英语听力精选进阶版 7343

看样子无人驾驶汽车的未来发展道路清晰可见。谷哥将开始制造自己最新研制的无人驾驶汽车，而不是改造其它生产商的车辆。谷哥制造的无人自动驾驶汽车只配有“启动”和“停止”两个按钮，除此之外，没有其它任何控制。

Google's driverless car project was officially launched in 2010. Since then it says its test vehicles have completed more than a million kilometres on public roads. They progressed from relatively¹ simple driving on the Californian freeway to more complicated manoeuvring in urban areas.

So far, Google has used a fleet of ordinary cars which have been converted to carry self-driving technology. But now it wants to take the process a stage further by producing a purpose-built machine. It’s planning to create a fleet of about a hundred fully² autonomous³ electric vehicles capable of carrying two people at up to 40 km per hour without any input⁴ from a human driver.

The ultimate aim is to get rid of the controls altogether, although early versions will still need to have a steering⁵ wheel and pedals.

Google believes it will be able to launch a pilot scheme using the new cars within the next two years. But the internet giant is far from being the only company working on self-driving technology. A number of major manufacturers have their own test programmes, among them Ford⁶, Toyota, Volkswagen and BMW.

Quiz 听力测验

1. How far have test vehicles travelled?

A million kilometres on public roads.

2. What is the technology behind the driverless car called?

Self-driving technology.

3. True or false? The initial versions of the driverless car will dispense⁷ with all the normal controls of a vehicle, apart from a stop-start button.

False. The early versions will include the steering wheel and pedals.

4. Which word in the text means 'advanced towards a goal'?

Progressed.

Glossary 词汇表

manoeuvring （熟练的）操纵、移动

purpose-built 专门建造的

input （人为的）参与

ultimate aim 最终目的

steering wheel 方向盘

pedals （汽车的）脚踏板

pilot scheme 测试项目

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

4 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

5 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。

6 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

7 dispense   

vt.分配，分发；配(药)，发(药)；实施

参考例句：

• Let us dispense the food.咱们来分发这食物。
• The charity has been given a large sum of money to dispense as it sees fit.这个慈善机构获得一大笔钱，可自行适当分配。