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

1. What is the pneumatic tire designed for?

2. When was the first patent for a pneumatic tire issued?

3. Who were pneumatic tires first applied to motor vehicles by?

4. Are pneumatic tires usually retained on the disc through the use of beads?

5. What main goals are pneumatic tires designed to meet?

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

tire	a) smth. that can scrape or rub smth.;
to withstand	b) to strengthen;
to restrain	c) to resist;
abrasive	d) a covering fitted round the edge of a wheel to absorb shocks;
casing	e) the ability of a tire or wheel to grip without a sliding;
truck	f) making a small hole in a tire;
wheel rim	g) to protect smth with a cushion;
to cushion	h) the edge of a wheel on which a tire is fitted;
traction	i) any covering used to protect things;
puncturing	j) an open railway vehicle for carrying goods;

IV. Find the information about new kinds of tires. 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.ru

www.wikeipedia.com

www.motorcar.com

www.familycar.com

Text 21

I. Read the text about different kinds of engines. Engine

A wide range of energy-conversion systems has been used experimentally and in automotive production. These include electric, steam, solar, turbine, rotary, and a variety of piston-type internal-combustion engines. The most successful for automobiles has been the reciprocating-piston internal-combustion engine, operating on a four-stroke cycle, while diesel engines are widely used for trucks and buses.

The gasoline engine was originally selected for automobiles because it could operate more flexibly over a wide range of speeds, and the power developed for a given weight engine was reasonable; it could be produced by economical mass-production methods; and it used a readily available, moderately priced fuel—gasoline. Reliability, compact size, and range of operation later became important factors. The advent of smaller cars brought a return to smaller engines, four- and six-cylinder designs rated as low as 80 horsepower, compared with the standard-size V-8 of large cylinder bore and relatively short piston stroke with horsepower ratings in the range from 250 to 350.

European automobile engines were of a much wider variety, ranging from 1 to 12 cylinders, with corresponding differences in overall size, weight, piston displacement, and cylinder bores. A majority of the models had four cylinders and horsepower ratings from 19 to 120. Several three-cylinder, two-stroke-cycle models were built. Most engines had straight or in-line cylinders. There were, however, several V-type models and horizontally opposed two- and four-cylinder makes. Overhead camshafts were frequently employed. The smaller engines were commonly air-cooled and located at the rear of the vehicle; compression ratios were relatively low. Increased interest in improved fuel economy during the 1970s and '80s brought a return to smaller V-6 and four-cylinder layouts, with as many as five valves per cylinder to improve efficiency.

Fuel and lubrication

All moving parts of an automobile require lubrication. Without it, friction would increase power consumption and damage the parts. The lubricant also serves as a coolant, a noise-reducing cushion, and a sealant between engine piston rings and cylinder walls. The engine lubrication system incorporates a gear-type pump that delivers filtered oil under pressure to a system of wheel bearings and universal joints require a fairly stiff grease; other chassis joints require a soft grease that can be injected by pressure guns. Hydraulic transmissions require a special grade of light hydraulic fluid, and manually shifted transmissions use a heavier gear oil similar to that for rear axles to resist heavy loads on the gear teeth. Gears and bearings in lightly loaded components, such as generators and window regulators, are fabricated from self-lubricating plastic materials. Oil spray also lubricates the cams and valve lifters.