Global Positioning Systems（GPS） are now a part of everyday driving in many countries. These satellite-based systems provide turn-by-turn directions to help people get to where they want to go. But, they can also cause a lot of problems, send you to the wrong place or leave you completely lost. Many times, the driver is to blame. Sometimes a GPS error is responsible. Most often, says Barry Brown, it is a combination of the two.
We spoke to Mr. Brown by Skype （網(wǎng)絡(luò)電話軟件）. He told us about an incident involving a friend who had flown to an airport in the eastern United States. There he borrowed a GPS-equipped car to use during his stay. BARRY BROWN: “And they just plugged in an address and then set off to their destination. And, then it wasn’t until they were driving for thirty minutes that they realized they actually put in a destination back on the West Coast where they lived. They actually put their home address in. So again, the GPS is kind of 'garbage in garbage out'.”
Mr Brown says this is a common human error. But, he says, what makes the problem worse has to do with some of the shortcomings, or failures, of GPS equipment. BARRY BROWN: “One problem with a lot of the GPS units is that they have a very small screen and they just tell you the next turn. Because they just give you the next turn, sometimes that means that it is not really giving you the overview that you would need to know that it’s going to the wrong place.”
Barry Brown formerly served as a professor with the University of California, San Diego. While there, he worked on a project with Eric Laurier from the University of Edinburgh. The two men studied the effects of GPS devices on driving by placing cameras in people’s cars. They wrote a paper based on their research. It is called “The Normal, Natural Troubles of Driving with GPS.”
It lists several areas where GPS systems can cause confusion for drivers. These include maps that are outdated, incorrect or difficult to understand. They also include timing issues(時(shí)機(jī)問題) related to when GPS commands are given.
Barry Brown says, “ To make GPS systems better we need a better understanding of how drivers, passengers and GPS systems work together.”
小題1:In paragraph 2, Mr. Brown mentioned his friend in the conversation to _______.
A．build up his own reputation
B．laugh at his stupid friend
C．prove the GPS system is only garbage
D．describe an example of human error
小題2:What is the disadvantage of small screens in GPS equipment according to the text?
A．They just provide the next turn.B．They are harmful to eyes.
C．They make drivers tired easily.D．They often break down suddenly.
小題3: Which of the following statements would Barry Brown most likely agree with?
A．GPS units are to blame for most GPS service failures.
B．We should introduce higher standards for the driving license.
C．Cameras are urgently needed to help improve GPS systems.
D．Drivers, GPS systems and passengers should unite to improve GPS systems.
小題4:What is Mr. Brown’s attitude towards GPS?
A．Unconcerned.B．Prejudiced.
C．Objective.D．Critical.
小題5:Which of the following statements can best describe the main idea of the pasage?
A．Driving with GPS can be difficult.
B．Driving confusions can be caused by small screens.
C．Driving without GPS should be much more convenient.
D．GPS equipment in driving to be deserted or improved

小題1:D
小題2:A
小題3:D
小題4:C
小題5:A

試題分析：文章大意：本文是一篇科技說明文。通過科學(xué)調(diào)查分析表明：全球定位系統(tǒng)出現(xiàn)的問題是司機(jī)和全球定位系統(tǒng)失誤兩個(gè)方面的原因造成的。為了使全球定位系統(tǒng)更好的為我們服務(wù)，我們需要更好的理解司機(jī)、乘客和全球定位系統(tǒng)的協(xié)調(diào)工作。
小題1:推理判斷題。段落大意題：從第二段的內(nèi)容：They actually put their home address in. 和下面的句子:Mister Brown says this is a common human error.可知Mr Brown是在舉人的錯誤的例子。故D正確。
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)文章第三段One problem with a lot of the GPS units is that they have a very small screen and they just tell you the next turn. Because they just give you the next turn, sometimes that means that it is not really giving you the overview that you would need to know that it’s going to the wrong place.可知答案。故A正確。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)理解題。從最后一段的句子：Barry Brown says to make GPS systems better we need a better understanding of how drivers, passengers and GPS systems work together.可知Barry Brown認(rèn)為GPS系統(tǒng)，司機(jī)和乘客應(yīng)該一起努力提高。故D正確。
小題4:推理判斷題。此題是考查作者態(tài)度。作者在文章中只是客觀的評價(jià)GPS的優(yōu)缺點(diǎn)，故作者的態(tài)度是客觀的。故C正確。
小題5:主旨大意題。從第一段的：But, they can also cause a lot of problems, send you to the wrong place or leave you completely lost.可知文章講的是GPS帶來的困難。故A正確。
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科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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D．some winemakers keep the promise all the time
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B．when adult teeth are gone, they cannot grow back.
C．the reason why spinning make us dizzy.
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B．Astronomy is developing fast with the help of technology.
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A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device(裝置), the LongPen.
After many tiring……from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them . She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手寫板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(網(wǎng)絡(luò)攝像機(jī)) and computer screens。
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“It’s really fun”, said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing..
The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t  afford it.”
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A. To set up her own company
B. To win herself greater popularity
C. To write her books in a new way
C. To make book signings less tiring
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A．I copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book.
B．It signs a book while receiving the author’s signature.
C．The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city.
D．The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself.
小題3:What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?
A．It has been completed but not put into use.
B．The basement caught fire by accident.
C．Some versions failed before its test run.
D．The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty.
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A．To draft legal documents.
B．To improve credit card security
C．To keep a record of the author’s ideas.
D．To allow author and fan to exchange videos
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We sometimes think global warming or climate change is a problem very far away from our lives, and that only the government needs to worry about it. But it's hardly possible to completely stay out of it ­ scientists are now 95 percent sure that humans have been the “dominant cause” of global warming trends since the 1950s.
One of the conclusions of a report released on Sept 27 by the United Nations says that human activities have caused global temperatures to rise by 0.89 0C between 1901 and 2012. That might not seem like a lot, but the truth is that a major part of that heat has been absorbed into the oceans, which is not surprising given that they cover two thirds of Earth's surface. Also, water has a much greater capacity (容量) to absorb heat than the air does, according to The Economist.　
While many greenhouse gases occur naturally and are needed to keep the Earth warm enough to support life, humans' use of fossil fuels is the main source of excess (多余的) greenhouse gases. According to CNN, by driving cars, using electricity produced by burning coal and oil or heating our homes with coal or natural gas, we release a large amount of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Your body can barely feel a difference of 0.89 0C, but the Earth's ecosystems are so sensitive that even small changes can disturb them. It often starts with the smallest creatures at the bottom of the food chain, eventually affecting bigger animals, many of which could end up becoming extinct.
Global warming is also linked to an increase in extreme weather. A larger amount of carbon dioxide traps more energy inside the atmosphere. This changes the patterns of storms and rainfall in many regions and can lead to droughts and floods. Worse still, melting sea ice in warmer oceans is causing sea levels to rise at a speed of more than three millimeters per year, according to The Guardian, which also increases the risk of flooding.
“The report should serve as another wake­up call that our activities today have a profound impact on society, not only for us, but for many generations to come，” French Michel Jarraud, secretary­general of the World Meteorological Organization, said at a news conference.
小題1:The underlined word “dominant” in the first paragraph means “ ________”．
A．common　　　　 　　　B．indirect
C．secondaryD．leading
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A．Greenhouse gases have been proven to harm merely the Earth .
B．There is little we can do to prevent global warming.
C．Global warming can increase the chances of droughts and floods.
D．The hugeness of oceans makes them better absorbers of heat than the air.
小題3:The rise in global temperatures between 1901 and 2012 ________.
A．is more harmful to smaller creatures than bigger ones
B．is not serious because most of the extra heat has been absorbed by the oceans
C．has made the Earth's ecosystems more sensitive to changes
D．is likely to cause many species to become extinct
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A．Negative.B．Supportive.
C．Doubtful.D．Uninterested.

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