文档内容
选择性必修第四册 UNIT 10 CONNECTIONS(一)
Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
Researchers at North Carolina State University are proposing an additional white traffic light
that will act as a sign to human drivers and passengers that they should follow the lead of self-
driving vehicles moving through intersections (十字路口)．
Driving is fundamentally changing.In the future，human drivers will be sharing the road with
autonomous vehicles.The transition to autonomous vehicles is progressing with each passing year
and humans are no longer the only ones sitting behind an automobile’s steering wheel.This makes
it urgent for traffic lights with a fourth color to become a reality.
The white traffic light would be equipped with wireless Bluetooth technology and would
engage when the number of autonomous vehicles driving on the road at any given time exceeds a
certain threshold (阈值)．Autonomous vehicles would be in communication with each other and
with the traffic lights at intersections，within a certain range.Any human drivers in the mix would
be informed to follow the lead of the vehicle in front of them via the white light：stop if it stops，
continue if it continues.
In simulation models，autonomous vehicles were shown to improve traffic flow on their
own.The higher the percentage of autonomous vehicles at an intersection，the faster the traffic
moved ， with improvements of about 40 to 99 percent in terms of total delay reductions
possible.“The white light can be used to coordinate (协调) traffic in any situation involving
autonomous vehicles and tell human drivers what’s going on，so that they know what they are
supposed to do as they approach the intersection，” says civil engineer Ali Hajbabaie.
As an example，most recently，Tesla’s problematic full-self-driving vehicles have been at
the forefront of public criticism after a car crashed into a fire truck.Consequently，the potential
risks linked to autonomous driving are what made North Carolina State University researchers
suggest adding a fourth color to traffic lights in the coming years.
1．What does the underlined word “This” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A．Strict traffic rules.
B．The upgrade of road system.
C．Increasing autonomous vehicles.
D．The high cost of self-driving technology.
2．What does paragraph 3 mainly tell us about the white traffic light?
A．Its signal meaning. B．Its working principle.
C．Its complex database. D．Its potential applications.3．What does Ali Hajbabaie convey in his words?
A．The white traffic light can help improve the flow of traffic.
B．Autonomous vehicles are potential threats to road safety.
C．It is difficult for elderly drivers to adapt to white traffic lights.
D．People had to be trained before driving on the roads with white traffic lights.
4．Why does the author mention the example of Tesla in the last paragraph?
A．To stress the popularity of driverless vehicles.
B．To prove the necessity of adding white traffic lights.
C．To call on the public to pay close attention to road safety.
D．To present the hidden dangers of using white traffic lights.
B(★)
(2024·江苏盐城联盟校调研)
In conversations with strangers，people commonly tend to think they should speak less than
half the conversation time to be likable.But we’ve discovered this idea is wrong.Our data shows
that people tend to think they should speak about 45% of the time to be likable in a one-on-one
conversation with someone new.However，it appears speaking up a bit more is actually a better
strategy.
In our research，we randomly assigned people to speak for 30%,40%,50%,60% of the time in
a conversation with someone new.We found that the more they spoke，the more they were liked by
their new partners.This was only one study with 116 participants，but the outcome is supported by
other researchers’ findings.For example，a previous study randomly assigned one in a pair to
take on the role of “speaker” and the other to take on the role of “listener”．After engaging
in 12-minute interactions，listeners liked speakers more than speakers liked listeners because
listeners felt more similar to speakers than speakers did to listeners.This outcome suggests the
reason people prefer those who speak up：Learning more about a new partner can make you feel
like you have more in common with him or her.
Further，we assigned people to speak for up to 70% and even 90% of the time.The result
shows it is not an ideal strategy.Our research does not suggest people hold down a conversational
partner but rather that they feel comfortable speaking up more than they usually might.
Research like ours can help people gain a more reasonable understanding of social interactions
with new people and become more confident about how to make a good first impression.It has the
obvious benefit of allowing us to carefully control speaking time.However，it does not reflect
more natural conversations.Future research should figure out whether our findings generalize to
more natural interactions.
5．What is the common belief concerning conversations with strangers?
A．Speaking a little less is preferred.
B．Speaking half the time is the best.C．Listeners are more likable than speakers.
D．Listeners fail to control the conversations.
6．How was the research carried out?
A．By analyzing speaking habits. B．By making comparisons.
C．By listing examples. D．By collecting data.
7．What is the disadvantage of the research?
A．The conversation time is limited.
B．Further study is hard to continue.
C．The findings are less widely applicable.
D．Interactions with strangers are missing.
8．In which situation can the research finding be applied?
A．Attending a family gathering. B．Partying with your friends.
C．Meeting a new teacher. D．Making a public speech.
C
Scientists have solved a puzzle about modern humans，after research showed that a famous
skull of a human ancestor found in South Africa is a million years older than experts thought.This
discovery has changed what we know of human history.
The skull，which scientists have named “Mrs Ples”，is from an ape-like human relative
from a species called Australopithecus africanus( 南方古猿非洲种 )．It was found near
Johannesburg in 1947 and，based on evidence from its surroundings，was thought to be between
2.1 and 2.6 million years old.This puzzled scientists，because although Mrs Ples looks like a
possible early ancestor of early humans，the first true humans had already evolved by the time she
apparently lived.For this reason，scientists had decided that Australopithecus afarensis，a similar
species from East Africa that lived about 3.5 million years ago，was our most likely ancestor
instead.
To get a more accurate age for Mrs Ples，a team led by Professor Darryl Granger of Purdue
University in Indiana，US，used a new method to date the sandy rocks where the skull lay.They
measured the amount of certain chemicals in rocks，which form at a steady rate when they are
exposed to cosmic rays (宇宙射线) on Earth’s surface.Once rocks are buried，these chemicals
stop forming and slowly disappear；the surviving amount reveals how much time has passed since
the rocks (or bones) were on the surface.
The new study shows that Mrs Ples and other australopithecine bones nearby are between 3.4
and 3.7 million years old.This means they lived at the same time as their East African relatives，so
that either group could have given rise to modern humans.However，team member Dr Laurent
Bruxelles pointed out that over millions of years，at only 2,500 miles away，these groups had
plenty of time to travel and to breed with each other.In other words，the groups could quite easily
have met，had children together and both been part of the history of modern humans.9．What can we learn about Mrs Ples from the first two paragraphs?
A．It is a skull found in East Africa.
B．It is the most possible ancestor of humans.
C．It is a million years older than scientists expected.
D．It is proved to live between 2.1 and 2.6 million years ago.
10．How did scientists get the accurate age of “Mrs Ples”？
A．By studying the effect of cosmic rays.
B．By calculating the forming rate of chemicals.
C．By locating the sandy rocks where the skull lay.
D．By measuring the surviving amount of chemicals.
11．What can we infer from the new study?
A．Modern humans came into being in East Africa.
B．Mrs Ples travelled and had children with East African relatives.
C．The history of modern humans might begin 3.5 million years ago.
D．Ape-like species from Africa could have interacted with each other.
12．Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
A．Historical Puzzle Unsolved
B．Ancestor Mystery Solved
C．Mrs Ples：The Earliest Human Being
D．Mrs Ples：A Famous Skull
Ⅱ.七选五(★)
Living with other people can be difficult，especially when each person comes from a different
background and has their own ideas about how they want to live.Though having a roommate can be
challenging at times，it can also be enjoyable and fun. 1
You can discuss your expectations ahead of time.Get together before or on the first day you
move in together and talk about what each of you needs and wants from the other. 2 This
applies to finances，food，clothes，possessions，use of common areas and so on.
You should agree to respect each other’s privacy.This is especially important. 3 For
instance，you may not mind if your roommate comes into your room unannounced，but they
might find you to be very rude for doing so.You should talk about these kinds of things so that you
know what to expect from each other.
4 Say hello and goodbye，ask them how their day was，and show interest in their
life.Getting to know the person you live with helps you understand their perspective，and allows
them to understand yours.It also makes it easier to deal with problems that you have with that
person if you’ve already developed a harmonious relationship with them.
You can also be considerate of your roommate in your life.Understand what’s going on in
your roommate’s life.You should aim to be flexible and accommodating.Your roommate mayhave a big test coming up. 5 If your roommate is busy and stressed with their job，give them
some time and space to relax and unwind.
A．You can discuss each of your preferences for privacy.
B．Spending time with your roommate is also important.
C．This is your best chance to set boundaries with your roommate.
D．Make sure that everyone is clear on the rules and responsibilities.
E．This is what you should know to respect your roommate’s privacy.
F．Then in this case you should probably be quiet and let them study.
G．The following steps will help you live in harmony with your roommate.
