9 . A 420-meter white steel tube running alongside a railway line in the northern Netherlands could be the start of a new kind of transportation for people and goods. The tube from Hyperloop Center is the heart of the new transport technology that opened recently in Veendam. Developers from Hyperloop Center will be testing the changing technology there over the coming years.
Hyperloop technology was once supported by business leader Elon Musk. Its supporters say it is far faster than short flights, high-speed rail, and trucks. When Musk first presented the idea, he said it could transport people the nearly 645 kilometers between Los Angeles and San Francisco in 30 minutes. But since then, progress has been slow to get from an idea to the real world.
Sascha Lamme is the center’s director. He expects to have the first Hyperloop route by 2030. He said, “There are already preparations being done for such routes in for example Italy or India.”
Robert Noland is a professor at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University in New Jersey. He told The Associated Press that policy makers go after big ideas of the future but they should invest in simpler transportation structures. He added, “It costs too much to build.” But Lamme noted that they have not added all of the ways they can reduce costs over the next ten years.
The test center’s tube is made up of 34 separate sections mostly 2 and a half meters wide. A piece of equipment next to the tube removes air in the tube to reduce the pressure inside the tube. That reduces air resistance and permits capsules to travel at such high speeds. A capsule built by Dutch hyperloop company Hardt Hyperloop will be tested next month. It receives financial support from private investments, local and national governments, and the European Commission.
While testing continues in Veendam, hyperloop developers hope that routes for their technology will be coming. Lamme stated that getting government authorization (授权) for building routes is their main hardship they encountered. And he said finding new financial support to test and show the technology is what is needed to make this happen.
1. What does Hyperloop Center aim to do?
| A．Build a 420-meter white steel tube. | B．Develop a new transport technology. |
| C．Ask for donations from the local company. | D．Meet the challenges of the new technology. |
2. What is the benefit of Hyperloop technology compared to traditional vehicles?
| A．It’s more eco-friendly. | B．It’s cheaper. |
| C．It’s more efficient. | D．It’s much safer. |
3. What is Robert Noland’s attitude towards Hyperloop’s future?
| A．Unclear. | B．Indifferent. | C．Approving. | D．Doubtful. |
4. What is the main difficulty about building routes according to Lamme?
| A．Finding some new financial supports. | B．Gaining the government’s approval. |
| C．Travelling at a very high speed. | D．Running along a railway line. |
