Question

    The world’s top automakers are increasingly offering more electric vehicle models. This growth is expected to continue， with more people choosing to hit the road with clean-running electric- powered cars.

Environmentalists have praised the automakers for taking major steps to limit harmful pollutants linked to worldwide climate change. But electric vehicles are also known for not producing another kind of pollution—noise. They run on batteries instead of fuel， and can operate in silence.

While many people might consider this a good thing， quiet cars can also cause problems. The main danger is that people walking in areas around electric vehicles face a greater risk of being hit if they cannot hear the cars coming.

Governments in the United States and Europe have recognized this problem. So， they have set requirements for manufacturers to add warning sounds to vehicles operating on electricity.

The U.S.Department of Transportation finalized its rules a year ago. The rules require electric and hybrid (混合能源) vehicles to be equipped with some kind of warning sound when moving at speeds up to 30 kilometers per hour. The rules are aimed at preventing injuries among people walking or riding bicycles and to protect the blind.

So what kinds of sounds can we expect to hear from the next generation of electric vehicles? One of the easiest solutions would be for carmakers to simply reproduce the sound a car would make if it actually did run on fuel. But many industry officials believe this would be a mistake.They say this would not support the electric vehicle’s true identity. It would also limit great possibilities to link the car’s sound to a whole new image, which could help increase sales.

Frank Welsch is head of technical development at Germany’s Volkswagen. He said that finding the perfect sound mix is not an easy process. “The electric vehicle sound is its identity,” he said. “It cannot be too annoying. It cannot sound like anything we had in the past.”

An official from Mercedes-Benz said the sound was designed to provide a safe warning without annoying passengers inside the vehicle. He said the goal was to create a car that remains completely quiet on the inside, but fills the sound requirements and supports the model’s image on the outside.

It might seem strange to think that part of our automotive future is currently being developed in the same kinds of recording studios used by musicians. But that is exactly what is happening.

1.The underlined words “hit the road” in Paragraph 1 probably mean_________.

A.clean a road B.start a trip

C.avoid an accident D.reduce noise pollution

2.The first two paragraphs are mainly intended to_________.

A.introduce the topic of the passage

B.list the advantages of automobiles

C.provide some facts about electric cars

D.stress the importance of saving energy

3.Sounds are added to electric cars to_________.

A.limit pollutants B.increase sales

C.prevent injuries D.make cars smarter

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A.Electric Car Sounds Promote Sales to a Large Degree

B.Recording Studios Will Create Sounds for All Electric Cars

C.Governments Call on People to Design Electric Car Sounds

D.Electric Cars Need Creative Sounds to Replace Engine Noise

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇新闻报道。短文报道了电动汽车用创意声音取代引擎噪音。

1.词义猜测题。由第一段“This growth is expected to continue， with more people choosing to hit the road with clean-running electric- powered cars.”可知，预计这种增长将持续下去，因为选择驾驶环保型电动汽车上路的民众在不断增加。所以通过上下文语境可以判断出，第1段中划线的“hit the road”可能是指“开始出行”的意思。故选B项。

2.推理判断题。由第一段，第二段“ The world’s top automakers are increasingly offering more electric vehicle models。But electric vehicles are also known for not producing another kind of pollution—noise”可知，全球主要汽车制造商正在生产越来越多的电动汽车型号。电动汽车还因不会产生另一种污染而闻名，这种污染就是噪音。所以短文从第三段就开始具体说明电动汽车所带来的安全问题以及用创意声音取代引擎噪音的措施。故判断出前两段主要是为了介绍文章的主题。故选A项。

3.细节理解题。由第五段“The rules are aimed at preventing injuries among people walking or riding bicycles and to protect the blind ”可知，这些规定旨在防止行人和骑自行车者受伤，同时保护盲人。所以声音被添加到电动汽车中是为了防止人们受伤。故选C项。

4.主旨大意题。通读全文可知，短文的前两段为引题段落，来说明电动汽车越来越普遍，但也产生了一个问题，无噪音。从第三段开始就在说明电动汽车的无噪音所带来的安全问题以及用创意声音取代引擎噪音的措施。所以这篇短文主要在说电动汽车用创意声音取代引擎噪音也就是本文的标题。故D选项“电动汽车用创意声音取代引擎噪音”是本文的最佳标题。故选D项。