GENERAL ENGLISH · GENERAL ISSUES · UPPER-INTERMEDIATE (B2-C1)
VAN LIFE QrrkoD Scan to review worksheet
Expemo code: 1DHE-97E8-419I
1 Warm up Look at the pictures and answer the questions.
tent caravan
motorhome camper van
1. Do you like camping?
2. Have you ever camped in one of these? 3. What are some advantages and disadvantages of each type of camping accommodation?
2 Listening Fern is at a music festival. Listen to her conversation with Steve and decide if the information in the sentences is true, false or not given.
1. Steve and Fern planned to meet up at the festival.
Listen again and write the missing words in the gaps.
1. We wanted her to be easily , so we could find her, even in the dark.
2. And the table is , so we only get it out when we want to eat.
3. The roof is . It pops up to make a sleeping area.
4. The basic van is , so you can choose the features and layout that you want.
5. It’s true that some classic models of the VW Transporter are very , which pushes the price up.
6. But Ronnie was more than you’d think.
Answer these questions:
1. What’s the same about all of these words?
2. How do we use this ending and what does it mean?
Think of more examples for each of these things.
1. situations where people need to be adaptable
2. items of clothing which are adjustable 3. things that are not affordable for you right now 4. small things that are highly collectable 5. people who are instantly recognisable (and why) 6. more features of a camper van which could be removable
3 Reading Steve’s camper van Ronnie is a VW Transporter. What do you know about this type of vehicle?
Read the article about this design classic and then finish the sentences below with one or three words from the text.
1 1. Being collectable is one thing that makes the VW camper van . 2 2. The Transporter was so adaptable that vehicles could be produced from the same basic design. 3 4 5 3. The , and are three things which made the original Transporters instantly recognisable. 6 4. , the Transporter camper van became very popular because it was so affordable.
5. The newest VW camper van retains classic features like adjustable seats, but also uses modern 7 technology, like a removable tablet computer to .
The Fender Stratocaster guitar, the Coca-Cola bottle The popularity of the Transporter camper van and the VW Transporter - what do these things have coincided with the development of the counter- in common? Each one is a design classic, which cultural movement in the 1960s. The vehicles were means they share certain features. We recognise affordable to run and could be customised and them immediately, they’ve been around for ages, adapted for many uses including full-time homes. their design is innovative and functional, they reflect They quickly became iconic of the freedom-loving popular culture and they’re even collectable. Let’s independent-thinking hippie lifestyle. take a closer look at the VW Transporter. The Transporter has been through many design The VW Transporter was developed just after the changes over the years, but the original vehicles hold Second World War. The story has it that Dutch a special place in people’s hearts ... and wallets. An businessman Ben Pons was visiting the Volkswagen original vehicle in excellent condition could be worth factory when he saw some little motorised trolleys almost £100,000 to a collector. being used to transport items around. He had a Today, all sorts of people from young families to older Eureka moment, and sketched an idea for a transport couples enjoy touring and camping in VW vans. A vehicle. His clever flat-front design maximised van is often like a family member — people even give cargo space and was easy to steer around the small them names! If you don’t want to buy your own, crowded streets of European cities. The air-cooled you can rent a vehicle and take off to explore the engine was at the back, so the driver had more space countryside. Having your own space to cook and and less noise and heat at the front. In addition, sleep makes this type of holiday more Covid secure each of the four wheels had independent suspension, as well. which produced a smoother ride than other vehicles at the time. Volkswagen continues to innovate. Their latest design, the ID Buzz Microbus is an electric self- The Transporter was designed to be adaptable and driving vehicle with wrap-around LED lights, the company was soon producing a range of vehicles adjustable seats and a removable tablet computer including delivery vans, buses, pick-ups, ambulances, which can control the car. However, the exterior fire engines and, of course, the well-loved camper design refers back to the 1950s with its flat front, van. These vehicles were instantly recognisable by two-tone paint and prominent VW badge. the split front windscreen, the two-tone paint and the famous VW logo badge at the front. By 1968, two Sources: theconversation.com, autoexpress.co.uk, million vehicles had been sold. ggspdt.com
4 Talking point Discuss these questions in pairs or small groups.
1. What information in the article was new or surprising to you?
2. Describe a holiday you’d like to have in a camper van. Where would you go and who would go with you? 3. The new VW camper van is electric and driverless. Do you think it’s possible to feel really free and independent in this type of vehicle? Why/not? 4. These days, some people are living full-time in a motorhome or camper van. Why would someone do this? What problems would they face?
Imagine that you’ve got a basic small vehicle and an unlimited budget to adapt and customise your own camper van.
Think about what features you’d like to include from the list below and get ready to explain your ideas to a classmate. You can sketch your ideas if you like. Will you give your camper van a name?
