Question

You know how much your telephone has changed over the past 10 years? Your car will change even more than that in the next 10 years.

One of the biggest changes is that cars will drive themselves. Some day you may not need to drive a car. You will just tell the car where you want to go and it will drive itself.

Google

The American company Google has been working on a self-driving automobile for years. These cars are already on the roads in the United States, mainly in California.

Google cars are truly self-driving. These cars have no steering wheels(方向盤) or pedals(剎車踏板).

Last week, police ordered one of Google’s cars to stop for driving too slowly on a public road. The car was not against any law, so no one was punished. But police did speak to the operators of the vehicle(車輛).

According to Google, its self-driving cars have been driven nearly 2 million kilometers. That is equal to the distance the average person drives in 90 years.

So far, no Google self-driving car has gotten a traffic ticket. Some of them have been in accidents when other cars hit them.

Tesla

Another American company, Tesla, added an “Autopilot(自動駕駛儀)” feature to its cars last month. Tesla put the feature, a computer software program, in cars that were built after September 2014.

With the Autopilot turned on, the vehicle drives itself. The car will speed up, slow down, brake and steer by itself.

You can take over driving any time by turning the steering wheel or touching a pedal. Your car will slow down if the vehicle in front of you gets closer. It will turn at bends and change lanes if you use the turn signal.

Tesla Autopilot takes over driving at speeds over 29 kilometers per hour when you press a button twice. Autopilot is made for cross-country driving. It keeps you in the lane and helps you avoid hitting other cars.

Other Self-Driving Cars and Buses

Other companies such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Volvo and Toyota are working on self-driving cars. Another company called BestMile is also working on self-driving buses in Switzerland. The buses can hold up to nine people and will be tested for two years.

1.What is the meaning of “traffic ticket” in Chinese?

A. 車票。 B. 油票。 C. 交通罰單。 D. 彩票。

2. How far does an average person drive in a year according to the passage?

A. About 2 million kilometres.

B. About 22,000 kilometres.

C. About 90 million kilometres.

D. About 180 kilometres.

3.How many companies are working on self-driving vehicles in all according the passage?

A. Two. B. Five. C. Eight. D. Seven.

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Google cars have pedals.

B. Google cars hit some other cars.

C. All car companies in the world are working on self-driving cars.

D. There is an “Autopilot” in Tesla self-driving cars after September 2014.

5.Which of the following can be the best tittle of the passage?

A. What’s your favourite car?

B. Will your next car drive itself?

C. What’s the best car?

D. Do you need a self-driving car?

Answer 1