have first- and second-class seats, and a dining car. The third option is the tren rapido (the fast train), which isn’t fast at all as it stops at every station. The fourth train is the tren mixto(the mixed train), which carries passengers and cargo. Because it is so cheap, many of the poorest travellers use this to transport themselves, their luggage and their animals.
1. The passage is mainly intended to ________ .A.emphasize some famous places in Bolivia |
B.introduce the means of transport in Bolivia |
C.highlight how convenient it is to travel in Bolivia |
D.suggest economical ways of getting around in Bolivia |
A.the flota and tren mixto | B.the bus and tren rapido |
C.the micro and tren expreso | D.the lorry and ferrobus |
A.With a LABPass, a passenger can take four flights of both airliners. |
B.The tren rapido is actually not a fast train because of its too many stops. |
C.Lorries are a better choice for those who want to move about fast and cheaply. |
D.On the tren expreso, a passenger may find animals that travel with their masters. |
【推荐3】A JETLINER slammed into a crowded neighborhood in Medan, Indonesia’s third largest city on Monday. It burst into flames and killed at least 149 people, many of whom were on the ground. Up to 15 passengers survived the crash. Two Chinese business people from Fujian Province were among the dead. The black box has been found and will be the basis for further investigations .The plane belonged to low-cost carrier Mandela Airlines. Indonesia has at least 22 low-cost carriers. Many of them have been forced to cut spending to keep low fares amid intense competition.
EXPERTS from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan gathered on Monday to discuss the feasibility of building an underwater tunnel across the Taiwan Straits. This is the fifth time talks have been held since 1998 about constructing the world’s longest underwater tunnel. In January 2005, the Ministry of Communications announced China’s highway network construction plans for the next 20 years. They include a highway from Beijing to Taipei. The construction of the cross-Straits tunnel has been formally listed in the country’s communications development plan.
PRODUCTION of small cars will be encouraged to cut oil consumption, clean smoggy city skies and reduce traffic jams , an official from the National Development and Reform Commission said on Monday . Many big cities in China had previously banned small cars from expressway. However, with international oil prices consistently rising and pressure from China’s oil consumption growing, the bans do not match the national situation.
1. Which of the following can be the key words of the three paragraphs?A.Air crash, Tunnel, Small cars |
B.Air competition, Network construction, Traffic jams |
C.Indonesian plane, Taiwan Straits, Oil consumption |
D.Crash investigations, Communications, Car development |
A.to stop using small cars in cities | B.not to ban small cars in cities |
C.not to reduce consumption of oil | D.to have none of international situation |
A.the pilots | B.the two Chinese |
C.15 survivors | D.the black box |
A.On land , under the sea, in the air . | B.In the air, on land, under the sea. |
C.Under the sea , in the air, on land . | D.In the air, under the sea, on land. |
【推荐1】Around 45% of plastic waste is recycled annually in the UK and is on the increase. However, one of the problems with present plastic recycling methods is that you end up with a lower-quality plastic with worse properties (特性)than the original. This means that plastic drink bottles cannot simply be recycled into new drink bottles continuously, but instead are used for other lower-grade products like park benches.
Now, British scientists have developed a new method of chemical recycling. They use lower temperatures and more environmentally-friendly starting chemicals than previous methods to turn plastics back into their constituent chemical molecules (分子).In this way, they can be used to make new plastics of the same quality as the original.
"Most plastic is now recycled using mechanical methods, where they are transformed into liquids before being made into something new," said a professor named Matthew Jones. "The problem is, melting plastic changes its properties and reduces the quality. Out method of chemical recycling overcomes this problem. Then plastics can be used all over again without losing any properties?"
The researchers are recycling some kinds of plastics, including plant-based PLA, a plastic used for food packaging and PET, which is used for drink bottles. So far, the technology has only been demonstrated on a small range. However, scientists are now working to produce larger quantities of starting chemicals.
"There is no single solution to the problem of plastic waste — the approach has to be a combination of reducing, reusing and recycling. Our method of chemical recycling could allow carbon to be recycled endlessly rather than digging more up from the ground in the form of fossil fuels, or letting it into the atmosphere as a greenhouse gas," said Dr. Paul McKeown from the University of Bath.
1. What is the problem with the present plastic recycling?A.The quality of recycled plastics declines. |
B.Plastic drink bottles cannot be recycled. |
C.The amount of plastic waste is increasing. |
D.Recycled lower-grade products sell badly. |
A.By transforming it into fuels. |
B.By heating it into liquid state. |
C.By keeping its original properties. |
D.By changing its molecule structure. |
A.Fossil fuels are endless resources. |
B.The plastic waste problem has no solution. |
C.Recycled carbon leads to greenhouse gases. |
D.The chemical recycling is environment-friendly. |
A.Business. | B.Tech & Science. |
C.Lifestyle. | D.Arts & Culture |
【推荐2】Detecting a person with a high temperature who could be carrying COVID-19 isn’t as easy as it may seem, especially in a crowd. Yet that’s what public health authorities (官方) want to do in the countries around the world.
Thales, an electronic equipment manufacturer, is conducting a study with the NHS Scotland (National Health Service) for a new system to detect individuals with high temperatures, whether they’re on their own or in the middle of a crowd. The trial is being conducted at the emergency department of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. This first section of the trial was performed over a four-week period with around 100 patients — a relatively small sample, admittedly, but big enough to show some interesting correlations (相关性) and confirm whether the concept was trusted. The trial could now be extended to a much broader population of patients.
“Most existing solutions are based on industrial systems and they’re not designed for medical uses,” said Willie Alexander, Technical Director for Thales Optronics continues. “They can only scan one face at a time, they’re less accurate, and they need to be operated by specialist technicians. With our system, we can scan entire groups of people at the same time and focus on the parts of the face with the same temperature as an ear thermometer (温度计), which is the standard equipment for healthcare professionals. And the solution uses machine learning, so the more patients we work with, the better the model gets.”
If the promising initial results of this trial are confirmed, the solution could be used in other sensitive public spaces where groups of individuals need to have their temperatures taken quickly and reliably, such as border areas and airports. And because it’s entirely contactless and none of the data is stored, the method makes both the testers and the people being tested less worried.
1. What do public health authorities want to do?A.Cooperate with the NHS Scotland. | B.Conduct a study around the world. |
C.Cure the person who is carrying COVID-19. | D.Detect high-temperature persons. |
A.Thales is a health institute. | B.The first stage of the trial was successful. |
C.The trial detected its subjects one by one. | D.The trial has been widely applied. |
A.It can scan a group of people at the same time. | B.It can recognize a face at a high speed. |
C.It can be operated by specialist technicians. | D.It can attract more and more patients as models. |
A.A public health authority’s study on COVID-19 |
B.A promising but debatable industrial system |
C.A new solution to take people’s temperatures in public space |
D.A Scottish study on emotional and physical health by the NHS |
【推荐3】As we all know, insects can be remarkably agile (灵活的) in flight. This is really hard to build into flying robots, but MIT Assistant Professor Kevin Yufeng Chen has developed an insect—sized drone (无人机) that approaches insects’ agility.
Typically, drones require wide open spaces. “If we look at most drones today, they’re usually quite big,” says Chen. “Most of their applications involve flying outdoors. The question is: Can you create an insect-sized drone that can move around in very crowded and complex spaces?”
According to Chen, he overcame many problems when building the drone. The insect-sized drone requires a fundamentally different construction from a larger one. The large drone is usually powered by a motor, but the motor loses efficiency as you shrink it. So, Chen says, “For an insect-sized drone, you need to look for alternatives.” The principal alternative until now has been employing a small, rigid actuator (执行器) built from new materials. Chen designed a more agile tiny drone using soft actuators instead of hard ones.
Each actuator can beat nearly 500 times per second and weighs just 0.6 gram, approximately the mass of a large bee. It gives the drone insect-like agility. “You can hit it when it’s flying, and it can recover,” says Chen. “It can also turn over in the air.” The drone looks a bit like a tiny cassette tape with wings, though Chen is also working on a new one shaped like a dragonfly.
Chen says his drone can be useful in industry and agriculture. It can perform machinery inspections to ensure safety and function. Its potential applications include completing search-and-rescue missions following a disaster. “All those things can be very difficult for existing large-scale drones,” Chen explains. Sometimes, bigger isn’t better.
1. What is the disadvantage of the conventional drones?A.They cost too much. | B.They can only fly indoors. |
C.Their construction is unstable. | D.They are too large to enter narrow spaces. |
A.To power the insect-sized drone. |
B.To make the new drone less flexible. |
C.To make the new drone easily turn over. |
D.To shape the new drone into a dragonfly. |
A.Safety standards of the new drone. | B.Possible applications of the new drone. |
C.Potential risks of the new drone. | D.Design concept of the new drone. |
A.An Insect-like Small Drone |
B.The Future of Insect-sized Drones |
C.How Drones Will Change the Industry |
D.What Problems Drone Development Are Facing |
【推荐1】Half of the world's beaches could disappear by 2100, a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change suggests.
Michalis Vousdoukas, of the European Union's Joint Research Center in Ispra, Italy, was the lead researchist. "Tourist areas which have sandy beaches as their main selling point will probably face strong consequences," he said. Aside from economic value, beaches play an important environmental role. "Sandy beaches are important habitats supporting a wide range of species. They also protect the coast from the effects of storms, so without sandy beaches other inland environments can be affected by the effects of waves and saltwater entering," Vousdoukas added.
The main causes are rising sea-level and erosion (侵蚀)from storms, the study says, which warned of the near-disappearance of almost half of the world's sandy beaches by the end of the century. Beaches in the United States will be “greatly affected”,as will shorelines in Canada, Mexico, China and Chile. In the U. S. , beaches along the East Coast and the Gulf Coast will experience the most erosion.
Michalis Vousdoukas and other researchers used satellite images to track the way beaches have changed over the past 30 years and patterned how global warming might affect them in the future. They found that West Africa will see some of the worst losses, where more than 60% of sandy coastline may be lost in countries such as The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau. Australia will also take a hit:when the total length of sandy beach projected to be lost is analyzed, Australia would be hit the hardest, with more than 7,000 miles at risk.
1. What mainly caused the disappearance of half of the world's beaches?A.Over population and more tourism. | B.Severe erosion and coastline losses. |
C.Global warming and climate change. | D.Sea-level rise and storm destruction. |
A.Chile. | B.The Gambia. | C.Australia. | D.The United States. |
A.They can provide habitats for species. |
B.They can block out waves and storms. |
C.They can be popular tourist attractions. |
D.They can stop erosion from happening. |
A.To introduce beaches. | B.To make a comparison. |
C.To protect environment. | D.To explain a study. |
【推荐2】Happiness is important for everyone. Most people want to be happy but few know how to find happiness. Money and success don’t bring long-lasting happiness. Happiness depends on ourselves. In other words, we make our own happiness.
Some people believe that if they are wealthy, with the money they will be able to do anything they want, which means happiness. On the other hand, some people believe that holding a high position in the government is happiness. In this way, you have not only money, but also many other things which can’t be bought by money. However, other people believe that having lots of money is not happiness, nor is holding a high position in the government. These people value (重视) their beliefs, or their intelligence, or their health. They think these can make them happy.
Here are a few ways to help you be happier.
The first secret of happiness is to enjoy the simple things in life. Too often, we spend so much time thinking about the future, for example, getting into college or getting a good job that we don’t enjoy the present. You should enjoy life’s simple pleasures, such as reading a good book, listening to your favorite music, or spending time with close friends. People who have close friends usually enjoy happier and healthier lives.
The second secret of happiness is to be active. Many people go dancing or play sports. People can forget about their problems and only think about the activities.
Finally, many people find happiness in helping others. According to studies, people feel good when they volunteer their time to do many meaningful things for other people. If you want to feel happier, do something nice for someone. You can help a friend with his or her studies, go shopping to get food for an old neighbor, or simply help around the house.
Now maybe you know how to find happiness!
1. Some people who hold a high position in the government think they can ________.A.do what they want to do at any time |
B.enjoy health which makes them work hard |
C.take an active part in all kinds of activities every day |
D.get money and something they can’t buy with money |
A.think about getting money | B.think about getting a good job |
C.often spend time with close friends | D.often spend time thinking about the future |
A.do some meaningful things for others | B.make much money and little success |
C.remember the old days and troubles | D.go shopping to buy some food |
A.how to have a bright future | B.how to find happiness |
C.to do something good for others | D.to value our beliefs or health |
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother .A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents .It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(公墓). On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries and telephone companies do a lot of business during these holidays.
1. Which is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A.Parents bring up children. |
B.Parents give love and care to children. |
C.Parents educate children to be good persons. |
D.Parents pass away before children grow up. |
A.Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May. |
B.Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
C.Not all the children respect their parents. |
D.Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
A.It only has two kinds of color. |
B.It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. |
C.It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
D.People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May. |
【推荐1】I grew up 3 hours outside of Pittsburgh, with my mother and 3 younger brothers and sisters. My mom was a single mother and worked a minimum wage job, so we never had much, but that was OK, we made ends meet anyhow.
In Senior 1, I started saving money for college by taking a part-time job. I was accepted into the University of Pittsburgh and received some scholarships. But I couldn’t afford the housing because it was way too expensive for me. As result, put mattress (床垫) in an old van (货车) and had the windows painted. I bought parking pass on campus, chose spot on the top level of the parking garage and lived there for the next 2 years.
The weather in Pittsburgh was bad Being homeless forced me to take advantage of everything the campus had to offer since I wanted to spend as little time in my van as possible. I ended up spending most of my time throughout the week at the library and studying and reviewing classroom material a lot more than I would have if I had the luxury of going home and turning on the TV or falling asleep for hours in my room. I got close to some of my professors because of visiting them often, which really helped me become outstanding among my classmates. I made lot of new friends by attending social events, plays, charities, student life events around campus too.
Before college I would have considered myself shy, I didn’t really speak much unless spoken to, but I move out of my comfort zone and do new things, then develop an outgoing personality.
I really think that having to deal with the struggles that I had to go through really made me a better person.
1. From the first paragraph, we can learn that the author lived a ________ life.A.hard | B.painful | C.boring | D.happy |
A.In the van. | B.In his own house. |
C.In the library. | D.In professors’ office. |
A.Being devoted to studies. |
B.Living a tough life in college |
C.Developing an outgoing personality. |
D.Learning to overcome difficulties in life. |
A Guide to Living the Good Life
Author: Laura Rowley
Publisher: Wiley (March 1, 2008)
Laura Rowley helps us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and efforts wisely. She offers insights that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term.
★Happiness★
The Science Behind Your Smile
Author: Daniel Nettle
Publisher: Oxford University Press (July 1, 2008)
This is the first book to look thoroughly at what happiness is and how it works. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy or unhappy, whether success can make us happy, why some people are happier than others, and much more.
★The Happiness Makeover★
How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day
Author: M. J. Ryan
Publisher: Broadway (May 10, 2008)
Ryan’s own desire to be happier first led her to study what is known about happiness from brain science, psychology, and the wisdom traditions of the world. The Happiness Makeover draws on this wide-ranging knowledge and presents a plan that will help you:
Clear away happiness problems like worry, fear, envy, and dislikes.
Learn to think confidently.
Find daily ways to truly enjoy, even relish, the moments of your life.
★Health and Happiness★
Hormones and Qualities Llives
Author: Steven F. Hotze
Publisher: Forrest Publishing (April, 2008)
Dr Steven Hotze is leading a wellness revolution that advances a new model of healthcare. Unlike the popular medical way of treating individual symptoms(症状) with the familiar “anti” drugs, Dr Hotze deals with the basic causes of poor health.
InHormones, Health, and Happinessyou are shown how to reach and keep the best body functioning.
Based on a process of biologically the same hormones(荷尔蒙) and other natural treatments, it can help you enjoy a better quality of life.
1. According to the passage, which of the following books was the first to come out?
A.A Guide to Living the Good Life |
B.Hormones and Qualities Lives |
C.How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day |
D.The Science Behind Your Smile |
A.Money and Happiness | B.Happiness |
C.The Happiness Makeover | D.Health and Happiness |
A.Laura Rowley’s. | B.M. J. Ryan’s. | C.Daniel Nettle’s. | D.Steven F. Hotze’s. |
A.What Is Happiness? | B.Recent Books on Happiness |
C.Money and Happiness | D.How to Keep Yourself Happy |
【推荐3】Welcome to the Cherry Blossom Gift Shop in Washington, D.C. Live Yoshino Cherry Blossom Trees
$ 24.00
PRODUCT ID: 9813108
The Japanese Yoshino Cherry tree is a hybrid cherry of unknown origin. It occurs as a natural hybrid in Japan and is now one of the most popular flowering cherries worldwide.
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2019 Festival Holiday Ornament
$25.00
PRODUCT ID: 2271405
The National Cherry Blossom Festival, the nation’s greatest springtime celebration, entertains more than one million people each year, commemorating the gift of trees and the enduring friendship between the people of the United States and Japan.
2019 National Cherry Blossom Festival Glass Ornament design was created by famous Hawaiian artist, Jing Jing Tsong. Hand painted, comes in a very pretty box.
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Cherry Blossom Glass Balls
$30,00
PRODUCT ID: 9813020
The hand-made ornament is simply beautiful and no two balls are alike. It comes in a set of three. These ornamental glass balls are suitable for any occasion as a gift, and can be displayed indoors or outdoors, on a desk or shelf.
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2019 National Cherry Blossom Festival Lapel Pin
$10.00
PRODUCT ID: 1218138
The 2019 Cherry Blossom Festival Lapel Pin showcases the beautiful budding of these magnificent trees and celebrates the 107th year since these trees were given to our country. The pin is presented on a card which reads: Celebrating 107 Years of the Gift of Trees.
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1. If a customer is interested in gardening, which product ID will he choose?A.9813108 | B.2271405 |
C.1218138 | D.9813020 |
A.Each glass ball is unique. |
B.They are presented on a car. |
C.They come in a set of four. |
D.They are simply designed. |
A.In a newspaper. | B.Over the radio. |
C.On the television. | D.On the Internet. |