1 Current Affairs and Issues
How Driverless Cars will Change our World
By Jenny Cusack 30th
November, 2021
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The wheel navigates the
curb, parking as an arrival notification pings on the phone of the person
waiting for it. When they open the door to climb inside, a voice greets them over
the vehicle's sound system. "Good evening, this car is all yours - with no
one upfront," it says.
This is a Waymo One
robotaxi, hailed just 10 minutes ago using an app. The open use of this service
to the public, slowly expanding across the US, is one of the many developments
signaling that driverless technology is truly becoming a part of our lives.
The promise of driverless
technology has long been enticing. It has the potential to transform our
experience of commuting and long journeys, take people out of high-risk working
environments and streamline our industries. It's key to helping us build the
cities of the future, where our reliance and relationship with cars are
redefined - lowering carbon emissions and paving the way for more sustainable
ways of living. And it could make our travel safer. The World Health
Organization estimates that more than 1.3 million people die each year as a
result of road traffic crashes. "We want safer roads and fewer fatalities.
Automation ultimately could provide that," says Camilla Fowler, head of
automated transport for the UK's Transport Research Laboratory (TRL).
But in order for driverless
technology to become mainstream, much still needs to change. "Driverless
vehicles should be a very calm and serene way of getting from A to B. But not
every human driver around it will be behaving in that way." says David
Hynd, chief scientist for safety and investigations at TRL.
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The ultimate vision experts
are working towards is of completely driverless vehicles, both within industry,
wider transport networks. and personal-use cars, that can be deployed and used
anywhere and everywhere around the world.
But with all these hurdles
in place, what exactly does the next 10 years have in store for autonomous
vehicles?
The biggest hurdle for those in the driverless
technology industry is how to get the
cars to operate safely and effectively in complex and unpredictable human
environments. Cracking this part of the puzzle will be the major focus of the
next two years.
At the Mcity Test Facility
at the University of Michigan, experts are addressing this. The world's first
purpose-built testing ground for autonomous vehicles, it is a mini-town of
sorts, made up of 16 acres of road and traffic infrastructure. It includes
traffic signals and signs, underpasses, building facades, tree cover, home and
garage exterior for testing delivery and ride-hailing, and different terrains
such as road, pedestrian walkways, railway tracks, and road-markings which the
vehicles must navigate. It is here that experts test scenarios that even the
most experienced of drivers may be pressed to handle, from children playing in
the street to two cars trying to merge on a junction at the same time.
(Source:
BBC Future)
Vocabulary
1. Current: Present,
Existing - वर्तमान
2. Affair: Matter,
Event - कार्य
3. Issue: Problem,
Concern - मुद्दा
4. Metro area: Metropolitan area - महानगर क्षेत्र
5. Artificial: Synthetic, Man-made - कृत्रिम
6. Glare: Brightness,
Shine - चमक
7. Radiate: Emit,
Transmit - प्रकाशित हुनु
8. Hum: Buzz,
Murmur - गुनगुनाहट
9. Navigates: Guides,
Directs - निर्देश
10. Curb: Restrain,
Control - कर्ब
11. Notification: Alert, Notice - सूचना
12. Ping: Signal,
Ping - पिङ्ग
13. Hail: Greet,
Welcome - स्वागत
14. Enticing: Attractive,
Tempting - आकर्षक
15. Potential: Capability, Possibility - क्षमता
16. Transform: Change, Convert - परिवर्तन गर्नु
17. Experience: Encounter, Knowledge - अनुभव
18. Commuting: Traveling, Journeying - आवागमन
19. Journey: Trip,
Voyage - यात्रा
20. Streamline: Simplify, Rationalize - समायोजन गर्नु
21. Reliance: Dependence,
Trust - आश्रितता
22. Emission: Discharge,
Release - उत्सर्जन
23. Sustainable: Eco-friendly, Renewable
- समृद्धिशील
24. Estimate: Approximation,
Guess - अनुमान
25. Fatalities: Deaths, Casualties - मृत्यु
26. Ultimately: Finally, Eventually - अन्ततः
27. Mainstream: Conventional, Typical - मुख्यधारा
28. Serene: Calm,
Tranquil - शान्त
29. Instance: Example,
Occurrence - उदाहरण
30. Liability: Responsibility, Obligation - दायित्व
31. Vision: Sight,
View - दृष्टि
32. Expert: Specialist,
Professional - विशेषज्ञ
33. Deploy: Utilize,
Employ - नियोजन गर्नु
34. Autonomous: Independent, Self-governing
- स्वायत्त
35. Hurdle: Obstacle,
Barrier - अडचणी
36. Complex: Complicated,
Intricate - जटिल
37. Unpredictable: Uncertain, Unforeseeable
- अनियमित
38. Puzzle: Riddle,
Enigma - पहेली
39. Facility: Amenities, Services - सुविधा
40. Address: Tackle,
Deal with - संवोधन
41. Infrastructure: Framework, System - बुनियादी ढाँचा
42. Pedestrian: Walker, Foot-traveler - पैदल यात्री
43. Navigate: Guide,
Direct - नेभिगेट गर्नु
44. Merge: Combine,
Unite - एकीकरण गर्नु
45. Junction: Intersection,
Crossroad - जंक्सन
A. The following words have two different
meanings. Match each word with the meaning used in the context of the text
above.
a. glare i.
an angry or fierce stare
ii. an intense blinding light
b. curb i.
a stone edging to a pavement or raised path
ii. Something that checks or restrains
c.
hail i.
to call to somebody in order to attract their attention
ii. to describe somebody/something as
being very good or special
d. commute i. to replace a punishment with a less severe one
ii. to travel regularly between work
place and home
e. serene i. calm and peaceful
ii. an expanse of clear sky or calm sea
f. liability i. a person or thing that causes you a lot
of problems
ii. the state of being legally
responsible for something
g. deploy i. to move soldiers or weapons into a
position for an action
ii. to use something effectively
h. autonomous i. a vehicle that
has the technology to drive itself
ii. able to do things and make
decisions without help from anyone else
i. perception i. a belief or an image about how
you see or understand something
ii. the ability to understand
the true nature of something.
B. Choose the correct alternatives to
complete the sentences below.
a. One of the features of automated cars is
that
i. they wait for the passengers.
ii. they approach slowly.
iii. They have their own voice to welcome
people into them.
b. Driverless technology is being widely used
particularly in ......
i. the USA
ii. the UK
iii. the UAE
c. The positive impact of such technology on
the environment is..........
i. it prevents road accidents.
ii. it paves the way to sustainable life.
iii. it reduces carbon production.
d. One of the problems with driverless
technology is that...........
i. it cannot deal with traffic system.
ii. it cannot deal with human drivers.
iii. it cannot cope with other cars.
e. One of the biggest challenges of the
automated cars is
i. its safety from the human environment
ii. human safety from it
iii. its durability in the human environment
f. The automated technology developed so far
is........
i. completely trustworthy
ii. partly trustworthy
iii. not trustworthy
C. Answer the following questions.
a.
Mention any three features of the driverless car.
Three
features of driverless cars are:
1.
Autonomous navigation without a human driver.
2.
Active sensors that monitor the vehicle's surroundings.
3.
Voice system to communicate with passengers.
b.
Describe the benefits of driverless technology.
Benefits
of driverless technology are as follows:
1.
Improved safety:
Reducing human error to lower accident rates.
2.
Efficiency in transportation: Streamlining travel and reducing
congestion.
3.
Potential reduction in accidents and fatalities: Making roads safer.
4.
Environmental sustainability: Lowering carbon emissions by optimizing
driving patterns.
5.
Optimization of industries: Enhancing productivity and reducing costs in sectors
like delivery and logistics.
c.
What, according to Camilla Fowler, is the special advantage of automated
vehicles?
According
to Camilla Fowler, the special advantage of automated vehicles is their
potential to provide safer roads and reduce fatalities by minimizing human
error.
d.
What are the problems with driverless vehicles in David Hynd's views?
Problems
with driverless vehicles in David Hynd's views include challenges in navigating
unpredictable human drivers, ensuring safety in complex environments, and
addressing regulatory and liability issues.
e.
What are scientists doing to make driverless technology safer?
Scientists
are enhancing driverless technology safety through testing and simulation in
realistic environments, scenario-based assessments at specialized facilities
like the Mcity Test Facility, and improving vehicle responses to complex and
unpredictable situations.
f.
Do you think driverless technology is safer than human-controlled driving?
Why?
Driverless
technology has the potential to be safer than human-controlled driving because
it can eliminate human errors such as distracted driving, fatigue, and impaired
driving. Autonomous vehicles can continuously monitor their surroundings and
react faster than humans to prevent accidents. However, they still need to
overcome challenges related to navigating complex environments and interacting
with human drivers to fully realize this potential.
Grammar:
A.
Match the following statements with the correct reported speech and notice how
the statements are changed.
a. Khushi said, "I go to school every
day by bus."
Answer: Khushi said that she went to school
every day by bus.
b. Karma said to me, "I am sorry for
coming late."
Answer: Karma apologized for coming late.
c. Susan says, "I will leave for Bhanu
next week."
Answer: Susan says that she will leave for
Bhanu the following week.
d. Tshering said, "I will surely meet
you this Saturday."
Answer: Tshering promised me to meet that
Saturday.
e. "The bus leaves at six," said
the agent.
Answer: The agent informed us that the bus
left at six.
f. "I have already finished my project
work," said She.
Answer: She said that she had already finished
her project work.
g. "I work from home these days,"
said Yanjal.
Answer: Yanjal said that he worked from home
those days.
B. Complete the following sentences with the
correct reporting
verbs.
advised informed admitted agreed warned
apologized offered promised thanked
a. "I broke the mirror."
He admitted that he had broken
the mirror.
b. "I'd go and see a doctor if I were
you," Pemba said to me.
Pemba advised me to see a
doctor.
c. "I will send you out if you make a
noise again," said the librarian.
The librarian warned me not to
make a noise again.
d. "I can come and help you plant
rice," said Raman.
Raman offered to help me plant
rice.
e. "The classes start from next
week," said the assistant.
The assistant informed us that
the classes start from the following week.
f. Sonam said to me, "Thank you so much
for your help."
Sonam thanked me for my help.
g. "OK. I will return your money by
Saturday," said Prakriti.
Prakriti promised to return my
money by Saturday.
h. "I will really work hard and score
good grades," said Anupam.
Anupam agreed to work hard
and get good grades.
i. "I am sorry for coming late,"
said the speaker.
The speaker apologized for
coming late.