Part II

LESSON 26

1. Put the missing prepositions into the questions. Ask them your partner:

1. Do you often go ________ the speed limit?

2. When you see an amber light, do you step ________ the gas or the brakes?

3. Do you become very annoyed and angry when you are stuck ________ traffic?

4. Have you ever gone ________ a red light?

5. Do you always slow ________ for pedestrians?

6. Do you often honk your horn ________ other drivers?

7. Do you always look both ways before you turn ________ intersections?

8. Do you always remember to turn ________ your turn signal when you are making a turn?

2. Match the headings with their extracts.

Engineering is everywhere	Engineers use theory (ideas about engineering) to produce practical answers. The design solution must be a reasonable price, safe and reliable. A new idea that is expensive, dangerous or doesn’t always work is not a good solution.
Engineering is both theoretical and practical	This method of problem-solving is useful in everyday life. For example, you can use the five steps next time you prepare for a test. Define the problem: I want to pass my test next week. Design a solution: I will study for three hours a day. Test the solution: study for three hours a day and take the test. Evaluate the solution: Have I passed the test with a good mark? (Yes=a good solution. No=a bad solution, so think of a better one.) Communicate the solution: Tell your friends about your test-passing technique.
They use different methods	Generally, engineers solve problems in a methodological way. They: define the problem, design a solution, test it and evaluate the solution. If the solution isn’t right, the process is repeated.
Anyone can use engineering ideas	Almost everything we use in modern life is made by engineers. For example, if a manufacturer wants a faster car or a better pen, they will ask a design engineer to find a practical solution.

The changing expectations of automotive engineers

In the past, automotive engineers were closely associated with the field of mechanical engineering. After all, most automotive engineers dealt with topics such as gasoline and diesel engines, transmissions, suspension systems, chassis, door handles, seats, etc. A few ventured off into new developments such as turbine gas engines, continuously variable transmissions, or even Sterling engines. Some dealt with plastics and painting systems. The vast majority of knowledge needed by the automotive engineer of the past was mechanical in nature.

The reality of today is that the automotive engineer is expected to know about far more than just mechanical engineering. To attract the best and brightest, the industry needs to project an image of the automotive engineer as someone with skills and knowledge beyond mechanical engineering.

The modern automobile has often been described as a computer on wheels. It is that and more — much more. Electronics control component systems such as the engine, transmission, and brakes. Those controls have become not just add-ons but integral parts of the operation of each system and the whole vehicle. A focus is on intelligent vehicle technology, which highlighted the integration of more electronics into the vehicle.

No longer can design engineers "throw their designs over the wall" to the manufacturing engineer. The design engineer must know enough about the manufacturing capability of his/her organization or supplier, and the manufacturing engineer must be an early participant in the design team. Competitive quality and cost require that the design specifications match the manufacturing capability. Empty promises by manufacturing ("give us a design and we will build it") are no longer accepted.

Software development is not only necessary to achieve optimum operation of each vehicle computer, but vehicle performance evaluation prior to design is becoming standard practice. Computer simulation for demonstrating compliance with regulations will probably be widely accepted in the not-too-distant future.