Question

    CHICAGO--- Airplanes are polluters. They're as noisy as a rock concert, and send out poisons into the air as well as dump millions of pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year. By 2050, emissions (排放) from planes are expected to become one of the largest contributors to global warming.

That’s why researchers at MIT are designing a completely new type of airplane for NASA that will enable greener airplanes to take flight before 2050.

The 180-passenger D “double bubble” series was designed to replace the Boeing 737 class aircraft, the most popular jetliner in the world right now. The design is called a “double bubble” because it uses two partial cylinders (气缸) placed side by side. Those two cylinders create a wider structure that looks like two soap bubbles joined together.

In today’s commercial airplanes, air flows directly into the engines located on the plane’s wings. That high-speed air flow drags on the plane, and requires more fuel to overcome the design inefficiency.

MIT’s design changes all that. By moving the engines to the plane’s tail, they take in slower moving air present in the wake of the fuselage (机舱). Less drag means less fuel is needed to get the plane the same distance.

Burning less fuel can help passengers’ wallet as well as the environment. The environmental implications of saving energy are as just as clear: the fewer emissions that planes spout（喷射） into the atmosphere, the healthier our planet.

But for passengers, we still have a couple decades to wait before any of these planes make it onto the runway. NASA’s goal is to make sure the planes that MIT has designed can take off by 2035.

1.The best feature of the double bubble flight is that _____.

A.it will make no noise B.it will hold more passengers

C.it is designed to save fuel D.it needs no runways to take off

2.Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A.It's expected that NASA’s goal will be realized by the year 2035.

B.Airplanes are very noisy for the environment

C.MIT’s new design will save passengers’ money

D.Emission from planes are contributing the most to the global warming now.

3.What’s the main idea of the text?

A.Here is Boeing 737's end

B.Passengers will enjoy lower prices

C.Researchers are designing greener aircraft

D.Airlines attract passengers with new planes

4.The passage comes from a ____.

A.Science textbook B.News report

C.Travel guide D.Environment research

Answer

1.C

2.D

3.C

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇新闻报道。文章主要讲述了美国宇航局设计一种全新的更环保的飞机“double bubble”，这款新型飞机将在2050年前起飞。

1.

细节理解题。根据倒数第二段Burning less fuel can help passengers’ wallet as well as the environment. The environmental implications of saving energy are as just as clear: the fewer emissions that planes spout（喷射） into the atmosphere, the healthier our planet.可知，减少燃料的消耗既能节省乘客的钱，又能保护环境。节约能源对环境的影响同样显而易见:飞机向大气中排放的废气越少，我们的地球就越健康。由此可知，“double bubble”飞机的最大特点是它的设计节能。故选C。

2.

细节理解题。根据最后一段NASA’s goal is to make sure the planes that MIT has designed can take off by 2035.可知，美国宇航局的目标是确保麻省理工学院设计的飞机能在2035年前起飞。由此可知，选项A的描述正确；根据第一段They're as noisy as a rock concert可知，飞机的噪音很大，所以选项B的描述正确；根据倒数第二段Burning less fuel can help passengers’ wallet as well as the environment.可知，这种新型飞机能帮助乘客省钱，所以选项C的描述正确；根据第一段By 2050, emissions (排放) from planes are expected to become one of the largest contributors to global warming.可知，到2050年，飞机的排放量预计将成为全球变暖的最大因素之一。由此可知，选项D的描述错误，题干中时间是现在，错误。故选D。

3.

主旨大意题。阅读文章并结合第二段That’s why researchers at MIT are designing a completely new type of airplane for NASA that will enable greener airplanes to take flight before 2050.可知，本文主要讲述了麻省理工学院的研究人员正在为美国宇航局设计一种全新的飞机，这种更环保的飞机能够在2050年前起飞。结合选项可知，选项C符合题意。故选C。

4.

推理判断题。根据CHICAGO--- Airplanes are polluters.可知，这是一篇来自芝加哥的新闻报道。故选B。