单选题
Some pessimistic experts feel that the automobile is bound to fall into disuse. They see a day in the not-too-distant future when all autos will be abandoned and allowed to rust. Other authorities, however, think the auto is here to stay. They hold that the car will remain a leading means of urban travel in the foreseeable future. The motorcar will undoubtedly change significantly over the next 30 years. It should become smaller, safer, and more economical, and should not be powered by the gasoline engine. The car of the future should be far more pollution-free than present types. Regardless of its power source, the auto in the future will still be the main problem in urban traffic congestion (拥挤). One proposed solution to this problem is the automated highway system. When the auto enters the highway system, a retractable (可伸缩的) arm will drop from the auto and make contact with a rail, which is similar to those powering subway trains electrically. Once attached to the rail, the car will become electrically powered from the system, and control of the vehicle will pass to a central computer. The computer will then monitor all of the car"s movements. The driver will use a telephone to dial instructions about his destination into the system. The computer will calculate the best route, and reserve space for the car all the way to the correct exit from the highway. The driver will then be free to relax and wait for the buzzer (蜂鸣器) that will warn him of his coming exit. It is estimated that an automated highway will be able to handle 10,000 vehicles per hour, compared with the 1, 500 to 2, 000 vehicles that can be carried by a present-day highway. (300 words)
单选题
One significant improvement in the future car will probably be______.
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析：本题属于细节题。根据题干“improvement in the future”定位到第二段第二句话“…and should not be powered by the gasoline engine”以及第三段开头“…power source”，可得知需要改进汽车的能量来源，故A正确。B“驱动系统”、C“监控系统”和D“座位数”在文章中未提及，均排除。
单选题
What provides autos with electric power in an automated highway system?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】解析：本题属于细节题。题干中“autos”=“the car”，“electric power”=“electrically powered”，定位到第四段第二句：“Once attached to the rail，the car will become electrically powered from the system…”(一旦与轨道连接，汽车就会从高速公路系统中获得电力)，由此可知是A“铁轨提供的驱动电源”。且该段第一句的非限定性定语从句中的“which”指的是a rail，所以本题答案为A。
单选题
In an automated highway system, all the driver needs to do is to______.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】解析：本题属于细节题。该细节定位到第五段第一句话：“The driver will use a telephone to dial instruction(=inform)about his destination into the system．”(司机通过电话提供行车指令，而系统将管理剩下的一切。)由此可知答案为D“通过电话告知系统将前往的目的地”。
单选题
What is the author"s attitude toward the future of autos?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】解析：本题属于观点推断题。本题考查的是作者对汽车前景的态度，文章第一段叙述了对汽车的两种截然不同的看法，根据提示词“however”以及第二段的正面描写：“smaller，safer，and more economical”，“far more pollution—free”等词可推断出作者对汽车的态度是乐观的，只是提出有许多方面要改进。因此C“乐观的”是答案。A“热心的、热情的”，原文只是客观地介绍交通的未来。没有太多的主观因素；B“悲观的”；D“谨慎的、小心的”。