Can a small group of drones ( 无人机 ) guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and, at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today’s “eyes in the sky” technology to make sure that the millions of kilometres of rail tracks and infrastructure ( 基础设施 ) worldwide are safe for trains on a 24/7 basis.
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points. The more regularly they can be inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved. Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient ( 高效 ) across the board.
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety. It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail infrastructure. That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews’ efforts.
By using the latest technologies, drones could also start providing higher-value services for railways, detecting faults in the rail or switches, before they can cause any safety problems. To perform these tasks, drones for rail don’t need to be flying overhead. Engineers are now working on a new concept: the rail drones of the future. They will be moving on the track ahead of the train, and programmed to run autonomously. Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.
28 ． What makes the application of drones to rail lines possible?
A ． The use of drones in checking on power lines. B ． Drones’ ability to work at high altitudes.
C ． The reduction of cost in designing drones. D ． Drones’ reliable performance in remote areas.
29 ． What does “maintenance” underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?
A ． Personnel safety. B ． Assistance from drones.
C ． Inspection and repair. D ． Construction of infrastructure.
30 ． What function is expected of the rail drones?
A ． To provide early warning. B ． To make trains run automatically.
C ． To earn profits for the crews. D ． To accelerate transportation.
31 ． Which is the most suitable title for the text?
A ． What Faults Can Be Detected with Drones
B ． How Production of Drones Can Be Expanded
C ． What Difficulty Drone Development Will Face
D ． How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways
B 29 ． C 30 ． A 31 ． D
【导语】本文是一篇说明文。应用今天的 “ 空中之眼 ” 的技术，无人机能在保证铁路安全可靠的同时又能帮助铁路运营商每年节省数十亿欧元。
28 ．推理判断题。根据文章第二段 “Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines. They could do precisely the same thing to inspect railway lines and other vital aspects of rail infrastructure such as the correct position of railway tracks and switching points.( 无人机已经被用于检查高压电线。他们完全可以做同样的事情来检查铁路线路和铁路基础设施的其他重要方面，如铁路轨道和换乘点的正确位置 )” 可推知，无人机在高空工作的能力使无人机应用于铁路线路成为可能。故选 B 。
29 ．词句猜测题。根据后文 “It is calculated that European railways alone spend approximately 20 billion euros a year on maintenance, including sending maintenance staff, often at night, to inspect and repair the rail infrastructure. ( 据统计，仅欧洲铁路公司每年在铁路维护上的花费就约为 200 亿欧元，其中包括经常在夜间派遣维修人员检查和维修铁路基础设施 )” 可知，花在 maintenance 上的费用是用于 “inspect and repair the rail infrastructure （检查和维修铁路基础设施 ” 。由此可知 “That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety” 是指大幅节省检修成本和更好地保护铁路人员安全，划线词和 C 项： Inspection and repair( 检修 ) 含义相近。故选 C 。
30 ．推理判断题。根据最后一段 “Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot. With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.( 带有先进传感器和人工智能的非常小的无人机可以像副驾驶一样在火车前面行驶。凭借它们的预见能力，它们可以发出任何问题的信号，以便快速行驶的火车能够及时做出反应 )” 可推知，对于无人机期待的功能是提前发现问题。故选 A 。
31 ．主旨大意题。根据第一段 “Can a small group of drones( 无人机 )guarantee the safety and reliability of railways and, at the same time, help railway operators save billions of euros each year? That is the very likely future of applying today’s “eyes in the sky” technology to make sure that the millions of kilometers of rail tracks and infrastructure( 基础设施 )worldwide are safe for trains on a24/7 basis.( 一小群无人机能否在保证铁路安全可靠的同时，帮助铁路运营商每年节省数十亿欧元？这很可能是应用今天的 “ 空中之眼 ” 技术的未来，以确保全球数百万公里的铁路轨道和基础设施全天候安全运行。 )” 以及后文第二段讲到了使用无人机检查电力线路使无人机应用于铁路线路成为可能 ; 第三段讲到了使用无人机大幅节省维护成本和更好地保护铁路人员安全；第四段讲到了通过使用最新的技术，无人机还可以开始为铁路提供更高的价值，可知文章主要讲述了无人机将如何改变铁路的未来，所以 D 项 “ 无人机将如何改变铁路的未来。 ” 符合文章中心思想，适合作为本文的最佳标题。故选 D 。
【点睛】