周末加油站（IX）

Task 1

To someone stuck in a traffic jam， the ability to soar（高飛） right over other cars seems like a dream. Inventors and businessmen tried to make flying cars， but have never been able to. That may be changing. Many companies are competing to be the first to develop a flying car.

One of the ideas being developed is a car with wings that unfold for flight. But most are more like helicopters instead of cars and they are operated by a battery-powered motor. Still， some companies are moving forward. They see a need for “air taxis”， especially as cities grow more congested. These taxis would send passengers to the rooftops of office buildings during rush hours.

Charles Eastlake is a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He says advances in technology have opened the door to a whole new world of flying machines. But he also expresses some hesitancy， “Its possible that people actually use self-flying air taxis in the next 10 or 15 years. But the challenges are big.”

The key will be making longer-lasting batteries. Batteries now could keep an air taxi in the sky for about 15 to 30 minutes. Depending on how fast it flies， that probably isnt enough time to transport passengers. Companies will also have to get permission from the government. The government office in charge of flying says further study is needed on flying cars. It thinks the ideas being worked on are good ones， but they must be safe. Reducing noise is another challenge because air taxis will be taking off and landing in areas with a lot of people. Creating enough landing pads to deal with many flying cars at the same time is also a challenge.

Though there are so many challenges for humans to deal with， inventors and businessmen think their dream of making flying cars will come true soon.

1. What do we know about flying cars now？

A.They can fly as fast as helicopters.

B.They mainly depend on the sunlight.

C.They resemble helicopters very much.

D.They can fold their wings easily.

2. What does the underlined word “congested” in paragraph 2 probably mean？

A.Crowded. B.Developed. C.Modern.D.Convenient.

3. What can we infer from Charles Eastlakes words？

A.He will devote himself to designing flying machines.

B.He supposes that making flying cars is beyond his power.

C.He still has confidence in making flying cars into reality.

D.He advises to apply the advanced technology to flying cars.

4. The challenges of making flying cars are mentioned to show__________.

A.making flying cars is only a dream

B.safety is of importance to flying cars

C.there is a long way to make real flying cars

D.noise is the biggest problem

Task 2

Learning how to use new words well will make it easier to learn a language and make you more knowledgeable.1If youre committed to building your vocabulary， set a goal for yourself. Try to learn three new words a day and use them in your speech and writing. With great efforts， you can learn several thousand new words that youll remember and use.

Write more.2Actively exercising your writing muscles will keep your vocabulary strong. Write letters to old friends and use lots of specific details.3If you typically avoid composing memos or writing group emails or participating in group discussions， change your habits and write more. You might get paid while you are building your vocabulary as well.

Use flash cards or post-it notes around your house. If youre going to make a habit of learning new words， try some simple memorization techniques. Hang post-it notes with the definition of a particular word you hope to memorize above the coffee maker， so you can study it while making your morning cup.4 Even if youre watching TV or doing other activities， keep some flash cards with you and study your new words.

Use accurate adjectives and precise nouns. The best writers aim to keep it short and accurate. Get out the dictionaries and use the most accurate words possible in your sentences.5 ? ?A word is a useful addition to your vocabulary if it reduces the number of the words in a sentence.

A.Have a goal.

B.Set an example.

C.Don't use three words when one will do.

D.Start keeping a diary if you don't， or start a blog.

E.Consider taking on more writing tasks at work.

F.Stick a new word to each house plant so you can study while watering.

G.It also pays to create a good habit of guessing what the writer is really trying to say.

Task 3

About a few years back starting from the fourth grade， I was in very low spirits for about four-and-a-half years. I1really had any friends during that time. My only friend had just2to another city with her parents at the end of the third grade. What was3 ， my pet dog and my cat had just died. It almost seemed as if my life was slowly4for me， and I always felt5because no one and not even my family would talk to me. I didnt think they knew what I was6 . It was a really