1 . A giant 18-wheel transport truck is moving very quickly down a Texas highway (公路) , and there is no one behind the wheel.
The futuristic idea is being tested in Texas, which has become the center of a rapidly developing self-driving vehicle industry.
Self-driving technology companies didn’t land in Texas by chance. The state has the largest number of truck drivers and engineers. Its sunny climate is great for the trucks’ sensors, and neighboring Mexico exports 85 percent of its goods to Texas by road. But most of all, Texas passed a law that gave autonomous cars the same position as traditional vehicles in 2018.
With the United States so vast (辽阔的) and trucking such an important part of its economy, companies see self-driving as a way to cut costs and reduce risk, since unlike human drivers, autonomous vehicles don’t get tired. While it will take a person three days to drive a truck from Los Angeles to Dallas, a self-driving truck will complete the journey in 24 hours. And it will be nearly twice as cheap. The per-mile cost would drop from $1.76 to $0.96 if the truck drives itself.
Alex Rodrigues, CEO and co-founder of Embark Technology, insists self-driving trucks will play a key role in dealing with the current shortage of long-distance truck drivers in the US, some of whom are unwilling to be away from their families for weeks at a time. And Rodrigues promises that the self-driving truck industry will create “attractive” jobs for local drivers, who will take over the autonomous trucks at transfer (中转) points and drive them to their final destination points.
Still, about 294,000 trucking jobs would be threatened by the industry’s automation, according to a 2018 study.
For Julio Moscoso, a 56-year-old driver in Texas, the arrival of driverless trucks is “not good news”. He still remembers a time not long ago when “there wasn’t as much work”. And most importantly, Moscoso says he wouldn’t trust driverless trucks. “It’s dangerous. What happens if the sensors fail?” he asks.
1. What contributes most to the position of Texas in the self-driving truck industry?| A．Its special law. | B．Its bright weather. |
| C．Its attraction to talents. | D．Its unique geographical location. |
| A．The future of driverless trucks. |
| B．The influences of driverless trucks. |
| C．The production of driverless trucks. |
| D．The advantages of driverless trucks. |
| A．It will make transport safer. |
| B．It will have fewer transport costs. |
| C．It will offer good job opportunities. |
| D．It will lift drivers’ competitive spirit. |
| A．He is against them. |
| B．He appreciates them. |
| C．He is doubtful about them. |
| D．He pays little attention to them. |
