节目资讯
刊物:空中英语教室
日期:2014-04-22
难易度:High
关键字:phase, congestion, split second, intervene
Hello, and welcome to Studio Classroom.
My name is Gabe.
And I'm Carolyn.
Thank you for joining us today on our second day of a lesson called "Who's in
the Driver's Seat?"
So, open up your magazine. No.
Better yet, tell your magazine to open itself.
Why?
Well, because we're learning about driverless cars - cars that drive for us.
Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to lift a finger to do anything?
Cars, airplanes, cameras and yes, even magazines could do all of the work for
us.
Hmm, I suppose you'd like it if your English homework studied for you as well.
Hey, that's a pretty good idea.
Well, technology is making a lot of improvements, but we still need our brains
to use important information.
So open your magazine with your hands, and let's continue learning about
driverless cars.
(Music).
Who's in the Driver's Seat?
Steps toward the driverless car.
Although completely driverless cars won't be on the market for several years,
the technology behind them is already appearing in phases.
Two examples are the Active Lane Keeping Assist option for Mercedes-Benz cars
and Ford's Traffic Jam Assist.
In the first option, the system warns the driver whenever the car crosses lane
markings by causing the steering wheel to vibrate.
In the second option, the system helps the car keep pace with other cars while
remaining in its current lane.
The system is being developed to help relieve congestion on busy roads.
(Music).
(Chinese).
Thanks, Michelle.
This first section is titled "Steps toward the driverless car."
So we can see from the title that the driverless car is the end goal, and it
will take many steps to be accomplished.
Steps toward something, you could use that phrase in other ways, too.
What is your final goal?
What steps are you taking toward that goal?
For example, if you want to start your own business, what steps are you taking
toward that business?
We learned about the illness of depression over the past three months.
If you are suffering from depression, what are the steps you are taking toward
recovery and healing?
Of course, you are studying with us at Studio Classroom, taking steps toward
being fluent in this language.
And you're doing a great job.
Now back to the lesson, what are the steps toward the driverless car?
We read that completely driverless cars won't be on the market for several
years, but that the technology behind them is already appearing in phases.
Let's look at that phrase: on the market.
If something is on the market, that means it is for sale.
You can start buying something that is on the market.
So what do you need to buy?
A TV?
Look for the best TVs on the market.
Do you need a computer?
Look on the market for one that's a good price.
Maybe you want to buy a new cellphone.
New cellphones are on the market all the time.
But completely driverless cars are not yet on the market, and maybe they won't
be on the market for a long time.
But the technology behind them is appearing in phases.
Technology behind driverless cars.
What does that word "behind" mean here, Carolyn?
Good question.
Usually "behind" means the opposite of "in front of," like there are pictures
behind me.
But the word is used a little differently here in our lesson.
If there's technology behind driverless cars, that means that that technology is
making the wave for, or supporting, driverless cars.
Right.
And with this meaning of behind, we can use the word in other ways, too.
For example, the company has a new strategy for growth, but your co-worker is
the one who came up with the idea.
So you could say that she is the person behind the plan.
Or the purpose behind this diet is to give you more energy.
And the technology behind driverless cars is appearing in phases.
And phases are like steps.
Now we read about some examples here: the Active Lane Keeping Assist option for
Mercedes-Benz cars and Ford's Traffic Jam Assist.
So at least two big car companies are in on this.
Yes. And you can actually find videos of how this works online if you type in
the words you see in your magazine.
But we get a... brief description here as well.
But first, let's look at two words: traffic jam.
What is that?
Nobody likes traffic jams.
Nope.
A traffic jam is when traffic is really slow or even stops for some reason.
Some roads are just small, so they cause traffic jams.
Other times traffic jams are caused by accidents on the road.
I remember a time when my mom and I were in a traffic jam on the freeway.
Traffic was moving at a snail's pace, and I kept thinking there must be an
accident ahead.
After a while we passed by an open umbrella in the left lane.
I thought that can't cause all this traffic, can it?
But after we passed it, there was no more traffic jam.
So an open umbrella caused a lot of people to be stuck in traffic?
Yes!
Why didn't anybody get out and take the umbrella out of the road?
Trust me, I'm sure lots of us felt stupid for leaving that umbrella there in the
middle of the road.
If I picked it up, nobody behind us would be stuck in traffic.
Well, I like the phrase we just used here: stuck in traffic.
If you are in a traffic jam and not moving quickly, you could say that you're
"stuck in traffic."
Many people are late to places that they want to go because they are stuck in
traffic.
Right.
If you are in a traffic jam, you could call someone and tell them, "Hey, I'm
stuck in traffic."
And apparently Ford has a system that will help in traffic jams.
We read that the system helps the car "keep pace" with other cars while
remaining in its current lane.
Wait, what does it mean to "keep pace"?
Well, that means you maintain the same pace as something else.
So if other cars are going a certain speed, then your car does the same.
You know, it's important to keep pace with other cars.
Of course you want to... you don't want to go over the speed limit, but it can
be just as dangerous to drive too far under the speed limit, too.
Right. So try to keep pace with the traffic around you.
And actually, if Ford has their way and everyone uses the Traffic Jam Assist,
this will help relieve congestion on busy roads.
So no more traffic jams.
Yes. And congestion in traffic is a more official word for traffic jam.
Now Carolyn, you mentioned some people drive under the speed limit.
You know, there are lots of... crazy drivers out there.
I know; some drive too quickly, some drive too slowly.
Some drive too closely behind your car, and some...
Hey, you know, I think Steve and Ken have a little bit to say about crazy
drivers, too.
Well, let's join them in the Information Cloud now.
Backseat drivers don't actually drive, but that doesn't stop them from giving
you unwanted advice about how fast you should go or what route you should take.
They think they can make better driving decisions than you, which makes them
pretty annoying.
Yeah. How about the slow poke, or as some people call them, "Sunday drivers"?
They drive like they're out for a leisurely Sunday afternoon drive.
Slow pokes usually drive well below the speed limit, making it dangerous for
other drivers on the road.
Maybe they're sightseeing, looking for a parking place, rubbernecking.
Or maybe they're just plain lost.
So give a slow poke plenty of room especially if you decide to pass them.
Next is the tailgater.
This is the driver who follows way too close, so close that you can't see his
headlights in your rear-view mirror.
That's annoying and dangerous.
Tailgaters tend to be speed demons.
They're always racing to get where they're going.
So stay clear of them, too, if you can.
You know, it's easy for us to get annoyed with other drivers on the road.
But who will we get annoyed with when cars no longer have drivers?
(Chinese).