Car Thieves Could Be Stopped Remotely. Q! X6 H7 {% |) z: j. H1 y
Speeding off in a stolen car, the thief thinks he has got a great catch.But he is in a nasty surprise.The car is fitted with a remote immobilizer(使车辆不能调动的装置), and a radio signal from a control center miles away will ensure that once the thief switches the engine _1_ ,he will not be able to start it again.& v' k! i: m4 A- L
For now, such devices _2_ only available for fleets of trucks and specialist vehicles used on construction sites.But remote immobilization technology could soon start to trickle down to ordinary cars.and _3_ be available to ordinary cars in the UK _4_ two months.
9 F& Y) | h" v/ `. |, ^) a The idea goes like this.A control box fitted to the car incorporates _5_ miniature cellphone,a microprocessor and memory, and a GPS satellite positioning receiver. _6_ the car is stolen, a coded cellphone signal will tell the unit to block the vehicle’s engine management system and prevent the engine _7_ restarted.
) Z0 d1 Z8 E0 O' D8 E' B& } There are even plans for immobilizers _8_ shut down vehicles on the move,though there are fears over the safety implications of such a system.; T9 u9 x1 A5 g6 l
In the UK.an array of technical fixes is already making _9_ harder for car thieves.“The pattern of vehicles crime has changed,”says Martyn Randall of Thatcham.a security research organization based in Berkshire that is funded in part _10_ the motor insurance industry.
; h `. p2 J( d' y0 s2 Q- i. | He says it would only take him a few minutes to _11_ a novice how to steal a car, using a bare minimum of tools.But only if the cal-is more than 10 years old.- {9 K& D0 L: {" Q8 ]
Modern cars are a far tougher proposition,as their engine management computer will not _12_ them to start unless they receive a unique ID code beamed out by the ignition key.In the UK,technologies like this _13_ achieve a 31 per cent drop in vehicle-related crime since 1997.
" o% D, U+ S! [ But determined criminals ore still managing to find other ways to steal cars.Often by getting hold of the owner’s keys in a burglary.In 2000,12 per cent of vehicles stolen in the UK were taken using the owner’s keys double the previous year’s figure.! q& J( _ O9 ~
Remote-controlled immobilization system would _14_ a major new obstacle in the criminal’s way by making such thefts pointless.A group that includes Thatcham,the police,insurance companies and security technology firms have developed standards for a system that could go on the market sooner than the _15_ expects.
* g& ^0 ^, N0 f 词汇:' o7 c. b) I6 N( E: l: S0 s
immobilizer/n.使车辆不能调动的装置
: @ d% U# v" C( a3 a3 j trickle/v.慢慢移动7 x# P) E/ D7 S4 g* ~
cellphone/n.移动电话,手机
" ^; T; m6 m2 j b immobilization/n.使车辆不能调动
; C" `# ~- M) c) Z" `! y ignition/n.点火- }9 W1 R' @9 l5 Y8 X# e2 T9 W
burglary/n.夜窃行为;盗窃" I" z' m2 a% d
1. A) off B)on C)at D)of6 ]" T, l* k/ {+ b6 f) U
2. A) is B)was C)were D)are# ~8 Z _; f$ T: n
3. A) can B)have to C)need to D)should
+ Q j6 h: u/ R6 _ 4. A) after B)for C)in D)at3 K- f8 V# _9 H2 }
5. A) the B)/ C)a D)an
. L9 ?$ R: f! g' H 6. A) With B)If C)But D)And. \4 {+ x6 W7 W$ M+ }+ X
7. A) helping B)being C)get D)be
" c, B: \' @3 | 8. A) whose B)who C)that D)when
+ |1 h; \9 z% X A G( R$ n 9. A) life B)Cars C)warning D)problem
+ k& j: j R, W6 }- m' B$ B9 ` 10. A) about B)to C)by D)on
+ ~ s$ Q% @$ I4 N 11. A) use B)inform C)ask D)teach y: N3 H% m$ S" t4 Y& x4 Y
12. A) let B)allow C)make D)give
5 a( Z0 y8 a. u" f3 x 13. A) have helped B)helped C)had helped D)was helped l. ]/ [3 G$ B: X) C/ ^$ M
14. A) speak B)have C)link D)put
/ k# ^ ^! Z: T' M 15. A) lawyer B)doctor C)customer D)specialist: W( U% R( T1 Q1 ]$ `
& u$ Y( U k; k! F. I ! ?& v$ h7 D" W
# q5 P6 M# v! ~( t& H: M3 \ |