建議可花三四天，先自行閱讀文章及作答測驗題。閱讀時先找出主要句子的主詞和動詞，順著這文法結構，就可掌握句意與其主旨。
文章的講解內容，包括為每個句子（1）找主詞和動詞；（2）說明其他看似的動詞為什麼不是；（3）將複雜長句拆解為數個簡單句，並說明如何將它們組裝回來；（4）說明句子裡的其他文法內容。
While waiting to cross the street at busy intersections, have you ever wondered who invented the traffic light? Most people credit the first traffic light to Nottingham engineer John Peake Knight. A railway manager, Knight specialized in designing the signaling system for Britain's growing railway network in the 1860s. He saw no reason why this could not be adapted for use on the busy London intersections. Thus, he proposed a signaling system based on the railway movable-arm signal: Arms extending horizontally commanded drivers to stop, whereas arms lowered to a 45-degree angle told drivers to move on, resembling a traffic director's gestures. Red and green gas lamps were added to the signal for use at night. A police officer was stationed by the side to operate the system.
Knight's traffic signal was installed near London's Westminster Bridge in December 1868, but the system was short-lived. A gas leak one month later caused an explosion in the lights, injuring the policeman operating it. Deemed a public hazard, the project was immediately dropped, and traffic lights were banned until their return in 1929 back to the British streets.
In the early 1900s, versions of the British traffic lights appeared in big cities in America, where traffic was on a sharp rise. Systems using movable arms were popular in Chicago, while those using the red and green lights were adopted in San Francisco. Patents with innovations on Knight's ideas were filed nationwide. A major breakthrough was the yellow light invented by a Detroit police officer William Potts. Installed in Detroit in 1920, Potts' three-color system allowed for the added signal “proceed with caution” to be displayed.
Now, with the emergence of self-driving cars, researchers have begun to suggest that traffic signals are no longer necessary. Intersections will operate in a way that cars automatically adjust their speed to cross through, while maintaining safe distances from other vehicles. In the near future, we may experience a brand new form of traffic management!
35. What is this passage mainly about?
(A) The evolution of traffic control systems.
(B) The inventors of traffic lights in history.
(C) The functions of different traffic signals.
(D) The development of modern transportation.
36. Which of the following pictures shows Knight's proposed traffic signal?
(A) (B) (C) (D)
從這裡找答案 由於紅綠燈是晚上加掛的煤油燈，而非電燈，所以看似最可能的答案 A 是錯的。 Arms extending horizontally commanded drivers to stop, whereas arms lowered to a 45-degree angle told drivers to move on, resembling a traffic director's gestures. Red and green gas lamps were added to the signal for use at night.
37. Which of the following statements is true, according to the passage?
(A) Knight was injured in the explosion of his traffic light.
(B) Potts' traffic light was the first one to appear in the USA.
(C) The first traffic signal originated from the idea of a traffic director.
(D) Future vehicles may not need traffic lights to cross an intersection.
38. Here is a sentence: “This design was adopted in later traffic light designs across the world.”
Which paragraph is most suitable to have it as the final sentence?
(A) Paragraph 1. (B) Paragraph 2. (C) Paragraph 3. (D) Paragraph 4.
- A 36. C 37. D 38. C
第一段第一句
While waiting to cross the street at busy intersections, have you ever wondered who invented the traffic light?
在繁忙的路口等待過馬路時，你是否曾想過是誰發明了紅綠燈？
💡主旨：引起讀者對紅綠燈歷史的好奇
🔍找主詞和動詞 本句為疑問句，主動詞換位
主詞：you
動詞： have wondered（完成式 have/has + p.p.）
🚫排除干擾：為什麼它們不是動詞？
waiting：之前沒有主詞，且 V-ing 不可當動詞
invented：其主詞是 who，但 who 是帶領名詞子句，故 invented 是子句的動詞，不是主要句子的動詞。
✂️將 A句 化成 B句 的 分詞構句 之步驟 （與關係子句的省略法相近）
1. 若 A句是附屬子句，其 附屬連接詞 可選擇保留或省略。
2. 若 A句主詞 與 B句主詞 相同，則省略 A句主詞；若不相同，則保留主詞。
3. A句 的動詞，若為 主動語態，改成 Ving；若為 被動語態，則只保留 p.p.。
4. 將 結果 置於 B句 的句前或句尾，並以逗號隔開。
🧩長句解析：拆解與組裝
🪛拆解 本句可拆成三個簡單句
第一句（時間句）You are waiting to cross the street at busy intersections.
第二句（核心句）Have you ever wondered this?
第三句（好奇的內容） Who invented the traffic light?
🧵組裝
Step 1. 將第三句化作名詞子句，取代核心句的 this，當 wondered 的受詞：
由於 Who invented the traffic light 已經是［主詞 + 動詞］的直述格式，無需做任何更動即可成為名詞子句
Have you ever wondered this who invented the traffic light?
Step 2. 將第一句當作 時間副詞子句，以 while 與 核心句連接
Wile you are waiting to cross the street at busy intersections, have you ever wondered this who invented the traffic light?
Step 3. 將 副詞子句化作分詞構句：由於主詞相同，且為主動語態，故省略 you，並刪除 are，即成
Wile you are waiting to cross the street at busy intersections, have you ever wondered who invented the traffic light?
第一段第二句
Most people credit the first traffic light to Nottingham engineer John Peake Knight.
大多數人將第一盞紅綠燈的發明歸功於諾丁漢工程師約翰·皮克·奈特
💡主旨： 一般認為是奈特發明紅綠燈
🔍找主詞和動詞
主詞： people
動詞： credit
🍃動詞片語 credit with 或 credit to ［將成就歸功於某人或某組織］
兩者意思相同，只是受詞次序不同
credit + 人/組織 + with + 成就
🛋️The museum credited the artist with the discovery.
credit + 成就 + to + 人/組織
🛋️The museum credited the discovery to the artist.
🎯 頭銜化的修辭法 Nottingham engineer John Peake Knight
Nottingham 之前沒加不定冠詞 a !?
這是把 Nottingham engineer 當成頭銜，是「Knight 在這裡的身分」
在英文修辭中， [職業] 放在名字前，這 頭銜變成一個標籤，目的是在介紹公眾人物，而不是在算人數，所以沒有加不定冠詞 a。
🛜在新聞中常看到類似用法：
🛋️ President Trump 川普總統
🛋️Taiwanese director Ang Lee
（台灣有很多導演，但李安被冠上 台灣導演 這頭銜來介紹）。
⚖️比較： 常見的「同位語」寫法 (a Nottingham engineer, John Peake Knight) 則是在 介紹新人物 時使用
🛋️ The award was given to a local student, Mary Chen.
第一段第三句
A railway manager, Knight specialized in designing the signaling system for Britain's growing railway network in the 1860s.
奈特是一位鐵路經理，他在 1860 年代專為英國日益擴大的鐵路網設計信號系統。
💡主旨：奈特的專業是設計鐵路信號系統
🔍找主詞和動詞
主詞： Knight
動詞： specialized
🚫排除干擾：為什麼它們不是動詞？
designing：V-ing 不能當動詞
signaling： V-ing 不能當動詞
growing： V-ing 不能當動詞
🍃動詞片語 specialize in ［將時間、資源都投入到某領域，成為專家或特色］之意
🛋️She specializes in corporate law. (她專攻公司法。)
🛋️ The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood. (這家餐廳以新鮮海鮮為特色。)
🧩長句解析：拆解與組裝
🪛拆解 本句可拆成兩個簡單句
第一句（身分）Knight was a railway manager.
第二句（核心句） Knight specialized in designing the signaling system for Britain's growing railway network in the 1860s.
🧵組裝 將第一句化成核心句的分詞構句，置於核心句前
Step 1. 除前述步驟外，若原句的動詞是 be-V，可改成 being，或也可省略 being。這裡則是省略 being。
Knight was A railway manager, Knight specialized in designing the signaling system for Britain's growing railway network in the 1860s.
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