II. Look through the text again and answer the following questions:

1. What is the modern automobile?

2. What is recognized to be the key to successful competition?

3. What does the vehicle design depend on?

4. What does stability depend on?

5. What does weight distribution depend on?

III. Match the words with their definitions and make up your own sentences with these words:

vehicle	a) to move or drive smth. forward;
to propel	b) a machine with moving parts that converts energy such as heat or electricity into motion;
engine	c) a thing used for transporting goods or people;
breakthrough	e) a metal formed of mixture of metals;
alloy	f) an important development or discovery in scientific knowledge;
safety	g) a service that is provided for a particular purpose;
design	h) an excessive amount of smth.;
overload	i) the general arrangement of a machine;
facility	j) the ability to work efficiently;
performance	k) the state of not being dangerous;

IV. Find the information about new alternative automobiles. While looking for information you are free to use the internet sites given below as well as any other online resources.

Make a short presentation in front of the class.

Resources recommended:

www.automobile.com

www.wikipedia.com

www.familycar.com

www.motorcars.com

Text 17

1. Read the text about the automotive body and some kinds of material to protect it from corrosive elements. Automotive body

Automotive body designs are frequently categorized according to the number of doors, the arrangement of seats, and the roof structure. Automobile roofs are conventionally supported by pillars on each side of the body. Convertible models with retractable fabric tops rely on the pillar at the side of the windshield for upper body strength, as convertible mechanisms and glass areas are essentially nonstructural. Glass areas have been increased for improved visibility and for aesthetic reasons.

Automotive bodies are generally formed out of sheet steel. Elements are added to the alloy to improve its ability to be formed into deeper depressions without wrinkling or tearing in manufacturing presses. Steel is used because of its general availability, low cost, and good workability. For certain applications, however, other materials, such as aluminum, fiberglass, and carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, are used because of their special properties. Polyamide, polyester, polystyrene, polypropylene, and ethylene plastics have been formulated for greater toughness and resistance to brittle deformation. This material has been designed successfully for some body panels. Tooling for plastic components generally costs less and requires less time to develop than that for steel components and therefore may be changed by designers at a lower cost. To protect bodies from corrosive elements and to maintain their strength and appearance, special priming and painting processes are used. Bodies are first dipped in cleaning baths to remove oil and other foreign matter. They then go through a succession of dip and spray cycles. Enamel and acrylic lacquer are both in common use.

Electrodeposition of the sprayed paint, a process in which the paint spray is given an electrostatic charge and then attracted to the surface by a high voltage, helps assure that an even coat is applied and that hard-to-reach areas are covered.

Ovens with conveyor lines are used to speed the drying process in the factory. Galvanized steel with a protective zinc coating and corrosion-resistant steel are used in body areas that are more likely to corrode.