Car Thieves Could Be Stopped Remotely
Speeding off1 in a stolen car, the thief thinks he has got a great catch2. But he is in a nasty surprise3. The car is fitted with a remote immobilizer, and a radio signal from a control center miles away will ensure that once the thief switches the engine 1 , he will not be able to start it again.
For now, such devices 2 only available for fleets of trucks4 and specialist vehicles used on construction sites. But remote immobilization technology could soon start to trickle down to ordinary cars5, and 3 be available to ordinary cars in the UK 4 two months.
The idea goes like this. A control box fitted to the car incorporates6 5 miniature cellphone, a microprocessor and memory, and a GPS7 satellite positioning receiver. 6 the car is stolen, a coded cellphone signal will tell the unit to block the vehicle’s engine management system and prevent the engine 7 restarted.
There are even plans for immobilizers 8 shut down vehicles on the moves8, though there are fears over the safety implications of such a system.
In the UK, an array of9 technical fixes10 is already making 9 harder for car thieves. “The pattern of vehicles crime has changed.” says Martyn Randall of Thatcham, a security research organization based in Berkshire11 that is funded in part 10 the motor insurance industry.
He says it would only take him a few minutes to 11 a novice how to steal a car, using a bare minimum of tools12. But only if the car is more than 10 years old.
Modern cars are a far tougher proposition13, as their engine management computer will not 12 them to start unless they receive a unique ID code beamed out14 by the ignition key. In the UK, technologies like this 13 achieve a 31 per cent drop in vehicle-related crime15 since 1997.
But determined criminals are still managing to find other ways to steal cars. Often by getting hold of the owner’s keys in a burglary. In 2000, 12 per cent of vehicles stolen in the UK were taken by using the owner’s keys, which doubles the previous year’s figure.
Remote-controlled immobilization system would 14 a major new obstacle in the criminal’s way by making such thefts pointless. A group that includes Thatcham, the police, insurance companies and security technology firms have developed standards for a system that could go on the market sooner than the expects. 词汇: 15
immobilizer / i5mEubilaizE / n.使车辆不能调动的装置 cellphone n.移动电话,手机 ignition /i^5niFEn / n.点火
trickle /5trikl/ v.慢慢移动 immobilization /i7mEubilai5zeiFEn / n.使车辆不能调动 12 burglary /5bE:^lEri/ n.夜窃行为;盗窃注释:
1. speed off:超速驾驶
2. catch:捕获物,猎获物
3. nasty:very unpleasant or annoying使人不愉快的;烦人的
4. fleets of trucks:卡车队。 Fleet:a group of vessels or vehicles owned or operated as a unit车队
5. trickle down to ordinary cars:慢慢地用到普通汽车上。 trickle:to move or proceed slowly or bit by bit慢慢地或一点一点地移动或前进
6. incorporate:to cause to merge or combine together into a united whole混合,合并到某一整体中
7. GPS:Global Positioning System全球定位系统
8. vehicles on the move:在行驶中的车辆
9. an array of:一群;一批
10. technical fixes:技术装置
11. Berkshire:a county of south-central England贝克郡,位于英格兰中南部
12. a bare minimum of tools:极少的工具。 bare:just sufficient;mere刚刚充足的;仅仅
13. Modern cars are a far tougher proposition:现代车远没有这么简单(偷盗现代车要困难得多 )。Proposition:a matter to be dealt with;a task任务,要处理的事务。
14. beam out:to emit or transmit发送,传送
15. drop in vehicle-related crime:涉及车辆犯罪案的下降。 drop:decrease下降
练习:
1. A of B on C at D of
2. A is B was C were D are
3. A can B have to C need to D should
4. A after B for C in D at
5. A the B / C a D an
6. A With B If C But D And
7. A helping B being C get D be
8. A whose B who C that D when
9. A life B cars C warning D problem
10. A about B to C by D on
11. A use B inform C ask D teach
12. A let B allow C make D give
13. A have helped B helped C had helped D was helped
14. A speak B have C link D put
15. A lawyer B doctor C customer D specialist
答案与题解:
1. A 该段主要是说,如果车被盗,只要发出无线电信号, remote immobilizer就能使被盗车一旦停下就无法再启动。因此,应选择 A。如选择, B switches the engine on(发动引擎 )句子意思便不符合文章内容。 C和 D与 switch不搭配。
2. D devices是复数形式,描述的也是目前的事情,所以应使用 be的现在时复数形式 are。
3. D该句说,这种遥控技术会一点一点地,但很快地用于普通汽车。然后,作者推断,在两个月后这种技术就能用于英国的汽车。 A是错误的选项,因为该句前面用了 could表示委婉的推断,在此不会用 can;B和 C与意思不符; should也是表示推断。
4. C 从搭配上来看,可以选择 B和 C,但是从意思上来看,必须选择 C。for two months:已经有两个月了; in two months:两个月后。不能选择 A,因为不符合英语表达习惯。又如: They will graduate in one year.他们一年后毕业。
5. C 这里应该使用不定冠词,而且 miniature cell phone后面的并列定语都使用不定冠词。不能选择 an,因为它后面的名词由辅音开头。
6. B 从语法结构来看,这里应选择引导状语从句的连词,其他选项都会造成结构错误。而且, If正符合句子的意思。
7. B prevent sth. (from) doing是固定用法, restart这里要用被动语态 being restarted,所以,应选择 B。
8. C从句子的结构来看,这里需要一个关系代词引导定语从句。关系代词的先行词 immobilizers是物不是人,所以只能用 that,不能用 who。
9. A 在四个选项中, B、C和 D显然不符合文章的意思。这里作者要表达的意思是:使……日子难过,所以,应选择 A。
10. C be funded是被动语态,空格后面是名词短语,从句子的意思来判断,这个名词短语是动作 fund的执行者,是谓语动词动作逻辑上的主语,所以必须使用 by来引导这个名词短语。
11. D 这个句子结构是: to take sb. time to do sth.。从意思上判断,句子的意思应该是:他说只要花几分钟就能教会一个新手如何偷盗汽车。所以, D是答案。 use, inform和 ask 都不与 how to结构搭配。
12. B them后跟着 to,所以首先排除 A和 C (let sb. do sth. / make sb. do sth.)。句子的意思不允许选 D。… will not allow them to start …:……不允许它们启动。
13. A 句子后面的时间状语由 since引导,所以句子应该使用现在完成时。
14. D 从 obstacle in the criminal’s way这个名词短语看出,应选择 D,构成 put obstacle in somebody’s way(给某人设置障碍)这种固定用法。
15. C前面有 go on the market,预期的人应该是 customer。当然, specialists,doctor或 lawyer也可以预期,但总及不上 customer那么自然。
2017职称英语综合类B级完形填空辅导(5).doc