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- IELTS Reading Summary Completion
- IELTS Reading Note Completion
- IELTS Reading Matching Features
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IELTS Reading passage – Driving on air
Driving on air
Cars are here to stay, no matter how much they cost, how dangerous they are, or how annoying it is to be stuck in traffic. In fact, the global car business is worth a huge $2 trillion a year. Guy Negre, a French engineer who works on Formula One engines for Renault, recently made the Airpod, a vehicle that runs on air, is small and light, and can go at moderate speeds.
Since transportation is responsible for one-seventh of all air pollution, Negre worked on the Airpod for 15 years to try to cut greenhouse gas emissions by a lot. Petrol-electric hybrids are already on the market, and people say they are good for the environment. However, he says they aren’t much better for the environment than cars with combustion engines. On the other hand, the Airpod only makes 10% of the carbon monoxide that other cars do.
Major automakers are now looking at hydrogen as a way to power cars, but this technology may not be ready for decades. Negre says that electric cars are still not practical because the batteries are expensive and need to be replaced every five years, and it takes several hours to charge them.
Negre’s other goal in making the Airpod was to make cars more affordable for people in developing countries. So far, his best deal has been with an Indian car company, which says that the Airpod will sell for about the same price as a typical motorcycle. There are only three-wheeled Airpods on the market right now, but Negre is working on a four-wheeled, five-door family saloon, as well as vans, buses, taxis, boats, and planes.
What exactly is an Airpod? This small car-like vehicle is mostly made of fibreglass, which is ten times stronger than steel but much lighter, so an Airpod only weighs 220 kilograms (484 lb). It has glass windows and an engine made out of aluminum. But it has a joystick instead of a steering wheel, seats that face backward, and a door that opens to the front.
An Airpod’s 180cc engine lets it go about 70 km/h (43 mph), and it can drive for about 220 km (137 miles) before it needs to be refilled. A high-speed compressor at a gas station can fill an Airpod with air in as little as 90 seconds, and the air costs only 50 cents for a 220-kilometre trip. A pump on board lets you fill-up the tank at home while you’re sleeping.
How does the Airpod work? Simply put, pistons in the engine let air out, which turns the wheels. Air tanks can hold up to 175 litres (46 gallons) of air at about 180 times the pressure of an average car tire. With that much pressure, passengers and people walking by might worry about explosions, but when they do happen, the thermoplastic tanks split to let the air out instead of shattering and exploding. The same tanks are already on buses that run on natural gas.
For longer trips, there is a battery-assisted hybrid Airpod that Negre says can reach 80 km/h (50 mph) and go about 1500 km (930 miles) on four litres of gasoline, but this version hasn’t been made or tested yet. Still, even though it’s new, the Airpod has both fans and detractors. Marcus Waardenberg, who set up a trial of Airpods at a big airport in the Netherlands, was impressed. “The Airpods went over 25 mph, were quiet, and easy to control. It was easy and quick to refill. So, his company is getting rid of all of its electric service vehicles and replacing them with Airpods.
AK Jagadeesh, who works for the Indian company Tata, signed a $60 million deal, which may be even more important. He said, “We’re going to put Airpod technology in the Tata Nano car.” Ulf Bossel, a consultant for green energy, said that the Airpod can easily go over 50 km/h (31 mph). “At first, it could go after the market for second cars. Then some older people can’t afford regular cars anymore. People are getting older in both Europe and North America.
Bill Robertson, a journalist who writes about cars, said that the Airpod would be good for a lot of people who make two or three short trips a day of fewer than ten kilometres or who live in far-away suburbs of big cities with bad public transportation. If the Airpod looked a little sexier, it might be able to break into the golf buggy market, which is currently dominated by electric cars.
Martella Valentina, a former champion racer, is one of the people who don’t like the Airpod. She would rather drive a vehicle with a stronger engine. She said, “There are so many rude drivers out there.” I don’t feel safe in an Airpod because I’m a woman. She also said, “It’s a pain to fill up overnight.”
Hamid Khan, an automotive engineer, agrees and says he doesn’t believe there are enough energy stored under reasonable pressure to drive the car even a short distance, let alone 220 kilometres (135 miles) before refuelling. He says that independent tests have not shown this to be true. Even less range would be available if the car had to stop and start often in a city. Even worse, there aren’t enough safety data for crash testing. “Negre says that fibreglass is stronger than steel, but the Airpod looks like it would fall apart if a normal car drove over it,” Khan said.
Still, Negre has made deals for his car to be made in the US, Latin America, India, and a few European countries. Compressed air may no longer be less important than other power sources, and one day we may even be able to fly in planes that fly on air.
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Recommended Questions:
Renewable Energy IELTS Reading Question with Answer
Driving on Air Reading Questions
Questions 1-5
Complete the summary using the list of words, A-O, below: Write the correct letter, A-O, in boxes 1-5 on your answer sheet.
The 1)_____________ of combustion-engine cars continues 2)_______________ there being problems with them. According to Negre, an automotive engineer and inventor, a(n) 3)_____________, the petrol-electric car, is not much less 4)_______________. Negre believes his Airpod is far cleaner and cheaper, and will 5)_________________ drivers in the developing world in particular.
| A. Exist | F. Although | K. 220 |
| B. Popular | G. 70 | L. Use |
| C. Polluting | H. Polluted | M. Popularity |
| D. 80 | I. Alternate | N. 180 |
| E. Benefit | J. Alternative | O. Despite |
Boost your performance in Summary, Notes, Table, and Flowchart Completion tasks. Click here to explore our detailed guide and learn how to effectively complete summaries, notes, tables, and flowcharts in the IELTS Reading section.
Questions 6-8
Complete the notes below. Write NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS AND/OR A NUMBER from the passage for each answer.
6) An Airpod is lighter than other cars at only ____________ kilograms.
7) The highest confirmed speed it can reach is around ________________ kph. It can be refilled fast at a service station or more slowly at home.
8) Some people may be worried about the high-pressure gas stored onboard an Airpod, but it’s tanks are safe and already in _________________ on public buses.
Boost your performance in Summary, Notes, Table, and Flowchart Completion tasks. Click here to explore our detailed guide and learn how to effectively complete summaries, notes, tables, and flowcharts in the IELTS Reading section.
Questions 9-13
Look at the following statements and the list of people below. Match each statement with the correct person: A, B, C, or D. Write the correct letter, A, B, C, or D, in boxes 9-13 on your answer sheet.
09) He has agreed to the manufacture of the Airpod in several countries.
10) He doesn’t believe the Airpod can drive as far as its creator maintains.
11) He doesn’t think the Airpod will compete with golf buggies unless it changes its appearance.
12) He imagines the Airpod will appeal to the elderly.
13) He claims the hybrid Airpod can travel 1500 kilometres on four litres of petrol.
List of people
- Bill Robertson
- Guy Negre
- Hamid Khan
- Ulf Bossel
Improve your performance in Matching Features questions by clicking here to access our comprehensive guide. Learn how to match specific features or characteristics with the options provided in the IELTS Reading section.
Unlock your full potential in the IELTS Reading section – Visit our IELTS Reading Practice Question Answer page now!
Recommended Questions:
Renewable Energy IELTS Reading Question with Answer
Driving on Air Answers
1. M
2. O
3. J
4. C
5. E
6. 220
7. 70
8. Use
9. B
10. C
11. A
12. D
13. B
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