An Australian company, Smart Car Technologies, has developed a system that lets drivers know when they’re speeding.When the technology becomes commercially available, it could help lead-footed drivers avoid tickets and also save lives.The company that developed the product hopes to convince Australian government agencies to put the technology into use in their automobile fleets.

The product, called Speed Alert, links real-time location data and speed obtained with the help of GPS(全球定位系统) to a database of posted speed limits stored in a driver’s PDA or programmable mobile phone.The setup of the product does not need to be hooked(钩住) up to a car’s speedometer.In fact, it is entirely portable.It will also work with newer phones and PDAs that have built-in GPS receivers.If a driver exceeds(超过) the speed limit, the speed is shown and an alert sounds.

Michael Paine, an Australian vehicle design engineer and traffic safety consultant, was hired to analyze the product.He told Live Science  that his colleagues in the road safety field are “very enthusiastic” about what they’re now calling “intelligent speed alert.” Other research, according to Paine, shows that 40 percent of all traffic deaths involve speeding.There is also a potentially future use: “Since the system is so portable, it would be easy to make it a requirement for teenage drivers to always use a speed alert device when driving,” Paine said.“The system even has the function to record speeding violations(违背), so parents can monitor their teenage drivers.”

The product will soon go on sale in Sydney.

41.What’s the purpose of the new product_______.

A.To inform us of the new car system.     B.To introduce some improvement in cars.

C.To limit certain drivers to safe driving.   D.To popularize the built-in car system.

42.Lead-footed drivers refer to the ones        .

A.who drive too carelessly   B.that drive extremely fast

C.who are partly disabled     D.that drive too slowly

43.The second paragraph mainly talks about        .

A.the project of the built-in product     B.why the system becomes popular

C.the functions of GPS in cars       D.how the product is programmed

44.Which of the following is true of Speed Alert according to Michael Paine?

A.Most of the traffic deaths can be avoided. 

B.Speeding violations can be easily found out.

C.The system will excite some teenage drivers.

D.The product will not be available for adults.

As you move around your home, take a good look at the things you have. It is likely that your living room will have a television set and a video, and your kitchen a washing machine and a microwave oven. Your bedroom drawers will be filled with almost three times as many clothes as you need. You almost certainly own a car and possibly a home computer, holiday abroad at least once a year and eat out at least once a week.

Now, perhaps, more than ever before, people are wondering what life is all about, and what it is for. Seeking material success is beginning to trouble large numbers of people around the world. They feel that the long?hours work culture to make more money to buy more things is eating up their lives, leaving them very little time or energy for family or pastimes. Many are turning to other ways of l

iving and downshifting is one of them.

Six percent of workers in Britain took the decision to downshift last year. One couple who downshifted is Daniel and Liz. They used to work in central London. He was a newspaper reporter and she used to work for an international bank. They would go to work by train every day from their large house in the suburbs(郊区), leaving their two children with a nanny(保姆). Most evenings Daniel wouldn't get home until eight or nine o'clock, and nearly twice a month he would have to fly to New York for meetings. They both earned a large amount of money but began to feel that life was passing them by.

Nowadays, they run a farm in the mountains of Wales. “I always wanted to have a farm here,” says Daniel, “and we took almost a year to make the decision to downshift. It's taken some getting used to, but it's been worth it. We have to think twice now about spending money on car repairs and we no longer have any holidays. However, I think it's made us stronger as a family, and the children are a lot happier.”

Liz, however, is not quite sure. “I used to enjoy my job, even though it was hard work and long hours. I'm not really a country girl, but I suppose I'm gradually getting used to looking after the animals. One thing I do like, though, is being able to see more of my children. My advice for other people wanting to do the same is not to think about it too much or you might not do it at all.”

1.What do the first two paragraphs tell us?

A.People seldom work long hours to make money.

B.People hardly buy more things than necessary.

C.People are sure everything they own is in the right place.

D.People realise there is more to life than just making money. 

2.When Daniel was a reporter he  ________ .

A.lived in central London      B.disliked his job        

C.missed his children         D.was well paid 

3.Daniel and Liz both agree that the move to the farm  ________.

A.was easy to organize         B.has improved family life        

C.was extremely expensive      D.has been a total success 

4.What does the underlined “it” in the last paragraph refer to?

A.Child?caring.    B.Liz's advice.       C.Downshifting.     D.Liz's job.

5.The underlined word “_________downshifting” in the second paragraph means  ________ .

A.repairing your car by yourself        

B.spending money carefully        

C.moving out to the countryside to live a simpler and better life        

D.living in a big house in the suburbs and dining out once a week 

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