B2 Reading worksheet 1 (standard)

Elon Musk

Warmer You are going to read a magazine article about

an inventor. There are six sentences missing.
1 Think of an invention that you think has Choose from sentences A-G the one which fits
changed people’s lives for the better and in gaps 1–6. There is one extra sentence you do
answer the questions. not need to use.
1 Does it create smog or other forms of pollution? A Musk had a feeling it would be the one, so he
2 Is it an electronic device? sent something special to together with the
3 Is it high tech? cargo - a Tesla car. There is actually one in space,
right now.
4 How / Where can it be purchased?
B The answer is that he was one of the masterminds
5 Is it affordable for the general public or does
behind probably the most popular means of
it cost a fortune?
online payment – Paypal.
6 Does it have a battery?
C It’s largely due to his charismatic personality,
7 Do you have to plug it in and if so, how often? which especially shines on Twitter.
2 Work with a partner. Share your answers and D After years investing in research and development,
ask and answer any additional questions to they may have finally done just that.
help you guess what each other’s invention is. E However, Musk viewed this issue as perfectly
solvable, so after years of trial and error - and a few
Reading moments where dwindling results meant dwindling
funds - he finally revolutionised the industry.
1 Read the title and look at the picture. What do F What Musk wanted was something that would
you think the text will be about? Do you know drastically reduce travel times and be more
anything about this topic? environmentally-friendly.
G In other words, not even enough time to read
2 Skim the questions and the text quickly and
a newspaper.
check your ideas.

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B2 Reading worksheet 1 (standard)
Elon Musk

The genius of Elon Musk Hyperloop, a kind of levitating train that moves along
airless tubes. The lack of friction caused by contact with
Imagine a world where smog is no longer a problem in the ground and by the air would potentially allow the pod
our major cities. Or a car which allows you to rest and to travel at speeds as high as 1200km an hour, effectively
relax whilst you are sat behind the wheel. Tesla Motors making the journey between Paris and London, which is
was set up in 2003 with the intention of realising both. currently 2 hours 16 minutes, into a relaxing 18 minute
1 The fully electric, self-driving car is here. train ride. 5  . We’ll have to keep our fingers
It’s fast, it can travel up to 500 miles without having to crossed, though, as in practice its construction is proving
charge the battery by plugging the car in and, what’s more complicated than expected, but a prototype
more, it’s relatively affordable. Plus, Musk promises the has been presented in LA. Incidentally, LA is the site of
self-driving capability makes the car a whole lot safer, yet another of Musk’s potential solutions to transport
with cameras and sensors that can even see through problems - a network of underground car tunnels - with
other cars. And if that sounds like magic, wait to hear the help of Musk’s other company, “the Boring Company”,
what Musk is doing in space to dig the tunnels, of course. Again, the prototype tunnel
Musk’s other well-known venture is SpaceX, a space already exists.
exploration company he started in 2002. It builds But how did Mr Musk get the money to invest in such
space rockets and launches them to carry satellites, projects? 6  . When it was sold to EBay in 2002,
deliver packages and run all sorts of other errands it made him a fortune. Admittedly, so far his newer
for government agencies such as NASA in the US. Its endeavours, as innovative as they may sound, have not
success is, once again, due to Musk’s genius engineering yet been as profitable or as game-changing as PayPal,
skills and ingenuity. Launching objects into space but who is to say that won’t change. One thing is certain,
had always been prohibitively expensive because the many of Musk’s ever-growing Twitter fan base of over
rockets themselves need to be brought back to earth, 26 million followers are rooting for him to succeed.
just to be crashed safely in the middle of the ocean, and
then built again from scratch 2  . In 2018’s most
spectacular launch, SpaceX landed its rockets on land, Tip
and they have been reusing them ever since. 3  .
To help you decide where the missing
And if that’s not cool enough, SpaceX’s longer -term
sentences belong, look for clues in the text
mission is to go to Mars and colonise it. He says we
could be ready as early as in 2024. and the options to help you. Looking at the
use of referencing words like pronouns,
At this point you would think he’d be busy enough, but especially it, or determiners such as this/
there’s more. Musk has also turned his hand to improving
that/these/those can help you choose.
public transport systems. 4  . His solution is the

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B2 Reading worksheet 1 (standard)
Elon Musk
3 Look at the gap below and the two possible Speaking
options with the referencing words in bold.
1 Work in groups. Imagine that you were a
Which sentence fits in the gap? What does its
wealthy investor. Look at the following ideas
reference word refer to?
to invest in and develop. Discuss each one and
Tesla Motors was set up in 2003 with the intention of talk about the benefits and drawbacks of each
realising both. ___ the fully electric, self-driving car for humanity. Then choose the two that you
is here. think would be most beneficial.
D After years investing in research and development,
they may have finally done just that.
Using tunnels
E However, Musk viewed this issue as perfectly to reduce traffic
Space tourism
solvable, so after years of trial and error – and a few in major cities
moments where dwindling results meant dwindling
funds – he finally revolutionised the industry. Fully electric
cars

Tip
Look at the conjunctions and linking
words/phrases used in the text and the Self-driving cars A super-fast
public transport
options as these can provide further clues. system like
Hyperloop

4 Option G is the correct answer to one of the Solar-power

gaps. Look at the linking phrase in bold. based energy
systems for
Which idea in the text echoes this idea of houses
not enough time to read a newspaper? Which
gap does it match?
G In other words, not even enough time to read a
newspaper.

Tip
Other clues for this type of exercise include:
●● Thinking about the specific topic being
discussed within the paragraph
●● Looking at time phrases and the verb

tenses used either side of the gaps.

5 Now complete the rest of the sentences.

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B2 Reading worksheet 1 (standard)
Teacher’s notes
Aims 3 Answer
This worksheet aims to practise Reading and Option D. The word that refers to the intention
Use of English part 6, and to draw the students’ behind setting up Tesla
attention to how pronouns can help them select 4 Answer
the correct sentences to complete gap-fills.
Gap 5. The idea of not enough time to read a
●● It pre-teaches vocabulary related to technology newspaper echoes the idea in the text of having
and money, present in the reading passage. an 18 minute train journey.
●● It invites the students to use their existing 5 Answers
knowledge of the topic to improve their 1 D  2 E  3 A  4 F  5 G  6 B
comprehension.
●● It then encourages the students to look Speaking
at pronouns as clues to select the correct If appropriate, set success criteria for this speaking
sentences for each gap. task to focus the students’ attention on content,
●● The worksheet then provides the students with language and interaction as well as their opinions.
speaking practice using the second conditional The students discuss in pairs three times. The first
and the vocabulary from the worksheet. time, they only worry about expressing their ideas.
While they speak, write your success criteria on
Warmer
the board. When they finish, give the students one
Tell students you are thinking of an invention and minute of silent thinking time to look at the success
get them to ask you the questions to help them criteria and reflect on how they can include the
guess what it is. For example, for a smartwatch you language in their speaking. The students do the
might tell them it’s a high tech device that can be task again with a new partner, taking their time
bought in shops and online and that in your opinion to tick the success criteria as they achieve them
costs a fortune, that it has batteries that you need and looking up any vocabulary they might need
to plug in to recharge. Then tell students that they to perform the task better. The students then do
can ask you more questions to try to guess what the the task a third time, this time in a group of three.
invention is. Then have students think of their own Student A and B perform the task, and student C
inventions and repeat the activity. checks that they achieve the success criteria, then
2 Students’ own answers gives feedback. The students repeat until each
student has received feedback in their group.
Reading Here are some suggested success criteria for this
1 Ask students to read the title and look at the task. You may want to personalise these according
to your syllabus.
photo and make predictions about what the
text will be about. Write any interesting ideas Content Interaction Language
on the board. You talk about You disagree at You use the second
at least four least twice conditional to justify
2 Allow the students five minutes to read the
options your ideas
passage and elicit their ideas.
You talk about You invite your You use sophisticated
3 Look at the tip and ask students to focus on both the partner to give comparatives and
the reference words and what they refer to. benefits and opinions superlatives (much/
Students then complete the exercises. drawbacks of way/far more; by
the options far/no doubt the
most, etc.)
You agree on You follow-up You use vocabulary
one option on your from the worksheet
partner’s
opinions

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