How to inspire children to explore the world full of mysteries? An organization is using a special way to make children interested in the unexplained world.
12-year-old Christian Kasdorf says, “Being up in the sky is really great. I would like to be a pilot someday.” He told the Dakota County Star, a local newspaper in South Sioux City, Nebraska, “It’s fun. And you get to see things from above.”
Not only did Christian get a chance to ride in an airplane earlier this month, but also learned about flying it, thanks to a program called Young Eagles, which is created by the US Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). It’s designed to give children between the ages of 8 and 17 a chance to experience flight in an aviation (航空) airplane while educating children about aviation. This program offers donations and volunteers (志愿者) free of charge. The lessons are free. All you need is that your parents allow you to do so.
“It is just to get kids in the air to experience flying — and get them informed about aviation,” said Rick Alter, president of the EAA, which started the Young Eagles program hack in 1992. Since then, nearly two million kids across the United States and Canada have taken Young Eagles flight.
“All kids should experience the freedom of flight at least once. All the kids really seem to like it. And it’s a great way to get them interested in aviation,” Rick told Time reporter Sean Leary.
Young Eagles teams kids up with experienced pilots who show them what to do and how to do it. “Kids have a chance to help control the aircraft. They get an idea of how the aircraft flies and what the instruments and controls do,” said Dick Foat, a pilot from Big Bear, California.
“It wasn’t as nervous as I had expected. The hardest part was the landing,” Christian said. “I was scared at first. But I got used to it.”
【小题1】What does Christian think of his experience of flying a plane?
| A．He thinks of it as a joke for a child. | B．He finds it frightening and boring. |
| C．He thinks it’s exciting and amazing. | D．He feels it is fun to take pictures on the plane. |
【小题2】Why was the program of Young Eagles started?
| A．To produce a team of younger pilots. |
| B．To make kids gain flying experience and know more about aviation. |
| C．To make kids learn to love their countries. |
| D．To persuade parents to have their kids develop freely. |
【小题3】What can the kids do when they are on the plane?
| A．Study skills and knowledge of flying planes. |
| B．Find how to get rid of fears of flying high. |
| C．Learn about enjoying the scenes in the high sky. |
| D．Enjoy the freedom of being away from parents. |
【小题4】Who will teach kids to control a plane?
A. The volunteers making donations to the program.
| A．Expert pilots chosen by the program. |
| B．Older kids from California. | C．The president of the EAA. |
