Rescue Platform

　　In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, security experts are trying to develop new ways of rescuing people from burning skyscrapers. One idea is a platform capable of flying vertically and hovering in the air like a helicopter.1 The platform would rise up and down alongside a skyscraper and pick up people trapped in high stories.

　　The idea for the vertical takeoff platform was hatched more than ten years ago by a Russian aerospace engineer, David Metreveli, who has since2 moved to Israel. Metreveli’s design, called the Eagle, calls for two jet engines that turn four large horizontal propellers. The spinning of the propellers generates the necessary lift, or upward force, to raise the platform. The more power is supplied to the propellers, the higher the platform rises. Moving the platform sideways involves applying differing amounts of power to each propeller.

　　Helicopters are now used in some cases to get people out of burning buildings. Escape baskets3 slung from them dangle beside the building for people to climb into. Unfortunately, the baskets cannot reach every floor of a building because the ropes from which they hang become unstable beyond a certain length.

　　So far, Metreveli has built a small-scale model of the Eagle to test his idea. In the wake of4 September 11, he has been able to secure enough funding to start building a larger, 4-meter by 4- meter5 prototype, which he calls the Eaglet.

　　练习：

　　1.A rescue platform called the Eagle is capable of moving vertically but not sideways.

　　A　Right　　B　Wrong　　C　Not mentioned

　　2.The four propellers are fitted horizontally to the Eagle.

　　A　Right　　B　Wrong　　C　Not mentioned

　　3.With the help of jet engines, the Eagle can fly at a speed of 100 miles an hour.

　　A　Right　　B　Wrong　　C　Not mentioned

　　4.In the third paragraph, the word helicopter refers to the Eagle.

　　A　Right　　B　Wrong　　C　Not mentioned

　　5.The more jet engines are fitted to the propellers, the more people the platform can carry.

　　A　Right　　B　Wrong　　C　Not mentioned

　　6.In the wake of September 11, Mr. Metreveli has secured enough funding to build up a small- scale model of the Eagle to test his idea.

　　A　Right　　B　Wrong　　C　Not mentioned

　　7.Mr. Metreveli is designing for Israel a more advanced form of rescue platform than the Eagle or the Eaglet.

　　A　Right　　B　Wrong　　C　Not mentioned

　　答案与题解：

　　1.B　本题给出的信息是错误的。第二段说到，救生平台既可垂直升降，也可侧向移动。

　　2.A　本题给出的信息是正确的。根据是第二段第二句：Metreveli’s design, called the Eagle, calls for two jet engines that turn four large horizontal propellers.句中的horizontal propellers指水平方向旋转的螺旋推进器。

　　3.C　文章没有提到救生平台移动的速度。

　　4.B　从上下文看，本段介绍直升机在营救高楼受困人员时有不足之处，即救生篮晃动，不稳定。虽然本段没有明说，读者能体会到，the Eagle就没有这个缺点。所以，本题说helicopter就是the Eagle,传达的信息是错误的。

　　5.C　文章没有提供“救生平台动力越大，载人越多”这一信息，只是在第二段倒数第二句说：The more power is supplied to the propellers, the higher the platform rises.

　　6.B　“9·11”事件之后，Metreveli拿到的是建造a larger, 4-meter by 4-meter prototype的经费，而不是建造a small-scale model of the Eagle的经费。

　　7.C　文章没有提供这方面的信息。

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（责任编辑：何莹莹）