Text c Electric automobile

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

1. First electric vehicles were rather noisy, but soon they became quieter.

2. It was more expensive to produce electric cars than common cars in the beginning of the 20^th century.

3. Electric cars were primarily used for transportation within city limits.

4. Americans faced an energy crisis at the end of the 19^th century.

5. The attempts to combine two types of engine (electric and gasoline) failed.

An electric automobile is a battery-powered motor vehicle. The history of an electric car dates back to the 1880s. Initially, electric cars were used for private passenger, truck, and bus transportation in cities, where their low speeds and limited battery range were not drawbacks, and the cars became popular for their quietness and low maintenance costs. Until 1920 they were competitive with gasoline-powered cars more attractive and mass production made them cheaper to produce. In Europe electric vehicles have been used as short-range delivery vans. Renewed interest in electric cars beginning in the 1970s, spurred especially by new consciousness of foreign oil dependency and environmental concern, led to improvements in speed and range. Recent laws, particularly in California, have mandated commercial production. “Hybrid” cars employing both electric and internal combustion engines and providing the best features of both technologies have recently become commercially available. Experimental vehicles have used solar fuel cells. Fuel cells are capable converting chemical energy of a fuel directly into electricity. Fuel cells are intrinsically more efficient than most other energy-conversation devices. They are especially being developed for use in electric automobiles, in the hope of achieving enormous reduction in pollution.

II. Заполните пропуски, используя следующие слова:

a) cost b) features c) fuel cells d) pollution e) achieve:

1. I won’t buy this car because of its …

2. What are the … of this car?

3. They … very good results.

4. … are more efficient than other energy-conversion devices.

5. A lot of people speak about the …, but do little.

III. Найдите в правой колонке русский эквивалент для английских лексических единиц:

1. range	a) топливо
2. maintenance	b) превращение
3. gasoline	c) диапазон
4. combustion	d) техническое обслуживание
5. conversion	e) сгорание

IV. Расположите указанные события в хронологической последовательности:

1.	a) Some attempts were made to combine the advantages of common and electric vehicles.
2.	b) American legislation encouraged production of electric vehicles.
3.	c) Gasoline-powered cars started to be produced in large amount.
4.	d) Inventors tried to use the energy of the sun to drive the vehicles.
5.	e) America again showed interest in nature-friendly sources of energy.

V. Укажите, какие из перечисленных характеристик являются преимуществами электромобилей (А), а какие недостатками (D):

1. low speed

2. low maintenance costs

3. environment-friendliness

4. limited battery range

5. quietness