Text 1с

DIFFERENT KINDS OF LAND TRANSPORT

1 What was the reaction of the people after the invention of the steam engine?

In Washington the story is told of a director of the Patent Of- fice who in the early thirties of the last century suggested that the Office be closed because "everything that could possibly be invented had been invented". People experienced a similar feeling after the invention of the steam engine.

But there was a great need for a more efficient engine than the steam engine, for one without a huge boiler, an engine that could quickly be started and stopped. This problem was solved by the invention of the internal combustion engine.

2 Who introduced the first cheap motor car?

The first practical internal combustion engine was introduced in the form of a gas engine by the German engineer N. Otto in 1876.

Since then motor transport began to spread in Europe very rapidly. But the person who was the first to make it really popular was Henry Ford, an American manufacturer who introduced the first cheap motor car, the famous Ford Model "T".

3 When did diesel-engined lorries become general?

The rapid development of the internal combustion engine led to its use in the farm tractors, thereby creating a revolution in agriculture. The use of motor vehicles for carrying heavy loads developed more slowly until the 1930s when diesel-engined lorries became general.

The motor cycle steadily increased in popularity as engines and tyres became more reliable and roads improved. Motor cycles were found well suited for competition races and sporting events and were also recognized as the cheapest form of fast transport.

4 When were the trams introduced first?

Buses were started in Paris in 1820. In 1828 they were introduced in London by George Shillibeer, a coach builder who used the French name "Omnibus" which was obtained from the Latin word meaning "for all". His omnibuses were driven by three horses and had seats for 22 passengers. Then in the 20th century reliable petrol engines became available, and by 1912 the new motor buses were fast replacing horse-driven buses.

Trams were introduced in the middle of the 19th century. The idea was that, as the rails were smoother than the roads, less effort was need­ed to pull a tram than a bus. The first trams were horse drawn but the later trams were almost аll driven by electricity. The electric motor driving the tram was usually with electric current from overhead wires. Such wires are also used by trolley-buses, which run on rubber tyres and do not need rails.

Another form of transport used in London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev and some other crowded cities is the underground railway.

London's first underground railway of the "tube" type was opened in 1863. The Moscow underground which is considered to be the best and most comfortable underground in the world, was opened in 1935.

5 What do the longest oil pipe-lines connect?

The pipe-lines, which were in use by the ancient Romans for carrying water supplies to their houses, are now mainly used to transport petroleum. The first pipe-line of this kind was laid in Pennsylvania, the United States, in 1865.

Some of the longest oil pipe-lines connect oil-fields in Iraq and near the Persian Gulf with ports on the Mediterranean coast. A famous Pipe-Line Under the Ocean (PLUTO) was laid across the English Channel in 1944.

6 What are the cableways used for?

A form of transport which is quite common in some mountainous parts of the world, especially in Switzerland, is the aerial cableway. Cableways are used at nearly all winter sports centres to pull or carry skiers to the top of the slopes. Cableways are used by many Alpine villages which lie high up the mountain-sides for bringing up their supplies from the valley below.

Read the text, think and say a few words about each of the problems posed by the author.

T E X T 1D

THE EARLY DAYS OF THE AUTOMOBILE

1 One of the earliest attempts to propel a vehicle by mechanical power was suggested by Isaac Newton. But the first self-propelled ve­hicle was constructed by the French military engineer Cugnot in 1763. He built a steam-driven engine which had three wheels, carried two passengers and ran at maximum speed of four miles. The carriage was a great achievement but it was far from perfect and extremely ineffi­cient. The supply of steam lasted only 15 minutes and the carriage had to stop every 100 yards to make more steam.

2 In 1825 a steam engine was built in Great Britain. The vehicle carried 18 passengers and covered 8 miles in 45 minutes. However, the progress of motor cars met with great opposition in Great Britain. Fur­ther development of the motor car lagged because of the restrictions resulting from legislative acts. The most famous of these acts was the Red Flag Act of 1865, according to which the speed of the steam-driven vehicles was limited to 4 miles per hour and a man with a red flag had to walk in front of it.

Motoring really started in the country after the abolition of this act.

3 In Russia there were cities where motor cars were outlawed alto­gether. When the editor of the local newspaper in the city of Uralsk bought a car, the governor issued these instructions to the police: "When the vehicle appears in the streets, it is to be stopped and escorted to the police station, where its driver is to be prosecuted".

4 From 1860 to 1900 was a period of the application of gasoline engines to motor cars in many countries. The first to perfect gasoline engine was N. Otto who introduced the four-stroke cycle of operation. By that time motor cars got a standard shape and appearance.

In 1896 a procession of motor cars took place from London to Brigh­ton to show how reliable the new vehicles were. In fact, many of the cars broke for the transmissions were still unreliable and constantly gave trouble.

The cars of that time were very small, two-seated cars with no roof, driven by an engine placed under the seat. Motorists had to carry large cans of fuel and spare tires, for there were no repair or filling stations to serve them.

After World War I it became possible to achieve greater reliability of motor cars, brakes became more efficient. Constant efforts were made to standardize common components. Multi-cylinder engines came into use, most commonly used are four-cylinder engines.

5 Like most other great human achievements, the motor car is not the product of any single inventor. Gradually the development of vehicles driven by internal combustion engine – cars, as they had come to be known, led to the abolition of earlier restrictions. Huge capital began to flow into the automobile industry.

From 1908 to 1924 the number of cars in the world rose from 200 thousand to 20 million; by 1960 it had reached 60 million! No other industry had ever developed at such a rate.

6 There are about 3,000 Americans who like to collect antique cars. They have several clubs which possess great influence such as An­tique Automobile Club and Veteran Motor Car Club, which specialize in rare models. The clubs practise meetings where members can exhibit their cars. Collectors can also advertise in the magazines published by their clubs. Some magazines specialise in a single type of car such as glorious Model "T". A number of museums have exhibitions of antique automobile models whose glory rings in automobile history. But practi­cally the best collection – 100 old cars of great rarity – is in possession of William Harrah. He is very influential in his field. The value of his collection is not only historical but also practical: photographs of his cars are used for films and advertisements.

7 In England there is the famous "Beaulieu Motor Museum" – the home for veteran cars.

The founder of the Museum is Lord Montague, the son of one of Eng-land's motoring pioneers, who opened it in 1952 in memory of his father. Lord Montague's father was the first person in England to be fined by the police for speeding. He was fined 5 pounds for going faster than 12 miles per hour!

In the Museum's collection there is a car called the Silver Ghost which people from near and far go to see. It was built by Rolls-Royce in 1907, and called the Silver Ghost because it ran so silently and was painted silver.

There is a car called The Knight. It is the first British petrol-driven car. Its top speed was only 8 mph!

In the Museum there is also a two-seater car, built in 1903.

Exercise 1. Answer the following questions.

1 Who was the first to suggest the idea of propelling vehicle by mechanical power? (1) 2 Who was a self-propelled vehicle constructed by? (1) 3 When and in what country was a steam engine built? (2) 4 What do you know about the Red Flag Act of 1865? (2) 5 What kind of instruction did the Russian governor issue? (3) 6 What did N. Otto introduce? (4) 7 When did it become possible to achieve greater reliability of the cars? (4) 8 What was the number of the cars by 1960? (5) 9 How many Americans collect antique cars? (6) 10 What is histor­ical and practical value of William Harrah's collection? (6) 11 What can you say about the Museum of veteran cars? (7) 12 When did Rolls-Royce build its Silver Ghost? (7) 13 What was the speed of the first British petrol-driven car? (7)

Exercise 2. Check your vocabulary. Translate from English into Russian.

1 also (adv); 2 backward (а); 3 beat (v); 4 because of (prp); 5 charge (v); 6 chiefly (adv); 7 coach (n); 8 collapse (n, v); 9 combustion (n); 10 connect (i); 11 current (n, a); 12 delay (n, v); 13 device (n); 14 directly (adv); 15 distance (n); 16 drag (v); 17 due (a); 18 engine (n); 19 force (n, v); 20 general (a); 21 goods (n); 22 gradually (adv); 23 hand (n,v); 24 internal (a); 25 introduction (n); 26 lead (v); 27 lorry (n); 28 mean (v); 29 measure (i, v); 30 at once; 31 pave (v); 32 pay (n, v); 33 rather (adv); 34 remark (n, v); 35 repair (n, v); 36 the same (a); 37 settle (v); 38 soil (n); 39 source (n); 40 stage (n); 41 step (n, v); 42 stretch (n, v); 43 surface (n); 44 unless (cj); 45 vary (v); 46 vehicle (n); 47 weight (n); 48 wheel (n, v); 49 wide (a); 50 wind (n).

Exercise 3. Read and dramatize the following dialogues. Work in pairs.

Some students are at the exhibition “History of Cars”. Listen to their conversation with the guide and learn how the first automobiles looked like.

History of Cars

G:	… If you look to the right you will see the first self-propelled steam-driven vehicle.
A:	Who was it designed by?
G:	It was designed by the French military engineer Cugnot in 1763. You see, it had three wheels and could carry only two passengers.
A:	What was the maximum speed of this vehicle?
G:	Four miles per hour and it stopped every 15 minutes in order to make more steam.
A:	Oh, that’s not very comfortable.
G:	Definitely not. But new motor cars with gasoline and diesel engines were introduced at the end of the 19th century. Look at that small car without a roof. It was constructed in 1893.
A:	And where was the engine placed?
G:	It was placed right under the seat. The drivers always carried large cans of fuel and some spare tyres with them because there were no repair stations to serve them.
A:	Unbelievable. I wouldn’t like to be in these drivers’ place. And what about that beautiful car? It seems pretty modern, doesn’t it?
G:	Well, that one is a famous Volkswagen Beetle, one of the world’s most loved cars.
A:	And why has it become so popular?
G:	I think, mostly of its design and low cost.
A:	These cars are still in operation, aren’t they?
G:	Yes, they are. I’m sure they will be produced even in greater numbers in the future.

Exercise 4. Complete the dialogues.

A:	…?
G:	It was designed by Cugnot.
A:	When was it designed?
G:	…
A:	…?
G:	Well, the maximum speed was … .
G:	This small car was constructed in 1893.
A:	…?
G:	It was placed under the seat. …
A:	Why?
G:	…, because at that time there were no repair stations.
A:	…?
G:	That is a famous Volkswagen Beetle.
A:	…?
G:	Yes, they are. And they will be produced in the future.

Exercise 5. Match a line in A with a line in B. A B

1 Who was the Volkswagen Beetle designed by?	a) It was designed by Rudolf Diesel.
2 Where was the first steam engine produced?	b) I think, because of its attractive design.
3 Why is this car so popular?	c) Let’s hope for the best.
4 When will new cars be designed?	d) I think in a couple of years.
5 I hope your Mercedes will be repaired soon.	e) By Ferdinand Porsche.
6 Who invented a new internal combustion engine?	f) In France.

Asking the way

T: Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the British Museum?

P: I certainly can. It’s a 30 minutes’walk from here, but if you want to get there quickly you can go by bus from Oxford Circus.

T: How do I get to Oxford Circus?

P: Go straight on, turn right at the traffic lights and in three minutes you are there.

T: What bus do I take?

P: The 73.

T: At what stop do I get off?

P: At Great Russel Street. The bus stops at the museum.

T: One more thing: how long will it take me to get to the museum?

P: Not more than 15 minutes.

T: Many thanks.

P: Not at all.

Detailed Directions

Bob:	Hello, Charles. This is Bob. You were quite right very few people have any idea where Harpole is. I’ve asked half a dozen people so far without success.
Charles:	I guessed you’d have difficulty. Where are you now?
Bob:	I’m outside a post-office, at a crossroads about a mile from the end of the motorway.
Charles:	O.K. Listen carefully then. Carry on along the road towards Portsmouth until you go down a steep hill. Take the turning to the left at the bottom of the hill – there’s a pub called The Green Man on the right just before the turning.
Bob:	I’ve got that. Go on.
Charles:	The road winds through a small village, over a bridge across a river and then under a railway. Just after the railway bridge the road forks; take the left hand fork…
Bob:	Slow down a bit. I’m trying to write this down. I’ll never remember all that.
Charles:	I’ve nearly finished. After about a mile you’ll drive through a wood and, as you come out of the wood, turn right and go up the hill to Harpole. Manor Road is the second turning on the left, and our house is at the end on the right. You’ll see my car, the dark blue Rover, parked outside.
Bob:	I suppose I’ll find it, but if I’m not there by midnight send out a search party!

The Commuter

Jane: How are things, Tom?

Tom: Not bad, Jane. I’m involved in too many problems and it’s a long working day, but I’m used to that, so it doesn’t bother me too much.

Jane: How do you like commuting to London every day? Do you find it a strain?

Tom: It was ghastly at first – especially getting up before dawn to catch that 6.30 train. But it’s bearable now that I’m used to it.

Jane: Don’t you think it’s an awful waste of time? I couldn’t bear to spend three hours sitting in a train every day.

Tom: I used to feel the same as you, but now I quite enjoy it.

Jane: How do you pass the time?

Tom: In the morning I just sit in comfort and read the papers to catch up with the news; on the way home at night I relax with a good book, or have a nap, or chat with friends or even have a game of bridge.

Jane: I suppose you know lots of people on the train now.

Tom: Yes, I bump into someone I know on the platform every day. Last week I came across a couple of old school friends and we spend the entire journey in the bar.

Jane: It sounds like a good club. You never know, I may join it!

U N I T 2