Transport for tomorrow

Vocabulary notes

array – панель (солнечная панель), решетка (солнечной панели)

battery life – срок службы батареи

body – кузов

change down – переходить на низкую передачу

change over – переходить на

change over to electricity – переходить на использование электричества

change up – переходить на высшую передачу

charge – заряжать; заряд

combustion – сгорание

competibilty – конкурентоспособность

compete – конкурировать

fiberglass – стекловолокно

gene – ген

generate – производить, порождать

generator – генератор

hybrid car – гибридный автомобиль

lead-acid battery – свинцово-кислый аккумулятор

lightweight – легкий

promising – перспективный

range – диапазон, выбор, ассортимент

rate of production – темпы производства

run – работать, отслеживать, бежать

run out – израсходовать

sollar cells – солнечные элементы

supply – поставка, поставлять, доставлять

Read the text and do the following exercises.

T e x t 5A

Alternative vehicles

At the present rate of production oil supplies will ran out rather soon, and we will have to look for other sources of energy.

What kind of vehicle will then dominate? Nowadays car makers discuss four promising types of cars: fuel cell cars, electric cars, hybrid cars, and solar electric cars.

The electric car has a long history. The first electrical cars were built at the end of 19^th century, but they could not compete against the internal combustion en­gine. Success of the electric car depends on light weight battery, capable of being recharged quickly, and the availability of electric energy.

Several U.S. companies already sell electrics. For example, Solar Electric En­gineering of Santa Rosa, California, offers Solar Electric's Destiny 2000 which comes in at $28,500, and includes an array of solar cells which provides a tiny bit of power and extends battery life. With its lightweight fiberglass body, the Destiny 2000 can travel 40 to 60 miles on a charge and cruises at 60–70 mph.

General Motors produced the electric car named "Impact". Designed as an electric from top to bottom, the impressive Impact is powered by lead-acid batter­ies. The Impact easily cruises at 70 to 100 mph, and its range is claimed to be 120 miles at lower speeds.

There are many different electric cars around the world. They are used for local deliveries, post offices and the services. But will the electric car ever be­come a universal means of transport?

Today there are several hundred million cars in the world not to mention millions of motorcycles. It is estimated that if these changed over to electricity, they would require six million kilowatt hours, and all the power stations in the world now generate only a little over a third of that.

The hydrogen/air fuel cells look very hopeful. These do not have to be charged, they generate their own energy from a chemical reaction. They convert fuel energy to electrical energy with better than 80 % efficiency. But at present the fuel cells prove too expensive.

A hybrid system where electric batteries for city driving would be recharged in highway driving with gasoline fuel is an alternative to the totally electrical system.

Notes to the text:

fuel cell car – автомобиль с двигателем на топливных элементах

Exercise 1. Translate the words and word combinations electric, fuel cell car, solar electric car, hybrid car.

Exercise 2. Find in the text synonyms to the words travel, promising.

Exercise 3. Fill in the blanks with the correct words. Translate the sentences:

Solar Electric's Destiny 2000 which comes in at $28,500, and includes an____ of______cells which provides a tiny bit of power and______battery.

With its lightweight body the Destiny 2000 can 40 to 60 miles on a and cruises at 60–70 mph.

Success of the electric car depends on light weight battery, of

being quickly, and the of electric energy.

Designed as an from top to , the impressive Impact is____by lead-acid batteries.

The hydrogen/air fuel cells look very .

These do not have to be , they generate their own energy from a_____________reaction.

They fuel energy to electrical energy with better than 80 % .

But at present the fuel cells prove too .

A hybrid system where electric batteries for driving would be recharged in driving with gasoline fuel is an to the electrical system.

Exercise 4. Retell the text using the answers to the questions.

1 Why do we have to look for other sources of energy?

2 What promising types of cars do car makers discuss nowadays?

3 What does success of the electric car depend on?

4 What are many different electric cars around the world used for nowadays?

5 Why do the hydrogen/air fuel cells look very hopeful?

6 What could be alternative to the totally electrical system?

Exercise 5. Translate the words and their derivatives. Explain the meaning of the words:

product, production, produce, producer, producing, produced

supply, supplier, supplies, supplied, supplying

compete, competibilty, competition, competitor, competitive

charge, recharge, charged, recharged, rechargeable

power, powered, powerful

gene, generate, generator, generating, generated, generates

Exercise 6. Translate the following word combinations:

rate of production, oil supplies, to look for other sources of energy, promising types of cars, fuel cell cars, electric cars, hybrid cars, solar electric cars, compete against, capable of being recharged quickly, the availability of electric energy, an array of solar cells, fiberglass body, electric from top to bottom, lead-acid batteries, change over to electricity, an alternative to the totally electrical system

Exercise 7. Translate the words and word combinations into Enqlish:

солнечные элементы срок службы батареи легкий стекловолокно кузов

конкурировать сгорание успех зависеть от быть в состоянии

перезаряжать доступность электромобиль содержать панель

Exercise 8. Write a dictation:

compete against combustion success depend on capable of

recharge availability electric include array

solar cells battery life lightweight fiberglass body

Read the text and answer the questions.

T e x t 5B

Transport for Tomorrow

One thing is certain about the public transport of the future: it must be more efficient than it is today. The time is coming when it will be quicker to fly across the Atlantic to New York than to travel from home to office. The two main problems are: what vehicle shall we use and how can we plan our use of it?

There is already a number of modern vehicles which are not yet in common use, but which may become a usual means of transport in the future. One of these is the small electric car: we go out into the street, find an empty car, get into it, drive to our destination, get out and leave the car for the next person who comes along. In fact, there may be no need to drive these cars. With an automatic guidance system for cars being developed, it will be possible for us to select our destination just as today we select a telephone number, and our car will move automatically to the address we want.

For long journeys in private cars one can also use an automatic guidance system. Arriving at the motorway, a driver will select the lane he wishes to use, switch over to automatic driving, and then relax – dream, read the newspaper, have a meal, flirt with his passenger – while the car does the work for him. Unbelievable? It is already possible. Just as in many ships and aircraft today we are piloted automatically for the greater part of the journey, so in the future we can also have this luxury in our own cars.

A decade ago, the only thing electronic on most automobiles was the radio. But at present sophisticated electronics is playing a big part in current automotive research. For example, in every gasoline-powered car that General Motors Corporation makes there is a small computer continuously monitoring the exhaust. The device, about the size of a pack of cigarettes, adjusts the vehicle carburetor fuel intake to get the best fuel economy. Ford cars are equipped with an electronic instrument panel that among other things, will calculate how far one can drive on the fuel left in the tank. It also will estimate the time of arrival at destination and tell the driver what speed he has averaged since turning on the ignition,

According to specialists these features made possible by microelectro­nics are only the beginning. Radar may control the brakes to avoid collisions, and a display screen may show the car's position on the road. Recently a radar to be mounted on lorries and cars has been designed in the USA. The radar aerial looks like a third headlight placed directly above the bumper. Having summed up the information about the speed and distance of various objects ahead, the computer detects all possible dangers and their nature. A third component in the system is a monitor on the instrument panel. The radar only observes objects ahead of the vehicle. It is automatically turned on when the speed exceeds ten miles an hour. The green light on the panel indicates that the system is on. The yellow light warns of stationary objects ahead, or something moving slower than the car. The red light and buzzer warn that the speed should go down. Another red light and sound signal make the driver apply the brakes.

A new ceramic engine has been developed in Japan. Many important parts as pistons, pressure rings, valves and some others have been made of various ceramic materials, piston rings made of silicon materials being in many respects better than those of steel. They withstand temperatures up to 1,000 °C. Therefore, the engine does not need a cooling system.

Notes to the text:

1 lane – ряд

2 gasoline-powered – с бензиновым двигателем

3 fuel intake – впрыск топлива

4 among other things – кроме всего прочего

5 what speed he has averaged – какова была его средняя скорость

6 pressure ring – уплотнительное кольцо

7 piston ring – поршневое кольцо

Exercise 1. Scan the text and answer the questions.

1 What is the text about? 2 What kind of a car may be in common use in the nearest future? 3 How will a public electric car operate? 4 How will it operate on a motorway? 5 What electronic devices are there in a modern car? 6 What electronic devices does General Motors Corporation offer for a car? 7 What electronic devices have Ford cars? 8 Can a radar be used in a car? What will its functions be? 9 What materials do the Japanese offer to use for car motors?

Exercise 2. Indicate which of the statements correspond to the contents of the text.

1 An automatic guidance system was developed for the electric car. 2 Small electric cars are in common use. 3 Many ships and aircrafts are piloted automatically for the greater part of the journey. 4 Usually having arrived at a motorway a driver switches over to automatic control and relaxes. 5 A decade ago there were many electronic things in the cars. 6 There is no future for microelectronics in automobiles. 7 Recently a radar to be mounted on lorries and cars was designed in the USA. 8 A new ceramic engine has been developed in France.

Exercise 3. Answer the questions:

1 What are the main problems of public transport? (a new type of vehicle and its much more efficient use). 2 What type of modern vehicle may become a usual means of transport in the future? (a small electric car). 3 What is the possible development in private cars? (the use of an automatic guidance system). 4 What electric devices are used in modern cars? (a computer, fuel adjusting devices, electronic instrument panel for indicating the speed, time, distance covered and fuel left). 5 What is the main function of radar for a car? (detecting all possible dangers ahead of the vehicle on a road). 6 What unusual feature will a new generation car have? (four-wheel control system ensuring diagonal and side movement). 7 What materials are used in current automotive design? (ceramics)

Exercise 4. Make a sentence out of the two parts:

1 There is already a number of modern vehicles 2 For example, a small electric car can solve A passenger With an automatic guidance system for cars It will be possible All these innovations will be­come possible because of Computers, electronic instru­ment panels, radars, adjusting devices, etc are playing.

1 goes out into the street, finds an empty car, gets into it, drives to his destination, gets out and leaves the car for the next passenger. 2 there may be no need to drive these cars. 3 which may become a usual means of transport in the future. 4 increasingly wide use of modern microelectronics in cars. 5 many problems of public transport. 6 an important part in current car design. 7 to switch over to automatic driving, as we do in ships and aircrafts today.

Exercise 5.

А. Read the following words and word combinations from text 5B and try to guess the meaning of the words without using a dictionary.

1 For long journeys in cars

2 Arriving at the motorway

3 The fuel left in the tank

4 The radar aerial

5 The radar only observes objects ahead of

6 Stationary objects

7 The red light and buzzer warn

8 Satellite will indicate the route

В. Match the words from the text with the following definitions:

a) container for liquid or gas

b) electrical device that produces a sound signal

с) way taken or planned from one place to another

d) see, watch carefully objects in front of

e) not moving or changing

f) reach a wide road for continuously moving fast vehicles

g) travel to a distant place

h) antenna.

Exercise 6. Speak about:

1 Public transport of the future.

2 The application of electronics in modern cars.

3 The latest innovations in car design.

Use the following words and word combinations for your topic:

one thing is certain, to be much more efficient, to be in common use, to select a destination, to monitor, the size of a pack of cigarettes, to look like, to warn of objects ahead of the vehicle, to design, to get information, while driving, to make of .

Exercise 7. Comment on the following statement:

It is natural that everybody should want to have а car.

One point of view: It is convenient, saving time, avoiding crowded buses and other city transport, independent, comfortable, useful at weekends, contact with nature, developing the sense of responsibility, improving the level of technological culture.

A contrary point of view: Expensive. traffic jams (пробки в уличном движении), difficulties with repairs and maintenance, pollution, lack of physical exercise, takes more time than it saves, road accidents, waste of energy resources, the unbearable situation in many cities, especially in supercities.

Exercise 8. Read and smile.

On the Bus

It was during the rush-hour (часы пик). As usual, all the seats in the bus were occupied. When a good-looking young lady got in, an elderly man sitting near the door wanted to rise, but the lady at once pressed him to keep his seat. "Thank you", she said, "I don't mind standing". "But, madam, permit me ...". "I insist upon your sitting down," she stopped him, and putting her hands on his shoulders she almost forced him back into his seat.

The man tried again to stand up and said, "Madam, will you allow me to ...". But once more the lady said, "I don't wish to take your seat, Sir!" and forced him back with another push.

With a great effort the man finally pushed her aside. "Madam”, he called out” I don't care whether you take my seat or not. The bus has already taken me two stops beyond my destination, and now I wish to get out."

* * *

A good-looking lady-motorist was speeding through the sleepy village when a policeman stepped out on the road in front of her and forced her to stop. "What have I done?" she asked. "You were travelling forty miles an hour," replied the policeman. "Forty miles an hour!" cried the lady-motorist in surprise, "I have left my house only 20 minutes ago."

T e x t 5C

Read the text and fill in the table with the data from the text.

Car design innovations since 1770	The latest car electronic systems	Their advantages	Their disadvantages
1 2 …

Using the information from the table say about the advances in car design since its invention. What do you know about the latest achievements in automaking?

Car of Future

Ever since Nicolas Cugnot, a Frenchman, invented the first self-propelled road vehicle in 1770 there has been no shortage of companies willing to make a better automobile. Over years their efforts have given users the gasoline engine (дизель), the electric starter, tubeless tires (бескамерная шина), fuel-injected engines and anti-lock brakes (тормоз с антиблокировочным устройством), these are only a few innovations. What is next? Here are some examples of what the car designers are working at in the world today.

Engineers are experimenting with a state-of-art (новейший) system that enables drivers to see better after dark. This “night vision” system uses infrared sensors that can detect a human figure at night more than 1,600 feet away. That’s five times the distance at which conventional headlights are effective. The sensors pick up infrared rays emitted by any object that gives off heat. An image-processing system scans the information from the sensors, creating different images for different objects. The images are then displayed on a cathode – ray screen built-in a car’s instrument panel. It is like black and white photograph of an object ahead. And the system is passive, which means no lights are needed to illuminate the object in front of the vehicle. But the biggest problem will be reducing costs and the other one is the size of the sensor mechanism which is too big now.

One of the latest applications of sophisticated electronics is the wheel-computerized system that not only monitors air pressure in automobile tires but adjusts it automatically. This system in addition enables a driver to set tire pressure while seated. The system developed consists of three separate modules. The first is the instrument panel display which houses the system’s main microprocessor, programming buttons (кнопка включения программы) and warning signals. The second component is the detector drive module (модуль привода) which is essentially four microchips attached, in one unit, to the chassis. Each chip detecting pressure changes that may occur, the transistors within the module signal the third component – a programmable transducer (программируемый преобразователь).

The transducer attached to each wheel changes the tire pressure accordingly. However, some automobile experts think this system is too complicated and costly. The design has to be simple and of low cost.

Read the article from the jornal.

T e x t 5D

_{What's in a name?}

Have you ever thought about car names? Do they actually mean anything? And do you know what the name of your car means?

For example, you may think 'Rover' is just a name, but there is never just a name in marketing. A rover is a wanderer – someone who likes to travel around. So the name suggests mobility, freedom, having fun, and going wherever you want to go. These were important qualities when Rover cars first came on the market.

Marketing departments of car companies spend a lot of time and money thinking up names for cars. The names should be a reflection of the brand, product, and target group. The car you drive tells the world about your status, how much money you have, and the socio-economic group you belong to (or want to belong to). Good car names are catchy and fit the product, such as the 'Beetle' or the 'Mini'.

The name should also appeal to a global audience. At the very least, the name should not mean anything bad in another language. (This was why Rolls-Royce decided not to use the name 'Silver Mist' for one model: mist means animal manure in German).

American car makers like to give their SUVs names that remind people of the Wild West, full of adventure and danger. Did you know that 'Wrangler' is another word for cowboy? Or that 'Maverick' means an unbranded cow that has strayed from the herd? People who own SUVs seldom drive them off-road, but they enjoy the feeling of excitement that the name creates.

Notes to the text:

SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) – внедорожник

Exercise. Answer the questions:

1 What does the word ‘Rover’ mean?

2 Why do companies spend a lot of money thinking up names for cars?

3 What are the requirements for car names?

4 What names do American car makers like to give to their cars?

5 How important is the name of a car to you? Would you buy a car if you didn’t like the name?

6 How many car names do you know the meaning of?

7 Imagine you work in the marketing department of a large car manufacturer and you want to produce a small sports car with women as a target group.

What would you call it?

U N I T 6