Lesson 29 The hovercraft 气垫船

First listen and then answer the following question.

听录音,然后回答以下问题。

What is a hovercraft riding on when it is in motion?

Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft. In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, suggested an idea on which he had been working for many years to the British Government and industrial circles. It was the idea of supporting a craft on a 'pad', or

5 cushion, of low-pressure air, ringed with a curtain of higher pressure air. Ever since, people have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged among ships, planes, or land vehicles-for it is something in between a boat and an aircraft. As a shipbuilder, Cockerell was trying to find a solution to the problem of the wave resistance which wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power and limits its speed. His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making it ride on a cushion of air, no more than one or two 10 feet thick. This is done by a great number of ring-shaped air jets on the bottom of the craft. It 'flies', therefore, but it cannot fly higher-its action depends on the surface, water or ground, over which it rides.

The first tests on the Solent in 1959 caused a sensation. The hovercraft travelled first over the water, then mounted the beach, climbed up the dunes, and sat down on a road. Later it crossed the Channel, riding smoothly over the waves, which presented no problem.

Since that time, various types of hovercraft have appeared and taken up regular service. The hovercraft is particularly useful in large areas with poor communications such as Africa or Australia; it can become a 'flying fruit-bowl', carrying bananas from the plantations to the ports; giant hovercraft liners could span the Atlantic; and the railway of the future may well be the 'hovertrain', riding on its air cushion over a single rail, which it never touches, at speeds up to ${300}\mathrm{;m}$ .p.h.-the possibilities appear unlimited.

EGON LARSEN The Pegasus Book of Inventors

New words and expressions 生词和短语

hovercraft (title) $/\prime$ hɒvəkrɑːft/ n. 气垫船

Norfolk Broads (1.3) /’ nɔːfəkbrɔːdz/ n. 诺福克郡的湖泊地区

cushion (1.5) $/\prime \mathrm{k}\mho \int \partial \mathrm{n}/n$ . 座垫

ring (1.5) $/\mathrm{r}$ Iŋ/ $v$ . 围

Notes on the text 课文注释

1 the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft, 这是现在分词 being 的独立主格结构。

2 in between, 介乎 …… 之间,这是一种组合介词。

Solent (1.12) /’səʊlənt/n. (英国的) 苏伦特海峡 sensation (1.12)/sen’serʃən/ $n$ . 轰动

dune (1.13)/djuːn/n. 沙丘

plantation (1.17) /plæn’teiʃən/ n. 种植园

hovertrain (1.18) / 如 $\nu$ -tor $n/n$ . 气垫火车

A hovercraft

3 a surface ship, 水面船只。

4 may well be, 很可能是 。

参考译文

本世纪已研制出许多新奇的交通工具, 其中最新奇的要数气垫船了。1953 年, 有一位 50 多岁名叫克里斯托弗·科克雷尔的原电子工程师, 改行在诺福克郡的湖泊地区从事造船业, 他向英国政府和工业界提出了他研究多年的一项计划。他的设想是: 用一个低压空气垫或软垫来支撑船体, 软垫周围用高压空气环绕。自那以后, 人们很难决定是否应该将这种运载工具列为轮船、飞机, 或是陆上交通工具, 因为它是介于船和飞机之间。作为一个船舶技师, 科克雷尔在寻找解决波浪阻力的方法, 因为波浪阻力浪费掉了船在水面行驶的大量动力, 从而限制了船的速度。他的解决办法是把船体提离水面,让船在一个气垫上行驶,气垫只有一两英尺厚。船底装上大量环状喷气嘴以实现这一目的。这样,船就能飞了,但飞不高。它的飞行取决于它所悬浮的水面或地面。

1959 年,在苏伦特海峡进行的首次试航引起了轰动。气垫船先是在水面上行驶,后又登上海岸,爬上沙丘, 最后停在路上。后来气垫船跨越英吉利海峡, 平稳地在波浪上方行驶, 波浪不再产生阻力。

从那以后,各种各样的气垫船出现了,并开始了定期航行服务。气垫船在非洲、澳大利亚等交通不发达地区特别有用。它能成为 “飞行水果盘子”, 把香蕉从种植园运到港口。大型的气垫班轮或许能跨越大西洋。未来的火车或许能成为 “气垫火车”, 靠气垫在单轨上行驶而不接触轨道, 时速可达每小时 300 英里。气垫船的前途是不可限量的。

Comprehension 理解

1 State briefly how a hovercraft works.

2 Name two ways in which the hovercraft may transform sea and land transport.

Unit 4 Lesson 29

Vocabulary 词汇

Refer to the text to see how the following words have been used, then write sentences of your own using these words: a former (I.2); ringed with (I.5); ranged (I.6); a solution to the problem (II.7-8); caused a sensation (I.12); riding smoothly (ll.13-14); span (l.17).

Summary 摘要

A Drawing your information from the first two paragraphs (lines 1-14), write a list of points in note form describing how the hovercraft was developed.

B Using this list of points, reconstruct the author's account in not more than 90 words. Your answer should be in one paragraph.

Composition 作文

Write a composition of about 300 words on the following subject: Modern means of transport.

You may use some or all of the ideas given below if you wish:

1 The main emphasis in all forms of transport is speed and comfort. The world has become a smaller place.

2 Air travel: the jet aeroplane; the helicopter; future possibilities in the rocket.

3 Sea: ocean liners; the hydrofoil; the hovercraft.

4 Land: electric trains; automatic control (e.g. Japan); the car; the building of motorway networks.

5 Of all modern means of transport, the car is creating most problems as it is causing serious congestion in cities. No satisfactory solution to this problem has yet been found.

Key structures 关键句型

A Note the use of being in this sentence:

Many strange new means of transport have been developed in our century, the strangest of them being perhaps the hovercraft. (II. 1-2)

Complete these sentences using the same construction:

1 Many international exhibitions have been held, the most recent one _____

2 New York is full of skyscrapers, the tallest one _____

B Supply the correct form of the verbs in parentheses in the following. Do not refer to the passage until you have finished the exercise:

In 1953, a former electronics engineer in his fifties, Christopher Cockerell, who _____ (turn) to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads, _____ (suggest) an idea on which he _____ (work) for many years to the British Government and industrial circles. It _____ (be) the idea of _____ (support) a craft on a ‘pad’, or cushion, of low-pressure air, _____ (ring) with a curtain of higher pressure air. Ever since, people _____ (have) difficulty in _____ (decide) whether the craft _____ (should range) among ships, planes, or land vehicles. (11.2-6) Unit 4 Lesson 29

C Supply among or between in the following sentences:

1 People have had difficulty in deciding whether the craft should be ranged _____ ships, planes, or land vehicles. (II.5-6) 2 It is something in _____ a boat and an aircraft. (II.6-7) 3 Diplomatic relations _____ the two countries have been broken. 4 Strictly _____ you and me, this whole business is beginning to get me down. D Note the phrase a good deal of in this sentence: 'Wave resistance ... wastes a good deal of a surface ship's power.' (1.8) Write sentences using the following phrases: a great deal of; a great many; a good many; a good few. E Note the form of the verbs in italics: His answer was to lift the vessel out of the water by making it ride on a cushion of air. (11.8-9) Complete the following sentences: 1 1 made him _____ 2 The teacher made the class _____ 3 He trained the team by making them _____ F Compare these two sentences: Instead of saying: It is quite likely that the railway of the future will be the 'hovertrain'. We can say: The railway of the future may (or might) well be the 'hovertrain'. (1.18) Write two sentences using may (or might) well in this way.

Special difficulties 难点

A Study the following pairs of words and then write sentences of your own to bring out the difference.

1 engineer (1.2) - mechanic

It is every engineer's dream to design a machine that will use water as fuel.

Can I have a word with the mechanic who serviced my car?

2 solution (1.7) - solvent

The ozone layer is depleting and there's no easy solution to this problem.

Water is the commonest solvent.

B Explain the meaning of the verbs in italics:

I He had turned to boat-building on the Norfolk Broads. (II.2-3)

2 Please turn off the tap.

3 Aunt Matilda turned up unexpectedly last night.

4 The soldiers marched to the other side of the park, turned about, and marched back.

C Note the use of the verb ride in this sentence:

It crossed the Channel, riding smoothly over the waves. (II.13-14)

Write sentences using the following expressions:

ride a horse; go for a ride (in a car, on a bicycle); give someone a ride.

Unit 4 Lesson 29

Multiple choice questions 多项选择题

Choose the correct answers to the following questions.

Comprehension 理解

1 The hovercraft depends on _____ to keep off the ground.

(a) electronics (b) rings (c) air pressure (d) a curtain

2 Christopher Cockerell had been working on this idea _____.

(a) for the British Government

(b) in industrial circles

(c) on his own

(d) in the boat-building industry

3 The extraodinary thing about the hovercraft is that it can travel at speed _____.

(a) over land and water

(b) exactly like a helicopter

(c) because it resist waves

(d) on air pressure

4 The exciting thing about the hovercraft principle is that it _____.

(a) can be used as a 'flying fruit-bowl'

(b) is good for communications

(c) has been applied to cross the Atlantic

(d) has implications for other modes of transport

Structure 句型

5 _____ , people have had difficulty ... (1.5)

(a) As a result (b) Because of this (c) Up till then (d) From that time

6 Ever since, people have _____ difficulty in deciding ... (II.5-6)

(a) obtained (b) possessed (c) experienced (d) enjoyed

7 That's the _____ he made it ride on a cushion of air. (1.9)

(a) direction (b) how (c) way (d) idea

8 Its action depends on the surface _____ . (1.11)

(a) it rides over (b) riding over it (c) it rides (d) which it rides

Vocabulary 词汇

9 Cockerell was trying to find the _____ the problem. (1.7)

(a) solvent for (b) explanation of (c) result of (d) answer to

10 This is done by a great number of air jets

(a) under (b) at the depth of (c) deeper than (d) at the basis of

11 The hovercraft travelled first over the water, then

(a) hit (b) climbed up (c) crashed into (d) met

12 Since that time _____ types of hovercraft have appeared. (I.15)

(a) many (b) unusual (c) different (d) developed