The Reading / Listening - Flying Cars - Level 4

A new age of transport is near. A flying car called BlackFly, from Google's Larry Page, could go on sale next year. It can travel for up to 40km at a speed of 100kph. It could cost the same as a regular car. Canada has allowed its use. Even though it will fly in the sky, people will not need a pilot's license to fly it. However, users will have to pass a pilot's written examination. They will also need training in how to use the vehicle.

Critics say "car" is the wrong word because it has no wheels and cannot go on roads. It is a single-person drone. The company said: "Opener is re-energizing the art of flight with a safe and affordable flying vehicle that can free its operators from the everyday restrictions of ground transportation." A former Google vice-president said the age of personal flight is near. He said: "Things go from impossible to inevitable in a very short period of time."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Flying Cars - Level 5 or  Flying Cars - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-44805697
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/unicefusa/2018/07/05/redesigning-the-mongolian-ger-to-help-solve-a-health-crisis/#399e11cd7edc
  • https://www.techradar.com/news/blackfly-flying-car-lets-you-take-to-the-skies-without-a-pilots-license


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. A new age of transport
  2. go on sale
  3. It can travel for
  4. It could cost the same
  5. need a pilot's
  6. a pilot's written
  7. They will also need
  8. how to
  1. up to 40km
  2. license
  3. use the vehicle
  4. next year
  5. training
  6. is near
  7. as a regular car
  8. examination

Paragraph 2

  1. Critics say the term
  2. a person-
  3. The vehicle carries
  4. It is powered by
  5. safe and
  6. the age of personal
  7. go from impossible
  8. in a very short period
  1. one person
  2. to inevitable
  3. affordable
  4. of time
  5. flight is near
  6. eight propellers
  7. "car" is wrong
  8. carrying drone

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ transport is near. A flying car called BlackFly, from Google's Larry Page, could (2) ___________________ next year. It can travel for up to 40km (3) ___________________ of 100kph. It could cost the same as a regular car. Canada (4) ___________________ use. Even though it will fly in the sky, people will not need a (5) ___________________ fly it. However, users will have to pass a pilot's written examination. They will also (6) ___________________ how to use the vehicle.

Critics say "car" is the wrong word because it (7) ___________________ and cannot go on roads. It is (8) ___________________ drone. The company said: "Opener is re-energizing the (9) ___________________ with a safe and affordable flying vehicle that can free its operators from the everyday (10) ___________________ transportation." A former Google vice-president said the age of personal (11) ___________________. He said: "Things go from impossible to inevitable in a (12) ___________________ of time."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Anewageoftransportisnear.AflyingcarcalledBlackFly,fromGoogle'sL
arryPage,couldgoonsalenextyear.Itcantravelforupto40kmataspeed
of100kph.Itcouldcostthesameasaregularcar.Canadahasalloweditsu
se.Eventhoughitwillflyinthesky,peoplewillnotneedapilot'slicensetofl
yit.However,userswillhavetopassapilot'swrittenexamination.Theyw
illalsoneedtraininginhowtousethevehicle.Criticssay"car"isthewrong
wordbecauseithasnowheelsandcannotgoonroads.Itisasingle-perso
ndrone.Thecompanysaid:"Openerisre-energizingtheartofflightw
ithasafeandaffordableflyingvehiclethatcanfreeitsoperatorsfromthee
verydayrestrictionsofgroundtransportation."AformerGooglevice-
presidentsaidtheageofpersonalflightisnear.Hesaid:"Thingsgofromi
mpossibletoinevitableinaveryshortperiodoftime."

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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