Unit 3a

TRANSPORT SOLUTIONS

A.
BMW, Volvo, General Motors and Google are all currently working on driverless cars. Some driverless cars use solar energy, so they are good for the environment. They are also safer because the computer controls the speed and they can’t go faster than the speed limit.

B.
This monorail in New Zealand is a new solution for commuters in traffic jams during the rush hour. The passenger sits in a pod and can cycle over people’s heads. Google has already invested over $1 million in the idea.

C.
At sea, large container ships travel thousands of kilometers and use a lot of fuel. Now, a German company is testing huge kites on these ships. The wind pushes the kite and this moves the ship. It reduces the fuel costs and lowers carbon emissions.

D.
In the future, the Hyperloop could be a common type of public transport. It’s a long tube with no air inside, and passengers sit inside pods which travel at 1,200 kilometers per hour. There are already plans for the first Hyperloop between the city centres of San Francisco and Los Angeles. The distance is around 600 kilometers and it would only take 30 minutes.

Find these compound nouns in the article. Match the nouns with the definitions (1--7).

carbon emissions
city centres
container ships
fuel costs
rush hour
speed limit
traffic jam
 

Listen to a short conversation between two colleagues at work.