Idiom: Necessity is the mother of invention
Nowadays, everybody likes to do more than one thing at any given time, for instance, talking on the phone while driving. This is not a safe thing to do, is it? But what if you could jump into a self driving pod instead of having to drive a car? These types of pods are now a reality and are already being used in Abu Dhabi and London in tightly controlled areas. They can seat just one person and move from one spot to the other all on their own. You interact with the pod using a touch screen in the windshield. All you need to do is swipe a finger across the windshield to select a destination and then, sit back and relax. While the pod drives itself, you can read the daily news, check your emails, or even play a video game. There is a built-in wireless hotspot to connect these electronic gadgets. The pod operates on its own, showing its current route.
A company called Transport Systems Catapult is developing the pod technology in an “urban lab” where they can test the autonomous pods and learn how they work in a real life setting. At this urban lab, they want to become familiar with future transport solutions. This will make it easier for scientists and business to come and work together.
A) Vocabulary:
pod: compartment
tightly controlled: place with high security
can seat: has room for one person to sit
interact: to act on one another
windshield: a clear screen (as of glass) in front of the riders of a vehicle
swipe: wipe with a sweeping motion
hotspot: easy internet connection
gadgets: unusual device with a practical use
operates: to work or cause to work in a proper way
catapult: a device for launching/ releasing something with great force
urban lab: laboratory in the urban/ city area
autonomous: existing independent of anything else
become familiar: to get used to something
B) Use any 5 of the above words in sentences, to demonstrate their meaning
C) Complete the sentences using your imagination:
- I would program a route in my pod to go from… to…
- The goal of scientists working on the transportation project is to become familiar with and help…
- Pods can solve many situations facing today’s drivers. For example,…
D)Write five lines about the following topic:
“Yesterday, I took a ride in a pod”.
You may describe which features of the pod you enjoyed the most, how comfortable your ride was, and describe the pod’s appearance.
Audio courtesy Tara Kriplani: