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ListentopartofatalkabouttheAirbusA380. Optionalexercise (Theanswersareatthebottomofthepage). Listenandputthesepointsintheordertheyarementioned. Subject a)thecountrieswhichcollaborateinthemanufacturing b)therangewithoutrefuelling c)thesize d)wheretheplaneisputtogether e)wherethewingsaremade Order

Everythingaboutthisaeroplaneisenormousthenumbersaretrulymindboggling.Itsoveralllengthis73metres.Thats aboutaslongastheGreatSphinxinEgypt.Thegianttwodeckfuselagewilltypicallyhave550seats,buthasthepotential 2 tocarryupto800passengers.Thetail,at21metersfromtheground,isashighasasevenstoreybuilding.The845m wing areaisbigenoughtopark70cars. TheA380canflyastaggering15,000kmwithoutrefuellingandinordertodothat,itneedstocarry310,000litresoffuel, makingtheplanestakeoffweight560tonnes.Incredibly,though,theA380willactuallybemorefuelefficientthanother, similarsizedjumbojets.Airbusclaimthattheplanewillburnabout3litresoffuelperpassengerper100km,makingitas economicaltorunasafamilycar. ThebuildingoftheA380isaremarkableexampleoftransnationalcooperation.ThefinalassemblylineisinToulousein France,butthisisonlytheendofanimpressivelycomplicatedprocess. TheconstructionofeachaircraftistheresultofcollaborationbetweenFrance,Germany,BritainandSpain.Thewings,for example,arebuiltinEnglandandWales.ThemainsectionsofthefuselageareconstructedinHamburg,Germany.Partsfor thenoseandthetailareinfactmadeinSpain,andonlyassembledinGermany.EverythingisthenshippedtoFrancetobe puttogether. TheA380jigsawgetsevenmorecomplicated,however.AlthoughaEuropeanventure,fewpeoplerealisehowmuchofthe planeisactuallymadeordesignedoutsidetheEU.Thewings,forexample,werecreatedbydesignersinWichitainthe UnitedStates.Somewingpanels,thewheels,andmostofthecockpitelectronicsarealsomadeinAmerica.Infact,interms ofactualcost,almosthalftheaircraftismadeintheUSA.

Answers1c,2b,3d,4a,5e www.britishcouncil.org/professionals.htm
TheBritishCouncil,2007 TheUnitedKingdomsinternationalorganisationforeducationalopportunitiesandculturalrelations. WeareregisteredinEnglandasacharity.