Self-driving cars are so popular that the University of Michigan has even established a town called Mcity to allow car manufacturers to safely test their autonomous cars.

While Mcity can be used to simulate（模拟）many real-life road conditions，it can't help test gestures drivers use to communicate their intention（意图）to other drivers，pedestrians or cyclists. To find a solution，US car manufacturer Ford，with researchers from Virginia Tech，at the beginning considered using text as a way to communicate the car's intention，but decided it would probably not work universally. The option of using symbols was also rejected，because research shows that a majority of people do not have a good understanding of what they mean.

Finally, the researchers settled on light signals. A white light warned that there were no humans in the car. A slow blinking one indicated that the car was coming to a stop, while a rapidly flashing light cautioned passersby that the car was about to speed up.

Then came the big challenge—testing the signals on real roads. "We needed to try out this new lighting to communicate the intention of the vehicle, but if you've got a driver behind the seat, you still have natural communication between humans," said Andy Shaudt, who led the research team. "So we needed to make it look like a driverless car."

The team designed a car seat costume（戏装）that the driver would wear to cover his or her face and upper body. Of course，the drivers could see very clearly. The researchers then equipped the car with cameras to capture human reactions to a light bar，which flashed one of the three signals when appropriate. Six drivers，all keeping their hands low on the wheel so as not to be noticed，took turns to test driving the car through the busy streets.

The overall reaction to the flashing lights was very encouraging. Who knew costumes could be useful for more than Halloween？

【小题1】What did the team first consider using as a way to communicate the car's intention?

A．Light.	B．Language.
C．Symbols.	D．Sound.

【小题2】The underlined word "they" in the second paragraph refers to ________.

A．symbols	B．drivers
C．researchers	D．flashes

【小题3】What does a rapidly flashing light mean?

A．The car was coming to a stop.

B．There was no driver in the car.

C．The car was about to speed up.

D．The car was about to slow down.

【小题4】The car seat costume was intended to ________.

A．amuse the driver	B．attract the pedestrians
C．warn the cyclists	D．confuse the people

   A solar-powered car that can be charged as it runs is being tested in Germany.

Munich-based manufacturer（制造商）Sono Motors has built the new type, named Sion, and will likely help the European powerhouse hit its national target of 1 million electric cars on the road by 2020.

Sono Motors has solar cells fixed into Sion’s bodywork, with a total of 330 solar cells built into the roof, bonnet and sides of the vehicle. These enable the vehicle’s battery to be charged when sunlight is hitting the solar cells, whether it is on the road，or parked in the sunny spot in a car park.

The solar-powered vehicle is set to be launched in Germany in 2019.

Sono Motors wants Sion to be universal and allows the car to be charged using solar energy as well as conventional outlets（电源插座）, so car owners aren’t left on cloudy days.

The firm has made a 2019 date for mass production，which will be undertaken by a European manufacturer. Some 6,500 people have already placed orders for the electric vehicle. Prices for Sion tend to start from € 16,000 next year. The all-electric vehicle will offer a range of around 250 km before the battery runs out completely and it needs recharging either by solar power or using a wall plug, the company said.

Sion was designed originally as an environmentally conscious car，but will also include a number of features designed around comfort to help it compete with other modern vehicles.

“We have a seat heater, air conditioning, and a large entertainment system where I can also connect my phone, which means I really have a full vehicle,” Laurin Hahn, co-founder of the company told Reuters.

【小题1】From the third paragraph we can know that ______.

A．the car is popular on the road

B．the car has a very large battery

C．there are 330 solar cells on the car

D．where there is sunlight, Sion can be charged

【小题2】What does the underlined word in Paragraph 4 “launch” mean?

A．design	B．release
C．improve	D．recall

【小题3】Why does the car not break down when it is cloudy?

A．Because it is made from the rainproof material.

B．Because it can be charged by clouds on cloudy days.

C．Because it can store a great deal of energy.

D．Because it can be charged by conventional power outlets.

【小题4】What are the features of the car?

A．Modern, powerful and popular.

B．Environmental, comfortable and competitive.

C．Environmental, cheap and simple.

D．Expensive, fashionable and energy-saving.

   Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to determine whether they can improve the quality of life for humans. Alan Beck, an expert in the human-animal relationship, and Nancy Edwards, a professor of nursing, are leading the animal-assisted study concerning the influence of robotic dogs on old people’s depression, physical activity, and life satisfaction. “No one will argue that an older person is better off being more active, challenged, or stimulated (刺激), ”Edwards points out. “The problem is how we promote that, especially for those without friends or help. A robotic dog could be a solution.”

In the study, the robotic dogs, called AIBO, are placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone. Before placing AIBO in the home, researchers will collect data for six weeks. These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO being placed. Then, the researchers will study the data to determine if it has inspired any changes in the life of its owner.

“I talk to it all the time, and it responds (回应) to my voice,” says a seventy-year-old lady. “When I’m watching TV, it’ll stay in my arms until it wants to go down. It has a mind of its own.”

The AIBOs respond to certain orders. The researchers say they have some advantages over live dogs, especially for old people. Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it. A robotic dog removes exercise and feeding concerns.

“At the beginning, it was believed that no one would relate to the robotic dog because it is metal and not furry,” Beck says. “But it’s amazing how quickly we have given up that belief.”

“Hopefully, down the road, these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper. They will record their masters’ blood pressure, oxygen levels, or heart rhythms. AIBOs may even one day have games that can help stimulate older people’s minds.”

【小题1】What is the purpose of Beck and Edwards’ study?
A．To understand the human-animal relationship.
B．To find the causes of old people’s loneliness.
C．To make lonely old people’s life better.
D．To promote the animal-assisted research.【小题2】In the research, what are the old people asked to do?
A．To note the activities of AIBOs.   B. To keep AIBOs at home for 12 weeks.
B．To analyze the collected information.     D. To record their feelings and activities.【小题3】What is the advantage of AIBOs over live dogs?
A．AIBOs can watch TV with their owners. B. AIBOs can help the disabled people.
B．AIBOs respond to all the human orders. D. AIBOs are easier to keep at home.【小题4】What does the author seem to suggest about the future robotic dogs?
A．They may keep old people’s minds active. B. They may cure certain diseases.
B．They may change people’s beliefs. D. They may look more like real dogs.

   A start-up company in California, called Zume, is testing machines that make pizza. The robot takes and shapes dough to create the base of the pizza. It then adds tomato sauce, cheese, meat or other toppings. Next, the robot places the uncooked pizza into a hot oven. A few minutes later, the pizza is ready. The pizza comes out the same each time. Zume says the robots work quickly and do not get sick. The robots do not get paid either.

Julia Collins is the company’s founder and chief executive officer (CEO) . Her business can spend money on better food products because it does not have to pay the robots. Zume is using robots to make pizza.

Charity Suzuki has bought the robot-made pizza. She likes its taste. “It’s delicious. It’s always hot and fresh when it comes. I mean it’s great that they’re making it, but I can’t tell the difference that it’s made by a robot versus a human.”

Other companies say they are developing robots so people can get higher quality food faster. But what about the jobs the robots are taking from humans?

Ken Goldberg is a professor at the University of California in Berkeley. He also directs the school’s automation laboratory. Goldberg says researchers have been working with robots for 50 years. He says that, while there has been progress, the jobs are not going to disappear right away. “I want to reassure (使放心) restaurant workers that the skills that they have are still going to be of value,” Goldberg said.

“We’re going to get rid of boring, repetitive, dangerous jobs and we’re going to free up people to do things that have higher value. There’s going to be amazing new ways of working that don’t exist yet but are going to be created.”

【小题1】Why can Zume devote more money to better food products?

A．It earns a lot by selling pizza.	B．It wants to create more robots.
C．It can save a lot by using robots.	D．It hopes to attract more customers.

【小题2】What can we know about the robot-made pizza according to Suzuki?

A．It really agrees with her.	B．It is hot and fresh all the time.
C．It is tastier than the man-made.	D．It is delicious and free of charge.

【小题3】What’s the benefit of robots’ making pizza?

A．They work efficiently.	B．They help sick people.
C．They need few payments.	D．They produce more food.

【小题4】What does Goldberg think of the jobs of restaurant workers?

A．Interesting.	B．Boring.
C．Dangerous.	D．Necessary.

   In the modern world，there is an unfortunate tendency to value profit over intelligence. People may know a practice is harmful，but continue to do it anyway because it produces an in-demand product. Fortunately，there are inventors who work tirelessly to develop more responsible solutions. Sally Fox is one such individual.

Before Fox's invention of Foxfibre cotton，naturally colored cotton could only be spun（纺线）by hand，which was such a long and laborious process that businesses chose to take white cotton，bleach（漂白）it，dye it and spin it on a machine. This produced the colored fabrics people wanted，but also created a lot of pollution through the bleaching and dying processes. Sadly，there weren't really any practical choices available until Sally Fox came along in the late 1980s and revolutionized the industry.

While working as a pollinator（传花粉者）for a cotton breeder looking to develop more pest-resistant plants，Fox began breeding brown and green cotton，picking out the best seeds that produced the longest fibres and replanting them year after year. Finally，she created two kinds of colored cotton that could be spun on a machine，and she purchased a small lot of land to grow them. Sally even received Plant Variety Protection Certificates for the new cotton.

By the early 1990s，Sally Fox had had a 10-million-dollar business that produced naturally colored cotton for major companies like Levi's，Esprit，Land's End and L. L. Bean. It was a more environmentally friendly product that was also turning a profit. After globalization forced most of the spinning mills（工厂）to South America and Southeast Asia，Fox's business took a hit，but she continues to make new naturally colored cotton to this day. Each new color takes about 10 years to produce—but，for Sally Fox，the patience is worth the payoff.

【小题1】Sally Fox was famous because she invented __________.

A．colored cotton that can fight against the attack of pests

B．colored cotton that can be spun by machine

C．how to dye white cotton into colorful cotton

D．naturally colored cotton that can grow for 10 years

【小题2】According to the passage，at first Sally Fox was __________.

A．an inventor	B．a breeder
C．a farmer	D．a pollinator

【小题3】One advantage of Foxfibre colored cotton is that __________.

A．it has the longest fibre

B．it can protect itself against pests

C．it is environmentally friendly

D．it can grow into various colors

【小题4】The underlined phrase“took a hit”may mean“__________”.

A．survived	B．benefited
C．suffered	D．expanded