Global Positioning Systems are now a part of everyday driving in many countries. These satellite-based systems provide turn-by-turn directions to help people get to where they want to go. But, they can also cause a lot of problems, send you to the wrong place or leave you completely lost. Many times, the driver is to blame. Sometimes a GPS error is responsible. Most often, says Barry Brown, it is a combination of the two.
We spoke to Mr. Brown by Skype. He told us about an incident involving a friend who had flown to an airport in the eastern United States. There he borrowed a GPS-equipped car to use during his stay. Barry Brown: “And they just plugged in an address and then set off to their destination. And, then it wasn’t until they were driving for thirty minutes that they realized they actually put in a destination back on the West Coast where they lived. They actually put their home address in. So again, the GPS is kind of 'garbage in garbage out'.”
Mister Brown says this is a common human error. But, he says, what makes the problem worse has to do with some of the shortcomings, or failures, of GPS equipment. Barry Brown: “One problem with a lot of the GPS units is they have a very small screen and they just tell you the next turn. Because they just give you the next turn, sometimes that means that it is not really giving you the overview that you would need to know that it’s going to the wrong place.”
Barry Brown formerly served as a professor with the University of California, San Diego. While there, he worked on a project with Eric Laurier from the University of Edinburgh. The two men studied the effects of GPS devices on driving by placing cameras in people’s cars. They wrote a paper based on their research. It is called “The Normal, Natural Troubles of Driving with GPS.” It lists several areas where GPS systems can cause confusion for drivers. These include maps that are outdated, incorrect or difficult to understand. They also include timing issues related to when GPS commands are given.
Barry Brown says to make GPS systems better we need a better understanding of how drivers, passengers and GPS systems work together.
【小題1】In Paragraph 2, Mr. Brown mentioned his friend in the conversation to _____________.
| A．build up his own reputation |
| B．laugh at his stupid friend |
| C．prove the GPS system is only garbage |
| D．describe an example of human error |
| A．GPS units are to blame for the most GPS service failures. |
| B．We should introduce higher standard for the driving license. |
| C．Cameras are urgently needed to help improve GPS systems. |
| D．Drivers, GPS systems and passengers should unite to improve GPS systems. |
| A．Unconcerned | B．Prejudiced | C．Objective | D．Critical |
| A．driving with GPS can be difficult |
| B．driving confusions can be caused by small screen |
| C．driving without GPS should be much more convenient |
| D．GPS equipment in driving: to be deserted or improved? |
【小題1】D
【小題2】D
【小題3】C
【小題4】A
解析試題分析：文章講述了GPS可以給司機帶來便利，也會誤導司機。
【小題1】段落大意題：從第二段的內容：They actually put their home address in. 和下面的句子:Mister Brown says this is a common human error.可知Mr Brown是在舉人的錯誤的例子。選D
【小題2】細節題：從最后一段的句子：Barry Brown says to make GPS systems better we need a better understanding of how drivers, passengers and GPS systems work together.可知Barry Brown認為GPS系統，司機和乘客應該一起努力提高。選D。
【小題3】寫作態度題：作者只是客觀的評價GPS的優缺點，選C
【小題4】主旨題：從第一段的：But, they can also cause a lot of problems, send you to the wrong place or leave you completely lost.可知文章講的是GPS帶來的困難。選A
考點：考查科普類短文
點評：這篇文章有些抽象，考查題型多樣細節題，推理題，主旨題都有，需要結合上下文提供的語境和信息進行概括和判斷。要求較高
閱讀快車系列答案科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年山東省德州市躍華學校高一下學期5月月考英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解
An increase in students applying to study economics (經濟學) at university is being attributed to （歸因于）the global economic crisis (危機) awakening a public thirst for knowledge about how the financial system works.
Applications for degree courses beginning this autumn were up by 15% this January, according to UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. A spokesman for the Royal Economic Society said applications to do economics at A-level were also up.
Professor John Beath, the president of the society and a leading lecture at St Andrews University, said his first-year lectures which are open to students from all departments—were drawing crowds of 400, rather than the usual 250.
“There are a large number of students who are not economics majors, who would like to learn something about it. One of the things I have done this year is to relate my teaching to contemporary events in a way that one hasn’t traditionally done. ” He added.
University applications rose 70% last year. But there were rises above average in several subjects. Nursing saw a 15% jump, with people’s renewed interest in careers in the pubic sector（部門）, which are seen as more secure in economic crisis.
A recent study showed almost two thirds of parents believed schools should do more to teach pupils about financial matters, and almost half said their children had asked them what was going on, although a minority of parents felt they did not understand it themselves well enough to explain.
Zack Hocking, the head of Child Trust Funds, said: “It’s possible that one good thing to arise from the downturn will be a generation that’s financially wiser and better equipped (使…有能力) to manage their money through times of economic uncertainty.”
【小題1】Professor John Beath’s lectures are .
| A．given in a traditional way |
| B．connected with the present situation |
| C．open to both students and their parents |
| D．warmly received by economics |
| A．greater stability | B．higher pay |
| C．fewer applications | D．better reputation |
| A．economics should be the focus of school teaching |
| B．more students should be admitted to universities |
| C．the teaching of financial matters should be strengthened. |
| D．children should solve financial problems themselves |
| A．wiser in money management |
| B．have access to better equipment |
| C．confident about their future careers |
| D．get jobs in Child Trust Funds |
| A．Universities have received more applications. |
| B．Economics is attracting an increasing number of students |
| C．college students benefit a lot from economic uncertainty |
| D．parents are concerned with children’s subject selection. |
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科目：高中英語 來源：福建省泉州一中2009-2010學年高一下學期期中考試英語試題 題型：閱讀理解
The USA, New York —Whales and dolphins are facing increasing threats from climate change, according to a new report published by WWF and the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society（WDCS）.
The report “Whales in hot water?” draws attention to the growing impacts of climate change on whales. They range from changes in sea temperature and the freshening of the seawater because of the melting of ice and increased rainfalls, to a sea level rise, loss of icy polar habitats and the decline of krill populations in key areas. Krill, a tiny shrimp that is dependent on sea ice, is the main source of food for many of the great whales.
The speeding up of climate change adds greatly to trouble from other human activities, such as chemical and noise pollution, which kills some 1000 whales every day.
“Whales and dolphins have an ability to adapt to their changing environment,” said Mark Simmonds, International Director of Science at WDCS. “But the climate is now changing at such a fast pace that it is unclear to what extent whales and dolphins will be able to adjust.”
Climate change impacts are currently greatest in the Arctic and the Antarctic. According to the report
, cetaceans that rely on polar, icy waters for their home and food resources are likely to be greatly affected by the reduction of sea ice cover.
WDCS and WWF are urging governments to cut global production of CO2 by at least 50 percent by the middle of this century. The latest report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change showed it was possible to stop global warming if the world’s emissions start to decline before 2015.
1
. From the passage, we can learn that whales mainly feed on ______.
A. dolphins B.krill C. sea horses D. sharks
2. Which of the following has the same meaning as the underlined word “decline” (in Para 2)?
A. produce B. develop C. fall D. increase
3. In what place is climate change greatest?
A. Two polar areas. B. Asia.
C. The pacific ocean. D. Equator.
4. Which of the following is not true according to the passage?
A. Climate change will lead to the changes in sea temperature.
B. Climate change will result in the freshening of the sea water.
C. Climate change will have a bad effect on human activities and whales.
D. Human beings will forever have no ability to stop global warming
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科目：高中英語 來源：安徽省廬江二中2009-2010學年度高一下學期第三次月考試卷（英語） 題型：閱讀理解
We know almost half the world is urban(都市的) now – but what will our world look like in the year 2100?
It took about a million years for the global human population to come up to 1 billion in 1800. In the next 200 years, it came up to 6 billion, and it will take only about 20 more years to add another billion. By 2100, the United Nations estimates that the global population will attain more than 10 billion.
By the end of 2008, slightly less than 50 percent of the global population lived in cities. If economic development proceeds at today’s pace, over the next century or so it is highly likely that 8 billion people will live in urban centers, up from today’s roughly 3.3 billion. Yes, the world will indeed be able to hold so many people. The major reason is urbanization(城市化). There will be many more new cities in the year 2100, and some of today’s large cities will become super cities, including Beijing, Delhi, Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Shanghai and so on. At the same time, recent advances in agriculture, energy, and water technologies suggest that human creations will keep up with population growth. Rural areas will return to an agrarian (農業的)centre to feed the growing cities. Languages will drop from the current 7,000 across the globe to less than a few hundred. English will be the primary language of the world.
As we compress(壓縮) people into the urban center, and as we leave behind the rural areas to feed us – will we really live a happy life at that time? We will have to live together in large buildings in cities and save on energy and services delivery cost. There will be few chances for us to get close to nature. We really need to think about the effect of the things we have done and are doing now!
1. The underlined word “attain” in the second paragraph probably has the same meaning as “________”
A. increase B. gain C. reach D. limit
2. With the development of urbanization, people in 2100 will have to .
A. stay in urban areas and have no chance to get close to nature
B. develop industry rather than agriculture to create job opportunities
C. live a poor and unhappy life because there will be less energy to use.
D. make more creations in agriculture, energy, and water technologies
3. What is the author’s attitude towards urbanization?
A. supportive B. disappointed C. surprised D. worried
4. What is the best title for this passage?
A. Global urbanization in the year 2100
B. The primary language in the future
C. Reasons for the rapid increase of population
D. The development of agriculture in 2100
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學年廣東省惠州市實驗中學高二上學期期中考試英語卷 題型：填空題
請閱讀下列應用文及相關信息，并按照要求匹配信息。請在答題卡上將對應題號的相應選項字母涂黑。
以下是一些新聞報道的信息：
[A]. Science magazine published the study about orangutans(長臂無尾猩猩). The scientists collected evidence from years of observations in six areas on Borneo and Sumatra. The scientists found that the animals demonstrated a total of twenty-four signs of cultural activity. Several actions were demonstrated in some orangutan groups, but not others.
[B]. The Environmental Investigation Agency and Telapak released the report. Telapak is an environmental group based in Indonesia. The Environmental Investigation Agency operates in several countries. The two groups say Indonesia controls ten percent of the world's tropical rainforests.
[C]. Richard Sandor is the chairman of the C-C-X. He praised the companies forming the group for demonstrating leadership. He said they believe that an active way to deal with global warning helps everyone. The group said its members want to reduce costs they may face from future rules on greenhouse gas emissions. Trading credits may help businesses find the most effective methods to reduce pollution. Members also hope to improve their public image on environmental issues.
[D]. Their most detailed effort involved ninety-nine kinds of birds, insects and plants in North America and Europe. They found that the territory where these plants and animals live has moved north by an average of six kilometers every ten years. In Europe, some butterflies now live as much as one hundred kilometers to the north because of changes linked to higher temperatures.
[E]. The new report says many areas experienced unusual weather in two thousand and two. Most of Asia, for example, was warmer than usual. India had unusually high temperatures in April and May. The extremely hot weather caused hundreds of deaths. There also were extremely dry conditions across India. Parts of Africa experienced unusual heavy rains. Yet other areas in Africa had unusual dry weather.
[F]. Hydrogen(氫) is the most common element in the universe. Hydrogen is a colorless gas. On Earth, it is present in large amounts in natural gas, coal, plants and water. By weight, hydrogen produces the highest energy levels of any known fuel. When burned in an engine, hydrogen releases no harmful pollution into the environment. When powering a fuel cell, the only waste is water. However, hydrogen is difficult to store. It also burns easily.
請閱讀以下與新聞信息，然后匹配與上面新聞相關的報道內容：
【小題1】A severe ocean storm hit South Korea in August. It set a new national record for rainfall. In central Europe, more than one hundred people died in flooding caused by heavy rainfall in September. The flooding also resulted in thousands of millions of dollars in property damage. Yet large parts of North and South America had extremely dry weather.
【小題2】One member of the Chicago Climate Exchange is American Electric Power. It's the biggest owner of electric power producers in the United States. Company officials say they hope their company's membership will demonstrate the ability of the C-C-X to grow.
【小題3】For example, members of some groups make a kissing noise by tightening their mouths and sucking in air. Some groups use leaves to clean themselves or protect their hands from sharp objects. The scientists found that some of the animals use sticks as tools to remove insects from holes in trees. Other orangutans use leaves to crush insects or gather water.
【小題4】Professors Parmesan and Yohe used similar methods to examine one hundred and seventy-two kinds of wildlife. They examined the timing of events in the spring, such as the appearance of flowers and the reproduction of animals. They found that these events happened an average of two days earlier than normal every ten years.
【小題5】They say illegal operations to remove trees are causing large areas of forest to disappear. Environmental Investigation Agency director Dave Currey says the illegal operations are completely out of control.
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科目：高中英語 來源：2015屆四川省高二上學期期中考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空
With coal and oil , what long-term effects of global warming on humans will be?
A. run out of B. are using up C. run out D. running out of
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