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If cars had wings,they could fly and that just might happen, beginning in 2011.The company Terrafugia, based in Woburn, Massachusetts, says it plans to deliver its car-plane, the Transition, to customers by
the end of 2011.
"It's the next 'wow' vehicle,"said Terrafugia vice president Richard Gersh. "Anybody can buy a Ferrari, but as we say, Ferraris don't fly."
The car plane has wings that unfold for flying-a process the company says takes one minute-and fold
back up for driving. A runway is still required to take off and land.
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies, although it is both.
The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations, and with the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to
fly. They say it saves you the trouble from trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports: You drive the car to the airport and then you're good to go. When you land, you fold up the
wings and hit the road. There are no expensive parking fees because you don't have to store it at an
airport-you park it in the garage at home.
The car-plane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet. It has a maximum takeoff weight of
1,430 pounds, including fuel and passengers. Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an
accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal (临界) conditions.
The Transition's price tag: $194,000, But there may be additional charges for options like a radio,
transponder or GPS. Another option is a full-plane parachute.
"If you get into a very awful situation, it is the necessary safety option," Gersh said.
So far, the company has more than 70 orders with deposits. "We're working very closely with them,
but there are still some remaining steps," Brown said.
1.We can learn from the first paragraph that .
A. both Transition and Ferrari can take off and land
B. people might drive a car-plane in 2011
C. car-planes will be popular in 2011
D. Richard Gersh is the vice president of Massachusetts
2. It takes the car-plane one minute to .
A. fold and unfold its wings
B. unfold wings for flying
C. land in the airport
D. meet flying safety regulations
3. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. The car-plane needs a runway to take off and land.
B. To mcet aircraft regulations, the company has been working with FAA.
C. The car-plane may fly as high as normal planes.
D. People can park the car-plane in the garage at their home.
4. The underlined word "it" in the last but one paragraph refers to .
A. the radio
B. the transponder
C. the GPS
D. the full-plane parachute
5.What's the best title for the passage?
A. Cars With Wings May Be Just Around The Corner.
B. Which to Choose: A Ferraris or a Car Plane?
C. A more Convenient and Cheaper Way to Fly.
D. Cars With Wings Can Fly as Fast as Planes.
