2017年職稱英語綜合類A級閱讀講義(八)
    Rescue Platform
    In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, security experts are trying to develop new ways of rescuing people from burning skyscrapers. One idea is a platform capable of flying vertically and hovering in the air like a helicopter.1 The platform would rise up and down alongside a skyscraper and pick up people trapped in high stories.
    The idea for the vertical takeoff platform was hatched more than ten years ago by a Russian aerospace engineer， David Metreveli, who has since2 moved to Israel. Metreveli’s design, called the Eagle, calls for two jet engines that turn four large horizontal propellers. The spinning of the propellers generates the necessary lift, or upward force, to raise the platform. The more power is supplied to the propellers, the higher the platform rises. Moving the platform sideways involves applying differing amounts of power to each propeller.
    Helicopters are now used in some cases to get people out of burning buildings. Escape baskets3 slung from them dangle beside the building for people to climb into. Unfortunately, the baskets cannot reach every floor of a building because the ropes from which they hang become unstable beyond a certain length.
    So far, Metreveli has built a small-scale model of the Eagle to test his idea. In the wake of4 September 11, he has been able to secure enough funding to start building a larger, 4-meter by 4-meter5 prototype, which he calls the Eaglet.
    詞匯: aftermath /5B:ftEmAW/n.結(jié)果，后果 sling /sliN/ v.用懸?guī)У鯍?(slung，slung) hover /5hCvE/ v.盤旋 dangle /5dAN^l/ v.搖擺 hatch /hAtF/ v.策劃 prototype /5prEutEtaip/ n.原型propeller /prE5pelE/ n.螺旋槳;推進(jìn)器 注釋：
    1. One idea is a platform capable of flying vertically and hovering in the air like a helicopter：形容詞短語 capable of flying vertically and hovering…用作定語，修飾， platform。
    2. since = since ten years ago
    3. escape basket：救生籃
    4. in the wake of：在……后
    5. 4-meter by 4-meter：4米×4米練習(xí)：
    1. A rescue platform called the Eagle is capable of moving vertically but not sideways. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
    2. The four propellers are fitted horizontally to the Eagle. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
    3. With the help of jet engines, the Eagle can fly at a speed of 100 miles an hour. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
    4. In the third paragraph, the word helicopter refers to the Eagle. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
    5. The mare jet engines are fitted to the propellers, the more people the platform can carry. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
    6. In the wake of September 11, Mr. Metreveli has secured enough funding to build up a small-scale model of the Eagle to test his idea. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
    7. Mr. Metreveli is designing for Israel a more advanced form of rescue platform than the Eagle or the Eaglet. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
    答案與題解 :
    1. B本題給出的信息是錯誤的。第二段說到，救生平臺既可垂直升降，也可側(cè)向移動。
    2. A 本題給出的信息是正確的。根據(jù)在第二段的第二句： Metreveli’s design, called the Eagle, calls for two jet engines that turn four large horizontal propellers。句中的 horizontal propellers指水平方向旋轉(zhuǎn)的螺旋推進(jìn)器。
    3. C文章沒有提到救生平臺移動的速度。
    4. B 從上下文看，本段介紹直升機(jī)在營救高樓受困人員時有不足之處，即救生籃晃動，不穩(wěn)定，雖然本段沒有明說，讀者能體會到， the Eagle就沒有這個缺點(diǎn)。所以，本題說 helicopter就是 the Eaglet傳達(dá)的信息是錯誤的。
    5. C 文章沒有提供“救生平臺動力越大，載人越多”這一信息，只是在第二段倒數(shù)第二句說： The more power is supplied to the propellers the higher the platform rises。
    6. B 9·11事件之后， Metreveli拿到的是建造 a larger，4-meter by 4-meter prototype的經(jīng)費(fèi)，不是建造 a small-scale model of the Eagle的經(jīng)費(fèi)。
    7. C文章沒有提供這方面的信息。