9 At top speed 8 09 Now listen to Extract Three.

For questions 5
Unit 9

and 6 choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best.

Starting off &YUSBDU
5ISFF

You hear two scientists discussing travel to other planets
Work in pairs. Discuss these questions. near other stars.

Each of these photos shows a situation where speed is 
What does the woman say is the main obstacle to using
important. Why is speed important in each case? nuclear propulsion for spaceships?

When is it important not to hurry? If you had to choose
" the danger to Earth
photos of four situations where it’s important not to
# international agreements
hurry, which would you choose? Why?
$ the technology involved

Do you enjoy speed? Why (not)? 
What does the man think would be the main difficulty
of using a conventional spaceship?

" persuading people to travel in it
Listening | 1BSU
 4 In Extract Two you will hear two people discussing
# preventing conflict among the crew
1 You will hear three extracts where people talk the limits to human ability in Olympic sports.
$ giving purpose to the crew’s lives
about speed. Extract One is about trains in the 19th Before you listen: do you think athletes will
century. Before you listen: how do you think the continue to break records or is there a limit to their
Exam advice
invention of trains changed the way people lived? improvement?
t Listen to the whole piece before you choose: the
5 08 Now listen to Extract Two. For questions 3 and answer may depend on the general idea rather than a
4 choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best. few words.
t If you are not sure about the answer after listening the
&YUSBDU
5XP first time, try to decide which answers you think are
You hear two people discussing the future of Olympic wrong before you listen the second time.
sports.

The man says that in future new Olympic records will

" improve only slightly on previous records. 9 In each of these extracts from the recordings, use

# become increasingly frequent as athletes improve. a verb from the box in the correct form to form a

$ attract less attention from the news media. collocation with the noun in bold.

The two speakers agree about
break embark engage in have (x3) lose

" the effect of professionalism on sporting
achievement. make undergo

# the need for more specialised sports equipment.
2 07 Now listen to Extract One. For questions 1
$ the prospects for genetic engineering in sports. 
People’s entire world view a profound
and 2 choose the answer (A, B or C) which fits best USBOTGPSNBUJPO.
according to what you hear. 6 Work in small groups. Do you think people should 
Over the next hundred years railways a
devote so much effort to breaking world records? radical JNQBDU on the countryside.
&YUSBDU
0OF Why (not)? 
This a subtle but distinct FGGFDU on the
You hear part of a panel discussion on 19th century travel. way people regarded their place in the world.

According to the woman, people in the early 19th 7 In Extract Three you will hear two scientists talking

I doubt if any other invention such a
century were concerned about how rail travel would about travelling in spaceships to other stars. Before
profound JOnVFODF on the human psyche.
affect you listen,

Do you think people will JOUFSFTU

" the landscape. t
would you like to go on a journey like this? in Olympic events when athletes no longer

# the human body. t
what problems do you think this sort of journey would records?

$ their way of life. pose for the spaceship’s crew? 
I can’t imagine anyone such a

According to the man, how did rail travel change EJGGFSFODF nowadays.
people’s attitude to the natural world? 
Even if there were a couple of hundred people

" They felt they could dominate it. prepared to on a KPVSOFZ like this, they

# They understood their need to be part of it. and their descendants would have to live together on

$ They became more interested in painting it. the ship all their lives.

What BDUJWJUJFT would they during all
3 Work in pairs. The man says, ‘I doubt if any other
this time?
invention has had such a profound influence on the
human psyche.’ Do you agree?
96 97
 At top speed Unit 9

Grammar 3 For questions 1–4 complete the second sentence so that it has 
They’ve met in many occasions but they’ve never 3 For questions 1–12, write action, event, programme or
a similar meaning to the first sentence, using the word given. become friends. activity in each gap. Most of the sentences are from
5JNF
DMBVTFT Do not change the word given. You must use between three 
Unfortunately, we are overloaded with printing jobs the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
and six words, including the word given. in busy times of the day, so you cannot count on your
1 In each of these sentences from Listening 
After weeks of frenetic , the job was
order being dealt with immediately.
Part 1 choose the correct alternative in 
Melissa will complete the report before leaving work. finally finished.

6/5*- 
We have some suggestions about what to do if the 
I looked in the to find out the
italics.

Melissa will stay finished the weather is bad in the day of the boat trip. actor’s name.

When the steam train was invented / had been 
You’ll have to sit an exam in the end of this course.
report. 
It only needs a small wrist to start
invented, it completely changed 19th century


QBHF

-BOHVBHF
SFGFSFODF
Prepositions in time the process.
society, didn’t it? 
The waiters couldn’t relax until there were no more customers
expressions 
Our special guest on the tonight is

Outlying villages which had been quiet, sleepy left.
Daniel Day Lewis.
places before trains arrived / had arrived
-"45

She wrote a strong letter to the paper complaining
became busy suburbs.
The waiters were only able to relax once

Do you think people will lose interest in
Vocabulary about the council’s in closing the
left.
Olympic events when athletes no longer break / action
activity
event
BOE
programme town centre to traffic during the festival.

I will deal with the report immediately after my holiday. 
Susannah’s party was the social of
will no longer break records?

(05 1 The words action, activity, event and programme the year.


Newspapers and TV will always blow them out

I will deal with the report as each have two or three meanings. Match the four
of proportion when they occur / will occur.
from my holiday. words with their definitions (a–i) from the Cambridge

The key change occurred when top sports
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.
people had stopped / stopped being 
He did not stop at the filling station until he had almost no fuel
amateurs and devoted themselves full time to left. 1 action 2 activity 3 event 4 programme
their sport.
36/

I can imagine the travellers degenerating into
He stopped at the filling station when he B
a broadcast on television or radio
barbarism and fighting after they will have fuel. C
a particular thing that happens, especially something
spent / have spent several generations in important or unusual
space. D
something intentionally done to deal with a problem or


QBHF

-BOHVBHF
SFGFSFODF
Time clauses difficulty

Tennis is a very relaxing spare-time .
E
a situation in which a lot of things are happening or
2 Complete these sentences by putting the 
The school offers an exciting and varied
people are moving around
verbs into the correct tense, using the active of social events.
F
a physical movement
or passive form. 
The women’s 200-metre will be
G
a plan of activities to be done or things to be achieved
followed by the men’s 100 metres.

When Fayed (retire) next H
a thin book or piece of paper giving information about

There was a sudden flurry of when
year, he’ll have been working for this company a play or musical or sports event, usually bought at the
the director walked in.
for forty years. theatre or place where the event happens

This problem calls for swift from the

We felt very frustrated because the project I
one of a set of races or competitions
government.
was cancelled when we J
something that is done for enjoyment, especially

We had expected to arrive an hour late, but in the
(work) on it for almost three years. something organised such as a sport or hobby
1SFQPTJUJPOT
JO
UJNF
FYQSFTTJPOT we were early.

The government is going to pass a law
2 Complete these sentences from Listening Part 1 with
making it illegal to smoke when you 4 Exam candidates often make mistakes with
action, event, programme or activity in the correct
(drive). prepositions in time expressions. Correct the mistakes in
form. Then decide which definition (a–i) in Exercise 1

Lots of my friends were waiting for me when I these sentences.
corresponds with the word in each sentence.
(get) back from my trip. 
Mariano likes to watch football at Friday night, but he doesn’t

I’m not going to take my driving test until I 
They began to believe they were no longer totally at
often get the chance.
(be) sure I can pass. the mercy of natural .

Could you give us some advice about where to go or what to

She offered the book to several publishers 
They could take to harness these
do at the evening?
before it (accept). phenomena.

I was able to visit the United States for the first time of my life.

We’ll really celebrate when I 
Will people lose interest in Olympic

I would recommend going on that tour in the beginning of
(get) the news that I (pass) when athletes no longer break records?
summer.
my exams. 
There are treaties which prohibit nuclear explosions

The other event of May was a swimming gala. 4 Look back at Exercise 3 and note any collocations

When Samya (write) from being used in space .

The games contain some violence, but in the same time you you can find with action, event, programme or activity,
the proposal, she checked it through, then 
What would they engage in during
have to use your brain. for example, frenetic activity.
emailed it to her boss. all this time?

98 99
 At top speed

Reading and Use of English | 1BSU
 2 Six paragraphs have been removed from the article
below. Read the article (but not the paragraphs
1 Work in pairs. You are going to read an article about which have been removed).
a very fast car. Before you read: t
Note down in a few words what each paragraph in the

How important are cars in your life? article is about.

What things do/would you consider when choosing t
Underline any words and phrases that link the text
a car? together, which will help you to place the missing
paragraphs when you read them.

His engineers were horrified. But they set to work

Bugatti Veyron anyway, mating two Audi V8s to create an 8-litre W16
engine with four turbochargers. Needless to say, the end Exam advice
result produced about as much power as the Earth’s core,
by Jeremy Clarkson which is fine. Then things got tricky because the power t Read the text carefully, looking at the subject of each
had to be harnessed. paragraph and the information before and after each
gap.
Utterly, stunningly, jaw-droppingly brilliant
 3 Choose from the paragraphs A–G the one which fits t Work methodically through the paragraphs, reading
each gap (1–6). There is one extra paragraph which them and placing them one by one.
When you push a car past 300 km/h, the world
When this had been done, the Veyron was shipped you do not need to use. t Pay attention to words and phrases in the missing
actually becomes blurred, like an early Queen pop
to Sauber’s F1 wind tunnel where it quickly became paragraphs which may refer to something in the text.
video. The speed causes a terrifying vibration that
apparent that while the magic 1000 bhp* figure had been A At those speeds the front of the car starts to lift. t When you have finished, quickly read the text again to
rattles your optic nerves, causing double vision. check your answers.
This is not good when you’re covering 90 metres achieved, they were miles off the target top speed of As a result you start to lose your steering, so you
a second. Happily, stopping distances become 400 km/h. The body of the car just wasn’t aerodynamic can’t even steer round whatever it is you can’t see
enough. The bods at Sauber threw up their hands, saying because of the vibrations. Make no mistake, 320 E Somehow they had to find an extra 30 km/h, but
irrelevant because you won’t see the obstacle in the
they only had experience of aerodynamics up to maybe km/h is at the limit of what man can do right now. each extra 1km/h increase in speed requires an
first place. By the time you know it was there, you’ll
360 km/h, which is the effective top speed in Formula Which is why the new Bugatti Veyron is special. extra 8bhp from the power plant. An extra 30
have gone through the windscreen.
One. Beyond this point Bugatti was on its own. Because it can do 406 km/h. km/h then would need an extra 240 bhp. That was
1 not possible.
5
B For this, Volkswagen went to Ricardo, a British
But once you go past 320 km/h, the biggest problem F This car cannot be judged in the same way that
After some public failures, fires and accidents, they hit company that makes gearboxes for various Formula
is the air. At 160 km/h it’s relaxed. At 240 km/h it’s we judge other cars. It meets noise and emission
on the idea of a car that automatically changes shape One teams. ‘It was hard,’ said one of the engineers.
a breeze. But at 320 km/h it has sufficient power to regulations and it can be driven by someone whose
depending on what speed you’re going. And that means ‘The gearbox in an F1 car only has to last a few
lift a jumbo jet off the ground. So getting a car to only qualification is an ability to reverse round
you can top 400 km/h. That’s 113m a second. hours, but the Veyron’s has to last 10 or 20 years.’
behave itself in conditions like these is tough. corners and do an emergency stop. So technically it
6 is a car. And yet it just isn’t.
2 C It has always been thus. When Louis Rigolly broke
I didn’t care. On a recent drive across Europe I the 160 km/h barrier in 1904, the vibration would
You might point out at this juncture that the G You might want to ponder that for a moment.
desperately wanted to reach the top speed but I ran have been terrifying. And I dare say that driving a
McLaren Formula One car can top 390 km/h, but Covering the length of a football pitch, in a second,
out of road when the needle hit 386 km/h. Where, Jaguar E-type at 240 km/h in 1966 must have been
at that speed it is pretty much out of control. And in a car. If you stamp on the middle pedal hard, you
astonishingly, it felt totally and utterly rock steady. It felt a bit sporty as well.
anyway the Bugatti is way, way faster than anything will pull up from 400 km/h in just 10 sec. Sounds
else the roads have seen, but when you look at the sublime. From behind the wheel of a Veyron, France is good, but in those 10 sec you’ll have covered 500
history of its development you’ll discover it’s rather the size of a small coconut. I cannot tell you how good D It all started when Ferdinand Piëch, the former metres. That’s five football pitches to stop.
more than just a car. this car is. I just don’t have the vocabulary. boss of Volkswagen, bought Bugatti and had
From The Times someone design a concept car. ‘This,’ he said, ‘is
4 Work in pairs.
 *Brake horsepower – a measure of the power of a vehicle’s engine what the next Bugatti will look like. And it will
have an engine that develops 1000 horsepower and 
Would you like to drive a car like this? Why (not)?
it will be capable of 400 km/h.’ 
Should roads have speed limits and should cars be
built that can break speed limits? Why (not)?

100 101
 At top speed Unit 9

Speaking | 1BSU
 2 Now take turns to do the task in Exercise 1. 6 Work in pairs. Look at the six photos. Which of these 12 Student B: When Student A has finished,
phrases would you associate with each photo? look at photos 4–6 in Set B, listen to the examiner’s
1 Work in pairs. Look at the photos and the examiner’s 3 10 Listen to Anna and Daniel doing the same
speaking task. Which of these does Anna do? Write instructions and do the task.
instructions. Which of these phrases would you backbreaking work become disorientated
associate with each photo? Yes or No. combat the cold deep in the woods deep-sea diver 4FU
#

Although she’s not sure, she guesses what the deep underground handed down from father to son
clear up leaves cover large areas policeman’s device is. hard physical labour the heat and noise lack of oxygen t
8IZ
NJHIU
UIF
QFPQMF
CF
EPJOH
UIFTF
BDUJWJUJFT
JO

deal with infringements find suitable pastures 
She explains what the device is and what it can be used a traditional way?
lose your way plough a field skilled craftsmanship
give somebody a fine have a criminal record for. t
)PX
EJGmDVMU
NJHIU
JU
CF
UP
EP
UIFTF
BDUJWJUJFT

She suggests just one way in which the policeman take pride in your work take strict safety precautions
keep public spaces tidy protect from predators
could be using the device. underwater archaeology
round up the flock traffic/parking offences 4

She knows exactly what to call the man in the second
check identity conserve energy
picture.
7 Work in pairs.

She corrects herself when she realises she hasn’t used
the best word for something. 11 Student A: Look at photos 1–3 in Set A, listen
Here are your pictures. They show people 
She tries to use phrases she’s not sure about in order to the examiner’s instructions and do the task.
using different machines or devices. I’d like to express herself more clearly.
you to compare two of the pictures and say 4FU
"

She deals with all parts of the task.
what problems the people might have with
their jobs and how the machines or devices 4 10 Complete each of these phrases by writing two t
8IZ
NJHIU
UIF
QFPQMF
IBWF
DIPTFO
UP
EP
UIFTF

might help the people to do their jobs better. words in each space. Then check your answers by activities in such remote places?
listening again. t
8IBU
NJHIU
CF
UIF
EBOHFST
PG
EPJOH
FBDI
PG
UIFN

… using what I think a tablet 5
computer … 1
t
8IBU
QSPCMFNT
NJHIU
UIF
QFPQMF
IBWF
JO
UIFJS
KPCT 
The other picture shows – you call
t
)PX
NJHIU
UIF
NBDIJOFT
PS
EFWJDFT
IFMQ
UIFTF
QFPQMF
the person? – a cowboy or a shepherd, I’m not sure.
to do their work better? 
He’s rounding up his herd, his flock
of sheep.

He can check information in – the
1
phrase? – in real time.

By using a – I’m not the name of the
vehicle, is it a quad bike? – he doesn’t have to walk or
use a horse all day.
6
5 In which sentence(s) in Exercise 4 does Anna 2

B
correct herself?
C
say she’s guessing what something is?
D
say she’s not sure what the correct word is?

2 3

3 Exam advice
t Be ready to speculate or guess about what the photos
show.
t If you notice you’ve made a mistake, correct it – don’t
pretend it hasn’t happened!
t If you don’t know a word, don’t avoid the problem.
Explain the idea using other words.

102 103
 At top speed Unit 9

Reading and Use of English | 1BSU
 3 Work in pairs. 5 Work in pairs. Which paragraph in the essay
Exam advice

Read the essay below without paying attention to the 
explains in what ways the statement is not true?
1 Correct the mistakes in these Part 4 answers. Read the original sentence, the word given and the
gaps. Which ideas and examples were also mentioned 
explains to what extent the statement is true?
sentence with the gap. Think about

You will get home from work to find I have cooked during your discussion? 
summarises the writer’s argument?
supper. t whether you need an expression, e.g. it’s not worth 
Which opinions from the essay task did the writer use? 
tells us what point of view the writer is going to argue?

5*.& t whether you need a phrasal verb, e.g. turn out Did she express them using the same words or her own
t what grammar you will need, e.g. do you need to

QBHF

8SJUJOH
SFGFSFODF
Essays

I will have supper cooked by the time you will get home words?
from work. change a verb from active to passive, put something 
Do you agree with the writer’s conclusions? Why (not)? 6 Read this writing task. How far do you agree with
into reported speech, use a verb + -ing? the proposition? Note down your ideas and opinions.

I am driving faster than ever before.

Technological progress

"4

It’s the first time I drive so fast as this. Your class has participated in a discussion on the following
Writing | 1BSU
 proposition: People in the modern world have become too

They tested the car on a race track when they had Many people worry that we no longer have time for reliant on information technology. You have made the notes
solved the problem.
"O
FTTBZ the important things in life, such as relationships and „‡Ž‘™Ǥ

53*&% 1 Read the writing task and underline the key points. thinking about ourselves and our place in the universe.

With solving the problem, they tried the car on a race track. ‘‡ƒ”‡ƒ•–‘ ‘˜‡”
This may be true 1 but I think that in broad
Your class has participated in a discussion on the following terms this argument is flawed.  Ȉ ™‘”‹‰Ž‹ˆ‡
2 For questions 1–6, complete the second sentence so proposition: Technological progress makes us live faster, but it  Ȉ •–—†›‹‰
that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, also means we have less time for the important things in life, In my great-grandparents’ time technology was slower
 Ȉ Ž‡‹•—”‡–‹‡
using the word given. Do not change the word such as relationships. than it is at present. Most people travelled to work on foot
given. You must use between three and six words, ‘—Šƒ˜‡ƒ†‡–Š‡‘–‡•„‡Ž‘™Ǥ or by public transport and may perhaps have had more ‘‡‘’‹‹‘•‡š’”‡••‡††—”‹‰–Š‡†‹• —••‹‘ǣ
including the word given. time to think about things when they were travelling.
‘Most people spend too long using social media

It’s pointless to go to the station by taxi in such heavy ‘‡ƒ”‡ƒ•–‘ ‘˜‡” They did not have the distractions of television, the instead of seeing real people.’
traffic. Internet or all the other technological marvels which

10*/5  Ȉ ‡–‡”–ƒ‹‡– Ǯ •–‡ƒ†‘ˆ–Š‹‹‰ƒ„‘—––Š‹‰• ƒ”‡ˆ—ŽŽ›ǡ
compete for our attention today. 2 , they ‘•–’‡‘’Ž‡Œ—•–Ž‘‘ˆ‘”“—‹ •‘Ž—–‹‘•‘–Š‡

The traffic is so heavy that  Ȉ ™‘”‹‰Ž‹ˆ‡
a taxi to the station.
probably spent more time together in conversation. Internet.’
 Ȉ Š‡ƒŽ–Š
‘‡‘’‹‹‘•‡š’”‡••‡††—”‹‰–Š‡

Karl didn’t consult anyone before starting the project.
3
, I doubt if their relationships or the ‘Information technology allows us to deal with so
†‹• —••‹‘ǣ

")&"% quality of their lives were really better. 4 , ƒ›–Š‹‰•‘”‡“—‹ Ž›ƒ†‡ƥ  ‹‡–Ž›Ǥǯ
‘In the past, large amounts of time were

Karl went consulting spent on chores.’ they had to work much longer hours, both in their jobs
anyone. ‘Our great-grandparents could not have and in routine household tasks, because labour-saving ”‹–‡ƒ‡••ƒ›‘–Š‡’”‘’‘•‹–‹‘ƒ„‘˜‡Ǥ‹• —••two of
imagined the opportunities open to us technological devices did not exist. 5 , they the areas in your notes, ‡š’”‡••‹‰›‘—”‘™ ‘’‹‹‘• and

The accident was caused by ice on the road.
today.’ ‰‹˜‹‰”‡ƒ•‘•to support them.

#-".& did not have the financial resources or the technology to

Ice on the road the ‘Technology allows us to communicate enjoy their leisure time like we do now. While they were You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed
accident. with more people.’ †—”‹‰–Š‡†‹• —••‹‘ǡ„—–›‘—•Š‘—Ž†—•‡›‘—”‘™™‘”†•ƒ•
perhaps not so stressed, 6 , they could not
ˆƒ”ƒ•’‘••‹„Ž‡Ǥ

We had no idea the journey would take nearly so long. learn, travel and relate to people from all over the world

'"3 ”‹–‡ƒ‡••ƒ›‘–Š‡’”‘’‘•‹–‹‘ƒ„‘˜‡Ǥ‹• —••two of with the ease that we do.
the areas in your notes, ‡š’”‡••‹‰›‘—”‘™‘’‹‹‘•and 7 Write an essay plan with a similar structure to the

The journey we
‰‹˜‹‰”‡ƒ•‘• to support them.
7
, I do not agree that we have less time for sample essay in Exercise 3. Note down the ideas and
expected.
the important things in life. 8 , I believe we opinions you will express in each paragraph.
You may, if you wish, make use of the opinions expressed

We didn’t get to the party until all the food had been have far greater opportunities to take advantage of the
†—”‹‰–Š‡†‹• —••‹‘ǡ„—–›‘—•Š‘—Ž†—•‡›‘—”‘™™‘”†•ƒ• 8 Write your essay.
eaten.
ˆƒ”ƒ•’‘••‹„Ž‡Ǥ enormous variety of good things life has to offer.

5*.&

There was no food to Exam advice
the party. 2 Work in small groups. Discuss these questions and 4 Complete the essay by writing a phrase from the box t Use a formal, academic style when you write an essay.
note down your opinions and ideas. in each of the gaps. t Write a structured argument and link your ideas with

Our view of the world has certainly been affected by
new technology. phrases such as for example, in conclusion, in contrast.

In what ways does technological progress make us live as a result however in conclusion to some extent

*.1"$5 t Show that you are aware of counter-arguments.
faster? Think of examples.
what is more in contrast to ourselves in general t Make sure that your opinion on the subject is clearly

New technology has certainly 
Do you agree that we have less time for the important
we view the world. on the contrary expressed.
things in life, such as relationships? Why (not)?

104 105