Will I be rich?

Madam X: Nick: Madam X: Nick: Madam X: Nick:

One day you __1__ a successful man. You __2__ famous, but there __3__ many interesting people in your life. __4__ (I) rich? I’m not sure. You may be rich one day but you may be poor. __5__ (I) always in England? I don’t know. You may live in another country. I hope it __6__ France. My French is terrible. That reminds me, Madame X, what __7__ (the questions) in our French test tomorrow?

be not / be be be live not / be be

Exercise 31

"The Car of the Future"

Read the text. The text contains information about two opposite approaches to the transport of tomorrow. Now quickly read the text to check:

• What is a pessimist?

• What is an optimist?

A pessimist is a person who always expects bad things to happen. Pessimists think that today’s cars are in trouble because they use too much gas. They say the car of the future will be much, much smaller. The car of tomorrow will have no heater and no air conditioning. It’ll have no radio and no lights. Tomorrow’s car will be an open-air car with no doors and windows. It won’t need a pollution control system because it won’t use gas. In fact, drivers will push this new car with their feet. Very few people will be killed in accidents, because the top speed will be five miles per hour. However, pessimists warn us not to ask for pretty colours, because the car will come in grey only.

Optimists are sure that the future will be happy. They think that car companies will soon solve all our problems by producing the Supercar. Tomorrow’s car will be bigger, faster, and more comfortable than before. The Supercar will have four rooms, colour TV, running water, heat, air conditioning, and a swimming pool. Large families will travel on long trips in complete comfort. If gas is in short supply, the Supercar will run on water. Finally, optimists promise that the car of the future will come in any colour, as long as the colour is grey.

Activity

Now work in pairs and discuss these questions.

1. Why are today’s cars in trouble?

2. What will the car of the future look like, according to the pessimists?

3. Why won’t it need a pollution control system?

4. How will it run?

5. Why will it be so safe?

6. How many colours will it come in?

7. How will car companies solve our problems, according to the optimists?

8. What will the Supercar look like?

9. How will it run?

10. How many colors will the Supercar come in?

Exercise 32

Choose a partner and complete the dialogue below.

Dialogue between an Optimist and a Pessimist

P: O: P: O: P: O: P: O: P: O: P: O: P: O: P: O: P: O: P: O:

I’ve heard that you are making a new car, but I don’t think it will work. Of course it will! In fact, we’ll call it the Supercar. How big will the Supercar be? ________________________________________________________ How fast will this car go? ________________________________________________________ Will it be comfortable in cold weather? ________________________________________________________ Well, the weather here is never cold. Will it be comfortable in hot weather? ________________________________________________________ How much gas will it use? ________________________________________________________ How many people will it hold? ________________________________________________________ I don’t care about that. I don’t like my family anyway. How much money will it cost? ________________________________________________________ Maybe I’ll sell my house and live in the Supercar. When will it be ready to buy? ________________________________________________________ That probably means in ten years. Will it come in black? ________________________________________________________

Exercise 33

Write a short magazine article about transport of tomorrow.

• Begin with a description of the current situation.

• Add two paragraphs describing the advantages and disadvantages of a new vehicle and traditional means of transport.