3–4 CLIL |  Design and technology B2

1 Look at the photos below and describe what you see. Which future form of transport
would you like to travel in?

2 Read the text. Which futuristic vehicles will operate using energy from the sun?

THE TRANSPORT OF THE FUTURE SHOW

Exhibition Arena, 20 – 27 September
If you are interested in innovative designs that
propose more energy-efficient and environmentally-
friendly options for the future of travel, visit the
Transport of the Future Show today!

SkyTran
Already planned for Tel Aviv in Israel, this aerial public
transport system hopes to solve the city’s major traffic
problems in the next few years. The design comprises Maglev train
futuristic pod-like vehicles which hang from metal
tracks six metres above the ground, and the pods ‘float’
along at 80 mph using magnetic levitation (maglev)
technology. Within 50 years, this kind of technology is Hyperloop
expected to be the norm in most cities, revolutionising This is an exciting innovation for the future of train
the future of our tram and underground systems – in travel. Currently proposed for a route between
countries like Japan the testing of high-speed maglev Los Angeles and San Francisco in the USA, the
trains is already in progress. Maglev technology 380‑mile journey is expected to take just 30 minutes.
operates using electricity and magnetic force, which The idea is that specially-designed trains travel
San Francisco
reduces friction on the tracks, allowing for higher speed through steel tubes elevated off the ground
and lower power consumption. SkyTran will be able which have had nearly all the air removed
to transport passengers around urban areas in a safe, to create a vacuum, allowing passengers
rapid, green and economical way. to zoom along at average speeds of
800 mph in a carbon-free mode of
AWWA-QG Progress Eagle transport that runs on electricity
Los Angeles from solar panels. The developers of
Designers and engineers in the aviation industry have this ground-breaking train system
been working hard to revolutionise the future of flying. have stated it could be ready as early
Prototypes for a number of supersonic planes are being as 2018.
put forward all the time, but one of the most resourceful
is the Progress Eagle. If this high-tech concept goes Flying car
ahead, it could be in the skies by the 2030s. Capable of Terrafugia TF-X™
holding up to 800 passengers, it would be a lot bigger
than today’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A380, Flying cars used to be the
and would be 75% quieter than current aircraft. Six thing of the future. Well,
engines powered by hydrogen with solar panels on the now that future isn’t very
wings would make it a very environmentally responsible far away. The TF-X™ is
plane too. the first fully autonomous
car-plane in development
and designers predict it will
Airbus A380
be ready sometime in the
next decade. An ingenious
futuristic vehicle, it will drive on roads, take off vertically and of course
fly. On the ground, it runs like a normal car, and when the driver is ready
to become a pilot, its retractable wings open at the press of a button and
it operates automatically, travelling at top speeds of around 200 mph for
a distance of up to 500 miles without the need for refuelling. It has two
electric motors and a fuel engine, and can recharge its batteries either
from the engine or by plugging into an electric car charging station.
In theory it sounds like the ideal solution for our future needs, but
development is still in the early stages, so be patient in the meantime.

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 3–4 CLIL |  Design and technology B2

3 Read the text again and choose the best DID YOU KNOW?
answers to complete the statements.
1 Public transport systems like SkyTran will be the ❍ Travel from New York to China in 42 minutes and
standard form of city travel 12 seconds? Impossible! Or is it? Imagine a train that
a) in the next decade.
travels through the centre of the Earth to get from one
b) half a century from now. side of the globe to the other in record time. The gravity
train would use the same principle of high-speed travel
2 Progress Eagle is a proposed environmentally-
friendly concept plane
as the Hyperloop – an airless tube cut through the
Earth with the train zooming along at speeds of up to
a) using solar energy and magnetic force.
18,000 mph. The idea has been proposed several times
b) running on hydrogen fuel and solar panels.
in the past and scientists haven’t said it’s impossible,
3 Hyperloop will travel at high speeds thanks to
but for now it remains only an idea.
a) airless tunnels.
b) carbon-free engines.
PROJECT
4 The TF-X™ car of the future will work on
auto‑pilot 6 Work in groups. Choose one of these forms
a) only when it’s in flight. of transport.
b) if it’s on the ground.
5 Less resistance on the tracks means more speed bike | boat | bus | lorry | motorbike
and energy efficiency for the
a) Hyperloop train. 7 In your group, find out about the future forms
b) SkyTran public transport system. of your chosen mode of transport that are
6 Less noise and more space are some of the being developed. Think about the following:
proposed features for the
• how it is built
a) TF-X™ flying car. • how it operates
b) Progress Eagle plane.
• what energy it uses
4 Read the sentences and write the correct • how fast it goes
transport of the future. • when it might be available for commercial use
1 a passenger vehicle that runs below its tracks: • why it is needed

2 a flying machine with fixed wings: 8 In your group, prepare a presentation of your
 future form of transport for the class.
3 a vehicle that is not public transport:
VOCABULARY FOCUS

aerial [adj]:  in or from the air
4 the fastest land vehicle currently planned for autonomous [adj]: independent
the future:
comprise [v]:  to form something, to be made up of
 elevate [v]:  to lift something to a higher position
5 the transport with the longest timescale before it exhibition [n]:  a public show where interesting things
is commercially available: are displayed so that people can go and see them
 friction [n]:  one thing rubbing against another
6 a vehicle that runs on electrical power alone: ground-breaking [adj]:  using new methods or
 achieving new results
hydrogen [n]:  a colourless and odourless gas that is
7 a vehicle capable of two types of transportation:
lighter than air

ingenious [adj]:  using new and clever ideas
8 a transport system using the same technology levitation [n]:  floating in the air as if by magic
as other high-speed systems currently in
mph [abbr]:  miles per hour
development:
norm [n]:  something that is usual or expected

pod [n]:  small round or oval-shaped vehicle, usually
5 Work in pairs and discuss the questions. futuristic in style
prototype [n]:  the first form of something new, made
1 Do you think any of these forms of transport will
before it is produced in large quantities
actually be available for commercial use in the
future? Why/Why not? retractable [adj]:  able to be pulled backwards
or folded
2 What ideas do you have for future forms of
supersonic [adj]:  faster than the speed of sound
transport that would be fast, practical, efficient
and environmentally-friendly? zoom [v]:  to move with great speed and energy

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