A kind of little cars may take the place of today's big ones many years later. If everyone drives such cars in the future, there will be less pollution in the air. There will also be more space for parking in cities, and the streets will be less crowded.
      The little cars of the future will cost less. Driving will be safer, too, since these little cars can go only 65 kilometers an hour. The cars of the future will be fine for going around a city, but they will not be useful for a long way. Little cars will go 450 kilometers before they need to stop for more gasoline (汽油). If big cars are still used with the small ones, two kinds of roads will be needed in the future. Some roads will be needed for the big, faster cars and other roads will be needed for the small, slower ones.

     Grace, usually known as the Home of Microsoft, is inside an office building in Redmond, Washington. Once you come into the building, you will feel that you're in a modern and future home.

      When you enter the building, Grace's voice, coming from a hidden speaker, tells you your messages. In the kitchen, you set a bag of flour(面粉) on a flat stone table. Grace sees what you're doing and makes a menu of flour-based foods on the table. Once you choose one, Grace gives you ingredients(配料).

There's also a notice board in the kitchen made of “intelligent(智能的) cloth” that works like a touch screen computer. You can deal with postcards and invitations and surf the net with the touch of a finger. The invitations could be encoded(编码). You can deal with them on the computer. It's part of Microsoft's Smart Personal Objects Technology, whose aim is to make every object more efficient(有效率的).

      “The day when your house becomes a member of your family is not far,” says Pam Heath, a manager of Microsoft. At the Andersen Windows Company, Jay Libby imagines that windows made of intelligent glass can be changed into TVs.

      “Nobody wants a television set,” says Libby. “What you want is the service it provides.” If the TV isn't improved, it will disappear in the future.

Home entertainment is one consideration for the future. At the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, scientists are designing systems that will allow old people to live better on their own. So Grandma's home can be cleverly designed to recognize(识别) her ways of waking, sleeping and movement. Family members will be told any change by their computers.

阅读短文，从每小题的选项中选出最佳选项

    Driverless(无人驾驶的)technology is quickly progressing with many cars being tested on roads around the world．Now, researchers in Singapore are testing a self-driving scooter，which has four wheels and a seat．It can move at a speed of up to six kilometers an hour．Researchers said the scooter was built with materials that did not cost much money．

    The scooter was developed by the National University of Singapore．Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology(MIT)also took part in the project．It was designed(设计)for people who cannot，should not or do not want to drive a car．It could help older adults，the disabled or people who are too young to drive．

Marcelo Ang，a researcher at the National University of Singapore，says the scooter can be especially useful for people who use wireless devices(无线设备)while walking on city streets，because there is a sensors(探测器)in it． “I'm sure you have experienced people who almost run into you while using their phones on the street．Would it be so nice to drive the scooter without worrying about the safety?”he says．Besides，developers of the scooter say it can work together with ride—sharing services to make trips completely easy and safe．

The researchers hope the scooter will reduce the need for cars，which can lower pollution and reduce accidents．

    Marcelo Ang says the scooter has completed many successful tests at the university．Kevin Xiangyu Hui，a university student．tested the scooter and said he found the ride was very smooth and safe．“When I sat on this machine．I felt really relaxed and it was really cool．”The scooter has yet to complete lots of road tests so it is not available to buy at present．

C

    Different weather makes people feel different.It has an effect on health，intelligence(智力) and feelings.

    In August，it is very hot and wet in the southern part of the United States.People there have heart trouble and other kinds of health problems during this month.In the Northeast and the Middle West，it is very hot at some times and very cold at other times.People in these states have more heart trouble after the weather changes in February or March.

    The weather can also influence intelligence.For example，in a 1983 report by scientists, the IQ(智商) of a group of students was very high when a very strong wind came，but after the strong wind，their IQ was 10% lower.The wind can help people have higher intelligence.Very hot weather，on the other hand，can make it lower.Students in many schools of the United States often get worse in exams in the hot months of the year(July and August)．

    Weather also has a strong influence (影响)on people's feelings.Winter may be a bad time for thin people.They usually feel cold during these months.They might feel unhappy during cold weather.But fat people may have a hard time in hot summer.At about 18℃，people feel more comfortable.

    Are you feeling sad，tired，or unhappy today？It may be the weather's problem.

    What's sleepwalking(梦游)？Sleepwalking usually happens in the first few hours of sleep. Not all sleepwalkers walk when they are sleeping. Some just sit up or stand on the bed. Some even get up and walk around for a few minutes or half an hour. Some do things as if they were awake, but in fact they are not!

    Sleepwalkers' eyes are open and they usually go back to beds by themselves. But they won't remember it the next morning.

    About 15% of kids sleepwalk. Sleepwalking sometimes happens when a person is ill or worried, or doesn't get enough sleep. If sleepwalking happens often, you should see a doctor. If it doesn't, you don't need to worry. Here are some ways to help stop sleepwalking:

    Listen to some music and relax before going to bed.

    Go to bed at a regular time every night. keep your bedroom quiet and dark when you try sleeping.

    Don't drink a lot of water in the evening and be sure to go to the bathroom before going to bed.

    You eitherhave it, or you don't—a sense of1that is. But2isit that some people could find their way across the Sahara without a map, whileothers can3themselves in the next street?

    Scientistssay were all4with a sense of direction, but it is notproperly understood how it works. One theory is that people with a good sense ofdirection have worked hard at5it. Research being carriedout at Liverpool University supports this idea and suggests that if we don't useit, we lose it.

    Childrenas young as seven have the ability to find their way6,"saysJim Martland, Research Director of the project. "However,7theyare not allowed out alone or are taken everywhere by car, they will8developthe skills. "

    Jim Martlandalso emphasizes that young people should be taught certain9toimprove their sense of direction. He makes the following suggestions:

    If youare using a map, turn it so that it10to the way you are facing

    If youleave your bike in a strange place, put it near11likea big stone or a tree. Note landmarks on the route as you go away from your bike.When you return, go back along the12route.

    Simplifythe way of finding your direction by using lines such as streets in a town, streams,or walls in the countryside to guide you.13yoursteps14you know how far you have gone and note anylandmarks such as tower blocks or hills which can help to find out were you are.

    Now youwill never get lost15!