2018年北京卷

D

Preparing Cities for Robot Cars

The possibility of self-driving robot cars has often seemed like a futurist’s dream, years away from materializing in the real world. Well, the future is apparently now. The California department of Motor Vehicles began giving permits in April for companies to test truly self-driving cars on public roads. The state also cleared the way for companies to sell or rent out self-driving cars, and for companies to operate driverless taxi services. California, it should be noted, isn’t leading the way here. Companies have been testing their vehicles in cities across the country. It’s hard to predict when driverless cars will be everywhere on our roads. But however long it takes, the technology has the potential to change our transportation systems and our cities, for better or for worse, depending on how the transformation is regulated.

While much of the debate so far has been focused on the safety of driverless cars (and rightfully so), policymakers also should be talking about how self-driving vehicles can help reduce traffic jams, cut emissions (排放) and offer more convenient, affordable mobility options. The arrival of driverless vehicles is a chance to make sure that those vehicles are environmentally friendly and more shared.

Do we want to copy—or even worsen—the traffic of today with driverless cars? imagine a future where most adults own individual self-driving vehicles. They tolerate long, slow journeys to and from work on packed highways because they can work, entertain themselves or sleep on the ride, which encourages urban spread. They take their driverless car to an appointment and set the empty vehicle to circle the building to avoid paying for parking. instead of walking a few blocks to pick up a child or the dry cleaning, they send the self-driving minibus. The convenience even leads fewer people to take public transport—an unwelcome side effect researchers have already found in ride-hailing (叫车) services.

A study from the university of California at Davis suggested that replacing petrol-powered private cars worldwide with electric, self-driving and shared systems could reduce carbon emissions from transportation 80% and cut the cost of transportation infrastructure (基础设施) and operations 40% by 2050. Fewer emissions and cheaper travel sound pretty appealing. The first commercially available driverless cars will almost certainly be fielded by ride-hailing services, considering the cost of self-driving technology as well as liability and maintenance issues (责任与维护问题). But driverless car ownership could increase as the prices drop and more people become comfortable with the technology.

Policymakers should start thinking now about how to make sure the appearance of driverless vehicles doesn’t extend the worst aspects of the car-controlled transportation system we have today. The coming technological advancement presents a chance for cities and states to develop transportation systems designed to move more people，and more affordably. The car of the future is coming. We just have to plan for it.

47. according to the author, attention should be paid to how driverless cars can __________.

A. help deal with transportation-related problems

B. provide better services to customers

C. cause damage to our environment

D. make some people lose jobs

48. As for driverless cars, what is the author’s major concern?

A. Safety. B. Side effects.

C. Affordability. D. Management.

49. What does the underlined word “fielded” in paragraph 4 probably mean?

A. Employed. B. Replaced.

C. Shared. D. Reduced.

50. What is the author’s attitude to the future of self-driving cars?

A. Doubtful. B. Positive.

C. Disapproving. D. Sympathetic.

答案解析：

47.A. 作者在文章第二段中提到，政策制定者也应该讨论自动驾驶汽车如何帮助减少交通拥堵、减少排放，并提供更方便、更实惠的出行选择。因此，作者认为我们应该关注自动驾驶汽车如何解决交通相关问题，选项A正确。

48.D.作者在最后一段中提到政策制定者应该考虑如何确保无人驾驶汽车的出现不会加剧我们现有的以汽车为主导的交通运输系统的最糟糕方面，因此作者主要关心的是无人驾驶汽车的管理问题，选项D为正确答案。

49.A. 在第四段中提到，考虑到自动驾驶技术的成本以及责任和维护问题，第一批商用无人驾驶汽车几乎肯定会被叫车服务所使用。根据上下文推断，fielded在此处的意思是“使用”，与employed同义。因此，答案为A。

50.B. 作者在文章中提到无人驾驶车辆的出现是一个机会，可以确保这些车辆环保、共享，而且未来的技术进步为城市和国家提供了发展交通运输系统的机会，旨在让更多的人能够更经济地出行。因此，作者对无人驾驶汽车的未来持积极态度，选项B正确。