Unit V. Automobile Text a History of an Automobile

I. Прочтите текст и укажите, какие утверждения соответствуют тексту т (True), а какие нет – f (False):

1. Only electric automobiles are equipped with the electrical system.

2. The movement of the car is controlled only by two systems: the braking and the steering ones.

3. The first cars were operated by the simplest types of internal combustion engines.

4. Karl Benz was the first in Germany to introduce a car with a steam-engine.

5. Ford contributed much to automation in car manufacturing.

Automobile is a four-wheeled automotive vehicle designed for passenger transportation, commonly propelled by an internal combustion engine using a volatile fuel.

The modern automobile consists of about 14,000 parts, divided into several structural and mechanical systems. These include the steel body, containing the passenger and storage space, which sits on the chassis or steel frame; the internal combustion gasoline engine, which powers the car by means of a transmission; the steering and braking systems, which control the car's motion; and the electrical system, which includes a battery, alternator, and other devices. Subsystems involve fuel, exhaust, lubrication, cooling, suspension, and tires.

Though experimental vehicles were built in the 18th and mid-19th century, not until the 1880s did Gottlieb Daimler and Karl Benz in Germany begin separately to manufacture cars commercially. In the U.S., James and William Packard (1863-1928, 1861-1923) and Ransom Olds (1864-1950) were among the first auto manufacturers, and by 1898 there were 50 U.S. manufacturers. Some early cars operated by steam engine, such as those made from 1902 by Francis E. and Freelan O. Stanley. The internal combustion engine was used by Henry Ford when he introduced the Model T in 1908; Ford would soon revolutionize the industry with his use of the assembly line.

In the 1930s European manufacturers began to make small, affordable cars such as the Volkswagen. In the 1950s and '60s, U.S. automakers produced larger, more luxurious cars with more automatic features. In the 1970s and '80s Japanese manufacturers exported their small, reliable, fuel-efficient cars worldwide, and their increasing popularity spurred U.S. automakers to produce similar models.

II. Cоставьте возможные словосочетания:

four-wheeled	engine
braking	features
steam	vehicle
automatic	fuel
volatile	system

III. Подберите определение для каждого термина:

engine	a) device for supplying a spark-ignition engine with a mixture of fuel and air.
carburetor	b) system in an engine that transmits power generated by the engine to the point where it is to be used.
wheel	c) machine that can convert any of various forms of energy into mechanical power or motion.
brake	d) circular frame of hard material capable of turning on an axle.
transmission	e) elastic members designed to cushion the impact of road irregularities on a portion of an automotive vehicle.

IV. Расположите указанные события в хронологической последовательности:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

a) Cars with internal combustion engine were launched. b) The earliest attempts to build cars were taken. c) The Eastern cars became more popular than the American ones. d) A car with a steam engine was introduced. e) An assembly line for producing cars was invented.

V. Укажите, на какие вопросы в тексте есть ответы (Y), а на какие нет (N):

1. Which inventors influenced the history of an automobile?

2. How did the assembly line improve car manufacturing?

3. What are the drawbacks of Japanese cars?

4. Which major systems are there in a car?

5. Why is an internal combustion engine better than a steam one?