The early days of the automobile

Like most other great human achievements, the motor car is not the product of any single inventor.

One of the earliest attempts to propel a vehicle by mechanical power was suggested by Isaac Newton. But the first self-propelled vehicle was constructed by the French military engineer Cugnot in 1763. He built a steam-driven engine which had three wheels, carried two passengers and ran at maximum speed of four miles per hour.

In 1784 the Russian inventor Kulibin built a three-wheeled carriage. In his vehicle he used for the first time such new elements as brakes, rollers and a gearbox.

In 1825 a steam engine was built in Great Britain. The vehicle carried 18 passengers and covered 8 miles in 45 minutes. However, the progress of motor cars met with great opposition in Great Britain.

In Russia there were cities where motor cars were outlawed altogether. When the editor of the local newspaper in the city of Uralsk bought a car, the governor issued these instructions to the police: “When the vehicle appears in the streets, it is to be stopped and escorted to the police station, where its driver is to be prosecuted.”

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1. There will be a new service-station here. (To the subject)

2. It often rains in autumn in this country. (General)

3. It took them a long time to get there. (Alternative)

4. You had to get up early today. (Disjunctive)

5. My close friend does her exercises at home. (Special)

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Билет № 14

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WHERE DOES THE WORD “AUTOMOBILE” COME FROM?

The word automobile is not English. It consists of two words: autos and mobilis. Autos is a Greek word meaning “self’, mobilis – a Latin word meaning “movable”. The two words taken together mean “self-moving”. Thus, an automobile means a self-moving vehicle. The synonyms of automobile are: auto, car auto-car, motor car.

The role and importance of an automobile arise from the fact that it can move along roads unprovided with rails. In this respect, it substantially differs from a street car (tram) and a railway car (train). In fact, it often replaces street cars, railway cars, and other agencies of transportation and communication. In short, the automobile is a vehicle well adapted for ordinary road conditions.

The automobile has long since ceased to be a matter of luxury or sport and has become a decisive factor in the economic development of many countries. This accounts for the fact that the world at large uses a great number of automobiles. In some countries where automobiles are found in millions they are playing a most important part in the solution of many problems of transport.

The development of automobiles is also accountable to a large extent for the progress in road maintenance, improvement and construction.

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1. There _________ no bread left.

       a) is    b) are  c) be    d) will

     2. He didn’t speak politely enough. ________.

     a) she also b) neither she did   c) neither did she

     3. I wonder if he _________ Martha to join us tomorrow.

      a) is asking  b) ask  c) asks   d) will ask

     4. I have been skiing __________last October.

      a) from   b) since   c) for   d) with

     5. There is _______ rain in August than in July here.

      a) less    b) fewer   c) little   d) least

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Билет № 15

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Motor car clubs and museums.

There are about 3.000 Americans who like to collect antique cars

They have several clubs such as Antique Automobile Club and Veteran Motor Car Club, which specialize in rare models. The clubs practice meetings where members can exhibit their cars. Collectors can also advertise in magazines published by their clubs.

In England there is the famous Beaulieu Motor Museum – the hotel for veteran cars. There is a car called TheKnight in this museum.It is the first British petrol-driven car. Its top speed was only 8 mph.

The founder of the Museum is Lord Montagu, the son of one of England’s motoring pioneers, who opened in 1952 in memory of his farther.

In the Museum’s collection there is a car called the Silver Ghost. It was built by Rolls-Royce in 1907 and called the Silver Ghost because it ran so silently and was painted silver.

Charles Rolls was born in 1881 in Great Britain. He died in 1910.

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1. In Moscow the cost of _________ is very expensive.

       a) living    b) life  c) the living    d) lives

2. Did Leo Tolstoy write any books ________ “Anna Karenina”?

     a) except b) as an exception c) besides  d) beside

     3. _________ English is a world language.

      a) - b) the c) an  d) a

     4. He gave me_________ how to do it better.

     a) lots of advices   b) a lot of advices  c) a lot of advice      

     5. A lot of paper _______ in our office.

   a) wasted   b) will waste   c) is wasted   d) are wasted

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Билет № 16

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THE ENGINE

The word engine originally meant any ingenious device, and came from the Greek word i ngenious, clever. Any kind of vehicle must be able to move. The ability to move demands power. A machine that produces mechanical power or energy is called an engine or a power plant.

Engines present one of the most interesting groups of problems considered in the engineering field. One of the main problems is receiving the maximum possible power or thrust for minimum weight. The weight is included in the factor called the weight/power ration, which may be defined as the weight in pounds per horse power output.

Another important problem is that of fuel. Both in the past and today the designers work at the problem of getting lower specific fuel consumption.

Another possible problem considered in any engine is its flexibility.

One more important problem worked at by the designers is the engine reliability. The engine is to have a long life, with maximum of time between overhaul periods. In some cases the problem of balance is one of the main.

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1. The doctor reported that his patient was no better. (To the subject)

2. It often rains in autumn in this country. (General)

3. It took them a long time to get there. (Alternative)

4. You had to get up early today. (Disjunctive)

5. My close friend does her exercises at home. (Special)

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Билет № 17

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The diesel engine

In 1890s, Rudolf Diesel, a German, invented the engine that bears his name. as distinguished from gasoline engines diesels have no ignition system fed with electricity. The fuel is ignited by contact with very hot air in the cylinder.

The operation performed is like this: when taken in the cylinder the air is highly compressed, the temperature rises so the heated fuel-air mixture burns. The higher the pressure, the higher the temperature. Besides the compressed mixture produced more power than that uncompressed.

Diesel engines power many of the used vehicles and other equipment. They are usually used in cases where engine weight is not a prime factor. Their advantage is that they are simple in design and use much heavier liquid fuels than gasoline engines. The cost of a heavier fuel is much less than of a light one. Besides the fuel consumption of a diesel is much less than that of a gasoline engines.

Although applied for many purposes diesel engines have certain disadvantages. Their weight is more than that of a gasoline engine of the same power and it occupies much space. The disadvantages of diesels as passenger-car engines are slow performance, noise and smoke.