—Did you see who the driver was?

— No, so quickly _____ that I couldn’t get a good look at his face.

A. does the car speed by　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. did the car speed by

C. the car sped by　　　　　　　 　　　　　　 D. the car speeds by

We're nearing the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, so double-check your GPS and watch where you're going.

On Thursday, the sun suddenly gave off a massive solar flare. Solar flares can disrupt(使中断) radio communications, including devices that use Global Positioning System technology, such as cell phones, airplanes and car navigation（导航） systems.

So if you're relying on your GPS for driving directions, to find your location on your phone's mapping tool or for any other purpose, have a backup navigation system handy, such as a printed map. Even more importantly, pay close attention to where you are and where you're going. Don't rely solely on your GPS to give you directions.

In 2006, research from Cornell University proved that solar flares can cause GPS devices to lose signal. This can cause these devices to temporarily misrepresent your location or otherwise malfunction. "If you're driving to the beach using your car’s navigation system, you'll be OK. If you're on a commercial airplane in zero visibility weather, maybe not," said the researchers and they warned that after 2011 there would probably be lots of GPS disruptions.

In addition, solar flares can disrupt power systems. This week, National Geographic reported: "Under the right conditions, solar storms can create extra electrical currents in Earth's magnetosphere -- the region around the planet controlled by our magnetic(磁的) field. The electrical power grid（电网） is particularly likely to be affected by these extra currents, which can go into high-voltage transmission lines, causing transformers to overheat and possibly burn out." Across the nation, electric services and grid operators are preparing to respond to such problems.

A number of such blasts are expected over the next three to five years -- and the biggest flares are yet to come. This week's flare registered M9.3, about the highest level in the medium category. Larger flares that fall into the "X" category can cause global radio blackouts, but large M-class flares also can cause radio disruptions.

This is one of a series of recent chain reactions of severe space weather, as the solar cycle approaches solar maximum in 2013. Other major flares came in February and June, and more may follow. Remember to keep those printed maps handy.

72. ________ can help you better if massive solar flares break out.

　　　 A. The phone’s mapping tool.

　　　 B. Global Positioning System.

　　　 C. Car navigation systems.

　　　 D. The printed map at hand.

73. The underlined word “malfunction” refers to ________.

　　　 A. operate smoothly.

　　　 B. fail to run properly

　 C. crash as directed

　　　 D. manage appropriately

74. How many major flares have broken out according to the passage?

　　　 A. Once　　　　　　　

　　　 B. Twice　　　

　　　 C. Three times　　　　　　

　　　 D. Four times

75. Which will probably be the most suitable title?

A. Recent solar flare may disrupt your GPS

　　　 B. 2013, the solar cycle approaches maximum

　　　 C. Cornell University’s research on the solar flare

　　　 D. Never rely on your GPS for directions any longer

Suppose you don’t need your car today. And suppose, as it happens, that a stranger in your area does need a car. Would you be willing to rent yours out?

Several car-sharing start-ups, including Getaround, RelayRides and JustShareIt, are eager to connec????????t car owners with renters this way. The companies have different rules, but participating

o?wner??s receive, generally speaking, about two??-thirds of the rental earnings. RelayRides says an owner of a midsize, late-model sedan who rents out a car for 10 hours a week could expect to clear about ＄3,000 a year.

Peer-to-peer car sharing remains in the trial stage; it can be found in San Francisco and a few other places. It has a long way to go before it becomes the auto equivalent of Airbnb, the surprise success story for peer-to-peer sharing of space in apartments and houses.

Shelby Clark, founder of RelayRides, says potential investors in his company have been concerned that owners will be afraid to hand their car over to strangers. To address that, he points to Airbnb, saying, “Letting people sleep in your living room is much more of a disturbance into your personal space than letting someone use your car.”

All of these companies offer their own insurance coverage for their renters, which are supposed to put owners’ minds at ease. But only two states—California and Oregon—have passed laws to clarify that an owner will not suffer any consequences should a car-sharing renter have an accident.

“In all the other states, legal ambiguity remains,” Shelby Clark says. “If a renter should be involved in a serious accident in those states, the victim can be expected to go after every party possible, including the car’s owner.”

Also to remove the worries of car owners, the driving records of renters are checked for recent serious violations.

36. What does the underlined word “sedan” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to?

A. A kind of car.　　 B. An owner of a car.

C. A renting company.　 D. A car-??sharing renter.

37. Which of the following is true of Airbnb?

A. It cares little about personal privacy. 　　 B. It deals with house-sharing successfully.

C. It is a very popular car-sharing company.　　　 D. Its ideas are being tried out in some states.

38. If a car-sharing renter should have an accident in California, the car’s owner　　　 .

A. has to take legal responsibility　 　　 B. will not suffer the consequence

C. is not covered by health insurance D. must pay the insurance for the renter

39. According to the text, more car-owners will participate in the service, if .

A. legal ambiguity is clarified in all the states

B. renters are warned not to violate traffic rules

C. more money is given to participating owners

D. people are aware of the importance of sharing

40. It can be learned from the text that car-sharing .

A. makes no profit B. remains in popularity

C. is against the state law 　 D. is a new business model

—Did you see who the driver was?

— No, so quickly _____ that I couldn’t get a good look at his face.

A. does the car speed by　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. did the car speed by

C. the car sped by　　　　　　　 　　　　　　 D. the car speeds by