VOA慢速：汽车防盗指南

How to Protect Your Car from Being Stolen

慢速| 四级 | 高考 | 650词 | 4min54s

刘立军供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What is the primary feature of the car “fob” mentioned in the text?

A. It has a long-range communication capability.

B. It can unlock the car door as the owner approaches.

C. It requires manual activation to send a signal.

D. It can only be used within a few feet of the car.

Q2. What is a potential vulnerability of the fob that thieves could exploit?

A. The fob can be easily damaged.

B. The signal from the fob can be cloned by thieves.

C. The fob is too expensive for most car owners.

D. The fob’s signal can only be sent when the car is unlocked.

Q3. What does Steve Launchbury recommend to protect the car key’s signal?

A. Storing the key in a Faraday bag.

B. Keeping the key in the microwave or freezer.

C. Frequently reprogramming the key.

D. Using the car's touchscreen to secure the signal.

Q4. What is one of the traditional methods to deter car theft that is still considered effective?

A. Using a steering wheel lock.

B. Hiding the key in the car.

C. Painting the car to make it less noticeable.

D. Disabling the car’s alarm system.

Q5. What is a new theft technique that involves the car’s controller area network (CAN)?

A. Jamming the CAN to prevent communication between car parts.

B. Physically connecting to the CAN to send unlock or start signals.

C. Using a Faraday bag to block the CAN’s signal.

D. Cloning the CAN’s signal with a scanner.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

How to Protect Your Car from Being Stolen

Most recent cars have an electronic key that lets the owner get into and start the car.

The electronic key is called a “fob” to those who know about the technology. (Q1) The fob sends a short-range signal to the car. As the owner gets close, the fob unlocks the door.

(Q2) But the new technology also makes it easier for criminals to open the car without the key.

When you lock your car and take the key with you inside your home, the fob does not stop sending its signal.

Thieves, who have special equipment known as scanners, will pass by streets with a lot of cars. (Q2) If the scanner shows that a fob is sending a signal, the thieves use a device that clones the signal and opens the car doors.

Government officials around the world have asked carmakers to warn car buyers of the risks of the new technology. They also have asked them to make the fobs more secure.

Until then, what can you do to prevent your car from being stolen?

Steve Launchbury has some suggestions he shared with the Associated Press. He is the head engineer of automotive security company Thatcham Research based in Britain.

Place your key in a protective bag

“It’s relatively easy for drivers to protect themselves,” he said.

(Q3) The first tip is to put your key into a protective container or bag when you get home. One kind is called a Faraday bag. They are not very costly. The bag is made from a special metal material called mesh that blocks the signal from the fob. Just do not forget to put any extra keys you have into that bag, too.

Some advice that is easy to find online says people should put their keys into the microwave or freezer to prevent their signal from being stolen. Launchbury said that does not work and it could harm your key.

Get a steering wheel lock

(Q4) You may have seen large locks that go across the steering wheel in television advertisements many years ago. It turns out they are still useful. They may be considered “old school,” but the presence of big locks that are easy to see makes car thieves turn away. The only problem is that you must take extra time to unlock the device and put it away before you can drive away.

steering n.（车辆等的）转向装置

Change the settings

Some car makers permit owners to deactivate the signal sent out by the fob. For Ford, Honda and Audi, owners can use their car’s touchscreen system to find the correct way to turn off the signal. For Toyota, you can turn off the signal by pressing a combination of buttons on the fob.

Read your car’s owner’s manual to be sure how to do this.

Some car makers include motion sensors on their key fobs. If the fob has not been moved in a while, the fob turns off.

If you buy a used car, some experts suggest that you get your keys reprogrammed in case the earlier owner still has a key.

New theft techniques

Launchbury said some cars have a new system called a controller area network, or CAN. The network permits different parts, or components, of the car to communicate with each other. (Q5) He said some thieves are trying to join the CAN through some physical electronic connection to unlock the car. They can do this by removing a headlight and plugging in a device that lets them in the car’s network.The device can send a signal, such as “unlock” or “start” to the central system.

Launchbury said this is where the physical lock can cause thieves to change their mind and force them to move on. Owners can also consider electronic immobilizers. These devices prevent a car from moving even if a thief gets into the internal system. However, immobilizers can be costly.

Part III. KEY

Q1. B. 细节题。根据：“The fob sends a short-range signal to the car. As the owner gets close, the fob unlocks the door.”意为：“fob向汽车发送短距离信号。当车主靠近时，fob会解锁车门。”这表明fob的主要特点是能够在车主靠近时自动解锁车门，答案为B。

Q2. B. 细节题。根据：“If the scanner shows that a fob is sending a signal, the thieves use a device that clones the signal and opens the car doors.” 意为：“如果扫描器显示fob正在发送信号，小偷们会使用一种设备克隆信号并打开车门。” 这表明fob的一个潜在漏洞是其信号能被小偷克隆，答案为B。

Q3. A. 细节题。根据：“The first tip is to put your key into a protective container or bag when you get home. One kind is called a Faraday bag.” 意为：“第一个建议是，当你回家后，把你的钥匙放入一个保护性的容器或袋子里。其中一种叫做法拉第袋。” 这表明Steve Launchbury推荐将钥匙放在法拉第袋中来保护汽车钥匙的信号，答案为A。

Q4. A. 细节题。根据：“You may have seen large locks that go across the steering wheel in television advertisements many years ago. It turns out they are still useful.” 意为：“你可能在多年前的电视广告中看到过横跨方向盘的大型锁。事实证明，它们仍然有用。”这表明使用方向盘锁是一种传统的且仍然有效的阻止汽车被盗的方法，答案为A。

Q5. B. 推理题。根据：“He said some thieves are trying to join the CAN through some physical electronic connection to unlock the car. The device can send a signal, such as ‘unlock’ or ‘start’ to the central system.”意为：“他说一些小偷正试图通过某种物理电子连接加入CAN以解锁汽车。该设备可以发送一个信号，例如‘解锁’或‘启动’到中央系统。” 这可以推断出一种新的盗窃技术涉及物理连接到CAN以发送解锁或启动信号，答案为B。

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