World's first fully electric plane takes off

2020-06-06钟冬梅

疯狂英语·新读写 2020年3期

关键词：电气化保护环境舰队

难词探意

1. ferry /'feri/ v. 摆渡

2. biofuel /'baɪəʊfjuːəl/ n. 生物燃料

3. optimization /,ɒptɪmaɪ'zeɪʃn/ n. 最优化

4. retrofit /'retrəʊfɪt/ v. 翻新

5. steroid /'sterɔɪd/ n. 甾族化合物

6. upkeep /'ʌpkiːp/ n. 保养；维修

The world's first fully electric commercial aircraft took its first test flight on Tuesday,taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver where tall mountain peaks edge the Pacific Ocean. “This proves that commercial aviation in all-electric form can work,” said Roei Ganzarski, chief executive of Seattle-based engineering firm magniX.

The company designed the plane's motor and worked in partnership with Harbour Air,whichferriedhalf a million passengers a year between Vancouver, Whistler ski resort and nearby islands and coastal communities.Ganzarski said the technology would mean significant cost savings for airlines—not to mention zero emissions. “This signifies the start of the electric aviation age,” he told reporters.

Civil aviation is one of the fastest growing sources of carbon emissions as people increasingly take to the skies. The International Civil Aviation Organization has encouraged greater use of efficientbiofuelengines and lighter aircraft materials, as well as routeoptimization.

The e-plane, six-passenger DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver seaplaneretrofittedwith an electric motor, was piloted by Greg McDougall.He is the founder and chief executive of Harbour Air. “For me that flight was just like flying a Beaver, but it was a Beaver on electricsteroids. I actually had to back off on the power,” he said. McDougall took the plane on a short loop along the Fraser River near Vancouver International Airport in front of around 100 onlookers soon after sunrise. The flight lasted less than 15 minutes, according to an AFP journalist on the scene. “Our goal is to actually electrify the entire fleet,” he said.On top of fuel efficiency, the company would save millions in maintenance costs, as electric motors require “drastically” lessupkeep.

However, Harbour Air will have to wait at least two years before it can begin electrifying its fleet of more than 40 seaplanes.

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T (true) or F (false) questions

（）1. The test flight proves that commercial aviation in all-electric form can work.

（）2. The firm magniX is located in a Canadian city, Vancouver.

（）3. The electric plane was designed by Harbour Air.

（）4. The technology of electric plane will benefit airlines a lot.

（）5. Civil aviation can bring about many carbon emissions.

（）6. E-planes will be sold at the market in one year.

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