2010年考研英语二新题型

Part B

Directions

Read the following text and decide whether each of the statements is true or false. Choose T if the statement is true or F it the statement is not true. Mark your answers on ANSWER SHEET1.(10 points)

Copying Birds May Save Aircraft Fuel

Both Boeing and Airbus have trumpeted the efficiency of their newest aircraft. The 787 and 350 respectively . Their clever designs and lightweight composites certainly make a difference . But a group of researchers at Stanford University , led by Ilan Kroo , has suggested that airlines could take a more naturalistic approach to cutting jet-fuel use and it would not require them to buy new aircraft.

The answer, says Dr Kroo , lies with birds . Since 1914, scientists have known that birds flying in formation-a V-shape-expend less energy. The air flowing over a bird’s wings curls upwards behind the wingtips . a phenomenon known as upwash. Other birds flying in the upwash experience reduced drag, and spend less energy propelling themselves . Peter Lissaman, an aeronautics expert who was formerly at Caltech and the University of Southern California ,has suggested that a formation of 25 birds might enjoy a range increase of 71%.

When applied to aircraft, the principles are not substantially different . Dr Kroo and his team modeled what would happen if three passenger jets departing from Los Angeles, San Francisco and I as Vegas were to assemble over Utah, assume an inverted V-formation occasionally change places so all could have a turn in the most favourable positions , and proceed to London. They found that the aircraft consumed as much as 15% less fuel (coupled with a reduction in carbon-dioxide output). Nitrogen-oxide emissions during the cruising portions of the flight fell by around a quarter.

There are , of course , knots to be worked out . One consideration is safety , or at least the perception of it . Would passengers feel comfortable travelling in companion? Dr Kroo points out that the aircraft could be separated by several nautical miles , and would not be in the intimate groupings favoured by display teams like the Red Arrows , A passenger peering out of the window might not even see the other planes. Whether the separation distances involved would satisfy air-traffic-control regulations is another matter, although a working group at the International Civil Aviation Organisation has included the possibility of formation flying in a blueprint for new operational guidelines.

It remains to be seen how weather conditions affect the air flows that make formation flight more efficient. In zones of increased turbulence, the planes’ wakes will decay more quickly and the effect will diminish. Dr Kroo says this is one of the areas his team will investigate further. It might also be hard for airlines to co-ordinate the departure times and destinations of passenger aircraft in a way that would allow them to gain from formation flight. Cargo aircraft, in contrast, might be easier to reschedule, as might routine military flight.

As it happens, America’s armed forces are on the on case already. Earlier this year the country’s Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency announced plans to pay Boeing to investigate formation flight, though the programme has yet to begin . There are reports that some military aircraft flew in formation when they were low on fuel during the Second World War ,but Dr Lissaman says they are unsubstantiated. “My father was an RAF pilot and my cousin the skipper of a Lancaster lost over Berlin,”he adds. So he should know.

41. Findings of the Stanford University researchers will promote the sales of new Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

42. The upwash experience may save propelling energy as well as reducing resistance.

43. Formation flight is more comfortable because passengers can not see the other plans.

44. The role that weather plays in formation flight has not yet been clearly defined.

45. It has been documented that during World War Ⅱ, America’s armed forces once tried formation flight to save fuel.

41. Findings of Stanford University researchers will promote the sales of new Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

42. 【题目翻译】斯坦福大学研究者的发现将会促进波音飞机公司和空中客车飞机公司新飞机的销售。

【答案】F

【考点】细节题

【解析】由题干关键词 Stanford University researchers 可推测答案依据在首段末句。But a group of researchers …， has suggested that a…， and it would not…题干中的 findings 指的就是“airlines could take a more naturalistic approach to cutting jetfuel use”，而 and 后的内容指出该研究说明 “it would not require them to buy new aircraft”，意思为“这不需要购买新型号飞机”，因而可以得知题干信息和原文信息是相反的。答案为 F。

42.The upwash experience may save propelling energy as well as reducing resistance.

【题目翻译】在上升气流中飞行不仅可以节省驱动所消耗的能量，还可以减少阻力。

【答案】T

【考点】细节题

【解析】由题干关键词 upwash experience 和 propelling 可推测答案依据在原文第二段第四句。Other birds …experience reduced drag, and spend less energy propelling themselves.句子中 reduced drag 和题干的 reducing resistance 是对应的，drag 和 resistance 是同义替换，reduced 和 reducing 是同一个单词变换形式而来。spend less

energy propelling themselves 与 save propelling energy 对应，spend less 和 save 是同义替换，propelling energy 则是 energy propelling themselves 的另一种表达形式。因而可以判断出题干和原文表达的含义一致。答案为 T。

43. Formation flight is more comfortable because passengers cannot see the other planes.

【题目翻译】编队飞行更舒适，因为乘客看不到其他的飞机。

【答案】F

【考点】细节题

【解析】由题干关键词 Formation flight is more comfortable 可推测答案依据在原文第四段第三句。通过关键词passengers cannotsee the other planes 则还可以回文定位其后本段第五句。第三句的 passengers feel comfortable和本题的题干是同义替换，但是原文句子是一个疑问句，文中并未给出结论，因此并不能据此判断题干后半部分的原因是否正确。第五句话中的“might not”表示的是可能性，而题干的“cannot”表示的是事实。更重要的是文章的第五句话是为了说明第四句话 Dr. Kroo points that the aircraft could be separated by several nautical miles, and would not be in the intimate groupings favored by display teams like the Red Arrows.本句主要强调飞机间距会比较大，第五句是来形象说明这个距离大到“乘客都看不到其他飞机”，而这个与是否舒服并没有明确的直接关系。再看本段第一句和第二句话，可知这里所谓的不舒服，其实就是指的不安全感。因为编队飞行时客机距离会很远，飞机乘客甚至看不到其他飞机的存在，就会觉得不安全。从常识可以判断出不安全感和舒适感是相反的，因此编队飞行更舒适这个命题是错误的。答案为 F。

44. The role that weather plays in formation flight has not yet been clearly defined.

【题目翻译】天气在编队飞行中所起的作用尚未能被清楚认知。

【答案】T

【考点】细节题

【解析】由题干关键词 weather 可推测答案依据在原文第五段第一句。题干 the role the weather plays 是原文信息句It remains to be seen how weather conditions affected the air flow的简要表达，而题干中的has not yet been clearly defined 和原文的it remains to be seen 意思是相同的。因而可以判断本句正确。答案为T。

45. It has been documented that during World War II,America's armed forces once tried formation flight to save fuel.

【题目翻译】据记载，在二战期间美国的军队曾经尝试编队飞行来节约燃料

【答案】F

【考点】细节题

【解析】通过题干关键词 World War II 和 armed forces 可推测答案依据在原文第六段第三句 There are reports that…，but Dr. Lissaman says they are unsubstantiated. “My father was…”he adds.题干中的 it has documented that与原文的 there are reports that 是同义替换，题干的 World War II 与原文的 Second World War 是同义替换，题干的 to save fuel 则是原文 when they were low on fuel 的另一个说法，因此单独从前半句话而言好似题干是对的，但是在看完之后有个转折 but Dr. Lissaman says they are unsubstantiated.证明对这个说法是没有依据的，因而本题与原文不符。答案为 F。