Like many other small boys, I was fascinated by cars, not least because my oldest brother was a bit of a car guy and subscribed to cool magazines like Car and Driver and Motor Trend. Every so often, one of those magazines would run an article on the “Car of the Future”. They featured unconventional styling and things like small nuclear reactors as power sources. Yet, frankly, my car doesn’t do anything that my brother’s Studebaker didn’t do. It goes, it stops, it burns gasoline, it plays music. I still have to steer it, and it still runs into things if I don’t steer it carefully.

But guess what? All of these things are subject to change in the not-so-distant future. It will still go and stop, but it may not burn gasoline, I may not have to steer it, and it may be a lot better at not running into things.

Airbags aren't the be-all and end-all in safety. In fact, considering the recent news about people occasionally being killed by their airbags in low-speed collisions (碰撞),they obviously still need some development. But they aren't going away, and in fact, you can expect to see cars appearing with additional, side-impact airbags, something some European car manufacturers already offer.

Better than systems to minimize (使减少到最低限度) injury in the event of an accident, however, are systems that minimize the likelihood of an accident happening in the first place. Future cars may be able to eliminate many of the major causes of accidents, including drunk-driving, tailgating (与前车距离过近) and sleepiness. Cars could be equipped with sensors that can detect alcohol in a driver's system and prevent the car from being started, for example. Many accidents are caused by people following the car in front too closely. As early as next year, you'll be able to buy cars with radar-equipped control systems. If the radar determines you're closing too quickly with the car in front, it will ease up on the throttle (油门). For city streets, expect other radar devices that will give advance warning that the car in front of you has slowed abruptly (突然地) and you should step on the brakes-or that may even brake for you.

Will cars eventually be able to drive themselves? There's no reason to think it won't be technically possible, and Mercedes is working on a system that can brake, accelerate and steer a vehicle down a highway on its own. Nobody really expects people to give up all control to their cars, but such systems could be used as failsafe systems to keep cars on the road and bring them safely to a stop even if the driver suddenly became disabled.

1.Why was the author fascinated by cars?

A. Because other small boys liked to own a car of their own, too.

B. Because he read exotic things about cars in his brother's magazines.

C. Because his oldest brother loved to take him to places in his car.

D. Because he subscribed to cool car magazines.

2.By saying "my car doesn't do anything that my brother's Studebaker didn’t do", the author means that_____.

A. my car is far better than my brother's

B. my car is not as good as my brother's

C. not much has changed in the performance of cars so far

D. much improvement has been made in the design of cars recently

3.Which of the following statements is true of airbags?

A. They are in need of further improvement.

B. They are going to disappear gradually.

C. They kill people instead of protecting them in low-speed collisions.

D. They are a standard feature of European cars.

4.According to the author, what will future cars do if the sensors detect alcohol in the driver's system?

A. They will give a warning in advance.

B. They will brake automatically.

C. They will ease up on the throttle.

D. They will not start.

5.Which of the following statements is true according to the last paragraph?

A. People will give up all control to their cars.

B.Cars will be able to drive themselves.

C. No cars will ever break down on the roads.

D. Cars will all be equipped with failsafe systems.

Imagine being a crew member, hundreds of years ago, sailing in southern waters. Your captain is searching for food while exploring unfamiliar waters. Your job is to watch the sea off the ship’s side for ice. The wind is cold on your face. Alongside the ship, a fish darts past. Another slows to a stop and raises its head above the water to look at you. How could a fish do that?

Did the sailors see fish with feathers or swimming birds? Today, we know that the sailors saw birds that developed the ability to swim. Their wings became flippers, and they could “fly” through the water with amazing speed.

There are many types of penguins. Only two kinds raise their young on the continent of Antarctic. Adelie penguins grow up to 29 inches tall and have a white ring around each eye. Emperor penguins have yellow orange color near their necks. Standing about 35 inches tall, they are the tallest penguins living today.

Emperor penguins have nests on top of their feet. Father Emperor penguins keep the egg on top of their feet for more than two months, until the egg is ready to hatch. The mother penguin goes out for food during that time. Imagine holding an egg on your feet for two months until someone returns with food!

Male and female penguins are both good parents. Once the chicks hatch, both parents travel long distances to find food for them in the sea. It may be days before the parents return and the chicks eat again. When they return with food, the fun really begins. Chicks chase their parents, begging for food. Penguin chicks eat huge amounts at one time.

Eventually, the adult penguins stop feeding the chicks. This is nature’s way of forcing children to grow up. When the penguin chicks are hungry enough, they find their way to the sea. Without any swimming lessons, they make their way into the icy waters and swim as only penguins do.

1.What does the author mainly want to tell us in Paragraph 1?

A. It is dangerous to sail in unfamiliar waters.

B. The ice covers southern waters as far as we can see.

C. Penguins seemed unusual when the sailors first saw them.

D. It is difficult to find food if sailing in southern waters.

2.We now know that penguins seen by the sailors hundreds of years ago were .

A. fish with the ability to fly

B. birds that had learned to swim

C. birds that could fly into the sea

D. fish with black and white feathers

3.Why does the author say “the fun really begins” when the parents return with food?

A. The chicks play games with each other while eating.

B. The chicks run after the parents while trying to get food.

C. The chicks have to find their way to the sea to get more food.

D. The chicks have to search for the food the parents have hidden.

4.Emperor penguin chicks will be forced to grow up when they .

A. must learn how to feed others

B. have to find a new place to live

C. have to find food by themselves

D. need to adjust to the changeable weather

The morning for our snowmobiling (雪上汽车) adventure finally arrived, and we set off on the hour-and-a-half drive to the resort(度假地). A fresh powder had fallen the night before, and everything was frosted white. We couldn’t have asked for more perfect conditions. The sun sparkled on the snow, and the trails (路线) were completely empty – not another person or snowmobile in sight. We were thrilled at being the only people for miles around until we got going.

As we drove through the deserted wilderness, my excitement became stone-cold fear. I had no idea what I was afraid of, or why I was afraid, but suddenly every turn, every hill, every steep (陡峭的) side of the mountain frightened me to death. I kept imagine us crashing headlong into a tree or falling off the side of a drop.

But after lunch things changed. We were the only humans who had been there since the snowfall. The peaceful place, the incredible beauty of the landscape, and the almost sacred experience of sharing a mountain with the wildlife touched my very core (核心). My mind cleared and quieted and my muscles relaxed.

As we drove the last leg of the run, I began to resent being afraid to drive. Deep down, I wanted to be in charge of the thing that scared me. It made me angry that fear was keeping me from something I really wanted to do. The day was coming to an end, and the resort was only a few miles away. I knew that if I didn’t take my chance now, I would regret it.

I signaled for my husband to pull over. I wanted to drive, although my heart pounded (重击). I started off slowly and felt the wind in my face. I smiled and sped up a little. With a “Yee-haw!” I went full out, taking my husband on the best ride of the day.

We ended the day on that breathless, carefree(轻松愉快的)note, and I felt proud of myself – proud of overcoming my fear.

1. What can be concluded from the article?

A. The author was confident as she was driving in the deserted wilderness.

B. The author didn’t get worried until they started to drive through the deserted wild.

C. Realizing that she and her husband were the only people around, the author became anxious.

D. The author was so nervous that she almost crashed into a big tree.

2.According to the article, after lunch the author _______.

A. gradually calmed down

B. stopped to enjoy the beautiful scenery

C. saw some wildlife on the mountain

D. was afraid to continue her journey

3. The underlined word “resent” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to _______.

A. assume B. undertake C. hate D. recognize

4.What is the story mainly about?

A. What the author loves about snowmobiling.

B. What difficulties the couple faced during their adventure.

C. What interested the author during her time snowmobiling.

D. How the author overcame her fear during her adventure.

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