4) Grammar

Exercise 2.4.1. Find participles and participle phrases in the text. *Rephrase them, if possible.

Exercise 2.4.2. Translate into English using participles and various participle phrases.

a) Мы описали крайне важное свойство материалов, характеризующихся высокой прочностью. b) Открыв исходный код своих программ, компания усилила свои лидирующие позиции. c) Поскольку компания автоматизировала сборку, производительность линии увеличилась. d) На конференцию приехали ученые, специализирующиеся на разработке «умных» домов. e) После того, как инженер освоил новое программное обеспечение, он получил повышение. f) Изготовленные на нашем заводе детали широко используются. g) Соответственно нашим точным расчетам, частота появления ошибок снизилась по сравнению с описанными ранее вариантами. h) Пытаясь оправдать бюджет проекта, босс говорил о новых тенденциях в отрасли. i) Информация, обработанная программой, выводится на экран. j) Поскольку это решение отличается простотой, оно стало популярным.

8. Lesson 3

1) Listening

Exercise 3.1.1. Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions:

1) What are the advantages of riding a bike instead of driving a car?

2) What are the disadvantages of riding a bike in a town or city?

3) When was the last time you rode a bike? Where did you go?

Exercise 3.1.2. Read the words you will hear in the text.

to recharge v.	заряжать повторно
to last for v.	длиться, хватать на (о заряде батареи)
trail n.	зд. велодорожка
effort n.	усилие

Exercise 3.1.3. Listen to the text and say what you learnt about an electric bike.

Exercise 3.1.4. Decide which statements are true.

1) It may look like any other bike, but the clue is in the sound.

2) What you can hear is an internal combustion engine.

3) The bikes can get up to 60 miles an hour.

4) In Britain at the moment, most people know a lot about electric bikes.

5) You can recharge a bike only at the charging station.

Exercise 3.1.5. Listen to the text again and answer the following questions.

1) What is the speed of the electric bike?

2) What are the advantages of it?

3) Where can you hire an electric bike?

4) How long does the battery last?

5) Why were the old railway tunnels reopened?

6) Do you ever go cycling in Moscow?

7) Have you ever hired a bicycle?

8) How much did it cost you?

9) Do you know where bicycle trails can be found in Moscow?

10) How convenient do you find cycling in Moscow?

Exercise 3.1.6*. Look at the following table. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different types of bicycles.

Road bikes	designed for high-speed travel, have narrow tyres, a short wheelbase, a lightweight frame, can’t be ridden on unpaved surfaces.
Touring bikes	used for long distances, have a smoother ride, lower gears than the average bike.
Mountain bikes	equipped to handle gravel roads, have better braking systems, shock-absorbing qualities, durable.
Hybrids	combine comfort, speed and durability, are good for short trips on paved roads, have narrower tyres than mountain bikes, are not as fast as road bikes.

Script

Electric bikes available for hire in England

An unusual bicycle hire scheme is hoping to attract more visitors to England's Peak District.

Visitors and people who live in this hilly area of central and northern England can now hire electric bikes to explore the countryside. Jenny Hill reports:

It may look like any other bike, but the clue is in the sound. What you can hear is a battery powered motor that takes away all the effort.

The bikes can get up to 15 miles an hour. What was once a mountain is suddenly a molehill.

Steve Garadis:

In Britain at the moment, most people don't really know what an electric bike is and what it can do. It's just like normal cycling, but with an extra boost that pushes you up the hills. It means you don't have to worry about headwinds. You don't get horribly sweaty.

Reporter:

At this cafe, you can hire the bikes, you can also recharge them. The batteries last for about 40 miles. Other local businesses offer the same service.

What you won't find here are cars. In fact, they've just opened up old railway tunnels to keep this trail traffic free.

Jenny Hill, BBC NEWS

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2011/05/110530_witn_electric_bike_page.shtml