题目
The dream of the flying car could come down to earth soon as several start-ups like Chinese EHANG and Uber are developing so-called "passenger drones（无人机）"-self-flying drones big enough to ferry individual commuters around town-which could shrink commute（上下班往返） times from hours to minutes． At first glance， human-carrying drones sound no more realistic than flying cars． Until recently inventors had never been able to marry automobiles and aircraft in a practical way． Yet a few companies have kept at it： Woburn， for example， has since 2006 been developing Transition， a "roadable aircraft" that resembles a small airplane that can fold its wings and drive on roads． A personal flying car in every garage has proved to be a tough sell， however， as there are serious safety concerns about asking the average commuter to train for a pilot's license and take to the skies． Passenger drones， by contrast， would operate autonomously and leave the "roadable" part behind in favor of larger versions of aircraft that already exist． Passenger drone designs favor "distributed electric propulsion（推进），" meaning instead of one large rotor powered by a large engine they have multiple propellers each powered by its own， smaller motor． This sacrifices lifting power and flight performance in exchange for mechanical simplicity and lighter weight-factors that could make them cheaper to operate． Quieter electric power would make the noise tolerable to city residents， although it remains to be seen how much weight such a vehicle could lift， and for how long． With any of these vehicles， safety is the biggest concern and extends to both the aircraft and the automated systems flying them． Advanced artificial intelligence is needed to fly large numbers of autonomous aircraft without crashing them into one another or， say， the local news channel's traffic helicopter． Carrying people from points A to B seems simple enough， but even the best AI struggles with surprises： What， for example， would a drone do if a landing area suddenly became unavailable？ asks Sanjiv Singh， a Carnegie Mellon University robotics researcher． Instead of leaping to fully automated passenger drones， he suggests first testing the necessary AI in unmanned cargo（货物）runs， and adopting a "mixed mode" approach in early passenger services where pilots are assisted by AI co-pilots． Technical challenges aside， start-ups promoting the technology will have to find a way to convince the public to give their drones a whirl， something that requires a much bigger leap of faith than getting into the backseat of a self-driving car． Passenger drone makers are "obviously still in the incubation（孵化） stages of technology development and improving the basics，" says Mike Hirschberg， executive director of the American Helicopter Society International． "But 20 or 30 years from now life may be a little like The Jetsons where you take advantage of the third dimension and have much more mobility， especially in urban close quarters where ground transportation is gridlocked．" The passenger drone progress may follow a sloping takeoff rather than vertical leap． Carnegie Mellon's Singh sees a long road ahead filled with lots of testing， analysis， regulation and efforts to win the public's trust before the technology becomes a viable transportation option． "There is the danger of someone moving too fast and then having a problem that sets the industry back for some time，" he says．（1）Personal flying cars have failed to gain popularity among households mainly because ____ ．A．people don't have the courage to take the cars to the air．B．people are unwilling to train for a pilot's license．C．people worry that they may not be qualified to fly the cars safely．D．it is practically impossible to combine cars and aircraft together．（2）Which of the following is NOT an advantage of passenger drones？ ____ A． It can lift more weight．B． It is lighter in weight．C． It makes less noise．D． It is simpler in mechanical design．（3）What is Hirschberg's attitude towards passenger drones？ ____ A． disapprovingB． neutralC． skepticalD． cautiously optimistic（4）We can learn from the passage that ____ ．A．artificial intelligence can easily tackle the problems occurring in air traffic．B．human pilots in autonomous aircraft will endanger the safety of passengers．C．the passenger drone industry will make major breakthroughs in the near future．D．the public's distrust may hinder the development of passenger drones．
The dream of the flying car could come down to earth soon as several start-ups like Chinese EHANG and Uber are developing so-called "passenger drones（无人机）"-self-flying drones big enough to ferry individual commuters around town-which could shrink commute（上下班往返） times from hours to minutes．
At first glance， human-carrying drones sound no more realistic than flying cars． Until recently inventors had never been able to marry automobiles and aircraft in a practical way． Yet a few companies have kept at it： Woburn， for example， has since 2006 been developing Transition， a "roadable aircraft" that resembles a small airplane that can fold its wings and drive on roads． A personal flying car in every garage has proved to be a tough sell， however， as there are serious safety concerns about asking the average commuter to train for a pilot's license and take to the skies．
Passenger drones， by contrast， would operate autonomously and leave the "roadable" part behind in favor of larger versions of aircraft that already exist． Passenger drone designs favor "distributed electric propulsion（推进），" meaning instead of one large rotor powered by a large engine they have multiple propellers each powered by its own， smaller motor． This sacrifices lifting power and flight performance in exchange for mechanical simplicity and lighter weight-factors that could make them cheaper to operate． Quieter electric power would make the noise tolerable to city residents， although it remains to be seen how much weight such a vehicle could lift， and for how long．
With any of these vehicles， safety is the biggest concern and extends to both the aircraft and the automated systems flying them． Advanced artificial intelligence is needed to fly large numbers of autonomous aircraft without crashing them into one another or， say， the local news channel's traffic helicopter． Carrying people from points A to B seems simple enough， but even the best AI struggles with surprises： What， for example， would a drone do if a landing area suddenly became unavailable？ asks Sanjiv Singh， a Carnegie Mellon University robotics researcher． Instead of leaping to fully automated passenger drones， he suggests first testing the necessary AI in unmanned cargo（货物）runs， and adopting a "mixed mode" approach in early passenger services where pilots are assisted by AI co-pilots．
Technical challenges aside， start-ups promoting the technology will have to find a way to convince the public to give their drones a whirl， something that requires a much bigger leap of faith than getting into the backseat of a self-driving car． Passenger drone makers are "obviously still in the incubation（孵化） stages of technology development and improving the basics，" says Mike Hirschberg， executive director of the American Helicopter Society International． "But 20 or 30 years from now life may be a little like The Jetsons where you take advantage of the third dimension and have much more mobility， especially in urban close quarters where ground transportation is gridlocked．"
The passenger drone progress may follow a sloping takeoff rather than vertical leap． Carnegie Mellon's Singh sees a long road ahead filled with lots of testing， analysis， regulation and efforts to win the public's trust before the technology becomes a viable transportation option． "There is the danger of someone moving too fast and then having a problem that sets the industry back for some time，" he says．
（1）Personal flying cars have failed to gain popularity among households mainly because ____ ．
A．people don't have the courage to take the cars to the air．
B．people are unwilling to train for a pilot's license．
C．people worry that they may not be qualified to fly the cars safely．
D．it is practically impossible to combine cars and aircraft together．
（2）Which of the following is NOT an advantage of passenger drones？ ____
A． It can lift more weight．
B． It is lighter in weight．
C． It makes less noise．
D． It is simpler in mechanical design．
（3）What is Hirschberg's attitude towards passenger drones？ ____
A． disapproving
B． neutral
C． skeptical
D． cautiously optimistic
（4）We can learn from the passage that ____ ．
A．artificial intelligence can easily tackle the problems occurring in air traffic．
B．human pilots in autonomous aircraft will endanger the safety of passengers．
C．the passenger drone industry will make major breakthroughs in the near future．
D．the public's distrust may hinder the development of passenger drones．
At first glance， human-carrying drones sound no more realistic than flying cars． Until recently inventors had never been able to marry automobiles and aircraft in a practical way． Yet a few companies have kept at it： Woburn， for example， has since 2006 been developing Transition， a "roadable aircraft" that resembles a small airplane that can fold its wings and drive on roads． A personal flying car in every garage has proved to be a tough sell， however， as there are serious safety concerns about asking the average commuter to train for a pilot's license and take to the skies．
Passenger drones， by contrast， would operate autonomously and leave the "roadable" part behind in favor of larger versions of aircraft that already exist． Passenger drone designs favor "distributed electric propulsion（推进），" meaning instead of one large rotor powered by a large engine they have multiple propellers each powered by its own， smaller motor． This sacrifices lifting power and flight performance in exchange for mechanical simplicity and lighter weight-factors that could make them cheaper to operate． Quieter electric power would make the noise tolerable to city residents， although it remains to be seen how much weight such a vehicle could lift， and for how long．
With any of these vehicles， safety is the biggest concern and extends to both the aircraft and the automated systems flying them． Advanced artificial intelligence is needed to fly large numbers of autonomous aircraft without crashing them into one another or， say， the local news channel's traffic helicopter． Carrying people from points A to B seems simple enough， but even the best AI struggles with surprises： What， for example， would a drone do if a landing area suddenly became unavailable？ asks Sanjiv Singh， a Carnegie Mellon University robotics researcher． Instead of leaping to fully automated passenger drones， he suggests first testing the necessary AI in unmanned cargo（货物）runs， and adopting a "mixed mode" approach in early passenger services where pilots are assisted by AI co-pilots．
Technical challenges aside， start-ups promoting the technology will have to find a way to convince the public to give their drones a whirl， something that requires a much bigger leap of faith than getting into the backseat of a self-driving car． Passenger drone makers are "obviously still in the incubation（孵化） stages of technology development and improving the basics，" says Mike Hirschberg， executive director of the American Helicopter Society International． "But 20 or 30 years from now life may be a little like The Jetsons where you take advantage of the third dimension and have much more mobility， especially in urban close quarters where ground transportation is gridlocked．"
The passenger drone progress may follow a sloping takeoff rather than vertical leap． Carnegie Mellon's Singh sees a long road ahead filled with lots of testing， analysis， regulation and efforts to win the public's trust before the technology becomes a viable transportation option． "There is the danger of someone moving too fast and then having a problem that sets the industry back for some time，" he says．
（1）Personal flying cars have failed to gain popularity among households mainly because ____ ．
A．people don't have the courage to take the cars to the air．
B．people are unwilling to train for a pilot's license．
C．people worry that they may not be qualified to fly the cars safely．
D．it is practically impossible to combine cars and aircraft together．
（2）Which of the following is NOT an advantage of passenger drones？ ____
A． It can lift more weight．
B． It is lighter in weight．
C． It makes less noise．
D． It is simpler in mechanical design．
（3）What is Hirschberg's attitude towards passenger drones？ ____
A． disapproving
B． neutral
C． skeptical
D． cautiously optimistic
（4）We can learn from the passage that ____ ．
A．artificial intelligence can easily tackle the problems occurring in air traffic．
B．human pilots in autonomous aircraft will endanger the safety of passengers．
C．the passenger drone industry will make major breakthroughs in the near future．
D．the public's distrust may hinder the development of passenger drones．
题目解答
答案
（1）C．推理判断题．根据第二段A personal flying car in every garage has proved to be a tough sell， however， as there are serious safety concerns about asking the average commuter to train for a pilot's license and take to the skies．然而，事实证明，每个车库里都有一辆私人飞行车是很难实现的，因为要求普通通勤者训练取得飞行员执照，然后升空，存在严重的安全隐患．可知，人们担心他们可能没有资格安全驾驶飞行汽车．故选C．
（2）A．细节理解题．根据第三段This sacrifices lifting power and flight performance in exchange for mechanical simplicity and lighter weight-factors that could make them cheaper to operate． Quieter electric power would make the noise tolerable to city residents， although it remains to be seen how much weight such a vehicle could lift， and for how long．这就牺牲了起重能力和飞行性能，以换取机械的简单性和更轻的重量因素，从而降低了它们的运行成本．更安静的电力将使噪音对城市居民来说变得可以忍受，尽管这类车辆能承担多大的重量，能飞行多久还有待观察．可知，这种乘客无人机承载重量还不确定．其它都是优点．故选A．
（3）D．观点态度题．根据倒数第二段Passenger drone makers are "obviously still in the incubation（孵化） stages of technology development and improving the basics，" …"But 20 or 30 years from now life may be a little like The Jetsons where you take advantage of the third dimension and have much more mobility， especially in urban close quarters where ground transportation is gridlocked．"乘客无人机制造商"显然仍处于技术开发和改善基础设施的孵化阶段，……"，但从现在开始的二三十年，生活可能有点像喷气式飞机，在那里你可以利用第三维度，拥有更多的机动性，特别是在城市近郊，地面交通已经陷入僵局．"可知，Hirschberg对乘客无人机的态度是谨慎地乐观．故选D．
（4）D．推理判断题．根据最后一段的Carnegie Mellon's Singh sees a long road ahead filled with lots of testing， analysis， regulation and efforts to win the public's trust before the technology becomes a viable transportation option．卡内基梅隆大学的辛格认为，在这项技术成为一种可行的交通工具之前，还有很长的路要走，需要进行大量的测试、分析、监管和努力，以赢得公众的信任．可知，公众的不信任可能会阻碍无人驾驶飞机的发展．故选D．
（2）A．细节理解题．根据第三段This sacrifices lifting power and flight performance in exchange for mechanical simplicity and lighter weight-factors that could make them cheaper to operate． Quieter electric power would make the noise tolerable to city residents， although it remains to be seen how much weight such a vehicle could lift， and for how long．这就牺牲了起重能力和飞行性能，以换取机械的简单性和更轻的重量因素，从而降低了它们的运行成本．更安静的电力将使噪音对城市居民来说变得可以忍受，尽管这类车辆能承担多大的重量，能飞行多久还有待观察．可知，这种乘客无人机承载重量还不确定．其它都是优点．故选A．
（3）D．观点态度题．根据倒数第二段Passenger drone makers are "obviously still in the incubation（孵化） stages of technology development and improving the basics，" …"But 20 or 30 years from now life may be a little like The Jetsons where you take advantage of the third dimension and have much more mobility， especially in urban close quarters where ground transportation is gridlocked．"乘客无人机制造商"显然仍处于技术开发和改善基础设施的孵化阶段，……"，但从现在开始的二三十年，生活可能有点像喷气式飞机，在那里你可以利用第三维度，拥有更多的机动性，特别是在城市近郊，地面交通已经陷入僵局．"可知，Hirschberg对乘客无人机的态度是谨慎地乐观．故选D．
（4）D．推理判断题．根据最后一段的Carnegie Mellon's Singh sees a long road ahead filled with lots of testing， analysis， regulation and efforts to win the public's trust before the technology becomes a viable transportation option．卡内基梅隆大学的辛格认为，在这项技术成为一种可行的交通工具之前，还有很长的路要走，需要进行大量的测试、分析、监管和努力，以赢得公众的信任．可知，公众的不信任可能会阻碍无人驾驶飞机的发展．故选D．