1 . A new study has found that many drivers using driver assistance (辅助) tools often treat their vehicles like they are fully self-driving. The study warns that drivers who put too much trust in driver assistance technologies are putting themselves at risk for serious accidents.
The research involved drivers of three vehicles that offer advanced driver assistance systems. Each vehicle came from one of three companies: Cadillac, Nissan / Infiniti and Tesla
The study was led by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a nonprofit group. The group carries out research and crash tests and seeks to persuade car makers to design safer vehicles.
Cadillac’s driver assistance tool is called Super Cruise. The study found that 53 percent of active users of that system said “they were comfortable treating their vehicles as fully self-driving.” Tesla’s driver assistance system is called Autopilot.
The results come even as car makers have repeatedly warmed drivers that they must never fully depend on driver assistance for full operation of the vehicle. Users are asked to be fully prepared to regulate driving at any time. There have also been highly publicized accidents involving cars with driver assistance programming.
Both Super Cruise and Autopilot have a feature that the vehicle’s advanced driver assistance system will be turned off if users do not appear to be attentive (专心的) while driving. The study found that about 40 percent of the users of Autopilot and Super Cruise reported the systems had at some point turned off while they were driving and would not reactivate.
The study comes as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) examines a series of crashes involving Tesla’s Autopilot. Since 2016, the NHTSA has opened 37 special investigations into 18 crash deaths involving Tesla vehicles where systems like Autopilot were suspected of use.
Tesla has said that Autopilot is meant for use with a fully careful driver who is prepared to take control of vehicle operation. General Motors, which produces Cadillac models, said it “believes driver engagement is very important.”
1. What’s the problem with some drivers according to the study?| A．They drive with too much tension. | B．They refuse to accept high technology. |
| C．They rely too much on driver assistance tools. | D．They have caused many traffic accidents |
| A．To watch over car making in the world. | B．To develop advanced vehicle technology |
| C．To judge various cars based on their quality. | D．To push car makers to improve vehicle safety. |
| A．Enjoy. | B．Stop. | C．Control. | D．Ignore. |
| A．They praised their self-driving technology. |
| B．They stressed the importance of human driving. |
| C．They admitted the disadvantages of self-driving. |
| D．They promised to improve their self-driving technology |
2 . According to a study done by University of Michigan researchers, shopping to relieve stress was up to 40 times more effective at giving people a sense of control and shoppers were three times less sad compared to those who only browsed for items.
More than half of the 1,000 consumers participating in the survey said they have impulsively (冲动地) shopped to deal with feelings of stress, anxiety or depression. Twenty-three percent of respondents said they’ve maxed out a credit card in the past year. Millennials, 68 percent, responded by saying they have stress spent in the past, compared with 53 percent of Gen Xers and only 26 percent of Baby Boomers.
By gender, 48 percent of men and 31 percent of women who have stress spent said they had purchased alcohol when stressed. 82 percent of women stress spent on clothing compared to 52 percent of men. Women also lead stress spending for jewelry, 42 percent, compared to 22 percent for men, with men stress spending more for electronics, 44 percent versus 30 percent for women.
In fact, shopping to reduce stress can actually help you live a healthier life by making sure that your blood pressure is lowered. Shopping to relieve stress is also known as retail therapy (疗法) as a form of regulating stress. The survey found that 82 percent had only positive feelings about their purchases and that the positive mood boost that followed those purchases was long-lasting.
However, the side effect of retail therapy, for many, can start out as a relatively harmless mood booster but could possibly grow into an impulse that uses up money and cause conflict, thereby adding a significant amount of stress to a person’s life.
1. What can we know about Millennials according to the survey?| A．They tend to max out their credit cards. |
| B．They bear more stress than Baby Boomers. |
| C．They are more likely to purchase to reduce anxiety. |
| D．They have an advantage over Gen Xers in managing stress. |
| A．Alcohol. | B．Clothing. |
| C．Jewelry. | D．Electronics. |
| A．It is harmless. | B．It is highly recommended. |
| C．It promotes personal relationship. | D．It can serve as a temporary solution. |
| A．Can Shopping Relieve Stress? | B．Where is Your Money Going? |
| C．Shopping Habits across Generations | D．A New Cure for Depression |
