Ceely's near_miss made the news because she blamed it on the GPS (导航仪). She had never driven the route before. It was dark and raining heavily. Ceely was relying on her GPS, but it made no mention of the crossing. “I put my complete trust in the device and it led me right into the path of a speeding train，” she told the BBC.

　　Who is to blame here? Rick Stevenson, who tells Ceely's story in his book When Machines Fail Us, points the finger at the limitations of technology. We put our faith in digital devices, he says, but our digital helpers are too often not up to the job. They are filled with small problems. And it's not just GPS devices: Stevenson takes us on a tour of digital disasters involving everything from mobile phones to wireless keyboards.

　　The problem with his argument in the book is that it's not clear why he only focuses on digital technology, while there may be a number of other possible causes. A map­maker might have left the crossing off a paper map. Maybe we should blame Ceely for not paying attention. Perhaps the railway authorities are at fault for poor singalling system. Or maybe someone has studied the relative dangers and worked out that there really is something specific wrong with the GPS equipment. But Stevenson doesn't say.

　　It's a problem that runs through the book. In a section on cars, Stevenson gives an account of the advanced techniques that criminals use to defeat computer­based locking systems for cars. He offers two independent sets of figures on car theft; both show a small rise in some parts of the country. He says that once again not all new locks have proved reliable. Perhaps, but maybe it's also due to the shortage of policemen on the streets. Or changing social circumstances. Or some combination of these factors.

【2017届高考英语（重庆专用）二轮精练：选修7 unit2 Robots单元测试】相关文章：

★ 2014高考英语（新人教版）一轮基础训练（18）A、B卷（附答案或解析）

★ 【三维设计】2017届高考英语（江苏专用）二轮复习高考单词5大记忆法课件：1.分类记忆法

★ 2017届高考英语二轮复习课时训练：5（含解析）

★ 【浙江专用】2014届高考英语一轮复习课时作业(三十)选修6Unit 5《The power of nature》

★ 【课堂新坐标】2017届高考英语（通用版）二轮复习书面表达专题训练：Ⅱ卷强化增分练 训练3（含解析）

★ 【人教版】2014届高考英语一轮复习指导考点针对练：必修2 unit4《Wildlife protection》

★ 2014高考英语（新人教版）一轮基础训练（12）A、B卷（附答案或解析）

★ 【北京专用】2014届高考英语一轮复习方案课时作业：选修6 Unit 4 Global warming

★ 【三维设计】2017届高考英语（江苏专用）二轮复习写作增分锦囊课件：6 书面表达常见错误及对策

★ 贵州省贵阳市2014高考英语（新人教版）一轮阅读训练（6）附答案