1 . This year, new technologies will enable more drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel （方向盘）while on the road. But that doesn’t mean their cars will be fully self-driving --- that day still remains far in the future.
Automakers like General Motors （GM）, Ford and Stellantis are introducing, or upgrading existing technologies. But in the words of Kay Stepper, an automated driving expert, these systems are "feet off’ and "hands off’, but they will not be "eyes off" or “mind off’.
For the time being, these systems will only be used on limited-access highways, where there are no pedestrians or bicyclists. Vehicles with this technology will be able to drive at relatively high speeds, but only in simple traffic situations.
Bryan Reimer, a researcher with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s AgeLab, said it will be decades before people can buy truly self-driving cars in which humans ride as passengers.
Still, the technology that will be rolled out by the major automakers this year will do more than most so-called Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, or ADAS, do now.
GM’s Super Cruise system allows drivers to completely let go of the steering wheel while driving on selected highways. It was introduced in 2017 on the Cadillac CT6 sedan, which was discontinued last year. An improved version is coming this year on the Cadillac Escalade SUV and the Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans.
Super Cruise only works on highways that have been previously laser-mapped in three dimensions. GPS positioning and the vehicles, radar sensors （传感器）and cameras are used to enable drivers to unhand -- and unfoot — all the controls.
Drivers still need to pay attention, however. A camera in the car makes sure the driver is looking at the road at all times. If the driver looks away from the road for more than a few seconds, the system will stop working.
1. At present, what can the self-driving cars do?| A．They can drive freely on city streets. |
| B．They can run without human drivers. |
| C．They handle complex road conditions on their own. |
| D．They allow drivers to take their hands off the steering wheel. |
| A．GM’s Super Cruise system. | B．GM’s latest car models. |
| C．GM’s development plan. | D．GM’s close competitors. |
| A．People need to trust new technology. |
| B．People still need to pay attention. |
| C．People can look away from the road. |
| D．People can’t unhand all the controls. |
| A．It’s High Time to Get a New Car |
| B．The Industrial Revolution Is Underway |
| C．Super Cruise Does More than Most ADAS |
| D．The Real Self-driving Remains Far Away |
2 . The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named “Drive LAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.
Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated and inactive.
Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life.
These include custom-made navigation (导航) tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations. Phil Blythe explains: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country driving is important for keeping their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.”
“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to.”
Dr Amy Guo, the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains, “The Drive LAB is helping us to understand what the key stress points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to solve these problems.”
“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined. We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing that.”
“We hope that our work will help with technological solutions to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel.”
1. What is the purpose of the Drive LAB?| A．To explore new means of transport. | B．To design new types of cars. |
| C．To teach people traffic rules. | D．To find out older driver’s problems. |
| A．It keeps them independent. | B．It helps them save time. |
| C．It builds up their strength. | D．It cures their mental illnesses. |
| A．Ensure their safety with the help of technology. |
| B．Improve their diving skills. |
| C．Provide advice on repairing their cars. |
| D．Organize regular physical checkups. |
| A．A New Model Electric Car | B．Keeping Older Drivers on the Road |
| C．A Solution to Traffic Problems | D．Driving Services for Elders |
3 . The United States is a nation of car owners. Ninety-five percent of households own a car, and 85 percent of people get to work in one. This lifestyle contributes to congestion on our roads and damages the environment. As autonomous vehicles begin to hit the streets over the next decade or so, it's believed that all this will change.
Autonomous vehicles will most likely decrease the number and severity of crashes, allow cars to travel more closely together and improve cooperation between vehicles, all of which tend to reduce traffic jams and increase capacity.
However, this future is not assured. To realize the full potential benefits of driverless cars, we will have to act soon to encourage a culture in which transportation is shared. Many people in the automobile industry assume that driverless vehicles will automatically be shared, but there is little evidence that this is true. Most estimates suggest that driverless cars will eventually be only slightly more expensive than traditional cars, which means they'll be within reach of many consumers, so users are not willing to share rides.
If most people are going to buy-in to a shared-ride culture, they need to get a significant benefit. Saving a few dollars off the fare isn't likely to promote the movement dramatically. A better benefit would be knowing that you're going to reach your destination more quickly. The way to guarantee quick passage is to redesign our roads to give priority to ride-sharing autonomous vehicles like building priority lanes. The cost of travel will also be varied based on how efficiently a vehicle uses the roads. Autonomous vehicles carrying multiple people should get higher priority than those carrying one or none at all.
Decision-makers must push for incentives that encourage the most efficient use of our limited roadway infrastructure(基础设施). The autonomous future is rapidly approaching; it is critical that we act now, while the impacts of autonomous vehicles on traffic jams and emissions are still largely within our control.
1. What's the purpose of the first paragraph?| A．To introduce the topic. |
| B．To tell the severe traffic problem. |
| C．To prove the necessity of autonomous vehicles. |
| D．To show the damage of cars to the environment. |
| A．Autonomous vehicles worsen traffic jams on roads. |
| B．Autonomous vehicles are likely to reduce traffic jams. |
| C．Saving some fares contributes to shared-ride significantly. |
| D．Many people have ridden autonomous vehicles to avoid traffic jams. |
| A．To save a large amount of money. |
| B．To promote the development of science and technology. |
| C．To redesign roads to prioritize car-shared modes. |
| D．To allow you to reach your destination much more quickly. |
| A．Driverless Cars Will Make Our Traffic Problems Worse. |
| B．Autonomous Vehicles Will Make a Difference to Traffic. |
| C．Decision-makers Should Take Some Measures Quickly. |
| D．The Current Situation of Cars in the United States is Serious. |
4 . A bicycle may be seen by most people as just another vehicle(交通工具), but for many Londoners, cycling is a way of life. According to a UK government survey in 2020, about 570,000 bike journeys were made every day in London. In fact, almost half of the vehicles that pass over London Bridge each day are bikes.
London introduced a public bike-sharing system in 2010. “There can be no doubt that our trusty bicycles have changed that way people get around our great city,” Johnson told The Guardian.
In London, bikes are used for more than just taking short trips to and from the subway. NO matter where you want to go in the city, riding a bike is usually the quickest and easiest choice.
And it’s not just shared bikes that the government is encouraging people to ride. In many companies across the UK, the UK government’s Cycle to Work scheme(计划) allows workers to buy a brand new bike without having to pay any tax (税). This means that it’s common to see many people cycling to and from work, and some employers even provide showers and lockers in the workplaces for their workers. More importantly, a cycle-friendly boss may let you off for being late if you ride a bike to work.
Not only is it great for the environment and our body, cycling is also good for the mind. According to National Geographic, “Bike riding can improve people’s happiness.”
1. How does the author show the popularity of cycling in London?| A．By using numbers. | B．By giving examples. |
| C．By making comparisons. | D．By using famous sayings. |
| A．Disappointed. | B．Concerned. | C．Supportive. | D．Uninterested. |
| A．Free bike-sharing services. | B．Showers and lockers in workplaces. |
| C．Shorter working hours. | D．Tax-free bikes. |
| A．Cycling, a healthy way of life. |
| B．How cycling has become popular in London. |
| C．Why Londoners are encouraged to ride bikes. |
| D．London’s public bike-sharing system. |
5 . If your family or group of friends loves to bike, then a bike trip makes a perfect vacation.
An easy way to travel is to camp along the way. You can book campsites ahead of time at campgrounds along the way, and ride into camp as late as you like.
If you’re going to be traveling on trails (小径), you’ll want to ride a mountain bike during your trip. On the other hand, if your route is wholly along roads, you can ride a lighter-weight street bike. Or, you can put heavier-weight tires on a street bike.
If you have a lot of time, you can cover quite a bit of distance. Over the course of a long trip, you’ll get stronger and you’ll be able to go further in one day.
| A．Biking is becoming more and more popular. |
| B．Avoiding hurt is another thing you should concern. |
| C．Keep in mind that some camping equipment is heavy. |
| D．Check in with your local bike shop for suggestions on tire weight. |
| E．However, remember that early in the trip you’ll start every day feeling tired. |
| F．Seeing the world from the seat of a bike is a wonderful way to experience new places. |
| G．As you plan your trip, the biggest decision to make is how far you’d like to travel each day. |
6 . Parents usually teach their children how to cross the street safely, by looking both ways for cars. But do they also teach them to put away their cellphones? The city of Honolulu, Hawaii wants everyone to learn that lesson.
Texting while crossing the street will soon be banned in the city. Beginning on October 24, you will be fined from $15 to $99 if you step into a Honolulu street while looking at your phone. Honolulu is the first major U.S. city to ban what is called “distracted walking”. It recently passed a law in a seven to two vote. The law says, “No pedestrian shall cross a street or highway while viewing a mobile electronic device.” In other words, do not look at a screen when you cross the street or you could be fined.
The law’s creators hope it will lower the number of people hit and killed by cars in the city. Mayor Kirk Caldwell told the Reuters News agency,“We hold the unfortunate distinction of being a major city with more pedestrians being hit in crosswalks, particularly our seniors, than almost any other city in the country.
The law includes all electronic devices with screens: cellphone, tablets, gaming devices, digital cameras and laptop computers. The law does permit an exception. Pedestrians may use such devices in the street to call emergency services and rescue workers, such as firefighters and police officers.
The Governors Highway Safety Association, or GHSA, says as the use of cell phones rises, pedestrian deaths in the United States increased 25 percent between 2010 and 2015. That trend continued in 2016 with the number of pedestrian deaths rising to almost 6000, 11% higher than in 2015.
Other U.S. cities may follow Honolulu. The state of Washington was the first to outlaw distracted driving back in 2007. Now, 46 other states as well as D. C. , Puerto Rico, Guam and the U. S.Virgin Islands, have laws against texting while driving, reports the GHSA.
If you still want to text while walking, you could avoid being fined in Honolulu by using a voice-controlled digital assistant such as Siri or Google Assistant. Or you could just wait until you are again, safely, off the street.
1. What do most parents fail to tell their children when they cross the street?| A．Not to view cell phones |
| B．To look to both ways for traffic |
| C．To go across the street safely |
| D．Not to carry cell phones |
| A．reduce the number of accidents related to pedestrians |
| B．lower the number of people using mobile electronic devices |
| C．make city streets and highways safer for drivers |
| D．increase the use of mobile electronic devices in public places |
| A．he wants to call friends | B．his cell phone rings |
| C．there is an emergency | D．no cars can be seen |
| A．Pedestrians deaths have been increasing. |
| B．More and more people use mobile devices. |
| C．There are more pedestrians deaths in the US. |
| D．Ways have been found to deal with car accidents. |
7 . A Portland, Oregon man has become the first person to travel across Antarctica by himself without receiving any assistance.
Colin O’Brady has completed the 1,500-kilometer trip. He crossed the continent in 54 days. Friends, family and other people followed his progress through messages and pictures he left on social media.
O’Brady spoke with his wife Jenna Besaw by telephone soon after he completed the journey. “It was an emotional call,” she said. “He seemed overwhelmed by love and appreciation, and he really wanted to say ‘thank you’ to all of us.”
The 33-year-old O’Brady documented the trip on the social networking services Instagram. He called his journey “The Impossible First”. He wrote that he traveled the last 129 kilometers in one big, final push to the finish line. The distance took over one day to complete. O’Brady wrote, “While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced.”
The day before, he wrote that he was “in the zone” and thought he could make it to the end without stopping. “I was listening to my body and taking care of the details to keep myself safe,” he wrote. “I called home and talked to my mom, sister and wife. I promised them I would stop when I need to.”
Other people have traveled across Antarctica, but they all had some form of assistance. They either had better, more plentiful supplies or devices that helped move them forward.
In 2016, British explorer Henry Worsley died in his attempt to travel alone across Antarctica unassisted. Worsley’s friend Louis Rudd, also from Britain, is attempting an unaided solo journey in Worsley’s honor. He was competing against O’Brady to be the first to do it. Besaw told the Associated Press that her husband plans to stay in Antarctica until Rudd finishes his trip.
1. What did O’Brady think of his journey in Antarctica?| A．It was pleasant. | B．It was discouraging. |
| C．It was impossible to complete. | D．It was hard to complete. |
| A．Making sure of his safety. | B．Trying to achieve the goal. |
| C．Keeping in touch with them. | D．Stopping the travel halfway. |
| A．To wait for another explorer. | B．To compete with others. |
| C．To help other explorers. | D．To make his victory recognized. |
| A．The Antarctic Continent | B．The Impossible First |
| C．Traveling in Antarctica | D．An Incomplete Journey |
8 . I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles” of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office？”
Foreign tourists are often confused in Japan because most streets there don’t have names; in Japan, people use landmarks（地标）in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”
In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”
People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office？” you ask. “Oh,” they answer “it’s about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it？” They don’t know.
It’s true that a person doesn’t know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don’t know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don’t know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan！
1. When a tourist asks the Japanese the way to a certain place, they usually ______.| A．describe the place carefully. | B．show him a map of the place. |
| C．tell him the names of the streets. | D．refer to recognizable buildings and places. |
| A．New York. | B．Los Angeles. | C．Kansas. | D．Iowa. |
| A．To show cultural differences in showing directions. |
| B．To show how to ask the way properly in different countries. |
| C．To explain why people have similar understanding of direction. |
| D．To share the experience of traveling around the world. |
9 . Arriving at London Gatwick
Distance from Central London: 28 miles/45km
For travel information call: +44(0)870 000 24 68
How to get to the city centre
By train
The Gatwick Express goes from Gatwick Airport to London Victoria train and underground station in Central London.
Trains go every 15 minutes and the journey to Central London takes half an hour.
First Class tickets cost £25(single), £48(return).
Express Class costs £17(single), £29(return).
Southern Trains services run four times an hour to Victoria with a journey time of around 35 minutes.
By taxi
There are taxis outside the airport day and night. The journey to Central London takes 55-70 minutes. A London taxi takes up to 5 people.
The average cost from the airport to Central London is £75- £100.
By car
Gatwick Airport is 28 miles(45 km) south of London. There are 4 car parks next to the airport and there are car rental offices open from 8:00 to 18:00. The journey to London takes 60-75 minutes.
All cars pay a special £8 charge to go into Central London.
By bus
National Express and EasyBus have services to Central London. EasyBus services go every 20 minutes. The journey takes one hour and costs £2.
There is one National Express bus an hour. The journey takes 90 minutes and costs £7.60.
1. Which of the following is the slowest?| A．Taking a taxi. | B．Taking a train. | C．Taking a bus. | D．Driving a car. |
| A．People can take taxis at any time. | B．People can rent cars at any time. |
| C．EasyBus goes three times an hour. | D．Drivers can find places to park their cars near the airport. |
| A．a single ticket of First Class | B．a ticket of National Express |
| C．a ticket of EasyBus | D．a return ticket of Express Class |
10 . Hundreds of new drivers have been given bans (禁令) for using their mobile phones at the wheel, as part of stricter new laws introduced. In March, the punishment for driving while on the phone was doubled to six points — meaning drivers with less than two years’ experience faced a ban.
New laws meant the punishment for being caught on a mobile phone at the wheel was increased to six points. The new rules were introduced in England, Scotland and Wales. Drivers who get six points within two years of passing their test will lose their licence, creating a one-strike rule for mobile phone users. To get back behind the wheel, new drivers have to retake both the theory and practical parts of the driving test.
Mr Williams in the RAC said, “These people have spent hours and hours and hundreds of pounds learning to drive to gain their personal freedom only to throw it all away through this foolish behaviour. The only comfort is that they won’t be drawn into some terrible crashes caused by the distraction (使人分心的事物) of a hand-held mobile phone.”
When the new laws were introduced, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said they would act as a strong warning to mobile phone users. However, the numbers suggested a total of 15,752 drivers received the punishment of six points for using a mobile phone between March and August. This is an increase from 15, 237 drivers in the same period of last year.
National Police Chiefs’ Council Lead on roads Policing, Chief Constable Anthony Bangham, said the police took the offence (违法行为) seriously. “This is not a small offence and is never a risk worth taking because a moment’s distraction behind the wheel can change lives forever.” “Our message is simple — don’t do it,” he added.
1. What can we infer from Paragraph1?| A．The new laws have not been passed. |
| B．The new laws are not strict enough. |
| C．Drivers with less than two years’ experience won’t be affected. |
| D．Punishment for driving while phoning used to be three points. |
| A．He will be fined a lot. |
| B．He must learn the new rules. |
| C．He will lose his driving licence. |
| D．He will be given a warning. |
| A．traffic accidents were cut down |
| B．there were still many drivers who broke them |
| C．drivers thought the laws were unfair to them |
| D．fewer people broke them compared |
| A．The police didn’t take the new rules seriously. |
| B．The roads policy should be improved for safety. |
| C．A moment of carelessness may cause big accidents. |
| D．The laws need to be improved a lot and retested. |
