Flying taxis are starting to take off

陜西 呂 品

飛行出租車越來越接近現實，空中高速即將成真。

主題語境：科技與交通 篇幅：367詞 建議用時：7分鐘

1Imagine taking a flying taxi over crowded city streets at rush hour, getting where you want to go far faster than you could in a car.Believe it or not, you might be able to do these things in an electric air taxi sooner than you think.

2An air taxi is a small aircraft that can carry people from place to place.Air taxis don't need a long runway like planes do.They can go straight up and down, like a helicopter.In June, the FAA—the government group in charge of America's skies—agreed to allow a company called Joby Aviation to start testing their new air taxis.Joby has been making and testing flying taxis since 2017.But this is the first time they're testing an air taxi that's been built in a factory.Before that, all their air taxis were made by hand.

3By 2025, Joby hopes to start carrying passengers for money.They've teamed up with Delta Air Lines to create a program to fly people from their homes to the airport.Joby also expects their air taxis to provide a ridesharing service in the air.Just like you might use an app to order a car to pick you up, you could use an app to order an air taxi.

4Joby's air taxis will be flown by a pilot, and can carry four other passengers.They can fly as fast as 200 miles per hour and can go around 150 miles before the electric batteries need to be recharged.Compared with helicopters, Joby claims their air taxis are both quieter and cheaper.

5Joby isn't the only company developing air taxis.Companies around the world are working on similar vehicles.France even plans to use a few air taxis in Paris during next summer's Olympic Games.

6But there's still a lot to do before air taxis become common.Governments need to make rules about where, when, and how these air taxis can fly.And some people have concerns about them.The air taxis may be quieter than helicopters, but they'll still add noise and traffic pollution to our skies.Some people worry that only rich people will be able to afford to use them.

Reading Check

Detail 1.What can we know about the air taxi?

A.It's a small aircraft that can carry people from place to place.

B.It can fly straight up and down like a helicopter without pilots.

C.It requires a long runway for takeoff and landing.

D.It's a form of transportation used by government officials.

Detail2.What is Joby Aviation testing for the first time in June?

A.Handmade air taxis.

B.Electric batteries for air taxis.

C.Factory-built air taxis.

D.A ride-sharing app for air taxis.

Detail3.What's Joby's plan for their air taxis by 2025?

A.To start carrying passengers for money.

B.To provide a ride-sharing service on the ground.

C.To introduce a silent flight technology.

D.To help French companies with Olympic Games transportation.

Inference4.What concerns do some people have about air taxis?

A.The high cost of flying in an air taxi.

B.The limited number of air taxi companies.

C.The potential noise pollution caused by air taxis.

D.The lack of experienced pilots for air taxis.

Language Study

Ⅰ.日積月累

imaginev.想象

crowdedadj.擁擠的

aircraftn.飛行器

potentialadj.潛在的

pilotn.飛行員

rush hour 高峰時間

believe it or not 信不信由你

far faster than 比……快得多

team up with 與……合作

become common 變得普遍

have concerns about 對……有顧慮

fly straight up and down 垂直起降

work on 致力于；從事

takeoff and landing 起飛和降落

Ⅱ.單句填空

1.She imagined ________ (walk) into the office and handing in her resignation.

2.The subway is always ________ (crowd) during the rush hour in the morning and evening.

3.The new aircraft has the capacity to carry over 300 ________ (passenger).

4.Believe it ________ not, he asked me to marry him!

5.The experienced pilot ________ (successful) landed the plane during strong crosswinds.

6.Our team is currently ________ (work) on a groundbreaking technology for renewable energy.