一、原文翻译
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?一小群无人机可以保证铁路的安全性和可靠性,同时,帮助铁路运营商每年节省数十亿欧元吗?
That is the very likely future of applying today's "eyes in the sky" technology to making 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.这是很有可能的，未来应用今天的“天上的眼睛”技术来确保数百万公里的铁路和基础设施在世界范围内是安全的，对于在24/7的基点上的火车来说。
Drones are already being used to examine high-tension electrical lines.无人机已经被用于检查高压电线。
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.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。
The more regularly they can be inspected, the more railway safety, reliability and on-time performance will be improved.越定期检查，铁路的安全性、可靠性和准点率就越高。
Costs would be cut and operations would be more efficient（高效）across the board.成本会在各个方面降低和操作将更有效(高效)。
That includes huge savings in maintenance costs and better protection of railway personnel safety.这包括大幅节省维护成本和更好地保护铁路人员安全。
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。
That can be dangerous work that could be avoided with drones assisting the crews' efforts.这可能是一项危险的工作，在无人机的协助下可以避免。
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.通过使用最新的技术，无人机还可以开始为铁路提供更有价值的服务，在铁路或列车转轨出现故障之前就能检测到它们，避免出现任何安全问题。
To perform these tasks, drones for rail don't need to be flying overhead.为了完成这些任务，铁路无人机不需要在头顶飞行。
Engineers are now working on a new concept: the rail drones of the future.工程师们现在正在研究一个新概念:未来的铁路无人机。
They will be moving on the track ahead of the train, and programmed to run autonomously.它们将在列车前方的轨道上运行，并被设定为自动运行。
Very small drones with advanced sensors and AI and travelling ahead of the train could guide it like a co-pilot.配备了先进传感器和人工智能的小型无人机可以像副驾驶员一样引导火车前进。
With their ability to see ahead, they could signal any problem, so that fast-moving trains would be able to react in time.他们有预见未来的能力，可以提前告知出现的任何问题，这样快速行驶的列车就能及时做出反应。
8．What makes the application of drones to rail lines possible?是什么使得无人机在铁路上的应用成为可能?
A.The use of drones in checking on power lines.
使用无人机检查输电线。
B.Drones' ability to work at high altitudes.
无人机在高海拔工作的能力。
C．The reduction of cost in designing drones.
无人机设计成本的降低。
D．Drones' reliable performance in remote areas.
无人机在偏远地区的可靠性能。
9．What does "maintenance" underlined in paragraph 3 refer to?
第3段划线的“维护”指的是什么?
A．Personnel safety.
人员的安全。
B．Assistance from drones.
无人机的帮助。
C.Inspection and repair.
检查和修复。
D．Construction of infrastructure.
基础设施建设。
10．What function is expected of the rail drones?
轨道无人机的预期功能是什么?
A.To provide early warning.
提供早期预警。
B．To make trains run automatically.
使火车自动运行。
C．To earn profits for the crews.
为船员赚取利润。
D．To accelerate transportation.
加快运输。
11．Which is the most suitable title for the text?
哪一个标题最适合这篇文章?
A．What Faults Can Be Detected with Drones
无人机能检测出哪些故障
B．How Production of Drones Can Be Expanded
如何扩大无人机生产
C．What Difficulty Drone Development Will Face
无人机发展将面临怎样的困难
D．How Drones Will Change the Future of Railways
无人机将如何改变铁路的未来
二、答案解析
【答案】8．B 9．C 10．A 11．D
【知识点】主旨大意题；推理判断题；词义猜测题；科普环保类；说明文
【解析】【分析】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。
【点评】本题考点涉及推理判断，词义猜测和主旨大意三个题型的考查，是一篇科技类阅读，通读全文，理解文章大意，阅读题目后返回原文阅读并找出与题目相对应的内容，仔细核对，选择符合原文原意的答案，完成后再次阅读并检查。
8．考查推理判断。根据第二段中的“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。
9．考查词义猜测。根据第三段中的“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。可知花在检修上的费用是用于检查和维修铁路基础设施，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， maintenance 应是“检修”之意。故选C。
10．考查推理判断。根据最后一段中的 “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。 凭借他们的预见能力，他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。可知对于无人机期待的功能是提前发现问题。故选A。
11．考查主旨大意。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 making 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；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，可知本文介绍了无人机将如何改变铁路的未来，“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。
