Electric cars - Latest update

A small American car manufacturer …………………….(just announce) that its experimental electric car, the Lexington X1, will go into production this year. Markton Automobiles, of Detroit, Michigan, ........................ (make) the announcement at last month's Auto Show in Geneva .

Although there are now many electric cars on the market, so far manufacturers

.............................. (not be) able to produce one that can really compete with existing petrol cars . There are two major problems - speed and distance. Up until now, electric cars............................. (be) either too slow or unable to travel far enough without recharging

their batteries. Markton Automobiles claim that they .......................... (overcome) these difficulties with a new type of solar panel which continually recharges the batteries . The company …......................... (not give) the press exact details yet, but they claim they

............................... (already test) the car successfully under all kinds of weather conditions.

A Japanese company .............................. (first design) the engine in 2007. But over the last few years Markton ............................. (adapt) the design and increased its power.

The company .............................. (invite) ten journalists to test-drive the new car last week.

Their reports …......................... (be) mainly positive, although we will have to wait for the full test results before we know if this really is the electric car that everyone is waiting for.

Exercise 68. We often ask what people were doing when something important happened. Open the brackets using the correct form of the verbs.

At the time it happened

I.

MIRA What ……………… (you, do) when you ………….(hear) that London would host the Olympics in 2012?

PETRA Strangely enough, I …………………(spend) some time with friends in England. After a couple of days in Liverpool, we .................................. (set) off for the south. We ................................ (reach) London in the late morning of the very day that they …................... (make) the announcement, but of course the celebrations ................................ ..... (not, start) until the afternoon. When we ................. ..................... (arrive) in Greenwich in south London we …………………..(not, plan) to stay, but the sun……………………(shine) and everyone …………………….(walk) up and down because there was a special festival. Anyway, we…….................... (decide) to join in the

fun. Just before 1 p.m., while we …......................... (have) an ice cream in the park, the band that ........................................ (play) music for the dancing …………………….(stop) in the middle of the song and the bandleader ……………………(announce) that London had won the 2012 Olympics! The news really …………………. (add) to the party atmosphere, of course.

II

^{ED Where ……………………(you,be) when the tsunami disaster ……………..(happen)?}

^{AMY I ……………….(lie) in bed because I ……………(have) flu. I ………………….(watch) an old film on television, although I …………………..}(not, enjoy) it very much because I ..............................(not, think) it was very good. Then suddenly they.. ………………….(interrupt) the programme to give the news.

^III

^DAVE What ………………….. (you, do) when you .................... (hear) that your sister was engaged?

CLAIRE I …. ……….......... (walk) to work and I ..................... (get) a text message on my mobile. My sister ...................................... (send) me a photo of her hand, and she ........................... (wear) an engagement ring! At first I …………………….(not, believe) the news, but then ……………………….(call) her and she………………………(tell) me the good news herself!

Exercise 69. Fiona is in charge of a big party but she arrives late, in the middle of the preparations. Complete the dialogue by putting the verbs into the present perfect simple or the present perfect continuous.