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An Air Show for Showing Off; West Bank's Speed Sisters

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This is the VOA Special English Economics Report, from http://voaspecialenglish.com | http://facebook.com/voalearningenglishOne of the largest air shows in the United States is also one of the largest trade shows in the aircraft industry. AirVenture took place in July at an airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Ron Wagner is from the Experimental Aircraft Association, which holds the event each year. He said almost every major manufacturer and many smaller ones were represented. Visitors could find everything from old passenger planes to new unmanned aircraft, like the Predator drone. But Ron Wagner says the spirit of the event is best represented by the pilots and engineers who build their own aircraft. He said: "Muchof the modern innovation has come from the home builder community in the United States. We have a lot of freedom to build, design and fly airplanes for our own use." If you are more interested in fast cars, here is a new turn in the world of motorsports. The Speed Sisters are a racing team of eightPalestinian women in the West Bank. The team is a dream come true for Suna Aweidah, the captain. But not everyone was happy to see her in the driver's seat of the BMW race car she drives. She says her family thought motor racing was not safe and mainly for men. But she says there is no sport that isespecially for men or especially for women. She says women can compete with men in all kinds of sports. In June, the Speed Sisters became the first all-female racing team to compete in the Speed Test, a popular race in the West Bank. They faced some mechanical problems. But one of them finished inthe top ten. The team includes Muslims and Christians, mothers, a librarian, a business student and a woman who competed in a beauty pageant. Two of the drivers were born into racing families. The Speed Sisters received money from the British Consulate in Jerusalem to buy a race car. They also received driving lessons and guidance from two British women in motorsports, Helen Elstrop and Sue Sanders. Ms. Sanders says she knew right away the Speed Sisters had the drive to succeed. She said it did not matter whether they spoke the same language or had the same culture. They had the same desireto succeed and be the best. And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English.

(Adapted from a radio program broadcast 30Jul2010)
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