Driverless Cars
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Chu ThứcDriverless Cars
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Chu ThứcThe Driverless Car Revolution
A) Some of the world’s cleverest scientists and engineers are pioneering a new
generation of driverless cars that will change our lives as much as the internet has already
done.
B) The idea of self-driving vehicles will sound like science-fiction to many, but the
prototypes already work, using 360-degree sensors, lasers, learning algorithms and GPS
to navigate streets in an astonishingly precise fashion. They are likely to go mainstream in
15 to 20 years’ time and are a genuinely exciting, game-changing breakthrough that
refute the myth that our economy has ceased to spawn major technological innovations.
Google’s vehicles have already driven more than 400,000 miles without an accident and
are beginning to be legalised in US states.
C) The technology could trigger a burst of economic growth, transform transport around
the world, free vast amounts of time, increase productivity, make us a lot wealthier and
unleash drastic, unpredictable economic and cultural changes. By allowing people to relax
or work as they commute, they will deal a devastating blow to public transport in all but the
densest, most congested areas.
D) The biggest US think-tanks, universities, forecasters and corporations are busily trying
to work out how, not if, the world will change as a result of driverless cars, and who the
winners and losers will be.
E) Driverless cars will have huge advantages. Commuting will become useful, productive
time, saving many people two or more hours a day that are currently wasted. The number
of accidents will fall by at least 90pc, scientists believe, preventing thousands of deaths, by
controlling distances between vehicles, braking automatically and eliminating human
errors and reckless driving. The superior safety of driverless cars means that it ought to be
possible to reduce their weight, cutting back on fuel consumption, and to redesign car
shapes, making them more like living rooms. Even car sickness could be reduced, with
smoother driving.
F) The dynamics of commuting will change as it will no longer be necessary to find a
parking space on arrival: the driverless car could either park itself at some distance from
the workplace or even return home, before picking up the passenger in the evening. Fewer
people may want to own cars, with rental becoming more attractive. This could allow
residential parking areas to be put to other uses.
G) The look and feel of roads and towns will drastically change. It will be possible to cram
in far more cars into existing roads, driving at much faster speeds. Simulations of
intelligently controlled intersections from the University of Texas suggest that they perform
200 to 300 times better than current traffic signals. Self-driving vehicles will have the
ability to “platoon”, acting almost like train carriages on motorways, increasing lane
capacity by up to 500pc, according to research from the US Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers.
H) Far more people will travel at night, sleeping at the same time, especially for longer
trips such as holidays, reducing the demand for train and short-haul plane journeys.
Driverless cars will once again boost the value of suburbs and country living, and their
house prices: far more people will be willing to commute much longer distances to work or
school. This will encourage cities to become even more sprawling, putting massive
pressure on existing planning rules. The premium on living centrally will be reduced, albeit
not eliminated because of congestion, which means there will still be a need for some
urban rail services.
I) The transition process will inevitably be painful. Like all technological shifts, self-driving
vehicles will threaten some existing jobs, including that of many professional drivers,
though consumers will have more money to spend on other things, creating employment in
those areas.
Which paragraphs contain the following information?
1. It is predicted that many lives will be saved.
2. Prototypes have already been tested successfully.
3. Motorways will be used more efficiently.
4. The impact on transport by rail and plane.
5. Drawbacks for certain professions.
6. CORRECT ANSWERS FROM SIMON:
7. 1. E
2. B
3. G
4. H
5. I