空中交通
Pods travel above city streets using a network. This is SkyTran -- but is it the future? SkyTran wants to do away with train schedules and central stations to develop a system above the ground with “ramps” acting as stations where users can board the pods. Call for SkyTran on your smart phone and a computer-controlled pod arrives. It will fly you across the city to your destination. SkyTran says the technology uses only a third of the electricity used by one of today’s hybrid cars because its vehicles weigh just 300 pounds.
The first project will be at the campus of Israel Aerospace Industries. The 400-meter system is planned for completion by late 2015, with the hope of getting the licence needed to build 20 kilometers in Tel Aviv for public use in three years. And there are hopes to move into cities across Europe and Asia.
Building traditional urban roads and railways is expensive and requires much land. One way around that is to go underground, with subway systems serving populations well in cities throughout the world -- but at great cost. “We can build on sidewalks, buildings, anywhere really and create a whole host of stations for people to choose from.” says Skytran CEO Jerry Sanders, who added, “The system can be built for $10 million per mile.”
Joe Dignan is a smart cities expert based in the United Kingdom. As he sees it, there’s a rosy horizon for SkyTran’s automated, personalized transit. “The test is, would you use it yourself? And I would certainly use it. I can see it very much useful for cities that are developing fast.”
Ryan Chin is managing director of the City Science Initiative at MIT. He says, “Personal Rapid Transit systems like this one in the last several years may make sense in some limited applications like an expansive airport, university/corporate campus, or something like big cities(take Shanghai or Dubai).”
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1.How do passengers get on the Pods?
A By the trains.
B By the central stations.
C By the ramps.
D By the cars.
解析：选C。C。细节理解题。根据文章第1段第2句的the ground with “ramps(活动梯)” acting as stations where users can board the pods可以得知人们用活动梯来登上空中交通方式“SkyTran”。
2.How can the SkyTran save energy?
A It flies in the sky.
B It has a light weight.
C It has round shape.
D It runs on the ground.
解析：选B。B。推理判断题。根据第1段最后1句的because its vehicles weigh just 300 pounds可得知SkyTran使用较少能源的原因是因为该车的重量较轻，故该题的正确答案为B。
3.When will the people in Tel Aviv be able to use SkyTran?
A In 2015.
B In 2018.
C In 2021.
D In 2024.
解析：选B。B。细节理解题。根据文章第2段第2句的, with the hope of getting the licence needed to build 20 kilometers in Tel Aviv for public use in three years可知该城市在三年后会建成SkyTran也就是在2018年那里的居民是可以乘坐这种空中巴士的。
4.What is advantage of Skytran according to Jerry Sanders?
A It costs much less to build.
B It can be built underground.
C It can make much money.
D It creates station on buildings.
解析：选A。A。推理判断题。从文章第3段最后1句的The system can be built for $10 million per mile.可知该交通系统的造价和地铁相比是很低的。
5.The underlined phrase “a rosy horizon” may mean______.
A the SkyTran will look beautiful
B the SkyTran will never be by people
C the SkyTran will become popular
D the SkyTran will cause some problems.
解析：选C。C。词意推测题。根据第4段最后两句的And I would certainly use it. I can see it very much useful for cities that are developing fast.可知很多快速发展的城市会用这套系统，因此该词语的意思是该空中的士会很受欢迎的。