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Motoring Technology
1.2 million road deaths worldwide occur each year,plus a further 50 million injuries.To reduce car crash rate,much research now is focused on safety and new fuels-though some electric vehicle and biofuel research aims at going faster.
Travelling at speed has always been dangerous.One advanced area of research in motoring safety is the use of digital in-car assistants.They can ensure you don’t miss important road signs or fall asleep.Most crashes result from human and not mechanical faults.
Some safety developments aim to improve your vision.Radar can spot obstacles in fog,while other technology“sees through”big vehicles blocking your view.
And improvements to seat belts,pedal(腳踏)controls and tyres are making driving smoother and safer.The colour of a car has been found to be linked with safety,as have,less surprisingly,size and shape.
But whatever is in the fuel tank,you don’t want a thief in the driving seat and there have been many innovations(創(chuàng)新).Satellite tracking and remote communications can also come into play if you crash,automatically calling for help.
Accidents cause many traffic jams,but there are more subtle interplays between vehicles that can cause jams even on a clear but busy road.Such jams can be analyzed using statistical tools.Robotic drivers could be programmed to make traffic flow smoothly and will perhaps one day be everyons’s personal chauffeur(司機),but their latest efforts suggest that won’t be soon.
1.To reduce car crash rate,many scientists are working hard to
A.design fully automatic cars.
B.develop faster electric vehicles.
C.analyze road deaths occurring worldwide each year.
D.improve the safety of cars and develop new fuels.
2.According to the second paragraph,most road accidents happen due to
A.heavy traffic.
B.human mistakes.
C.engine failure.
D.bad weather.
3.Which of the following safety developments is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A.Windscreens that can help drivers to improve their vision.
B.Radars that can help drivers to see obstacles in fog.
C.Devices that can help drivers to see through big vehicles.
D.Improvements in seat belts,pedal controls and tyres.
4.Satellite tracking and remote communication systems cna be used to
A.reduce oil consumption.
B.remove the obstacles on the road.
C.call for help when one’s car crashes.
D.help drivers get out of a traffic jam.
5.Which of the following statements is true of robotic drivers?
A.It will take some time before robotic drivers are available.
B.Robotic drivers are not allowed to driveon busy roads.
C.Robotic drivers can never replace human drivers.
D.Robotic drivers are too expensive to use.
Gendergap
The girls in this sixth grade class in East Palo Alto , California , all have the same access to computers as boys. But researchers say, by the time they get to high school, they are victims of what the researchers call a major new gender ( 性別 ) gap in technology. Janice Weinman of the American Association of University Women says, "Girls tend to be less comfortable than boys with the computer. They use it more for word processing rather than for problem solving,rather than to discover new ways in which to understand information. "
After re-examining a thousand studies, the American Association of University Women researchers found that girls make up only a small percentage of students in computer science classes. Girls consistently rate themselves significantly lower than boys in their ability and confidence in using computers. And they use computers less often than boys outside the classroom.
An instructor of a computer lab says he's already noticed some differences. Charles Cheadle of Cesar Chavez School says, "Boys are not so afraid they might do something that will harm the computer, whereas girls are afraid they might break it somehow. "
Six years ago, the software company Purple Moon noticed that girls' computer usage was falling behind boys. Karen Gould says, "The number one reason girls told us they don't like computer games is not that they're too violent, or too competitive. Girls just said they're incredibly boring. "
Purple Moon says it found what girls want, characters they can relate to and story lines relative to what's going on in their own lives. Karen Gould of Purple Moon Software says," What we definitely found from girls is that there is no intrinsic ( 固有的 ) reason why they wouldn't want to play on a computer; it was just a content thing. "
The sponsor of the study says it all boils down to this: the technology gender gap that separates the girls from the boys must be closed if women are to compete effectively with men in the 21st century.
According to the passage, girls are victims of the gender gap in technology because __________
A.they can not discover new ways to use computers
B.they have the same access to computers as boys
C.they are likely to be less comfortable with computers
D.they can only use computers for word processing
37、 The research on girls and computers is __________
A.based on a few recent articles
B.presented by one person
C.based on thousands of studies
D.not considered well grounded
38、 Girls often feel __________
A.bored with computer games
B.comfortable using computers
C.it hard to use computers in word processing
D.worried about using computers
39、 The software company seems to think girls would be more interested if __________
A.girls had an equal chance of playing games
B.the software was more violent
C.the software content was changed
D.the character were funny
40、 The gender gap needs to be closed because __________
A.it isn't fair that boys are allowed to use computers all the time
B.there isn't enough money for upgrading computers
C.most of the causes may boil down to a question of money
D.the ability to use computers is important in today's world
Something about Vocation
If you like to take lots of vacation, the United States is not the place to work. Besides a handful of national holidays, the typical American worker gets two or three precious weeks off out of a whole year to relax and see the world--much less than what people in many other countries receive. And even that amount of vacation often comes with strings attached.
So what's going on here?
A big reason for the difference is that paid time off is demanded by law in many parts of the world. Germany is among more than two dozen industrialized countries -- from Australia to Japan -- that require employers to offer four weeks or more of paid vacation to their workers, according to a 2009 study by the human resources consulting company Mercer. Finland , Brazil and France are the champions, guaranteeing six weeks of time off. But employers in the United States are not obliged under federal law to offer any paid vacation, so about a quarter of all American workers don't have access to it, government figures show. That makes the U. S. the 0nly advanced nation in the world that doesn't guarantee its workers annual leave.
Most U. S. companies, of course, do provide vacation as a way to attract and retain workers. But the fear of layoffs and the ever-faster pace of work mean many Americans are reluctant to be absent from the office-anxious that they might look like they're not committed to their job. Or they worry they won't be able to cope with a pile of work waiting for them after a vacation.
Then, there's the way we work.
Working more makes Americans happier than Europeans, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Happiness Studies. That may be because Americans believe more than Europeans do that hard work is associated with success.
So despite research documenting the health and productivity benefits of taking time off, a long vacation can be undesirable, scary, unrealistic or just plain impossible for many U. S. workers.
According to the passage, the United States is a nation __________
A.that prefers relatively longer vacations
B.that has fewer national holidays
C.where workers do not have paid time off
D.where employers are not required to offer paid vacation
42、 The phrase "with strings attached" (Para. 1 ) probably means “ __________ ”
A.with specified conditions
B.with full freedom
C.with many options
D.with work in mind
43、 Which of the following countries offers the longest annual leave to its workers?
A.Germany.
B.Japan.
C.France.
D.Australia .
44、 Many Americans are hesitant to take a vacation because they __________
A.are afraid of losing their jobs
B.enjoy the fast pace of work
C.are devoted to their jobs
D.like the challenges in work
45、 According to the author, Americans' chance of taking a long vacation is __________
A.uncertain
B.slim
C.good
D.promising
