Answer Explanation - Driverless Cars
- Details
- Last Updated: Wednesday, 26 March 2025 16:04
- Written by IELTS Mentor
- Hits: 229
Answer Explanation - Driverless Cars
Go to the Reading Passage: Reading Test 119: Passage 2 - Driverless Cars
Reading Passage "Driverless Cars" Answer Explanation:
Questions 14–18:
The reading passage has seven sections, A-G.
Which section contains the following information?
Write the correct letter, A–G, in boxes 14–18 on your answer sheet.
Question 14: reference to the amount of time when a car is not in use.
Answer: C.
Keywords: amount of time, car not in use.
Explanation: In Section C, sentence 2, the passage mentions that the average car spends more than 90 percent of its life parked, indicating the significant amount of time vehicles are not in use.
Here, "more than 90 percent of its life parked" = "amount of time when a car is not in use".
Evidence: "... ... At present, the average car spends more than 90 percent of its life parked."
Therefore, the correct answer is: C.
Question 15: mention of several advantages of driverless vehicles for individual road-users.
Answer: B.
Keywords: advantages, driverless vehicles, individual road-users.
Explanation: Section B outlines multiple benefits of driverless vehicles for individual users, including increased safety by reducing human error, freeing up time for other activities during travel, and providing greater autonomy for older or disabled travelers.
Here, "safety," "free the time people spend driving," and "greater travel autonomy" are "several advantages for individual road-users".
Evidence: "... Automation may help to reduce the incidence of this."... "If the vehicle can do some or all of the driving, it may be possible to be productive, to socialise or simply to relax..." "Those who are challenged by existing mobility models – such as older or disabled travellers – may be able to enjoy significantly greater travel autonomy."
Therefore, the correct answer is: B.
Question 16: reference to the opportunity of choosing the most appropriate vehicle for each trip.
Answer: E.
Keywords: choosing, most appropriate vehicle, each trip.
Explanation: In the first paragraph in Section E, the text discusses a model where consumers access a range of vehicles through a mobility provider, allowing them to select the one that best suits their needs for a particular journey. The text in this paragraph suggests that automation (or driverless vehicles) provides the opportunity for customers to select appropriate vehicles for different trips.
Here, "freedom to select one that best suits their needs for a particular journey" = "opportunity of choosing the most appropriate vehicle for each trip".
Evidence: "If we move to a model where consumers are tending not to own a single vehicle but to purchase access to a range of vehicle through a mobility provider, drivers will have the freedom to select one that best suits their needs for a particular journey."
Therefore, the correct answer is: E.
Question 17: an estimate of how long it will take to overcome a number of problems.
Answer: G.
Keywords: estimate, how long, overcome, problems.
Explanation: The first sentence in section G provides an estimate that, through robust and targeted research, challenges related to automated vehicles can most probably be conquered within the next 10 years.
Here, "conquered within the next 10 years" means "estimate of how long it will take to overcome problems".
Evidence: "It’s clear that there are many challenges that need to be addressed but, through robust and targeted research, these can most probably be conquered within the next 10 years."
Therefore, the correct answer is: G.
Question 18: a suggestion that the use of driverless cars may have no effect on the number of vehicles manufactured.
Answer: D.
Keywords: driverless cars, no effect, number of vehicles manufactured.
Explanation: Section D in the second paragraph discusses that although automated vehicles might reduce vehicle ownership by 43%, the average annual mileage would double, leading to more intensive use and potentially faster replacement rates. This faster rate of turnover may mean that vehicle production will not necessarily decrease.
This text suggests a couple of things: a) vehicle ownership will reduce by 43%. b) average annual milage will double. c) more use of cars and faster replacement d) that vehicle production may not necessarily decrease.
Here, "vehicle production will not necessarily decrease" = "no effect on the number of vehicles manufactured".
Evidence: ... ... "This faster rate of turnover may mean that vehicle production will not necessarily decrease."
Therefore, the correct answer is: D.
Questions 19–22:
Complete the summary below.
Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answer.
Question 19: Figures from the Transport Research Laboratory indicate that most motor accidents are partly due to ...................., so the introduction of driverless vehicles will result in greater safety.
Answer: human error.
Keywords: Transport Research Laboratory, motor accidents, partly due to.
Explanation: The first paragraph in Section B explains that research at the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory has demonstrated that a significant proportion of motor accidents are attributed to human error. By introducing driverless vehicles, which eliminate the human element in driving, the likelihood of such errors decreases, thereby enhancing safety on the roads.
Here, "indicates that" = "demonstrates that", "most motor accidents" = "a significant proportion of motor accidents", and "partly due to" = "are attributed to".
Evidence: "... One frequently cited motive is safety; indeed, research at the UK’s Transport Research Laboratory has demonstrated that more than 90 percent of road collisions involve human error as a contributory factor, and it is the primary cause in the vast majority. Automation may help to reduce the incidence of this."
Therefore, the correct answer is: human error.
Question 20: In addition to the direct benefits of automation, it may bring other advantages. For example, schemes for .................... will be more workable, especially in towns and cities, resulting in fewer cars on the road.
Answer: car-sharing.
Keywords: direct benefits of automation, bring advantages, schemes, towns and cities, fewer cars.
Explanation: The text in Section C (the last two sentences) mentions that automation can facilitate car-sharing schemes, particularly in urban areas. This means that multiple individuals can use a single vehicle at different times, reducing the total number of cars needed and decreasing congestion in cities.
Here, "benefits" = "advantages",
Evidence: ... "Automation means that initiatives for car-sharing become much more viable, particularly in urban areas with significant travel demand. If a significant proportion of the population choose to use shared automated vehicles, mobility demand can be met by far fewer vehicles."
Therefore, the correct answer is: car-sharing.
Question 21: According to the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, there could be a 43 percent drop in .................... of cars.
Answer: ownership.
Keywords: University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, 43 percent drop of.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 in Section D refers to a study by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, which projects a 43% reduction in car ownership due to driverless cars (car automation).
Here, "reduce" = "drop of".
Evidence: "... ... Modelling work by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute suggests automated vehicles might reduce vehicle ownership by 43 percent, ... ... ... "
Therefore, the correct answer is: ownership.
Question 22: However, this would mean that the yearly .................... of each car would, on average, be twice as high as it currently is.
Answer: mileage.
Keywords: yearly, each car, twice as high.
Explanation: Paragraph 2 in Section D explains that while car ownership might decrease by 43%, but the annual mileage per vehicle is expected to double. This implies that each car would be used more intensively, covering greater distances (double than it does now) over the year.
Evidence: "... ... ... but that vehicles’ average annual mileage double as a result."
Therefore, the correct answer is: mileage.
Questions 23–26:
Questions 23 and 24:
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Write the correct letters in boxes 23 and 24 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO benefits of automated vehicles does the writer mention?
Answers:
C. (Travellers could spend journeys doing something other than driving)
D. (People who find driving physically difficult could travel independently)
Keywords: benefits, driverless cars, writer mentions.
Explanation: Section B of the reading passage highlights several benefits of automated vehicles including:
-- safety: as vehicle automation will reduce accidents caused by human errors.
-- to free the time people spend driving for other purposes which means to be productive, to socialise or simply to relax while automation system drives the car.
-- older or disabled travellers – may be able to enjoy significantly greater travel autonomy.
Now if we look at the options given in A to E, we notice that option C (Travellers could spend journeys doing something other than driving) is talking about "to free the time people spend driving for other purposes- to be productive, to socialise or simply to relax while automation system drive the car", and option D (People who find driving physically difficult could travel independently) is talking about older or disabled travellers – may be able to enjoy significantly greater travel autonomy. Other benefits that are given in A, B and F, are not mentioned in the reading passage.
Evidence: "... ... ... One frequently cited motive is safety; ... ... ... . Automation may help to reduce the incidence of this.
Another aim is to free the time people spend driving for other purposes. If the vehicle can do some or all of the driving, it may be possible to be productive, to socialise or simply to relax while automation systems have responsibility for safe control of the vehicle. If the vehicle can do the driving, those who are challenged by existing mobility models – such as older or disabled travellers – may be able to enjoy significantly greater travel autonomy."
Here, "travel autonomy" = "travel independently".
Therefore, the correct answers are: C and D.
Questions 25 and 26:
Choose TWO letters, A-E.
Write the correct letters in boxes 25 and 26 on your answer sheet.
Which TWO challenges to automated vehicle development does the writer mention?
Answers:
A (making sure the general public has confidence in automated vehicles)
E (getting automated vehicles to adapt to various different driving conditions)
Keywords: challenges, adoption, driverless cars.
Explanation: The reading passage in Section F outlines several challenges in adopting driverless cars including:
-- technical difficulties in ensuring that the vehicle works reliably in the infinite range of traffic...
-- the regulatory challenges in understanding how liability and enforcement might change when drivers are no longer essential for vehicle operation,
-- societal changes that may be required for communities to trust and accept automated vehicles as being a valuable part of the mobility landscape.
Now if we look at the options given in A to E, we notice that "making sure the general public has confidence in automated vehicles" means "societal changes that may be required for communities to trust and accept automated vehicles as being a valuable part of the mobility landscape" and "getting automated vehicles to adapt to various different driving conditions" means "technical difficulties in ensuring that the vehicle works reliably in the infinite range of traffic..."
Other challenges given in options B, C, and D are not mentioned anywhere in the reading passage.
Evidence: There are a number of hurdles to overcome in delivering automated vehicles to our roads. These include the technical difficulties in ensuring that the vehicle works reliably in the infinite range of traffic, weather and road situations it might encounter; the regulatory challenges in understanding how liability and enforcement might change when drivers are no longer essential for vehicle operation; and the societal changes that may be required for communities to trust and accept automated vehicles as being a valuable part of the mobility landscape.
Therefore, the correct answers are: A and E.
This is the end of the answer explanation to the reading passage "Driverless Cars". If you have any queries or questions, please leave a comment and let us know.
Report