Read and translate the text

A. Steering

 

Automobiles are steered by turning the front wheels, although a few automobile types have all-wheel steering. Most steering systems link the front wheels together by means of a tie-rod. The tie-rod insures that the turning of one wheel is matched by a corresponding turn in the other.

When a driver turns the steering wheel, the mechanical action rotates a steering shaft inside the steering column. Depending on the steering mechanism, gears or other devices convert the rotating motion of the steering wheel into a horizontal force that turns the wheels. Manual steering relies only on the force exerted by the driver to turn the wheels. Conventional power steering uses hydraulic pressure, operated by the pressure or movement of a liquid, to augment that force, requiring less effort by the driver. Electric power steering uses an electric motor instead of hydraulic pressure.

 

Translate the following information into English using the words from the Vocabulary.

Рулевое управление.

Изменение направления движения автомобиля осуществляется поворотом передних колес при помощи рулевого управления. К рулевому управлению относят рулевой механизм и рулевой привод. Вращение рулевого колеса (руль) через рулевой механизм передается на рычаги и тяги рулевого привода, при помощи которых поворачиваются управляемые колеса. В кабине автомобиля установлена рулевая колонка с рулевым колесом.

 

B. Brakes

Read and translate the text with the help of the vocabulary given.

brake shoe – тормозная колодка

 drum brake – тормозной барабан

friction –трение, фрикция

shoe linings – накладки колодок

antilock braking system - противоблокировочная тормозная система

hand-operated brake – ручной тормоз

 

Brakes enable the driver to slow or stop the moving vehicle. The first automobile brakes were much like those on horse-drawn wagons. By pulling a lever, the driver pressed a block of wood, leather, or metal, known as the shoe, against the wheel rims. With sufficient pressure, friction between the wheel and the brake shoe caused the vehicle to slow down or stop.

A brake system with shoes that pressed against the inside of a drum fitted to the wheel, called drum brakes, appeared in 1903. Since the drum and wheel rotate together, friction applied by the shoes inside the drum slowed or stopped the

 

wheel. Cotton and leather shoe coverings, or linings, were replaced by asbestos after 1908, greatly extending the life of the brake mechanism. Hydraulically assisted braking was introduced in the 1920s.

An antilock braking system (ABS) uses a computer, sensors, and a hydraulic pump to stop the automobile’s forward motion without locking the wheels and putting the vehicle into a skid. Introduced in the 1980s, ABS helps the driver maintain better control over the car during emergency stops and while braking on slippery surfaces.

Automobiles are also equipped with a hand-operated brake used for emergencies and to securely park the car, especially on uneven terrain. Pulling on a lever or pushing down on a foot pedal sets the brake.

 

Study the meanings of the word skid and try to use the word combinations in your own sentences.

 

Skid n 1.скольжение, скользящее движение

      а) юз, занос (автомобиля) I slammed the brakes on and went into a skid. — Я ударил по тормозам, и машину начало заносить.

      б) боковое скольжение

   1) а) заносить (об автомобиле) It was raining hard, and the car skidded badly. — Шел сильный дождь, и машину сильно заносило.

    Syn: side-slip 2.

         б) проезжать (на автомобиле) повороты на большой скорости с заносом

    2) предотвращать движение (колес) с помощью тормозного башмака.

Revision tasks.

Fill in the gap with the necessary information using the texts from Unit 5.

1. A brake system with shoes that pressed against the inside of__________, called drum brakes, appeared in 1903.

2. A driver controls the automobile’s ______by keeping the wheels pointed in the desired direction, and by stopping or slowing the _______at which the wheels rotate.

3. An antilock braking system (ABS) uses a______, sensors, and a ________to stop the automobile’s forward motion.

4. Depending on the steering mechanism, gears or other devices convert the rotating motion of the ________into a horizontal force that turns the wheels.

5. ___________assisted braking was introduced in the 1920s.

 

Explain the work of the steering- and braking- systems.

 

Unit VI

Electrical System

Match the following meanings of the techniques that need electricity.

1. ignition –                                   стеклоочистители (ветрового                   стекла), дворники                                                         

2. headlights –                               зажигание

3. turn signals –                           указатели поворота, (поворотники)

4. horn -                                         фары

5. windshield wipers -                   гудок, сирена автомобиля

 

Try to find the meanings of the following words and word combinations.

Battery, alternator, electric current, recharge, power, electrical accessories.

 

The automobile depends on electricity for fuel ignition, headlights, turn signals, horn, radio, windshield wipers, and other accessories. A battery and an alternator supply electricity. The battery stores electricity for starting the car. The alternator generates electric current while the engine is running, recharging the battery and powering the rest of the car’s electrical needs.

Early automotive electrical systems ran on 6 volts, but 12 volts became standard after World War II (1939-1945) to operate the growing number of electrical accessories. Eventually, 24- or 48-volt systems may become the standard as more computers and electronics are built into automobiles.

 

 

A. Ignition System