問題詳情：
The traffic signals along Factoria Boulevard in Bellevue, Washington, generally don't flash the same length of green twice in a row, especially at rush hour. At 9:30am, the full red/yellow/green signal cycle might be 140 seconds. By 9:33am, a burst of additional traffic might push it to 145 seconds. Less traffic at 9:37am could push it down to 135. Just like the traffic itself, the timing of the signals changes.
That is by design. Bellevue, a fast-growing city just east of Seattle, uses a system that is gaining popularity around the US: intersection(十字路口) signals that can adjust in real time to traffic conditions. These lights, known as adaptive signals, have led to significant declines in both the trouble and cost of travels between work and home.
“Adaptive signals can make sure that the traffic demand that is there is being addressed, ” says Alex Stevanovic, a researcher at Florida Atlantic University.
For all of Bellevue’s success, adaptive signals are not a cure-all for jammed roadways. Kevin Balke, a research engineer at the Texas A&M University Transportation Institute, says that while smart lights can be particularly beneficial for some cities, others are so jammed that only a sharp reduction in the number of cars on the road will make a meaningful difference. “It’s not going to fix everything, but adaptive signals have some benefits for smaller cities,” he says.
In Bellevue, the switch to adaptive signals has been a lesson in the value of welcoming new approaches. In the past, there was often an automatic reaction to increased traffic: just widen the roads, says Mark Poch, the Bellevue Transportation Department’s traffic engineering manager. Now he hopes that other cities will consider making their streets run smarter instead of just making them bigger.
25. What does the underlined word “that” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. Increased length of green lights. B. Shortened traffic signal cycle.
C. Flexible timing of traffic signals. D. Smooth traffic flow on the road.
26. What does Kevin Balke say about adaptive signals?
A. They work better on broad roads.
B. They should be used in other cities.
C. They have greatly reduced traffic on the road.
D. They are less helpful in cities seriously jammed.
27. What can we learn from Bellevue’s success?
A. It is rewarding to try new things. B. The old methods still work today.
C. I pays to put theory into practice. D. The simplest way is the best way.
【回答】
25. C 26. D 27. A
【解析】
這是一篇説明文。美國華盛頓州的Bellevue採用了能隨交通狀況而調節交通燈時間的適應*信號燈，大大緩解了交通壓力，也表明人們對於交通阻塞問題不再只是拓寬道路，而是能夠採用新方法。
【25題詳解】
指代猜測題。That位於第二段句首，應是指代第一段的內容。根據第一段內容尤其是第一段最後一句“Just like the traffic itself, the timing of the signals changes.(就像交通本身一樣，信號燈的時間也會變化)”可知，第一段主要講述的是信號燈的時間會靈活變化；“That is by design.”意為“那是有意為之”，由此可推知，That指代第一段中“信號燈的靈活時間”。故選C項。
【26題詳解】
推理判斷題。根據第四段第一句中“adaptive signals are not a cure-all for jammed roadways(但自適應信號並不是解決擁堵道路的萬能*)”及第二句中“others are so jammed that only a sharp reduction in the number of cars on the road will make a meaningful difference(其他城市交通堵塞如此嚴重，只有減少道路上的車輛才能起有意義的作用) ”可推知，Kevin Balke認為適應*信號燈對於交通堵塞很嚴重的城市沒有太大幫助。故選D項。
【27題詳解】
推理判斷題。根據第二段最後一句“These lights, known as adaptive signals, have led to significant declines in both the trouble and cost of travels between work and home.(這些燈，被稱為適應*信號燈，已經大大減少了通勤的麻煩和花費)”最後一段第一句“In Bellevue, the switch to adaptive signals has been a lesson in the value of welcoming new approaches.(在Bellevue，對適應*信號燈的轉變是一個在歡迎新方法的價值方面的榜樣)”可推知，從Bellevue的成功中可以得出，嘗試新事物是值得的。故選A項。
知識點：科普環保類閲讀
題型：閲讀理解
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