太阳能飞机上的首次跳伞

河北乐亭第一中学 胡金莹

为了展示可再生能源的用途很多，瑞士一名跳伞运动员从瑞士西部1,520米的高空跳下，首次实现了人类从太阳能飞机上跳伞的壮举。

题材体裁 文章词数 建议用时约276 6分钟科技产品 新闻报道

难词探意

1. kerosene /΄kerəsiːn/ n. 煤油

2. single-propeller /΄sɪŋɡl prə΄pelə(r)/ n. 单螺旋桨

Inventors working to take a solar-powered plane to the edge of space have performed the first jump and free fall from an electric aircraft.

The Swiss SolarStratos team's experimental two-seater plane took off from an airfield in western Switzerland with two people on board and climbed to 1,520 meters before its founder, Raphaël Domjan, jumped out of the aircraft. SolarStratos reported that Mr Domjan remained in free fall for several hundred metres, reaching speeds of over 150 km/h before splaying his parachute and landing safely near the project base in Payerne, Switzerland.

The excellent skill was part of the goal of demonstrating that activities such as skydiving can be carried out without producing planet-warming greenhouse gases. “Today there were many firsts but the most important thing is that this is the first time ever that someone has jumped from an electric aircraft. And this is something that is changing the future for this sport for skydivers,” said Mr Domjan. “It was the first time that we had done a solar skydiving. I climbed with the energy coming from the solar cells of the plane.”

Emissions from kerosene fueled planes currently account for about 2 percent of the man-made carbon emissions. “I hope that this will continue to make the young people of tomorrow dream, thanks to the aircraft that is more respectful of our planet and our climate,” Mr Domjan added.

The SolarStratos team follows the pioneering work of Switzerland's Solar Impulse mission, which completed the first travel of the globe with a solar-powered plane in 2016. By 2022, the team hopes to fly the single-propeller aircraft—powered by solar energy—into the sky with an altitude of 20,000 metres.

Reading Check

1. What does the underlined word “splaying” mean in paragraph 2?

A. Searching. B. Checking. C. Opening. D. Connecting.

2. What did Domjan intend to do during the jump?

A. To advertise for the electric aircraft.

B. To encourage people to try adventurous activities.

C. To make young people become interested in solar planes.

D. To show skydiving can do no harm to the environment.

3. What does Domjan think of their solar skydiving?

A. It's influential. B. It's respectful.

C. It's interesting. D. It's challenging.

4. What's the purpose of the text?

A. To advocate the use of solar energy.

B. To provide safe tips for parachute jumpers.

C. To show the model of an electric aircraft.

D. To report a parachute jump from a solar plane.

Language Study

Sentence for writing

Today there were many firsts but the most important thing is that this is the first time ever that someone has jumped from an electric aircraft.

【信息提取】this is/was the first time (that)...为固定句型，意为“这是第一次……”，从句的谓语动词用现在完成时态。

【句式仿写】这是我第一次看到一幅如此优秀的中国画。