阅读理解
A
Traffic lights,or traffic signals,are located on most major corners in cities and towns around the world.The red,yellow and green lights let us know when it is safe to drive through the intersection(十字路口) and when to walk across the street as well as when to stop and let other drivers,bikers and pedestrians take their turns to continue on their way.
Traffic jams were a problem even before the invention of the automobile.Horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians crowded the roads of London in the 1860s.A British railway manager,John Peake Knight,suggested adapting a railroad method for controlling traffic.
Railroads used a semaphore(信号) system with small arms extending from a pole to indicate whether a train could pass or not.In Knight's adaptation,semaphores would signal “stop” and “go” during the day,and at night red and green lights would be used.Gas lamps would light up the sign at night.A police officer would be stationed next to the signals to operate them.
The world's first traffic signal was installed in 1868,at the intersection of Bridge Street and Great George Street in the London borough(行政区) of Westminster,near the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Bridge.It was a success and Knight predicted more would be installed.
However,only one month later,a police officer controlling the signal was badly injured when a leak in a gas main caused one of the lights to explode in his face.The project was declared a public health hazard and immediately dropped.
Following the accident,about four decades passed before traffic signals began to grow in popularity again,mainly in the United States as more automobiles hit the road.The early 1900s saw several patents being filed,each with a different innovation to the basic idea.
The first electric traffic light using red and green lights was invented by Lester Farnsworth Wire,a police officer in Salt Lake City,Utah.Wire's traffic signal resembled a four-sided bird house mounted on a tall pole.It was placed in the middle of an intersection and was powered by overhead trolley wires.A police officer had to manually switch the direction of the lights.
1.What benefit do traffic lights bring to the world?
A.They let the pedestrians know how to cross the intersection.
B.They decorate most main corners in cities and towns around the world.
C.They help to solve the problems of traffic blocks.
D.They keep us safe by stopping drivers,bikers and pedestrians.
2.What can we learn from Paragraphs 2 & 3?
A.Knight invented electric traffic lights to ease traffic jams.
B.A semaphore system contained small arms extending from a pole to guide trains.
C.Semaphores only worked during the day.
D.Knight's signal system required a policeman to guard it all day.
3.The purpose of the author mentioning the explosion of the first traffic signal is to .
A.tell us the success of the first traffic signal
B.show the awkwardness of the first traffic signal
C.show how careless the police officer was
D.tell us Knight's determination
4.What is the main factor behind the rapid development of traffic signals?
A.The improvement of the traffic signals.
B.The emergence of large numbers of cars.
C.The accident caused by the traffic signals.
D.More automobile accidents on the road.
5.What could be the best title for the passage?
A.Who invented the traffic light?
B.A boom in traffic lights
C.The history of traffic lights
D.The mystery of traffic lights
