Terrafugia Inc. said Monday that its new flying car has completed its first flight, bringing the company closer to its goal of selling the flying car within the next year. The vehicle — named the Transition — has two seats, four wheels and wings that fold up so it can be driven like a car. The Transition, which flew at 1,400 feet for eight minutes last month, can reach around 70 miles per hour on the road and 115 in the air. It flies using a 23-gallon tank of gas and burns 5 gallons per hour in the air. On the ground, it gets 35 miles per gallon.
Around 100 people have already put down a $10,000 deposit（定金） to get a Transition when they go on sale, and those numbers will rise after Terrafugia introduces the Transition to the public later this week at the New York Auto Show. But don’t expect it to show up in too many driveways. It’s expected to cost as much as $279,000. And it won’t help if you’re stuck in traffic. The car needs a runway.
Inventors have been trying to make flying cars since the 1930s, according to Robert Mann, an airline industry expert. But Mann thinks Terrafugia has come closer than anyone to making the flying car a reality. The government has already permitted the company to use special materials to make it easier for the vehicle to fly. The Transition is now going through crash tests to make sure it meets federal safety standards.
Mann said Terrafugia was helped by the Federal Aviation Administration’s (联邦航空管理局) decision five years ago to create a separate set of standards for light sport aircraft, which are lower than those for pilots of larger planes. Terrafugia says an owner would need to pass a test and complete 20 hours of flying time to be able to fly the Transition, a requirement pilots would find relatively easy to meet.
【小题1】What is the first paragraph mainly about?| A．The advantages of flying cars. |
| B．The basic data of the Transition. |
| C．The possible market for flying cars. |
| D．The designers of the Transition. |
| A．It causes traffic jams. | B．It is difficult to operate. | C．It is very expensive. | D．It burns too much fuel. |
| A．The government supports it. | B．The government is against it. |
| C．The government sets higher standards to discourage it | D．The government thinks it is on the way out. |
| A．Flying Car at Auto Show | B．The Transition’s First Flight |
| C．Pilots’ Dream Coming True | D．Flying Car Closer to Reality |
Could you imagine what it would be like if there were no other ways to get around except by using your feet? Not only would you wear out（磨破）a lot of shoes but it would take you a long time to get anywhere.
Then there were the Egyptians, who invented the sailing boat, but this could only be used in one direction.
Some of the roads did not last very long and they soon became dirt tracks (路). People travelled on roads by wagon (马车), but most things would be taken by sea in the 16th century. In the 19th century, some of the forms of transport that you know today were invented—the bike and the car.
As it got easier to travel, people wanted to get to places faster.
| A．Do you know when the car was invented? |
| B．How many kinds of transport can you name? |
| C．Then the airplane came into being. |
| D．If the wind was blowing in another direction then they had to row the boat. |
| E．In addition, travel was made much easier by railways. |
| F．You really need to thank a few people for saving your poor shoes, like the person who invented the wheel! |
| G．So the Roman army could march (行军) from one part of the empire to another quickly! |
The Most Bicycle Friendly Countries Around the World
Denmark
Cycling is a hugely popular means of transport and a way to see the country in Denmark. In fact, across the country you’ll find huge networks of cycle paths where no motorized vehicles (机动车辆)can go, so you can feel safe while riding your bike. Because of this cycling has become one of the main tourist attractions and activities in Denmark, particularly when it Comes to exploring the beautiful capital city of Copenhagen.
Norway
Because of the popularity of cycling here, you’ll find plenty of bicycle parking and public rentals (出租), so you can simply get a bike and go as you explore the country. Much like Denmark, the dedicated (专用的) bike lanes do not allow for cars or motorised vehicles to enter them.
The Netherlands
In the Netherlands the government prefer bikes to cars and encourage people to travel by bike as much as possible. If you’re a tourist visiting big cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, you can easily hire a bike and explore. There are bike lanes (and bikes) everywhere, they even have their own sets of traffic lights. Much like driving, there are strict rules for cycling in the country and these must obey.
Sweden
While it can get very cold there in the winter, cycling is still enjoyed year-round and the country develops a cycling culture that encourages people to use bikes as their primary means of transport. For this reason, there are supportive measures in place and plenty of places to rent a bike from. Many travel Sweden’s beautiful cities on two wheels, Stockholm, in particular, is a great place to explore on a bike.
What’s more, cycling is so big there that they have pump stations for deflated (泄气的) tires and bicycle-only parking. The use of electric bikes is also becoming more popular here.
【小题1】Which city is suitable for a tourist to explore by bike in Denmark?| A．Copenhagen. | B．Amsterdam. | C．Rotterdam. | D．Stockholm. |
| A．They have set strict rules for cycling. |
| B．Their main tourist attraction is cycling. |
| C．They allow visitors to rent bikes for free. |
| D．They have the dedicated cycle paths or bike lanes. |
| A．The use of electric cars. | B．Warm weather in winter. |
| C．Pump stations for deflated tires. | D．Free bicycle-only parking places. |
Cities exist because they promote social interactions and economic transactions.Traffic jam occurs where there are lots of people but limited spaces. Culturally and economically successful cities have the worst traffic problems, while decaying cities don’t have much traffic. New York and Los Angeles are America’s most crowded cities. But if you want access to major brokerage houses (经纪行), you will find them easier to reach in crowded New York than in any other large cities. And if your firm needs access to post-production film editors or satellite-guidance engineers, you will reach them more quickly through the crowded freeways of LA than through less crowded roads elsewhere.
Despite traffic jam, a larger number and wider variety of social interactions and economic transactions can be made perfect in large, crowded cities than elsewhere. Seen in this sight, traffic jam is an unfortunate consequence of prosperity, not a cause of economic decline and urban decay.
So while we can consider traffic jam as increasing costs on the areas of big cities, the costs of inaccessibility (交通不便) in uncrowded places are almost certainly greater.
There is no doubt that traffic jam brings the terrible economic and environmental damage in places like Bangkok, Jakarta, and Lagos. But mobility is far higher and traffic jam levels are far lower here in the US, even in our most crowded cities. That’s why, for now, we don’t see people and capital streaming out of San Francisco and Chicago, heading for cities like California, and Illinois.
【小题1】We can conclude from the first paragraph that_______.
| A．traffic jam and weather are the two factors preventing the development of the big city |
| B．traffic jam seems to be very difficult to deal with |
| C．if traffic engineers try their best, traffic jam can be solved |
| D．public officials are always criticized for misusing their power |
| A．Traffic jam is unavoidable in any cities. |
| B．Traffic jam is both a sign of failure and a sign of success. |
| C．Traffic jam is one of the consequences of successful cities. |
| D．Traffic jam is a cause of economic decline. |
| A．declining | B．developing | C．rich and successful | D．strong and healthy |
| A．The traffic jam in the two cities has been worsened. |
| B．New York and Los Angeles are the least successful cities in the US. |
| C．It is easier to reach major brokerage houses in the two cities than in other cities. |
| D．Despite the traffic jam in LA, you’ll find a satellite-guidance engineer more quickly there. |
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