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REVIEW the vocabulary / background.
WATCH the video.
ANSWER the questions.
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Vocabulary

culmination [n] - final product
commuter [adj] - for getting to work
retailing [v] - being sold
in terms of [exp] - in this category
efficiency [n] - using little fuel to go further
factor [n] - one of the causes
footprint [n] - effect
capability [n] - ability
enclosable [adj] - able to be closed
stable [adj] - not going to fall over easily
generation [n] - version
prototypes [n] - models
breakthrough [n/adj] - important point for success
upright [adj] - sitting more straight up
drop [v] - reduce
target [n] - goal
sweet spot [n] - ideal place
aim [v] - trying to get to
range [n] - distance it can travel
equivalent [adj] - equal in a different category
consumption [n] - amount used
impact [n] - influence
commuters [n] - people going to work
sustainable [adj] - able to keep using/doing
eco-friendly [adj] - good for the environment

[n] - noun, [v] - verb, [phv] - phrasal verb, [adj] - adjective, [exp] - expression

Questions

How long has Mark Frohnmayer been working on this electric vehicle?
10 years
12 years
20 years
7 years
The Arcimoto SRK design is similar to a motorcycle because Frohnmayer wants it to be...?
efficient and fast
reliable and good for shopping
efficient and fun
fun and stable
What benefits did switching the design from a steering wheel to handlebars have?
It is faster.
It is lighter.
It is shorter.
It is cheaper to produce.
Using a handlebar also decreased the weight of the SRK by almost...?
sixty pounds
sixteen hundred pounds
six hundred pounds
several hundred pounds
The SRK has a range of...?
17 miles
70 miles
77 miles
77 minutes
How much will the SRK base model cost?
12 hundred dollars
20 thousand dollars
200 thousand dollars
12 thousand dollars
What kind of vehicle is the Acrimoto SRK?
3 wheeled all –electric commercial vehicle
3 wheeled hybrid commuter vehicle
3 wheeled hybrid communist vehicle
3 wheeled all –electric commuter vehicle
How many generations of prototypes has Frohnmayer built in total?
6
7
8
9
how many reservations has Frohnmayer received for his SRK?
15,000
1,500
5,500
150

Discussion

Describe your normal commute to school or work.
Describe your sweet spot in terms of ideal beach temperature.
Do you think this SRK can be a successful and popular alternative to the car – why/ why not?
Should Korea ban fossil fuel cars in the near future, and what effects would this ban have?
What other innovations in transport/ technology could help fight global climate change?
What new laws do you think governments should make about fighting climate change?

Script

This three-wheeled electric vehicle is the culmination of 10 years of work For Mark Frohnmayer. It's the Arcimoto SRK -- an all-electric commuter vehicle retailing at a base price of $12,000 -- and Frohnmayer hopes his first customers will have them in their driveways by the end of summer.

"I thought, you know, if we can build something that was much closer to the motorcycle in terms of efficiency and fun factor and, you know, footprint on the road but was close to the car in terms of capabilities and enclosable and carries groceries and stable, that we'd have a real product opportunity that the world has been missing for a long time." Frohnmayer built seven generations of prototypes with regular car steering wheels. His breakthrough moment came when he replaced the steering wheel with motorcycle handlebars.

"By switching to handlebar steering, we were able to move the passengers into a more upright seating position like you'd have on a city scooter and that let us shorten the vehicle by almost two feet and drop hundreds of pounds -- almost 600 pounds -- of weight between generations 6 or generation 7 and generation 8 and that moved us way beyond our actual weight target and let us drop the cost to a point where it was actually going to be in the sweet spot that we were aiming for."

The SRK can reach 85 mph and has a range of 70 miles. It has an equivalent fuel consumption of 230 MPG, the company says. Frohnmayer said Arcimoto has already taken 1,500 reservations and hopes it's just the beginning. He believes his small cars will soon have a big impact in the fight against climate change - offering commuters a sustainable and eco-friendly option to get to work.

Three Wheels

Published: 09.14.2017

Level 4 | Time: 1:59

Accent: British

Source: Reuters (09.04.2017)

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Script