The Reading / Listening - Flying Cars - Level 5

A new era of transport is arriving. A flying car called BlackFly, from Google co-founder 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 an average sports-utility car. The vehicle was tested in Canada, which has allowed its use. Even though it will fly in the sky, drivers (or pilots) will not need a pilot's license to get behind the controls. However, people who operate BlackFly will have to successfully complete a pilot's written examination. They will also receive training in how to use the vehicle.

Critics say the term "car" is wrong because it has no wheels and cannot go on roads. A better description would be a person-carrying drone. The vehicle carries one person. It is powered by eight propellers. The company's CEO 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 vice-president at Google said the age of personal flight is near. He said: "I've noticed in my career that things go from impossible to inevitable in a very short period of time."

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Flying Cars - Level 4 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 era of transport
  2. at a speed
  3. It could cost
  4. The vehicle was
  5. Even though it will fly
  6. get behind
  7. They will also receive
  8. how to use the
  1. the same
  2. the controls
  3. training
  4. in the sky
  5. vehicle
  6. of 100kph
  7. is arriving
  8. tested in Canada

Paragraph 2

  1. Critics say the term
  2. it has no
  3. A better description would be a
  4. It is powered by
  5. re-energizing the art
  6. safe and
  7. the age of
  8. in a very short
  1. person-carrying drone
  2. personal flight
  3. of flight
  4. wheels
  5. period of time
  6. eight propellers
  7. "car" is wrong
  8. affordable

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A (1) ___________________ transport is arriving. A flying car called BlackFly, from Google co-founder Larry Page, could (2) ___________________ next year. It can travel for up to 40km (3) ___________________ of 100kph. It could cost the same as an average sports-utility car. The vehicle was tested in Canada, which has (4) ___________________. Even though it will fly in the sky, drivers (or pilots) will not (5) ___________________ license to get behind the controls. However, people who operate BlackFly will have to successfully complete a pilot's written examination. They will also receive (6) ___________________ to use the vehicle.

Critics say the term "car" is wrong because it has no wheels and cannot (7) ___________________. A better description would be a person-carrying drone. The (8) ___________________ person. It is powered by eight propellers. The company's CEO said: "Opener (9) ___________________ art of flight with a safe and affordable flying vehicle that can free its operators from (10) ___________________ of ground transportation." A former vice-president at Google said the age (11) ___________________ is near. He said: "I've noticed in my career that things go from impossible to inevitable in a (12) ___________________ of time."

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Aneweraoftransportisarriving.AflyingcarcalledBlackFly,fromGoogle
co-founderLarryPage,couldgoonsalenextyear.Itcantravelforupto40
kmataspeedof100kph.Itcouldcostthesameasanaveragesports-uti
litycar.ThevehiclewastestedinCanada,whichhasalloweditsuse.Even
thoughitwillflyinthesky,drivers(orpilots)willnotneedapilot'slicenset
ogetbehindthecontrols.However,peoplewhooperateBlackFlywillhav
etosuccessfullycompleteapilot'swrittenexamination.Theywillalsorec
eivetraininginhowtousethevehicle.Criticssaytheterm"car"iswrongb
ecauseithasnowheelsandcannotgoonroads.Abetterdescriptionwoul
dbeaperson-carryingdrone.Thevehiclecarriesoneperson.Itispowere
dbyeightpropellers.Thecompany'sCEOsaid:"Openerisre-energizin
gtheartofflightwithasafeandaffordableflyingvehiclethatcanfreeitsop
eratorsfromtheeverydayrestrictionsofgroundtransportation."Aform
ervice-presidentatGooglesaidtheageofpersonalflightisnear.Hesa
id:"I'venoticedinmycareerthatthingsgofromimpossibletoinevitablei
naveryshortperiodoftime."

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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