Unit-3--An-American-Love-Affair

Unitthree:AnAmericanLoveAffairBrockYatesTextTranslationfromEnglishintoChineseTranslationfromChineseintoEnglishKeytoVocabularyandStructureKeytoReadingPractice(Introductions:Automobileshavegreatlycontributedtotheprosperityofourmoderneconomyandbroughtpeoplemuchconvenience.Buttheyareamixedblessing.Theyhavecausedplentyofproblemsthatwehavetolivewith,suchaspollution,roadaccidents,trafficcongestion,etc.ThetexttellsusanAmerican'sattitudestowardscars.Canyousummarizetheirbasicarguments?)1.MyfatherwasaBuickman.PriortotheGreatDepressionhehadbeenaStutzman.Butlikethousandsofotherupwardandmobilecitizens,hefacedasevereadjustmentinhisautomotivetastesbecauseofthattragicshiftintheeconomy.Tothedayhedied,hisBuicksweremorethanmundanetransportationmodules.Theydefinedhimintheclassstructure-betteroffthanaPontiacman,notaswelloffasaCadillacman-andofferedhiminstantidentificationonthesociallandscape.EquallywellpositionedweretheFordmenandtheChryslermen.2.Theseloyalties,hardwonandsupremelyvalued,formagranite-likefoundationforthespecialbondweAmericansenjoywithourautomobiles.Isitlove?Thewordmaybeoverwrought,butAmericansreverethesemachinesaboveallothers-notonlyasobjectsof20thcenturyrollingsculpturebutalsoassocialamulets.ThefirstBuickIrememberwasashiningblacksedanwithacresofmohairupholsteryandanewfangledcolumn-mountedshifter.Myfatherlikedtobragthatitwouldgo120milesanhour.TheverythoughtofsuchvelocityelectrifiedmenandlentcredencetomynicknamingthesmartbeastBlackBeauty,afterthemysteriousmachinepilotedbytheGreenHornetinsidetherecessesofthefamilyPhilco.3.Unlikethetelephone,thetelevisionorthepersonalcomputer,allofwhichhavestronglyalteredthehumanconditioninthiscentury,carsenjoyanthropomorphicstatus.Somebecomemembersofthefamily,mechanicalpets.Wegivethemnames.4.Wepreentheminourdriveways,cursethemwhentheyfailandlamenttheirpassingattrade-intime.Thisisaloveaffairthatannoysenvironmentalists,safetyadvocatesandsocialengineerswhobelievethatthepathtoparadiseisoverlaidwiththeshiningrailsofmasstransit.Theyseeuspackedintofuturisticbicycles,notbehindthewheelsofwhatonefeveredcriticdenouncedasinsolentchariots.Thisattitudeisnotnew.Themobilityrepresentedfirstbytherailroad,thentheautomobile,hastraditionallyunsettledtheprivilegedclasses.TheDukeofWellington,brilliantonthebattlefieldbutnotedforhisdisdainforthegreatunwashed,opposedthedevelopmentoftheBritishrailwaysystem150yearsagobecausetrainswouldonlyencouragethecommonpeopletomovearoundneedlessly.Becausetheacceptedpartylineisthatautomobilespollute,kill,maimanddisplacepopulationsatacontemptiblerate,thesoonertheyareexcisedfromtheplanet,thebetter(andtakewiththemtheclutterofshoppingmalls,drive-ins,andjunk-foodstores).5.Whiletheautomobileissurelyguiltyofmanysins,itscriticschoosetoignorethatithasbeenthegreatliberator,permittingmonumentalpopulationshifts,citytosuburb,easttowest,southtonorthand,morerecently,northbacktosouth,asmillionsofcitizenssoughtimprovedeconomicopportunities.Sprawlingnewmetropolitancomplexes-LosAngeles,Orlando,Atlanta,Charlotte,Dallas,LasVegas,Phoenix-haverisenupbasedonlayoutsthataccommodatetheauto.Theconfigurationshavenotbeenperfect(norhavethemasstransitalternatives),butthefactremainsthatmassivegrowthisbeingenjoyedbysouthernandwesterncitiesbuiltaroundcars.Whileenvironmentalistsfret,themultitudesdriveon.6.Therearemorethan175millionlicenseddriversinAmerica,wheelingnearly200millionvehiclesover3.9millionmilesofroadsandstreets.Hoppingaboardtheircars,pickups,motorcycles,motorhomesandsportutilities,theyrollnearly2.4trillionmileseveryyear.About15millionbrand-newcarsandlighttruckspourontothehighwaysannually.Stockcarracingisthefastest-growingsportinthenation.Theautomobileindustryemploysmoreworkersthananyothermanufacturer-2.3million7.Tobesure,carshurtpeople,butrecentadvancesinbodystructures(doorbeams),passengerpackaging(airbags)andbrakes(discs,antilock)havemadethemsignificantlysafer.Inthepast30years,deathshavedroppedfrom5.3to1.7per100millionmilesdriven(astatisticthatincludesfatalitiesinvolvingfarmimplements,trucks,motorcycles,bicycles-anyvehicleonapublicroad).8.Yes,thecarpollutes,butadvancesinfuelqualityandefficiency,andinmicroprocessedorenginetechnology,haveradicallycutemissions.Expertsestimatethatasfewas10percentoftheautomobilesontheroad-poorlytuned,agingcrocks-produceasmuchas50percentoftheemissions.Iftheycouldbeeliminatedfromthehighways,automobilesmightceasetobeamajorfactorintheproductionofdirtyair.9.Yes,theautomobilehasbeenthesourceofurbansprawlandfreewaytrafficjamsfromcoasttocoast.Butthefactremainsthatdriversbythemillionsareunwillingtoforgothefreedomofmovement(althoughsometimesslow)forthepodlikeconstrictionofmasstransit.SaysacommuterwhodailydriveshisBMWfromsuburbanWestchesterCountyintothejammedmawofManhattan,It'stheonlytimeofthedaywhenI'maloneandcompletelyincontrolofmyowndestiny.It'soutrageouslyexpensive,consideringthetollsandtheparking,andheavenknowsitcanbeslowandfrustrating.Butit'smychoice,andinaworldwherethatbecomesrarerbytheday,thatisimportant.10.Suchtalkmayannoytheanticarcrowd.Ifonlypeoplewouldclimbaboardtheb