Virtual Driver
Driving involves sharp eyes and keen ears，analyzing with a brain，and coordination between hands, feet and brain. A man has sharp eyes and keen ears, analyzes through his brain, and maintains coordination between his hands and brains. He can control a fast-moving car with different parts of his body. (1) Apparently there isn't anyone in the driver's cab, but there is in fact a virtual driver1. This virtual driver has eyes, brains, hands and feet too. The minicameras on each side of the car are its eyes and are responsible for observing the road conditions ahead of it as well as the traffic to its left and right. If you open the boot, you can see the most important part of the automatic driving system： a built-in computer. (2) The brain of the car is responsible for calculating the speeds objects surrounding the car are moving at2， analyzing their position on the road，choosing the right path，and giving orders to the wheel and the control system.
In comparison with the human brain, the virtual driver's best advantage is that it reacts quickly. (3) However, it takes the world's best racecar driver at least one second to react, and this doesn't include the time he needs to take action.
With its rapid reaction and accurate control，the virtual driver can reduce the accident rate on expressways considerably. In this case, is it possible for us to let it have the wheel3 at ahy time and in any place? (4) With its limited ability to recognize things, the car can now only travel on expressways.
The intelligent car determines its direction by the clear lines that mark the lanes clearly and recognizes vehicles according to their regular shapes. (5) This being the case4, people still have high hopes about driverless cars，and think highly intelligent cars are what the cars of the future should be like.
练习：
A Experts say that we cannot do that just yet.
B In the near future，intelligent cars will be put into commercial operation.
C This is the brain of the car.
D But how does an intelligent car control itself?
E It completes the processing of the images sent by the cameras within 100 milliseconds.
F However, it cannot recognize moving people and bicycles on ordinary roads that have no clear markings on them.
答案与题解：
1.D “空1”前面三个句子讲的是真人驾驶员驾驶汽车时脑、眼、耳、手、脚并用，而且要协调 配合。“空1”之后话题转入虚拟驾驶员。“空1”之后的第一句“Apparently there isn't anyone in the driver's cab ... ”似乎来得有些突然，与前面句子接得很生硬。所以，中间应该 有个过渡句。选项D就是连接上下文的过渡句。
2.C “空2”前面一句意思是，如果你打开车身后部的行李箱，你就能看到自动驾驶系统中最 重要的部件，嵌入式计算机。“空2”后的句子中的the brain of the car自然是指前句的built- in computer,但接得太突然。选项C "This is the brain of the car. ”就把前后句子联系起来 了。this指代上一句的built-in comupter。后面句子的the brain of the car是重复选项C中的 the brain of the car,显得很自然。所以，C是答案。
3.E “空3”前面一句意思是，虚拟驾驶员的优点是反应快。“空3”后面一句意思是， 的赛车手至少要1秒钟才能作出反应。“至少要1秒钟”已经暗示，虚拟驾驶员反应速度要比真人驾驶员快。选项E说，虚拟驾驶员只需100毫秒就能作出反应。选项E使上下文的 意思完整，因此是答案。
4.A “空4”前面是一个问句，B卩“在这种情况下，是不是可以不分时间、不分地点都让虚拟驾 驶员驾驶汽车?”“空4”的句子应该回答这个问题：“让还是不让?”选项A回答了这个问题， 因此是答案。
5.F “空 5”前面一句意,思是，“The intelligent car determines its direction by the clear lines that mark the lanes clearly and recognizes vehicles according to their regular shapes. ” (智倉旨、汽车按 清晰标出的车道线决定自己的行车方向，靠车辆的常规形状识别其他〒辆。)选项F的内容 正好相反。上一句说"recognizes”，还有"mark the lanes clearly"，而 F 说“cannot recognize"， 又说“no clear markings”。从意思表达和词汇重复上，都能判断出，F的句子应该出现在“空 5”的位置上。
