Text 5. The smith’s bad journey

WORDLIST

to meet face to face – встретиться лицом к лицу

concerning – относительно, касательно

journey – поездка

uneventful – не богатый событиями

destination – пункт назначения

assume – предполагать

at least – по крайней мере

be obliged to – быть вынужденным

matter – вопрос, тема

a shock absorber – амортизатор

to hire a car / to rent a car (Am E) – взять напрокат

mechanic – механик

1. Read and translate the text.

Last weekend, Paul and Sue drove to Nottingham to stay with John Harris, who is a teacher there. John and Paul first met face to face only a month ago, at a conference in Nottingham. But before that, they had spoken many times on the telephone, and they had written many letters to each other concerning school matters.

The journey to Nottingham was uneventful until about 80 miles short of their destination. Then Paul noticed that the car made a strange noise every time he turned the steering wheel, and he thought that the steering didn’t feel right. When they stopped at a garage to find out what was wrong, a mechanic told them that there was a problem with a shock absorber, and that it would take at least two days to repair the car.

This meant that Paul and Sue were obliged to hire a car for two days in order to get to Nottingham. When they finally got there, John assumed that Paul had bought a new car, because it was different from the one he had seen the month before.

2. Answer the following questions.

1. Why did Paul and Sue drive to Nottingham?

2. When did John and Paul first meet face to face?

3. What had they talked about before that?

4. What happened 80 miles from Nottingham? (breakdown – поломка )

5. What was wrong with the car (according to the mechanic)?

6. How long would it take to repair the car?

7. How did they get to Nottingham?

8. Why did John think that Paul had bought a new car?

3. Retell the above text.

TEXT 6. THE CAR OF THE FUTURE

WORDLIST

to be in trouble – быть в беде

heater – печка, обогреватель

pollution control system – система контроля за загрязнением

to push – толкать

to warn – предупреждать

top speed – самая большая скорость

to produce – производить

to be in short supply – быть в дефиците

to promise – обещать

mile – английская миля = 1609 м

per hour – в час

1. Read and translate the text.

A pessimist is a person who always expects bad things to happen. Pessimists think that today’s cars are in trouble because they use too much gas.

They say the car of the future will be much, much smaller. The car of tomorrow will have no heater and no air conditioning. It’ll have no radio and no lights. Tomorrow’s car will be an open air car with no doors and windows. It won’t need a pollution control system because it won’t use gas. In fact, drivers will push this new car with their feet. Very few people will be killed in accidents because the top speed will be five miles per hour. However, pessimists warn us not to ask for pretty colours, because the car will come in grey only.

Optimists are sure that the future will be happy. They think that car companies will soon solve all our problems by producing the Super car. Tomorrow’s car will be bigger, faster, and more comfortable than before. The Super car will have four rooms, colour TV, running water, heat, air conditioning, and a swimming pool. Large families will travel on long trips in complete comfort. If gas is in short supply, the Super car will run on water. Finally, optimists promise that the car of the future will come in any colour, as long as the colour is grey.