One evening in February 2007, a student named Paula Ceely brought her car to a stop on a remote road in Wales.She got out to open a metal gate that blocked her path.That’s when she heard the whistle sounded by the driver of a train.Her Renault Clio was parked across a railway line.Seconds later, she watched the train drag her car almost a kilometre down the railway tracks.
Ceely’ s near miss made the news because she blamed it on her GPS device.She had never driver the route before.It was dark and raining heavily.Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing.“I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train, ”she told the BBC.
Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely’s story in his book When Machines Fail Us,points the finger at the limitations of technology.We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job.They are filled with small problems.And it’s not just GPS devices:Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.
The problem with his argument in the book is that it’s not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes.A map-maker might have left the crossing off a paper map.Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention.Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor signaling system .Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn’t say.
It’s a problem that runs through the book.In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer-based locking systems for cars.He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country.He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable,Perhaps, but maybe it’s also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets .Or changing social circumstances.Or some combination of these factors.
The game between humans and their smart devices is amusing and complex.It is shaped by economics and psychology and the cultures we live in.Somewhere in the mix of those forces there may be a way for a wiser use of technology.
If there is such a way, it should involve more than just an awareness of the shortcomings of our machines.After all, we have lived with them for thousands of years.They have probably been fooling us for just a.s long.
1.What did Paula Ceely think was the cause of her accident?
A. She was not familiar with the road.
B. It was dark and raining heavily then.
C. The railway workers failed to give the signal.
D. Her GPS device didn’t tell her about the crossing.
2.The phrase “near miss”（Paragraph 2）can best be replaced by ________.
A. close hit B. heavy loss
C. narrow escape D. big mistake
3.Which of the following would Rick Stevenson most probably agree with?
A. Modern technology is what we can’t live without.
B. Digtal technology often falls short of our expectation.
C. Digital devices are more reliable than they used to be.
D. GPS error is not the only cause for Ceely’s accident.
4.In the writer’s opinion,Stevenson’s argument is ________ .
A. one-sided B. reasonable
C. puzzling D. well-based
5.What is the real concern of the writer of this article?
A. The major causes of traffic accidents and car thefts.
B. The human unawareness of technical problems.
C. The shortcomings of digital devices we use.
D. The relationship between humans and technology.
When first entered,Vanak Restaurant does not look like much of a restaurant, but once the pleasant smells of kabob（烤肉串）hit the senses, you are incapable of calling it anything less.
Owned by a local couple, this Persian restaurant has an inviting, homelike atmosphere that many restaurants lack.
The space is small with only a few dining tables and nearly no decoration, but the environment is truly charming.
Lying in a hardly noticeable street corner, the restaurant still attracts all customers, especially those experienced in the delights of Middle Eastern cooking.
A common sight is that of old Persian men sitting in the corner talking loudly about world topics,watching news events on TV, drinking a black tea known as Persian chai, and reading local Persian newspapers all the while trying to finish off their plates piled with food.
The variety of food at the restaurant is limited, but the amount of each dish is fairly large.Most of the meals can serve two people and are under $10, so not only is it affordable but practical as well.
The food especially appeals to health-conscious eaters because each dish is very healthy, made with limited fat and oil and served straight off the grill（烤肉架）.
The main dish that the restaurant is popular for is its kabobs, which are different styles of grilled meat.
One delicious and extremely healthy dish is the Joojeh Kabob, which is made of grilled chicken pieces served with either rice or bread.Another great kabob is the Chelo Kabob, a kabob consisting of grilled beef.
Although the restaurant s small, the atmosphere and the food is delicious. It is a place that should not be overlooked.
1.When first entering the restaurant, one can find that it ________ .
A. has pleasant smells of kabobs
B. is splendidly decorated
C. is crowded with dining tables
D. looks like a common restaurant
2.What activity is also mentioned apart from dining in the restaurant?
A. Reading local English newspapers.
B. Drinking a kind of black coffee.
C. Watching news events on TV.
D. Discussing world topics in low voices.
3.The food of the restaurant ________ .
A. is served in small amounts B. is rather expensive
C. is rich in variety D. is very healthy
4.What is the dish Joojeh Kabob mainly made of?
A. Rice B. Chicken
C. Bread D. Beef.
5.It can be inferred from the passage that the restaurant
A. occupies a large space
B. owns a favorable location
C. is popular for its special food
D. has a quiet environment inside
It was a terrible day.Snow had been falling all day long making th trip _________ .I would rather have been in my warm home than drive along on such a cold day, but I didn’t have a _________ .I had to have my paper work handed in and then _________ my son.
The snow continued to fall as we drove along for the 15-mile trip back home.I slowed the car and _________ at my son in his heavy coat as he looked _________ out of the window with a blank expression.In the _________ of the world he was looked upon as a mentally disabled child. _________, over the years what I saw was a beautiful, kind and _________ soul.He had shown me more about love than I could have ever _________ on my own.
I slowed the car even more as we __________ a sharp curve（弯）.As we rounded it I saw a shivering（颤抖的）, young woman in a __________ jacket walking in the snow storm .I pulled over and let her in.She was heading for her Mom’s house to visit her __________ whom she hadn’t seen for months.She had experienced a lot of disappointments and __________.Yet, she still held out hope for a new job and tried to __________ a new life for her son and herself.
I took her as __________ as I was able to and dropped her off.She thanked me for the __________ and I told her I wished I could have done more to help.Then as we were about to leave, my sweet son took off his coat, __________ down the window and gave it to her.She put it on, smiled and __________ to us as we pulled out on the road.
In this world we will __________ many problems and challenges.Sometimes it seems that our entire Iives are a trip down a curvy and dangerous road.Yet the power of __________takes us straight back to a broad smooth highway.
1.A. smooth B. funny C. risky D. special
2.A. change B. chance C. reason D. choice
3.A. call on B. pick up C. seek for D. look up
4.A. glanced B. laughed C. stared D. shouted
5.A. excitedly B. peacefully C. sadly D. fearfully
6.A. history B. development C. eyes D. systems
7.A. However B. Therefore C. Meanwhile D. Besides
8.A. dirty B. sensitive C. painful D. merciful
9.A. dreamed B. learned C. concluded D. ignored
10.A. expected B. left C. approached D. discovered
11.A. new B. heavy C. comfortable D. light
12.A. son B. daughter C. mother D. father
13.A. adventures B. puzzles C. tragedies D. doubts
14.A. predict B. suffer C. save D. build
15.A. far B. long C. soon D. much
16.A. money B. coat C. gift D. lift
17.A. burned B. rolled C. tore D. shut
18.A. cried B. pointed C. waved D. wrote
19.A. face B. overcome C. create D. bear
20.A. nature B. love C. minds D. wills
I’m afraid he’s more of a talker than a doer, which is ________he never finishes anything.
A. that B. when
C. where D. why
— We could invite John and Barbara to the Friday night party.
— Yes, ________?I’ll give them a call right now.
A. why not B. what for
C. why D. what
The factory used 65 percent of the raw materials, the rest of which ________ saved for other purposes.
A. is B. are
C. was D. were
