PART I: WRITTEN RECEPTION (70 points)

(ACCESS TO INFORMATION FROM WRITTEN TEXTS)

Read the text below and then answer questions 1–9.

TAXIS OF THE FUTURE?

I Last Monday, Anna Wilson returned to Phoenix, Arizona, after a business trip abroad. A taxi
was waiting for her at the airport, and she got into the comfortable back seat. In front of her in
the taxi there was a mini computer screen. She touched it to choose some quiet music, and then
she relaxed for the rest of the ride. When she got home, she did not thank the driver or say
5 goodbye. But she was not being rude – there was simply no driver in the taxi.
II The vehicle that Wilson went home in is known as a "robotaxi." Robotaxis have special
cameras and lasers. These devices see everything around the taxi all the time. They send this
information to a powerful computer inside the car. Using the information, the computer decides
how to drive the taxi safely. For example, it decides when the taxi should go faster or when it
10 should slow down.
III Phoenix was the first city in the world with robotaxis. In 2020, there were thirty on its roads.
Last year, there were already 1,500. Today, there are robotaxis in several major cities in the USA,
and also in China and Europe. Experts expect their numbers to keep growing. They believe that
by the year 2040, there will be robotaxis on the roads of every major city in the world.
15 IV "This belief seems surprising when you realize how people feel about cars without drivers,"
says transport journalist Perry Travis. "They are afraid that driverless cars are not safe. Surveys
showed this in 2017, when these cars were tested on the roads. And recent surveys show that
most people are still worried."
V Robotaxi companies know about this problem. So, they use several strategies to convince
20 people that robotaxis are safe. "For example, when they bring robotaxis into a new city, they might
offer free rides to a few hundred local people," says Travis. "These passengers see for themselves
that the ride is safe and comfortable."
VI The companies' strategies have been successful. "After a single ride in a robotaxi, most
people do change their minds," says Travis. "One survey, for example, showed that they stopped
25 worrying about safety. They also said they would recommend robotaxis to their friends. So the
experts are probably right. In the future, we might really see these vehicles everywhere."

<u>QUESTIONS</u> (70 points)
Answer questions 1–9 in <u>English</u>, according to the text. In questions 1, 4, 5 and 8, circle the number of the correct answer. In the other questions, follow the instructions.