Name ________________________
Date ____________
ELA Core _____
AoW #12b
Read the following article carefully and:
1. Circle two (2) different adjectives in the article (adjectives describe nouns: green car, tall building)
2. Answer the multiple-choice items
(adjectives can answer Which one? What kind? How many?)
Flying cars may be wave of the future
__________________
12
2
Identify Word
Adjectives
Choice
By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff
Feb. 3, 2017
870Lexile, Word Count 618
Text
Structure
WASHINGTON, D.C. — To someone stuck
in a traffic jam, the ability to soar right over
other cars seems like a dream.
Inventors and business people tried to
make flying cars, but have never been able
to. That may be changing. Nearly a dozen
companies around the globe are competing
to be the first to develop a flying car.
One of the ideas being developed is a car
with wings that unfold for flight. But, most
aren't cars at all. They are more like
helicopters and are operated by a batterypowered motor.
This image provided by Joby Aviation shows the conceptual design of the Joby
S2 Electric VTOL PAV aircraft. Nearly a dozen companies around the globe are
working to develop personal aircraft that let people hop over crowded roadways.
Image: Joby Aviation via AP
There are many challenges that could keep flying cars from becoming part of everyday life. Companies
have to convince the government that the flying cars are safe. They will also need longer-lasting batteries.
And, cities will have to figure out how to handle thousands of flying cars in the sky.
Still, some companies are moving forward. They see a need for "air taxis" and personally owned flying
cars. Especially as cities grow more congested and people spend more time stuck in traffic. These taxis
would deliver passengers to the rooftops of office buildings during rush hours.
Air Taxis And Drones Would Reduce Traffic Jams
"In as little as 10 years, products could be on the market that revolutionize urban travel for millions of
people," said Zach Lovering. He is the leader of a project to develop a self-flying taxi for Airbus, a
European company that makes airplanes.
The Uber ride-share company sees air taxis as the future of on-call transportation. Uber doesn't have any
plans to develop a flying car itself. But, the company is advising several companies that are developing
them.
Some of the flying cars are drones. They would be programmed before each flight. The drones would be
monitored or operated from the ground or a command center. Other flying cars are designed for human
pilots.
It's still unclear how much flying cars will cost. Designers think that if enough people want to buy them,
prices can be kept affordable.
One flying car that is being developed looks like an airplane. Others have a cockpit mounted on a sled with
propellers in the front and back.
Reducing Noise And Ensuring Safety
Charles Eastlake is a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He says advances in technology
have opened the door to a whole new world of flying machines.
But he also expressed some hesitance. "My best engineering guess is that people actually using (selfflying) air taxis in the next 10 or 15 years is possible, but definitely not certain. The challenges are big."
The key will be making longer-lasting, lightweight batteries. Batteries now could probably keep an air taxi
in the sky for about 15 to 30 minutes. Depending on how fast it flies, that probably isn't enough time to
transport passengers.
Companies will also have to get permission from the government. The government office in charge of
flying says further study is needed on flying cars. It thinks the ideas being worked on are good ones, but
they must be safe.
Reducing noise is another challenge because air taxis will be taking off and landing in areas with a lot of
people. So is creating enough landing pads to handle many flying cars at the same time. A new air traffic
control system would also be needed, said John Hansman. He researches flying cars for the government.
NASA is developing an air traffic control system for small drones. It is possible that it could be expanded to
include flying cars.
"There's no question we can build the vehicle," Hansman said. "The big challenge is whether we can build
a vehicle that would be allowed to operate in the places where people want to use it."
"Flying Cars May Become Part of Everyday Life of Commuters." Newsela | Flying Cars May Become Part of Everyday Life of Commuters.
Newsela, 3 Feb. 2017. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.
Use the information found in the article to identify the best response for each item.
RI4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and
tone
1. Read the sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5].
Especially as cities grow more congested and people spend more time stuck in traffic.
Which word or phrase from the sentence helps you understand the meaning of
"congested"?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Especially
stuck in traffic
cities grow
spend more time
2. Read the sentence from the section "Reducing Noise And Ensuring Safety."
It is possible that it could be expanded to include flying cars.
Which of the following sentences uses "expanded" in the SAME way as the sentence
above?
A.
B.
C.
D.
RI5
The program will be expanded to reach more students.
The balloon can be expanded to almost two feet wide.
The metal rod expanded when it was exposed to heat.
She expanded on her idea by adding more detail.
Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a
key concept
3. Which of the following answer choices BEST describes the structure of the following
paragraph from the introduction [paragraphs 1-5]?
Still, some companies are moving forward. They see a need for "air taxis" and personally
owned flying cars. Especially as cities grow more congested and people spend more time
stuck in traffic. These taxis would deliver passengers to the rooftops of office buildings during
rush hours.
A.
B.
C.
D.
cause and effect
compare and contrast
chronological order
problem and solution
4. Fill in the blank.
Overall, the article is organized around ........
A.
B.
C.
D.
a company and its ideas and technology.
a city and its problems and changes.
an invention and its uses and challenges.
a business and its leaders and engineers.