Question

    Attitudes toward new technologies often fall along generational lines. That is, generally, younger people tend to outnumber older people in face of a technological shift.

It is not always the case, though. When you look at attitudes toward driverless cars, there doesn't seem to be a clear generational divide. The public overall disagree on whether they'd like to use a driverless car. In a study last year, of all people surveyed, 48 percent said they wanted to ride in one, while 50 percent did not.

The fact that attitudes toward self-driving cars appear to be so steady across generations suggests how transformative the shift to driverless cars could be. Not everyone wants a driverless car now——and no one can get one yet ——but among those who are open to them, every age group is similarly engaged.

When it comes to driverless cars, differences in attitude are obvious based on factors not related to age. College graduates, for example, are particularly interested in driverless cars compared with those who have less education: 59 percent of college graduates said they would like to use a driverless car compared with 38 percent of those with a high-school diploma or less.

Where a person lives matters, too. More people who lived in cities and suburbs said they wanted to try driverless car than those who lived in rural areas.

While there's reason to believe that interest in self-driving cars is going up, a person's age will have little to do with how self-driving cars can become mainstream. Once driverless cars are actually available for sale, the early adopters will be the people who can afford to buy them.

1.What usually happens when a new technology appears?

A.It benefits society greatly.

B.The old are not happy with it.

C.People of different ages react differently.

D.It will separate the old from the young.

2.What does the author say about the driverless car?

A.It makes people's life more convenient.

B.It can lead to fewer road accidents.

C.It may start a revolution in the car industry.

D.It does not seem to create a generational divide.

3.What is likely to affect a person's attitude toward the driverless car?

A.The field of his special interest.

B.The location of his living place.

C.The amount of his driving training.

D.The length of his driving experience.

4.Who are the most potential customers of the driverless car?

A.The seniors. B.The wealthy.

C.The educated. D.The car lovers.

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.B

4.B

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文。主要内容是虽然年轻人和老年人对待新技术的态度有所不同，但对于无人驾驶汽车的态度没有明显的代沟，本文就此展开了讨论。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段的That is, generally, younger people tend to outnumber older people in face of a technological shift.（也就是说，在技术变革的情况下，年轻人的数量通常会超过老年人。）由此可知，当一项新技术出现时，通常会发生不同年龄的人会有不同的反应，故选C。

2.细节理解题。根据第二段的 When you look at attitudes toward driverless cars there doesn’t seem to be a clear generational divide.（当你审视人们对无人驾驶汽车的态度时，似乎并没有明显的代沟。）可知，对于无人驾驶汽车的态度似乎并没有一个清晰的年代差异，故选D。

3.细节理解题。通读后三段以及根据倒数第二段 Where a person lives matters, too（一个人住在哪里也很重要）由此可知，他居住的地方可能会影响一个人对无人驾驶汽车的态度，故选B。

4.推理判断题。根据文章最后一句Once driverless cars are actually available for sale, the early adopters will be the people who can afford to buy them.（一旦无人驾驶汽车真正上市销售，最早采用它们的将是那些买得起它们的人。）可知，一旦无人驾驶汽车真正上市销售，最早的用户将是那些买得起它们的人。故选B。