New Destinations B1 Module 6a

Read the text and decide if the following statements are true, false or not mentioned. Choose T, F or NM.

IT’S A HYBRID WORLD

The wave of the future in automobiles is definitely the hybrid. Hybrids are vehicles that use a combination of petrol and battery power to run, making them very fuel efficient and better for the environment. Hybrids use much less petrol than a regular car and emit virtually no toxic air, which is a vast improvement for anti-pollution measures. This feature is also good for people with respiratory problems and other illnesses. Hybrids conserve energy. For instance, when the car is stopped, it shuts down everything that isn’t essential to save the battery power, and when the owner wants the car to ‘wake up’, they simply hit the accelerator. This unique feature makes a hybrid an extremely quiet car to be in, which is one of the first things people notice when riding in one.

A well-known hybrid car is the Prius. The Prius, made by Toyota was introduced in Japan in 1997, and after that they were released worldwide. Today, these fuel-efficient cars have become a common sight on roads. Other companies have made competing versions of hybrid cars, such as the Honda Insight, and the first hybrid SUV, the Ford Escape. One of the newest vehicles to join the hybrid family is the Persu hybrid. The Persu is a three-wheeled vehicle, making it stand out from the rest of the hybrids. The Persu drives like a car, but looks like a motorbike. There is a driver’s seat with a passenger’s seat directly behind it and a small boot space. The Persu can achieve an amazing 120km per gallon, which outperforms almost every car on the market at the time of speaking.

Right now, other kinds of vehicles are being developed with hybrid technology. Just a few include ships, buses, military vehicles, trains and even some types of aircraft. It’s definitely an exciting time for developments in the automotive industry.

1. Hybrids don’t need a lot of fuel to run.    [T, F, NM]

2. Hybrid vehicles use environmentally-friendly petrol.    [T, F, NM]

3. Most people with health problems prefer to buy hybrids.    [T, F, NM]

4. You can start the engine of a hybrid by just hitting the accelerator.    [T, F, NM]

5. When the Prius was first released, a lot of Japanese people bought it.    [T, F, NM]

6. One type of hybrid vehicle looks like a motorbike.    [T, F, NM]

7. SUV was the first hybrid vehicle which had three wheels.    [T, F, NM]

You will hear part of a telephone conversation. Why won’t the man be able to earn triple points on his frequent flyer card? Choose the best answer.

You overhear a conversation. What does the woman request for herself? Choose the best answer.