The time that cars could go completely driver...

The time that cars could go completely driverless is coming "very soon", according to Jianxiong Xiao, CEO and founder of AutoX, a Shenzhen-based start-up developing autonomous driving technology.

Now, most regulations across various cities in China still require the presence of a safety driver in vehicles, but the company foresees that as more data gets captured over time, that requirement would be reduced, Xiao told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Wednesday.

The autonomous driving tech firm chose to partner with Alibaba's AMAP—a Chinese mapping service provider—to roll out its RoboTaxi ride hailing service in Shanghai on Monday. AMAP is a "super mobility app" with almost 500 million active monthly users, according to Xiao.

AutoX had received support from Shanghai authorities to roll out a fleet of 100 autonomous ride-hailing cars in Shanghai's Jiading district in September last year.

Earlier this month, AutoX announced that it had set up an 80, 000 square feet RoboTaxi operations center in Shanghai to help facilitate(使容易)operations of its driverless fleet, as well as act as a center to collect data from daily operations.

Backed by investors such as Alibaba, Shanghai Motor and Dongfeng Motor, AutoX is one of the players in the trillion U. S. dollar Chinese autonomous driving vehicles market alongside others like DiDi Chuxing.

Xiao said they were working with the technology to ensure the vehicles were "very, very safe" and are carrying out a lot of testing.

Over a hundred vehicles have been arranged on roads daily to obtain enough data needed to validate the software and system, according to Xiao.

He added that the company was also running a hundred times more simulations(模拟)in the car every day, and the "huge amount of data" would help to prove that the vehicles could be used in "full safety".

"Our goal is not to just make(it)as safe as human beings, but going one step forward to really make…a superhuman safety standard; (cars)that(can)drive much safer than any human being ever, " Xiao said.

1.What will be most required to go driverless according to CEO of AutoX?

A.Traffic regulations. B.Driving technology.

C.Enough data. D.Mapping service.

2.What is the attitude of Shanghai authorities towards driverless technology?

A.Doubtful. B.Favorable.

C.Critical. D.Uncaring.

3.Which of the following can replace the underlined word "validate" in paragraph 8?

A.test B.invent

C.develop D.design

4.Where does the passage probably come from?

A.A biography. B.An advertisement.

C.A textbook. D.A news report.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A California family drives a car that could help protect the environment. When Jon and Sandy go to the store or to their daughters’ soccer games, they drive in high-tech style. They drive a $1 million, fuel-cell-powered car. It may be the world’s most expensive car and one of the most environmentally friendly cars. The FCX is the first fuel-cell-powered car to be used by a family anywhere in the world. The FCX uses hydrogen and oxygen for fuel. Car makers have been working to develop vehicles that are better for the environment. They are developing cars that use fuel other than gasoline. And then what is fuel cell technology? Fuel cell technology works by changing the chemicals hydrogen and oxygen into water. This process produces electricity, and water vapor which comes out of the exhaust pipe. Most cars release dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide. Many scientists say these gases are major contributors to global warming. “The FCX is driven just like any other vehicle on the road, but without the gases which pollute the environment,” scientists say. Fuel cell technology has been around since the 1800s, but scientists have yet been to perfect it. They say it may take years before the technology is ready for widespread use. Another earth-friendly car is already on the market. Hybrid cars use both gasoline and an electric motor. They are becoming more popular with customers because they cut pollution and improve fuel efficiency.

46. Which of the following about the FCX is not true?

A. It may be the most expensive car in the world.

B. It is one of the most environmentally friendly cars.

C. It releases dangerous gases to pollute the air.

D. It uses hydrogen and oxygen for fuel other than gasoline.

47. According to the passage, what is the major cause for global warming?

A. Gases from FCX.                           B. Water vapor from cars.

C. Hydrogen and oxygen.            D. Gases from cars.

48. From the passage, we know that fuel cell technology ______.

A. works by water                       B. has a history for over two hundred years

C. works by electricity                 D. has been widely used since the 1800s

49. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A. future cars will be environmentally friendly

B. there will be no gasoline for cars

C. people can’t afford to buy cars in the future

D. global warming has been stopped

50. Hybrid cars are popular because ______.

A. they are the fuel-cell-powered cars

B. they are energy-saving and cut pollution

C. they are perfect cars in the world

D. they produce no gases to pollute the environment

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

Driverless cars are the best-known example of how artificial intelligence is influencing daily life in China, according to a new report on social attitudes toward AI technology that was released at Fudan University on May 17.

Based on the responses of 625 questionnaires made by Fudan University’s National Center for Cultural Innovation Research and the communication and data science laboratory, the report states that nearly 90 percent of the respondents are familiar with driverless cars, with over 67, percent having access to both positive and negative information on cars. About 62 percent of the respondents said they were willing to ride in driverless cars. Meanwhile, around 47 percent were supportive of unmanned vehicle road tests in the country. However, more than 30 percent of the respondents expressed their concerns about the safety of driverless cars.

If personal injuries or property loss are suffered in the event of an accident, 80.5 percent of the respondents said that the designers of the AI products should bear legal responsibility while 55.5 percent said that vehicle users should also shoulder the blame.

Smart cars with partial or fully autonomous functions are expected to account for 50 percent of new vehicles sold in China by 2020.According to the blueprint released by the National Development and Reform Commission in January, the country is aiming to become a global power in smart-car development and production by 2035.

“One cannot ignore the risks and ethics issues brought up by artificial intelligence technology,” said Sun Shaojing, director of the Communication and Data Science Laboratory of the National Center for Cultural Innovation Research at Fudan University, “Policies should be strengthened to ensure a balanced development of ethics and science, especially for some fast-growing applications like driverless cars.”

1.What do we know about the responses of 625 questionnaires?

A. More than half of the people surveyed were willing to ride in driverless cars.

B. Nearly 90% knew both positive and negative information on cars.

C. Unmanned vehicle road tests were hardly supported in the country.

D. Few people were concerned about the safety of driverless cars.

2.Who should take responsibility if an accident happened to a driverless car?

A. The designers of the AI products.

B. Both AI products designers and vehicle users.

C. Policy makers who regulate the use of driverless cars.

D. It hasn’t been decided yet.

3.What does the underlined word “autonomous” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?

A. high-tech　　 B. advanced

C. self-directed　　 D. useful

4.What do Sun Shaojing’s words suggest in the last paragraph?

A. We should mainly focus on the benefit that driverless cars bring to us.

B. Effective policies and rules are needed with appliances fast growing.

C. Risks and ethics issues brought up by AI cannot be avoided.

D. Driverless cars play a significant role in AI technology.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Science is always advancing over time. A self-driving car from the Google may be coming to a street near you. However, you won’t be able to buy it now. “We’re working to build the world’s most experienced driver,” Kraft, director of the project, said. “Everything that we learn in one of our cars gets passed to all of our cars. But you may need to get over the idea of traditional car ownership along the way.”

Google’s software has already driven 5 million miles in U.S. cities, including an “early rider” test in Phoenix last April. Since then Google has grown confident enough to remove the “auxiliary wheel”: a human “safety driver”. Powering the vehicle’s self-driving functions is a series of cameras, radars and sensors on the car’s roof, which detect everything nearby from other vehicles and passers-by to cyclists.

Kraft stressed that Google’s cars aren’t connected—they don’t need a 5G wireless link to go anywhere. “The car has everything it needs to drive on the car itself.” He said, “There are no signals coming from outer space or something telling it to turn right.” The resulting ride may not be too exciting but safe. Kraft added. “We can see three football fields down the road, we would come to a stop before we ran into these crowds.”

Google’s system has a major advantage over the semi-autonomous（半自主的）systems of Tesla and Cadillac, both of which need continued human attention. Kraft said Google plans to have service in every major city by 2028 with thousands of cars driving themselves.

1.What does the underlined words “auxiliary wheels” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. A car that is very old.

B. A driver who has been trained well.

C. A part of a car used to sound the alarm.

D. A condition where a driver doesn’t know his role.

2.Why is Google’s car thought to be safe in the text?

A. Because it can get away from danger easily.

B. Because it is equipped with 5G wireless link.

C. Because it can stop before the crowds occasionally.

D. Because it can keep a safe distance from everything nearby.

3.What can we learn from the text?

A. Google’s software has not been tested.

B. Google’s cars have not been put into the market.

C. Driving the Google’s car may not be too exciting.

D. Google’s cars still need driver’s attention all the way.

4.What does the author think of the Google’s car?

A. It’s affordable.

B. It’s still a theory.

C. It has a bright future.

D. It’s the most advanced by now.

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

- Do you think you could do without help?

- __________. This is not the first time for me.

高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

Once upon a time, a library was just about the only place that someone could go to get a book or go to read for free. Then came the arrival of the Internet, and that changed everything. Before long, books were available on different sites on the web. It was only a matter of time until Kindle, Nook, and other e-readers swept the scene. Along with them came the e-book. Many believed that this would be the end of libraries. But libraries still exist today, and many of them even thrive(繁荣). So, how is it possible that they survived against the onslaught of e-books?

For one thing, the truth is that libraries were never just about borrowing books for free. Librarians provide many services other than those of a desk clerk or customer service agent. They often hold seminars, presentations, contests, and other events to promote free education. These events are considered necessary by parents and kids alike.

For others, the library is a place where they can go to get away from the rush of the world and from social obligations or family troubles. Many go to the library to study for projects, papers and exams. Others simply see it as a recreational hobby.

For another thing, most libraries and librarians do not reject the changing tides of technology. And neither does the world, for that matter. In the US, the graduate degree program to become a librarian is often called a Library Science program. It reflects the fact that the country believes its librarians should keep up with the latest in information technology. Many librarians agree, and therefore have become experts in the field. Librarians have by now and large willingly educated themselves in the technology needed to keep up with the fast-paced digital world of technology today.

So consider a visit to your local library to see all the recent changes. If you haven’t been to one in a while you might not recognize the place. But don’t worry. Your librarian will be happy to bring you up to speed.

1.The underlined word “onslaught” in Paragraph 1 can best be replaced by “_____”.

A. price　　　　 B. attack　　 C. future　　 D. quality

2. According to Paragraph 4, many librarians ______.

A. prefer traditional books to e-books

B. don’t need to have a graduate degree

C. can’t keep up with the world of technology

D. have made good use of new technology in their work

3.What’s the author’s attitude towards the future of librarians?

A. Hopeful.　 B. Careless.　 C. Doubtful.　 D. Disapproving.

4.Which of the following shows the structure of the text?

A.　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B.

C.　　　　　　　　　　　　 D.　

CP: Central Point　 P: Point　　 Sp: Sub-point(次要点)　　 C: Conclusion

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

– I’m still repairing my car.

- Oh, you’ll be late for the meeting. Time is 　　　　　　 .

A. running out　　 B. going out

C. giving out　 　 D. losing out

高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

IV. 阅读理解（30%）

The future is time that is to come. The future is not the present or the past. It is later. We have seen many possible futures in science fiction. They range from the world’s polar ice caps melting to nuclear winters. But not all futures are this morbid. We have seen the human race spread all over our universe, humans and aliens living in harmony together all over the universe.

It is very likely that we will make some kind of breakthrough in our ability to travel through space sometime in the next 150 years. This would give us the ability to rule other planets. Ultimately, the earth will die whether it be 1,000 years or 100,000 years. We will be forced to move to another planet then. It’s really just a matter of time. When we do so, what will we discover?

Personally, I think everyone will be speaking the same language in 200 years. A world government definitely seems to be in our future. It is stable and has few wars. Indeed, the only type of wars that can happen is the civil war.

And what if we face aliens? If they are friendly, we would probably benefit a lot from putting our knowledge together. They must have advanced technology to travel for great distances. We could seriously benefit from their technology. But if they aren’t friendly, then we are in trouble. Hope that we have become advanced enough, smart enough, and generally a better race by the time we meet them. But this is all probably being discussed for nothing, because any race out there among the stars is probably as curious as we are about other creatures.

1. The underlined word in Paragraph 1 can be replaced by ___________.

A. unpleasant           B. shocking                C. expected               D. serious

2. What will humans do if the earth dies?

A. Humans have to face death.                          B. Humans will travel and live in space.

C. Humans will move to another planet.                   D. Humans will go back to the past time.

3. According to the author, the following statements are right about aliens EXCEPT that _________.

A. we can learn from aliens if they are friendly

B. when aliens arrive, humans will be smarter than them

C. aliens may be as curious as we human beings about other planets

D. aliens have more advanced technology than us

4. After reading the passage, we can know that the passage is based on_________.

A. scientific facts                            B. time and space

C. advanced technology                     D. the author’s imagination

高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

A cellphone is one of the few things that we hold close to our faces all the time, and yet it could possibly explode - this is what made the recent Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 smart-phone accidents so shocking.

According to technology news website The Verge, flawed（有瑕疵的）phone batteries might be to blame.

Even if you are not a science student, you probably know that it is common sense that the anode (the negative（负的）end of the battery) and the cathode (the positive end) should never touch. If they do, the battery will short-circuit（短路）, causing a powerful electrical reaction that can destroy the battery and cause a fire.

This is why all lithium-ion（锂离子）batteries - the kind that can be found in many of our devices like tablets and cameras - have a separator layer inside to stop the two ends from touching one another.

But somehow, the separators in some of the Samsung phones broke, causing explosions.

Overcharging is another problem that can make batteries heat up quickly. Fortunately, most batteries are designed to be able to automatically stop charging once they are fully charged. But again, this somehow failed to happen in some of the Samsung phones.

The two “somehows” may sound random（随机的）and hard to explain. But they actually both come from the fact that phone producers have been pushing the limits of batteries to meet customers’ demand for a longer battery life.

According to Lynden Archer, a materials scientist at Cornell University, US, we have already achieved 90 percent of the battery life possible from a lithium-ion battery. Customers’ demand that their devices get thinner has also given producers little choice but to try to put more power into thinner batteries.

“The more energy you put into a box, the more dangerous it’s going to be,” Billy Wu, a lecturer at Imperial College London, told The Guardian.

A thinner battery also means producers have to use thinner material for separators, and thinner material has more chance of breaking.

1.A separator layer is put in lithium-ion batteries in order to ___________.

A. ensure a longer battery life

B. prevent a battery from short circuiting

C. connect the anode and the cathode

D. reduce a certain electrical reaction

2.What are the direct reasons for the Samsung phone explosions?

A. Short circuiting and overheating

B. Pushing the limits of batteries

C. Overcharging and thinner batteries

D. Automatic charging and broken separators

3.Lynden Archer’s comments indicate that ___________.

A. demands for thinner cellphones are unreasonable

B. lithium-ion batteries can’t hold much more power than that they do now

C. producers can use 10 percent of a lithium-ion battery

D. new material for batteries is needed to meet consumers’ demands

4.What is the writer’s main purpose of writing the article?

A. To describe problems facing cellphone producers

B. To explain the reasons for the Samsung phone explosions

C. To teach us common sense when it comes to batteries

D. To warn us about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Trends come and go but style is eternal. So what is the latest fashion trend that defines this season? Let’s take a look at the fashion trend in 2016 and be the first ones to embrace the latest trend.

Head—It seems like everyone will be wearing a bucket hat this season. Bucket hat might sound a bit old-fashioned for some people, but the 90s trend is in season again! Spring and summer are always the seasons for casual clothes, so pairing the bucket hat with casual shorts or skirts would be your outfit to go in this spring and summer in 2016.

Bottom—Summer is the season when everyone gets ready for the humid weather. The current season trend is making everyone have a more comfortable summer because wide-leg bottoms is in trend again. Perhaps not everyone likes wide-leg bottoms because this could possibly make people look shorter, choosing a high-waist wide-leg bottom and matching it with crop top will definitely make you look taller and trendy in 2016.

Dress—Be prepared for embracing the feminine details this season. Ruffles(荷叶边) around the sleeve or ruffles all-over the dress will be everyone's favorite in 2016. All these little details will transform your look in season. Simple colors like pink and black are designer’s favorites in this season too.

Shoes—Many people thought wedges are also the shoes to go in spring and summer time, but in 2016, very flat flats are in trend again. Shoe designers are trying to have more combinations flats or low-heels with less of gender identity.

Accessories—No outfit goes perfect without accessories. Adding statement accessories to your simple and natural outlook this summer is your day-to-night outfit. These jewels are doing to make you feel completed in day time and sparkled at night.

1.What kind of people will benefit a lot more from this passage?

A. Scientists.        B. Teachers.        C. Designers.        D. Lawyers.

2.Which of the following is true about bucket hats in the second paragraph?

A. Everyone is wearing a bucket hat.

B. Bucket hats in the 90s were old-fashioned.

C. Nowadays most people do not like bucket hats.

D. Maybe you will match the bucket hat with casual shorts this spring.

3.From the passage we know that in 2016 ________.

A. accessories will be an important part of the fashion

B. shoe designers are trying to have high-heels

C. jewelry is not considered a fashionable item

D. simple and natural outlook this summer is your day-to-night outfit

4.What will fashion icons do in 2016 except ________.

A. prefer flat shoes

B. prefer complex colors

C. wear dresses with ruffles(荷叶边) around the sleeves

D. choose a high-waist wide-leg bottom and match it with crop top

高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析