Focus on Grammar

Special vehicles. Motor vehicles are easily adaptable for different purposes. Theycan be used to rescue people in an emergency (ambulances), harvest crops on the farm/tractors/ or build towering structures (cranes).Racing cars. At the beginning of the 20 th century, cars began to be designed forspeed and special tracks were built for racing. Today, motor racing is huge-Formula oneand Indianapolis 500 racing are multimillion dollar sports with amazing hi-tech cars,skilled drivers and huge support teams.Trucks. Early trucks were small, but as engines got larger, designers made largertrucks that could transport almost anything. Long-distance trucks have big engines, butthere is still room in the cabs for the drivers – sometimes there are even beds!Manufacturers start with the same basic machinery found on cars – wheels, gears,brakes and engines – and add any specialized equipment needed to create the bestmachine for the job.How fast can cars go today? By fitting jet engines to specially designed, streamlinecars, Englishman Richard Noble has built faster cars than anyone else. His most recentcar, Thrust SSc, set a new record in1997, powering to an amazing 1220.86km/h-fasterthan the speed of a sound.Modern cars are designed to protect passengers in a crash. The passengercompartments are surrounded by metal bars to protect those inside.A low-energy car. Today manufacturers are trying to design cars that use lessenergy. They have designed lightweight cars that use less petrol, as well as electric cars.However, electric cars use a lot of coal and oil, so these vehicles are not as low-energyas they seem. One day, we may ride around in solar-powered cars that are covered withlight sensitive panels.ComprehensionChoose the right answer.1. How many wheels did the first car have?a. twob. threec. four2. What type of engine powered Thrust SSc ?a. petrol engineb. diesel enginec. jet engine3. What provides low energy?a. hydrogenb. oilc. solar energy85