4 . The same area where the Wright brothers developed the first airplane will soon see electric planes that take off and land vertically (垂直地). The planes, called “flying taxis” will be produced under an agreement between the state of Ohio and Joby Aviation at Dayton International Airport.

Joby Aviation is a 14-year-old company that went public in 2021 and became the first electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) firm to receive a special kind of permission from the US Air Force. Its production efforts are supported by partnerships with Toyota, Delta Air Lines, Intel and Uber.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine told The Associated Press, “When you’re talking about air taxis, that’s the future.”

Developers say the planes are nearing the day when they will provide a way to move individual people or small groups from the top of buildings and parking spaces to their destinations.

Around the world, eVTOL. aircrafts or flying taxis are becoming more common. Still, questions remain about noise levels and charging demands.

Engineers designed Joby’s production aircraft to transport a pilot and four passengers at the speed of up to 321.87 kilometers per hour. The aircraft can cover a distance of up to 160. 93 kilometers. It is a quiet machine that can barely be heard in most cities, the company said. The plan is to place them in aerial ride sharing networks beginning in 2025.

The $500 million project is supported by up to $325 million in payments from the state of Ohio. With the money, Joby plans to build an Ohio facility capable of delivering up to 500 aircrafts a year and creating 2,000 jobs. The US Department of Energy has invited Joby to apply for a loan to support the development of the facility as a clean energy project.

Joby CEO JocBen Bevirt told the AP that the company chose Ohio after a large and competitive search. Ohio’s financial deal was not the largest, but the chance to bring the operation to the birthplace of aviation — with a workforce experienced in the field — led to the deal, he said.

7 . Traffic lights are red, yellow and green. They are very important signals (信号). Traffic lights are usually placed at busy street corners to help control traffic. Sometimes, they are on streets near schools and shops, too. Most young children are taught what each of the colored lights means, so everybody can stay safe.

The first traffic signals were used for trains. The signals were put alongside railway tracks (轨道). The color red was used to mean “stop” because it warned people of danger. A red light was also the easiest color to see from a distance. Train drivers could see the red “stop” light ahead and had enough time to slow down and stop their trains. A green light was used to mean “take care” and a white light meant “go”.

However, there were many dangerous accidents on the train tracks. Some train drivers thought a star shining in the night sky was a white light that meant “go”. So the signals were swapped. The “go” light was changed to green and the “take care” light was changed to white.

During these times, people travelled by train or in carts pulled by horses. Years later, when cars were built, people began to drive them because they could travel much faster than horses. However, the road rules for drivers were not very clear and many people were hurt crossing the roads. Yellow warning signs had to be placed beside the roads to remind drivers to take care and allow people to cross safely.

Today, towns and cities all over the world have traffic lights. Red and green lights match the signals used on the railways. Yellow lights are easy to see, so they are used to warn drivers that they should slow down and prepare to stop.

8 . School buses are familiar to most people. However, Sam Balto, an elementary school teacher, creates a brand-new ______ of school buses in Portland, Oreg. ______ loading kids into the yellow vehicles, he involves them in a school “bike bus”. The bike bus ______ differently from the way school buses do. There’re two meetup locations for kids. After the two groups ______, the children cycle to school together.

Though popular in some areas, bike buses are still ______ in the U.S. Balto’s idea for that began as an initiative for Earth Day, which surprisingly became a ______, with most students in Balto’s school participating. Then he decided to ______ . Now ______ the bike bus in action. “Kids ______ the ride. Parents notice on bike bus mornings, kids get up and out of home ______. They’ re eager to be with friends,” said Balto. Actually, its ______    go beyond promoting socializing. The physical activity helps ______ kids’ strength and it’s also climate action.

Right now, Balto feels it’s ______ to offer the bike bus once a week and he’s relying on volunteers and seeking official ______. “It can be a daily way to transport kids if cities or schools pay adults to lead it,” Balto explained. If possible, he encourages other Portland schools to ______ them. “More kids across the city should have such pleasant experiences.”

10 . On the eve of this week’s rail strikes, it was reported that the industry bosses are planning to weed out paper train tickets and close almost 1,000 station ticket offices in England. The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has made no secret of his desire to see costs saved in this way. Some stations sell only a handful of tickets each week and the vast majority of transactions (交易) have moved online.

In the name of cost-cutting, station ticket offices are likely to follow the telephone booth on the comer and become memory. For those who have grown used to the benefits of organizing travel via smartphones, there will be little to feel sorry for. But for people without online access or skills ― who tend to be older, poorer, and more fragile-another social barrier will have been built.

From medical appointments to payment apps for parking, more and more key services are now delivered digitally. As this revolution takes place, the interests of a significant minority are being ignored to some extent. In the case of health and social care, for example, it will often be those most in need of assistance who are least able to employ electronic devices.

The debate over ticket offices offers an opportunity to reflect more broadly on the increasing role of technology in our social landscape. The unavoidable trend towards technology is predictable, but its possible consequences need to be managed with more care. With the expanding range and increasing complexity of digital requirements, the aged are gradually withdrawing from increasing social services in their lives. Ros Altmann, the former pensions minister, recently wrote of being contacted by an elderly woman who no longer drives to her local park, because she cannot download the car parking app required.

Much more needs to be invested in helping gain easy online access. Alternative offline options must be maintained for important services. Contactable telephone numbers of relevant staff should always be available. These will cost more. But that is the price of digital transformation.