阅读理解。
Like many other small boys, I was fascinated by cars, especially because my oldest brother was a bit
of a car guy and subscribed to cool magazines like Car and Driver and Motor Trend. Every so often, one of those magazines would run an article on the "Car of the Future". They featured unconventional things
like small nuclear reactors as power sources. Yet, frankly, my car doesn't do anything that my brother's
Studebaker didn't do. It goes, it stops, it burns gasoline. I still have to steer it, and it still runs into things if
I don't steer it carefully.
But guess what? All of these things are likely to change in the not-so-distant future. It may not burn
gasoline, I may not have to steer it, and it may be a lot better at not running into things.
Airbags (安全气囊) aren't the be-all and end-all in safety. In fact, considering the recent news about
people occasionally being killed by their airbags in low-speed collisions, they obviously still need some
development. But they aren't going away, and in fact, you can expect to see cars appearing with
additional, side-impact airbags, something some European car manufacturers already offer.
Better than systems to minimize injury in the event of an accident ,however, are systems that minimize
the likelihood of an accident happening. Future cars may be able to remove many of the major causes of
accidents, including drunk-driving, and tailgating (与前车距离过近). Cars could be equipped with
sensors that can detect alcohol in a driver's system and prevent the car from being started, for example.
As early as next year, you'll be able to buy cars with radar-equipped control systems. If the radar
determines you're closing too quickly with the car in front, it will ease up on the throttle (油门).
Will cars eventually be able to drive themselves? There's no reason to think it won't be technically
possible, and Mercedes is working on a system that can brake, accelerate and steer a vehicle down a
highway on its own. Nobody really expects people to give up all control to their cars, but such systems
could be used as failsafe (自动防止故障)systems to keep cars on the road and bring them safely to a
stop even if the driver suddenly became disabled.
1.Why was the author fascinated by cars?
A. Because he read unconventional things about cars in his brother's magazines.
B. Because other small boys liked to own a car of their own, too.
C. Because his oldest brother loved to take him to places in his car.
D. Because he subscribed to cool car magazines.
2. By saying "my car doesn't do anything that my brother's Studebaker didn't do", the author means
that_____.
A. my car is far better than my brother's
B. my car is not as good as my brother's
C. much improvement has been made in the design of cars recently
D. not much has changed in the performance of cars so far
3.Which of the following statements is true of airbags?
A. They are going to disappear gradually.
B. They are in need of further improvement.
C. They kill people instead of protecting them in low-speed collisions.
D. They are a standard feature of European cars.
4.According to the author, what will future cars do if the sensors detect alcohol in the driver's system?
A. They will give a warning in advance.
B. They will brake automatically.
C. They will not start.
D. They will ease up on the throttle.
5.Which of the following statements is true according to the last paragraph?
A. Cars will be able to drive themselves.
B. People will give up all control to their cars
C. No cars will ever break down on the roads.
D. Cars will all be equipped with failsafe systems.
