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 These include maps that are outdated, incorrect or difficult to understand.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

  1. 1.

    In Paragraph 2, Mr. Brown mentioned his friend in the conversation to ______.

    1. A.
      build up his own reputation
    2. B.
      laugh at his stupid friend
    3. C.
      prove the GPS system is only garbage
    4. D.
      describe an example of human error
  2. 2.

    With which of the following statement would Barry Brown most likely agree?

    1. A.
      GPS units are to blame for the most GPS service failures
    2. B.
      We should introduce higher standard for the driving license
    3. C.
      Cameras are urgently needed to help improve GPS systems
    4. D.
      Drivers, GPS systems and passengers should unite to improve GPS systems
  3. 3.

    What is Mr. Brown’s attitude towards GPS?

    1. A.
      Unconcerned
    2. B.
      Prejudiced
    3. C.
      Objective
    4. D.
      Critical
  4. 4.

    What would be the best title for the text?

    1. A.
      driving with GPS can be difficult
    2. B.
      driving confusions can be caused by small screen
    3. C.
      driving without GPS should be much more convenient
    4. D.
      GPS equipment in driving: to be deserted or improved?
DDCA
試題分析：文章講述了GPS可以給司機(jī)帶來便利，也會(huì)誤導(dǎo)司機(jī)。
1.段落大意題：從第二段的內(nèi)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(cuò)誤的例子。選D
2.細(xì)節(jié)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(rèn)為GPS系統(tǒng)，司機(jī)和乘客應(yīng)該一起努力提高。選D。
3.寫作態(tài)度題：作者只是客觀的評(píng)價(jià)GPS的優(yōu)缺點(diǎn)，選C
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(diǎn)：考查科普類短文
點(diǎn)評(píng)：這篇文章有些抽象，考查題型多樣細(xì)節(jié)題，推理題，主旨題都有，需要結(jié)合上下文提供的語境和信息進(jìn)行概括和判斷。要求較高
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

The national schools’ first aid competition is an interesting way for young people to practice their first aid skills in a safe environment.
A school may have three teams. The deadline for this competition has now been continued to April 21, 2012. All teams will compete at an elimination (淘汰) round, with the winners going forward to the National Final for the chance to become the winner.
A team has three formal members, and a reserve is also needed. All team members, together with the reserve, will take part. There are two age sections:
Junior: 7 to11
Senior: 12 to 16
This competition is based on the Young First Aid Course from St. John Ambulance Training Officer. Support will be given to make sure everyone has equal chances to win.
The winners of this competition will be invited to take part in the Young Grand Prior Competition. This competition improves the practical first aid skills of young people and tests their knowledge and skills with a series of realistic accidents and injuries. Youth teams are aged between 12 and 16 years old and should have three members. Young adults are aged between 17 and 21 and should have two members. All teams may bring a reserve. The Young Grand Prior Competition will be held at the Spa Complex, Scarborough, on November 28, 2012.
Those who want to take part in the national schools’ first aid competition will have to complete our application form

  1. 1.

    If you are fifteen and want to take part in the competition, you will______.

    1. A.
      belong to the junior sections of the first aid competition
    2. B.
      complete our application form by the end of April, 2012
    3. C.
      study the course of St. John Ambulance Training Officer
    4. D.
      teach yourself a lot of knowledge and skills of first aid
  2. 2.

    How many students will stand for a school?

    1. A.
      Sixteen
    2. B.
      Twelve
    3. C.
      Four
    4. D.
      Three
  3. 3.

    Form the passage we can learn that the Young Grand Prior Competition will ______.

    1. A.
      have a test with realistic accidents and injuries
    2. B.
      not allow the adult competitors to take part in
    3. C.
      be the highest level competition in the country
    4. D.
      be held on April 21, 2012
  4. 4.

    The passage is written mainly for ______.

    1. A.
      those who want to practice their first aid skills
    2. B.
      the young school students in the country
    3. C.
      the middle school teachers in the country
    4. D.
      the young people throughout the country

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

If you like bicycling as much as you like playing ball and can’t seem to decide between the two sports, you may want to consider cycle ball—a fun sport that adopts the key attributes from both activities and transforms it into a totally new game..
Also known as red ball, the game was invented in 1893 by German laborers who wished to play polo(馬球), but could not afford horses. While the sport has not caught on in North America, it is very fashionable in Europe and even Japan.
Played in an indoor court, cycle ball is similar to soccer in many ways—the aim is to score as many goals as possible, and only the goalkeeper is allowed to touch the ball.
The one big difference? Use of legs is forbidden. Instead, players have to guide the ball across the court, using the front wheels of their bicycles or with their heads. In fact, if a player even touches the floor with his feet during the 14-minute game, it is considered a foul(犯規(guī)) and the opposing team gets a free kick.
While the game was initially(最初) played with normal bikes, things are a little different now. The seats of these specialized bikes are positioned over the back tire and they sport a single fixed gear, making it easier for the rider to control the constant back and forth movement required for the game. The handlebars(車把) also point straight up so that the competitors can sit upright while playing and they are about twice the weight of normal bikes, which helps with the stability.
While cycle ball may sound a little strange, it is a fast-paced sport that requires much training, skill, and, is also really fun to watch

  1. 1.

    What does the passage mainly talk about?

    1. A.
      The origin and development of soccer
    2. B.
      The differences between cycle ball and soccer
    3. C.
      The most popular sports game in the world
    4. D.
      A new and fun sports game—cycle ball
  2. 2.

    What does the underlined phrase “caught on” in Paragraph 2 probably mean?

    1. A.
      turned up
    2. B.
      hung up
    3. C.
      come about
    4. D.
      become popular
  3. 3.

    What can we know about cycle ball?

    1. A.
      It is a fast-paced game played in an indoor court
    2. B.
      It was invented in 1893 by poor British people
    3. C.
      It is another name of soccer played by many people
    4. D.
      It is a strange game played with normal bikes
  4. 4.

    It can be known from the passage that______.

    1. A.
      every player who is playing cycle ball is allowed to touch the ball
    2. B.
      the aim of playing cycle ball is to score as many goals as possible
    3. C.
      if a player touches the floor with his feet, the opposing team will win
    4. D.
      heads are not allowed to be used to guide the ball across the court
  5. 5.

    Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

    1. A.
      Cycle ball is popular both in Japan and other Asian countries
    2. B.
      The cycle ball game is popular all over the world
    3. C.
      A cycle ball game takes 14 minutes
    4. D.
      Cycle ball has to be played with heads, legs or the front wheels

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

London will stage its biggest political funeral in almost half a century on Wednesday when Britain's governing elite join the Queen and global leaders to bid farewell to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, better known as the “ Iron Lady".
In an event comparable to that of Winston Churchill's funeral in 1965, Thatcher's coffin will be carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage through streets lined with admirers from parliament to the city's most famous cathedral.
The bells of London's symbolic Big Ben clock tower will fall silent for the first time since Churchill's funeral and more than 700 men and women from Britain's armed forces will honor a woman who led them to victory in the 1982 Falklands War as foreign politicians from around 170 nations look on.
Surveys have shown that many are unhappy that the estimated l0-million($15 million)pound bill for the funeral is being picked up by the taxpayer, while some left-wing lawmakers say the luxurious funeral is too expensive.                                                                            
But her admirers, of whom there are many in her party and in southern England, argue that her historical profile deserves such a funeral. She was the country's first and only woman premier, was Britain's longest-serving prime minister of the 20th century, and won three general elections.
More than 2,300 mourners will attend including 11 serving prime ministers from around the world, the British government's entire cabinet, two heads of state and 17 foreign ministers.
But there will be notable absences. Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev is too ill to attend and Nancy Reagan, the widow of Thatcher's great U·S. ally Ronald Reagan, is also unable to come.
Thatcher struck up a close relationship with Reagan during the Cold War, backed the first President  George Bush during the 1991 Gulf War, and was among the first to discover that Gorbachev was a man she could "do business with. ”
Covered in the red, white and blue British flag, Thatcher's coffin lay overnight in a 13th-century church in Britain's parliament, a forum she dominated for years

  1. 1.

    From the passage we know that Big Ben clock tower will fall silent to______.

    1. A.
      get repaired for the first time
    2. B.
      honour the passing away of the great woman
    3. C.
      tell the specific time to the public
    4. D.
      welcome the officials from all over the world
  2. 2.

    Who that are still alive will be absent from the funeral?

    1. A.
      Mikhail Gorbachev and Nancy Reagan
    2. B.
      Mikhail Gorbachev and Ronald Reagan
    3. C.
      Nancy Reagan and Ronald Reagan
    4. D.
      George Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev
  3. 3.

    From the passage we can learn that Margaret Thatcher was______.

    1. A.
      strong and smart
    2. B.
      weak and disappointing
    3. C.
      aggressive and warlike
    4. D.
      stubborn and luxurious
  4. 4.

    Which of the following might serve as the best title of the passage?

    1. A.
      The legend of Thatcher, the “Iron Lady"
    2. B.
      Why Big Ben falls silent for the first time?
    3. C.
      Who will pay for such a luxurious funeral?
    4. D.
      London will witness its biggest political funeral

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Today many people say that women have the same chance as men in society. But this was not always so. In the past, women all over the world had to fight to get the same chance as men in education and jobs. Many people said that women should not receive much education because they would not do as well as men when they went to work.
One woman who showed that women should have the same chance was Marie, a scientist. In the 1800s scientists knew that a metal, uranium, gave off radiation. They also knew how much radiation came from his element. But they didn’t know what this radiation was like; they wondered why and how uranium gave off radiation. Marie Curie set out to answer these questions. In one of her experiments she was studying a certain material which, she knew, contained uranium, But it gave off 4 times as much radiation as usually does. What could explain this fact? Marie Curie thought that there must be another source of radiation in this material.
In 1898 Marie Curie set out to find out this new source of radiation, which she named “radium”. Her husband, who was also a scientist, helped her. They set up a laboratory in an old building behind a school. For four years Curies searched, doing many experiments, And one morning in 1902 Marie found the source of the radiation.
Marie Curie proved to the world that there was element that gave off radiation. And she also proved to the world that, if women are given truly equal chance, they can really help society

  1. 1.

    The scientists of Marie Curie’s day knew

    1. A.
      that uranium gave off radiation
    2. B.
      that radium gave off radiation
    3. C.
      that there was some radium in uranium
    4. D.
      that uranium and radium both gave off radiation
  2. 2.

    The Curies found the element radium

    1. A.
      with other scientists’ help
    2. B.
      by asking some famous scientists
    3. C.
      by doing many experiments
    4. D.
      with their teachers’ help
  3. 3.

    In the past many people thought

    1. A.
      that women must get the same chance as men in education and jobs
    2. B.
      that women should receive much education
    3. C.
      that women should get good jobs
    4. D.
      that women could not do the work well
  4. 4.

    Marie Curie proved to people

    1. A.
      that there was a new element uranium
    2. B.
      that there was a new element radium
    3. C.
      that women could do their work as well as men if they were really given the same conditions
    4. D.
      both B and C

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Bungee jumping is an activity about jumping from a tall structure while connected to a large elastic cord(有彈性的繩子). The tall structure is usually a fixed object, such as a building, bridge or crane; but it is also possible to jump from a movable object, such as a hot-air balloon or helicopter, that has the ability to stay over one place on the ground; fixed-wing aircraft are unsuitable because they only stay high when moving quickly forward.
When the person jumps, the cord stretches to absorb (吸收)the energy of the fall, then the jumper flies upwards again as the cord jumps back. The jumper oscillates(擺動(dòng))up and down until all the energy is used up.
The word bungee first appeared around 1930 and was the name for a rubber eraser. The first modern bungee jumps were made on 1 April 1979 from the 250-foot Clifton Suspension Bridge in Bristol, by David Kirk, Chris Baker and Alan Weston of the Dangerous Sports Club. The jumpers continued with jumps in the US from the Golden Gate and Royal Gorge bridges, spreading the concept worldwide. By 1982 they were jumping from mobile cranes and hot-air balloons. Later they put on commercial(商業(yè)的)shows, which began in 1986.
As with any sport, injuries can still happen, and there have been deaths. A relatively common mistake in the cases that may cause death is to use a cord that is too long. The cord should be fully shorter than the height of the jumping place to allow it room to jumper either starts to slow down or keeps speeding up depending upon the speed of falling

  1. 1.

    Which of the following is NOT suitable for bungee jumping?

    1. A.
      The fixed-wing aircraft
    2. B.
      The helicopter
    3. C.
      The hot-air balloon
    4. D.
      The mobile crane
  2. 2.

    In the second paragraph, the author tells______.

    1. A.
      who suits bungee jumping
    2. B.
      the principle of bungee jumping
    3. C.
      the material used for bungee jumping
    4. D.
      the danger of bungee jumping
  3. 3.

    According to the last paragraph, the safety of the jumpers depends mainly on______.

    1. A.
      the weight of the jumper
    2. B.
      the height of the jumping place
    3. C.
      the length of the cord
    4. D.
      the speed of the falling
  4. 4.

    The purpose of writing this passage is to______.

    1. A.
      teach people how to carry out a bungee jumping
    2. B.
      remind people of the danger of bungee jumping
    3. C.
      advise people not to take the risk of bungee jumping
    4. D.
      introduce some knowledge about bungee jumping

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

I cheated on a unit test in math class this morning during second period with Mr. Burke. Afterward, I was too sick to eat lunch just thinking about it.
I came straight home from school, went to my room, and lay on the floor trying to decide whether it would be better to run away from home now or after supper. Mostly I wished I was dead. It wasn't even an accident that I cheated.
Yesterday Mr. Burke announced there'd be a unit test and anyone who didn't pass would have to come to school on Saturday, most particularly me, since I didn't pass the last unit test. I did plan to study just to prove to him that I'm plenty smart—which I am mostly—except in math.
Anyway, I got my desk ready to study on . Just when I was ready to work, Nicho came into my room with our new rabbit and it jumped on my desk and knocked the flashcards all over the floor. What a mess! Nicho and I finally took the rabbit outside but then Philip came to my room and also Marty from next door and before long it was dinner.
After dinner my father said I could watch a special on television if I'd done all my homework. Of course I said I had. That was the beginning. I felt terrible telling my father a lie about the homework.
It was nine o'clock when I got up to my room and that was too late to study for the unit test so I lay in my bed with the light off and decided what I would do the next day when I was in Mr. Burke's math class not knowing the 8- and 9-times tables. So, you see, the cheating was planned after all.
The next day, I'd go into class as usual, acting like things were going just great. I'd sit down next to Stanley Plummer—he is so smart in math it makes you sick—and from time to time, I'd glance over at his paper to copy the answers.
Lying on the floor of my room, I begin to think that probably I've been bad all along. It just took this math test to clinch it. I'll probably never tell the truth again. I tell my mother I'm sick when she calls me to come down for dinner. She doesn't believe me, but puts me to bed anyhow. I lie there in the early winter darkness wondering what terrible thing I'll be doing next when my father comes in and sits down on my bed.
"What's the matter?" he asks. "I've got a stomachache," I say. Luckily, it's too dark to see his face. "Is that all?" "Yeah." "Mommy says you've been in your room since school." "I was sick there too," I say. "She thinks something happened today and you're upset." That's the thing that really drives me crazy about my mother. She knows things sitting inside my head the same as if I was turned inside out.
"Well," my father says. I can tell he doesn't believe me. "My stomach is feeling sort of upset." I hedge. "Okay," he says and he pats my leg and gets up.
Just as he shuts the door to my room I call out to him in a voice I don't even recognize as my own. "How come?" he calls back not surprised or anything. So I tell him I cheated on this math test. To tell the truth, I'm pretty much surprised at myself. I didn't plan to tell him anything.
He doesn't say anything at first and that just about kills me. I'd be fine if he'd spank me or something. And then he says I'll have to call Mr. Burke. It's not what I had in mind. "Now?" I ask surprised. "Now," he says. He turns on the light and pulls off my covers. "I'm not going to," I say.
But I do it. I call Mr. Burke, and I tell him exactly what happened, even that I decided to cheat the night before the test. He says I'll come on Saturday to take another test, which is okay with me, and I thank him a whole lot for being understanding and all.
"Today I thought I was turning into a criminal," I tell my father when he turns out my light. Sometimes my father kisses me good night and sometimes he doesn't. I never know. But tonight he does

  1. 1.

    After the author cheated on the math test, he felt______.

    1. A.
      frightened because he might be caught
    2. B.
      excited that he had succeeded
    3. C.
      pleased that nobody knew it
    4. D.
      unhappy because he had done something wrong
  2. 2.

    By “It wasn't even an accident that I cheated”, the author means that______.

    1. A.
      he had planned not to study before the test
    2. B.
      he decided to cheat when he knew there was going to be a test
    3. C.
      he decided to cheat after he had wasted the whole evening
    4. D.
      he had planned to cheat with Plummer before the test
  3. 3.

    The author’ mother often drives him crazy because______.

    1. A.
      She really knows what he is thinking
    2. B.
      she was very strict with him
    3. C.
      she doesn’t believe him
    4. D.
      she asks him to come down for dinner
  4. 4.

    After he was informed of what he had done, the father ______.

    1. A.
      scolded the author severely
    2. B.
      didn’t say anything and left
    3. C.
      called Mr. Burke immediately
    4. D.
      let the author make a call to Mr. Burke
  5. 5.

    The author’s father kissed the author good night because ______.

    1. A.
      he had done something unusual
    2. B.
      he promised to study math harder
    3. C.
      he was willing to take a make-up test
    4. D.
      he realized his mistake and had the courage to admit it

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

Long after the 1998 World Cup was won, disappointed fans were still cursing the disputed refereeing decisions that denied victory to their team. A researcher was appointed to study the performance of some top referees.
The researcher organized an experimental tournament involving four youth teams. Each match lasted an hour, divided into three periods of 20 minutes during which different referees were in charge.
Observers noted down the referees’ errors, of which there were 61 over the tournament. Converted to a standard match of 90 minutes, each referee made almost 23 mistakes, a remarkably high number.
The researcher then studied the videotapes to analyse the matches in detail. Surprisingly, he found that errors were more likely when the referees were close to the incident. When the officials got it right, they were, on average, 17 meters away from the action. The average distance in the case of errors was 12 meters. The research shows the optimum (最佳的) distance is about 20 meters.
There also seemed to be an optimum speed. Correct decisions came when the referees were moving at a speed of about 2 meters per second. The average speed for errors was 4 meters per second.
If FIFA, football’s international ruling body, wants to improve the standard of refereeing at the next World Cup, it should encourage referees to keep their eyes on the action from a distance, rather than rushing to keep up with the ball, the researcher argues.
He also says that FIFA’s insistence that referees should retire at age 45 may be misguided. If keeping up with the action is not so important, their physical condition is less critical

  1. 1.

    The experiment conducted by the researcher was meant to ________

    1. A.
      review the decisions of referees at the 1998 World Cup
    2. B.
      analyse the causes of errors made by football referees
    3. C.
      set a standard for football refereeing
    4. D.
      reexamine the rules for football refereeing
  2. 2.

    The number of refereeing errors in the experimental matches was ________

    1. A.
      slightly above average
    2. B.
      higher than in the 1998 World Cup
    3. C.
      quite unexpected
    4. D.
      as high as in a standard match
  3. 3.

    The findings of the experiment show that ________

    1. A.
      errors are more likely when a referee keeps close to the ball
    2. B.
      the farther the referee is from the incident, the fewer the errors
    3. C.
      the more slowly the referee runs, the more likely errors will occur
    4. D.
      errors are less likely when a referee stays in one spot
  4. 4.

    The word “officials” (Para. 4) most probably refers to ________

    1. A.
      the researchers involved in the experiment
    2. B.
      the inspectors of the football tournament
    3. C.
      the referees of the football tournament
    4. D.
      the observers at the site of the experiment
  5. 5.

    What is one of the possible conclusions of the experiment?

    1. A.
      The ideal retirement age for an experienced football referee is 45
    2. B.
      Age should not be the chief consideration in choosing a football referee
    3. C.
      A football referee should be as young and energetic as possible
    4. D.
      An experienced football referee can do well even when in poor physical condition

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解

There is a wide and deep choice of a career. Whether he’s a hand in construction or sitting behind the desk working on a computer, everyone has some ideas of what is an attractive career. However, making a career choice is not simply a matter of following a dream; for most people it means a lot of research and soul searching. Choosing the right career becomes one of the most important decisions of an individual’s life.
It used to be that one followed in the footsteps of their father or grandfather or took over the family’s business when it came to making a career choice. These days, a career path can start anywhere and then veer off into something totally different.
Career choices must be realistic and well thought out. It is not uncommon for persons to start a career path and realize they have made a terrible mistake, feeling as if it may be too late to turn around. Not only does a career choice concern your strongest skills and interest, it is also something that you will be doing continuously to bring in income. This is why a career choice can be such a personal decision. Formerly it used to be unusual for someone to change occupations or careers more than once or twice in a lifetime; it is now even more unusual to keep the same career during someone’s working life.
There are a great many measures in helping one choose the right profession. A number of websites offering tools such as career tests and information, educational resources, resume services and the kind can be found. It is important for one to research one’s career in this changing economy situation, and choose the best from several related career choices

  1. 1.

    According to the author choosing the right career______.

    1. A.
      is not difficult at all
    2. B.
      needs a lot of dreams
    3. C.
      is an interesting thing
    4. D.
      needs a lot of thoughts
  2. 2.

    The underlined phrase “veer off” in the second paragraph probably means______.

    1. A.
      set out to do the same job
    2. B.
      change the former course
    3. C.
      compare two different things
    4. D.
      dream of getting an easy job
  3. 3.

    Nowadays it is common for one to______.

    1. A.
      change his job often
    2. B.
      do the same job all his life
    3. C.
      find a few good jobs at a time
    4. D.
      live without a job for many years
  4. 4.

    All of the following are the tools on profession offered by websites EXCEPT______.

    1. A.
      tests and information
    2. B.
      training courses
    3. C.
      employer’s phone numbers
    4. D.
      instructions on resume

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案