In many parts of the world, cars play an important role in daily life and many societies would not exist without them.
1 But this is the prediction made by a team of transport researchers who are taken seriously, not only by government but also by car manufacturers.
The Human Science and Advanced Technology Institute at Loughborough in the UK is part of an international research program.
2 That will mean much saving, no accidents and better use of roads. The super-intelligent car in the future will drive itself.
3 Instead, we will have a choice of cars and change them as frequently as we change our clothing.
According to Dr. David Davis, who leads the research team, these predictions are based on the rising cost of the car culture, which had blocked up our cities, polluted our air, and caused more deaths than both world wars put together.
Davis says, cars will be fitted with some intelligent devices(装置) to regulate(调节) the distance between one car and another.
4 computers are much safer drivers than people, so cars in a road train will be able to drive much closer together than cars driven by people.
By 2010, Dr. David Davis believes, car technology will give motorists a clear view of the road, whatever the weather conditions, by projecting an image of the road ahead on to the car’s windscreen.
5 Cars will be connected by an electronic tow bar to the car in front to form “road-trains”. “The front vehicle in such a train burns the normal amount.”says Davis. “but all the others in the train would burn about ten percent of the normal amount, and so produce about ten percent of the pollution.”
A. The team there believes that by 2030 all cars will be computerized.
B. They believe that cars will become more important in 20 years.
C. And it will not be owned by one individual.
D. And by 2030, cars will travel in line, linked to each other electronically.
E. So the idea that in 20 years’ time, no one will own cars may be hard to believe.
F. Every driver will use less fuel in the car he owns.
G. The car will automatically speed up, or slow down, to match the speed of the car in front.
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