Wedon’thaverushhoursanymore”saidCharlesM.Mcleanwhorunthenation’sbusiestroad.“Wehaverushperiodsandtheykeepgettinglongerandlonger.”McleanwasdescribingChicago’s235milesofexpressway(高速公路)

Question

We don’t have rush hours any more ” said Charles M. Mclean who run the nation’s busiest road. “We have rush periods and they keep getting longer and longer.”

  Mclean was describing Chicago’s 235 miles of expressway(高速公路) but the same might be said about almost any of the expressways that have become an important part of the American city life—and about the heavy traffic that often blocks them. In Chicago a computerized system(系统) that controls(控制) traffic on the city’s seven expressways has been developed. Now one man a —controller—can follow the movement of Chicago’s traffic by looking at a set of lights.

The system uses electronic sensors( 传感器)that are built into each expressway half a mile apart. Several times a second the computer receives information from each sensor and translates it into green yellow or red lights on a map in the control room.

 A green light means traffic is moving 45 miles an hour yellow means 30 to 45 miles an hour and red means heavy traffic –cars standing still or moving less than 30 miles an hour.

“See that red light near Austin Avenue?” The controller asked a visitor ” That’s a repair truck fixing the road and the traffic has to go around it.”

At the Roosevelt Road entrance to the expressway the light kept changing from green to red and back to green again.” A lot of trucks get on the expressway there ” the controller explained.” They can’t speed up as fast as cars.”

The sensors show immediately where an accident or a stopped car is blocking traffic and a truck is sent by radio to clear the road.

The system has lowered the number of accidents by 18%.There are now 1.4 deaths on Chicago’s expressways for each 100 million miles traveled while in other parts of the country there are 2.6.

Traffic experts say that the Chicago system is the “coming thing ” and systems like Chicago’s are already in use on some expressways in Los Angeles and Houston.” Chicago has taken the lead.” says New York City’s traffic director.

1. What would be the best title for this passage?

   A. Computerized Traffic Control System

   B. Rush Period Getting Longer

   C. The Nation’s Busiest Road

   D. Sensors on Expressways

2. How does the controller follow Chicago traffic?

   A. By learning how to use a computer.

   B. By waiting for the red light to turn to green.

   C. By watching the sensors into the expressways.

   D. By looking at a set of lights on the map in the control room.

3. Which color shows that the traffic moves the fastest?

   A. Red           B. Yellow          C. Green        D. Black

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

   A. There were more accidents on Chicago’s expressways before the system is in use.

   B. When there is an accident or a stopped car a truck will be sent to clear the road.

   C. Houston has used the system before Chicago.

   D. It is easy for Charles M. Mclean to follow the movement of Chicago’s traffic.

Answer 1

1A  2D  3C  4C