Практикум по развитию кросскультурного взаимодействия студентов транспортного факультета. Учебное пособие
.pdfExercise 7.5 Find (a) synonyms and (b) antonyms to the words
(a)unveil, to fit, fast, to apply, to occur, to compensate, to be aware, aim, responsibility, error, onus, purpose, mistake, to know, to offset, to happen, to use, quickly, to equip, to discover.
(b)careful, experienced, rear, high, short, dry, few front, long, wet, careless, inexperienced, low, a lot of, advantage, disadvantage.
Exercise 7.6 Translate some sentences into Russian. Pay attention to the
complex forms of verbals
1.Having spent several decades enhancing vehicle safety with new improved wheel location the engineers became more convinced of the need to develop systems which adapt to driver behaviour.
2.The hydroelectric power plant to be constructed in this region will be of great importance for the development of local industries.
3.The opening of the conference is understood to have been fixed for the 15th of December.
4.The experiment which is believed to have been successful, will be discussed at the conference.
5.The results of the test seemed to have disappointed them.
6.They seem to be waiting for you downstairs.
7.He didn`t like being read to.
8.I haven`t heard of his having been offered the post of director at the new
factory.
9.We have heard of an agreement having been reached.
10.The loss resulted from the truck being prevented from loading a full cargo.
11.Having been examined at the custom-house the goods were taken away to the warehouse.
12.The letter having been delayed, the news reached us too late.
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13.The negotiations are still far from being ended.
14.We insisted on the cases being taken to the warehouse immediately.
15.Yesterday the professor told us about the experiments now being carried on
in his lab.
Exercise 7.7 Define the attributes in the phrases vehicle handling, road safety, anti-lock braking system, the ABS development team, improved wheel location, driver behaviour, advanced braking system a shorter stopping distance, locked wheels, human error occurring, the car speed calculation, the new device to be introduced, the bridge to be constructed, the instrument to be used, the internal combustion engine, careful driver
Exercise 7.8 Read and translate the text “Pioneer in safety: The Anti Brake
Blocking System”
November '96
On December 9,1970 - more then twenty five years ago - Professor Dr. Ing. Dr.- lng E.h. Hans Scherenberg, at that time a member of the Daimler-Benz Board of Management, unveiled a new development which was to revolutionize vehicle handling and road safety. The anti-bloc system, as it was then known, is now famous around the world under the name anti-lock braking system, or ABS for short.
How it all started
At the time, the ABS development team could not foresee what extensive applications ABS would have. Nevertheless, having spent several decades enhancing vehicle safety with landmark developments such as the safety cell, or new, improved wheel location, the engineers in Stuttgart were becoming ever more convinced of "the need to develop systems which adapt to driver behaviour" (Professor Scherenberg). Experience showed that an advanced braking system was only one side of the coin - it was also necessary to consider "the ability of the driver to operate the brake correctly". As Scherenberg put it: "In certain situations, inexperienced drivers in particular are
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sometimes overtaxed. And even careful, experienced drivers, who are normally able to avoid getting into a hazardous situation, may be forced into emergency or panic braking by the behaviour of other road users. Under Unfavourable conditions, even this type of driver may lose control of his vehicle if the wheels lock." The aim therefore was to prevent the wheels from locking. This preserves the lateral forces at the wheels which, as the engineers had long been aware, is vital in order to ensure that the wheels remain steerable during emergency braking and that the rear axle does not break away. If it is possible to both floor the brake pedal and still steer the vehicle, a very high level of safety can be achieved. In a vehicle fitted with ABS it is thus often possible even under emergency braking to avoid sudden hazards, and it may be possible to avoid rear-end collisions by swerving to the side. It is even possible to apply the brakes after going into a corner too fast, provided the physically critical cornering speed is not exceeded. Also, in most cases the braking distance will be shorter when braking with ABS than when braking with locked wheels, particularly if the road surface is not dry and does not offer good traction. Professor Scherenberg reported on this when unveiling the new system: "In tests with a vehicle without anti-bloc-system braking from a speed of 140 km/h on wet concrete, we measured a braking distance of 181 metres. With the system, this was shortened to 112 metres. At the point where the first vehicle was already stationary, the speed of the other vehicle was still something like 86 km/h". Years of experience have shown that there are very few braking situations where a shorter stopping distance is achieved with locked wheels, and even then the advantage is only slight. Such situations include braking on loose gravel or fresh snow. In these cases, a wedge of gravel or snow builds up in front of the locked wheels, which enhances the braking effect. The version of the ABS system fitted in the Mercedes-Benz G-models therefore features an offswitch. Whatever the capabilities of ABS, there remains an onus on the driver to drive in a responsible manner. ABS can largely offset human error occurring, say, in panic situations. But it can't compensate for a driving style which ignores the prevailing road and traffic conditions. Every driver must make responsible judgments for himself about braking distances and cornering speeds.
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Exercise 7.9 Answer the questions
1.What development was to revolutionize road safety? When did it start?
2.Who was the first to understand the need to develop systems which adapt to driver behaviour?
3.An advanced braking system was only “one side of the coin”. What was the reverse side of it?
4.When can a very high level of safety be achieved?
5.Why is it safer to drive a car fitted with ABS?
6.Why does there remain an onus on the driver to drive in a responsible manner?
Exercise 7.10 Think of some questions to the following answers
1)ABS for short
2)in Stuttgart
3)professor Sherenberg
4)to prevent the wheels from locking
5)an off-switch
6)in the Mercedes-Benz G-models.
Exercise 7.11 Speak about the advantages of the ABS systems fitted in modern vehicles
Exercise 7.12 If you had ever driven a car fitted with ABS speak about your experience in it
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8 Lesson 8 Why the English drive on the left side of the road?
Exercise 8.1 Read the following words. Mind their meaning
1)courage – мужество, смелость
2)annually - ежегодно
3)to put in a position – поставить в условие
4)left-hand side of the road – левая сторона дороги
5)opposite – противоположный
6)a sword - меч
7)a whip - кнут
8)a hip - бедро
9)fault - вина
10)to share the lean (to) – разделять склонность (к)
11)reasonable - разумный
12)to blow a horn – дуть в свисток
13)to wave an arm – махать рукой
14)exit – выход, выезд
15)white line – “зебра”, переход
16)to stick with (smth) – терпеть (что-либо)
17)to get confused – смущаться, запутываться.
Exercise 8.2 Read the following verbs. Mind their principal forms and
meaning
1)to forget (forgot, forgotten) - забывать
2)to leave (left, left) – покидать, оставлять
3)to remind (-ed, -ed) - напоминать
4)to keep (kept, kept) – придерживаться, сохранять
5)to happen (-ed, -ed) - случаться
6)to remember (-ed, -ed) - помнить
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7)to insist (on) (-ed, -ed) - настаивать
8)to claim (-ed, -ed) – требовать, заявлять
9)to invade (-ed, -ed) - вторгаться
10)to believe (-ed, -ed) – полагать, верить
11)to stand (stood, stood) - стоять
12)to mean (meant, meant) – значить, означать
13)to hire (-ed, -ed) – брать напрокат
14)to accuse (of) (-ed, -ed) – обвинять (в).
Exercise 8.3 Underline suffixes and prefixes in derived words and translate
them into Russian. Consult a dictionary
1)brave – смелый; bravery
2)wrong – неправда, зло; wrongful
3)sign – знак; signature, significance, significant, signify
4)annual – ежегодный; annually
5)experience – опыт; experienced, inexperienced
6)travel – путешествовать; traveller
7)usual – обычный; usually, unusual
8)part – часть, доля; partake, partial, partially, participant, participate, particle, particular, parting, particularly, partition, partly, partner, partnership
9)reason – причина; reasonable, reasonably, reasoned, unreasonable
10)education – образование; educational, reeducational, educationalist,
educate.
Exercise 8.4 Compare the pairs of words. Pay attention to the adverbs used
after the verbs. Translate them. Consult a dictionary
To sign – to sign away, to sign for, to sign in, to sign on, to sign out
To speed – to speed up
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To stop – to stop off, to stop up
To fall – to fall back, to fall behind, to fall for, to fall off, to fall through To stand – to stand out, to stand up, to stand in, to stand for
Exercise 8.5 Find (a) synonyms and (b) antonyms to the words
a)to speed up, to decide, to stand for, wrongdoing, cost, country, care, to care for, to fall in love, to steer, to require, price, state, fault, to fall for, to support, to solve, to accelerate, worry, to drive, to need, influence, to risk, possibility, chance, to chance, effect.
b)right, little, impossible, dark, difficult, coward, wrong, left, right, much, far, possible, near, light, easy, brave.
Exercise 8.6 Translate some sentences into Russian. Pay attention to the
pronouns it and one
1.Britain goes its own sweet way.
2.Why should the English take one side of the highway and the rest of the world choose the opposite one.
3.Imagine the cost and the chaos in Sweden with its 25 million vehicles, which had made the change to the right side of the road in 1967.
4.The Englishmen are the ones who are driving on the wrong side of the road.
5.She folded the letter and put it in its envelope.
6.It was cold to sit on the terrace, pretending that it was really a summer evening.
7.We were climbing a hill and the car throbbed as if it were going to break down.
8.There was a lot of noise all around now, and amongst it we could hear a plane flying unusually low.
9.Brown`s old car is much better than our new one.
10.Such a one as you want is rarely seen.
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11.It is the most natural thing to start talking to someone who knows nothing whatever about one and who is never likely to cross one`s way again.
12.“What has happened to all the brushes?” I saw one on the table in the hall.
Exercise 8.7 Define the attributes in the phrases
The only country, much blowing of horns and arm-waving, mass reeducation programme; great frightened doll`s eyes; power station equipment, London Metal Exchange copper price, post Second World War prices, the US government – owned car plant; the meeting to be hold, power plant to be constructed.
(b) Translate some sentences.
1.I am sure you know far more than they do about their country`s history.
2.He had a taxi-driver`s knowledge of the city.
3.The first questions to be considered is whether the offer of the sellers should be accepted.
4.We have discussed the terms to be opened by the buyer in favour of the seller.
5.The new car to be launched in a few days is equipped with a powerful engine.
Exercise 8.8 Read and translate the text “Why the English drive on the
wrong side of the road”
Visitors to the British Isles who are brave enough tо forget the weather need extra courage to drive on what for them is the "wrong" side of the road. After the jetlagged or disorientated tourists leave the airport, they are bombarded with signs which remind them to keep to the left. But that does not stop hundreds of accidents happen annually with inexperienced travellers who simply do not know which side of the road they should be on.
But why should drivers be put in a position where they have to remember that Britain, as usual, goes its own sweet way as the only country in the European Union that insists on driving on the left-hand side of the road? Academics have tried for years
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to figure out why we should take one side of the highway and two-thirds of the world choose the opposite. But it seems that the English can claim two millennia of keeping left to Roman invaders: who liked to keep their right arm free to grab a sword from across their bodies on the left hip. or. probably, to keep the whip hand free to crack it over the backs of oxen or horses.
The fact that the rest of Europe crossed on to the other side, was Napoleon's fault, if we are to believe some historians. He was the man to decide that Europe should keep to the right. The custom extended through much of Africa and the West Indies as well part of the Far East, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore. Japan, however, stands out as a nation that shares the British lean to the left without really any need to do so. Why again, is a mystery.
Making the change to the right would be impossible for this country. Sweden was the last nation to do it. in 1967 with a reasonable amount of chaos. Accidents jumped by 10 per cent amid much blowing of horns and arm-waving. Imagine the cost and the chaos in this country with its 25 million vehicles. Billions of pounds would be needed to change traffic lights and signs, motorway exits and even white lines. A mass reeducation programme would be required.
So we are just stuck with it, which means that tourists need to take extra care when they are steering their hired cars around Majorca. Ibiza and the South of France. And if any locals sound their horns and accuse you of getting confused, just remind them that they are the ones who are driving on the wrong side of the road, thanks to barmy Bonaparte.
(from The Times. 2001)
Exercise 8.9 Answer the questions
1.Why do visitors to the British Isles need extra courage when they leave the
airport?
2.Inexperienced travelers do not know which side of the road they should be on,
do they?
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3.Is Britain the only country in the European Union that insists on driving on the left-hand side of the road?
4.What is the long history of this unusual custom?
5.Why should the rest of the Europe keep to the right? Whose fault is it?
6.What countries drive their cars on the right-hand side of the road?
7.What countries, except Britain, keep to the left?
8.What country made change to the right in 1967?
9.What were the consequences of this decision?
10.What should the Europeans remind the English when the latter accuse them of getting confused on Britain`s roads?
Exercise 8.10 Think of some questions to the following answers
1.Napoleon`s fault
2.Japan`s mystery
3.By 10 per cent
4.Billions of pounds
5.To take extra care
6.Thanks to barmy Bonaparte
Exercise 8.11 Imagine that you are in Great Britain, leaving the airport in a hired car. What difficulties would you come across on the roads?
Exercise 8.12 Discuss with your partner why the English should take one side of the highway and two thirds of the world choose the opposite one
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