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UNIDAD DIDACTICA 36 
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CARS 
 

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SECTIONS

I. VOCABULARY
II. LISTENING SKILL
III. SPEAKING SKILL
IV. READING SKILL
V. WRITING SKILL
VI. FURTHER EXERCISES

SOURCE MATERIALS:

TEXTS: ‘LISTENING & SPEAKING SKILLS 2’.

‘NORTHSTAR Focus on Reading and Writing’, Intermediate.
‘CUTTING EDGE’, Upper-intermediate.
WEBS: www.enchantedlearning.com/wordlist/car
www.es.scribd.com
www.breakingnewsenglish.com

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 I. VOCABULARY

Types of Cars
A H R
auto hard top race car
automobile hatchback roadster
B hearse rotary engine
buggy hot rod runabout
C hum-vee RV
car hybrid S
compact jeep sedan
convertible L solar powered
coupe limo sports car
cruiser limousine sports utility vehicle
D low-rider station wagon
dragster luxury car stock car
E M stretch limo
electric car minivan subcompact
F O SUV
four-door off-road vehicle T
four-wheel drive P taxi
G patrol car taxi cab
gas powered two-door
gas-electric V
van

ACTIONS OF DRIVING

Drive Pull in Brake

Steer Park Decelerate / slow down

Reverse Accelerate / speed up Indicate
Give way (to sth) Put one’s foot down Brake sharply
Overtake Change/ shift gears Dip the headlights
Turn on full beam

CAR PROBLEMS

Break down A puncture A cracked windshield

A breakdown A leak Have a flat battery

Stall A bump A scratch
Have a flat tyre A dent Get stuck (in a traffic jam)

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Página 4 de 14
 II. LISTENING SKILL

EX. 1 Listen to four people talking about road safety. Choose the best
answer.

1. Speaker 1 is concerned about … 3. Speaker 3 is concerned about …

A. The cost of insurance. A. Children’s safety.

B. The speed of traffic. B. Traffic lights.
C. The condition of the road. C. Road works.
D. The weather. D. People calling at the door.

2. Speaker 2 is concerned about … 4. Speaker 4 is concerned …

A. The amount of traffic. A. about the legal age for riding

B. The lack of parking. motorcycles.
C. The cost of petrol. B. about the riding ability of
D. The attitude of drivers. motorcyclists.
C. that motorcyclists don’t wear
helmets.
D. that motorcycles are dangerous.

EX. 2 Listen to the speakers explaining more about their concerns. Who
do they think is responsible? Match them to the groups they
blame.

Speaker 1 A. police
Speaker 2 B. national government
Speaker 3 C. local authorities
Speaker 4 D. parents

EX. 3 Listen to three statements from an advertisement about a new

form of transport. For each statement, choose the best answer.

Statement 1
a. The Solomobile uses a different form of energy to petrol.
b. The Solomobile uses less petrol than a car.

Statement 2
a. The Solomobile doesn’t run on wheels.
b. The Solomobile doesn’t need a driver.

Statement 3
a. The Solomobile is designed for this country.
b. The Solomobile is new in this country.

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EX. 4 Listen to the whole advertisement. Are these sentences true or
false?

a. Traffic jams are caused by people going too slowly.

b. You’ll have to pay for the energy the Solomobile uses.
c. At the moment, we don’t have complete freedom to travel.
d. The Solomobile is designed for long journeys.
e. People of different ages will find the Solomobile useful.

TAPESCRIPT EX. 1

Speaker 1: It gets worse every time it rains and it’s starting to get really dangerous. It’s the road
surface – needs completely replacing.
Speaker 2: Well, you see, lots of drivers have realized that if they come through here, they can get
into the centre of town more quickly. But this road wasn’t built for this number of cars!
Speaker 3: it’s just so dangerous for them in this area. I mean, there are no parks near here so
they end up playing in the streets where they can get knocked down.
Speaker 4: It seems to me that they don’t have all the training they need to ride around town safely.
They should have to do extra courses before they can go out on the road.

TAPESCRIPT EX. 2

Speaker 1: It gets worse every time it rains and it’s starting to get really dangerous. It’s the road
surface – needs completely replacing. There are holes everywhere and I’m worried that a car is
going to come round this bend and the driver’s going to lose control. I must have called the
council a dozen times and they still haven’t sent anyone round to have a look. They say there
are other, more important problems. I know they have to repair all the roads around here, but
it’s been like this for over two years now.

Speaker 2: Well, you see, lots of drivers have realized that if they come through here, they can
get into the centre of town more quickly. But this road wasn’t built for this number of cars! This
is a residential area and there are a lot of pedestrians. One of these days there’ll be a serious
accident. But there are things that could be done to prevent it. I’ve called them to come and
stop drivers who are speeding, but they say they’re too busy catching the real criminals. They
just don’t want to know. They’ll be sorry one day.
Speaker 3: it’s just so dangerous for them in this area. I mean, there are no parks near here so
they end up playing in the streets where they can get knocked down. I see them from my
window. They play games in the road and cars come racing around that corner without slowing
down. One girl was hit last month. Luckily, it wasn’t serious, but they might not be so fortunate
next time. I can’t understand why they let their children play there. I make sure my daughter is
where I can keep my eye on her.
Speaker 4: It seems to me that they don’t have all the training they need to ride around town
safely. They should have to do extra courses before they can go out on the road – I’ve taken
the motorbike test so I know how easy it is. You can’t expect people to be safe riders when all
they have to do is go around a couple of corners to pass the test! I blame the politicians: we
need new laws and a real test. That way, we might get safer roads.

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 TAPESCRIPT EX. 3

Statement 1: With the Solomobile’s solar-powered batteries, you’ll be able to completely forget
about the cost of petrol.
Statement 2: Get off those ugly crowded roads, and take to the air with the Solomobile.
Statement 3: The Solomobile is taking off around the world, and now, for the first time it’s available
in Britain.

TAPESCRIPT EX. 4

Soon, traffic jams will be a thing of the past. The Solomobile lets you go right over them! With the
Solomobile’s solar-powered batteries, you’ll be able to completely forget about the cost of petrol.
Soon, you’ll be free to go where you want to, when you want to. It’s coming, and it’s going to be
big. It’s the most fun you can have around town. Get off those ugly crowded roads, and take to the
air with the Solomobile. Simply step onto your Solomobile and you’ll be lifted 15 cm into the air!
The Solomobile floats above the ground, giving you a smoother, more comfortable ride. With
speeds of up to 15km per hour, you’ll be there in no time! The Solomobile is taking off around the
world, and now, for the first time it’s available in Britain. The Solomobile will make you the envy of
your friends. Whether you need to get to school before the first bell, or you need to be at your desk
before your boss gets in, the Solomobile will keep you one step ahead of the rest. Call 07325-
SOLOMOBILE now for more details on how you can take part in the transport revolution.

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 III. SPEAKING SKILL

EX. 1 Read the words in the box below. Some words have a positive
meaning, some have a negative meaning. Put them in the table.

Accidents safety benefit to develop efficient to

encourage freedom global warming noisy object of pride and
pleasure pollution progress to protect suffer serious injuries
t

Positive Negative

EX. 2 Discuss the following questions and express your opinion in front
of the class. (Use the words and expressions in exercise 1)

1. What is your preferred form of transport?

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each form of transport in your
country?
3. What images come into your head when you think about driving?
4. Do you or your family own a car/ more than one car?
5. Could you live without a car?
6. Do you think the car is a friend or an enemy?

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 IV. READING SKILL

CARS: PASSION OR PROBLEM?

For some people, the car is a convenient form of transportation. But for others, the car is an exciting
hobby. Some people spend their lives collecting valuable cars. Others drive them in races, including the
Mille Miglia in Italy, the Carrera Panamericana in Mexico, and the world-famous Indianapolis 500. For
many people, cars are more than transportation: they are a source of passion and pleasure. Yet cars can
also be a source of many problems.

In 1903, Henry Ford began selling the Model T car for $825. His company, Ford Motors, was the first to
produce cars in large numbers. This made the car available to large numbers of people and helped them
to travel long distances quickly and easily. The car has brought people much closer to places of work,
study and entertainment. Many people also work in car-related industries: fixing cars, washing cars,
advertising cars and selling car products such as stereos and cellular phones.

Most Americans buy a new car every five or six years. This means that one American may own a dozen
cars in a lifetime. In fact, there are more cars than people in the United States. In New York City, 2.5
million cars move in and out of the city each day. In this traffic, the average speed is sometimes 8.1 miles
per hour. This speed could easily be reached by a horse instead of driving a car. But New Yorkers
continue to drive, just as people do in California, where freeways are often very crowded.

Some environmentalists believe that forms of public transportation such as buses and trains have not been
fully developed in the United States. They try to teach others that public transportation saves fuel and
helps to protect the environment. Many people are unhappy with car traffic and pollution, as well as with
the use of beautiful land for building new roads. One environmentalist, Jan Lundberg, left his Mercedes-
Benz in Los Angeles and moved to the forests of northern California. Nowadays he works on the Auto-
Free Times, a newspaper that teaches people how to live without driving. Lundberg travels on foot, on
bicycle, or by bus. Before he decided to live without a car, Lundberg worked for the oil companies,
studying the prices of gasoline.

Lundberg and other environmentalists dream of turning parking lots into parks and replacing cars with
bicycles, but most people around the world believe that the car is a necessary part of life in today’s world.
Still, there is an important question that must be answered: What kind of fuel will we use when gasoline is
no longer available? Lundberg believes that by the year 2021, there will no longer be oil for gasoline
makers to use.

To solve this problem, car companies in Korea, Japan, Europe and the United States are trying to develop
an electric car that will not require gasoline at all.

The electric car is not a new idea. It had success with American women in the early 1900s.

Women liked electric cars because they were quiet and did not pollute the air. Electric cars were also
easier to start than gasoline-powered ones. But gasoline-powered cars were faster, and in the 1920s they
became much more popular. The electric car was not used again until the 1970s, when there were serious
problems with the availability of oil. Car companies began to plan for a future without gasoline. The
General Motors Company had plans to develop an electric car by 1980; however, oil became available
again, and this car was never produced.

Today there is new interest in the electric car, which is partly related to a passion for speed and new
technology. In 1977, engineer Paul MacCready designed a human-powered airplane that successfully
completed a three-mile flight. A similar airplane crossed the English Channel in 1979, followed by a solar-
powered airplane. In 1987, the Sunraycer, a solar-powered car, won a 2,000-mile race in Australia. As a
result of this success, the General Motors Company began new work on the development of the electric
car. The Toyota Company recently decided to spend $800 million a year on the development of new car
technology. Many engineers believe that the electric car will lead to other forms of technology being used
for transportation.

Cars may change, but their importance will not. Cars are important to nearly everyone, including
engineers, business people, environmentalists, and even poets. Poet Curt Brown believes that cars are
part of our passion for new places and new experiences. According to Brown, this ‘very, very comfortable
flying chair’ will continue to bring us travel and adventure, no matter how it changes in the future.

Página 9 de 14
EX. 1 Number the following main ideas in the order they appear in the
text.

⎯ a. Soon there will be no oil to fuel cars.

⎯ b. Cars, whether gasoline or electric powered, will always be important.
⎯ c. Cars can cause problems.
⎯ d. To some people, cars are more than transportation.
⎯ e. Some environmentalists teach people how to live without cars.
⎯ f. People in the United States need cars to go to school, to work and to places of
entertainment.

EX. 2 Complete the following list with information from the text.

Advantages of the car:

1. Some people enjoy _________________________________________

2. People can travel ___________________________________________
3. People are closer to _________________________________________
4. Some people make money by __________________________________

Disadvantages of the car:

1. Lots of traffic and ____________________________________________

2. Cars use more fuel than ______________________________________
3. Beautiful land is replaced with __________________________________
4. Gasoline may no longer be ____________________________________

EX. 3 Read each part of the outline and cross out one detail that is not
included in the reading.

1. There are many cars in the world

today. 3. The car of the future may be electric.

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.
A. The first electric cars were faster than
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 have brought us some problems. 4. Cars are very important.

A. In some areas, the air is no longer A. Many people need them in their lives.
clean. B. New technology is being developed
B. Travel is sometimes slow because of because of the car.
traffic. C. Many famous people own valuable
C. Cars have made changes in the cars.
environment. D. Cars bring us passion and
D. Studies show that gasoline prices are excitement.
increasing.

Página 10 de 14
 V. WRITING SKILL

1. Can you imagine a world without cars? What would people use for transportation?
Describe what one type of transportation would look like. Explain what kind of fuel it
would use and how people would travel in it.

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

2. How will cars change in the future? Will they be better than the cars of today? How will
they help us solve the problems of traffic and pollution? Explain your idea of the car of
the future.

__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________

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 VI. FURTHER EXERCISES

LISTENING

EX. 1 TRUE / FALSE: Listen to the following news and say if these
statements are true (T) or false (F).

a. A British court said women must pay the same car insurance as men. T / F
b. U.K. men have always paid higher insurance premiums than women. T / F
c. The recent ruling is unlikely to be welcomed by British women. T/F
d. Male motorists will now have to pay up to 40% more for car insurance. T / F
e. The court passed the ruling to end sexual discrimination against men. T / F
f. Insurance companies in Britain believe the new system is much fairer. T / F
g. Men in their late teens and early twenties are the highest risk drivers. T / F
h. A website said the new insurance premium is a tax on women. T/F

EX. 2 Fill in the gaps while listening to the news.

Britain’s system of car insurance has been______________________ by the European Court of

Justice. For decades, British motorists have paid insurance premiums
______________________. The rationale for this was that men were far more likely to have
accidents than women, and the ______________________ men was higher. Britain’s insurance
industry has until December 2012 to comply with the new ruling.
______________________ bad news for women, who are expected to pay an extra 25 per cent
for their motor insurance. Young female drivers aged between 17 and 26
______________________ hardest. Industry analysts claim their premiums
______________________ as 40 per cent. It’s good news for men as they will see their rates
fall by 10 per cent. The insurance ruling was ______________________ what the court saw as
gender discrimination in Britain’s car insurance industry. However, many insurance
companies______________________ the decision with one insurer calling it “breathtaking
stupidity”. They say statistics clearly show that men, especially those in the
______________________, cause the most accidents and are therefore a higher risk.
In all other areas of insurance high risk automatically ______________________. The website
“confused.com” wrote that women drivers, “cause less serious accidents and make less
expensive claims than their male counterparts” and called the ruling a
"______________________ ". Another site, GoCompare.com, said: "Few drivers will welcome
this ruling."

EX. 3 TRUE / FALSE: Listen to the following news and say if these
statements are true (T) or false (F).

a. A rap star’s son got a $36,000 sports car for his birthday. T/F
b. The father gave his son $10,000 to spend in a trendy club. T/F
c. The son wants to give the cash to victims of the Haitian earthquake. T/F
d. The boy can’t express how happy he feels. T/F

Página 12 de 14
EX. 4 Fill in the gaps while listening to the news.

Some kids ____________________ motorbike for their sixteenth birthday, if they’re really lucky.
Justin Dior Combs got a $360,000 sports car. He’s the ____________________ singer and
producer Sean Combs, a.k.a. P Diddy. The car, a Maybach 57, is a super-expensive, ultra-
____________________ Mercedes Benz. It’s one of the most expensive cars in the world.
Justin’s birthday party ____________________. His dad ____________________
at one of New York’s trendiest clubs. He also gave him $10,000 in cash to spend around New
York. Justin told UsMagazine.com that he was going to ____________________ to the Haiti
earthquake relief. He did enjoy the party, telling reporters: "I'm just ecstatic right now. Words
can't even describe how I feel."

TAPESCRIPT EX. 1 & 2

Britain’s system of car insurance has been turned on its head by the European Court of Justice.
For decades, British motorists have paid insurance premiums based on their sex. The rationale
for this was that men were far more likely to have accidents than women, and the average repair
bill for men was higher. Britain’s insurance industry has until December 2012 to comply with the
new ruling. The court’s decision is bad news for women, who are expected to pay an extra 25 per
cent for their motor insurance. Young female drivers aged between 17 and 26 are likely to be hit
hardest. Industry analysts claim their premiums could jump by as much as 40 per cent. It’s good
news for men as they will see their rates fall by 10 per cent.

The insurance ruling was designed to end what the court saw as gender discrimination in Britain’s
car insurance industry. However, many insurance companies are up in arms at the decision with
one insurer calling it “breathtaking stupidity”. They say statistics clearly show that men, especially
those in the 17-26 age bracket, cause the most accidents and are therefore a higher risk. In all
other areas of insurance high risk automatically carries higher premiums. The website
confused.com wrote women drivers, “cause less serious accidents and make less expensive
claims than their male counterparts” and called the ruling a "gender tax on women". Another site,
GoCompare.com, said: "Few drivers will welcome this ruling."

TAPESCRIPT EX 3 & 4

Some kids get a used car or a motorbike for their sixteenth birthday, if they’re really lucky. Justin
Dior Combs got a $360,000 sports car. He’s the son of legendary rap singer and producer Sean
Combs, a.k.a. P Diddy. The car, a Maybach 57, is a super-expensive, ultra-luxurious version of a
Mercedes Benz. It’s one of the most expensive cars in the world. Justin’s birthday party was just
as lavish. His dad threw a party for him at one of New York’s trendiest clubs. He also gave him
$10,000 in cash to spend around New York. Justin told UsMagazine.com that he was going to
donate all of the cash to the Haiti earthquake relief. He did enjoy the party, telling reporters: "I'm
just ecstatic right now. Words can't even describe how I feel."

ANSWER KEY:

Ex1: a. F b. T c. T d. F e. T f. F g. T h. T
Ex2: see tape script.
Ex3: a. F b. F c. T d. T
Ex4: see tape script

Página 13 de 14
 READING

EX. 1 Read the article. It describes a meeting of environmentalists who

want to prepare for a future with fewer cars. Replace the
underlined words and phrases with the following words.

Available convenient develop engineers fuel

Industries passion source technology valuable

At a recent meeting of environmentalists, the problem of cars was discussed. Most

environmentalists believe that in the future, there will be no more oil. This means that there will
be no more gasoline (1) for the cars that so many of us drive every day.
The environmentalists agreed that cars have made our lives much easier and more comfortable
(2). But they believe that it is very important for the people who are working on machines (3) to
try and build new ones that will not require gasoline.
‘We have always been good at using science to create new machines (4),’ said one
environmentalist. ‘This is very important (5). Our ability to build and create (6) new forms of
transportation will help us face a future without gasoline.’
The environmentalists also discussed the importance of working with businesses (7) to help
them prepare for the future. ‘A world without gasoline means a world with fewer cars,’ added
one man. ‘And this is good because it means less pollution. Maybe companies could find a way
to pay extra money to workers who take buses or ride bicycles to work.’
Most of the people at the meeting described their deep love (8) for the Earth and their desire to
keep it clean. They want to power cars by using solar or electric power as the place where
energy comes from (9). Both of these create less pollution than gasoline, and they will continue
to be usable (10) in the future.

1.___________________ 6.__________________
2.___________________ 7.__________________
3.___________________ 8.__________________
4.___________________ 9.__________________
5.___________________ 10._________________

ANSWER KEY

1. Fuel 2. Convenient
3. Engineers 4. Technology
5. Valuable 6. Develop
7. Industries 8. Passion
9. Source 10. Available

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