The way we get about has a deep influence on the way we live－affecting where we set up home, work and holiday. So what changes might come in the way we get around? What big ideas are out there, and do they have any chance of coming true?
Personal Air Travel
The idea: flying cars
Developments in light small plane technology will make it possible for everyone to own what are, in fact, flying cars. They will have closed cabins, heating, stereos and room for two people.
You will take off from a field near your home and fly to towns and cities. After landing, you will take off the fixed wing and continue your journey by road just as if you were traveling by car.
Fuel efficient engines and the advantage of being able to travel in the sky will keep costs and the environmental influence down.
Flying for Fun
The idea: Jet Packs
The idea was a hit when a stuntman (特技演员) flew around on one during the opening ceremony of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, which was very successful.
You’ll be able to use the equipment－roughly the size of two scuba tanks fastened to your back－for short journeys.
They will be handy for cleaning hard-to-reach windows, arriving in style at a party and shopping.
Taxis
The idea: driverless taxis
These computer-controlled taxis will take you wherever you want along a fixed route, whenever you want to go.
For the price of one person’s bus fare, several people can ride at speeds of up to 25 mph, and there will be fences to guard against accidents.
There will be little, if any, wait for the use of the taxis, which will leave from stations and will be used by prepaid cards.
The taxis, which will travel on a 1.5 m-wide track, will use 75% less energy per passenger than a car and 50% less than a bus.
小题1:The passage is mainly about ________.
A．future travel
B．big ideas and dreams
C．advanced technology
D．the influence of travel小题2:We learn from the passage that flying cars ________.
A．will operate only in the sky
B．will be more expensive than common cars
C．will have few bad effects on the environment
D．won’t be equipped with things similar to what cars have小题3: With Jet Packs, we can do all the following EXCEPT ________.
A．attend a party
B．clean high windows
C．go shopping
D．have a long journey小题4:As for driverless taxis, we can infer that ________.
A．we can go wherever we want in them
B．they will be both convenient and safe
C．it costs more to take them than to take ordinary cars
D．they will be operated by computers as well as by people
