9 At top speed

Starting off
Work in pairs. Discuss these questions.
Each of these photos shows a situation where speed is
important. Why is speed important in each case?
When is it important not to hurry? If you had to choose
photos of four situations where it’s important not to
hurry, which would you choose? Why?
Do you enjoy speed? Why (not)?

Listening |
1 You will hear three extracts where people talk
about speed. Extract One is about trains in the 19th
century. Before you listen: how do you think the
invention of trains changed the way people lived?

2 07 Now listen to Extract One. For questions 1

and 2 choose the answer (A, B or C) which ts best
according to what you hear.

You hear part of a panel discussion on 19th century travel.

According to the woman, people in the early 19th
century were concerned about how rail travel would
affect
the landscape. shatter ourself confident
the human body. shatter: make sb shocked
their way of life. radical: triet de= complete
According to the man, how did rail travel
distinct: easychange
to see
people’s attitude to the natural world?
distinctive=unique
They felt they could dominate it.
no longer at the mercy of
They understood their need to be part of it.
natural event:
They became more interested in painting it.
at the mercy of: pho mac
3 Work in pairs. The man says, ‘I doubt if any other
invention has had such a profound in uence on the
human psyche.’ Do you agree?
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8 09 Now listen to Extract Three. For questions 5

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

You hear two scientists discussing travel to other planets

near other stars.
What does the woman say is the main obstacle to using
nuclear propulsion for spaceships?
the danger to Earth
international agreements
the technology involved
What does the man think would be the main difficulty
of using a conventional spaceship?
persuading people to travel in it
4 In Extract Two you will hear two people discussing preventing conflict among the crew
the limits to human ability in Olympic sports. giving purpose to the crew’s lives
Before you listen: do you think athletes will
continue to break records or is there a limit to their
Exam advice
improvement?
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 ts best. few words.
If you are not sure about the answer after listening the
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.
the prospects for genetic engineering in sports. People’s entire world view underwent a profound
.
6 Work in small groups. Do you think people should Over the next hundred years railways had a
devote so much effort to breaking world records? radical on the countryside.
Why (not)? This has had a subtle but distinct on the
way people regarded their place in the world.
7 In Extract Three you will hear two scientists talking has had such a
I doubt if any other invention
about travelling in spaceships to other stars. Before
profound on the human psyche.
you listen,
Do you think people will lose
would you like to go on a journey like this? in Olympic events when athletes no longer
what problems do you think this sort of journey would break records?
pose for the spaceship’s crew? I can’t imagine anyone making such a
nowadays.
Even if there were a couple of hundred people
prepared to embark on a like this, they
and their descendants would have to live together on
the ship all their lives.
What would they engage in during all
this time?

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