From
VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report. Around the world1, commuters2 in big cities spend a lot of time3 stuck in traffic4. In America, Los Angeles and
San Francisco tie5
for second place6
on the list of cities with the worst7
traffic.
The
Texas A&M University Transportation Institute says Washington, D.C., is in
first place. Professor Cyrus Shahabi knows about traffic jams8. He lives9 more than 65 kilometers from his office10 at the
University of Southern11
California, in Los Angeles.
He
says he is always late12
for meetings13, even with the help14
of a navigation system15.
So he decided to develop16
an app17 for his mobile phone18 that
would help. The ClearPath app is designed19
to do what other navigation systems cannot20.
Professor
Shahabi says his program uses historical
data21 to predict22
traffic conditions before the driver23
leaves the house24.
The app uses traffic data gathered25
for more than two years from 9,000 sensors on the roads26 of Los Angeles.
It
also27 collects
information on accidents. Cyrus Shahabi says his system does more than28 respond to current29 traffic conditions. With it, he says, a
driver can enter30
what time he wants to leave on a specific date, and ClearPath will give the fastest route31.
It
considers the entire32
road network33,
including streets and highways34,
before the driver begins his or her trip35.
A free36 ClearPath
app for roads in Los Angeles is
expected to be launched37 soon38.
In
a year, the computer science professor says he hopes39 to have ClearPath available40 around the country, and then in foreign countries41
after traffic data in other cities is collected. Cyrus Shahabi says he wants to
get42 companies43 that already44 have
navigation systems, such as45
Google and Apple, to use the new technology. For VOA Learning English, I'm
Laurel Bowman. (Adapted from a radio program broadcast 10Mar2013)
Vocabulary
1. Around the world = ao redor do mundo
2. Commuters = viajantes habituais
3. spend a lot of time = gastam muito tempo
4. stuck in traffic = preso no trânsito
5. tie = empatam
6. second place = Segundo lugar
7. the worst = o pior
8. traffic jams = engarrafamento
9. lives = mora
10. office = escritorio
11. Southern = região sul
12. always late = sempre atrasado
13. meetings = reuniões
14. even with the help = mesmo com a ajuda
15. navigation system = sistema de navegação
16. decided to develop = decidiu desenvolver
17. app = aplicativo
18. mobile phone = telefone celular
19. designed = projetado
20. cannot = não conseguem
21. historical data = dados historicos
22. predict = prever
23. driver = conductor
24. leaves the house = deixar a casa
25. gathered = reunida
26. roads = estradas
27. also = também
28. does more than = faz mais do que
29. current = atual
30. enter = entrar
31. the fastest route = a rota mais rápida
32. entire = inteiro, completo
33. road network = rede de estradas
34. highways = auto estradas
35. trip = viagem
36. free = gratis
37. is expected to be launched = é aguardado para ser lançado
38. soon = logo, em breve
39. hopes = espera
40. available = disponivel
41. foreign countries = países estrangeiros
42. get = conseguir, pegar
43. companies = empresas
44. already = já
45. such as = tais como
