4 . The world’s first fully electric plane has flown successfully for almost 15 minutes. The world’s first fully electric commercial aircraft took its first test flight on Tuesday, taking off from the Canadian city of Vancouver and offering hope that airlines may one day end their polluting emissions.
“This proves that commercial airmail in all-electric form can work,” said Roei Ganzarski, CEO of Seattle-based engineering firm MagniX. The company designed the plane’s motor and worked in partnership with Harbour Air, which carries half 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 airmail age,” he told reporters.
Civil airmail is one of the fastest growing sources of carbon emissions as people increasingly take to the skies and new technologies have been slow to make remarkable progress. At 285 grammes of CO2 emitted per kilometre (mile) travelled by each passenger, airline industry emissions far exceed those from all other transport, according to the European Environment Agency.
The e-plane—a 62-year-old, six-passenger DHC –2 de Havilland Beaver seaplane improved on with an electric motor—was piloted by Greg McDougall, founder and CEO of Harbour Air. “For me that flight was just like flying a Beaver, but it was a Beaver on electric steroids (电动兴奋剂). I actually had to turn off the power button,” he said. McDougall took the plane in a short circle along the Fraser River near Vancouver International Airport in front of around 100 onlookers soon after sunrise.
1. What can we know from the first fully electric plane’s success?
A.The flying time of e-plane is 15 minutes at most. |
B.The fully electric commercial airmail has functioned. |
C.Airlines may realize the goal of zero emissions. |
D.The fully electric plane never does damage to the environment. |
2. What does the underlined word “signifies” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A.Means. | B.Proves. | C.Changes. | D.Follows. |
3. What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.The pollution caused by passengers. | B.The backward airmail technology. |
C.The current situation of civil airmail. | D.The growing sources of carbon emissions. |
4. What is Greg McDougall’s attitude towards the successful e-plane?
A.Shocked. | B.Positive. | C.Doubtful. | D.Objective. |