A device that stops drivers form falling asleep at the wheel is about to undergo testing at Department of Transport laboratories and could go on sale within 12 months.
The system, called Driver Alert, aims to reduce deadly road accidents by 20% - 40% that are caused by tiredness. Airline pilots can also use it to reduce the 30% of all pilot-error accidents that are related to fatigue.
Driver Alert is based on a puterized wristband. The device, worn by drivers or pilots, gives out a sound about every four minutes during a car journey. After each sound the driver must respond by squeezing the steering wheel (方向盘). A sensor in the wristband detects this pressing action and measures the time between the sound the driver’s response.
Tiredness is directly related to a driver’s response time. Usually, a watchful driver would take about 400 milliseconds to respond, but once that falls to more than 500 milliseconds, it suggests that the driver is getting sleepy.
In such cases the device gives out more regular and louder sounds, showing that the driver should open a window or stop for a rest. If the driver’s response continues to slow down, the sounds bee more frequent until a nonstop alarm warns that the driver must stop as soon as possible.
The device has been delivered to the department’s laboratories for testing. If these tests, scheduled for six months’ time, are successful, the makers will bring the product to market within about a year.
【小题1】According to the text, Driver Alert .A．aims to reduce tiredness-related accidentsB．has gone through testing at laboratoriesC．aims to prevent drivers form sleepingD．has been on sale for 12 months 【小题2】How should a driver respond to the sounds from Driver Alert?A．By sounding a warning.B．By touching the wristband.C．By checking the driving time.D．By pressing the steering wheel.【小题3】We can learn form the text that the driver needs to stop for a break when his response time is .A．about 400 millisecondsB．below 500 millisecondsC．over 500 millisecondsD．about 4 minutes【小题4】 When the driver gets sleepy while driving, Driver Alert .A．moves more regularlyB．stops working properlyC．opens the window for the driverD．sounds more frequently and loudly
【小题1】A
【小题2】D
【小题3】C
【小题4】D
网友回答
(答案→)
【小题1】A
【小题2】D
【小题3】C
【小题4】D
解析：
【小题1】本题考查根据文章细节进行推理判断的能力。根据第二段中的第一句话“The system, called Driver Alert, aims to reduce deadly road accidents by 20% - 40% that are caused by tiredness 可得出正确选项为A。根据最后一段“If these tests, scheduled for six months time, are successful, the makers will bring the product to market within about a year”得知这种产品正处于实验阶段，要在12个月后上市，故排除B、D。而选项C只是这种产品的表面作用。
【小题2】本题考查理解细节信息的能力。根据第三段中的“after each sound the driver must respond by squeezing steering wheel”判断出D项为最佳答案。
【小题3】本题考查根据文章细节进行推理判断的能力。由第四段中的“but once that falls to more than 500 milliseconds, it suggests that the driver is getting sleepy”以及第五段中的第一句话“In such cases the device gives out more regular and louder sounds, showing that the driver should open a window or stop for a rest”可判断出，只有当司机反应的时间超过500 milliseconds 时，司机就得停下来休息一下。
【小题4】本题考查理解细节信息的能力。根据第五段的第一话“In such cases the device gives out more regular and louder sounds, showing that the driver should open a window or stop for a rest”可判断出，当司机打盹时，这种装置就会不停地大声地叫。