1.Autonomous (自動的) cars,self-driving cars,robotic cars,or driverless cars-whatever you call them-are coming to a showroom(陳列室) near you.
It might take a couple of years,but few people at the Geneva Motor Show would disagree that one day science fantasy (幻想) will become reality.
However,while Google,BMW,F(xiàn)ord and IBM have been working on the technology (技術(shù)),less attention has been given to what it means for passengers.The Swiss company,Rinspeed,has tried to show the future with its concept car (概念車),Xchange.
"I wanted to put the passenger at the centre of what is possible,not the autonomous driving technology,"says Rinspeed's founder Frank Rinderknecht."Travelling in a driverless car will no longer require me to stare at the road,but will let me spend my time in a more meaningful way.You can work,sleep,read,or do whatever activities you might do on a train or a plane.
"But driverless cars will not mean the death of driving",Mr Rinderknecht says.There will be times when a driver will want to drive."Most driving is boring because you are just driving miles and miles.If I go on the motorway from London to Birmingham,it's not very joyful.However,if I go over a mountain road,I want to drive myself and I don't want the machine to do it."
The safety matter will be a big challenge for companies of autonomous cars.
Mr Rinderknecht is already thinking beyond this concept car."There will come a time when we will be travelling in a container,with no airbags or seatbelts because the chances of an accident will be so small."But the real challenge may not be technological,but emotional.Convincing people to travel in a driverless car will be difficult.
"We know that nine out of ten plane crashes are due to pilot's error.But if you go to Heathrow Airport and you are required to make a choice between planes with two pilots or with no pilot,I know which one you will trust.It may require a generation before people accept it,but it will happen",he says.
32.When developing its Xchange concept car,Rinspeed has focused onC.
A.ensuring the cars'safety
B.a(chǎn)dvancing car-making skills
C.improving passengers'riding experience
D.developing autonomous driving technology
33.According to Mr Rinderknecht,what will be the real challenge for driverless cars?B
A.Ensuring their complete safety.
B.Persuading people to accept them.
C.Making them affordable to the public.
D.Setting out relative laws and rules.
34.According to Mr Rinderknecht,in the futureA.
A.driverless cars will be safer
B.driverless cars will help save more gas
C.driverless cars will be environmentally friendly
D.driving driverless cars will become interesting
35.What's Mr Rinderknecht's attitude towards the future of driverless cars?D
A.Doubtful.
B.Worried.
C.Uncertain.
D.Confident.