Is sitting in traffic as inevitable as death and taxes? Perhaps not. Many countries now have dedicated traffic-monitoring centres linked to networks of cameras and sensors. Throw in traffic-spotting aircraft， accident reports and the known positions of buses fitted with satellite-positioning gear， and it is possible to see exactly what is happening on the roads. Drivers could switch from busy to quiet routes and avoid congestion if only they had access to this information.

And now they do. Systems such as the Traffic Message Channel and the Vehicle Information and Communication System (VICS)， in Europe and Japan respectively， pipe data from traffic centres into in-car navigation systems via FM radio signals. Drivers can see where the traffic is and try to avoid it. Honda， a Japanese carmaker， even combines VICS data with position data from 150，000 vehicles belonging to members of its Premium Club so that they can choose the fastest lane on a congested road， says David Schrier of ABI Research， a consultancy.

Meanwhile ITIS， a British company， is one of several firms experimenting with mobile-phone signals to monitor traffic on roads that lack sensors or cameras. Its software hooks into a mobile operator’s network and uses a statistical approach to deduce traffic speeds as phones are “handed off” from one cell tower to another. The data must be cleaned up to exclude pedestrians and cyclists， but this idea has great potential， says Mr Schrier.

Another way to dodge traffic is to predict where and when it will form. In Redmond， Washington， at the headquarters of Microsoft， employees have been testing a traffic-prediction system called JamBayes. Users register their route preferences and then receive alerts， by e-mail or text message， warning them of impending gridlock. JamBayes uses a technique called Bayesian modelling to combine real-time traffic data with historical trends， weather information and a list of calendar events such as holidays. Eric Horvitz of Microsoft， who developed the system， says it is accurate 75% of the time， and 3，000 employees use it daily.

A system called Beat-the-Traffic， developed by Triangle Software of Campbell， California， with funding from the National Science Foundation， goes further. It not only warns drivers of impending traffic but also suggests an alternative route via e-mail or text message. Andre Gueziec， the firm’s boss， thinks traffic forecasts will become as prevalent as weather forecasts. Indeed， in June， KXTV News 10， a TV station in Sacramento， California， began showing Triangle’s traffic forecasts for the coming week.

1. To know what is exactly happening on the rods， we don‘t need to

[A] dispatch aircraft to spot the traffic.

[B] guarantee drivers have access to the information system.

[C] obtain related reports of accident.

[D] collect data of the positions of buses.

2. Honda is mentioned in the second paragraph to suggest that

[A] Traffic Message Channel is established in Japan.

[B] Japan is in the lead in solving traffic problems.

[C] Honda demonstrated how VICS can be used.

[D] Only few people can afford to enjoy this service.

3. The use of mobile-phone signals in monitoring traffic is

[A] monopolized by IT IS， a British company.

[B] promising but still under experiment.

[C] based on the data from people on roads.

[D] effective in reducing traffic speeds.

4. JamBayes is deferent from the previously mentioned technologies as it

[A] helps the drivers to choose the fastest lane.

[B] send information to cars in the system.

[C] is based on a technique modeling to combine various data.

[D] helps the drivers to avoid congestion.

5. It can be inferred from the text that

[A] traffic jam remains unavoidable worldwide.

[B] traffic forecasts will become as authoritative as the weather forecasts.

[C] there is always a short cut by using one of these systems.

[D] new systems will improve the transportation situation.

　　参考答案：

1. D 细节题。本题的问题是“为了了解路上正在发生什么情况，我们不必 ”。题干中的“what is exactly happening on the roads”出自文章第一段第四句话中，表明本题与第一段有关。第一段介绍了准确了解路上发生的情况的条件——兴建交通控制中心(这些中心与摄像机和传感器网络连接在一起)、交通巡视飞机、事故报道以及配备了卫星定位装置的车辆的明确位置。这说明，[A]“派遣飞机去监控交通”，[C]“得到相关的事故报告”和[B]“收集车辆位置的信息”是需要的条件。只有[D]“确保司机可以利用信息系统”是避免堵塞的条件，与题目的要求不符，为正确答案。

2. A 结构题。本题的问题是“在第二段提到本田是为了表示 ”。第二段首先介绍了VICS系统的工作原理，指出，依靠这类系统，司机可以了解哪里交通堵塞，并尽量避开，随后提到了本田公司的做法——将VICS信息与15 万台车辆的定位信息综合起来，以便司机可以在堵塞的道路上选择最快的车道。这说明，提到本田公司是为了说明VICS系统的工作原理。[A]“本田证实了VICS如何可以得到应用”与此意符合，为正确答案。[C]“交通信息频道已经在日本开通”是针对第二段第二句话设置的干扰项，是误解了in Europe and Japan respectively这个短语的意思;第二段中并没有比较日本和欧洲的系统的优越性，所以[B]“在解决交通问题方面，日本处于领先地位”与文意不符;[D]“只有很少的人可以享受得起这种服务”属于无中生有。

3. B 细节题。本题的问题是“移动电话信号用来监控交通状况 ”。题干中的“mobile phone signals”出自文章第三段第一句话中，表明本题与第三段有关。第三段提到，英国公司ITIS是少数几家试验利用手机信号来了解缺少摄像机或传感器的线路交通状况的公司之一，随后介绍了其工作原理，指出，这种理念有很大的潜力。这说明，这种处于试验阶段的做法有前途。[B]“大有前途，但仍处于试验阶段”与此意符合，为正确答案。 [A] “由一家叫ITIS的英国公司所垄断”明显与文中“one of several firms experimenting...”的意思不符;[C]“依据路上行人的信息”与该段最后一句话的意思不符;[D]“在降低交通速度方面有效”是针对该段“to deduce traffic speeds...”这句话设置的干扰项，明显是误解了deduce一词的意思。

4. C 细节题。本题的问题是“‘堵塞贝叶斯’与先前提到的技术不同，因为它 ”。题干中的“JamBayes”出自文章第四段第二句话中，表明本题与第四段有关。第四段提到“堵塞贝叶斯”时指出，它利用一种名为“贝叶斯模式”的技术，将实时交通数据同以前的趋势、天气信息以及一系列像节假日这样的特别日期的信息连接起来。这说明，原因是其工作原理不同。[C]“基于一种综合各种信息的技术模式”是对文中相关信息的概括，为正确答案。选择最快的车道是VICS的功能，所以[A]“帮助司机选择最快的车道”与文意不符;向系统中的车辆发送信息和帮助司机避免堵塞这两点与前面提到的技术功能相同，所以[B]“向系统中的车辆发送信息”和[D]“帮助司机避免堵塞”不是原因。

5. D 推论题。本题的问题是“根据本文，可以推知 ”。文章前面的段落提到了几种避免交通堵塞的技术，介绍了它们的功能，指出，这些观念有很大的潜力，系统大多数时间都很准确，并且交通预报会像天气预报一样普遍。由此可知，交通监测系统可能改善交通状况。[D]“新系统将改善交通状况”与此意符合，为正确答案。[A]“在全世界，交通堵塞仍然不可避免”明显与第一段前面两句话的意思不符;文中只是说交通预报会像天气预报一样普遍，并没有说有权威性，所以[B]“交通预报将像天气预报一样有权威性”与文意不符;[C]“通过利用这些系统中的一种，总是可以找到捷径”太绝对，与文意不符。