Speaking
2.1. A transport manager is thinking of buying some pick-up trucks for his fleet. Act out the conversation with the salesperson. Ask and answer questions about the size and dimension of the truck below.
2.2. Work with a partner
A. You want to forward some large steel components to a customer in Rome. Phone your partner's forwarding company (транспортная компания) and make enquiries.
Your information
The components are in 6 wooden crates.
The dimensions of each crate are: Length — 4m Width — 2m
Height — 2.5m
The cubic capacity of each crate is 20m3.
Each crate weighs 1,500 kg.
Information required
How many trailers do you need?
How much does it cost?
How long does it take to drive a trailer to Rome?
B. You are the manager of a forwarding company. A customer phones to make enquiries. Answer his questions.
Your information
The dimensions of your trailers are: Length – 12m Width – 2m Height – 2.5m
Their cubic capacity is 60m3.
The maximum load is 23,000 kg.
You charge $1,750 to transport a full trailer-load to Rome. It takes three to four days.
Reading
3.1. Would you like to buy this product? Read the article and find out.
Fold-up car that fits in a suitcase.
Engineers at Mazda, the Japanese car company, have designed a car you can fold in half and carry around in a suitcase.
The “Suitcase Car” is only 81cm x 61cm x 25cm when folded, but opens to a length of 117cm, a width of 102 cm, and a height of 41cm. The vehicle weighs 30kg and costs £900 to build. It only takes one minute to set up for the road.
The car is propelled by a specially-designed, two cycle single-cylinder engine and it has a maximum speed of just under 30km an hour.
The invention won the first prize in a contest arranged by Mazda to encourage original ideas from its employees. The winning team of seven engineers said they had always wanted to build a car that could be folded up in a traffic jam and carried away. The engineers also wanted to design a car that people could take on aeroplanes.
The portable car was not made for driving on roads, so it is only the first step towards achieving the engineers’ goal. A Mazda spokesman said the company had no plans to mass produce the “Suitcase Car”.
3.2. Say if the statements given below are true, false or there is no such information in the article.
1. Fold-up car was designed by Japanese engineers.
2. The car is very easy to transform.
3. It can move with the speed of more than 30 km an hour.
4. This car has got world-wide recognition.
5. Mazda company is planning to produce the portable car in few years.
3.3. Answer the following questions.
1. Who has designed a fold-up car?
2. What are its dimensions when folded?
3. How big is it when open?
4. What are the technical characteristics of this car?
5. How fast can it go?
6. When can this car be used?
7. Is it a useful invention? Why?
8. Can it be used on our roads? Why?
Writing
Complete the sentences with the correct word in brackets.