{{B}}Car Thieves Could Be Stopped Remotely{{/B}}
Speeding off in a stolen car, the thief thinks he has got a great
catch. But he is in a nasty surprise. The car is fitted with a remote
immobilizer (使车辆不能调动的装置), and a radio signal from a control center miles away
will ensure that once the.thief switches the engine{{U}} (1) {{/U}}, he
will not be able to start it again. For now, such devices{{U}}
(2) {{/U}}only available for fleets of trucks and specialist vehicles
used on construction sites. But remote immobilization technology could soon
start to trickle down to ordinary cars, and{{U}} (3) {{/U}}be available
to ordinary cars in the UK{{U}} (4) {{/U}}two months. The
idea goes like this. A control box fitted to the car incorporates{{U}} (5)
{{/U}}miniature cellphone, a microprocessor and memory, and a GPS satellite
positioning receiver.{{U}} (6) {{/U}}the car is stolen, a coded
cellphone signal will tell the unit to block the vehicle's engine management
system and prevent the engine{{U}} (7) {{/U}}restarted.
There are even plans for immobilizers{{U}} (8) {{/U}}shut down vehicles
on the move, though there are fears over the safety implications of such a
system. In the UK, an array of technical fixes is already making{{U}}
(9) {{/U}}harder for car thieves. "The pattern of vehicles crime has
changed," says Martyn Randall of Thatcham, a security research organization
based in Berkshire that is funded in part{{U}} (10) {{/U}}the motor
insurance industry. He says it would only take him a few minutes
to{{U}} (11) {{/U}}a novice how to steal a car, using a bare minimum of
tools. But only ifthe caris more than 10 years old. Modem cars are
a far tougher proposition, as their engine management computer will not{{U}}
(12) {{/U}}tthem to start unless they receive a unique ID code beamed
out by the ignition key. In the UK, technologies like this{{U}} (13)
{{/U}}achieve a 31 per cent drop in vehicle-related crime since 1997.
But determined criminals ore still managing to find other ways to steal
cars. Often by getting hold of the owner's keys in a burglary. In 2000, 12 per
cent of vehicles stolen in the UK were taken using the owner's keys double the
previous year's figure. Remote-controlled immobilization system
would{{U}} (14) {{/U}}a major new obstacle in the criminal's way by
making such thefts pointless. A group that includes Thatcham, the police,
insurance companies and security technology finns have developed standards for a
system that could go on the market sooner than the{{U}} (15)
{{/U}}expects. immobilizer n. 使车辆不能调动的装置 trickle
v.慢慢移动 cellphonen.移动电话，手机 immobilization n.使车辆不能调动
ignition n.点火 burglaryn.夜窍行为；盗窃 1. A. off
B. on
C. at D. of
2. A. is B. was
C. were D. are
3. A. can B. have to
C. need to D. should
4. A. after B. for
C. in D. at
5. A. the B. /
C. a
D. an 6. A. With B. If
C. But
D. And 7. A. helping B. being
C. get. D. be
8. A. whose B. who
C. that D. when
9. A. life B. Cars
C. warning D. problem
10. A. about B. to
C. by D. on 11. A.
use B. inform
C. ask D. teach 12. A. let
B. allow C. make
D. give 13. A. have helped' B. helped
C. had helped D. was helped
14. A. speak B. have
C. link D. put 15.
| A. lawyer |
B. doctor |
| C. customer |
D. specialist |