Japanese Car Keeps Watch for Drunk Drivers

　　A concept car developed by Japanese company Nissan1 has a breathalyzer-like detection system and other instruments that could help keep drunk or over tired drivers off the road.

　　The car’s sensors check odors inside the car and monitor a driver’s sweat for traces of alcohol.An in-car computer system can issue an alert or even lock up the ignition system if the driver seems over-the-limit.The air odor sensors are fixed firmly and deeply in the driver

　　and passenger seats，while a detector in the gear-shift knob measures perspiration from the driver’s palm.

　　Other carmakers have developed similar detection systems. For example，Sweden’s Volvo2 has developed a breathalyzer attached to a car’s seat belt that drivers must blow into before the engine will start.

　　Nissan’s new concept vehicle also includes a dashboard-mounted camera that tracks a drivers alertness by monitoring their eyes.It will sound an alarm and issue a spoken warning in Japanese or English if it judges that the driver needs to pull over and rest3.

　　The car technology is still in development，but general manager Kazuhiro Doi says the combination of different detection systems should improve the overall effectiveness of the technology. “For example，if the gear-shift sensor was bypassed by a passenger using it instead of the driver，the facial recognition system would still be used,” Doi says.Nissan has no specific timetable for marketing the system，but aims to use technology to cut the number of fatalities involving its vehicles to half 1995 levels by 2015.

　　The car’s seat belt can also tighten if drowsiness is detected，while an external camera checks that the car is keeping to its lane properly. However，Doi admits that some of the technology，such as the alcohol odor sensor，should be improved.“If you drink one beer，it’s going to register，so we need to study what’s the appropriate level for the system to activate,” he says.

　　In the UK4,some research groups are using similar advanced techniques to understand driver behavior and the effectiveness of different road designs.

　　詞匯:

　　breathalyzer n.呼氣酒精檢測器 alertness/ E5lE:tnis/n.警惕

　　sensor/5sensE(r)/ n.傳感器 bypass /5baIpB:s/v.繞過

　　odor/5EudE(r)/ n.氣味 facial/5feiFEl/adj.面部的

　　alert/E5lE:t/ adj.警惕的 fatality/ 5teilai/n.死亡事故

　　ignition/ i^5niFEn/n.點火 tighten/ 5taitEn/v.變緊，綁緊

　　gear-shift knob 換檔把手 drowsiness/5drauzinis/n.昏昏欲睡

　　perspiration/7pE:spE5reiFEn/n.出汗 activate/5Aktiveit/v.使活動，使激活

　　dashboard/5dAF7bC:d/n.儀表板;擋泥板

　　練習：

　　1. Which of the following statements is NOT true of the Japanese concept care

　　A It has a sensor system that could issue a warning if the driver is drunk.

　　B It has sensors that detect traces of alcohol inside the car.

　　C It has sensors locked up in the ignition system.

　　D It has a breathalyzer-like detection system.

　　2. What has Volvo developed?

　　A The same detection system mentioned in the previous paragraph.

　　B A breathalyzer attached to a car’s seat belt.

　　C A smart car seat belt.

　　D An intelligent engine.

　　3. What is the function of the camera mentioned in Paragraph 4?

　　A It monitors the driver’s eyes to see if he needs a rest.

　　B It judges if the driver wants to pull over.

　　C It judges if the driver wants to take a rest.

　　D It issues an alarm when the driver speaks.

　　4. According to Doi,

　　A the overall effectiveness of the detection technology has improved.

　　B Nissan is making a timetable to market the detection system.

　　C it is impossible to improve the overall effectiveness of the detection system.

　　D Nissan aims to improve the detection technology to reduce the fatality rate.

　　5. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in Paragraph 6?

　　A An external camera checks that the car is going properly.

　　B The car will automatically keep to its lane.

　　C The seat belt will tighten when the driver is found drowsy.

　　D The technology of the alcohol odor sensor should be improved.

　　答案與題解：

　　1. C 選項A、B、D所述內容都可在短文的第一、第二段中找到。第二段最后一個句子告訴我們，傳感器裝在司機和乘客的座椅里，而不是在點火系統(tǒng)里，所以選擇C。

　　2. B 短文第三段告訴我們，沃爾沃公司也發(fā)明了一種相類似的酒精檢測裝置，安裝在保險帶上。所以B是正確選擇。

　　3. A 第四段描寫了安裝在概念車儀表板上的照相機的功能。相機跟蹤司機的眼睛的活動從而監(jiān)測司機是否保持清醒狀態(tài)，如果發(fā)現(xiàn)司機需要停車休息，便用英語或日語發(fā)出警告。所以除A以外，其他選擇都不正確。

　　4. D 短文第五段說，這種監(jiān)測技術仍然在發(fā)展之中，使用不同的監(jiān)測系統(tǒng)應能改進這項技術的整體有效性，所以A和C都不是正確選擇。該段的最后一句說，日產(chǎn)公司并不準備將這種監(jiān)測系統(tǒng)推向市場，但它的目標是使用這種技術到2015年將日產(chǎn)車的事故率年減少到 1995年的一半。所以B也不是正確選擇，只有D表達了Doi的意思。

　　5. B 選項A、C、D在短文第六段都能找到，但是卻找不到選項B所表達的意思