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Todays cars are smaller, safer, cleaner, and more economical than their predecessors, but the car of the future will be far more pollution-free than those on the road today. Several new types of automobile engines have already been developed that run on alternative sources of power, such as electricity, compressed natural gas, methanol(甲醇)，steam， hydrogen, and propane(丙烷). Electricity, however， is the only zero-emission option presently available.
Although electric vehicles will not be truly practical until a powerful, compact battery or other dependable source of current is available, transportation experts foresee a new assortment of electric vehicles entering everyday life: shorter-range commuter electric cars, three-wheeled neighborhood cars, electric delivery vans, bikes, and trolleys.
As automakers work to develop practical electrical vehicles, urban planners and utility engineers are focusing on infrastructure systems to support and make the best use of the new cars. Public charging facilities will need to be as common as today's gas stations. Public parking spots on the street or in commercial lots will need to be equipped with devices that allow drivers to charge their batteries while they shop, dine, or attend a concert. To encourage the use of electric vehicles, the most convenient parking in transportation centers might be reserved for electric cars.
Planners foresee electric shuttle buses, trains, buses, and neighborhood vehicles all meeting at transit centers that would have facilities for charging and renting. Commuters will be able to rent a variety of electric cars to suit their needs: light trucks, one-person three-wheelers, small cars, or electrie/gasoline hybrid cars for longer trips, which will no doubt take place on automated freeways capable of handling five times the number of vehicles that can be carried by a freeway today.
The author's purpose in the passage is to ________.
文章第一段第一句提到了 “与以前相比，现在的车变小了，更为安全了，更干净了也更为经济了。但是未来的汽车会比现在的车带来更少的污染”。由此可知作者的目的在于介绍未来交通的可能性。故选D。
The passage would most likely be followed by details about________.
文章在最后提到了“未来自动化高速公路上能够运行的车辆将会是目前高速上车辆的5 倍”。由此可以推测作者在接下来会详细介绍未来自动化高速公路的信息。故选 A。
In the second paragraph, the author implies that________.
根据文章第二段提到的 “transportation experts foresee a new assortment of electric vehicles entering everyday life”交通方面的专家预测未来的车会使用一种混合电力，并通过这种方式进入到人们的日常生活中。由此可知最终会生产出一种可依赖的电能。故选A。
According to the passage, public parking lots of the future will be ________.
根据文章第三段提到的“Public parking spots on the street or in commercial lots will need to be equipped with devices that allow drivers to charge their batteries while they shop, dine, or attend a concert”未来，街上公共的停车场或者商业停车场都会配备充电设备，方便人们停车，用餐或是听音乐会。由此可知未来的停车场会配备充电设备。故选B。
This passage would most likely be found in a ________.
根据文章可知作者通篇介绍了汽车，交通，以及它们未来的发展趋势。由此推测此篇文章选自有关城市规划的书籍。 urban planning 城市规划。 medical journal 医学期刊。 history book 史书。 popular psychology periodical流行的心理期刊。故选 D 。