Solar-powered Plane Aims for Round-the-World Flight

From VOA Learning English, this is the Technology Report.

In 2012, a team of pilots and engineers from Switzerland successfully flew a plane powered by sun light from Spain to Morocco. The same team flew the aircraft across the United States in 2013. Now, the Swiss team is preparing for a flight around the world in 2015. The new, improved version of the plane, named Solar Impulse 2, was recently shown in Switzerland.

Solar Impulse 2 is a very light, single-seat airplane. Its wings are 63 meters across. This large wingspan provides 200 square meters of space for energy cells that charge lithium-ion batteries. These special batteries are needed to keep the plane flying at night.

Four electric motors permit the plane to cruise at a speed of up to 140 kilometers per hour, at an average height of 8,500 meters above sea level. The longest flight of Solar Impulse 1 was made in May 2013. The plane flew from Phoenix, Arizona to Dallas, Texas, a distance of just over 1,500 kilometers.

Pilot Andre Borschberg says Solar Impulse 2 will be able to fly much longer distances between stops.

"When we leave the coast of China, we don't know what the weather looks like on the side of the ocean. So these are big question marks," said Borschberg.

12 years of research and testing went into building Solar Impulse 2. The researchers and testers believe the aircraft will be able to fly around the world in 20 to 25 days and nights.

Andre Borschberg once flew jets for the Swiss Air Force. He says every detail on the airplane is designed to save energy.

"This airplane is an example of energy efficiency, how we save the energy, and how the energy from the sun is enough to keep the airplane in the air day and night," said Borschberg.

Mr. Borschberg will be able to sleep or even exercise when using the autopilot, a flight assistance device.

Bertrand Piccard is the Chairman of the Solar Impulse project. He says the goal of the flight around world is to support energy efficiency.

"It is to bring products to their clients which are more energy efficient: in home buildings, in the transportation, in appliances, it can be lighting," Piccard said.

Solar Impulse 2 begins test flights in May. The flight around the world is planned to start next March from an airport somewhere along the Persian Gulf.

And that's the VOA Learning English Technology Report. For more technology stories go to our website tingvoa.com. I'm Jonathan Evans.

词汇解析

aviation

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

n.航空;飞机制造业

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

He devoted all his life to China's aviation.

他的一生都奉献给了中国的航空事业。

In old China,there was hardly any machine- building industry,to say nothing of automobile and aviation industries.

旧中国几乎没有机器制造业，更不用说汽车制造业和飞机制造业了。

Swiss

难度：3星常用词汇，属常用6000词

英汉解释

adj.瑞士的

n.瑞士人

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

Millions were deposited in Swiss bank accounts.

巨额款项存入了瑞士的银行账户。

用作名词 (n.)

But the Swiss did not take their fate lying down.

但是瑞士人并不甘心接受被征服的命运。

version

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.版本;说法;译本;形式

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

The new version of this dictionary is not in use yet.

这本字典的新版本还未通行。

electric

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

adj.电的;电动的;带电的;刺激的

n.电动产品

参考例句

用作形容词 (adj.)

The solar cell can convert the energy of sunlight into electric energy.

太阳能电池能把阳光的能量转化为电能。

The atmosphere here tonight is absolutely electric.

今晚这里的气氛是完全令人兴奋的。

用作名词 (n.)

The lawn mower is an electric.

割草机是电动的机器。

permit

难度：4星核心词汇，属常用3000词

英汉解释

n.许可证;执照

v.允许;许可

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

You can't work here without a work permit.

你没有许可证就不能在这里工作。

用作动词 (v.)

I'll come after the meeting if time permits.

如果时间许可的话，我开完会就来。

research

难度：5星基本词汇，属常用1000词

英汉解释

n.研究;调查

v.研究;调查

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

Research indicates that men find it easier to give up smoking than women.

研究表明，男人比女人更容易戒烟。

用作动词 (v.)

They have been researching the effects of the drug on mice.

他们一直在研究老鼠对这种药物的反应。

airplane

难度：2星扩展词汇，属常用10000词

英汉解释

n.飞机

=aeroplane(英).

参考例句

用作名词 (n.)

The boom of the airplane was damaged.

飞机的尾桁受到损害。