B. Front- and Rear-Wheel Drive

Use the following word combinations to translate the text.

rear-wheel drive – задний привод

front-wheel drive – передний привод

drive wheel - ведущее колесо; приводное колесо

gear assembly – механизм

output shaft - выходной вал

Depending on the vehicle’s design, engine power is transmitted by the transmission to the front wheels, the rear wheels, or to all four wheels. The wheels receiving power are called drive wheels: They propel the vehicle forward or backward. Most automobiles either are front-wheel or rear-wheel drive. In some vehicles, four-wheel drive is an option the driver selects for certain road conditions; others feature full-time, all-wheel drive.

The differential is a gear assembly in an axle that enables each powered wheel to turn at different speeds when the vehicle makes a turn. The driveshaft connects the transmission’s output shaft to a differential gear in the axle.

Universal joints at both ends of the driveshaft allow it to rotate as the axles move up and down over the road surface. In rear-wheel drive, the driveshaft runs under the car to a differential gear at the rear axle. In front-wheel drive, the differential is on the front axle and the connections to the transmission are much

shorter. Four-wheel-drive vehicles have drive shafts and differentials for both axles.

Match two parts of a sentence according to the texts of unit 3.

1. The wheels receiving power…

2. Most automobiles either are front-wheel…

3. The transmission usually is located…

4. The transmission, also known as the gearbox, transfers power…

5. Four-wheel-drive vehicles have…

6. Gears are selected with a shift lever located…

1. on the floor next to the driver or on the steering column.

2. just behind the engine.

3. are called drive wheels.

4. drive shafts and differentials for both axles.

5. from the engine to the driveshaft.

6. or rear-wheel drive.

Disclose the meanings of the following word combinations.

A gearbox, a clutch, a shift lever, a front-wheel drive, four-wheel drive, a differential gear.

Summarize the information about the drivetrain.

Unit IV Support Systems

Vocabulary to be remembered.

unpaved road –не мощеная дорога

jolt -покачивание; тряска

undercarriage – шасси

absorb - амортизировать ( толчки )

cornering - движение ( автомобиля ) на повороте

horse-drawn buggy – легкий конный экипаж

rigid - неподвижно закрепленный

coil spring – спиральная рессора

leaf spring – листовая рессора

uneven – неровный, негладкий; шероховатый

acceleration – ускорение

tires – шины

rim - обод ( наружная часть колеса )

tire tread - беговая дорожка протектора

Automobiles would deliver jolting rides, especially on unpaved roads, without a system of shock absorbers and other devices to protect the auto body and passenger compartment from severe bumps and bounces.

A. Suspension System

Read the text and make up questions to be a plan to this information.

The suspension system, part of the undercarriage of an automobile, contains springs that move up and down to absorb bumps and vibrations. In one type of

suspension system, a long tube, or strut, has a shock absorber built into its center section. Shock absorbers control, or dampen, the sudden loading and unloading of suspension springs to reduce wheel bounce and the shock transferred from the road wheels to the body. One shock absorber is installed at each wheel.

Modern shock absorbers have a telescoping design and use oil, gas, and air, or a combination to absorb energy. Luxury sedans generally have a soft suspension for comfortable riding. Sports cars and sport-utility vehicles have firmer

suspensions to improve cornering ability and control over rough terrain. Older automobiles were equipped with one-piece front axles attached to the frame with semielliptic leaf springs, much like the arrangement on horse-drawn buggies. Front wheels on modern cars roll independently of each other on half-shafts instead of on a common axle. Each wheel has its own axle and suspension supports, so the shock of one wheel hitting a bump is not transferred across a common axle to the other wheel or the rest of the car. Many rear-axle suspensions for automobiles and heavier vehicles use rigid axles with coil or leaf springs. However, advanced passenger cars, luxury sedans, and sports cars feature independent rear-wheel suspension systems.

Active suspensions are computer-controlled adjustments of the downward force of each wheel as the vehicle corners or rides over uneven terrain. Sensors, a pump, and hydraulic cylinders, all monitored and controlled by computer, enable the vehicle to lean into corners and compensate for the dips and dives that accompany emergency stops and rapid acceleration.

Try and guess the meaning of the following words and word combinations:

Рессоры, амортизатор, подвесная система, смягчать, дорогостоящий седан, независимые задние рессоры, спортивный автомобиль, столкновения, громкие удары, телескопический амортизатор, внезапные остановки, быстрое ускорение.

Make up a summary to the text.