3. Read text a carefully. Pay attention to the words in bold type.

A. Types and Styles

A closed automobile that seats from four to six people is called a sedan. It may be a four-door or a two-door model. Two-door sedans sometimes have a rear lift-up door and a backseat that can be turned down to produce a flat storage, or hauling, space. This sedan is called a hatchback.

A coupe originally was a two-door automobile with a single-wide seat. The modern coupe, or club coupe, usually has a backseat, enclosed in a somewhat smaller area than the rear seat of a sedan. A convertible is a car with a soft top that may be folded back and down. A hardtop is styled to resemble a convertible in the omission of a centre post between front and back windows but has a permanent rigid top. A station wagon usually accommodates more people and cargo than a standard passenger car, and the backseats can be removed or turned down to provide still more cargo space. There is also rear-end door, often a lift-up type as in a hatchback.

The long, heavy, and extravagantly designed full-size cars of the 1950s and 1960s were largely supplanted in the 1970s and 1980s by smaller, lighter, compact and subcompact cars. This happened as gasoline prices rose, making fuel-efficient cars economically desirable, and as manufacturers complied in some countries with government gas consumption mandates. The shrinking automobile was most evident in the United States, where fuel prices had been low, and large, powerful cars had long been popular.

A sport’s car is one of a variety of automobiles used for pleasure driving. The typical sports car has low, sleek lines, high top speeds, and rapid acceleration. A limousine is a long luxury car usually driven by a chauffeur.

Two hybrid-type automotive vehicles are the van, a boxy truck that may be decorated elaborately and used to carry passengers, and the recreational vehicle (RV) (motor home), a long van that is often equipped with beds and a kitchen.

Comprehension Check – 1

4. Decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1. A sedan is a closed automobile that seats from four to six people.

2. A convertible is a car with a hard top that may be folded back and down.

3. In the 1950s and 1960s short, light and extravagant full-size cars were designed.

4. The cars were largely supplanted by smaller and lighter, compact and subcompact ones.

5. As gasoline prices rose fuel-efficient cars became economically undesirable.

6. The shrinking automobile was most evident in Germany.

7. A sports car is used for professional driving.

8. The typical sports car has low, sleek lines, high top speeds, and rapid acceleration.

9. A lorry is a long luxury car usually driven by a chauffeur.

10. Two hybrid-type automotive vehicles are the van and the recreational vehicle (RV).

5. Answer the following questions.

1. What types of automobiles do you know?

2. What models may a sedan be?

3. What do a sedan and a hatchback have in common?

4. What is the difference between coupe and club coupe?

5. What is a convertible?

6. What is styled to resemble a convertible but has a permanent rigid top?

7. What accommodates more people and cargo than a standard passenger car?

8. What kinds of cars were supplanted by smaller, lighter, compact and subcompact ones in the 1980s?

9. What can be done in a station wagon to provide more cargo space?

10. What made fuel-efficient cars economically desirable?

11. Where was the shrinking automobile most evident?

12. Which models did the United States manufacturers produce?