Container Ships and Ports Move the World

In the picture

1. 1Container ship: carries thousands of standard containers across the oceans
2. 2Gantry crane: moves containers between the ship and the quay
3. 3Truck: carries a container inland by road
4. 4Freight train: moves many containers inland at once by rail

Examples

• A smartphone assembled in Asia reaches a shop in Europe after weeks inside a container on a ship.
• Bananas from Latin America cross the ocean in refrigerated containers before reaching supermarkets.

Quiz: Container Ships and Ports Move the World (Age 17)

1. 1

   Roughly what share of world trade, measured by volume, travels by sea?

   • About 50%
   • About 30%
   • About 80%
2. 2

   What makes it fast to move goods from a ship onto a truck or a train?

   • Ships, trucks and trains each use their own container size, so loading is planned in advance
   • Goods travel in standard containers that switch between ship, truck and train without being unpacked
   • Each container is unpacked at the port and its goods are sorted into lorries and wagons
3. 3

   What is the main role of a port in world trade?

   • It is a hub where containers move between ships, trucks and trains
   • It is mainly where goods are manufactured before being exported
   • It is a place where containers are emptied so goods can be sold to local shoppers

The answers, each with its explanation, are in the app. This quiz is free there while the lesson is in the free week.