Question

Imagine the situation. You are driving along a desert or on a mountain. You have no idea where you are. You passed the last house two hours ago. Then your car breaks down. It is night and it is cold. You have no mobile phone. What do you do? Well, next time take a GPS with you. This invention may be able to help you. It is a device which uses satellites to find the user’s position. It can find your position to within 20 metres. A GPS cannot start your car, but at least you will know where you are.

GPS, which means Global Positioning System, is a small radio receiver. It looks like a mobile phone. You can hold it in your hand, or put in your pocket. It is sometimes put into a watch or a telephone. We also find GPS devices in cars, planes, or boats. Some of these devices have electronic maps, so you know where you are. For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the street.

There are three parts to the Global Positioning System. The first part is the receiver. You can hold it in your hand, or have it fixed into your car, plane, etc. The second part is a group of satellites orbiting the Earth. The receiver contacts at least four of the satellites and calculates (计算) its position. The third part of the system is a network of ground stations. They are all over the world. They control the satellites and make sure they are working well.

Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile. They are becoming cheaper and more and more accurate (精确的). There are also new uses for the GPS. Perhaps they will become like watches. Everyone will have one and you will never be lost again.

1.According to the passage, with the help of the GPS, people ______.

A. can’t be lost in a new city  

B. can’t find their way in different countries

C. can learn about the culture of an unknown place

D. can spend the least time getting to another place

2.We can learn from the passage that ______.

A. there are three parts to the GPS

B. a GPS can’t be put into a watch

C. a GPS can help you start your car

D. the GPS are becoming more and more expensive

3.The underlined word “They” in paragraph 3 means “______”.

A. Receivers        B. GPS devices        C. Satellites       D. Ground stations

4.The passage is mainly about ______.

A. the history of the GPS              B. the introduction of the GPS

C. the shape of the GPS               D. the three parts of the GPS

5.What can we infer(推断) from the passage? ______

A. All GPS devices have electronic maps.

B. People in many countries will use the GPS for free.

C. The receiver of the GPS contacts at least five of the satellites.

D. The GPS will become more and more common in everyday life.

Answer

1.A

2.A

3.D

4.B

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：这篇短文中作者主要给我们讲述了什么是GPS，即全球卫星定位系统。作者讲述了它有什么作用，它的三个组成部分，以及它未来发展的方向。

1.细节理解题。根据短文第二段的描述so you know where you are. For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the streetT可知，有了GPS,就可以通过卫星确定使用者的位置，知道自己所在的方位。如果你在一个城市里，它还会告诉你街道的名字，所以你就不会在陌生的地方迷路了。故选A。

2.细节理解题。根据短文第三段的第一句话There are three parts to the Global Positioning System.可知，全球卫星定位系统有三个部分构成。故选A。根据It is sometimes put into a watch可知B不对；根据A GPS cannot start your car可知C不对；根据They are becoming cheaper可知D不对。

3.词义猜测题。根据划线的这个代词所在的句子以及上下文可知，这一段，作者告诉了我们全球卫星定位系统的三个组成部分。其中The third part of the system is a network of ground stations. They are all over the world.第三个部分是地面接收网络，他们遍布全世界。故这里的they指的就是上句话中说到的ground stations。故选D。

4.主旨大意题。这篇短文中作者主要给我们讲述了什么是GPS，即全球卫星定位系统，它有什么作用，它的三个组成部分，以及未来发展的方向。所以这篇短文都是围绕GPS来进行的。故选B。

5.推理判断题。根据短文最后一段中Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile可知，一些人认为在将来GPS会像手机一样的普遍。故在日常生活中，它的使用将会变得越来越普遍。故选D。

考点：科普类短文阅读。