G. Test

1. The other driver cut me off when

1. he drove past me.

2. he tried to get in line ahead of me.

3. he drove behind me.

2. The store jacked up the prices, so

1. everything was more expensive.

2. everything was less expensive.

3. the customers would be happy.

3. If you back the car up you

1. go forward.

2. stall.

3. go backward.

4. He started the car up after

1. he stepped on the brake.

2. he drove down the hill.

3. he got in.

5. If we don’t gas up now, we might

1. be sick.

2. b. have an accident.

c. not have enough gas to get there.

6. Roger cut across the field because

1. the grass was too tall.

2. he was in a hurry.

3. he didn’t like the field.

H. Answer the following questions:

1. Have you ever been in an automobile accident? If not, have you ever seen one? What happened?

2. What are some difficult things to learn when you learn to drive a car?

3. In this story, Peter noticed that the old man was jacking his car up by himself so Peter stopped and offered to help. Is it common in your country for motorists to stop and help each other? Has anyone ever stopped to help you?

XX. A. Cars and stars.Which of the adjectives given below can describe people, which can describe cars, which can describe both? Fill in the table.

Lively, curious, spontaneous, efficient, nervous, comfortable, proud, independent, cautious, popular, creative, reliable, optimistic, passionate, irritating, moody, safe.

People	Cars	Both
lively

Love me, love my car

B. Which sign (a-l) do you think describes you? Why? Can you find any descriptions that fit people you know? Read the article about astrology and cars.

Aquarius (Водолей)		Leo (Лев)
21st January – 20th February		24th July – 23rd August
Pisces (Рыбы)		Virgo (Дева)
21st February – 21st March		24th August – 23rd September
Aries (Овен)		Libra (Весы)
22nd March – 21st April		23rd September – 22nd October
Taurus (Телец)		Scorpio (Скорпион)
22nd April – 22nd May		23rd October – 22nd November
Gemini (Близнецы)		Sagittarius (Стрелец)
23rd May – 22nd June		23rd November – 22nd December
Cancer (Рак)		Capricorn (Козерог)
23rd June – 23rd July		23rd December – 20th January

It’s in the Stars

1. You want a different car for every day of the week, from a 2DV to a Rolls Royce – it depends on your mood. (Some people say you’re moody!)

2. You like a car with style and elegance – with somewhere to put your caviar and champagne! It also has to be reliable and comfortable.

3. You’re very lively. You want to live life in the fast lane. Your ideal car is a Porsche or a Lamborghini. You make passengers nervous – your friends and family probably prefer to take the bus.

4. You’re proud and independent, but you’d love to have a chauffeur. You drive a luxury car (in your dreams, at least!). You worry about whether the bar is full – and where to put the music system.

5. You love privacy and mystery. Your car has tinted windows – so you can see out but no-one can see in. In other areas of your life – you’re passionate and live drama but surprisingly, you drive cautiously.

6. You don’t want a car – you want a cupboard on wheels. Somewhere to put your cassettes, sandwiches, maps, and a world atlas – you’re terrified of getting lost. You’re curious too – you’d like a car with a periscope so you can see what the other drivers are doing.

7. You’re a creative person. You think the practical things in life are boring. You use the mirrors to look at yourself – not to see possible dangers on the road. You choose your car because of the colour. You’re not the most popular driver on the road!

8. You’re a spontaneous person so you never plan things. Your fantasy car is a two-seater sports car with an ejector seat for irritating passengers.

9. You’re optimistic and full of big ideas. You love speed and excitement. If you’re rich, you probably have a car with a jet engine. How many cars have you crashed? Slow down!

10. You need a safe car like a Volvo. You’re usually quiet and calm, but in a car you shout at everyone who irritates you. Your language can get so strong that it’s better (and safer!) if no-one can hear you.

11. Your ideal car is probably a BMW or a Mercedes. If you don’t own one of these cars, it’s probably because you think you can’t afford it – but go on, live a little! You want your car to be reliable – but you also like a bit of status.

12. You’re a very independent person. You don’t like rules and regulations. You think red lights, stop signs and No Entry signs are for other drivers, not you. You love to be different – and you never wear a seat belt.

XXI. The car is an ecological disaster. It is now the world's number one polluter. From the beginning to the end of its life, one car produces an enormous quantity of pollution. Read the information about car pollution. What other sources of air pollution do you know? Exchange information with your partner. Resume the text.

Your car is killing the Earth

The production of one car results in 1,500 kilos of waste, and 75 million liters of polluted air.

During its life one car produces:

44,3 tonnes of carbon dioxide	325 kg of carbon monoxide
4,8 kg of sulphur dioxide	36 kg of hydrocarbons
46,8 kg of nitrogen dioxide	20 kg of various chemicals

from the tyres and brakes (an average car over a period of ten years).

When you throw the car away, many dangerous metals (like cadmium) and other chemicals pollute the earth.

The building of roads, motorways and car parks produces a large quantity of pollution. It is impossible to estimate how much.

The statistics above are for one car. There are now approximately 500 million cars on Earth. So multiply all these numbers by 500 million. That gives, for example, more then 22 billion tonnes of CO₂ in ten years!