Four out of the 48 self-driving cars on publi...

Four out of the 48 self-driving cars on public roads in California have been involved in accidents in the last eight months, according to the state's Department of Motor Vehicles.

The agency began issuing permits for the testing of self-driving vehicles in September 2014.

Three of the four cars belonged to Google, the fourth to parts supplier Delphi.

Both firms denied their vehicles had been at fault.

Under Californian law, details of car accidents remain secret.

However, Google said its driverless cars had never been the cause of an accident and that the majority of "minor fender-benders(擦撞)" had been in the form of rear-end(后尾) collisions from other drivers.

"Safety is our highest priority. Since the start of our programme six years ago, we've driven nearly a million miles automatically, on both freeways and city streets, without causing a single accident," said a spokesperson.

Delphi told the BBC its vehicle was hit while still at a crossroads and was in human driving mode at the time.

"A police report indicates the fault of the accident is with the second vehicle, not Delphi. No-one was hurt in the incident," said a spokesperson.

An unknown source told the Associated Press that two of the accidents occurred while the vehicles were occupied by human drivers, and all four vehicles were going very slowly at the time of the collisions.

Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car programme, wrote in a blog post that there have been 11 accidents involving Google cars since the project began six years ago but not one has been caused by one of its vehicles.

"Rear-end crashes are the most frequent accidents in America, and often there's little the driver in front can do to avoid getting hit," he said.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Self-driving car accidents.　　 B. Motor vehicle problems.

C. Self-driving vehicle problems.　　 D. Traffic accidents in California.

2.We can learn from the passage that the self-driving cars ______.

A. caused the accidents when driven by human drivers

B. hit other cars and caused the accidents

C. were responsible for the accidents

D. were knocked into from behind

3.The passage intends to tell us that the self-driving cars ______.

A. are just road killers　　 B. need to be improved

C. are in good quality　　 D. shouldn’t be produced

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Even as Google plans to test its fleet(车队) of self-driving cars on public roads this summer, its business model remains a bit of a mystery. By 2025, as many as 250,000 self-driving vehicles could be sold each year globally, according to a study by an industry research firm.

"Vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button could transform mobility for millions of people," said Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car project. For now, Google has no plans to sell any of its self-driving cars. They are strictly for research. But they will hit public roads this summer near Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California. Previous testing has taken place only on closed courses.

The cars are built to operate without a steering wheel, accelerator(油门) or brake pedal. "Our software and sensors do all the work," Urmson said. "The vehicles will be very basic—we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible—but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button." The prototypes(雏形) are the first of a 100-car fleet the tech giant is building.

In the long run, Urmson sees a future of safer roads — the majority of auto accidents are caused by human error — and fewer traffic jams. Robotic cars could also shuttle people who can't drive because of age or illness.

Google has said that self-driving cars could launch new business models in which people buy the use of vehicles they don't own. The company has already tested other types of self-driving cars on public streets, including modified Lexus sport-utility vehicles, under a special permit program by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that requires a human driver at the controls.

The state has issued six other companies permits to operate such cars, including Delphi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Tesla, Bosch and Nissan. The vehicles that will be tested on open roads this summer will have removable steering wheels, accelerator and brake pedals to allow "safety drivers" to take control if needed.

Google says the cars are safe. The vehicles have sensors that "can detect objects out to a distance of more than two football fields in all directions, which is especially helpful on busy streets with lots of intersections," Urmson said. "We're looking forward to learning how the community understands and interacts with the vehicles, and to uncovering challenges that are unique to a fully self-driving vehicle," Urmson said.

1.The passage informs us that self-driving cars ________.

A. will probably decrease traffic jams

B. have already passed necessary tests

C. have been purchased by some companies

D. will be able to communicate with drivers

2.According to Chris Urmson, ________.

A. software and sensors are vital for self-driving cars

B. self-driving cars can give driving orders to humans

C. self-driving cars are specially designed for the elderly

D. ordinary vehicles will be replaced by self-driving cars

3.The underlined word "intersections" in the last paragraph probably means ________.

A. accidents　　 B. buildings

C. crossings　　 D. vehicles

4.What is the best title for this passage?

A. Self-driving Car Avoids Human Errors

B. Self-driving Car Meets New Challenges

C. Google's Self-driving Car Enjoys Global Popularity

D. Google's Self-driving Car Graduates to City Streets

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Even as Google plans to test its fleet (车队) of self-driving cars on public roads this summer, its business model remains a bit of a mystery. By 2025, as many as 250,000 self-driving vehicles could be sold each year globally, according to a study by an industry research firm.

"Vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button could transform mobility for millions of people," said Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car project. For now, Google has no plans to sell any of its self-driving cars. They are strictly for research. But they will hit public roads this summer near Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California. Previous testing has taken place only on closed courses.

The cars are built to operate without a steering wheel, accelerator (油门) or brake pedal. "Our software and sensors do all the work," Urmson said. "The vehicles will be very basic — we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible — but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button." The prototype (雏形) are the first of a 100-car fleet the tech giant is building.

In the long run, Urmson sees a future of safer roads — the majority of auto accidents are caused by human error — and fewer traffic jams. Robotic cars could also shuttle people who can't drive because of age or illness.

Google has said that self-driving cars could launch new business models in which people buy the use of vehicles they don't own. The company has already tested other types of self-driving cars on public streets, including modified Lexus sport-utility vehicles, under a special permit program by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that requires a human driver at the controls.

The state has issued six other companies permits to operate such cars, including Delphi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Tesla, Bosch and Nissan. The vehicles that will be tested on open roads this summer will have removable steering wheels, accelerators and brake pedals to allow "safety drivers" to take control if needed.

Google says the cars are safe. The vehicles have sensors that "can detect objects out to a distance of more than two football fields in all directions, which is especially helpful on busy streets with lots of intersections," Urmson said. "We're looking forward to learning how the community understands and interacts with the vehicles, and to uncovering challenges that are unique to a fully self-driving vehicle," Urmson said.

1. According to Chris Urmson, __________.

A. self-driving cars can give driving orders to humans

B. software and sensors are vital for self-driving cars

C. self-driving cars are specially designed for the elderly

D. ordinary vehicles will be replaced by self-driving cars

2.The passage informs us that self-driving cars __________.

A. have already passed necessary tests

B. have been purchased by some companies

C. will be able to communicate with drivers

D. will probably decrease traffic jams

3.The underlined word "intersections" in the last paragraph can probably be replaced __________.

A. crossings　　 B. buildings

C. vehicles 　　　 D. accidents

4.What is the best title for this passage?

A. Google's Self-driving Car Graduates to City Streets

B. Google's Self-driving Car Enjoys Global Popularity

C. Self-driving Car Meets New Challenges

D. Self-driving Car Avoids Human Errors

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Even as Google plans to test its fleet (车队) of self-driving cars on public roads this summer, its business model remains a bit of a mystery. By 2025, as many as 250,000 self-driving vehicles could be sold each year globally, according to a study by an industry research firm.

“Vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button could transform mobility for millions of people,” said Chris Urmson, director of Google’s self-driving car project. For now, Google has no plans to sell any of its self-driving cars. They are strictly for research. But they will hit public roads this summer near Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, California. Previous testing has taken place only on closed courses.

The cars are built to operate without a steering wheel, accelerator (油门) or brake pedal. “Our software and sensors do all the work,” Urmson said. “The vehicles will be very basic — we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible — but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button.” The prototype (雏形) is the first of a 100-car fleet the tech giant is building.

In the long run, Urmson sees a future of safer roads — the majority of auto accidents are caused by human error — and fewer traffic jams. Robotic cars could also shuttle people who can’t drive because of age or illness.

Google has said that self-driving cars could launch new business models in which people buy the use of vehicles they don’t own. The company has already tested other types of self-driving cars on public streets, including modified Lexus sport-utility vehicles, under a special permit program by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that requires a human driver at the controls.

The state has issued six other companies permits to operate such cars, including Delphi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Tesla, Bosch and Nissan. The vehicles that will be tested on open roads this summer will have removable steering wheels, accelerators and brake pedals to allow “safety drivers” to take control if needed.

1.According to Chris Urmson, __________.

A. self-driving cars can give driving orders to humans

B. self-driving cars are specially designed for the elderly

C. software and sensors are vital for self-driving cars

D. ordinary vehicles will be replaced by self-driving cars

2.Paragraph 4 is meant to tell us that __________.

A. many traffic accidents are caused by human error

B. some people can’t drive because of illness or age

C. Urmson has promised to create safer roads in the future

D. self-driving cars will probably help to make safer roads and decrease traffic jams

3.The underlined word “issued” in the last paragraph can probably be replaced by__________.

A. given　　 B. claimed

C. awarded　　 D. prohibited

4.What’s the author’s attitude towards self-driving cars?

A. Objective.　　 B. Indifferent.

C. Subjective.　　 D. Favorable.

高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析

Even as Google plans to test its fleet（车队）of self-driving cars on public roads this summer, its business model remains a bit of a mystery. By 2025, as many as 250,000 self-driving vehicles could be sold each year globally, according to a study by an industry research firm.

"Vehicles that can take anyone from A to B at the push of a button could transform mobility for millions of people," said Chris Urmson, director of Google's self-driving car project. For now, Google has no plans to sell any of its self-driving cars. They are strictly for research. But they will hit public roads this summer near Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California. Previous testing has taken place only on closed courses.

The cars are built to operate without a steering wheel, accelerator（油门）or brake pedal. "Our software and sensors do all the work," Urmson said. "The vehicles will be very basic—we want to learn from them and adapt them as quickly as possible—but they will take you where you want to go at the push of a button." The prototype（雏形）are the first of a 100-car fleet the tech giant is building.

In the long run, Urmson sees a future of safer roads—the majority of auto accidents are caused by human error—and fewer traffic jams. Robotic cars could also shuttle people who can't drive because of age or illness.

Google has said that self-driving cars could launch new business models in which people buy the use of vehicles they don't own. The company has already tested other types of self-driving cars on public streets, including modified Lexus sport-utility vehicles, under a special permit program by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that requires a human driver at the controls.

The state has issued six other companies permits to operate such cars, including Delphi, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Tesla, Bosch and Nissan. The vehicles that will be tested on open roads this summer will have removable steering wheels, accelerators and brake pedals to allow "safety drivers" to take control if needed.

Google says the cars are safe. The vehicles have sensors that "can detect objects out to a distance of more than two football fields in all directions, which is especially helpful on busy streets with lots of intersections," Urmson said. "We're looking forward to learning how the community understands and interacts with the vehicles, and to uncovering challenges that are unique to a fully self-driving vehicle," Urmson said.

1.The passage informs us that self-driving cars __________.

A. will probably decrease traffic jams

B. have already passed necessary tests

C. have been purchased by some companies

D. will be able to communicate with drivers

2.According to Chris Urmson, ______________.

A. software and sensors are vital for self-driving cars

B. self-driving cars can give driving orders to humans

C. self-driving cars are specially designed for the elderly

D. ordinary vehicles will be replaced by self-driving cars

3.The underlined word "intersections" in the last paragraph probably means ______________.

A. accidents　　　　　 　 B. buildings

C. crossings　　　　　　　 D. vehicles

4.What is the best title for this passage?

A. Self-driving Car Avoids Human Errors

B. Self-driving Car Meets New Challenges

C. Google's Self-driving Car Enjoys Global Popularity

D. Google's Self-driving Car Graduates to City Streets

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

As self-driving cars come closer to being common on American roads, much of the rhetoric（说辞）promoting them has to do with safety. About 40,000 people die on U.S. roads every year, and driver errors are linked to more than 90 percent of crashes. But many of the biggest advocates of autonomous（自动的）vehicles aren’t car companies looking to improve the safety of their existing products. Huge support for itself-driving technologies is coming from Silicon Valley giants like Google and Apple.

Those of us who have studied the relationship between technology and society tend to look more carefully at the motivations behind any technologically push. In this case, it’s clear that in addition to addressing safety concerns, Silicon Valley firms have a strong incentive（动机）to create a new venue for increasing the use of their digital devices. Every minute people spend on their mobile phones provides data—and often money—to tech companies.

At present, digital devices and driving are in conflict: There are serious, often fatal, consequences when drivers use smartphones to talk or to text. Regulators and safety advocates look to resolve dial conflict by banning phone use while driving – as has happened in almost every state. But the tech companies are taking a different approach. The obvious answer for Silicon Valley is creating an automobile in which continuous cellphone use no longer poses a threat to anyone.

In recent years, the amount of time adults spend on their mobile devices has grown rapidly. At the moment, it’s around four hours a day for the average adult in the U.S. However, that rapid growth is likely to slow down as people run out of time that’s available for them up to use their devices. Unless, of course, there’s a new block of time that suddenly opens up. The average American now spends about 48 minutes in a car every day, a sizeable opportunity for increased cellphone use.

Sop as the public conversation around autonomous cars highlights the safety advantages, don’t forget the tech industry’s powerful desire for more profits, which goes well beyond simply saving us from ourselves.

1.Who are responsible for most traffic accidents in American?

A. Car companies.　　 B. Drivers.

C. Tech companies.　　 D. Self-driving cars.

2.What pushes Silicon Valley to promote self-driving technologies?

A. To make more money.　　 B. To reduce traffic accidents.

C. To limit the use of digital devices.　　 D. To support car companies.

3.What does the underlined phrase “a new block of time” possibly refer to?

A. The working time.　　 B. People’s spare time.

C. The time spent in the car.　　 D. The time spent on mobile devices.

4.What can we know from the passage?

A. We should teach people to strictly obey traffic rules.

B. The writer calls on us to look at autonomous cars wisely.

C. Car companies are the leading promoters of self-driving cars.

D. No solution to the conflict between mobile phone use and driving has been found yet.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

On a Wednesday afternoon in the Eager Road of Oceola Township, Michigan, when a car showed no sign of movement at a stop sign, majority of the motorists honked wildly.  Annoyed by the inconvenience the car was causing, the motorists simply drove around the car and left.

Fortunately, a 16-year-old motorist, Max Greenwood of Howell High had the heart to hop off his truck and find out what’s really going on. Because of his action, Max was able to inspire two other women to rush over the stopped car and help out the driver.

As it turned out, the driver of the stopped car was distressed. Initially, the three did not have a clue about the driver’s alarming situation. When the driver gathered enough strength to share what happened, Max and the two women quickly assisted him.

“He told the women he thought his blood sugar was low. He got progressively worse. One of the women gave him a Coke to help his sugar levels, but I could tell it wasn’t helping, so I called 911.” Max said.

Thanks to the quick thinking and actions of Max and the two women, help arrived within a few minutes and the driver was transported to a hospital. According to the first medical responders, the man was suffering from a type of medical episode that must be aided immediately.

It is horrible to think what could have happened if Max did not concern himself with the reason why the car was not moving and simply minded his own business. Max may just be a 16-year-old student in the eyes of some people. But for the man he has saved, he surely is a modern hero with a golden heart. May his story inspire us to share a bit of our time to help the people we cross paths with! In this day and age, when a lot of kids don’t think about anyone but themselves, he stepped up and it made a difference.

1.How did most motorists react to the stopped car?

A.They got off to find out what was up. B.They waited impatiently for the driver.

C.They felt annoyed and bypassed the car. D.They blamed the driver for the inconvenience.

2.What happened to the driver of the stopped car?

A.He didn’t notice the traffic signals. B.His car broke down at the crossing.

C.He was exhausted and fell asleep. D.He was attacked by a sudden illness.

3.What can we know about Max Greenwood?

A.He is a hero worth admiring. B.He is just a small child of honesty.

C.He is familiar with the driver. D.He knows much about the first aid.

4.What does the story mainly convey?

A.Love and devotion. B.Selflessness and responsibility.

C.Bravery and generosity. D.Warm-heart and profession.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

--People should use public transport instead of their own private cars.

--- _______.The roads are too crowded as it is.

A．Eventually         B．Exactly.           C．Particularly        D．Actually.

高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析

“An Uber self-driving car hit and killed a woman crossing the street in Arizona，U．S．，”police said on Monday，marking the first death caused by an autonomous vehicle and a potential blow to the technology expected to transform transportation．

The ride services company said it was delaying North American tests of its self-driving vehicles，which are currently going on in Arizona，Pittsburgh and Toronto．

So-called robot cars，when fully developed by companies including Uber，are expected to thoroughly cut down on motor vehicle deaths and create billion-dollar businesses．But Monday’s accident highlighted (凸显)the possible challenges ahead for the promising technology as the cars face real-world situations involving real people．

“This catastrophic accident highlights why we need to be exceptionally cautious when testing and applying autonomous vehicle technologies to public roads，”said Edward Markey，　 a member of the transportation committee，in a statement．

“Elaine Herzberg，49，was walking her bicycle outside the crosswalk on a four-lane road in the Phoenix suburb of Tempe at about 10 p．m．　 MST Sunday when she was struck by the Uber vehicle traveling at about 65 kilometers per hour，”police said．The car was in autonomous mode with an operator behind the wheel．U．S．　 federal safety officials were sending teams to investigate the crash．Canada’s transportation ministry in Ontario，where Uber conducts testing，also said it was reviewing the accident．

“Uber and Waymo on Friday urged Congress to pass a law to speed the introduction of self-driving cars into the united states．However，some congressional(国会的)representatives have blocked the legislation over safety concerns，and Monday’s death could hamper passage of the bill，”congressional assistants said Monday．

1.According to the passage，which is the effect of the accident of the woman’s being killed?

A. People will be cautious while crossing a road．

B. The woman’s family will obtain a billion dollars．

C. The process of transforming transportation will be affected．

D. Self-driving vehicles will cut down on motor vehicles deaths．

2.The underlined word“hamper”in Paragraph 6 most probably mean_________．

A. make　　 B. prevent

C. start　　 D. accelerate

3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A. To arouse the public concerns over a self-driving safety．

B. To remind car producers to be more careful when testing vehicles technology．

C. To advise the Congress to pass a law to speed self-driving cars test in the U．S．

D. To urge the U．S．federal safety regulators to take measures to look into the accident．

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Hiring a self-drive car really adds to the enjoyment of your holiday. There are so many places of interest to visit. And if you enjoy seeing more than just the city centre, there’s no better way to explore than by car.

Conditions of Hire

1. The shortest rental period at these especially low prices is three days. For prices and for periods of one or two days you only see our representative at the hotel.

2. Car hire must be booked six weeks or more before arrival in London to guarantee a car. But if you have been unable to make a booking in advance, please see our representative at the hotel who may still be ab le to help you.

3. The car types on the sheet are examples of the types of cars in each price range, but a particular car cannot be guaranteed.

4. Upon delivery the driver(s) will be asked to sign the car hire company’s Conditions of Hire.

5. If you decide to hire a car, just fill in the Booking Form and return it to us. A booking fee of ￡12 as part of the car hire cost is required.

6. Should you be forced to cancel your car hire booking after payment in full (two weeks before date of hire), a cancellation charge of ￡12 will be made.

1.According to the advertisement, what will a car hirer pay extra money for?

A. The cost of repairs to the car.

B. The cost of maintenance of the car.

C. Insurance against damage to the car.

D. Insurance against injury to the driver.

2.If you hire a car for four days, .

A. you are offered a particular car

B. you are offered a car at a special price

C. you are guaranteed an enjoyable holiday

D. you are guaranteed a onetime airport pick-up

3.The following statements are true EXCEPT .

A. you can make a booking in advance

B. you are required to fill in a form before you hire a car

C. you can ask for canceling the booking anytime by paying extra￡12

D. you have to pay a booking fee when you hire a car from the company

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析