把视觉错觉和路上的车辆联系在一起时， 人们想到的往往是超速、车祸； 其实科学利用视觉错觉恰恰可以减少此类事情的发生。 Believe it or not, optical illusion(视觉错觉) can cut highway crashes. Japan is a case in point.It has reduced automobile crashes on some roads by nearly 75 percent using a simple optical illusion.Bent stripes(条纹), called chevrons(人字形图形), painted on the roads make drivers think that they are driving faster than they really are, and so drivers slow down. Now the American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety in Washington, D．C.is planning to repeat Japan’s success.Starting next year, the foundation will paint chevrons and other patterns of stripes on selected roads around the country to test how well the patterns reduce highway crashes. Excessive(过度的) speed plays a major role in as much as one fifth of all fatal traffic accidents, according to the foundation.To help reduce those accidents, the foundation will conduct its tests in areas where speed-related hazards are the greatest-curves, exit slopes, traffic circles, and bridges. Some studies suggest that straight, horizontal bars painted across roads can initially(最初地) cut the average speed of drivers in half.However, traffic often returns to full speed within months as drivers become used to seeing the painted bars. Chevrons, scientists say, not only give drivers the impression that they are driving faster than they really are but also make a lane appear to be narrower.The result is a longer lasting reduction in highway speed and the number of traffic accidents. Section Ⅰ Welcome to the unit & Reading—Warming Up 1．forecast vt.& n． 预测， 预报 2．glance vi.& n. 瞥一眼， 匆匆看 3．approach vi.& vt. 靠近；着手处理 n.靠近；方法；路径 4．narrow adj. 狭窄的 5．grasp vt. 抓紧， 抓牢 6．confuse vt.使糊涂， 使迷惑→confusion n．惶惑；混乱→confusing adj.使人困惑的；令人费解的→confused adj.困惑的；混乱的 7．observe vt.观察；注意到；评论→observation n．观察；观察力；注意；评论 8．hesitate vi.犹豫， 迟疑不决→hesitation n．犹豫；踌躇→hesitated adj.犹豫的；踌躇的 9．relief n．轻松， 宽慰→relieve v．救济；减轻；解除 10．firmly adv.牢牢地， 坚定地→firm n．公司；商行 adj.坚定的；结实的 v．(使)变得坚实；确定 1．in_sight 看得到， 在视力范围之内 2．wish_for 盼望， 企盼 3．reach_out 伸出(手) 4．stare_up_at 抬头凝视 5．watch_out_for 留心， 密切注意 6．come_to_one’s_aid 来帮助某人 7．in_relief 轻松地， 宽慰地 8．pay_back 偿还；报答 9．in_the_future 将来 10．get_across (使)越过， (使)横穿马路；(使)被了解 1．状语从句的省略 Once_out_in_the_street(一到大街上), she walked quickly towards her usual bus stop. 2．that引导同位语从句 As Polly observed the passengers on the train, she had a feeling that_she_was_being_watched_by_a_tall_man_in_a_dark_overcoat(一个穿黑色大衣的高个子男人一直在注视着她)． 3．nowhere to be done到处都不…… The tall man was nowhere_to_be_seen(到处都看不到)． 4．wh-ever引导让步状语从句 Outside, wherever_she_looked(无论她往哪儿看)the fog lay like a ... ...
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