1. Big business: how it all began

UNIT ONE CHEVROLET: THE AUTOMOTIVE DYNASTY

I. Vocabulary list

to join joint efforts to sell

to found a company founder to buy

to produce production to drive

to appear appearance to build

to continue continuation to cost

to inspire inspiration to make

to maintain (standards) maintenance

to establish (a reputation) established logo

to innovate innovative spirit

to be proud of pride production line

to design designer product

technique technical quality

technology technological know-how

II. Vocabulary work

2.1. CHOOSE ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITION.

h 1) to make various products

2) to form a company

3) to bring new ideas into practice

4) the emblem of a company

5) to make people enthusiastic

6) to look like

7) to put something together

8) an assembly line

9) an established reputation

10) a technique

2.2. TRANSLATE PAYING ATTENTION TO SENTENCE BEGINNINGS.

1. There are many products sold on the local market.

2. There are businesspeople whom we are proud of.

3. There is no company established by foreign firms.

4. There appeared a lot of small sales companies.

5. There was no spirit of innovation in his work.

6. They were proud of their efforts to maintain high quality.

7. There wasn't anybody to continue this work.

8. There is no logo of the producer on this product.

9. There were wonderful designs at that display.

10. They were building the company office block.

11. There will appear new techniques in the near future, I think.

12. Their new logo will become as fa mil liar as the old one.

III. Work at the following text

3.1. READ AND ANSWER THE QUESTION:

What is the key principle that Chevrolet bases itself upon?

Chevrolet: the automotive dynasty

The year 1997 marked Chevrolet's 85th year of building and selling automotive products. Over that time Americans bought more Chevrolets than any other make. When it was first incorporated, the company was the result of joining together the talent of two remarkable individuals. Swiss-born Louis Chevrolet was a race-car driver who loved nothing more than driving at high speed. His partner was William Durant, who was one of the original founders of General Motors. The first product of their efforts was the Chevrolet Classic Six, a large and powerful car for its model year, 1912. The car sold for $ 2.150 and recorded sales of 2.999 in 1912. The car continued in production for another two years, until 1914, the same year that the famous "Bowtie" Chevrolet logo appeared on cars. According to the legend, the design was inspired by the pattern on wallpaper in a Paris hotel room. Durant spotted the pattern while travelling in France in 1908 and removed a small piece of the paper to carry in his wallet. Whatever the source, the Bowtie proved to be a durable and winning logo. In 1918, during World War I, Chevrolet was sold to General Motors, making it a major part of a world automotive power. It was in the same year that trucks rolled off a Chevrolet production line. Right through the 1930s, Chevrolet based itself on one key principle — provide "quality at low cost". When the 25th-millionth General Motors vehicle rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan, on January 11, 1940, it was a Chevrolet. In fact, Chevrolet accounted for more than 15 million of that total. Chevrolet maintains its principle of quality at low cost. Through this principle, the company successfully established itself as the vehicle of choice for several generations of Americans. Today, with rapid advances in materials, technology, and manufacturing techniques, Chevrolet continues to adhere to the innovative spirit of William Durant and Louis Chevrolet. It has made the Bowtie as familliar as hot dogs and apple pie. Durant and Chevrolet would be proud.

3.2. READING COMPREHENSION TEST 1A.

Choose the correct variant on the basis of what is stated or implied in the text

that you have just read.

1. The Chevrolet Company was the result of

1. a bancrupcy

2. efforts made by two individuals

3. a successful sales operation

4. ideas from many generations of Americans

2. The founders of the company

1. both liked to drive at high speed

2. were different in character and life style

3. produced the first car in 1914

4. were Swiss-born engineers

3. The famous Bowtie logo

1. came into being by chance

2. proved to be strange-looking and funny

3. was designed according to some legend

4. appeared in France

4. Chevrolet bases itself on

1. building modern assembly lines

1. rapid advances in technology and manufacturinj techniques

2. familiar designs

3. "quality at low cost" principle

5. The company established itself as

1. the world automotive power

2. familiar as hot dogs or apple pie

3. the vehicle of choice for not one generation

4. a durable and winning logo

6. The word "through" in Line 26 is closest in meaning to

1. with the idea of

2. inside

3. over

4. using