Woman Plans to Drive Century-old Car across the USA

Unlocking Word Meanings
Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

1. raise (v.) [reyz] – to earn or collect money that will be used for a special cause or purpose

Example: The students sold old toys and were able to raise $500 for the flood victims.

2. expedition (n.) [ek-spi-dish-uhn] – a kind of journey or trip that is organized by a group of people in order to meet a specific goal

Example: The scientists set off on an expedition to study the melting ice in the North Pole.

3. cross-country (adj.) [kraws-kuhn-tree] – from one end/side of the country to the opposite end/side

Example: The travel guide recommended a cross-country bicycle trip through France.

4. stature (n.) [stach-er] – height of a person or animal when standing up

Example: With a height of 226 cm, basketball player Yao Ming is certainly a man of great stature.

5. résumé (n.) [rez-oo-mey, rez-oo-mey] – a document that shows a person’s educational achievement, work history, and skills

Example:  The job applicant’s résumé says the she has advanced computer skills.
 

Article
Read the text below.

Hoping to raise £20,000 ($31,254) for Cancer research, Joy Rainey is planning to drive a 109-year-old Oldsmobile across the United States. Joy is going on the expedition in honor of Trevor Hulks, who died of cancer in 2010. Trevor was Joy’s lifetime partner and co-driver, whom she also describes as her soul mate. The 2,826-mile (4,548km) cross-country expedition will start on April 14, 2013 in Los Angeles and end in Daytona Beach, Florida on May 15 that same year. But before the cross-country trip, Joy will be taking the Oldsmobile on a 60-mile (96.56 km) drive in the London-Brighton Veteran Car Run this November 4, which in itself would be an amazing achievement for such an old vehicle driven by a woman of such small stature. Despite her physical limitations, Joy is a skilled driver with an impressive résumé. She has participated in many motorsport events and several driving competitions using either new or classic cars. Recently, her interest shifted to older and slower car models, such as the Oldsmobile, which runs up only to 20 miles per hour (32kph). Driving a vehicle that is more than a hundred years old for a very long distance presents several difficult challenges. Joy’s team will have to plan their route very carefully. They must also be prepared to fix the car should it break down along the way.

Viewpoint Discussion
Enjoy a discussion with your tutor. 

Discussion A 

·         Would you say that Joy Rainey’s goal can be admired? Please explain your answer.

·         Would you like to travel across your country or across another country? Why or why not?

Discussion B

·         What charity work or organization are you most interested in? (e.g., charity work for the poor, for arts and culture, for education, for the environment, etc.) Why is it interesting to you?

·         If you wanted to raise money for a charity or organization, how would you try to do it?