1. There are many cars in the world today.

a. Cars were first produced in large numbers by Ford Motors.

b. There are more cars than people in the world today.

c. Many people have jobs that are related to cars.

d. Two and a half million cars pass through New York City each day.

2. Cars have brought us some problems.

a. In some areas the air is no longer clean.

b. Travel is sometimes slow because of traffic.

c. Cars have made changes in the environment.

d. Studies show that gasoline prices are increasing.

2. The car of the future may be electric.

a. The first electric cars were faster than the gasoline-powered cars.

b. The first electric cars produced less pollution.

c. Electric cars can be used when oil is not available.

d. Car companies are planning to develop the electric car.

2. Cars are very important.

a. Many people need them in their lives.

b. New technologies are being developed because of the cars.

c. Many famous people own valuable (expensive) cars.

d. Cars bring us passion and excitement.

E. Work in pairs. Ask and answer the following questions:

1. What fuel is mostly used in our cars?

2. What public transport uses this kind of fuel?

3. What sources of fuel will be available in the future?

4 What are their advantages (преимущество, достоинство) and disadvantages?

F. Look through the text and answer the following questions:

1. What are the main corner miles (вехи) of electric car history?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of electric vehicles?

XXVII. A. Read the text of the new Suzuki car and answer the questions:

1. What new car does Suzuki produce?

2. What is the new model called?

3. What are the versions of the car and how much do they cost?

4. Which model is the cheapest and the most expensive one?

5. What engine is the car powered by (equipped with)?

6. What are the main characteristics of the GL?

7. Could you give the specific features of the GLX (its sizes, instrument panel, seats, etc.)?

8. Who is this car designed for?

New-age offering to suit the family

Suzuki has a smart, new five-door hatchback, providing 1.6 litre power and performance for about £10,000, writes Michael Ford. The new model is called the Liana – the abbreviation of Life in a New Age – and comes in a friendly package which has all the practicalities to satisfy family demands.

Initially there are two versions, a GL and a GLX, both powered by an identical 1.6 litre DOHC, 16-valve all-alloy engine, developing 101 horsepower and proving very flexible in the manner in which it handles on the road. It comes with either five-speed manual gears or four-speed auto.

Don’t dismiss the lower-priced version, the 1.6 GL, because it comes with surprisingly high levels of equipment like power steering, electric mirrors and windows, safety features, and the clock is kept spot on time by satellite.

The top-of-the-range GLX at £11,495 gets the addition of anti-lock braking with electronic brake distribution, air conditioning, alloy wheels and a CD player.

It measures up at 13ft 9ins, and while taller than most rivals (соперник) at a little over 5ft, is still easy on the eye.

Despite its relatively compact dimensions, it provides adequate place for five adults, with good headroom through the higher roof line.

Engineer appear to have worked on noise reduction to good effect, and the Suzuki should find a ready place as a family favorite.

From behind the wheel, you will either love or hate the liquid crystal instrument display, which includes a digital speedo showing your speed either in mph or kph. The radio and audio system is placed centrally at the top of the instrument panel. Traditionalists would perhaps prefer conventional dials and instruments, but you soon discover the digital system is easier to live with.

Rear seats are split, and either side can be double-folded virtually flat to expand the cargo space. There are also a number of handy storage spaces inside the car for odds and ends (мелочи).

On the road it has an easy feel, drives with enthusiasm and has all the attributes you need in a family car. It’s roomy, well equipped and could top 100 mph in the right conditions.

Prices range from the 1.6 GL at £ 9,995 and GL auto at £10,870 to the GLX at £11,495 and range-topping GLX auto with a price of £12,370.

B. Resume the text.

XXVIII. Read the text about electric cars.

General Motors Introduces First Mass-Produced Electric Cars

Part I. Eight decades after the American auto industry turned away from the electric car in favor of gas-powered vehicles, the giant General Motors Corporation (GM) made a return to the market with the first mass-produced version in the new era, the EV1 (Electric Vehicle 1). The completely battery-powered $34,000 car, in development by GM since the late 1980s, was unveiled for dealerships in Arizona and Southern California on Dec. 5, 1996.

With a 137-horsepower engine that can silently accelerate from 0 to 97 km/h (0 to 60 mph) in less than nine seconds, the EV1 was considered by some observers as an automotive breakthrough (прорыв). With few moving parts there is little regular maintenance required and no tailpipe emissions at all. Engineered to be ultralight and extremely aerodynamic to conserve energy, the EV1 is the first electric car to be made entirely as a battery-powered vehicle since the early years of the century, when as many as one-third of automobiles were electric. Most current electric cars are converted gas-powered vehicles, such as an electrically-powered Ford Ranger introduced in the summer of 1966.

The EV1 was first shown to the public as a prototype model called Impact at the 1990 Los Angeles Auto Show. Consumers were not quite satisfied with it, and GM worked to overcome the disadvantages of the electric car: the limited travel range before needing a recharge, size and weight restrictions, power-draining (истощать) auxiliaries (such as heating system), and the lack of an infrastructure of charging stations – the “gas stations” of the 21^st century, according to electric vehicle backers (сторонник).

Part II. Here are critics of the EV1, who point to the automobile’s relatively high cost and its limited range of 113 to 145 km (70 to 90 m) before its lead-acid batteries must be recharged. The special device that can recharge the EV1 in about three hours costs an extra $2000. It takes about 15 hours to charge the car from a regular household outlet. Many of the critics believe that battery technology is still too limited and the EV1 risks to hurt (повредить) the cause of alternative-fuel vehicles. The more advanced nickel-metal hybrid battery, which can hold a greater charge than a lead-acid battery, is just now becoming commercially available. Others argue that hybrid cars – combining electric power with internal-combustion technology – the best promise for the future of the automobile.

Other criticisms of the EV1 include the fact that the sporty vehicle is small, holding just two people. Because electric cars generally do not perform well in cold weather, the EV1 is available only in a few warm-climate cities to start out – Los Angeles and San Diego in California, and Phoenix and Tucson in Arizona. GM plans to make and lease (сдавать в аренду) – rather than sell – only a few thousand cars in the initial rollout.

GM is eyeing (пристальноследить) the electric vehicle as an important new product. They believe that consumers concerned about air pollution levels and rising gasoline prices will be interested in purchasing electric cars. The world’s largest automobile manufacturer, GM was able to devote the resources necessary for such a costly, large-scale project ($350 million). The company has made the EV1 such a priority that it created a special division for the vehicle.

The EV1 is the only first of a variety of low- and zero-emission vehicles that are expected from auto manufacturers in the next several years. The Honda EV, powered by nickel-metal hybrid batteries, is expected in 1997, and electric cars from automakers such as Ford, Toyota, and Crysler are planned for release no later than 1998. GM also hopes to expand its line of electric cars in the near future, including an electric Chevrolet pickup truck targeted

(нацеливать) at commercial vehicle fleets in 1997.

B. Resume the text.