【Unlocking Word Meanings】
今日の単語・フレーズ
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.
1. futuristic /ˌfyu tʃəˈrɪs tɪk/ (adj.) – describing something that is very modern
Example: The architect proposed a futuristic design.
2. envision /ɛnˈvɪʒ ən/ (v.) – to think of something that can possibly happen or exist in the future
Example: The company envisions a transportation system that will eliminate traffic jams.
3. mechanism /ˈmɛk əˌnɪz əm/ (n.) – a piece of machinery that performs a specific function
Example: The bank’s door has an automatic locking mechanism.
4. extensive /ɪkˈstɛn sɪv/ (adj.) – covering a wide or great area
Example: The government donated extensive lands for the farmers.Additional info: Synonyms of this word include large and sizable.
5. full-scale /ˈfʊlˈskeɪl/ (adj.) – describing something that will be done thoroughly and systematically
Example: After three months of irregular operations, full-scale production will resume next month.
【Article】
ニュース記事
Read the text below.
Tech startup Hyperloop One held the first-ever public demonstration of the futuristictransportation system named Hyperloop.
The concept of a high-speed transportation system first came out when Tesla Motors and SpaceX founder Elon Musk put the idea forward in 2013. Musk envisioned incredibly fast vessels that will go through special tubes and will transport passengers between San Francisco and Los Angeles in 30 minutes. Hyperloop One—formerly known as Hyperloop Transportation Technologies—is one of the companies that accepted the challenge of making the idea become real by conducting a test for the technology’s special mechanism on May 11.
Hyperloop One CEO Rob Lloyd said that the demonstration was an early trial in preparation for the extensive production of their electric motor. The company used a test vehicle called a sled and a linear track shorter than the 400-mile distance between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The sled, equipped with the motor, ran from 0 to 100 mph in about one second.
The desert at the northern part of Las Vegas, where the test was conducted, will be the official location of the first version of the transportation system. According to Lloyd, the full-scale Hyperloop demonstration will be done by the end of this year and the project will be in progress by 2017.
David Levinson, a civil engineering professor from the University of Minnesota, believes that the development of Hyperloop will take decades or more. According to him, the transportation system requires the creation of new vehicles and infrastructure.
|
【Viewpoint Discussion】
ディスカッションテーマ
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.
Discussion A
· Do you think the initiative to make Hyperloop real is ambitious? Why or why not?
· Would you like to try this transportation system in the future? Why or why not?
Discussion B
· Do you think your country has an efficient transportation system? Why or why not?
Aside from speed, how else can a transportation system be considered efficient?
