The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University has turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named “DriveLAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are.
Research shows that giving up driving is one of the key reasons for a fall in health and well-being among older people, leading to them becoming more isolated( 隔绝 ) and inactive.
Led by Professor Phil Blythe, the Newcastle team are developing in-vehicle technologies for older drivers which they hope could help them to continue driving into later life.
These include custom-made navigation( 导航 ) tools, night vision systems and intelligent speed adaptations. Phil Blythe explains: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country, driving is important for preserving their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.”
“But we all have to accept that as we get older our reactions slow down and this often results in people avoiding any potentially challenging driving conditions and losing confidence in their driving skills. The result is that people stop driving before they really need to.” Dr Amy Guo, the leading researcher on the older driver study, explains, “The DriveLAB is helping us to understand what the key points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to address these problems.”
“For example, most of us would expect older drivers always go slower than everyone else but surprisingly, we found that in 30mph zones they struggled to keep at a constant speed and so were more likely to break the speed limit and be at risk of getting fined. We’re looking at the benefits of systems which control their speed as a way of preventing that.”
“We hope that our work will help with technological solutions( 解决方案 ) to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel.”
1 ． What is the purpose of the DriveLAB?
A ． To explore new means of transport. B ． To design new types of cars.
C ． To find out older driver’s problems. D ． To teach people traffic rules.
2 ． Why is driving important for older people according to Phil Blythe?
A ． It keeps them independent. B ． It helps them save time.
C ． It builds up their strength. D ． It cures their mental illnesses.
3 ． What do researchers hope to do for older drivers?
A ． Improve their driving skills. B ． Develop driver-assist technologies.
C ． Provide tips on repairing their cars. D ． Organize regular physical checkups.
4 ． What is the best title for the text?
A ． A new Model Electric Car B ． A Solution to Traffic Problem
C ． Driving Service for elders D ． Keeping Older Drivers on the Road
1 ． C
2 ． A
3 ． B
4 ． D
【分析】
这是一篇说明文。本文主要介绍了老年司机在需要停止开车的年龄之前就不得不停止开车，所以一些研究人员就开始了解老年司机存在的问题，想要用技术去解决这些问题，比如开发了控制速度的系统、制定导航工具、夜视系统和智能速度适应。
1 ．细节理解题。根据第一段 The Intelligent Transport team at Newcastle University have turned an electric car into a mobile laboratory named “DriveLAB” in order to understand the challenges faced by older drivers and to discover where the key stress points are. 可知， DriveLAB 为了理解老年司机所面对的挑战，发现关键点在哪里。即发现老年司机的问题，故选 C 。
2 ．细节理解题。根据第四段中 Phil Blythe explains: “For many older people, particularly those living alone or in the country, driving is important for preserving their independence, giving them the freedom to get out and about without having to rely on others.” 可知，开车对于保持老年司机的独立性很重要，让他们可以自由地出去走动，而不必依赖别人。故选 A 。
3 ．推理判断题。根据第五段中 The DriveLAB is helping us to understand what the key points and difficulties are for older drivers and how we might use technology to address these problems. 及最后一段 We hope that our work will help with technological solutions( 解决方案 ) to ensure that older drivers stay safer behind the wheel. 可知，研究人员想要用技术解决的老年司机的关键难题，而且正在研究一种控制速度的系统，即开发驾驶员辅助技术，故选 B 。
4 ．主旨大意题。本文主要讲述一些研究人员想要利用技术解决老年司机驾驶存在的问题，其目的是帮助老年司机能够一直开车直到应该停止的年龄，故以 Keeping Older Drivers on the Road 符合全文主旨，其他题目都太片面，不足以概括全文。故选 D 。
【点睛】
主旨大意题解题技巧
Topic/Title 型 - 使用逆推法
（ 1 ）要在阅读原文基础上，仔细考虑选项是否与文章主题有密切联系
（ 2 ）再看选项对文章的概括性或覆盖面如何
（ 3 ）要注意题目是否过大或者过小
（ 4 ）要避免下列三种错误概括不够（多表现为部分代整体，导致范围过小）、过度概括（多表现为扩大范围）、以事实、细节代替抽象概括的大意。
比如第四题主要围绕老年司机为主，故排除了 A 和 B ，对象不正确。 C. Driving Service for elders. 为老人提供服务，本文也算服务的一种，但是犯了过度概括的错误，范围扩大了， D. Keeping Older Drivers on the Road. 这正是本文介绍的内容，研究人员目的也是延长老年司机的驾驶时间。故选 D 。
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