Тексты для экзамена 11 класса

    Adam Trenton , an executive of the Detroit Auto Plant , was hurrying to
his office. Although it was only 7.30 a.m. .Adam noticed a few  cars  parked
near the executive elevator. Where a man parked was a  significant  prestige
factor in the auto industry. The higher the rank, the less distance  he  was
expected to walk from his car to his desk.
    As Adam entered his office he saw a pile of newly delivered mail on his
secretary’s desk  . he never read the whole of  it;  that  was  one  of  the
functions of his secretary – to “ filter out the most important things.”
    He had hardly been in the room one minute when he heard  the  voice  of
the Product Development  Vice-president  ,  Elroy  Braithwaite  ,  from  the
intercom box behind his desk.
    “ Good morning, Adam . I’d like you here for a while.  There’ll  be  an
informal meeting today with press. They want  to  know  our  plans  for  new
models. Before the press conference I think we should have briefing.
    Later in the day when the newspaperman arrived . Voice president Public
Relations,  Jake  Earlham,   was  performing   introductions.   There   were
representatives of A.P., the Wall Street Journal and Detroit News.  The  man
from Detroit New was bob Irvin whom Adam knew best; he wrote a daily  column
about automotive affairs. He was well-informed in the industry and  was  the
first to speak.
    “What has been done at  your  plant   to  introduce  new  non-pollution
electric and steam engines?”
    “Both of them are available at our test center, “ said  Braithawaite  “
but there is no hope to use them in cars at low  cost , low weight and  good
convenience in the near future.”
    “ But there are some people who still  believe  in  steam  power.  Some
plants in California are planning to get a fleet of steam cars on  the  road
soon,” the A.P. man put in , “  and  there  are  legislative  proposals  out
there to ban internal combustion engines in five years from now.”
    “You fail to mention that steam engines will  be  extremely  bulky  and
most expensive , with low efficiency. Even if we try to  produce  such  cars
with all the problems and disadvantages., we must  think  of  our  customers
and competitors,” Adam replied.
    “then why do you reject electric cars?” the Wall Street Journal pointed
out.
    “Unfortunately, there’s little more than talk so far. We do  have  some
experimental electric cars. At the moment , though, it  would  be  expensive
and not much more than a curiosity,” responded Elroy Braithawaite.
    “ and if  you’re  thinking  about  air  pollution  in  connection  with
electric cars,” Adam added, “ there’s one  factor  which  a  lot  of  people
overlook. Whatever kind of batteries you had they’d need  be  a  requirement
for many more power stations, each polluting the  air  to  a  great  extent.
Since electric power plants are usually built in the suburbs  ,  what  could
happen is transferring it out there.”
    Adam continued, “ what we believe is that clean air , at least air  not
polluted by cars be achieved best and mist  cheaply  through  refinement  of
the present gasoline. Maybe that is not so spectacular as the idea of  steam
and electric power but there is a lot of sound science behind it. Other  new
developments can also help to solve problem. New metals  for  engines  would
allow very high temperatures in seconds.  Using  that  we  could  completely
burn the fuel and avoid air pollution/”
    Adam was glad that the press conference was coming to the end at  last.
He was eager to get back to the “ORION”-  the  new  model  which  completely
absorbed him at the time.
                                                                     (After
Wheels by A. Hailey)
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