Read the following passages and answer the questions that follow. The Future Cars The story ‘The Fun They Had’ takes us to the world of the future where children study in a virtual classroom. The learning is through computer software or the Internet, or by a robotic teacher. Many exciting new technologies would continue to transform the world and improve human welfare. Here are two of them. When these become reality, the then generation may ask with surprise, "People were driving the cars!" Self-driving Cars Self-driving cars exist today that are safer than human driven cars in most driving conditions. Over the next 3–5 years they will get even safer and be in the mainstream. Just as cars reshaped the world in the 20th century, so will self-driving cars in the 21st century. In most cities, about 20–30% of usable space is taken up by parking spaces, and most cars are parked about 95% of the time. Self-driving cars will be in almost continuous use (most likely hailed from a smartphone app), thereby, dramatically reducing the need for parking. Cars will communicate with each other to avoid accidents and traffic jams, and riders will be able to spend commuting time on other activities like work, education and socialising. Drones and Flying Cars "Roads? Where we’re going we don’t need… roads?" Dr Emmet Brown GPS (Global Positioning System) which started out as a military technology is now being used to hail taxis, get mapping directions, etc. Likewise, drones had started out as a military technology, but are increasingly being used for a wide range of consumer and commercial applications. For example, drones are being used to inspect critical infrastructure like bridges and power lines, to survey areas struck by natural disasters, and many other creative uses like fighting animal poaching. There are startups that use drones to deliver medical supplies to remote villages that can’t be accessed by road. There is also a new wave of startups working on flying cars including two funded by the cofounder of Google, Larry Page. Flying cars use the same advanced technology used in drones but are large enough to carry people. Due to advances in materials, batteries and software, flying cars will be significantly more affordable and convenient than today’s planes and helicopters. 1. How will the self-driving cars or driverless cars be safe? 2. What do you understand by ‘cars will communicate with each other’? 3. What are the advantages of self-driving cars? 4. What is the use of GPS? 5. What is a drone? What are its advantages? 6. Which technology will be used in flying cars? 7. How will the flying cars be more convenient than planes and helicopters?
Answers
The correct answers are -
1. It will be safe for self-driving cars or driver less cars because these cars will connect with each other to prevent road accidents and traffic jams.
2. The cars will connect with each other means that cars will be able to sense the approaching other cars and send signals to the other car to slow down to prevent collisions.
3. The advantages of self-driving cars are -
- They will not require a parking as they will be in continuous use
- They can easily avoid accidents and traffic jams
- Riders can get more time to spend on other activities such as working or even socializing.
4. GPS stands for the global positioning system. With the help of GPS, one can locate the position of Earth at any point.
5. Drones are robots which can fly autonomously. Drones are used to inspect vital infrastructures such as bridges, power line faults, avoid smuggling of livestock and even deliver medical supplies to remote or disaster-hit areas.
6. Flying cars will use the same technology as used in the drones.
7. Flying cars will be more comfortable to use than planes thanks to advancements in technology, materials batteries, and the applications.
Explanation:
- The driverless cars or self-driving cars can be safe in most of the driving situations. Self-driving cars get even safer over the next 3–5 years as they avoid traffic jams and accidents.
- ‘Cars will communicate with each other’ means the cars will pass on the information between each other to drive safely.
- The riders can spend quality time on other events like education, work and socialising.
- GPS is Global Positioning System and it can now be used for getting mapping directions, hail taxis, etc.
- Drone is a flying machine, which was initially used in military technology. It is used for surveying the regions affected by natural disasters, for inspecting power lines and bridges and for many other uses like animal poach fighting and delivering medicines to the rural areas.
- Advanced technology uses flying cars.
- More than the helicopters and planes, the flying cars are advantageous because of their batteries, materials and software.