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Traffic statistics paint a gloomy picture. To help solve their traffic woes, some rapidly growing U.S. cities have simply built more roads. But traffic experts say building more roads is a quick-fix solution that will not alleviate the traffic problem in the long run. Soaring land costs, increasing concern over social and environmental disruptions caused by road-building, and the likelihood that more roads can only lead to more cars and traffic are powerful factors bearing down on a 1950s-style construction program.

The goal of smart-highway technology is to make traffic systems work at optimum efficiency by treating the road and the vehicles traveling on them as an integral transportation system. Proponents of the advanced technology say electronic detection systems, closed-circuit television, radio communication, ramp metering, variable message signing, and other smart-highway technology can now be used at a reasonable cost to improve communication between drivers and the people who monitor traffic.

Pathfinder, a Santa Monica, California-based smart-highway project in which a 14-mile stretch of the Santa Monica Freeway, making up what is called a "smart corridor", is being instrumented with buried loops in the pavement. Closed-circuit television cameras survey the flow of traffic, while communication linked to property equipped automobiles advise motorists of the least congested routes or detours.

Not all traffic experts, however, look smart-highway technology as the ultimate solution to traffic gridlock. Some say the high-tech approach is limited and can only offer temporary solutions to a serious problem.

Electronics on the highway addresses just one aspect of the problem: how to regulate traffic more efficiently, explains Michael Renner, senior researcher at the world-watch Institute. "It doesn't deal with the central problem of too many cars for roads that can't be built fast enough. It sends people the wrong message. They start thinking "Yes, there used to be a traffic congestion problem, but that's been solved now because we have, advanced high-tech system in place." Larson agrees and adds, "Smart highways is just one of the tools that we use to deal with our traffic problems. It's not the solution itself, just pan of the package. There are different strategies."

Other traffic problem-solving options being studied and experimented with include car pooling, rapid mass-transit systems, staggered or flexible work hours, and road pricing, a system whereby motorists pay a certain amount for the time they use a highway.

It seems that we need a new, major thrust to deal with the traffic problems of the next 20 years. There has to be a big change.

1.Which of the following is the appropriate title for the passage?

A.Smart Highway Projects — The Ultimate Solution to Traffic Congestion

B.A Quick Fix Solution for the Traffic Problems

C.A Venture to Remedy Traffic Woos

D.Highways Get Smart — Part of the Package to Relieve Traffic Gridlock

2.The compound word "quick-fix" in Sentence 3, Para. 1, is closest in meaning to ______.

A.an optional solution　　B.an expedient solution

C.a ready solution　　　D.an efficient solution

3.According to the passage, the smart-highway technology is aimed to______.

A.develop sophisticated facilities on the interstate highways

B.provide passenger vehicle with a variety of services

C.optimize the highway capabilities

D.improve communication between driver and the traffic monitors

4.According to Larsen, to redress the traffic problem,______.

A.car pooling must be studied

B.rapid mass transit system must be introduced

C.flexible work hours must be experimented

D.overall strategies must be coordinated

5.Which of the following best describes the organization of the whole passage?

A.Two contrasting views of a problem are presented.

B.A problem is examined and complementary solutions are proposed or offered.

C.Latest developments are outlined in order of importance.

D.An innovation is explained with its importance emphasized.

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1.【答案】D。

【解析】A项不正确，依据是文中第四段第一句话“Not all traffic experts... look smart-highway technology as the ultimate solution to traffic gridlock”；B项不正确，依据是第一段第三句话“... building more roads is a quick-fix solution”，修建更多的马路是临时性的方法，而本文主要讲的并不是修路；C项不正确，本文主要讲的是smart-highway，并没有提到任何对交通事故有弥补作用的方法；D项依据文中倒数第三段的意思，点出文中主旨是smart-highway，并且谨慎地把它只作为part of the package，因此D项为正确答案。

2.【答案】B。

【解析】题中quick-fix的意思是“快速确定的”，即没经过深思熟虑而快速作出的临时解决方案。Expedient（指行动）有用，有助益，可取（但不一定合理或正当）。作名词用时，有“权宜手段”的意思。ready用作定语指头脑敏捷的，如a ready answer to the question 对问题随口而出的回答，a ready solution to the problem对问题的当场解决。因此正确答案为B。

3.【答案】D。

【解析】本题的依据是文中第二段的第一句话“The goal of smart-highway technology is to... as an integral transportation system.”和第二段的最后一句话“... to improve communication between drivers and the people who monitor traffic.”据此可知，smart-highway的目标就是最大效率的整合道路和交通工具，从而整合交通系统，从而使司机和道路监管系统能够得到高效的通信。因此D项为正确答案。

4.【答案】D。

【解析】本题的依据是倒数第三段的最后一句话“Larson agrees and adds, Smart highways is just one... just part of the package. There are different strategies”，从中可知修建高速公路只是解决交通问题的一个方面，还有许多策略都可用来解决交通拥挤。因此选项D正确。

5.【答案】B。

【解析】综观全文，A项不对，本文并没有说交通问题的两种对立观点。C项不对，只介绍了一种新方法，并没有把所有的最新发展都按重要程度列出来。D项的意思是本文主要解释了一种改革，并重点说了其重要性，这显然与原文不符。本文是针对交通问题而介绍其解决方法，中心就是介绍了smart-highway这种运用高科技的新方法，指出了其特点和目前的不足。接着谈到了人们正在研究和实验的其他解决方法。B项中的a problem不是指交通存在的问题，而是指smart-highway，本文主要讲了解决交通问题其中的一个方法，同时又指出了其他的一些方法。因此只有B项是正确答案。