If cars had wings, they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2012. The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its car-plane, the Transition, to customers by the end of 2012.
“It’s next ‘wow’ vehicle,” said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh. “Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don’t fly.”
The car-plane has wings that unfold for flying-a process the company says takes one minute-and fold back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both. The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly. They say it saves you the trouble from trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you’re good to go. When you land, you hold up the wings and hit the road. There are no expensive parking fees because you don’t have to store it at an airport-you park it in the garage at home.
The car-plane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Thrrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under the bad weather instead of flying into marginal(临界的) conditions.
The Transition’s price tag: $194,000. But there may be additional charges for options like a radio, , a transponder or a GPS. Another option is a full-plane parachute.
“If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option.” Gersh said.
So far, the company has more than 70 orders with deposits. “We’re working very closely with them, but there are still some remaining steps,” Brown said.
【小题1】We can learn from the first two paragraphs that _________.

The story is told about what happened on a flight between a passenger and an air hostess. The passenger rang and told the air hostess (乘务员) that he needed a cup of __21__to take his medicine when the plane just took off. She told him that she would_22__him the water in ten minutes.
Thirty minutes later, when the passenger’s ring for_23__sounded, the air hostess was in a hurry. She was kept so_24__that she forgot to deliver (送) him the water. As a result, the passenger was_25__to take his medicine.She_26__over to him with a cup of water, but he_27__it.
In the following hours on the_28__, each time the air hostess passed by the _29__ she would ask him with a smile_30__he needed help or not. But the passenger__31__paid attention to her.
When the passenger was going to get__32__the plane, he asked the air hostess to__33__him the passengers’ booklet (意见薄). She was very__34__. She knew he would write down_35__words, which might result in the loss of her job. _36__with a smile she handed it to him.
Off the plane, she_37__the booklet, and cracked a smile, _38__the passenger put it, “On the flight, you asked me whether I need help or not for twelve times_39__. How can I refuse your twelve sincere（真诚的） smiles?”
That’s__40__! Who can refuse twelve sincere smiles from a person?

For years and years people have been saying that the railways are dead. “ We can do without railways.” People say…as if motorcars and planes have made the railways unnecessary. We all keep hearing that trains are slow, that they lose money, and that they’re dying .But this is far from the truth: in these days of expensive oil, the railways have become highly competitive with motorcars and planes. If you want to carry people or goods from place to place, they are cheaper than planes. And they have much in common with planes. A plane goes in a straight line and so does a railway. What is more, it takes you from the heart of a city into the heart of another. It doesn’t leave you up as a plane does, miles and miles from the city center. It doesn’t hold you up as a car does, in endless traffic jams, and a single train carry goods which a plane or a motorcar could never do.
Far from being dead, the railways are very much alive. Modern railway lines give you a smooth, untroubled journey. Where else can you eat well, sleep in comfort, feel safe and enjoy the scene while you are traveling at speed at the same time? And we are only at the beginning, for we have just entered the age of super-fast trains, trains traveling at 150 miles an hour and more. Soon we will be wondering why we spent so much on motorcars we can’t use because we have not enough money to buy the oil and planes we can’t fly for the same reason..
【小题1】Some people think the railways are unnecessary for many reasons except that       .

 I had spent over five exhausting（令人疲乏不堪的） years on my essay for my Ph. D（哲学学士）. and was anxiously preparing for my oral boards which were to be held in California, and I had  36  a flight through Minneapolis, where I was to change  37 . My flight was very late, and I was soon in an all—out run to  38  my flight. I had to stop to catch my  39 on a moving sidewalk when I  40 a woman in her fifties   41 with a carry-on bag.

I don’t know   42  , but I looked at her face and blurted out, “Are you going on flight 567 to California?”

She responded, “Yes.”

“So am I ,” I responded．“Give me your bag. I’ll run   43 and tell them to wait for you.” I took her bag and started running again. I   44 onto the plane and told a flight attendant that one more passenger was behind me and to please   45 the plane for her. I   46 myself with her bag, and a few moments later she arrived and was the last person on the plane   47 they closed the doors and   48  . After the plane leveled off, I   49 the bag to her, and she smiled at me and thanked me.

I didn’t sleep a wink in the hotel and arrived at the   50 at seven o’clock in the morning. The  51 kept me waiting for an hour in a room. I walked into the boardroom and was initially frightened by all the   52 in their robes. As I slowly   53 at the faces of all the board members, I noticed the bright face of a woman. She gave me a smile   54 a young schoolgirl. It was the same woman whose bag I had carried ahead the night before.   55 , whenever I made a mistake on any questions, she did a great job of relaxing me.

Many of us feel uneasy when someone stands too close to us, talks to us too loudly or makes eye contact(接触) with us for too long. But have you ever wondered why those things make you uncomfortable?

It’s all about personal peace, which means not only an imaginary space around the body, but also the space around all the senses. People feel that their space is being violated(侵犯) when they meet with an unwelcome sound, smell or look. This is probably why a man on a crowded bus shouting into his mobile phone or a woman next to you putting on strong perfume(香水) makes you feel angry.

Whether people have had a stronger wish to protect their personal space in recent times is hard to say. Yet studies of airlines show that people have a strong desire(渴望) to have space to themselves. In a survey （调查）by TripAdvisor, a travel website, people said that if they had to pay more for some extra service, they would rather have larger seats than extra food.

Although people may need their personal space, some hardly realize it. For example, people on a bus who hold newspapers in front of their faces to read in fact keep a distance from strangers.

Go and watch a library table. You will notice that one of the corner seats will usually be taken first, because they are the farthest way. What if someone sits opposite to you? Maybe you will pile up books as if to make a wall.

Preference(偏好) for personal space are different from culture to culture. Scientists have found that Americans generally prefer more personal space than people from other cultures. In Latin(拉丁人的) cultures, however, people are more comfortable standing close to each other.

1.The writer mainly _________ in this article.

A. tells us how to achieve personal space

B. explains what personal space people need is

C. introduces some knowledge about personal space

D. argues for the importance of keeping personal space

2.Who might feel his personal space is safe according to the passage?

A. A person who has to sit next to a lady putting on strong perfume.

B. A person who has been watched by a stranger for a long time.

C. A person who hears strange noises when reading at home.

D. A Latin boy who is chatting with a friend sitting close to him.

3.What can we know from the survey by TripAdvisor?

A. People need a smaller personal space in recent times than before.

B. People have a strong desire for personal space in recent times.

C. There are not enough seats on the plane to meet people’s needs.

D. Food service is better provided than seats on the plane.

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The space around the body is more needed than that around all the senses.

B. If you hold newspapers on the bus, your personal space won’t be violated.

C. People usually choose the corner seats first in a library for personal space.

D. Different cultures share the same preferences for personal space.