Text d The Modern Auto Industry

By 1980, more than 300 million cars and 85 million trucks and buses were operating throughout the world, forming an indispensable transportation network. In the United States, automobile registrations stood at about 114 million, with 30 million commercial vehicles in operation. Germany's Volkswagen sent its first shipments of autos, popularly known as Beetles, to the United States in the early 1950s and eventually became a major force in the U.S. auto industry, opening a U.S. assembly plant in Pennsylvania in 1978 and planning another for Michigan for 1983. British and French automakers also enjoyed growth in exports to the United States during the 1950s. In 1959 the French shipped in a record 187,000 units and the British a record 208,000 units. In that year, U.S. auto manufacturers introduced their first lines of small “compact” cars to compete with imports, and initially they were successful. In later years, however, size and weight were added to these models, once again leaving the smallest-size market to exporters, notably the Japanese.

The first Japanese imports to the United States—16 compact pickups—arrived in 1956. Ten years later Japanese vehicle imports reached 65,000 units. By 1980, the Japanese claimed 2.1 million sales in the United States. The Japanese firm Honda built an assembly plant in Ohio that began production in 1982, and another Japanese firm, Nissan, constructed a plant in Tennessee that began producing compact pickup trucks in 1983.

Words and expressions

network - 1) сеть, сетка; 2)сеть дорог, каналов;

3) радиотрансляционная сеть;

4) энергосистема;

5) многополюсник, четырехполюсник.

export - вывоз, экспорт. экспортирование; предметы вывоза, статьи экспорта.

import - ввоз, импорт; предмеры ввоза, ввезенные товары.

Exercise 1

Ответьте на следующие вопросы:

1. What was the estimated amount of cars, trucks and buses operating throughout the world by 1980?

2. When did Germany's Volkswagen send its first shipment of autos to the USA?

3. Why do we consider that Volkswagen in the early 1950s became a major force in the U.S. auto industry?

4. What do you know about British and French automakers exports to the United States during the 1950s?

5. What were the Japanese exports of cars to the USA by 1980?

6. How did Japanese reach a huge figure of 2.1 million sales in the United States?

7. What do you know about assembly plants of Honda and Nissan in the USA?

8. What models of cars Nissan began to produce in 1983?

Exercise 2

Заполните пропуски недостающими по смыслу словами, используя текст:

1. In the United States commercial automobile registrations stood at … million vehicles in operation.

2. In the early 1950s Germany's Volkswagen sent its first … of autos to the USA.

3. Germany's Volkswagen a U.S. … plant in Pennsylvania in 1978.

4. British and French automakers also enjoyed growth in … to the United States during the 1950s.

5. In 1959 the French … a record 187,000 autos and the British a record … units.

6. To compete with imports in 1959 U.S. auto manufacturers … their first lines of small “compact” cars.

7. The smallest-size market in the USA was left to … notably the Japanese in 1970s.

8. The first Japanese …. to the United States were 16 compact pickups—arrived in 1956.

9. By 1980 the Japanese claimed 2.1 million … in the United States

10. The Japanese firm Honda built an … … in Ohio that began production in 1982.

Exercise 3

Соответствуют ли данные предложения содержанию текста:

1. By 1980 more than 500 million cars and 35 million trucks and buses were operating throughout the world.

2. In the United States automobile registrations stood at about 30 million, with 114 million commercial vehicles in operation.

3. Germany's Volkswagen sent its first shipments of autos to the United States in the early 1970s.

4. Germany's Volkswagen opened the U.S. assembly plant in Pennsylvania in 1978 .

5. British and French automakers failed in exports to the United States during the 1950s.

6. To compete with imports U.S. auto manufacturers introduced their first lines of medium-size cars in 1959.

7. In later years, however, size and weight of American models were decreased thus giving a chance to American manufacturers to increase production for export.

8. The first Japanese imports to the United States took place in 1959—1600 compact pickups were discharged in San-Francisco port.

9. In 1966 Japanese vehicle imports reached 65,000 units.

10. The Japanese firm Toyota built an assembly plant in Ohio in 1982.

Exercise 4

Используя текст, составьте высказывания с данными словами и выражениями:

Indispensable transportation network - automobile registration - commercial vehicle – shipment - to become a major force - assembly plant – to enjoy growth in exports – to leave the market – to begin production – small size car – pickup - to construct a plant – to begin production.

Exercise 5

Кратко передайте содержание каждого абзаца.

Exercise 6

Выделите пять основных идей текста.

Exercise 7

Составьте предложения, используя данные выражения:

• Network of pipes (трубопроводная сеть); adjustment network (цепь настройки); communication network (сеть связи, система связи); compensating network (выравнивающий контур); distribution network распределительная сеть); electrical network (электрическая сеть, электрический многополюсник, электрическая схема); radio network (радиосеть).

• Volume of exports (объем экспорта); articles of exports (предметы вывоза); value of m exports (стоимость экспорта); state regulation of export (государственное регулирование экспорта); export of vast sums of private capital (вывоз частных капиталов за границу в огромных размерах); to increase exports (увеличить экспорт); to step down exports (урезать экспорт); to curb US exports to Europe (приостановить экспорт американских товаров в Европу).

• Articles of imports (статьи импорта); value of imports (цена импорта); import control (контроль над импортом); import restrictions (импортные ограничения); import expenditures (расходы по импорту).

Exercise 8

Переведите на русский язык следующие предложения:

1. Kazans’ transportation network was considerably improved before celebration of the 1000 anniversary of the city.

2. Commercial vehicles have to pay higher transport taxes.

3. Shipments of European autos to the Russian market increased recently.

4. Major force in the U.S. auto industry is a tremendous auto market in the country.

5. BMW auto manufacturer opened an assembly plant in the Russian city of Kaliningrad.

6. British and French automakers enjoyed growth in exports to Russia in late 1990s.

7. “Lada” automanufacturer introduced its first assembly line in late 1960s.

8. Japanese exporters are the monopolists in the smallest-size cars market to Europe.

9. The first Soviet imports of timber products to the United States took place in late 1950s.

10. The auto assembly plant in Elabuga began production in 1995.

Exercise 9

Переведите на английский язык:

1. Регистрация автомобилей является обязательной для всех владельцев автотранспорта.

2. Транспортная сеть Москвы значительно выросла за последние 10 лет.

3. Производство собственных автомобилей и увеличение импорта привело Москву и другие крупные города к серьезным транспортным проблемам.

4. Компания Фольксваген отгрузила свои первые автомобили в США в начале 1950 годов.

5. Наша компания имеет более 200 единиц транспорта, в том числе 20 легковых автомобилей.

6. Основной движущей силой развития Российской автомобильной промышленности является Волжский автомобильный завод в Тольятти.

7. Сборочный завод автомобилей Форд был открыт в Санкт-Петербурге в 2004 году.

8. Европейские автомобильные производители в последние годы увеличили объемы поставок автомобилей в Соединенные Штаты.

Exercise 10

Текст на самостоятельный перевод:

Honda Motor Company, Ltd.

Japanese Honda Giken Kōgyō Kk, leading Japanese manufacturer of motorcycles and a major producer of automobiles for the world market. Headquarters are in Tokyo.

The engineer Honda Soichiro founded the Honda Technical Research Institute near Hamamatsu in 1946 to develop small, efficient internal-combustion engines. It was incorporated as Honda Motor Company in 1948 and began producing motorcycles in 1949. The Honda C-100, a small-engine motorcycle, was introduced in 1953 and by 1959 was the largest-selling motorcycle in the world. In 1959the company also established a U.S. subsidiary, the American Honda Motor Company, which began producing motorcycles in the United States in 1979 and automobiles in 1982.

While Honda is a world leader in producing motorcycles, the bulk of the company's annual sales comes from automobiles, which the company began manufacturing in 1963. Among its lightweight, fuel-efficient passenger cars have been the popular Civic and Accord models. The company's other major product areas include farm machinery and small engines. Honda is a major Japanese exporter to the United States and to other parts of the world. It also has assembly plants in a number of other countries and is engaged in joint ventures and technology-licensing agreements with several foreign companies.