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(2020年7月浙江卷)
The traffic signals along Factoria Boulevard in Bellevue，Washington，generally don’t flash the same length of green twice in a row，especially at rush hour. At 9：30 a．m. ，the full red/yellow/green signal cycle might be 140 seconds. By 9：33 a．m. ，a burst of additional traffic might push it to 145 seconds. Less traffic at 9：37 a．m. could push it down to 135．Just like the traffic itself，the timing of the signals changes.
That is by design. Bellevue，a fastgrowing city just east of Seattle，uses a system that is gaining popularity around the US：intersection(十字路口)signals that can adjust in real time to traffic conditions. These lights，known as adaptive signals，have led to significant declines in both the trouble and cost of travels between work and home.
“Adaptive signals can make sure that the traffic demand that is there is being addressed，” says Alex Stevanovic，a researcher at Florida Atlantic University.
For all of Bellevue’s success，adaptive signals are not a cureall for jammed roadways. Kevin Balke，a research engineer at the Texas A&M University Transportation Institute，says that while smart lights can be particularly beneficial for some cities，others are so jammed that only a sharp reduction in the number of cars on the road will make a meaningful difference. “It’s not going to fix everything，but adaptive signals have some benefits for smaller cities，”he says.
In Bellevue，the switch to adaptive signals has been a lesson in the value of welcoming new approaches. In the past，there was often an automatic reaction to increased traffic：just widen the roads，says Mark Poch，the Bellevue Transportation Department’s traffic engineering manager. Now he hopes that other cities will consider making their streets run smarter instead of just making them bigger.
( )1．What does the underlined word“that” in Paragraph 2 refer to?
A．Increased length of green lights.
B．Shortened traffic signal cycle.
C．Flexible timing of traffic signals.
D．Smooth traffic flow on the road.
( )2．What does Kevin Balke say about adaptive signals?
A．They work better on broad roads.
B．They should be used in other cities.
C．They have greatly reduced traffic on the road.
D．They are less helpful in cities seriously jammed.
( )3．What can we learn from Bellevue’s success?
A．It is rewarding to try new things.
B．The old methods still work today.
C．It pays to put theory into practice.
D．The simplest way is the best way.
【语篇解读】本文是一篇说明文。文章介绍了华盛顿贝尔维尤的法克托利亚大道采用了可以根据交通状况实时调整信号灯时间的自适应信号灯，大大缓解了交通压力。
1．C 代词指代题。代词that多指代上文内容。根据文章第一段最后一句，即本段主题句“Just like the traffic itself，the timing of the signals changes. ”可知，that指代信号灯时间随交通状况而变化这一情况，也就是C项“交通信号灯时间的灵活控制”。故选C项。
2．D 推理判断题。根据题干中的Kevin Balke可定位到第四段。根据本段中的“adaptive signals are not a cureall for jammed roadways”以及“others are so jammed that only a sharp reduction in the number of cars on the road will make a meaningful difference”可知，自适应信号灯不是解决交通拥堵问题的灵丹妙药，在一些拥挤不堪的城市，只有大幅减少道路上的汽车数量才会产生有意义的影响。由此可推知，凯文·巴尔克认为自适应信号灯在交通拥堵严重的城市没那么有用。故选D项。
3．A 推理判断题。根据最后一段第一句“In Bellevue，the switch to adaptive signals has been a lesson in the value of welcoming new approaches. ”可知，贝尔维尤改用自适应信号灯给我们上了一课，让我们意识到乐于接受新方法的价值所在。由此可推知从贝尔维尤的成功中我们可以学到：尝试新事物是值得的。故选A项。
