World News for Students of English

19-05-2016 07:00

It may not look like much now, but this could be the future of transport. It’s called Hyperloop and this week it completed its first successful test in the Nevada desert.

If the idea becomes a reality, the Hyperloop will whisk people and cargo through low-pressure tubes at the speed of sound. The system will be fully autonomous, powered by electricity, and the pods will levitate, using electro-magnetism to reduce friction.

“It’s not about getting somewhere; it’s about being somewhere. We’re not trying to optimise the transportation experience — we’re trying to eliminate it. So we think this is great. I think you guys think this is great. What are we going to do? Let’s build it!”

This is just a prototype. The sled seen here accelerated to 116 mph (187 kph) in just over a second. But the real thing will, in theory, be a great deal faster again, completing the journey from San Francisco to LA in just 30 minutes.

Difficult words: whisk (to move quickly), friction (the force which slows down moving things), optimise (to improve), eliminate (to get rid of), sled (a thin, low vehicle).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com